Corbs & Chris' Clinic - Taking Stock

[FPH 603]

"Spluttered"..??!!

Perhaps not.

Thrashed?

[cheesysmith]

Im doing the same as you with Lima locos, and a lot of these scrap china made 31s. They do break at the cab ends, as it is a weak point on the casting, and I wonder how many are due to being dropped and breaking Vs mazac rot?

 

The way you have attached the bogies is interesting. I just used 2 pieces of 60 thou glues together to match the original Hornby casting thickness of aprox 3mm. Then drilled a 3mm hole through, and the clip on the top of the bogie tower clips on and holds it tight, with no need for any screws or bolts.

[Corbs]

Im doing the same as you with Lima locos, and a lot of these scrap china made 31s. They do break at the cab ends, as it is a weak point on the casting, and I wonder how many are due to being dropped and breaking Vs mazac rot?

 

The way you have attached the bogies is interesting. I just used 2 pieces of 60 thou glues together to match the original Hornby casting thickness of aprox 3mm. Then drilled a 3mm hole through, and the clip on the top of the bogie tower clips on and holds it tight, with no need for any screws or bolts.

 

Unless they changed the casting, I guess the only way of knowing would be if the non-affected models also appear for sale with smashed ends? This one has the distinctive cracking/bursting along the sides of the chassis so it was a goner.

 

 

Thanks for the heads-up on the thread, I had missed it as I usually just browse Modified RTR section and not Kit/Scratchbuilding, I've subscribed to it now.

I was trying to find rotten Heljan 47s but it seems you bought them all

 

If I were to do another 31 I'd use the Lima model as a base but as mentioned above this one is part of 'the collection' so fits within the spirit of the project.

[cheesysmith]

The reuse of rotten Heljan drives in other locos can get addictive. Using the gears and big powerful motor with the different bogie mouldings avalible as spares to repower older models is a drug with no cure. I keep finding Heljan bits all over the house that I have forgotten getting in the first place. When I was searching for my Lima 31s I found some more Heljan 47s, including one needing a chassis, so a quick trip to olivas is needed. That's on top of finding another Lima 31 I didn't know I had.

[John Tomlinson]

Yep! Rumney Models

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65265-class-30-vs-31/page-2

 

Love what you've done with the Airfix 30/31, and an interesting answer to mounting of the Hornby bogies.

 

Following this link, it does appear that you need to buy the P4 chassis kit to get the exhaust etches, or have you found otherwise?

 

John.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Yep it's not 100%, but it'll do for the this project  ... I plan on adding detail and flush glazing to this example to help it along.

 

 

 Flush glazing and some separate wire handrails go a long way. Having been largely absent from the hobby while Limpa were available, it was the Airfix type I owned, modified with all metal wheeled twin motor bogies and plenty of weight for my outdoor OO operation (traction tyres don't in the damp) where noise didn't matter, but traction really did. (Ever had a train halted by a headwind on an adverse gradient?)

 

It's an ill-wind that blows nobody any good, and the Hornby mazak failure has provided cheap modern standard mechanisms to revive these old worked on body shells to very good effect. In the crucial matter of properly representing the distinctively recessed cab side windows of the Brush 2, these hybrid models way surpass the current Hornby fraud for appearance, while performing on track in the happy way of heavycentre motor mechanisms.

 

My lazy man's approach to the job is to whittle down the interior screw posts and mould feed of the body, so that the Hornby mechanism with ends broken off due to mazak rot can simply be jammed into the Airfix body. (I take the PCB and fan spinny nonsense off too.) Job done, operational Brush 2 on the layout. The Hornby cab interiors can be cemented into the body shell with a lttle carving for fit. There is no simpler remotoring job in RTR!

 

...Strictly speaking the Airfix model isn't a 31 as the exhausts are the original type so modelled as having the original Mirlees diesel engines, so Class 30. When the Brush Type 2s were re-engined with English Electric diesel engines the exhaust ports were at 90 degrees to the original configuration and they became Class 31...

My attitude is that it was a Brush type 2 at the time of introduction and throughout its service with the Mirrlees engine, so AWAY! with the historical revisionism resulting in the use of wholly inapplicable TOPS. And likewise with all the other diesel classes chugging around in my 56 - 62 scenario.

 

...What's the diesel equivalent for 'chuffed' I wonder?

 Personally I am gruntled. Which seems an appropriate reference to the noises of diesel engines.

[Corbs]

Well I'm showing Chris the progress so far later so I hoped he's suitably gruntled. In the process of selling off the surplus parts now in order to claw some money back on the chassis.

 

One thing I did notice was that the Hornby back-to-back on the outer wheelsets seems to be very narrow compared to my other models. It tries to climb check rails and kadee uncouplers a lot, so looks like it will need some tweaking.

 

Elsewhere, those lovely folks at Fox Transfers sent me the numberplates for 7702 so they were duly fitted. I'm also halfway through mounting the brake gear I've cut off the defunct Bachmann chassis.

 

 

In the same package were some very colourful items, including WR route colour codes, and some BR coupling identifiers for the blue diesels. Screw link couplings are en route.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Corbs

[Booking Hall]

including WR route colour codes, and some BR coupling identifiers for the blue diesels

 

Looking very good Corbs, but you've reminded me of some things I haven't done!

[Coppercap]

Something wrong there with the cab roof, as if something is not seated fully.

[BernardTPM]

My attitude is that it was a Brush type 2 at the time of introduction and throughout its service with the Mirrlees engine, so AWAY! with the historical revisionism resulting in the use of wholly inapplicable TOPS. And likewise with all the other diesel classes chugging around in my 56 - 62 scenario.

I agree - if you're modelling the early period of their use they should be referred to as Bruish Type 2s - calling them Class 31s is doubly inappropriate!

[Corbs]

Love what you've done with the Airfix 30/31, and an interesting answer to mounting of the Hornby bogies.

 

Following this link, it does appear that you need to buy the P4 chassis kit to get the exhaust etches, or have you found otherwise?

 

John.

John, I was going to drop them a message and ask if they'd do the etch separately.

 

Something wrong there with the cab roof, as if something is not seated fully.

 

Think I might have knocked it, looks alright now. The bolts inside the bunker have been removed to fit the motor in. Just got the brake rods on the other side done so nearly finished!

[Corbs]

Right! Email sent off to Rumney Models.

 

REMOTORING THE AIRFIX PRAIRIE

 

After a failed attempt at using an eBay motor to re-power the green prairie using the Airfix worm gear salvaged from the old motor, a rethink was needed.

 

A more modern Hornby motor found in a drawer, a shaft adapter from Nigel Lawton, and a plastic worm gear are being used instead.

 

 

The negative has been soldered directly to the chassis.

Side to side movement has been sorted by packing the sides with me ol' friend styrene strip. Need to sort fore and aft and up/down movement but if I hold my finger down on the motor it works well. Very fast.

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by Corbs

[Corbs]

ROYAL SCOT REFRESH

 

 

These old Mainline models are pretty good for their age. The motor and drivetrain is a complete mystery, though. This one runs ok-ish but very power hungry and judders rather than crawling at low speed.

We want it to look nicer whilst chuntering around on the mainline, though, so a bit of a tart-up needed.

 

I don't have a pic of the exact model but it looked a bit like this without the dandruff

First easy job to make it look less toy-like was to colour in the wheel rims black using a CD marker pen. This is such an easy bodge, I love it.

Then I continued this theme by painting the handrails black. I painted matt black on the smokebox to give a sooty effect.

 

The original paint was in faded but OK condition, so I lacquered the loco and then dry brushed weathering powder on. I used 'smoke' around the top of the boiler and used a damp brush to make it streaky.

 

The name plate had faded over time, so a GBL static model gave up its plates to the Mainline one.

Here's before

 

and after

 

The moulded coal in the tender was quite high so I opted to cut it out and replace, using a cutting tool on the dremel and then files and stanley blades to do the fiddly bits.

Then I used styrene to build a false floor. Styrene box section was cut out to make a fire iron tunnel.

 

Coal glued in with runny, quick drying cyanoacrylate.

 

The tender was also lacquered and dry weathered, then the handrails coloured in with the pen.

I used dark earth for general muck and smoke around the coal space.

 

 

The rods and motion have been picked out in bronze and gunmetal but I think they still need toning down.

 

I adjusted the gap between loco and tender a bit as they were quite far apart, but it goes through points ok still. I drilled a new hole in the tender 'rod' and used a long bolt and a nut.

 

Outstanding jobs:

Cab glazing

Darken motion

Fall plate between loco and tender

Edited March 26, 2018 by Corbs

[RedGemAlchemist]

Despite generally being an LNER man, I approve of this revamp thread

Good work as always Corbs. Keep it up, man!

[47164]

Great thread, you can't go wrong with flush glazing the 31, and outlining the cab hand rails and painting over the yellow below the buffer beams... and then grabbing another body shell and converting to a 31/0 skinhead.

[Corbs]

Thanks for the kind words chaps

 

Great thread, you can't go wrong with flush glazing the 31, and outlining the cab hand rails and painting over the yellow below the buffer beams... and then grabbing another body shell and converting to a 31/0 skinhead.

 

Cheers mate, that's the plan, just waiting on a few bits to turn up before I start in earnest. Looking at the Hornby and Airfix ones side by side you realise just how 'off' the side window area is on the Hornby one. A shame as the detail is lovely.

The Airfix bodies seem to be quite cheap so building another body up might be a good shout.

[RedGemAlchemist]

The Airfix bodies seem to be quite cheap so building another body up might be a good shout.

Hmm. Useful information, considering my method of creating freelance locos.

[Corbs]

Hi Corbs.

 

Although I have never owned an airfix Class 31 I can imagine that the haulage power of the loco will be vastly improved when the loco is tested on a load.

 

Also I have a scot class loco like your 46100 but numbered as 46137.

 

It has the split chassis pickup and drive system but no valve gear.

 

I have contemplated completely replacing the chassis with a kit built chassis or just seeing if I can get hold of a complete new chassis for it however much that will cost.

 

The loco does work and still has its tender though rewheeled using Hornby tender wheels I think so it probably sits a bit too high but it runs.

 

Is there any recommended way I can improve the drive and performance of the loco as its slow running leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Any advice most welcome.

Hi mate

 

I think the 31's haulage capacity may have gone down now it has no traction tyres but that suits me just fine as it's soooo lovely and smooth now.

 

Coincidentally... I've been playing around with LMS 4-6-0 chassis. This blog post was very useful!

 

What happened was....

 

I was looking for Bachmann chassis on eBay, and there's the guy who makes a living from buying models and selling the body and chassis separately, but then I found a Bachmann parallel boiler Royal Scot sans tender for not much money, just down the road from me!

 

One thing led to another and I ended up with a tidy haul for not much money! A Mainline 'Jubilee' that was badly described, a tender-drive Airfix 4F with no cab, and a playworn LNER tender thrown in with the Scot.

 

Now here's the odd thing. The scot was quite disappointing at first, it would run super smoothly for most of a revolution and then almost stop. I popped the chassis under 'Royal Scot'. Part of the motion was bent so I straightened it, but it was still very lumpy.

Then, I ran the chassis on its own with no body and it started running smoothly!

 

 

I put the body back on, but only put the rear mounting screw in, and voila! It runs fine. Very nice slow speed.

I pulled the glazing out of the Bachmann model and glued it into the Scot with Glue 'n Glaze.

 

Now here's an annoying thing - put the Mainline Scot chassis under the Bachmann body, and all the lumpiness is gone! It runs very smoothly. Here's the Jubilee running-in in the background.

 

So I think the lumpy bumpiness was caused by the body putting pressure and tension on the mechanism.

 

So my advice would be firstly try running the chassis on its own, then have a look at the rods and motion and check for bentness/tightness. If all that fails then look into getting a Bachmann chassis.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Corbs

[RedGemAlchemist]

there's the guy who makes a living from buying models and selling the body and chassis separately

 

Do you mean...I think it's Hampshire Trains? On eBay by any chance? I believe that's what his username is. If so though, that's who I buy all my body shells from!

(Wow. I'm at work and actually have decent mobile Internet. That's new.)

Edited March 21, 2018 by RedGemAlchemist

[Corbs]

mr_mike121 is his username, AKA MikesLocos.

 

I think he buys a model for £X, takes the body off the chassis, then adds a markup to each part and sells separately. It's not an even split but if it were it would be (£X/2)+10 or something like that.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Corbs

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... Looking at the Hornby and Airfix ones side by side you realise just how 'off' the side window area is on the Hornby one. A shame as the detail is lovely...

 It is indeed a shame, and correcting this on the Hornby body has defeated me until now.

 

I have however now proved the first half of a transplant operation in which the cab roof is sawn out to the first break line leaving the front windscreens in situ; then some very careful filing to remove the gutter moudling above the front windscreesn, before removing the side window sections back to the same roof break line where the bodyside steps out to full width. The resulting 'cabriolet' Brush 2 looks very nifty indeed...

 

Now all I have to find is a Lima 'skinhead' donor body to provide the forward roof section and cab side window pillar units to graft in. I am only going to do this once for a 'skinhead' as I  recently unexpectedly obtained one of the Hornby D5512 bodies  thrown in with the mazak rotted chassis I was purchasing, and the skinhead is one I need for the KX steam to diesel transition that I model. Think it is worthwhile, because the Hornby body is generally superior, other than that anoying side window shape error.

[RedGemAlchemist]

mr_mike121 is his username, AKA MikesLocos.

 

I think he buys a model for £X, takes the body off the chassis, then adds a markup to each part and sells separately. It's not an even split but if it were it would be (£X/2)+10 or something like that.

Nice, more potential fodder! Thank you!

And it's Hampshire Models, having now looked it up. Got a massive lot of body shells from him for stupid cheap. Also bought a mint in box Airfix 14xx (which is now my No.6) from him. All of them are second-hand and you get some interesting stuff, some of it partially bashed, which creates some interesting outcomes on my end.

[cheesysmith]

Got to say keep things comming. I love seeing older but dimentionally accurate models brought upto date with better drives and a bit of detailing. Things like this need to be must see for people who don`t have the budget for the latest high priced full spec models.

[Corbs]

Thanks mate!

 

I got a reply from Justin at Rumney. The problem he faces is that to make a production run of Class 31 roof exhausts possible, there would need to be at least 180 of them, and the post/packaging/labour involved in selling them individually (plus the likelihood of shifting all of them) would likely outweigh the profit.

I do understand what he means, can't really see a way around it.

[cheesysmith]

The different exhausts etch sounds like something for Brian over at EE. It would go well with his roof fan etch.