TurboSnail Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 18 hours ago, LBSC123 said: Do you have a photo of the chassis without body? It would be interesting to see if a C14 conversion could be achievable. Will this do? It's had the ends (which include the buffers) chopped off and the DCC bits taken off. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted February 12, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2022 1 hour ago, TurboSnail said: Will this do? It's had the ends (which include the buffers) chopped off and the DCC bits taken off. Let me get this right. This is a Hornby Nellie chassis that they no longer make and the wheelbase is a scale 7ft 6"? The reason I ask is that I have never made chassis before and I am looking for chassis for Sharp Stewart locos, one of which is a 0-4-2 and had a coupled wheelbase of 7ft 3", so it is only a millimetre out. Whether it is too wide and the motor too big is another matter. Thank you. I am not sure I have seen models of fireless locos before, well done. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 12, 2022 Author Share Posted February 12, 2022 1 hour ago, ChrisN said: Let me get this right. This is a Hornby Nellie chassis that they no longer make and the wheelbase is a scale 7ft 6"? The reason I ask is that I have never made chassis before and I am looking for chassis for Sharp Stewart locos, one of which is a 0-4-2 and had a coupled wheelbase of 7ft 3", so it is only a millimetre out. Whether it is too wide and the motor too big is another matter. Thank you. I am not sure I have seen models of fireless locos before, well done. This is a Bachmann/Lilliput chassis, I don't know about the Hornby Nellie chassis and don't own one be able to check. The 7ft 6in wheelbase measurement is approximate, it's probably done to a round number in HO scale, so probably won't be such a neat number in OO. I don't think there's ever been a UK outline RTR Fireless, but there are a few models about, including my Barclay (sadly now sold, video below) and the thread that inspired this model - using the same starting point - a build by Gwynraven of this parish. I think my modifications will end up being a bit more extreme than theirs though! 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Back in one piece with the footplate cut down - starting too see how different it will be to the HO version. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Cutting off the continental style bits and filling the holes, and adding the Hawthorn disc bit at the front. It's not quite the right size, but it's the closest size tube I had so it'll have to do. 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 It's quite vibrant... 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
webbcompound Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 Just saying 2 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Time for the bit you've all been waiting for, replacing the wheels! I was dreading messing up the valve gear while doing this. I did try filing down the wheels first, which worked a bit, but they still looked too small and still caught on some of the trackwork. Painted up some Scale-link 12mm ones - the tyres are a bit shiny but I find they need cleaning less often than other brands. I also had to cut some brass tube down to replace the bosses on the old wheels, and cut down some M1.2 screws to replace the originals which were too thin to work in the new wheels. 7 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 Back in one piece, and the body has gained some lining, in case the paintwork wasn't already suitably hi-vis And it runs! https://youtu.be/yL8bz-Povkk 5 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 Just to explain a little more about the wheel-swap, taking the wheels off was fairly easy, removing the crankpin screws, the valve gear held itself together. I had to remove one of the wheels from the driven axle to get access with a gear puller to get the drive gear off. The drive gear could then be fixed to the new Scale-link 3mm axle with a dot of superglue. Then the rest of the wheelset built up using a back-to-back gauge (working with drop-in RTR wheelsets is easier than having to poke axles through frames and square everything up in situ!). Finally, putting the valve gear back on with the brass tube bosses I made a few posts ago, and shortening a new fixing screw and reducing its head height to clear the valve gear. Phew! 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 Bufferbeams cut from plasticard, backhead improvised from the leftovers when I shortened the pressure vessel. Fortunately Fireless controls are fairly simple! 6 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 25, 2022 Author Share Posted February 25, 2022 (edited) The Fireless build was supposed to be one post a day, but I've been away the last week (on a work boat in the North Sea - the weather was pretty "exciting") Still, here's the final pics. Needs a bit of weathering to tone down the yellow, but I'm pretty happy with how different it looks from the starting point! Also needs sandboxes, the wheel centres touching in and a couple of small details, but it's done for now. Edited February 25, 2022 by TurboSnail 9 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainwright1 Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 4 hours ago, TurboSnail said: The Fireless build was supposed to be one post a day, but I've been away the last week (on a work boat in the North Sea - the weather was pretty "exciting") Still, here's the final pics. Needs a bit of weathering to tone down the yellow, but I'm pretty happy with how different it looks from the starting point! Also needs sandboxes, the wheel centres touching in and a couple of small details, but it's done for now. Nice work Mr Snail. All the best Ray 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 26, 2022 Author Share Posted February 26, 2022 For a direct comparison: 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted February 27, 2022 Author Share Posted February 27, 2022 Last post on the Fireless (to give your eyes a rest from all that yellow), some slow TV of it running on the layout. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfaZagato Posted February 28, 2022 Share Posted February 28, 2022 Looks excellent. You've done well to disguise the origin. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 I'm having a project dilemma - I've got hold of a Hattons' Barclay (poor thing doesn't know what's going to hit it). As with everything that comes my way, I'm going to ruin personalise it. I like the Grant Ritchie locos, so will make one of those, however, this is the choice I have to make: 0-4-0st open cab, with porthole windows (pic from Ribble Steam Railway site). This would be a nice easy cab conversion only, maybe replacement cylinders, buffers and chimney if I'm feeling really prototypical, or 0-4-2st, involving a new cab, bunker, rear frames, bufferbeam, wheelset, buffers, chimney and some chopping of the chassis. This would be much harder to execute neatly with the frame extensions necessary. (pic from The Transport Library) So, what should I go for? 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted March 5, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2022 8 minutes ago, TurboSnail said: I'm having a project dilemma - I've got hold of a Hattons' Barclay (poor thing doesn't know what's going to hit it). As with everything that comes my way, I'm going to ruin personalise it. I like the Grant Ritchie locos, so will make one of those, however, this is the choice I have to make: 0-4-0st open cab, with porthole windows (pic from Ribble Steam Railway site). This would be a nice easy cab conversion only, maybe replacement cylinders, buffers and chimney if I'm feeling really prototypical, or 0-4-2st, involving a new cab, bunker, rear frames, bufferbeam, wheelset, buffers, chimney and some chopping of the chassis. This would be much harder to execute neatly with the frame extensions necessary. (pic from The Transport Library) So, what should I go for? I would keep it simple, and go for the top one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted March 5, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2022 2 hours ago, TurboSnail said: So, what should I go for? Whichever you want. This isn’t where you live your life by polling… 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 Unfortunately, I rather like both! I may have to buy another Barclay in future... 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted March 5, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 5, 2022 Aha, so your question is really, “Which should I build first?” To which the stock answer is, the easiest one. But I say, you build the one you want most, as you will have more motivation to succeed. Well, as long as the desire is about 2:1 or stronger in favour of one over the other. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 Finally got round to making another D1419 van, this one being numbered as one of the Ashford 1872 batch - the transfers are slightly wrong, but the best I can do with what I've got to hand. Simple vans, but I quite like their small size, only 8ft wheelbase in this case. 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold brumtb Posted March 14, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2022 9 hours ago, TurboSnail said: Finally got round to making another D1419 van, this one being numbered as one of the Ashford 1872 batch - the transfers are slightly wrong, but the best I can do with what I've got to hand. Simple vans, but I quite like their small size, only 8ft wheelbase in this case. That looks really good. Tony 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSnail Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Turns out RMweb being down results in rather a lot of productivity, who'd a thought it? 13 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfaZagato Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 These look excellent. Any plans for markings or lining? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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