Toboldlygo's Model Works (as of 31/07/2020)

[toboldlygo]

Easy Eight is done, her build blog can be found here..

 

 

 

And the Attacker is back...

 

[railroadbill]

 

Hi Toboldlygo and Gwrob,  thanks for the advice on the Hornby Star class, my two have now turned up as you can see.  They both run very well, and slowly, had an hour or so running in light on the layout so far.  Had them both on the same track at one point and they both run at the same speed on a controller setting.

Just oiled them as per instructions. 

Apart from the moulded cab handrails, which will have to be replaced, the detail looks good, particularly the cab fittings.  As you see from my avatar, I have two sets for plates to fit.  However 4043 had castle type steam pipes fitted and 4054 elbow steam pipes but from 1945, so some possible additions needed...

Anyway, good runners even out of the box and they look the part so again thanks for the heads up on this Hornby model. (They were also a good price from Kernow).

 

Regards, Bill

 

Edited January 22, 2020 by railroadbill

[toboldlygo]

On 22/01/2020 at 19:44, railroadbill said:

 

Hi Toboldlygo and Gwrob,  thanks for the advice on the Hornby Star class, my two have now turned up as you can see.  They both run very well, and slowly, had an hour or so running in light on the layout so far.  Had them both on the same track at one point and they both run at the same speed on a controller setting.

Just oiled them as per instructions. 

Apart from the moulded cab handrails, which will have to be replaced, the detail looks good, particularly the cab fittings.  As you see from my avatar, I have two sets for plates to fit.  However 4043 had castle type steam pipes fitted and 4054 elbow steam pipes but from 1945, so some possible additions needed...

Anyway, good runners even out of the box and they look the part so again thanks for the heads up on this Hornby model. (They were also a good price from Kernow).

 

Regards, Bill

 

 

If they are both Knight of St Patrick's - you will need to do some more surgery...

 

The inside cylinder casing's are wrong for the later batches - namely the two you have in mind, I have a feeling they are available as aftermarket though (should be scalloped, not square)  

[railroadbill]

You are spot on with the problem, which I'd managed to overlook until I started re-reading various reference material.  4043 is of the 1913 5th batch and 4054 is 1914 6th batch.  And indeed they were built with "scalloped" inside cylinder covers.

I now vaguely think that this came up in the original "Star" thread when they first came out and there were replacement covers available. I'll have to have a look.  (As a digression,  Castles seem to have had at least 3 variations, starting with a "scalloped" type then 2 different square types).

 

As part of my new "rolling restoration" philosophy, I'll fit the name/number plates first then the locos can run on the layout until I'm ready to fit  the cab hand rails and cylinder covers.  Handrails are fine, have plenty of wire and handrail knobs.

 

Been running them tonight, still going ok!  Also a renumbered Bachmann standard class 5 which I thought had a burnt-out motor, but after some switch cleaner and then meths on the commutator is now back together and running just fine.  And a class 200 Sik - but that's quite another story. 

cheers Bill

 

[toboldlygo]

15 hours ago, railroadbill said:

You are spot on with the problem, which I'd managed to overlook until I started re-reading various reference material.  4043 is of the 1913 5th batch and 4054 is 1914 6th batch.  And indeed they were built with "scalloped" inside cylinder covers.

I now vaguely think that this came up in the original "Star" thread when they first came out and there were replacement covers available. I'll have to have a look.  (As a digression,  Castles seem to have had at least 3 variations, starting with a "scalloped" type then 2 different square types).

 

As part of my new "rolling restoration" philosophy, I'll fit the name/number plates first then the locos can run on the layout until I'm ready to fit  the cab hand rails and cylinder covers.  Handrails are fine, have plenty of wire and handrail knobs.

 

Been running them tonight, still going ok!  Also a renumbered Bachmann standard class 5 which I thought had a burnt-out motor, but after some switch cleaner and then meths on the commutator is now back together and running just fine.  And a class 200 Sik - but that's quite another story. 

cheers Bill

 

 

@gwrrob and I can't remember where the replacement inside cylinder covers come from, I suspect it's Wizard Models.

 

The Castle type outside pipes are available at Phoenix Precision and probably have a set of the elbow type lurking in my spares box - as I've done a few.

 

You don't need handrail knobs for the shelve replacements - however you will need a trip to Modelu for replacement whistles with shields  

 

Ah Bachmann's Class 5, my favourite of their loco's to tweak to the Standard Arthur version - so popular that one ended it up in New Zealand with a certain @robmcg 

[The Fatadder]

I know the Malcolm Mitchell part was a perfect fit (which was available from Dave Geen).  Unfortunately since Dave stoped and passed the range back to Pete Waterman I don’t think anyone else has taken it on.

[toboldlygo]

Well the Attacker's back in the box for now (filler needs to cure), in the meantime there's been another Armour Arrival...

 

 

..box might be tatty, but the kit is like new (and very rare & expensive on eBay - this one wasn't  )

 

And before my lengthy sabbatical from railway related stuff comes to an end (on Brexit Day) my first twin engined bomber in 1/48th scale (ever) makes an appearance..

 

 

A hidden gem by Revell - the Lockheed Ventura II (RAF), the fit of the kit is almost Tamiya like.

 

 

 

[railroadbill]

On 25/01/2020 at 13:37, toboldlygo said:

 

@gwrrob and I can't remember where the replacement inside cylinder covers come from, I suspect it's Wizard Models.

 

The Castle type outside pipes are available at Phoenix Precision and probably have a set of the elbow type lurking in my spares box - as I've done a few.

 

You don't need handrail knobs for the shelve replacements - however you will need a trip to Modelu for replacement whistles with shields  

 

Ah Bachmann's Class 5, my favourite of their loco's to tweak to the Standard Arthur version - so popular that one ended it up in New Zealand with a certain @robmcg 

Thanks for the info about Star parts, also to The Fatadder.  Apparently SE Finecast do the inside cylinder cover, also the two different steam pipes,  so I've got 2 sources to try. (They've had a Star in their range for years). Been running the Stars again tonight,  going well so far and will run very slowly as well (this is on DC).  I did find a strange shouldered screw lying on the track but it was just the screw that holds the drawbar at the loco end (the loco was pulling the tender by the wires). That's been the only thing that's dropped off.

 

 

[toboldlygo]

A Slightly Smaller Naval Build is coming..

 

 

[figworthy]

6 hours ago, toboldlygo said:

A Slightly Smaller Naval Build is coming..

 

 

 

What is the gadget on the bow for, some form of anti mine device ?

 

Adrian

[laurenceb]

Yes it is a acoutic hammer to trigger German mines devised after their magnetic mines were nutralised

[toboldlygo]

34 minutes ago, laurenceb said:

Yes it is a acoutic hammer to trigger German mines devised after their magnetic mines were neutralised

 

I thought it was to thwart the Klingons...

 

Star Trekkin' across the universe
On the Starship Enterprise, under Captain Kirk
Star Trekkin' across the universe
Boldly going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse

 

There's Klingon's on the starboard bow

starboard bow

starboard bow.

There's Klingon's on the starboard bow

starboard bow - Jim! 

 

Oops I'm channelling the Firm again

[The Johnster]

My father was a Merchant Navy officer on North Atlantic convoys and familiar with the Flowers.  He reckoned their crews were the toughest in the RN, as a result of having to defend the honour of the likes of Buttercup, Marigold, Pansy and so on in bar room brawls (‘really, do sailors sometimes get involved in such things, Daddy’?  ‘Only very occasionally, son.’). 
 

The North Atlantic in winter must have been hell in one of these, and father had a huge respect for their crews.  

[toboldlygo]

8 hours ago, The Johnster said:

My father was a Merchant Navy officer on North Atlantic convoys and familiar with the Flowers.  He reckoned their crews were the toughest in the RN, as a result of having to defend the honour of the likes of Buttercup, Marigold, Pansy and so on in bar room brawls (‘really, do sailors sometimes get involved in such things, Daddy’?  ‘Only very occasionally, son.’). 
 

The North Atlantic in winter must have been hell in one of these, and father had a huge respect for their crews.  

By all accounts they rolled a lot in high seas 

[railroadbill]

There are plan views of HMS Buttercup on P.110 of the John Lambert book, (which I'm sure you've seen of course)  he says there were eventually 18 Flowers fitted with the acoustic hammer.  It meant carrying fewer depth charges because of the weight.  Somewhere I've seen the expression "they'd roll on wet grass" applied to the Flowers.  The very poor living conditions on board can't have helped.  The crews must have been a very brave bunch indeed.

[railroadbill]

It'll be interesting to see how the 1:144 one compares with the old 1:72 kit. Looks like the prototypes are of a similar era of Flower class 

[toboldlygo]

1 hour ago, railroadbill said:

It'll be interesting to see how the 1:144 one compares with the old 1:72 kit. Looks like the prototypes are of a similar era of Flower class 

 

Be careful what you wish for @railroadbill and I'll leave it there...

 

... Buttercup is on the bench!

[The Johnster]

5 hours ago, toboldlygo said:

By all accounts they rolled a lot in high seas 

Submarines were submerged less of the time, and a lot drier.  

[toboldlygo]

Spoilers..

 

[railroadbill]

There's a picture on p. 118 of eh John Lambert/Les Brown book of HMCS Brandon after an Atlantic crossing with a lot of the  paint missing along the  side of the hull.  Must have been seriously rough.  There's a book published by the Royal Naval Museum called "battle of the Atlantic - the corvettes and their crews, an oral history"  by Dr Chris Howard Bailey that's a collection of interviews with corvette veterans.  Worth trying to get hold of (published in 1994).

 

One thing that comes out is that sailors would try and buy supplies when on shore the other side of the Atlantic and bring them back for their families, who they were more worried about than themselves.  Living in Liverpool or Portsmouth during WW2 was no joke.

 

Another thing is just how far medical knowledge has advanced since the war.  There's a section on rescuing survivors from torpedoed ships, many of whom died later from injuries that could now be easily treated. 

 

There has been no European war for 75 years now.

[railroadbill]

2 hours ago, toboldlygo said:

Spoilers..

 

Blimey skipper, that was quick!

Is that a square stern I see? Is that right for Buttercup, although perhaps there are various spec ships that can be built from the kit?

[toboldlygo]

1 minute ago, railroadbill said:

Blimey skipper, that was quick!

Is that a square stern I see? Is that right for Buttercup, although perhaps there are various spec ships that can be built from the kit?

 

Unlike the venerable 1/72nd kit - the major part of the hull is 2 parts, rather than 4 - no mole grips/ g-clamps required! 

 

The square stern is correct for Buttercup - just checked the 'book'  

 

Revell have tooled the kit up for various versions, so the stern section is separate and does require a little tlc to fit and some filler too.

 

No glazing is provide for the port holes, but that is a good thing - so glue n glaze can be used afterwards.

 

The decks are a thing of beauty (2 parts instead of the 3 on the 1/72nd version) and match the plans in the 'book' exactly - which is a pleasant surprise.

 

Should have the hull in paint tomorrow

 

FYI - the 'Book' both @railroadbill and myself are referring to is 'Flower Class Corvettes' by John Lambert & Les Brown. I also have in my possession 'The Flower Class Corvette Agassiz' by John Mckay & John Harland which was kindly lent to me by client for whom I'm building HMCS Snowberry - also a John btw  

[railroadbill]

Sounds a  good kit, especially if it takes account of some of the different types of flower that were developed. 

When I started on mine (1:72) I looked at various forums and vaguely remember someone doing a conversation of the matchbox/revell kit to a square stern version, with some difficulty. I did mine as snowdrop (round stern).

The larger scale one with 4 part hull does take a bit of sticking together but can be made very waterproof (which I needed for a working model, never had any leaks while being operated).

[toboldlygo]

Meanwhile on Florrymodels...

 

A few of my builds make an appearance - you need to scroll to the 20.08 minute mark  

[gwrrob]

You’re the Master.