Brian's 7mm Diesel Workbench, Belated up-date!

[brian daniels]

Brian

 

Approximately how long does it take to build one of these MMP tank wagons ?

 

 

Thanks

 

Richard.

 

Too bl**dy long!!!!!!!

 

Seriously though, it took me 2 weeks for the first one and that was with a week off work so I was at it hamer and tonges every day.

This second one is going a bit quicker as I have one done to follow rather than the instruction. The brake rigging slows you down a bit trying sort out the orientation of it all under there but it is worth it, as they say no pain no gain, and it does make into a very nice model.

[richard carr]

Thanks Brian

 

Unfortunately that is what I thought you were going to say, that is quite a long time for a wagon.

 

I think I will stick to some JLTRT mark1s for nowit is probably quicker to build a coach than one of those wagons.

 

Richard.

[gronk the shunter]

Fantastic collection of loco's Brian I'm incredibly envious! On your website there's a picture of illuminated dials (in a class 20 I think) which looks incredible, where did you get the dials from? And (sorry to ask so many questions) are the handles on the jltrt engine compartment doors replacements? or do they come with the kit?

Keep up the fabulous work - it's inspiring:)

[brian daniels]

Hi Gronk, the dials are from MMP kits I don't know if they are available separate or not. Drop him an email via the MMP website and ask.

 

The class 20 body access door handles are in the kits. I have just ordered another disc headcode 20 to do one with a token recess in it so watch this space!

[boxbrownie]

Don't know if anyone has noticed but the model has different windy wipers at each end! I am doing a swap with a friend who has a green un so he needs a set of pantograph ones where as I need a set of straight ones.

 

Hi Brian.........yes, I noticed that on mine as I was taking it down to bare plastic shell, I assumed Heljan had got it correct and the prototype had a pantograph drivers side and a cheap old pendulum wiper for the second man. But on looking through many, many, many pictures.......mainly yours I have yet to find a combination in practice. Anyhoo I have a spare sprue of Heljan bits which includes some wipers I think so that'll be another job when I finally get around to pasting all the bits that usually fall on the floor back on.

[djparkins]

Hi Gronk, the dials are from MMP kits I don't know if they are available separate or not. Drop him an email via the MMP website and ask.

 

 

Afraid they are not! - I just sent you some as a favour Brian, as you know!

 

David Parkins,

Modern Motice Power

[brian daniels]

My other MMP 35 ton tank is nearly finished just the top valve, walkways and logo panal clips to put on. Still got to sort out some couplings though. A picture here of the "A" and "B" tank together to show the different tank barrel lengths.

[Ressaldar]

Hi Brian,

 

very nice work as usual.

 

I notice that MMP have a new website which gives all of the details of their forthcoming kits (no prices yet though)

 

http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/Modern_Motive_Power.html

 

Some really tasty stuff there.

 

regards

 

Mike

[brian daniels]

Got hold of a Dave Parkins MMP Heljan 47 Bogie Sideframe Detailing Set today so hopefully get something done shortley. One thing that is apparent is that it will add a bit more weight to the model, just what it needs! Anyway here are a couple of picture of "what's in the box". He also does a cab interior detailing pack and a body detailing pack, don't know if anyone has used all 3 yet?

[boxbrownie]

I can see the steps set being useful, but not so sure about replacing the whole caboodle......might as well have bought an JLTRT, or dare I say an MMP kit!

 

But I am sure they will look prfect when finished and fitted.......I have enough trouble with my banana fingers fitting slaters pick ups.......one of the reasons I have now given up on fully etched kits, stopped being a pleasure a few years ago and just became bloomin' frustrating. Thank heaven for JLTRT and Heljan

 

I like the short message David.....did you mailbox start getting full?

[brian daniels]

Finally finished my 35 ton "A" tank. There was one little problem with it though, the "A" tank is more different than the "B" tank than I thought. Whilst looking through the pictures on Paul Bartletts site of his "A" tanks "A" tanks I noticed that they do not have the big handwheel discharging arrangement on top next to the filler. Only noticed this after spending a couple of hours putting the one on in the kit:( So I have removed it and found a small etch in the scrap box to use as a blank where it would be. I also found a casting to represent the preasure relief? valve between the filler and the lid support. I have also modified the suspension as apart from (I think) the first built that had shoe suspension, which the kit has, these tanks did not have bottom discharge. All the pictures I have found of bottom discharge "A" tanks have auxilliary suspension fitted. So into the scrap box again and found some Slaters spring mouldings from their Southern CCT's. I shortened the cast springs and glued the plastic suspension bits on the ends. It's not perfect but it looks the part now. Another thing Ihave done is I have "hinged" the side steps at the top of the tank and just secured them with a piece of tempory wire at the bottom so once it's painted I can remove the wire at the bottom and lift up the steps which makes it a lot easier to add some weathering and oil streaks behind the ladder.

[brian daniels]

I have made a start on the MMP bogie sideframes for a Heljan 47. Got to decide now if I carry on with this 47 or get another as the sideframes have to have the front and rear stretchers glued on so basicaly making them permanant. I am tempted to get another and leave this one with it's original ones that I have put sandboxes on!

[boxbrownie]

I'd like to see the two types both weathered to within an inch of thier lives......would there be that much visual difference?

[djparkins]

I'd like to see the two types both weathered to within an inch of thier lives......would there be that much visual difference?

 

David,

 

Surely that is not the only consideration. Another might be that you know the detail is there!

 

On your reasoning, why also would anyone bother to fit inside working valve gear to a steam loco? or build fully detailed coach or wagon underframes with rivet detail you can hardly see, as opposed to a simplified moulded representation of the same? Its a matter of personal preference, surely.

 

Regards,

 

David Parkins,

Modern Motive Power

[boxbrownie]

David,

 

Surely that is not the only consideration. Another might be that you know the detail is there!

 

On your reasoning, why also would anyone bother to fit inside working valve gear to a steam loco? or build fully detailed coach or wagon underframes with rivet detail you can hardly see, as opposed to a simplified moulded representation of the same? Its a matter of personal preference, surely.

 

Regards,

 

David Parkins,

Modern Motive Power

David,

 

Not at all the only consideration, but one of importance to those who wouldn't know (or care too much) about the difference between a rivet and a set scew, which appears to be borne out by the success of the Heljan models in 7mm.

 

I have inside valve gear on a kettle but it is visible so I like it to be there, but I am not so sure I am at all bothered by hidden blast pipes in the smoke box or the rivet detail and underframe fixings that are NOT visible.

 

If its running rolling stock as opposed to a museum/exhibition model, after all in that case why not build representations of the engines hidden away inside our beloved diesel locos? Having said that I have considered detail inside the engine bays but ONLY where it can be clearly seen through windows, and then yes it would be a representation of the engine and not detailed down to the glow plug leads!

 

Yes of course its personal preference.......that is why I would "personally" like to see the two side by side to make my mind up as to the added visual value, as an aside I have often pondered replacing the mostly heavily cast and represented coil springs with wound wire, I find the moulded/cast spring-damper units the most obvious flaw on virtually all bogies whether they be from RTR stock or Kit built.

 

Lets face it any model can be improved, RTR or Kit built and as you say it is personal preference as to the balance of worth v effort.

 

Anyway I only wanted to see what they both looked like weathered and side by side....thats all....

 

Best regards David

[TimC]

Brian

 

I spoke to you at the Bristol O Gauge show in January. You told me the make of plunger picks-ups you used (they weren't slaters). We were looking at your Class 26.

 

Can you please remind me whose pick ups you use.

 

Cheers

[HealeyMills]

Brian,

 

You need to slow down a bit... you're making the rest of us look as though we aren't doing anything

 

Really like the Duff, those MMP bogie details are just the job.

 

Do you use the railmatch colours for BR blue and the yellow cab ends?

 

Cheers

Lee

 

(Right - back to unpacking!)

[brian daniels]

Brian

 

I spoke to you at the Bristol O Gauge show in January. You told me the make of plunger picks-ups you used (they weren't slaters). We were looking at your Class 26.

 

Can you please remind me whose pick ups you use.

 

Cheers

 

Tim the plungers of choice at the moment are from ABS Models, same style and size as Slaters but much smoother operating.

 

Lee, one good thing with having a week of work every 5 weeks! And it just hapens that a few projects are getting finished at the moment, honest.

 

All my models are painted with Railmatch as i have a good local supplier at Howes.

 

I am getting very tempted to do another Heljan 47 as 47091 in green and a bit taty maybe with it's Thor nameplates in red fitted with these MMP bogie sideframes. Picture below of 47060 in the same sort of condition. I have only found 2 pics of 091 like this on Fotopics.

[brian daniels]

As I have not got another Heljan 47 to put the MMP sideframes on at the moment that project has gone back in the box for a while as I now have another JLTRT 20 to do Earlier up this thread I showed some new deep window frames that I had etched to do the token recessed 20's. I have now got these on a model. It was fun cutting out the recess as I don't have any measurements for these so it was just from pictures and as you can see I put a number in the space where they have to go to make sure they will fit later. The plasticard back to the recess was itself recessed a little as I did not think that just the thickness of the side would be deep enough. I had to file a bit off the side of the control desks to account for the recess in the cab sides. For some reason one recess has a plain "hole" in it whilst the other appears to have a part of the control stand poking through giving a step in the "hole". As usual when doing these cabs you have to mill/cut away a little bit of resin here and there to fit 2 red LED's for the tail lights and a bit of ally tubing to take a bulb for the marker lights. There is also the same set-up I did to illuminate the instrument dials on my 20052 as this one will be sound fitted to run with it. I have also drilled 3 little holes on the bulkhead for the red lights to shine through for the fault panal above the control stand. JLTRT kindly milled out the rad sides for me to put the etched grills in I had made for me.

 

I will have this at the NEC/Warley show on the Rail Express stand at the weekend if you want a closer look.

[two tone green]

Brian, as you seem to have every O gauge diesel there is out there, is there any chance of a few measurements of a few.

 

Looking for the length of the JLTRT 40 and Peak buffer face to buffer face, LOA as such. Don't suppose you measured the Heljan Deltic did you?

 

Just need to 'fine tune' my new O gauge layout plan and the LOA's would be very useful. Thanks.

[Pete Harvey]

Brian

 

What was the need for the larger windows on the 20's fitted with the tablet catcher?

 

Pete

[brian daniels]

Pete, I believe the larger window was to assist in retrieving the token once caught in the arm that was put out at 90 degrees. The driver would have to open the window and lean out to get the token in the cab. Seems a bit dangerous to me

[kevpeo]

And wet if its raining/snowing, which it often is up north. Its not often I can get away with saying 'up north'! kev.

[brian daniels]

I have been busy recently building 2 JLTRT TTA's with the short walkway on the top to go with the one I did earlier with the long walkway. The 2 new ones are built but due the cold weather I don't think they will get painted anytime soon.

 

Also been doing a little bit to the 20. I have made a representation, on one side so far, of the stub of the token apparatus that 20029 had on it when at IM. I have also made the red fault lights on the bulkhead light up by making a light box and sticking a 12v LED in it to shine through 3 holes drilled in the panel in the cab. The LED is controlled via a bridge rectifier so the currant goes one way through the LED and the 2 wires will be connected to the pickup terminals on a sound chip eventually, so as long as the loco is on a live track the red LED will be lit. I have also put some instrument "discs" on the control stands so I can now get the cab glued together and filled. Then glue the cab to the hood and make the 2 odd pipes that come out of the cab along the running plate of 20029. I have not got a lot on at the moment so I am just taking my time with this project, a little and often approach.

[boxbrownie]

You haven't got a key for the cab door yet though......or have you?