The Siphon G, by Accurascale - From Milk To Mail!

[Dunsignalling]

On 07/06/2023 at 20:46, Bernard Lamb said:

Well, mine arrived.

The lierature has to be the best ever, with a very comprehensive history.

The underframe with all the brake parts is unbelievable. Though I do note no generator belt. A fairly standard addition when detailing B....... Mk1s so no problem to do.

General finish is excellent with a dull non plastic appearance.

I usually throw away boxes, other than Fleischmann, but this is a work of art.

The sprung buffers are streets ahead of any other model in their action.

But why, oh why, do the coulings stick out so far?

I use a combination of Roco and Hornby with Modellers Mecca or Dart Castings flexible connections, or a home made version to fill the gap. The siphon, even with two of the shortest couplings, has an exessive gap when coupled tp the two main manufactures products. I know other couplings are provided. but with 40 odd years of stock I find it a bit of a pain to have to reverted to changing them to simple bend up brass hook and bar jobbies to get something that works and looks reasonable.

Bernard

It seems to be necessitated by a combination of the bogies being so close to the ends of the vehicle, and the "standard" mini-tension-lock geometry. There is a solution, but its ease and efficacy will vary depending on ones choice of coupler.

 

1. Slide the pocket out of its dovetail in the bogie.

2. Shorten the pocket by 50% of how much you want to reduce the gap. 

3. Shorten the clips on the back of the coupler such that what's left goes fully into the reduced pocket. 

4. Superglue the modified coupler into the pocket and refit the pocket to the bogie.

 

Note that, if using a #17 Kadee, it's also necessary to file small indents into the end of the pocket to avoid fouling the inner pivot.

 

John

Edited June 10, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[Captain Kernow]

On 09/06/2023 at 14:05, Jub45565 said:

 it isn't just the number ofthem which people will want to convert to P4 - but also the number who will leave them rigid too

Quite right too, why faff about if the vehicle stays on the track with rigid bogies.

 

[County of Yorkshire]

22 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

Sorry, but with its feet in the air it looks like a dead bluebottle. 

Yes the detail is incredible, but we don't see them like that unless we model accident scenes.

What a strange thing to say.

 

My three finally - finally - arrived today and I am smitten. Easily the best piece of non-loco rolling stock I own. 
 

Hornby’s Southern GUV released a couple of years ago was probably #1 for NPCCS, but these are something else.

 

I would be very interested in a GWR liveried M34 and another O59 if released in the second wave. As for these, I’ll be getting the Halford Volvo Grey rattle can out tomorrow to paint the roofs a proper colour! 
 

CoY

 

[The Fatadder]

8 minutes ago, County of Yorkshire said:

would be very interested in a GWR liveried M34 and another O59 if released in the second wave.

Just get the paints out and do your own from a blue one 😉. Literally did the whole thing in a lunch brake.

 

it does make for a very attractive vehicle, so I could certainly see a GWR liveried M34 being popular 

[The Stationmaster]

On 09/06/2023 at 23:10, Michael Hodgson said:

 

Sorry, but with its feet in the air it looks like a dead bluebottle. 

Yes the detail is incredible, but we don't see them like that unless we model accident scenes.

My Shunters used to be quite helpful in that respects although their main act with a Siphon was pulling the end out of one.

[VIA185]

6 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

My Shunters used to be quite helpful in that respects although their main act with a Siphon was pulling the end out of one.

I recall David Ward telling me that a certain preserved railway had done that to a MK1 coach - and that it didn't take much practice! (CJL)

[BMacdermott]

Hello everyone

 

My Diags.O33 and O59 arrived yesterday, and fine models they are too! Certainly a quality product! 👍

 

Did someone say they had trouble going round first radius? I tested mine on my reverse loops (in my hidden sidings) and all was fine.

 

As noted by me in an earlier post, I like to keep the weight of rolling stock to a bare minimum. My first job with any new vehicle is to take the body off and - hopefully - remove the ballast weight. More easily said than done with some stock!

 

I'm pleased to say that the bodies popped off very easily (but not too easily). The internal floor seems to have been dab glued to the ballast weight. I wedged a thin screwdriver under the floor and gingerly lifted it - millimetre by millimetre. I found it helped to run a scalpel along the edges first.

 

Once the floor was up, the same technique was used for the dab glued ballast weight. The bodies snapped back easily -  although it might be advisable to help them stay put with a dab of glue if you are likely to be handling them regularly.

 

Overall, this reduced each van by 60 grams - a good saving on a rake.

 

I look forward to the Outside Framed version!

 

Brian

[The Stationmaster]

54 minutes ago, VIA185 said:

I recall David Ward telling me that a certain preserved railway had done that to a MK1 coach - and that it didn't take much practice! (CJL)

My Shunters were also quite, er, 'handy' when it came to the treatment of Mk 1 coaches!

 

 

Back to Siphons and alas I haven't got a photo of the way the Shunter 'modified' the end of one. 

Edited June 11, 2023 by The Stationmaster

[gwrrob]

41 minutes ago, BMacdermott said:

I look forward to the Outside Framed version!

 

Absolutely @BMacdermott

[VIA185]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

My Shunters were also quite, er, 'handy' when it came to the treatment of Mk 1 coaches!

 

 

Back to Siphons and alas I haven't got a photo of the way the Shunter 'modified' the end of one. 

I believe the mistake that was made with the Mk1s (which had a fair amount of the 'metal moth') was to couple the gangways but not the buckeyes. Apparently the end was removed quite neatly! (CJL)

[MikeParkin65]

3 hours ago, VIA185 said:

I recall David Ward telling me that a certain preserved railway had done that to a MK1 coach - and that it didn't take much practice! (CJL)

A4 60009 made short work of a Stove R a couple of years ago - 

 

[County of Yorkshire]

Can I ask a question please? Is anyone able to advise on late-GWR roof colouring on these? When the rooves were switched from white to grey, did the lower edge of the roof (below the rain strip) go grey or did they remain brown (i.e. bodyside colour). 
 

Any advice would be appreciated! 
 

CoY 

[Wickham Green too]

On 11/06/2023 at 19:24, VIA185 said:

I believe the mistake that was made with the Mk1s (which had a fair amount of the 'metal moth') was to couple the gangways but not the buckeyes. Apparently the end was removed quite neatly! (CJL)

Not possible, I'm afraid  -  Pullman gangways are not 'coupled', as such, just held together by spring pressure.

[melmerby]

On 09/06/2023 at 18:48, MidlandRed said:

Underside detail is as good as the normal view - absolute work of art!!? 
 

Those cross head screws aren't prototypical.

I'd send it back or even better send it to me!😄

[Jon Harbour]

My two arrived on Sunday, much to my surprise (wasn't expected DHL to deliver at the weekend!). Had them out of the box today to fit Kadees and they are magnificent. Looking forward to running them on our club layout on Friday night.

 

[MrTea]

On 10/06/2023 at 09:23, gwrrob said:

 

A lot of work and research put in by @Islesy and the team there, I certainly appreciate it. There are plenty of Lima models on eBay for those who don’t.

On the subject of the Lima model, has anyone tried a side by side comparison of the two? I’d be fascinated to see how  much difference there is and how much model fidelity has improved on the last 35-40 years. 
 

I have fond memories of my Lima Siphon G and it’s massive tension lock couplings and gangways you could detach. 

[Southernman46]

On 11/05/2023 at 20:06, Southernman46 said:

Happy retirement .......... thanks for your service 👍

 

There you go .................. 

[Nick C]

13 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Not possible, I'm afraid  -  Pullman gangways are not 'coupled', as such, just held together by spring pressure.

Possible to couple a pullman gangway to a BS one though, with an adapter (as per the video above). 

[Wickham Green too]

Indeed  -  but if you fail to uncouple the gangways before pulling the vehicles apart it's more than unlikely that the end of the Pullman-gangwayed vehicle would be pulled out however busy the tin worms had been.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Wickham Green too
missing worm

[brushman47544]

Camera phone so not that good as photos but here are the Accurascale and Lima versions together. In view of its age, the Lima Siphon was pretty good.

[County of Yorkshire]

14 hours ago, MrTea said:

On the subject of the Lima model, has anyone tried a side by side comparison of the two? I’d be fascinated to see how  much difference there is and how much model fidelity has improved on the last 35-40 years. 
 

I have fond memories of my Lima Siphon G and it’s massive tension lock couplings and gangways you could detach. 

Lima and Accurascale O33’s side by side comparison. I actually agree that for its age, the Lima version holds up pretty well. 
 

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

[The Stationmaster]

18 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Indeed  -  but if you fail to uncouple the gangways before pulling the vehicles apart it's more than unlikely that the end of the Pullman-gangwayed would be pulled out however busy the tin worms had been.

What weill go is the weakest point and that varies for all sort of reasons.  Theoretically the Standard Gangway is most likely to tear or the adaptor will go in some way or other as it is a weak spot.  But what actually happens could be very different.  As I've already mentioned when one of my Shunters didn't unclip the gamgways what went was the entire end of the Siphon and it was hanging off the two gangways without particul;arly damaging either of them..  But that was pf course  a vehicle with. a wooden body.

[Wickham Green too]

... and, of course, a scissors not-so-Standard Gangway is likely to behave differently from a suspended not-so-Standard Gangway ! 😕 

[Geep7]

I put my re-bogied and lowered (with Bachmann Collett bogies) Lima example next to my Accurascale one, and the first thing I noticed was how much shorter in height it was, and also about 2mm narrower and shorter in length. It makes me wonder if the Lima Siphon was done to 3.8mm scale......

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, Geep7 said:

... if the Lima Siphon was done to 3.8mm scale......

... it would be a whole 10mm too short - which mine seems not to be !