Guest 30-something Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Hi Folks I've just started work on upgrading a Hornby Class 29 to modern standards. ish. The recent thread on re-powering a Lima Class 31 has prompted me into action! (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/19369-brush-type-2-re-birth/) The original pancake motor has been ditched in favour of the chassis block, motor, PCB and bogies from a Bachmann Class 25, I've been working on this tonight - I'll post some pics in the next couple of days. I chose the 25 chassis as there is only 6" difference in the wheelbase on the prototypes plus the chassis block fits between the cab doors. Transplanting the chassis has been relatively stress free, the Hornby plastic underframe has been cut and filed to accomodate the new chassis block and bogie towers, whilst the Class 25 sideframes were easily swapped with the 29 ones, with very little effort. Next plan of action is the thoroughly test the chassis to make sure there is no binding/contact of any moving parts with the bodyshell on, then I'll turn my attention to the body. Knowing that the Hornby 29 body has a few shortcomings, I plan to correct the detail on the cab ends, fit new bodyside main radiator grilles and the extra grilles added during the prototype conversion from Class 21 and fit an extra boiler filler recess to the roof. I may also fit directional headcode and tail-lighing. Whilst the end product wont be a silk purse, it should no longer be a sows ear! I must thank the folk who have contacted me on and off list who have provided me with invaluable information. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Good luck with this one Joe, I'll be keeping an eye on your progress! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 Good luck with this one Joe, I'll be keeping an eye on your progress! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Ah! So the RTR manufacturers are making one next year then? Can mine be an as delivered 21 for East Anglia please? Good luck, looking forward to this, keep it coming. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 Hi Folks A quick update with some pics to show progress. This pic shows what I started with, Bachmann 25 chassis and Hornby 29 chassis frame. Chassis and frame mated! I cut away a bit too much of the 29 chassis frame so left it a bit weak but its still strong enough. To make the chassis block fit, I had to cut away the crossmember on the Hornby frame at the non-motor end, and trimmed back the bogie guides at each side plus the guide lips inside the frame to leave a flat surface. The chassis block was then glued in place with epoxy and left overnight to harden. View of the underside, the white plasticard pieces are new mounting points for securing the frame to the chassis block using the original Bachmann screws. Showing the completed bogie. Both the Hornby and Bachmann side frames were cut from the rest of the frame directly behind the sideframe, retaining the correct width, I also cut off the height guides on the Hornby 29 frames. The 29 frames were glued again using epoxy and again left aside to dry overnight. Chassis and bogies together showing how it looks. A little bit of fettling was required to get the bogies swinging freely, Body mounted on chassis, a little bit of fettling is again needed to clear the valance, but looks better already with lowered ride height. Next job on the list is to remove all the mould lines and sand those areas smooth. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Good solid foundations there Joe. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the project goes, but get it done before Warley. The time's coming when the big boys will have run out of excuses...! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Its almost guaranteed that as soon as the last coat of varnish is dry, a major manufacturer will announce an all singing and dancing one, and in the livery/number combo I done!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the penguin of doom Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Don't worry 30 something. A certain big manufacturer announced an L1 at christmas and its still not in the shops. He heh! Some nice work on the "sad eyes" so far. Looking forward to progress. Cheers. Sean. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Richard_A Posted August 23, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2010 looks good so far going to start one of these my self today along with a 29 to 22 conversion, if my work is good enough ill post up some piccys too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 looks good so far going to start one of these my self today along with a 29 to 22 conversion, if my work is good enough ill post up some piccys too Go for it Rka, start a thread, you'll inspire people! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Hi Folks Been a little while since I updated this thread, I've made some progress on the bodyshell. The first 2 pics show the cab front with the original tail-light positions marked ready for cutting out, and the 2nd pic (very blurry) shows the cab front after the lights have been removed. The 3rd pic shows the cab front after the tail-lights have been fixed in the new positions and the cab doors (and marker light) filled and sanded. The cab front was brush painted white to show up any rough joins. The lights are not in perfect alignment but look fine to me! The next 2 pics show the new bodyside grille space cut out and the space for the new roof filler hatch (and roof grille) cut out. There is not much butchery left to do before I start re-assembling the bodyshell, the jobs I plan to do next are replace the large bodyside radiator grilles with etched brass replacements and new small bodyside grilles need to be fabricated and fitted. More updates when these are done!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Great work so far Joe. Don't forget that the windscreen pillars should be narrower though and this would be the ideal time to catch them. Have a look at photos and you'll see what I mean. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the penguin of doom Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Nice work there Joe. As an alleged "expert" in cutting and shutting, I'm very impressed with the fine work with the head/tail lights. Keep the posts coming, it's a very interesting conversion so far. Cheers. Sean. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 Great work so far Joe. Don't forget that the windscreen pillars should be narrower though and this would be the ideal time to catch them. Have a look at photos and you'll see what I mean. Dave. Nice work there Joe. As an alleged "expert" in cutting and shutting, I'm very impressed with the fine work with the head/tail lights. Keep the posts coming, it's a very interesting conversion so far. Cheers. Sean. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement folks! Dave, I've decided to leave the windscreens as they are for now, I know the pillars are over-thick but I reckon glazing will be a nightmare! Mind you, I do have a spare shell sitting here... Tonight I've managed to cut n shut the new small bodyside grilles, I'll post pics tomorrow once my sanity returns! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold slow8dirty Posted September 8, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 8, 2010 Very nice so far, Just picked one of these up off a 'popular auction site' with a view to doing the same thing in the near future so I will be watching very closely, good luck with the rest and thanks very much for starting the thread. Cheers, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Joe Pete Piszczek was working on one of these and had made a lot of progress I'm not sure if it was brought across from the old forum but it would be worth a search of the forum for it.# Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Joe Pete Piszczek was working on one of these and had made a lot of progress I'm not sure if it was brought across from the old forum but it would be worth a search of the forum for it.# Pete Hi Pete Thanks for reminding me of that, I already had it bookmarked but forgot!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Afternoon folks, A little update showing last night and todays progress so far. The pic shows the cut n' shut new small grilles. I used the bank of 4 radiator grilles from a spare 29 shell for these. A slice was taken out of the height of the grille to give roughly the correct height of the new grille and glued together, then the borders were filed and sanded to fit in each of the cut outs and glued in place. This took a couple of hours helped by peace and quiet and a steady stream of tea!!! The picture greatly exaggerates the roughness of this but it actually looks quite good! The cut out for the bodyside radiator grille is also shown. I plan to fit a square of corrugated plasticard vertically into this space to represent the radiator cores. I dont know how prototypical this will be as I cant find a photograph but it will give a bit of meat behind the etched grille. I'll be fitting the etched grilles next, along with the new roof water filler. Being alone at home whilst off sick with the flu has its advantages Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the penguin of doom Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Afternoon folks, A little update showing last night and todays progress so far. The picture greatly exaggerates the roughness of this but it actually looks quite good! Hi Joe. Looking good so far. I've found two things with type of conversion. 1). You can never do too much filling and sanding, and this stage of things, although tedious, is the foundation for the rest of the model. After a few fills, I always use primer to show up any unnatural bumps etc before invariably filling again another couple of times. 2). When taking close ups, they always exaggerate the roughness...... If it looks good to your naked eye, it generally is. Keep the posts coming, I for one am enjoying your thread. Cheers. Sean. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Another day, another update! I trial fitted the corrugated plasticard radiator core as per the first 2 pics, unpainted and painted black. I think it will look quite effective behind the etched grille. I've also spent most of the last day creating a new roof filler well and cap as I managed to lose the one I'd cut out of the spare shell... Just need to add representations of the hatch catches. All the needs done to the shell now is to tidy up the headcode box cut-outs and start affixing the etched grilles and new handrails then it should be ready for painting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold slow8dirty Posted September 27, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 27, 2010 Hi, how are things progressing? Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 30-something Posted September 29, 2010 Share Posted September 29, 2010 Hi Folks Not much progress since last report, mostly just attaching the etched grilles and opening out the headcode panels. I've taken some pics to show the difference between an unmodified bodyshell and my modfied shell Bodyside 1 comparision Bodyside 2 comparision Cab front comparision The model is just about ready for painting now after lamp irons, handrails and cab window bars as per...http://grahame910.fo.../p62258818.html The un-modified bodyshell will become an as built Class 21 in all over green. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold slow8dirty Posted September 29, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 29, 2010 Hi, well you've certainly inspired me to crack on and have a go. What have been your thoughts on on correcting the solebar area specifically just behind the buffers.Also i love the idea of using the grilles off the donor 29, sheer genius IMHO. For the etches are those the A1 Models etches?(currently unavailable:( ) Looking good, Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 This looks really good, Joe. Can I make one suggestion before you finalise things? File the cab windscreens out to the corners of the windscreen pillars and flush-glaze them after painting. You will have to restore the surrounds at the outer edges but it will make a vast improvement to the "face" of the locomotive. I had ideas of converting one of these models to a class 22 but ended up getting the Silver Fox body and mounting it on a Bachmann class 20 chassis. That leaves me with a future project to do exactly what you have done here. Many thanks for the inspiration! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sulzer27jd Posted September 30, 2010 Share Posted September 30, 2010 This looks really good, Joe. Can I make one suggestion before you finalise things? File the cab windscreens out to the corners of the windscreen pillars and flush-glaze them after painting. You will have to restore the surrounds at the outer edges but it will make a vast improvement to the "face" of the locomotive. Totally agree - the windows should extend right out to the cab sides. I have uploaded this image that may be of use; let us know how you get on. JD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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