James Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Thanks GG! But you do realise the photos in raffle's post aren't my model but the real thing?? Seriously though it's not too fragile - the only time when it's at risk is when you cut the 'filled in' parts away before you begin to add the new plastikard parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunmar Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hi James, I've had a notion to update a couple of my own Lima 47's and had contemplated using the 'Ultra-scale wheels. I had seen the 'Wibdenshaw' method of attatching new pick-ups - your pic of the underframe looks different- any chance of another showing more of the arrangement? Bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hmm! food for thought for ballasters too, Raffles. Thanks for sharing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 I've had a notion to update a couple of my own Lima 47's and had contemplated using the 'Ultra-scale wheels. I had seen the 'Wibdenshaw' method of attatching new pick-ups - your pic of the underframe looks different- any chance of another showing more of the arrangement? Hi Bill! I've actually added extra pick ups to the power bogie as per the 'Wibdenshaw Method' - seems to work quite well from what little testing I've done so far. Don't worry, they'll the more photos coming, spent some of the morning working on the loco so some more underframe mods will be on their way very soon! I haven't even covered the body work yet, they're a couple of relatively simple things which, I think, have made a huge difference - mainly new bufferbeam and work around the horn cowling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Just a quick update. More work around the underframe, but the biggest change has been around the cowling and the exposed area of the frame behind it beneath the cab sides. One the Lima model this follows the cab side at an angle, when it should be parallel to the bodyside and somewhat set back. I took the plunge and yesterday evening cut parts of the chassis frame away! In hindsight this should have been done before any fine or delicate work! But hopefully the photos show what's been done. The cowling itself has also been slightly altered too. Perhaps side on it's not a massive change in appaearnce but I hope it does make a difference head on and 3/4 views. I think weathering will make the change much more obvious. More photos to follow Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Thanks for an interesting and useful thread. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Hi James, Looking good mate, I noticed you have removed the extra pipework on the bogies, I did one of mine, isn't that Lima plactic a pain in the butt to cut and sand smooth. Brian Danials has some nice detail pics of class 47s on his fotopic site, I found them quite useful when doing my Bachmann models. The engine cut off switch in the little red box is quite notieable, Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 Pete, pleased to see that this is very much of international interest! Looking good mate, I noticed you have removed the extra pipework on the bogies, I did one of mine, isn't that Lima plactic a pain in the butt to cut and sand smooth. Not a pain in the butt - pain in the thumb... It is horrible stuff to work with - a few years ago on the first one I did this way the knife slipped. It had a brand new Swann Morton no. 2 blade, the curved one... I have a scar which is about two thirds, maybe, the length of my thumb as a reminder of my Class 47 modelling! Though, the hosdpital told me, if you do cut yourself a brand new scapel blade is the best thing to use as the cut is very clean and easy to put back together! Three stitches in all and very lucky to have missed all working parts of my thumb! I do sometimes wonder as a result why I'm doing another Lima 47! Brian Danials has some nice detail pics of class 47s on his fotopic site, I found them quite useful when doing my Bachmann models. The engine cut off switch in the little red box is quite notieable, Thanks for that I've been on Brian's site on many, many occasions but there's so much stuff on there it's not hard to miss things! Even with all the work on the underframe, little things like you say will make a big difference. And hopefully no body thinks I'm too daft to be doing all this to a Lima model! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted March 2, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 2, 2011 I grafted a spare set of Heljan buffer beams onto my body shell...I always thought it was the cowl area that really let the Lima loco down - it's just not 'meaty' enough Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 I've removed the original bufferbeam and fabricated a new one which is set ever so slightly further back. This makes a huge difference to the appearance; the original one follows the curve of the cab front and looks rather odd. If you do modify this area you have toheavily modify the chassis, but this sin't too bad if you take care. And it's relatively minor work compared with all the rest of the work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 There's an overview of the project on my blog now - it may better explain some of the thinking behind the model Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl1967 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Hi James i was just wondering if your going to remove the bufferbeam of the body and add it to the chassis. here is pictures of one i have done. carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Very nice Carl i was just wondering if your going to remove the bufferbeam of the body and add it to the chassis. I won't be no - I have replaced the bufferbeam but it's very much part of the structural ingetrity - the cowling is very fragile so this all reinforces it nicely. I have done it the other way round before and the result was very vulnerable when the body was parted from its chassis! For your conversion it does, of course, make sense to have all as part of the chassis - it looks rather nice too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 A day off and some sunlight allowed for a few photos to be taken - hopefully this gives a better idea of how work around the cowling has improved the relationship between the cab and chassis as well as showing some of the work around the bogies, new 'inner' springs inparticular. I think the springs make a huge difference to the appearance of the bogies, adding a fair bit of depth to the proceedings. Finally a better overall view of the loco as it currently stands - the windscreen area has been reprofiled and I hope this makes a difference to the locomotive, loosing the sad eyed look the Lima model displays. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto21 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Superb James! The underframe and the work you've done on the bogies make such a difference! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Nice job, James! More please! Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks for you comments I'm pleased with how it's going so far. I did look at using PHD steps but it would have been very obvious that the Lima steps are moulded as part of the frame. So I used spare Heljan steps with their pins removed and smoothed at the back, and every so slighty thinned. Combined with the new springs it gives the bogie frames much more depth and moves them away from a rather 2D moulding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Following conversation elsewhere I just thought I'd add these photos. It's another Lima 47 which I rebuilt about five years ago. A little bit out of the ordinary as it had Dyna-Drive It makes use of the moulded parts of the Lima frame again with chassis/body framing from plastikard. This time the battery boxes and tanks are a rather hacked about Heljan moulding. The top photo shows it just about finished, needing just headcodes to complete. The next three views are it part finished - the underframe was just painted a general 'dirt' colour (leather/matt black/metalcote gunmetal) as a base for final weathering. A little rough maybe (I hope I've improved and refined my methods in the last few years) but shows a way of producing the original underframe arrangement. I'm likely to use a simialr method for my next 47; this time I might try Vi Trains tanks as the basis though as their underfrmae is a little sharper than that from our Danish friends. Anyway, I hope this is of interest to someone! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
musky Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Your hopes have been realized.I have a couple of Lima 47s which need modifying,so thanks for the inspiration. Regards Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Glad it's of use Bill! there's more to come yet though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted March 16, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2011 James They look great. Had a look at the Lima duffs I have, and the under frames are a bit rudimentary but look ripe to undergo surgery for splicing to my new ViTrains chassis. With a set of S kits boiler ports just bought as well, your thread has got me in the mood to have a go. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickL2008 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 The Heljan thanks IMHO are the best representation of the tanks I feel, the Vi-trains ones, just angle in too steeply and look a bit on thr "anemic" side to me, but none the less they are a good representation. Bachmanns' underframe tanks are the next best thing, but all three require opening out as there is not enough fresh air between the mouldings.. That said I should do the same to the ones on my fleet NL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 The Heljan tanks do require a fair bit of hacking to make them the correct width - I don't think it's just because of the small width issue of the Heljan Class 47 either. Heljan seem to have a habbit of wide underframe mouldings, especially on their seven mil' stuff. So either Heljan or Vi there's still some work to be done. Though I wasn't too impressed by the Bachmann effort. The visable chassis framing seems to be too far out giving a rather flat, two dimensional appearance. require opening out as there is not enough fresh air between the mouldings. Though strangely for the original arrangement all the rebuilding seems to actually be to create areas of dark and gloom around the underframe! They look great. Had a look at the Lima duffs I have, and the under frames are a bit rudimentary but look ripe to undergo surgery for splicing to my new ViTrains chassis. Thank you They are very basic as they come but if you accept that and view them as a base then they do have potential. The crispness of the mouldings too repay the work very well. With a set of S kits boiler ports just bought as well I had a look at those the other evening and they look very nice - I just decided to use 5 thou Evergreen plastic sheet for the plated over boiler ports though. your thread has got me in the mood to have a go. I'm really pleased about that It's fantastic when people see the rubbish I'm making and decide to something themselves along similar lines Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
0121modeller Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Very admirable work you've done here James, I'm currently in the process of similar underside modifiactions , mostly to Lima class 47's , as they ideally have a plastic chassis ideal for other modifications I have in mind regarding modelling them in a "stored servicable / rundown state" . I have a couple of Vtrain class 47's too, these will feature other modifications, mainly just replacing area of the serck shutters. I've made modifications to a Lima 47 I have , so far replacing the serck shutters as they'de appear in open position, so I'll start up a thread on this forum in the near future showing how I did this. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 Thanks Dave The Mia plastic is rather soft and makes it bvery eassy to work with (bogies aside - the inch long scar on my thumb will confirm that! ). I have another one to start very soon too but may be distracted firstly with a J21 and an N10 but also a pair of class 20s! I've made modifications to a Lima 47 I have , so far replacing the serck shutters as they'de appear in open position, so I'll start up a thread on this forum in the near future showing how I did this. I've done this mod a few times - looks very nice once done - perfect for a mainline loco tearing past! Don't do too many like this for now though... I have it on excellent authority that a well known company will be producing an etch for this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.