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Bringing a class 56 back to life


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Hi guy/girls,

 

I am fairly new to this forum, so please be gentle î…

 

I have been modelling railways for quite a while, i started as a kid but had a gap without for a few years and took it back up again 4 years ago.

I enjoy scratch building things and airbrushing (weathering) etc, and have become ok with practice.

 

Anyway i want to start a thread on a project that i have started. Its an old Dapol class 56 that has hardly had any use and runs sweet as a nut. As good as it was fir detail back them, i now want to detail it to modern standards.

Then i will respray it as 56 006 in BR blue small logo.

 

One idea i had as i am a DCC nut was to add working roof fans as a step up from the recent Hornby offering.

 

 

I will post step by step photos as i go.

 

Hope you will follow me î’

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Will be interested to see how you add your roof fans as I have a WIP for these on other locos at the mo, however they won't be a step up for the 56 as the latest Hornby offering has working fans already!!

 

Cav

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Thanks cav, hopefully i will get some photos up shortly. The Hornby 56 has fans that move only when loco moves as it is linked by a belt to drive mech, the same as the class 50 i have but it is poor.

The prototype would have them turning on and off thermostatically as the engine cooling calls for it.

 

 

Regards,

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I agree Andy and this is one thing I wish to replicate too. Are you going to program an auto start up proceedure so that they only come on when they would on the prototype or is that a bit anal?

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LOL î• , good point about the start up, i do believe you can programme some of the outputs/functions on some of the more expensive decoders, may even be able to get a ramp up/slow gradual start and stop of fans, but i would need to check the real ones on the prototype.

 

Regards

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Hi everyone, just updating interested people on my progress so far, i have managed to take some pictures as well. The first is as far as i have got with detailing the 56 body, i have cut out all the grills etc and replaced with etched ones from shawplan and replaced the front grill and lights as per my subject 56 006, then i filled and gaps edges etc to help the final finish.

 

post-11142-0-46276400-1300043622_thumb.jpg

 

The other image is of the two cooling fans i have knocked up with two tiny motors and etched fans on an aluminum base. Trouble is these motors are only about 2.5v each so am going to have to work out how to drive them from a function output on a decoder, if anyone has any ideas i would appreciate it a lot?

 

post-11142-0-84258400-1300043664_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Kind regards, i will post as often as possible.

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Hi, i managed to do some more to the 56 today on my day off. Once i received the final detailing parts from Howes this morning and picked up the paint colors from local model shop (Acrylics) i could finally start spraying it up. However when i had finished priming i noticed a few imperfections in the finish so out came the fine grit paper. The pictures are a before painting and after, enjoy smile.gif

 

post-11142-0-56082800-1300378399_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-11142-0-23975200-1300378455_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Andy blink.gif

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Hi everybody!

 

 

Here is some photos of the body sprayed up and with decals added, she's starting to look sweet now! cool.gif the shine is intentional to give that crisp fresh post works finish.

 

post-11142-0-06534600-1300832951_thumb.jpg

 

 

Next i will start on the buffer beams, by installing the new round sprung buffers as per researched prototype and all details.

 

 

Responses welcome unsure.gif

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Thanks rail blue, the picture is not the best due to poor lounge lighting.

 

The roof fan do run, i need ti mount them in chassis at correct hight to be just below the grills. I need to work out resistor value and the fan motor load so i can add to a decoder function output.

 

It is quite easy to make the fan assembly shown above, it just a piece of aluminium formed tube with the holes for the two motors stripped from a mini r/c heli that went toes up. The fans are just shawplan etched roof fans soldered to motor spindle.

 

Thanks for the kind words,

 

Regards,

 

Andy

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Those motors are also available for free from your draw full of ex mobile phones. They are used in the vibrator. I have a couple of these waiting for use.

 

Starting to look good and hats off to the brave step of doing a gloss finish!

 

Cheers

Cav

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The working fan thing is pretty straight forward on older models such as this, but modern mechanisms which fill the loco are a real pain when it comes to special effects due to lack of room. I'm still rubbing my chin and staring slightly up and left about how I'm going to fit the motors to mine. I want to add smoke as well which opens another can a big worms!!

 

By the way Andy I don't want to make your day bad but you have put the bodyside grilles on in the wrong order. The bodyside framing should have been put on first with the mesh over the top. In reality the framing runs all the way behind the bodyside.

 

Cav

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Doh!.... Sh**e, i thought it looked odd but thought it was just the angle of the reference photos i had. Oh well just have to turn a blind eye to that one. Thanks rail_blue i hope it goes well for your 47.

 

I was going to knock up the holder for the fan mech inside the loco while i was at work tonight (homer), but too busy with show.

 

I will keep you all posted as i have nearly finished buffer beams etc, then i will get some better pics up here.

 

Regards,

 

Andy

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