Jon Fitness Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hi Jon, Back from our hols, and real life has gotten in the way of my modelling; a new car bought, and planning decorating too.... Looks like my L3 trolley project will not be happening immediately, but I'm glad I dropped by today and caught up on your progress! Your bus is coming on very nicely and likewise the Class 24 weathering; You have certainly captured the shape and 'Leylandness' of the bus and I think I might get myself the Cornell London HR/2 1/43 brass tram kit, now the burns have healed from my Terry Russell E/1 build, and the emotional scars I inflicted on Mrs. Spoons during my trolleybus build are mending nicely - unlike the red paint spots on the kitchen surfaces...... Looking forward to seeing the bus completed and 'fully dressed' Regards David Thanks David, Your Trolleybus inspired me to keep going and turn the bus into something I wanted rather than just build it! Still quite a few jobs to do on it but nearly there! Jon F. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hi Jon, What is a " modesty panel " please enlighten me. Martyn. P.S. The bus is looking great, I have been following the whole build and you have certainly turned a sow's ear into a silk purse . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 Hi Jon, What is a " modesty panel " please enlighten me. Martyn. P.S. The bus is looking great, I have been following the whole build and you have certainly turned a sow's ear into a silk purse . Not sure if it is the right name for it but its the panelwork around the staircase which A. stops you falling from the top deck down the stairwell B. stops people from er.... watching the upward progress of people going up the stairs....from underneath.....bring forth comments of (Puts on Blakey voice) "Oi Butler! Stop eyeing up that clippy and get this bus out of 'ere!...oh come on you know what I mean!! Cheers JF 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Spoons Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) For the benefit of younger viewers.... Those were the days..... Butler's passed on to the depot in the sky, Blakey's retired to Yorkshire, and the clippie was made redundant and now works at Poundstretchers.... Edited September 19, 2014 by Mister Spoons 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 Completed most of the final jobs on the bus now. The paint's drying on the lining and sundry silver bits so I made/prepared a few little odds and sods Exhaust tail pipe Dog rails, mirrors and windscreen wiper More soon JF 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 John, "Decency Panels" is the word you are looking for, mind when I worked as a conductor in the 60's and 70's, I still saw some "Good Sights". I then saw the light and became a signalman, and the sights I saw behind Paragon Box, were nothing compared to "On the Buses". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 John, "Decency Panels" is the word you are looking for, mind when I worked as a conductor in the 60's and 70's, I still saw some "Good Sights". I then saw the light and became a signalman, and the sights I saw behind Paragon Box, were nothing compared to "On the Buses".hats off to you Mick!I never could've been a conductor. Too slow with change! JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jon Fitness Posted September 21, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 21, 2014 (edited) Well, I think I've taken 439 as far as I can now, pending some suitable fleetnames/crests/legal lettering etc. I think it's as Boltonian and Leyland PD2 ish as I can make it. If anyone's interested, the real 439 was a Leyland Titan PD2/4 with Leyland's own coachwork. It entered service in 1949 with Bolton Transport and was withdrawn in 1968. Sadly it went straight for scrap at Finlay's of Barnsley but I think 19 years service rattling over wet cobbles transporting the workers of a northern mill town is pretty good in anyone's book. This is the livery it would have carried from about 1962/3 up to withdrawal. I've also changed the destination blind for my local bus service when I lived in Bolton! Back to the signals bench now! JF Edited September 21, 2014 by Jon Fitness 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Very nice piece of modelling Jon - Have really enjoyed watching this come together. Cheers, Bob. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Looking good John. I lived in Woodland Ave, just off Green Lane, from 1960 - 1963 and could've sworn it was a No 1 (via Crescent Rd. shed!) then. Was there another route that terminated at the top of Green Lane or am I just mistaken? Cheers, Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 There's nothing like daylight for taking convincing pictures of models. What an excellent vehicle. Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Looking good John. I lived in Woodland Ave, just off Green Lane, from 1960 - 1963 and could've sworn it was a No 1 (via Crescent Rd. shed!) then. Was there another route that terminated at the top of Green Lane or am I just mistaken? Cheers, Ray.Hi Ray. you are right for that time period but late 60's brought a change round of routes. the 1 became Townleys-Bolton down Bradford Rd , the 2&4 started from the turnaround on Green Lane and went to Barrow Bridge via different routes. The 4A was a short working G.L. to Bolton. I lived on Westbourne Ave 1963-1984! Cheers JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
asa Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Jon you have made a wonderful job of it.It's actually quite difficult to tell from the photos if it's real or not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Boucher Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Well, I think I've taken 439 as far as I can now, pending some suitable fleetnames/crests/legal lettering etc. I think it's as Boltonian and Leyland PD2 ish as I can make it. If anyone's interested, the real 439 was a Leyland Titan PD2/4 with Leyland's own coachwork. It entered service in 1949 with Bolton Transport and was withdrawn in 1968. Sadly it went straight for scrap at Finlay's of Barnsley but I think 19 years service rattling over wet cobbles transporting the workers of a northern mill town is pretty good in anyone's book. This is the livery it would have carried from about 1962/3 up to withdrawal. I've also changed the destination blind for my local bus service when I lived in Bolton! Back to the signals bench now! JF Nice work! I'm amazed at the amount of work and dedication to detail into what's a static model. That last "ground level' 3/4 view really makes it look quite real. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Nice work! I'm amazed at the amount of work and dedication to detail into what's a static model. That last "ground level' 3/4 view really makes it look quite real.Good point, but being a bit of a bus anorak and owning an ex Bolton bus too probably makes a difference. If its going on a layout, its part of the scenery and just like a building, or a tree or handbuilt track, if it means something to you, you'll want to make a job of it!Cheers JF 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Spoons Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 You hit the nail on the head Jon, When you get the idea in your head to build something, whatever it is, if your heart is really in it you want to make it as close to reality as humanly possible, so that when you see a photo from a 'real' angle it has you believing it could be the real thing, whether it is using the correct font for blinds and lettering or producing an authentic tax disc, it matters, and if you take time and trouble to achieve as much authenticity as you can with the small things as well as the bigger things it makes a huge difference! I know with my model there were things I considered making compromises with and I am glad I persevered; in so doing I learned a few things that can be applied to future models - decal upholstery being one thing for me and using 'hollow components' like the roof domes to save weight (hopefully preventing waistline and window pillar sag, fingers crossed there!) I know I have built models in the past and made a horrible job because the spark of emotion for the subject wasn't there, so only build things now that I have a feeling for. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 I've been doing battle with this "thing" for a while now. It's all coming along reasonably OK above the chassis but below that running board.....Imagine a seal trying to roller-skate whilst operating a coffee grinder and you'll have some idea of how it runs and sounds. New chassis without my hamfisted attempts at suspension should sort it out. More soon unless I take a hammer to it.. JF 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 It looks a nightmare with such a short coupled wheel base. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Although somewhat disheartened by the original chassis, I've battered on with the body. I've fitted most of the major castings (Carrs 100deg solder), added beading along the top of the bunker flare (15A fuse wire and 145 solder) and done the beading along the side-tanks, around the cab opening and around the side/back of the bunker (solder paste/RSU). I've also added the boiler bands from 10thou' strip also with the RSU but they were tinned with 145 solder rather than paste. As the original chassis has been er...put aside, I have replaced it with a Premier components milled version, hastily lashed up for the pics. It's far more basic and has no detail on it but does have the advantage of actually being possible to build square and the coupling rod holes actually line up with the bearings.. Amazingly the original chassis fixing positions are still usable and I'll snip off the old chassis all the bits I need to detail this one. I was going to have a pick at some of the excess solder but the flux residue was a bit sticky so as yet it's only had a scrub with Cif stainless steel cleaner. More soon JF 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 More work done on the H class.. The Westinghouse brake pump and some of the Push-Pull gear now fitted with much use of the RSU. The pipework is a mixture of 15A, 30A fuse wire and mains copper cable. I'm still missing the operating cylinder for the PP gear and there's a mile of pipework to fit along the LH valance along with all the associated bufferbeam furniture . More soon JF 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 (edited) With the smokebox door now fitted I now have a H with a "face"!. The superstructure is now ready for a good clean up and possibly some paint...or it will be once I get my Laurie Griffin Push-Pull operating cylinder casting . I think all the pipework is present and all the lampbrackets fitted etc. The removable cab roof was a bit of a b*****r to fit and is held on with a couple of 14 BA CSK bolts for easy access. The backhead was too wide to fit in between the internal tanks so was abused with a file until it did fit! Most of the backhead detail is moulded on full thickness (including the handle for the firehole door!) so certain bits were hacked off and replaced with etched bits. The firehole handle had its top section replaced with a bit of scrap etch and as no regulator handle was supplied, I made one up again from scrap bits. As I didn't solder it in properly it is now movable too That's the easy bits done now so time to resume battle with the chassis. More soon JF Edited February 10, 2015 by Jon Fitness 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) The chassis is now as complete as I'm making it and has now passed its final final final running tests. It is now powered by an ancient and rather worn ABC motorgearbox and it's smooth quiet and powerful (all ish!) but true to form didn't give in without a battle. It went round our layout quite well, but only in reverse as I hadn't finalised the motor restraint at the time. I took it home, pleased that it finally ran and set the motor at the correct angle with a restraint to stop it rotating...tested it, sure enough it still ran beautifully in reverse but as soon as I tried it forwards it locked solid. After fighting the urge to launch it I inspected the gearbox and saw that one of 4 tiny screws holding the sideplates had disappeared. One of the plates was now slightly loose so I presumed it caused a gear mis-alignment and replaced the screw with one from the bits box. Still no joy.. The gearbox was then dismantled to see what was wrong which was when I found the missing screw stuck in the gears; not completely, just resting, stuck in the grease in such a position that a gear gently rubbed it in one direction but as soon as the mechanism reversed, it flipped up into just the right position to lock it all up. In the words of Vinnie Jones' character in Lock Stock and 2 smoking barrels..."It's been emotional" Now, once I get hold of Laurie Griffin to get him to send the last bit of the push-pull gear, I can solder it on, paint the thing and get it out of my life for ever!!! JF Edited February 27, 2015 by Jon Fitness 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Lovely looking loco even if it has been a fight. I am looking at an 02 sometime in the future. I am also waiting to hear from Laurie I sent an email ordering a few parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Lovely looking loco even if it has been a fight. I am looking at an 02 sometime in the future. I am also waiting to hear from Laurie I sent an email ordering a few parts. I think he's been on holiday... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 That's the H class ready to take down to the island tomorrow. In the end I had to scratchbuild the missing push-pull actuator cylinder. Please excuse the terrible attempt at hand lining , I think it'll look fine trundling past on my friends garden railway.... JF 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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