Wright writes.....

[gr.king]

Fora?

[billbedford]

However, after fixing on the steps (which are beautifully-cast) and leaving the superglue overnight to thoroughly set, when handling the underfame, I mistakenly picked it up by the steps and one side just broke off. I'm prepared to concede my clumsiness, but both steps now have brass reinforcements behind them, invisible from normal viewing angles/distances. Not only that, I've replaced the brake-actuating rods with brass (one resin one broke as I cut it out from the sprue).

 

 

The lower footboards were removed from these, and all other, coaches by the LNER. Presumably on the basis that they weren't replaced when they became damaged.

[jamie92208]

Fora?

Probably the correct plural if I can remember any Latin from far too many years ago. The same root as Stadium/stadia. However as ever I'm happy to be corrected, I did drop Latin before I took my O level.

 

The various comments about frames and distortion have given me food for thought. Even in 7mm the same problem could exist especially with the kits that have thin frames blown up from 4mm etches. One 2-4-0 that I'm building was almost like a Labradors tail when I first motorised it. I've now soldered lengths of 2mm square brass to the bottom of the frames and things are much better.

 

Jamie

Edited May 31, 2016 by jamie92208

[billbedford]

Anyone who blows up component from 4 to 7mm without adjusting the thickness really doesn't understand what he is doing.

[jamie92208]

Anyone who blows up component from 4 to 7mm without adjusting the thickness really doesn't understand what he is doing.

I think that these had had the thickness increased but they were still very thin and wobbly. However I agree totally with your comment Bill.

 

Jamie

[bertiedog]

A mention of using a glass plate to check the wheels was made, and I use one I made about 40 years ago. It is about 15 inches long by 8, 1/2 inch ground plate glass with ground polished edge, came from a shop display, with 9mm,16.5, P4 and 0 gauge rails on it, using code 125 rail. (I think), glued with industrial epoxy to the glass, exactly to gauge for each stretch.

 

The spare area at the front is used to test sitting on flanges, and the test track for the tyres in use.

 

The top of all the track was ground truly flat with another glass plate and valve grinding paste. The track top registers to the glass within .1 thou.

 

There are small cut outs in each rail to allow a measuring gauge tip to enter under the tyre to get the loading for that axle.

 

The plate shows up several recent RTR purchases as a bit warped, but with the practical clearances and slop, they still work fine.

 

Stephen

[bertiedog]

I think that these had had the thickness increased but they were still very thin and wobbly. However I agree totally with your comment Bill.

 

Jamie

I mentioned scaling to an etched kit supplier several years ago, and he said he doubled the thickness on doubling the scale.....think about it!

Stephen.

[Woodcock29]

I have recently received one of Bill Bedford's new resin D129 composites.

 

Progress is shown below. Like Tony I opted to replace the truss rods with brass and also the vee hangers. I have also removed the steps from the bogies and will not fit the lower steps between the bogies because as Bill said above these steps were removed by the LNER. Note I have used a piece of plastic wire covering for the torsion device and it has slipped out of position whilst taking the photograph!

 

I have a question for Bill about the brakes and rigging. There is one sprue in the kit that contains brake shoes and rigging. There are four sets of shoes on the sprue, two sets (ie for two axles or one bogie) with shoes at OO spacing and two sets at EM/P4 spacing. So I'm thinking there should have been two such sprues in the kit?

 

The resin castings are by far the best I have ever seen.

 

I'm looking forward to finishing it ready for painting but have to go away for about 10 days so further progress will occur when I return. Fitting the windows is going to be very interesting as the pre-cut acetate glazing supplied is to be fitted from the outside into the window openings.

 

Woodcock29

[jamie92208]

I mentioned scaling to an etched kit supplier several years ago, and he said he doubled the thickness on doubling the scale.....think about it!

Stephen.

I've only done it the other way from 7mm to 4mm and went from 12 thou to 8 thou brass for some signal gantries. This apparently worked well according to the people I did it for. If I was going the other way I would try and double it.

 

Jamie

[Tony Wright]

The lower footboards were removed from these, and all other, coaches by the LNER. Presumably on the basis that they weren't replaced when they became damaged.

Bill,

 

Might it be useful to provide some further prototype notes in the instructions with regard to details like the above? I didn't know that fact, but was it universal? In Eastern Steam in Colour, page 13 (Hugh Ballantyne), there appear to be two ex-GNR bogie carriages of the sort you make, in an engineers' train, painted black, in April 1958. One of them still has the central footboards. For that reason, I'll retain the ones I've added.

 

 

 

Now complete, awaiting final painting, glazing, numbering (can anyone help with its engineering-dept numbers and branding, please?) and weathering. It runs beautifully and really looks the part. Many thanks. 

Edited May 31, 2016 by Tony Wright

[jrg1]

Probably the correct plural if I can remember any Latin from far too many years ago. The same root as Stadium/stadia. However as ever I'm happy to be corrected, I did drop Latin before I took my O level.

 

The various comments about frames and distortion have given me food for thought. Even in 7mm the same problem could exist especially with the kits that have thin frames blown up from 4mm etches. One 2-4-0 that I'm building was almost like a Labradors tail when I first motorised it. I've now soldered lengths of 2mm square brass to the bottom of the frames and things are much better.

 

Jamie

One way to deal with a floppy chassis is to use low melting point metal and puddle it in place with a soldering iron.  I have used metal melting at 80 degrees to weight plastic bodies-just don't dally, as the metal can act as a heat sink.  If a chassis has U-shaped spacers, the metal can simply be use to fill the space.  With L-shaped spacers, a plastic card stop can be fixed in place whilst the metal is melted in.

[Jol Wilkinson]

I mentioned scaling to an etched kit supplier several years ago, and he said he doubled the thickness on doubling the scale.....think about it!

Stephen.

Scaling up or down existing artwork is easy but to do it properly it should be modified with bearing and bolt holes corrected for the new scale, while fold lines, etc. may also need changing.

 

Some kit manufacturers simply up/downscale etch artwork (or get the etch tool maker to do it) as one off projects in response to orders from customers. If it is to be an ongoing commercial enterprise then the artwork should be properly amended. It may even involve laying out the components differently to reduce waste/cost.

[Mallard60022]

Bill,

 

Might it be useful to provide some further prototype notes in the instructions with regard to details like the above? I didn't know that fact, but was it universal? In Eastern Steam in Colour, page 13 (Hugh Ballantyne), there appear to be two ex-GNR bogie carriages of the sort you make, in an engineers' train, painted black, in April 1958. One of them still has the central footboards. For that reason, I'll retain the ones I've added.

 

Dsc_4800.jpg

 

Now complete, awaiting final painting, glazing, numbering (can anyone help with its engineering-dept numbers and branding, please?) and weathering. It runs beautifully and really looks the part. Many thanks. 

Apologies Tony if I've missed the relevant post but is the kit/have you done the kit, like a Comet with body,roof and ends fitting on the under-frame?

Looks really smart by the way.

Phil

[Clive Mortimore]

Bill,

 

Might it be useful to provide some further prototype notes in the instructions with regard to details like the above? I didn't know that fact, but was it universal? In Eastern Steam in Colour, page 13 (Hugh Ballantyne), there appear to be two ex-GNR bogie carriages of the sort you make, in an engineers' train, painted black, in April 1958. One of them still has the central footboards. For that reason, I'll retain the ones I've added.

 

Dsc_4800.jpg

 

Now complete, awaiting final painting, glazing, numbering (can anyone help with its engineering-dept numbers and branding, please?) and weathering. It runs beautifully and really looks the part. Many thanks. 

Hi Tony

 

The lower footboards could well have been refitted when taken into engineers service. Helpful for the blokes getting in and out of the coaches to or from track level.

[Tony Wright]

Apologies Tony if I've missed the relevant post but is the kit/have you done the kit, like a Comet with body,roof and ends fitting on the under-frame?

Looks really smart by the way.

Phil

Phil,

 

The kit is fundamentally different from a Comet one in that the whole body - two ends, two sides, the floor, partitions and seats (including the lavatory) are cast in one piece of resin. The underframe - headstocks, solebars and sole plate are also cast in a single piece. So is the roof. The parts really just clip together, such is the excellence of the fit.

 

There are no problems in mating the ends to the sides, nor ensuring that the solebars and headstocks all fit as required. There is a small amount of cleaning up necessary, but not much; just fine flash. The bogies are effectively one-piece (just bolsters and brakes to fit), and all one does is fit pin-point bearings and spring the wheelsets in. There is ample clearance for all the gauges.

 

I'm writing up a piece on the Mousa kits for BRM. The one I've already completed (ex-final livery, glazing, lettering/numbering and weathering) will be painted in engineers' black and branded accordingly. May I ask again, please - how were these old carriages branded in departmental use and did they retain their original numbers? Is it Eng. Dept., or something like in white? Any pictures will be most appreciated. The second one (the composite) will be finished in LNER livery for service on Grantham. I'll keep the black one on Little Bytham. 

 

Though (it would appear like others) I've replaced some of the thin resin components with brass for longevity and minimising the risk caused by careless handling, these all-resin kits (apart from the grab rails/handles, vacuum standpipes, bogie-fixing nuts/bolts and buffers) could well be the/a way forward in model coach construction. Because of the thickness of the material (compared with etched brass), the medium lends itself more to wooden-bodied cars.

 

In short, I think they're excellent, and anyone who 'claims' to be a modeller should be able to put one of these kits together. All one needs are a minimum of tools, a pin vice and bits and superglue. Unless (like me) one chooses to replace parts with brass wire/section, then, other than fixing the handrail stanchions at the ends, there's no soldering. What could be simpler? And, a very fine model will be the end-product.    

Edited May 31, 2016 by Tony Wright

[Woodcock29]

Tony - did you have two sprues in your Bill Bedford D277 kit with brakes on? I only had one that had brakes for one bogie set at OO spacing and the other set at EM/P4 spacing.

 

Andrew Emmett

[Clive Mortimore]

Phil,

 

The kit is fundamentally different from a Comet one in that the whole body - two ends, two sides, the floor, partitions and seats (including the lavatory) are cast in one piece of resin. The underframe - headstocks, solebars and sole plate are also cast in a single piece. So is the roof. The parts really just clip together, such is the excellence of the fit.

 

There are no problems in mating the ends to the sides, nor ensuring that the solebars and headstocks all fit as required. There is a small amount of cleaning up necessary, but not much; just fine flash. The bogies are effectively one-piece (just bolsters and brakes to fit), and all one does is fit pin-point bearings and spring the wheelsets in. There is ample clearance for all the gauges.

 

I'm writing up a piece on the Mousa kits for BRM. The one I've already completed (ex-final livery, glazing, lettering/numbering and weathering) will be painted in engineers' black and branded accordingly. May I ask again, please - how were these old carriages branded in departmental use and did they retain their original numbers? Is it Eng. Dept., or something like in white? Any pictures will be most appreciated. The second one (the composite) will be finished in LNER livery for service on Grantham. I'll keep the black one on Little Bytham. 

 

Though (it would appear like others) I've replaced some of the thin resin components with brass for longevity and minimising the risk caused by careless handling, these all-resin kits (apart from the grab rails/handles, vacuum standpipes, bogie-fixing nuts/bolts and buffers) could well be the/a way forward in model coach construction. Because of the thickness of the material (compared with etched brass), the medium lends itself more to wooden-bodied cars.

 

In short, I think they're excellent, and anyone who 'claims' to be a modeller should be able to put one of these kits together. All one needs are a minimum of tools, a pin vice and bits and superglue. Unless (like me) one chooses to replace parts with brass wire/section, then, other than fixing the handrail stanchions at the ends, there's no soldering. What could be simpler? And, a very fine model will be the end-product.    

Hi Tony

 

Ex LNER engineers coaching stock was mainly numbered in the DE32xxxx series.

[micklner]

Hi Tony

 

The lower footboards could well have been refitted when taken into engineers service. Helpful for the blokes getting in and out of the coaches to or from track level.

 

If its like anything like this one (courtesy of Mick Nicholson), home comforts were at a minimum . Ex H&BR .

 

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2016 by micklner

[Tony Wright]

Tony - did you have two sprues in your Bill Bedford D277 kit with brakes on? I only had one that had brakes for one bogie set at OO spacing and the other set at EM/P4 spacing.

 

Andrew Emmett

Andrew,

 

Just one set for each carriage. I haven't fitted the blocks as yet (though I imagine they're all but invisible). Thanks for pointing this out. Could the blocks be taken off the non-needed sprue?

 

Tony. 

Edited June 1, 2016 by Tony Wright

[bbishop]

Guys,

 

Just for information. At Railex, Graham Baker of GRAMODELS showed me a resin model of an LSWR 42' third in 4mm He is also planning the 45' composite and the Bk 3rd and Bk Compo rebuilds. It looked very nice.

 

Bill

[billbedford]

The lower footboards could well have been refitted when taken into engineers service. Helpful for the blokes getting in and out of the coaches to or from track level.

 

 

This seems unlikely to me. Engineers stock often carried ladders to make access easier

 

Ex LNER engineers coaching stock was mainly numbered in the DE32xxxx series.

 

The DE32xxxx series was for coach transfer to the engineers by BR. Most of these coaches were with drawn and transfer by the LNER. These would have had 9XXXXX number where the second digit represented the owning area:

 

NEA - 0

SA GN - 4

SA GC - 5

SA GE - 6

SSA - 7

NSA - 8

 

The third digit was used to denote the department operating the wagon:

 

Engineers - 0

Loco Dept - 1 

Workshops - 2

Stores - 3

 

Some of the vehicles later got DE prefixes to the numbers.

 

The only photo of a service GN 45' coach I have is an ex- brake composite numbered DE 961511 an branded 'MP E Ipswich'

[billbedford]

Apologies Tony if I've missed the relevant post but is the kit/have you done the kit, like a Comet with body,roof and ends fitting on the under-frame?

 

 

 

Try this post 

[micklner]

Nearly forgot this one, a ladder and boarded  up window . Almost a total wreck which survived and is now on the NYMR !.

 

[gr.king]

Hello Bill,

 

Are you able / willing to state what that particular resin is please?

Trade secret or simply not known?

[Mallard60022]

Try this post 

Thanks Bill, I had not quite 'absorbed that' previously. So it is a roof last job then by the looks of it.

Phil