Wright writes.....

[BMacdermott]

Hello Chuffer Davies

 

Dapol are bringing out Mainline & City Stock 'Toplight' coaches and have loosely noted that they will progress into corridor stock. That 'range' will no doubt be 'selectively compressed' as there were so many diagrams and many changes over the years.

 

However, with careful planning, it should be possible to supply most modeller needs.

 

Brian

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

24 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

As for a 2mm discrepancy in a loco's length causing an 'uproar', I wish my eyes were as good as yours. 

 

If one takes (as an example) a large tender loco, say, in my case, a 4mm Peppercorn A1, that's (if my maths is correct), 1 mm over-long each end. Now, all the ones I've built are at least that over-long, because of the greater gap between locos and tender caused by their having to negotiate (out of sight) tight curves (3' radius minimum). Some have sprung buffers, which might increase their overall length even more.

Sounds about right. Something very much overlooked by modellers is that other than essential mechanism dimensions for which a high degreee of precision was essential for function, most of the steam locomotive structure was more loosely toleranced. An inch or two difference in overall length didn't matter, everything in that structure had been fettled at erection to make a working job from the components supplied.

 

Personally I set the overall wheelbase of model tender locos for correct scale length (as specified) and as above, while  typically overall length over frames is very near specification, the model sprung buffers (both kit and RTR) push the overall length over bufferheads up by circa 1.5mm.

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, Chuffer Davies said:

Hornby’s later reliefless attempt at clerestories was an appalling  attempt in my opinion.  
Fortunately, when we were building Hungerford, the late Mike Bradley built a significant variety of GW coaching stock which meant we had no dependency for RTR.

Frank

 

 

I had a go at improving the look of the Hornby clerestories by going over the lining with a bow-pen, adding the bits that were missing, as well as extra detailing around the ends and bogies.

 

 

 

 

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

 

I had a go at improving the look of the Hornby clerestories by going over the lining with a bow-pen, adding the bits that were missing, as well as extra detailing around the ends and bogies.

 

 

 

 

 

There were, I believe, etched overlays available for these, which had full panel detail.

 

Does anyone know what happened to them - I haven't seen them advertised for years?

 

CJI.

[Barry Ten]

20 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

There were, I believe, etched overlays available for these, which had full panel detail.

 

Does anyone know what happened to them - I haven't seen them advertised for years?

 

CJI.

 

Worsley Works:

 

http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_GWR.htm

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Barry Ten said:

 

Worsley Works:

 

http://www.worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_GWR.htm

 

Thanks for that - but there was another supplier, the name of which escapes me.

 

CJI.

[mattingleycustom]

6 hours ago, MJI said:

 

SR Tons missing, no SUBs 4CORs or anything like that

I avoided mentioning the Electrics, but you have a point.

However: 2BIL, 2HAL, 5PUL from SR days and plenty more later BR(SR) stock: 2EPB, 4CEP, 4BEP, etc is available.

 

2BIL or not 2BIL?, that is the question ... sorry couldn't resist (again)

[robertcwp]

7 hours ago, MJI said:

 

SR Tons missing, no SUBs 4CORs or anything like that

No 4 Cig/4 Big. There were 138 Cigs and 28 Bigs and lots of liveries over an approximately 40-year timespan. The SR EPBs are not represented either.

 

Hornby did do a 4 Vep but it was a poor model. An improved version is on the way but I think the ends may still be wrong, which was a character-defining fault with the first attempt (amongst many others).

 

I would like a 'Tin' Hal but don't see any prospect of one. There were only seven of them, plus the odd 2700.

 

Although not the most numerous of types, the 4 Cor family would probably do well in terms of sales if a good enough model were made. Timespan is 1937-72.

 

Even where we have had a good model - the Bachmann 2 Hap, they have shown no sign of doing their model in blue livery, which many carried from the late 1960s through to withdrawal in the early 1980s, or green with yellow panels.

 

I am lucky enough to have a 4 Cig, which was scratchbuilt by the late Colin Parks using Bachmann Mark 1s as donors and is an excellent model.

 

P1090137am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[Northmoor]

Some people's definition of "a poor model" are clearly different from mine but as Clive says, modelling is a broad church.

 

I must admit though I would struggle to spot a 2mm discrepancy in anything more than about 50mm long.  What proportion of people who criticize a RTR model for a dimensional error, spotted it for themselves and what proportion weren't even aware of it until a magazine review pointed it out to them?  

[melmoth]

2 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Thanks for that - but there was another supplier, the name of which escapes me.

 

CJI.

 

Bettabitz?

[cctransuk]

9 minutes ago, melmoth said:

 

Bettabitz?

 

That's it - thanks!

 

Anyone know what happened to them?

 

CJI.

[MJI]

42 minutes ago, robertcwp said:

No 4 Cig/4 Big. There were 138 Cigs and 28 Bigs and lots of liveries over an approximately 40-year timespan. The SR EPBs are not represented either.

 

Hornby did do a 4 Vep but it was a poor model. An improved version is on the way but I think the ends may still be wrong, which was a character-defining fault with the first attempt (amongst many others).

 

I would like a 'Tin' Hal but don't see any prospect of one. There were only seven of them, plus the odd 2700.

 

Although not the most numerous of types, the 4 Cor family would probably do well in terms of sales if a good enough model were made. Timespan is 1937-72.

 

Even where we have had a good model - the Bachmann 2 Hap, they have shown no sign of doing their model in blue livery, which many carried from the late 1960s through to withdrawal in the early 1980s, or green with yellow panels.

 

I am lucky enough to have a 4 Cig, which was scratchbuilt by the late Colin Parks using Bachmann Mark 1s as donors and is an excellent model.

 

P1090137am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

I remember the build, it is good

[stewartingram]

Was it not 247 Developments? I got some for a a Hornby upgrade (or should that be downgrade considering the use of the prototype?) into a departmental coach for my breakdown crane project. (Paused at the moment thanks to Hattons Generics - put on the Roundtuit list). I don't think they are in stock any more though.

[Hollar]

Does anyone know where to buy a single large sheet of extruded polystyrene, for a 6x2 foot ultraportable layout?  I spent a lot of time this morning searching the web, and the smallest quantity I could find was a pack of 18 sheets, which would be enough to build somewhere to house it.

 

I'm able to collect it anywhere around Greater London.

 

Tony

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, Hollar said:

Does anyone know where to buy a single large sheet of extruded polystyrene, for a 6x2 foot ultraportable layout?  I spent a lot of time this morning searching the web, and the smallest quantity I could find was a pack of 18 sheets, which would be enough to build somewhere to house it.

 

I'm able to collect it anywhere around Greater London.

 

Tony

 

I can't help but I needed a 5 1/2 x 13 inch sheet for my N project, so I joined a 4 foot piece to a smaller offcut using internal dowels to strengthen the joint.

 

[paul.anderson@poptel.org]

12 hours ago, Hollar said:

Does anyone know where to buy a single large sheet of extruded polystyrene, for a 6x2 foot ultraportable layout?  I spent a lot of time this morning searching the web, and the smallest quantity I could find was a pack of 18 sheets, which would be enough to build somewhere to house it.

 

I'm able to collect it anywhere around Greater London.

 

Tony

Have you tried B&Q? They did single sheets of polystyrene insulation board not that long ago.

[Barry Ten]

6 minutes ago, paul.anderson@poptel.org said:

Have you tried B&Q? They did single sheets of polystyrene insulation board not that long ago.

 

That's long gone, I think, since the subsidies for loft insulation were stopped (thanks, DC!). It's why the extruded stuff is

generally harder to find than it was a decade ago.

[paul.anderson@poptel.org]

10 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

 

That's long gone, I think, since the subsidies for loft insulation were stopped (thanks, DC!). It's why the extruded stuff is

generally harder to find than it was a decade ago.

You could be right! I realise I got my last big sheet six years ago...

[Mike 84C]

Nothing available at a local builders builders merchants?  Or maybe chat up a friendly builder pal?

[Roger Sunderland]

If you Google it I think there are still suppliers online.

[melmoth]

13 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Anyone know what happened to them?

 

 

13 hours ago, stewartingram said:

Was it not 247 Developments? I got some for a a Hornby upgrade (or should that be downgrade considering the use of the prototype?) into a departmental coach for my breakdown crane project. (Paused at the moment thanks to Hattons Generics - put on the Roundtuit list). I don't think they are in stock any more though.

 

IIRC, they went from Bettabitz to 247 Developments, but I don't think they were included in the sale when 247 Developments was sold on to Brian @247 Developments  . Obviously Brian will known better than I do.

Edited August 9, 2023 by melmoth
tidying up

[Barry Ten]

42 minutes ago, Roger Sunderland said:

If you Google it I think there are still suppliers online.

 

I ordered eight sheets of 4 x 2 blue XPS insulation boards from a firm called eZheat. They may have

had larger sheets.

[Geep7]

14 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Some people's definition of "a poor model" are clearly different from mine but as Clive says, modelling is a broad church.

 

I must admit though I would struggle to spot a 2mm discrepancy in anything more than about 50mm long.  What proportion of people who criticize a RTR model for a dimensional error, spotted it for themselves and what proportion weren't even aware of it until a magazine review pointed it out to them?  

You should see the discussions over on the Revolution Trains "Caroline" inspection saloon thread. There are quibbles about the ride-height.... and it's probably riding high by only 1.6mm. If someone else on the thread hadn't mentioned it, I doubt most of us with one would ever have spotted it. The flip-side of course, is that if it was at scale ride-height, it probably wouldn't negotiate Peco streamline points, let alone R2 "train set" curves.

[Geep7]

14 hours ago, robertcwp said:

No 4 Cig/4 Big. There were 138 Cigs and 28 Bigs and lots of liveries over an approximately 40-year timespan. The SR EPBs are not represented either.

 

Hornby did do a 4 Vep but it was a poor model. An improved version is on the way but I think the ends may still be wrong, which was a character-defining fault with the first attempt (amongst many others).

 

I would like a 'Tin' Hal but don't see any prospect of one. There were only seven of them, plus the odd 2700.

 

Although not the most numerous of types, the 4 Cor family would probably do well in terms of sales if a good enough model were made. Timespan is 1937-72.

 

Even where we have had a good model - the Bachmann 2 Hap, they have shown no sign of doing their model in blue livery, which many carried from the late 1960s through to withdrawal in the early 1980s, or green with yellow panels.

 

I am lucky enough to have a 4 Cig, which was scratchbuilt by the late Colin Parks using Bachmann Mark 1s as donors and is an excellent model.

 

P1090137am by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

It's good to see Colin Park's 4-Cig is in good hands. It inspired me to do some scratch-building myself, and I ended up building a 3-TC set, but it's not a patch on Colin's modelling.

[St Enodoc]

6 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

You should see the discussions over on the Revolution Trains "Caroline" inspection saloon thread. There are quibbles about the ride-height.... and it's probably riding high by only 1.6mm. If someone else on the thread hadn't mentioned it, I doubt most of us with one would ever have spotted it. The flip-side of course, is that if it was at scale ride-height, it probably wouldn't negotiate Peco streamline points, let alone R2 "train set" curves.

...which is why, in the good old days, Tri-ang and Tri-ang Hornby trains had a buffer heights of 16mm not 14mm.