Wright writes.....

[Richard_A]

2 hours ago, rka said:

This is my intended victim as bought, a dip in some cellulose thinners to dissolve the glue, then start this kit building lark. 

I, now have a kit of parts. 

 

Removing glue is pretty boring. 

[Steamport Southport]

3 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Ah yes but.

 

Bachmann have only done the Belpaire-boilered version - Belpaire boilers were fitted in LMS days, from 1925 IIRC. If you want the round-topped version, it's either clever hacking (which I have seen done very well) or the appropriate version of the Craftsman kit. Fortunately Bachmann have done both versions of the 1532 Class 0-4-4T.

 

Or get one of Dave's kits? Just got a Flatiron and seems to be very good.

 

 

 

Jason

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, rka said:

I, now have a kit of parts. 

 

Removing glue is pretty boring. 

 

 

Ooh, which Panto are you playing Captain Hook in?

[MJI]

7 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

 

Ooh, which Panto are you playing Captain Hook in?

Brecknell Willis?

[lezz01]

13 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Or get one of Dave's kits? Just got a Flatiron and seems to be very good.

 

 

 

Jason

His Kirtley 700 class DF goods is also very nice. He has made the chassis available as a separate kit as well so you can put it under the K's/Nucast body as the K's chassis is truly dreadful. He also does a 1F and the little 0-4-0 saddle tank as full kits. You can download his full list as a PDF from the thread above.

Regards Lez.   

[MJI]

For my proposed no station loop i could do with 3 4 coupled steam locos.

 

MR 1P

LMS 044T 2P

14xx

[Richard_A]

19 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

 

Ooh, which Panto are you playing Captain Hook in?

That's for cleaning my kids bum with. 😗

[Tony Wright]

This morning, three dear old friends (in every sense of the description!) popped round for the last get-together of the year.

 

They brought, as usual, some very interesting models, including the following...........

 

 

 

After the great Dave Shakespeare died, I was tasked with finding new homes for some of his models (only a few, because Gilbert Barnatt sold most of them). Julie, his widow, then donated all proceeds to charity.

 

What I had to sell were Dave's detailed/altered/weathered Bachmann Austerity and a cut of much-modified RTR wagons, all ex-Tetleys Mills. One of my trio of old mates, George Stevenson, bought them and brought them back today to give them a run. I was delighted to see them again. 

 

 

The Heljan 'Anglo Scottish Car Carrier' vehicles had not been seen by one of the other chums, so I gave the rake a spin for him to see (contrasting nicely with the 'Shakespeare Express'!). I'm told that, apart from a few weathered packs, these have all sold out. 

 

Thanks for bringing these 'Shaky' models, George. It's good to know they're cherished. 

 

With the increasing number of model collections coming on to the market in recent times because of deaths, David Rae brought some curiosities which had been donated to the Spalding Club for sale (which he's bought - the models, not the club!).

 

 

Another Austerity, but a complete oddity. On investigation, this appears to have a Cornard body, riding on a scratch-built chassis with Jouef valve gear. The chassis has the correct Markits Austerity drivers and is powered by a Branchlines/Mashima drive, resulting in superb performance (something, on initial inspection, I didn't expect!). It tows a Bachmann tender. I've advised David to chuck the whole body in Nitromoors and start again, because the chassis is worth it.

 

 

Next was this rather 'weird' combination of a detailed/re-wheeled Tri-ang Standard 2-6-2T 82xxx with Hornby Dublo 80xxx valve gear and cylinders. After a pick-up adjustment, this ran well. 

 

 

Then we have an old Wills A2 on a Tri-ang Britannia chassis. It was in a bit of a mess as bought, but David has tidied it up a lot, though he still needs to replace the Tri-ang drivers in order that it can run on LB. 

 

 

He builds a very nice model himself (not from the collection), evidenced here by this Alan Gibson F6 (why didn't I check all wheels were on the road before taking this picture?). I helped him to get the chassis running sweetly, but it's really all his own work.

 

Thanks for bringing these, David.

 

 

The last thing he showed was this rather battered Jamieson A2/1 loco body and tender. I found this very interesting, because I commissioned this actual hand-cut kit from EAMES in 1976. What happened to the loco and tender chassis and the front buffer beam is not known. The tender is a real oddity - it's too fat and should be riveted for 60510. Nobody wanted to buy this (what's it worth, anyway?) and the club was going to chuck it in the bin, but I've sort of taken pity on it. 

 

What should I do with it? I certainly don't need another A2/1..........

 

 

 

Because this is the one I made from that first-commissioned Jamieson hand-cut kit in 1976.

 

Philip Spratley brought the following along...........

 

 

Again, from a deceased modeller's collection, but a real weirdo. It's a K'2 P2 representing the second in the class, but numbered/named as the first. It's got Walschaerts valve gear, yet also the rod for operating the original's poppet valve gear. 

 

Portescap-powered, it runs remarkably well. The valve gear had partly come apart, and I fixed it this afternoon.

 

Thanks for bringing this along, Philip. 

 

All in all, a splendid couple of hours spent in excellent company........................

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Tony Wright
to add something

[Jesse Sim]

Did I miss show and tell for craftsman kits?

 

This has been seen before, as you have taken the photo of her back in March when I was last over. This is the third loco kit I’ve started and the second I’ve finished, in all my shame I forgot to add the boiler bands, I noticed after I painted, lettered and weathered her. Live and learn. I haven’t started a fourth kit yet, I think I’m leaning towards a PDK P1 as I need one for Woolmer Green but I also really need a decent K2! 

 

Despite the C12’s faults, mainly the boiler bands, she runs impeccably and see’s a regular running as a light engine heading to works. 

 

The C9 is still sitting in her box I’m afraid, I’m having trouble with the fine booster and tender bogie wheels. She’s been benched pending further assessment as some wagon scratch-building has my attention. 

[Tony Wright]

5 minutes ago, Jesse Sim said:

Did I miss show and tell for craftsman kits?

 

This has been seen before, as you have taken the photo of her back in March when I was last over. This is the third loco kit I’ve started and the second I’ve finished, in all my shame I forgot to add the boiler bands, I noticed after I painted, lettered and weathered her. Live and learn. I haven’t started a fourth kit yet, I think I’m leaning towards a PDK P1 as I need one for Woolmer Green but I also really need a decent K2! 

 

Despite the C12’s faults, mainly the boiler bands, she runs impeccably and see’s a regular running as a light engine heading to works. 

 

The C9 is still sitting in her box I’m afraid, I’m having trouble with the fine booster and tender bogie wheels. She’s been benched pending further assessment as some wagon scratch-building has my attention. 

Good evening Jesse,

 

Sorry, I missed this one. It's rather pretty; well done for producing such a fine loco. 

 

As for the missing boiler bands, the easiest way now to form them is to use black, self-adhesive insulation tape, cut to the right width using a scalpel and rule. Stick a long enough piece of tape on to a mirror, piece of flat glass or brass, then cut the band widths using the scalpel and rule. Then peel each band off in turn, making sure that it's longer than needed, then stick it into position. Leave for half an hour so that the band has enough time to 'shrink' back (you will have stretched it during the process), then nick off the excess with the scalpel. When happy, weather the bands in with the rest of the finish.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[D J H]

If you don’t fancy cutting the insulation tape to width, try Trimline tape, available in many colours and hopefully has the right width on the roll.

 

I have used for lining my 16mm/foot garden railway locos, it can even form curved lining

 

 

https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/Model-Technics-Trimline-Black-P5523672.html#SID=844

[Richard_A]

19 hours ago, rka said:

I, now have a kit of parts. 

 

Removing glue is pretty boring. 

After giving the parts a good coat of looking at, I can see I need to punch some rivets out of the etchings. 

 

I want to get started on this over Christmas, so I won't be able to get a rivet embossing tool or gravity punch in time. 

 

What techniques would people on here recommend? 

[Michael Edge]

Use a hard steel pin (or an old gramophone needle), hold it with forceps and drop a hammer on it. Dropping from the same height produces same size rivets but it does very much depend on what the brass is resting on, not too hard and not too soft (said Goldilocks), I use a length of aluminium angle held in the vice. I have three different rivet presses but still use this method for very close spaced ones.

[Richard_A]

22 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Use a hard steel pin (or an old gramophone needle), hold it with forceps and drop a hammer on it. Dropping from the same height produces same size rivets but it does very much depend on what the brass is resting on, not too hard and not too soft (said Goldilocks), I use a length of aluminium angle held in the vice. I have three different rivet presses but still use this method for very close spaced ones.

Thank you, 

 

I have plenty of code 4 lead, I was thinking of using that to support the brass etchings, would it be too soft? 

[Michael Edge]

Far too soft, I did use melamine face chipboard at one time but aluminium angle is best.

[Richard_A]

3 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Far too soft, I did use melamine face chipboard at one time but aluminium angle is best.

Thanks again, 

 

I'll pick some up and have a go then. 

[lezz01]

I have a London Road one but you could make one of that type in about 5 mins if you have access to a lathe and about 15 mins if you only have an electric drill. Ok yes it's not best practice to use drill instead of a lathe but you can do it just be careful. 

Regards Lez. 

[The Fatadder]

20 hours ago, Jesse Sim said:

in all my shame I forgot to add the boiler bands, I noticed after I painted, lettered and weathered her

I made the same mistake on my 47xx, like you noticing after painting and weathering.  In the end i couldn’t live with it so I found some masking tape the right width, put it on a sheet of clean plastic and sprayed in body colour, before peeling off and sticking onto the model.  A little touch in on the weathering to blend it in and the loco no longer bugged me.   Of course I still haven’t got round to fitting a decoder into it so I can actually run it, but it looks nice on the shelf…..

[Chuffer Davies]

56 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

I made the same mistake on my 47xx, like you noticing after painting and weathering.  In the end i couldn’t live with it so I found some masking tape the right width, put it on a sheet of clean plastic and sprayed in body colour, before peeling off and sticking onto the model.  A little touch in on the weathering to blend it in and the loco no longer bugged me.   Of course I still haven’t got round to fitting a decoder into it so I can actually run it, but it looks nice on the shelf…..

I am planning to experiment with self adhesive Copper Slug Tape from the local garden centre.  It is very thin so can be cut with a scalpel blade, and more resistant to stretching/distortion than plastic tape.

 

Has anyone else already tried this I wonder?

Frank

Edited December 20, 2023 by Chuffer Davies
Auto correct error.

[Tony Wright]

Posting the images yesterday of the various visiting locos, set my mind on the track of making comparisons. 

 

I have a Bachmann Austerity.............

 

 

 

 

Which I've detailed and weathered. 

 

How does it compare with .........

 

 

 

A DJH example? 

 

This is one of a beautifully-subtle pair which was once the property of Tony Geary. 

 

 

I put another DJH Austerity (all my work) in a similar position to the hybrid one of yesterday.

 

I also have a Wills A2..............

 

 

Built/painted by me almost 50 years ago (and it shows!). 

 

It runs on a Tri-ang Britannia chassis with Romford wheels and Jamieson valve gear. It tows a DJH tender (the original Wills one being inappropriate). I think I keep this now more out of sentiment (not a particularly good idea). 

 

How does this compare (or contrast) with the following other A2s? 

 

 

A modified/detailed/renumbered/renamed Bachmann A2, weathered by Tom Foster. 

 

 

Or a DJH example, built by me and painted by Ian Rathbone.

 

 

Or a Crownline one, started by Rob Kinsey and completed by me. Ian Rathbone painted it. 

 

It's interesting comparing the various elements of these A2 models - for instance, the way in how the cabs are rendered. 

 

After I'd taken this last picture, I thought I'd take a further one - looking up!

 

 

One of the advantages of not having a 'flat-earth' layout is that I can shoot views like this, though how many times an A2 (or any other Pacific) could have been seen standing at Bytham's loading dock is a moot point. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Tony Wright
tautology

[gr.king]

Hello Tony, as it is now 20th December, I reckon it's not too early to send Christmas greetings from the LBT. At least I won't forget to do it if I do it now...

 

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

One of the advantages of not having a 'flat-earth' layout is that I can shoot views like this

 

Something I was playing about with this afternoon.  I really must fix that step!

 

[Not Jeremy]

Forgive me Neil, for I have sinned.

 

This may understate your gradient a bit...

 

I think the bent step looks real, I'd be tempted to leave it.

 

 

I like a bit of verticality myself, although had a bit of a mishap here this evening, shades of Gordon(?) I really need to re-think my end of the line arrangements...

 

 

Guard irons intact, apologies for thread drift.

 

Simon

[New Haven Neil]

22 minutes ago, Not Jeremy said:

This may understate your gradient a bit...

 

It is 1 in 30 though!

 

Just a crummy phone camera shot, so thanks for the corrections.  Not sure about the steps, they bug me, I like things square. 

 

Now, about end of line protection - there was mention of someone working on this yesterday on a thread here somewhere, there was a test of a huge foam 'buffer stop'.  So your rock, and a tin of squirty foam, and there you go!

[Tony Wright]

Readers might recall my reporting of the building of a DJH S15 earlier this year. 

 

I was building it for a friend, but now the plan has changed (for the better). Early in the new year, he and his lovely wife are coming to stay, so that he and I can spend a couple of days in the workshop completing it together (the girls will have plenty to get on with as well!). 

 

He's never built outside motion (or inside), so this evening I've started the preparation..............

 

 

Making sure that the cylinders/slidebars/crossheads/connecting rods assemblies functioned perfectly (the crossheads are a three-piece sandwich. Why? Why not a single piece casting, I wonder?). I'll prepare a few more bits, then it'll be up to him. 

 

I'll report accordingly. 

 

This sort of thing is what I continue to try and encourage in railway modelling; learning to do things for oneself, becoming self-reliant and not RTR-dependent. Yes, some teaching is involved, but only for a short time if the 'pupil' is willing to learn and not offer umpteen excuses for not trying. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Tony Wright
to add something