Smiffy2 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 My subscription locos haven't arrived yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Another slightly bizarre thing about the GBL shell is that the second cab (I never quite know which is the "A" end and which is the "B") doesn't have the bulkhead that the other one has, so some sort of reinforcement may be needed. Anyhow, we finally have the chance to see how the thing looks on the Heljan chassis, with the central section as central as we can make it. The gap-filling that needs doing is obvious..... Looking good, on the Heljan chassis. Ironically my lima chassis seems overwide, part of the reason of course is the locating lugs under the cab doors..requiring those small areas be removed on the GBL body.Even then still a very tight fit..mmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 My subscription locos haven't arrived yet... Postman has just delivered mine, fingers crossed you will get yours today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Postman has just delivered mine, fingers crossed you will get yours today. Yes, they arrived today. Anyone want them? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedfordtfc Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 With your Western conversion "RailroadBill" are you intending to use the original silver window framing ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 (edited) Looking good, on the Heljan chassis. Ironically my lima chassis seems overwide, part of the reason of course is the locating lugs under the cab doors..requiring those small areas be removed on the GBL body.Even then still a very tight fit..mmm Not necessarily plain sailing with the Heljan chassis. The top of the mazak casting has sides which are slanted inwards. So far so good, but have noticed that the inside of the GBL shell has an even tighter slant along the cantrail line which prevents the shell from seating all the way down over the casting, even though the inner bulkheads have all been removed. As far as I can see, the only ways to tackle it are: 1) Try to remove material from the entire length of the GBL - difficult. 2) File the upper sides of the Heljan casting - need very big coarse file. The other interesting little design point on the Heljan chassis is that the buffer beams are not directly attached to the chassis. Instead they are held / trapped between the side skirting / aprons which themselves plug into the chassis. This is very different from the Dapol chassis, where everything is built-in. Unfortunately the Heljan apron skirts do not always stay parallel, either because too much glue has been used or because the little locating dowels on the ends of the buffer beam are too big for the holes in the apron, and it needs correcting if it happens. I've got a bad one in this respect, so out comes the scalpel and the file. The other irritating little thing is that Howes are sold out of the Heljan "Western" spares sprues that I need, so it could be years before another batch becomes available. I also need to buy an entire set of P4 wheels for it - most likely AGW, as I've got no problem swapping gears around. Edited June 16, 2015 by Horsetan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo C. Cupier Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 WHSmith at Waminster had one J39 in the partwork dispenser when I called in there this morning. Not tempted by this one, so left it there. As an aside, was on holibobs in Yorkshire last week and went into a WHSmith in a shopping arcade (Prospect centre?) in Hull on Tuesday 9th, and was surprised to see three J39s already on display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 WHS Ealing has one J39 in the box. Update on the Heljan spares situation: Howes told me today that there will be no new batches of spares sprues from Heljan, and no plans to do another run of Westerns either. That's all, folks. The only way you'll get Heljan Western spares now is to cannibalise wrecked models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Does anyone know whether GBL are selling in Ireland? I will be over there when the 'County' comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD0-6-0 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Begining to look like a J38 to me 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
railroadbill Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 With your Western conversion "RailroadBill" are you intending to use the original silver window framing ? Basically yes. The windscreen surrounds are one of the appearance problems that Horsetan pointed out. One thing is that the bottom inner edges of the Lima windscreen meet at a sharp angle when they should be rounded. A small thing but I think it makes a difference. The Heljan and Dapol ones are much better. But altering the Lima one a bit may be enough for my model. The story is: I had a Lima Western from new, hadn't used it much and sold it when I got a Dapol Western which imho is the best Western oo model. Therefore I didn't get a GBL one. Il Grifone has converted a Lima Western to 3 rail which has pulled some sort of trigger for me. I've got 2 Lima westerns in bits that I "inherited" as part of a major bartering swap with a friend. Not in the best condition, they'd been left in a shed. One body has marked paint but might be ok if weathered, the other I've just resprayed. I've dug them out and there seemed to be enough parts for 1 ok one, including bogies. I've just got some Hornby Dublo style plunger type current collectors from a seller on e-bay. What has put the project back is that the only chassis turned out to be broken and a third of it is missing so I have to extend the remains in a way that the power bogie will fit. Shouldn't be too hard and if that works and I can mount the 3 rail collectors ok I'll post a pic or 2. However Horsetan has really wrapped up the Lima/GBL upgrade to scale model, and it's been very interesting seeing how the model can be made to look like the real thing. Due to this new interest in "retro modelling", last night I dug out my handful of Hornby Dublo 3 rail locos. They've been packed away and haven't actually been run for some years. Cleaned and oiled them, cleaned up some track and put it down to test them and they just purred up and down. Not bad for models that are over 50 years old. So a Lima Western to join them? Hopefully. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Jackson Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Does anyone know whether GBL are selling in Ireland? I will be over there when the 'County' comes out. Not in Northern Ireland as far as I know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) ..... Horsetan has really wrapped up the Lima/GBL upgrade to scale model, and it's been very interesting seeing how the model can be made to look like the real thing..... Er....we're not quite there yet, and the recently-discovered situation regarding Heljan spares doesn't help - it may dissuade others from using a Heljan 52 chassis if they know it can't be repaired if/when it goes "pop". Once I have got the GBL body reunited into its longer length, I will have a look to see if it will also sit on the Dapol 52 chassis - complete chassis and spares back-up are plentiful, and the chassis parts appear to be less flimsy than the Heljan one despite carrying slightly more refined detail, especially in the areas of the fuel tanks / battery compartments and the buffer beam aprons. I've started knocking together the plasticard/styrene filler inserts to fill the stretched body. The cab fronts also need filling at the bottom to eliminate the incorrectly-placed opening for the buffer beams. Then we can have a look at improving the roof cowls over the windscreens. Edited June 18, 2015 by Horsetan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Gough Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Not in Northern Ireland as far as I know.... Thanks Nelson - I suspect it's even less likely south of the border! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 .....we can have a look at improving the roof cowls over the windscreens. .....and do something about correcting the roof cover panel lengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Do I owe someone a Type 4 Swapsie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf27 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Not sure, did I have the V2 and 45 from you? I did someone. Cheers Shane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I think it was the V2. I think (as in can't be bothered to go into the loft to check) that I've still got a 45xx. Do I owe you anything? Because my thinking is that after the Lord Nelson (I want 2) I'll cancel my subscription, unless I ow someone the Brush. If I really want a Locomotion, and if it actually appears, I'll get to Smiths at opening time. If anyone's interested in swapsies we've established that a GBL is about equal in value to a sheet of Modelmaster transfers... And I need a set of LNER white-black-white lining with corners. Anyone fancy a J38 and a J39? Or another Western? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf27 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 It's was the Class 45 peak and V2 that I may have had from you, no need for a 45xx. Depending on the source model for the Brush 4, I may be I interested. Cheers Shane 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 .....If anyone's interested in swapsies we've established that a GBL is about equal in value to a sheet of Modelmaster transfers... Currency swaps? What is the latest exchange rate now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo C. Cupier Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Smiffy2, I think I was waiting for a Type 4 from you. (As swapsie for the N class, 22 April) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy2 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Excellent - I knew I owed someone one! Will be on its way some time in August (as I recall we were speculating about whether the last diesel would be the 4 or the Western?) Do you want a Western, by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 These were the only Western body-related spares left in stock at Howes. They're alright if you like chocolate-coloured parts. I will change the fuel tanks/battery compartments - chocolate is probably a better base for orange golden ochre. The new buffer beams appear the right shade. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Currency swaps? What is the latest exchange rate now? I can do you a good deal on Greek drachmas............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo C. Cupier Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 @Smiffy2. Yep, I could probably mess up another Western, if you want to cancel your subscription before the 47. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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