rowanj Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Excuse the number of photos, but this will almost complete the heavy work needed to motorise the GBL using a GEM Glen chassis. The rest is essentially cosmetic- handrails, repaint etc, as per the earlier model. The chassis needs the pickups added and brake gear fitted, but that is all standard stuff. The Mashima/DJH fitted the chassis well, so most motor/gearbox combinations will work. I used a round cam motor, so had trouble clearing the foorplate, and needed to remove a considerable amount of material from the splashers. I also removed a step, which I'll need to replace! The photos show the cuts needed to the splashers and then the boiler, - the latter only needed a small piece removed to clear the front of the gearbox. I was concerned that I was narrowing the splashers too much, but as another photo shows, it looks o.k when the boiler is refitted. I suggest using a flat cam motor if one is available. Someone on The GBL thread noted that there are dimples in the tender chassis axleboxes. I have the tender chassis that comes with the GEM kit, but thought I'd try the easy way, and opened out the dimples with a drill and popped in Romford wheels, which proceeded to roll freely. It should be perfectly possible to fit axle bearings if desired. Again, the photo shows the tender with wheels in place. I must search the various boxes for a third set. The next series will show the completed loco, which I have decided will be B-H in BR lined black, as this will have sufficient minor differences from Zeebrugge to make it "different". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 John was going to enquire what livery....have got a lined d11 but one of the Scottish named ones from Bachmann...I might do the opposite and paint mine plain black as per your zeebruge...then again getting quite partial to the GCR livery..choices choices Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 As far as I can tell, the English locos were lined black until the mid 50,s,then gradually became unlined .The photos of the Scottish engines seem to be all lined.I've decided this one will be Butler Henderson lined black, just to distinguish it from Zeebrugge. But it will decided on how successfully I add the transfers. Some of the curves look tricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 In respect of transfers...always brasses me off when applying red grey/cream mixed traffic lining especially on tank locos that the reverse angles arnt included...have had to resort to seperating the lines then reapplying them the correct way around (modelmaster transfers ex kemco) these are the angles usually by front cab window or bottom of tank...easier to show than explain...then again if im missing the blooming obvious in respect of these i wont be offended if corrected, other curves such as lined out splashers are always a joy....this is why kept the original tender drive Hornby body....had done a reasonable job lining it out. it was then a case of providing suitable loco drive chassis.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Some great work going on here very much enjoying this thread, very much my type of modeling keep it up. Regards Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 The D11is now lined and coaled. It still needs a name and number, which is on order from Modelmasters. I also need to fit balance weights when I can find a decent photo. It will be weathered as usual with Modelmates spray. I'll post a couple of photos of the final version on the layout. At a model show yesterday, I managed to pick up 2 complete chassis etchings from Dave Alexander for his K4, for the princely sum of £1 each.So I am considering either a K1/1 using a Bachmann B1 boiler or a K4 using a Hornby B17 boiler.Info on the K4 conversion is around but I can't find anything on the K1/1. The fact that neither wold have been seen on the ECML is immaterial. Photos are cruel and mine showed a problem with the handrails at the front. I straightened out the RH side. On the LH, the GBL model has a gap in the handrail below the valve on the smokebox, which I copied, only to find that this was an error. I pieced the gap, and it looks OK in the flesh, but I have tidied it up a little. In an ideal world, I'd refit the whole thing, but I'll settle for for now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 SOMME ready for the road. Also pictured are the 2 GBL D11's posed on the loft layout - typically the easiest part to light for photos is the least completed. The GEM chassis was a dream to build. I will fit a better bogie with correct wheels in the near future - this pair are a bit puny. Otherwise, other than with the limitations of the original GBL model and my own modelling skills, I'm content with both as working layout locos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Next...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 John no pressure on my chassis then....en route....still trying to work out how to assemble Stephenson outside valve gear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 The chassis arrived today and it's beautiful. Arranged through the old fashioned barter system, it has the added advantage of having introduced me to a fine modeller and new friend. I think it was cloned from the Comet chassis, and is basically ready to paint and fit wheels and motor. The body needed very little cutting away, assuming the wheels will fit ok. The boiler/cab needs no cutting at all, again assuming the motor goes in o.k. So far, so good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 John thank you for the kind words....truly hope it performs as well as you've praised it..... Best wishes Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Progress on the GBL Compound. Motor and wheels are fitted. I used spare Hornby A4 wheels, as I didn't want to buy new Markits ones. As I've said previously, GBL models are great for hacking around but doing them up can end up costing a fortune for a loco which would have been better obtained R-T-R. (all IMHO, of course). But if you have a source of spares, it's great fun.... I await delivery of crankpins which have the same thread as the Hornby wheels, but checks so far indicate all will run smoothly, I,m a bit unsure about the final identity of the loco. The wheels are now 1mm too small for 1000, but I think I could live with that as a layout loco, Compounds were seen at York and Peterborough an my (loosely) based ECML layout but I will need to change quite a bit on the body to make an LMS version. Advice welcomed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 Alongside the Compound, I started on what may (or may not) become the unique K1/1 61997 MacCallin Mor. Some time ago, Graeme King produced an excellent conversion using a Replica B1 and Bachmann K3 to produce a K1. The forthcoming Hornby model and the cost/difficulty of obtaining a K3 chassis makes the conversion less economic. The differences in the valve gear would also have grated on me - the K1 has the single slide bar as per Hornby's L1. However I continued to be intrigued by the conversion and when I managed to pick up 2 of Dave Alexander's K4 chassis etches, I wondered if a K1/1 might be an option. As the etches were being sold for £1 each !!! and I had 21mm driving wheels to hand , I've decided to risk it. I have no idea if my skill level is up to it, but the chassis can always be used subsequently under GBL k3's if all else fails. Dave said he was selling off the etches as he was producing an updated one. I have no idea if he has any left, but it would be worth an email to enquire. The loco is basically a shortened B1 boiler with a larger cab. It's the latter which looks tricky. I have the B1 cab from the body I hacked to produce the K5, and the K3 cab on the GBL is a separate moulding. The B1 needs to be higher and wider, the K3 needs to be deeper to match the B1 footplate profile. I'm not sure which is the best way to achieve this yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 John thats a lot of etch for a quid (K4)....compounds coming along nicely wish i could say the same for stephenson.... best wishes Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 My latest another black 5using GBL as source for body..thanks John...will fit wheels in due course crank pins coupling rods...check it runs as an 060 chassis before adding motor brake gear etc...oh and cylinders..front bogies and just for the heck of it Stephenson outside valve gear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Trying to use Hornby wheels for the Compound was not a success so I await Markits replacements. So my efforts to be a cheapskate produced the results they deserved. In the meantime, the Replica B1 body arrived and provisional results show that conversion to a K1/1, or indeed a K1, remains possible. The photos show the position where 2 cuts are needed to reduce the boiler to the correct length. Cutting here means the firebox remains accurate , as does the position at the front end of the chimney and dome. However the second and third boiler band need moving. I will also lose some footplate detail, and will need to see the extent of this before deciding whether to just cut the whole lot away and source new lubricators/sandboxes etc. The photos also show how tall the cab needs to be in relation to the boiler. There may be some minimal shaving to reduce the height needed, but the cab matches my Isinglass drawing, The photo also shows the need to extend the rear of the footplate under the cab, and move the steps accordingly. I am hoping to use the GBL tender to cut and shut to produce the shorter LNER GS tender. This will mean only the tender and cab from the GBL tender will be used on this conversion. As this is a Thompson "rebuild" , the shortage of parts from the original source seems appropriate..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Major cuts have now been made to the B1 body .Checking against the Isinglass drawing, all seems o.k Some filling will be needed when the boiler halves are joined. The cab height worried me. It looked fine against the drawing, but was obviously sitting too high over the boiler.At first I suspected the boiler was too low in the frames, but then realised that, on a K1, the footplate dropped further to then curve under the cab than on a B1. By this time I had cut plastic from the bottom of the K3 cab to try to get the correct height. As it happens, it won't matter as, as you can see, filler is always going to be needed to fill in the curve of the K3 cab to match the B1 profile. The parts are just placed loosely on the chassis. I think it looks like a K1/1, albeit one in the scrapyard. Incidentally, all I've done so far would be equally applicable to the production run Peppercorn K1 - the major change which I won't do this time is the footplate curve, which disappeared on the K1, and the single slidebar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 John there is always this moment when the dremel/ razor saw has done its worse....its safe to say one thing, that is ....its easier to carry on rather than try and restore the original...I must remind myself of this .... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 If anyone has info on the RH side footplate or better still a good photo, I'd be grateful. My drawing is of the LH side and I am not sure if the location of sandboxes and lubricators is just a mirror image or were there differences. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Bit more on the K1/1. I want to be as sure as I can that this conversion, which is at the limit of my skill level (and possibly beyond) , continues to be viable. So the boiler is joined, boiler bands gave been moved, and the cab steps cut away .They need modified and moved slightly back to allow the 4mm crew to get into the cab. At this stage the cab is just loosely standing against the boiler and the cab footplate. The cylinders are Hornby B1, again just lying on the chassis, hence the nose-up appearance. The coat of primer shows where more fillilng and rubbing down is needed. But there is nothing yet to suggest the conversion cannot be accomplished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Progress on the Compound, Markits 27mm wheels have been fitted, and coupling rod fabricated for the LH side pictured, This has shown that larger bogie wheels are required, and that there seems to be sufficient clearance, so a trip to the spares box in the loft beckons. It took ages to put the coupling rods together, or at least it seemed to, so I'm on a break before doing side two.!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 Latest on the K1/1. Still looking a bit rough, and having seen the photos, I'll replace the home-made sandfillers, even though they match the drawing when I can source some new ones. Next step is to shorten the tender which looks to be fun. There are a couple of descriptions on how to do it about, but if all else fails I'll buy a whitemetal kit from Dave Alexander. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 The almost completed Compound on the scratchbuild chassis, a Comet "clone" beautifully made for me as a "trade". It still needs brakes, and runs better forward than in reverse, but once lubricated, it will be better (a bit like its' owner). It just about manages my LMS rake of 5 coaches (Comet sides on Airfix or Hornby donors) plus a Lima GUV, but still has room for more weight directly above the wheels. Must say I'm pleased with how it looks and am tempted to leave it as the preserved 1000 and run it on enthusiasts special ( I assume it never ran in service after preservation?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 John after initial preservation in early 50s it ran a number of specials for BR. This was in its newly repainted Midland Crimson as depicted by GBL. It was used similar to City of Truro, albeit I think the latter also provided the motive power for ordinary services on occasion. The compound then had another spell of preservation working in 1980s. I know your layout is set as mine in the 1950s....so can easily depict that initial spell of preserved workings by this loco. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Progress on the K1/1. I foolishly assumed fitting modified B1 valve gear would be simple, but have found it a messy job to get the cylinder block to sit firmly at the correct height and angle and allow the con rods to move freely. There is also the perennial problem with 2-6-0's of preventing the slidebar/con rod from fouling the leading crankpin. As the photos show, there is still some tweaking to do. The tender is the GBL K3 with the first cuts made to represent the 3500 gallon towed by K1/1. I'm using Arthur K's photo as a template, as top-down photos of the real thing seem non-existent .I'm not clear from Arthurs' photo if the front tool boxes are present. Does anyone know? I also note that there is no airtank in Arthur's photo, while Graeme King,s excellent conversion for his K4 has one. Does anyone know which is correct for a K1/1? I only started this conversion as I obtained the chassis etch for £1 and already had wheels and motor. On that basis, it's proving enjoyable, though the "3 foot rule" will be needed. I'll not be entering my models into competitions any time soon .I do enjoy these conversions, but a side effect has been to raise my admiration for some of the truly gifted modellers on the forum.Still, it beats just opening a box (though I do that too). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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