Hornby Class 29 – Ex-Works

[Kylestrome]

In the age old tradition of provoking manufacturers to produce models of particular loco types by first building one’s own, I have made a start on detailing a Hornby Class 29. I estimate that I will have it finished in about two months time, so if anyone at Dapol should be reading this, you have until mid-March to beat me …

 

In the meantime, I have been attacking blue polystyrene as if it were my worst enemy, although I won’t be throwing quite so much away as I have from my Class 25. One thing that does impress me is that the colour of the plastic is amazingly close to the paint colour. I am hoping that I will only need to patch paint any additions (and so keep the nice printed details) and disguise any variations with the weathering.

 

 

 

 

 

I have scraped off a fair bit from the valances in order to get a little closer to the correct angle, and the fairings at the fronts have been cut away and shaped.

 

 

 

 

Material has been removed from under the noses, up to the bottom seam, and replaced with strips of 2.5mm deep styrene.

 

 

 

 

The fan grill has been opened out and a ‘ledge’ of black styrene let in to support a piece of etched stainless steel grill. The two filler openings at No. 1 end have been hacked out, the moulded handrail chiseled off and filler cap details added.

 

There is still quite a bit to do and the ‘opposition’ has a head start, or so I’ve been told … 

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Andrew F]

  It's been some time since an NBL build thread was started. Will you be using the Hornby motor? ;this one looks like the later 'extra pick-ups' loco. Also I guess you are not bothering with the old A1 etches.

[Kylestrome]

On 16/01/2016 at 20:01, Andrew F said:

  It's been some time since an NBL build thread was started. Will you be using the Hornby motor? ;this one looks like the later 'extra pick-ups' loco. Also I guess you are not bothering with the old A1 etches.

 

The Hornby motor bogie was discarded a long time ago when I replaced it with High Level LoRider. That was when these had just been brought out, so that shows how long I've been putting this job off! The chassis runs very well indeed but, because it retains the Hornby frame, it doesn't allow me a lot of space at the ends to build up the new buffer beam fairings.

 

This is the state of play so far.

 

 

 

If I can find some suitable sounds I will fit a Loksound decoder and a large speaker. But what did a Class 29 sound like?

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Andrew F]

Ah, The project pre-dates the Bachmann type 2 I take it. Nice.

 

I'm not sure what a 29 sounded like. I looked throught the Paxman history to see if any engines survived overseas and found some loco's in Sri-Lanka with 12 cylinder Paxman units but they turned out to be Valentas not Venturas. Still they sounded the part ....low  thunder with a HST turbo scream. So 12 cylinders and a Paxman turbo scream?...II confess, I just stuck a Bachmann 47 sound chip in mine and it sounds like a 47.....on a bad day.

[Kylestrome]

Making steady progress. While being an all too common phrase in my old school reports, this could also describe my modelling, at the moment. As you can see from the photos, I have now got the buffer beams and ’fairings’ in place and I think it is beginning to look at bit more like a Class 29 should do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have the buffers prepared, which will be fitted later. I salvaged the buffer hosings from the Hornby mouldings by cutting them off while being spun in the mini drill. Done with a bit of care, this ensures that they are cut nice and square, ready to be glued onto the buffer beam.

 

Buffers taped securely to a 2mm drill ready for 'turning'

 

Buffers being parted off with a piercing saw

 

Here are the finished items with some oval buffers from Blacksmiths Models

 

 

Now it’s on with the detailing bits and I still have to rectify the marker lights on the noses.

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Premature posting again, this is getting to be a bad habit.

 

Are you going to file out the front windscreen apertures to scale dimensions? My NBL DE type 2  (21) on Bachmann 25 mechanism (10 minutes work with a mill file to taper the top of the main casting to make it a good fit inside the body shell) would look so much better if I could bring myself to do this job. The previous owner of the body shell had very neatly flush glazed it, so I thought 'that'll do'. Now it looks accusingly at me and says 'you could have done better, you know'.

 

 

...But what did a Class 29 sound like?

 Mostly quiet. Just the sounds of dripping fluids, leaking air, and the tink tink of cooling metal.

Edited January 25, 2016 by 34theletterbetweenB&D

[Baby Deltic]

The class 29's would probably sounded like an HST perhaps with a fair bit less scream.

[MGR Hooper!]

Looking lovely...! I hope to see more progress soon!

[Sulzer Bear]

There's a Hornby 29 in my cupboard for ages to do a rebuild, but never got to it.

But your's is looking good so far.

Finding sounds for a V12 Ventura is going to be difficult, I've been searching on Youtube a lot, but so far only Valenta's, YHXL's and so on showed up, but no Ventura's.

Would be a lot easier for a class 21/22 soon, as one of the 2 surviving NBL/MAN engines has be started up recently at Bo'ness, and the second one from the class 22 society will run somewhere this year.

[brylonscamel]

.. any news?

[Kylestrome]

After a long period without updates it's time to show a bit more work on the Class 29, especially as I would still like to finish mine before Dapol produce theirs ...

 

 

 

The body has progressed to the point where I only have to complete some details on the front and make the bits and pieces for the buffer beams. Making the flush glazing has held things up a little, especially for front the windscreens.

 

 

And some VERY small details! These are my attempt to replicate the rather peculiar combined lamp brackets and grab handles.

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[DanR]

That's Really coming on!

 

I've just started detailing mine so a little way behind you - please can you advise where you got the small and large side grills from?  I have tried to find some but with no luck, so was thinking of obtaining a donor body to cut some from - though buying ready made would save some hassle!

 

Thanks in advance

 

Darren

[Kylestrome]

I've just started detailing mine so a little way behind you - please can you advise where you got the small and large side grills from? 

 

They are part of an etch I had made containing all kinds of things for various modelling projects of mine. It takes a long time to fill an A4 sheet with odd bits and pieces so it's not something I do very often.

 

David

Edited February 24, 2017 by Kylestrome

[TRAILRAGE]

Simply Stunning so far 

 

Cheers Trailrage

[bigbadbadge]

Very nice indeed.  Looks lovely. 

 

ALl the best

Chris

[Signaller69]

Looks superb, I see you have started work on the roof too. Have done a couple of 29s for "Crinan" but not quite to the same level as yours, the incorrect bufferbeam/skirting I had been pondering and seeing your work I think may be the inspiration I needed to tackle that area, as I have some Lanarkshire Model Supplies buffers ready for use, as well as a third Hornby 29 ready to be attacked. Have you done anything about the roof fan/bodyside grille relationship? They should iirc line up (along with the relevent panels) but the roof fan grille & panel is offset to one end on the Hornby model. I replaced the fan grille with a Shawplan one and made the side grilles from mesh on mine but otherwise left them alone, as much for not knowing which grille was wrongly placed as anything.

 

Look forward to seeing further progress, fairly sure you will beat Dapol too. . . .

Edited February 4, 2017 by Signaller69

[drgj]

Where did you get the windscreen surrounds?

 

Thanks

Dave

[Kylestrome]

On 04/02/2017 at 11:52, Signaller69 said:

Have you done anything about the roof fan/bodyside grille relationship? They should iirc line up (along with the relevent panels) but the roof fan grille & panel is offset to one end on the Hornby model.

 

Thanks for pointing that out to me!  That was one fault that I hadn't noticed.

 

Looking at photos (there are no really decent drawings that I can find) I would guess that the roof fan panel is about 2mm or 3mm too near the end. That represents quite a lot of work to correct something that is not immediately apparent. It's not going to give me sleepless nights worrying about it now. 

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Kylestrome]

Where did you get the windscreen surrounds?

 

Please see post #13.

Edited February 4, 2017 by Kylestrome

[Signaller69]

That represents quite a lot of work to correct something that is not immediately apparent. It's not going to give me sleepless nights worrying about it now.

 

David

After thinking about cutting a section of roof out and turning it through 180 degrees and whether I could make a neat enough job I came to the same conclusion! :-/

Cheers,

Martyn.

[Kylestrome]

Mini update: basic body colours sprayed on.

 

In the case of the blue I was fortunate that the Railmatch BR Blue, that I have, matches (  ) the Hornby colour very well. I was able to spay just the patches that needed it and leave the original numbers untouched (D6129 is just right for my West Highland line based layout). Later, after the body has been weathered, an overall coat of matt varnish will cover the areas where the base paint is still glossy.

 

 

 

 

I could probably have done a better job of filling and smoothing the ends but I will just have to disguise the errors with some strategically placed weathering grot.

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Downendian]

Lovely stuff Kylestrome, looks like you're well on track to finish before the Dapol model appears.

You've obviously spent a lot of time masking the model, flawless.

Neil

[Kylestrome]

Lovely stuff Kylestrome, looks like you're well on track to finish before the Dapol model appears.

You've obviously spent a lot of time masking the model, flawless.

Neil

 

"Flawless" is probably taking it too far, but it certainly did take a while to mask. The bit under the nose was the most awkward and needs some touching up. I've not done any masking for a long time and I should have remembered to cut my own straight edges, in the masking tape, rather than relying on the edge as it comes off the roll.

 

David

[Kylestrome]

Continuing with the detailing. 

 

Here we have some mystery items bent from 2mm wide nickel silver strip. Also in the photo is the diamond tipped dental burr used for scoring the folds.

 

The strips were drilled for two pins of 0.45mm brass wire which were soldered in place. These were then glued to small pieces of 1mm thick styrene which were also drilled to accept the pins.

 

These parts are fitted to all four corners of the body and, presumably, function as steps on the real thing. They each have a backing of black paper stuck on with plenty of CA glue because, by the time I realised they should be there, it was too late to solder on a piece of metal sheet.

 

 

 

Next come the vac pipes and other buffer beam details.

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Signaller69]

Superb, those footsteps are works of art!