davefrk

You never told me about that one.... LOL Dave Franks

Oh dear Tony, what had you done to deserve that lot visiting or did they think they were going to a soup kitchen.... Say hallo to the guys from me. Dave Franks.

Hi Joe, I've seen all these railways and can vouch for their appeal. Great that the group is getting invites too despite Spencer..... You haven't mentioned future projects, I mean, what are all the Caley bufferstops Bill got for? All the best, Dave Franks.

Like it already... Dave.

Hope it's not another blxxdy Scottish layout.... Only kidding. Dave.

Now I wonder if the saying ''Doing a Larry'' will become legend..... I do hope so. e.g. I don't like this pointwork/bridge/siding/bufferstop, so I'll be 'doing a Larry'. Wonderful. What say you Larry? Dave.

Okay, I've just found my notes from measuring up LMS coach buffers, the CCT in store at Bo-ness still has the original oval buffers and the size would have been (before the cutaway was done) 171/2'' x 15'' (not much of an oval I admit) and with the top cutaway 133/4'' vertically. As I said in an earlier post they were not a big oval buffer like the LMS twelve wheelers but they didn't need to be for a 42ft vehicle. The picture 228 on page 208 of Jenkinson/Essery's original book shows a new CCT with the full buffer before the top was trimmed down to better clear the dropflap, maybe, over time the buffer came into contact with the wooden dropflap and 11/4'' was taken off the top. At Bo-ness the CCT was tight to the bufferstops and coupled to a porthole coach so decent face on photos were impossible. Paul, the pictures on your website of CCT M37776 and M37794 show the oval buffer and others show the replacement standard 18'' coach buffer with the big chunk off the top which looks like about 3'' and also the CCT at Royal Deeside which has the replacement 18'' coach buffers. Hope that clears things up. I'll post a couple of photos once I've sorted them out. Dave Franks.

Hi, Just looked through my books and had a look on Paul's photo site, The original buffer was an oval shape, not as big an oval as longer coaches like the twelve wheelers but definitely an oval, Essery/Jenkinson's first book shows the original buffer before the wee bit was cut along the top to better clear the dropflap, I can discern that the buffer face is quite curved but the angle of the photo makes the buffer look kinda round. Some vehicles on Paul's sight still have these buffers and one can see them on the drawing too. Later on vehicles received replacements which were a standard 18''LMS round coach buffer with a large cutaway at the top, again as seen in some of Paul's photos, a very useful site Paul.... The CCT buffers I do are for the 4 wheel CCT and are wagon based but I'm working on LMS coach buffers and may do the original to replace the ones on my bogie CCT. Dave Franks.

Hi Phil, thanks for the mention. I'm working on LMS coach buffers this month as I need some myself to replace the Bachmann buffers on the Porthole coaches. I believe most LMS bogie CCTs had an oval buffer, same buffer housing but different head to the passenger coaches. Hope that helps Dave.

No, this type of arrangement has been in use for many years but the bogies have been better designed before. Dave.

That's a nice coach Larry. Just one problem........ I need a Brake compo..... LOL. Dave.

Oops, Larry got there a minute of two before me. Saying more or less the same, okay I hadn't noticed the lack of crossmembers on the riveted bogie, that's makes it a lot esier to remove and refit the plate for the brakes. Larry, I think if the axleboxes are oversize then they are still better than the even more undersize and flat Bachmann ones. We can agree to differ. I'll get some dimensions. Isn't the old Bachmann bogie on the current Period 1 coaches still available from Bachmann? I'll need to check what's on the revamped P1 coach I picked up recently to put Comet sides on. I agree Larry that Bachmann have concentrated on making a very nice coach then running out of money or expertise for the bogies. All the best, Dave.

Hi David, According to the Jenkinson/Essery book, Period 111 coaches came out under Stanier, the heavier looking axleboxes from about mid 30s and indeed experimentation with welded underframes and bogies started to appear before the war so you're okay with the Hornby riveted bogie under Hornby Staniers (a few later ones having welded bogies). Hornby does the welded version under, IIRC, the all 1st. There are pictures of portholes with rivetted bogies but most had the welded bogies also it seems that bogies were swapped over time so that could be the reason. Just for my own satisfaction I'm intending to visit my local railway and measure up the bogies on a couple of Staniers but studying the dozens of photos I still think the Hornby bogies look fine under the Staniers and Portholes. I'm sure Larry will agree that like most railway vehicles it can be a nightmare trying to pindown changes as some happened piecemeal and over a good period of time. All the best, Dave.

Okay Larry, you may think that but in my opinion the bogie frame, axleboxes and springs are one hell of a lot better than the Bachmann effort. Overall, after studying photos in the LMS coach book one can see that later Period 111 LMS coaches have physically bigger axleboxes and I feel the Hornby bogie is a much better represention and suits the Bachmann coach well. Just my opinion. All the best, Dave.

Hi all, as promised here's some pics of the re-bogied Bachmann Porthole. Hornby bogie on Bachmann CK on left incase you're wondering, Coach is now correct in height (49.5mm) compared to the 'as bought' on right. The bogies just don't compare do they, let alone the daft design. Compared to a Hornby Stanier the Bachmann coach matches well for the height and not too bad for the buffers which are set at the bottom edge of the beam. (I'll sort that when I do the buffers). The colour of this Hornby BTK coach is a good match too, one of the first releases I think. A TK I recently bought is a much richer cream which looks garish to my eyes. Unfortunately it's lying up at the club which we can't get near for the Commonwealth Games road closures.... I'm much happier with the CK now, anyone got any spare Hornby bogies they don't want, I only need four pairs. Dave.

Hi all, I finally got round to doing what I said I would do namely, trial fitting modern Hornby Stanier bogies on the Bachmann portholes. Okay it did involve removing the clips on the bogie and drilling out to fit the boss on the coach underside, a new fixing screw with a smaller diameter head secured the bogies. Once all that was done a quick height check.... Rail top to coach roof should be 12'41/2'' according to the LMS coach bible by Essery and Jenkinson. That works out to 49.5mm and guess what... that's exactly what this exercise has produced, exactly, spot on. Okay coaches could sit lower due to numbers of passengers, wear on wheels and springs but hey I'm happy it's right on spec. I was fortunate I had picked up a cheap, damaged but complete Hornby Stanier which was going to be chopped up for something else and it also had welded bogies fitted, what luck. However pictures in the book also show riveted bogies on earlier portholes of the same diagram as well as different roof vents so a bit of variation is possible. I already know these Hornby bogies run very well even when converted to the broader gauges (one of the best RTR bogies out there) and the only hard work involves gently squeezing the stalk that the brakeshoe is on to move them out to gauge, time consuming but easily done. So I now have the basic coach I'm happy with, ready for the detailing. All I'm waiting on is some nice LMS coach buffers from that guy in Scotland... Oh that's me then.... Pictures and measurements taken, just to find the time. Was it yourself Larry that mentioned when the fire extinquisher pods were fitted or someone else, 60s if I remember correctly.... I'll post a picture for comparison tonight sometime. Dave Franks.

Quite refined really (for a Landrover) when in overdrive and on radials. I don't like rattles so when it was restored every rattle was investigated and 'cured'. Honest. The 21/4 petrol engine is sweet too after the rebuild and leadfree conversion. That's when I was fit enough to do these things.... Dave.

Hi Larry, the steering was 're-circulating balls'..... Not unlike what you describe but heavier duty with ball bearings between the worm and nut. It needs regular adjustment hence most landies had wandering steering. One LR I looked at with a view to buy had been adjusted so tightly and one could hardly turn the steering wheel.... But it did drive reasonably straight. As you can see I've calmed down a bit since the portholes, sorry to get on your back Larry. All the best, Dave.

When I first got my 2A I too was 'amused' at the vague steering. New springs and trackrod ends helped, an overhaul of the steeringbox made a difference too but the biggest difference was to get rid of the crossply tyres. Radials all round and one could sit on the motorway at 70 in overdrive, it was okay but one still needed to concentrate. 300 odd miles back from the 'Landie do' at Billing, Northants without a scare convinced me that the radial tyres were the answer. But I did sleep that night. Dave Franks.

I've just had a look Larry and you're right, the handles are all still there, but of-course it's because they're all moulded on.... Admittedly one doesn't notice this from the normal viewing distance though. The stepboards I'll reserve judgement on for now or until I get the coaches running on my EM layout, LOL. All the best, Dave

Just had another longer look at the photo. Can confirm a Series 2A Landie but on further inspection people are correct in suggesting a 109'' long wheelbase vehicle. If one takes in the forshortening of the wagons we all know and love the landies are longer than an 88'' SWB, the hoop sticks confirm this also. I looked up some landie books to see if a left hooker had the fuel filler on the left side but no. The MOD Landrover .... sorry ''Truck 3/4 ton, Cargo, 4X4 Rover MK7' user handbook (An MOD publication from 1964) states that the filler is situated on the side panel rear of the RH drivers door but if fitted with duel tanks both fillers are under the seat lockers. (like Series 1s). The fitting seen on the left side is present on other radio fitted military Landies I have photos of so Twa-Dogs is correct again. If wanting Landies for wagon loads as in the picture, Oxford diecast do military Series 1s and although they may be 86'' or 88'' if your lucky they were still in army service through the sixties not to mention the Civil Defence Series 1s which only got let out once in a blue moon, a bit like the green goddess fire engines. Old Landies never die, they only fade away. Dave.

Hi Larry, Maybe it's just me but with these coaches I was expecting something better than what has gone before. Okay, some people are just happy with what they are given but I stand by what I said about 'silly mistakes', you yourself mentioned things like the fire extinguisher compartment and the low ride height and now all the work suggested to improve the breed. I agree with the improvements but we shouldn't have to do half of that. The Hornby Stanier was more expensive but we don't have to do all this remedial work before we start detailing. As regards the statement 'the experts in coach building and manufacturing' Many will find that a bit patronising, who said any of us was an expert in coaches. I do know how to make a bogie work better and last the pace, I've fitted brass bearings to more RTR coaches than I can remember and fitted them with EM or P4 wheelsets, something that is impossible with these latest Bachmann bogies. This is what I am saying, the bogies are a poor, ill thought out design which will force not only EM/P4 people to spend £10 per coach to make bogies to a decent standard but in time OO workers as well when the derailments become too annoying. This is the first coach in a long time I've had to consider this, 10 coach rakes of close coupled Mk1s are happily whizzing around my layout with never a derailment and running with scale wheels in the original bogies so why change them. I've got some of Bill Bedfords coach bogies and indeed before their introduction Bill sent me some preproduction samples to test out and comment on and the coaches so fitted run very well but to be honest, with a mainline layout to stock I can't afford to change every bogie, every wagon, every loco to fully sprung. Not many people can I suspect. And that's not including the time factor. On another post you said ''Maybe its a presumption on my part, but I thought modellers who moved away from 00 gauge were wanting something better, not only in track appearance but in detail as well. Using RTR items is a shortcut for such people.'' Your presumption is only partly true as most modern RTR is so good nowadays that using RTR as a shortcut can cut the time to produce a worthwhile layout with good looking stock, You've done it yourself and in my case it gives me more time to build some 'all singing and all dancing' locos to haul them, (my particular interest). So I say once more - The Bachmann Portholes are beautiful and well detailed coaches let down by the poor anaemic retrograde design of bogies.... Lets agree to disagree if you like. All the best, Dave.

Roger, sorry you feel that way. As has been said, the coaches are beautiful but are let down by silly things, mistakes maybe but with a bit of thought could have be avoided. If the new coaches had the likes of the Hornby Stanier bogies on everyone would be over the moon. All the best, Dave