jimwal

Yes just to confirm, Triang axles were 9/64" diameter and one bush was needed for the worm wheel as well as six for the chassis.

17 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Nickel-silver pickups...

Phospher bronze for pick-ups.

Adjusted properly, they are totally reliable for shunting work!

Get the chassis up and running with motor, gears and pick-ups. Coupling rods, cylinders, slidebars connecting rods and valve gear if appropriate. During these processes it is worth checking the body fixings are holding the body parallel to the rails and not twisting the frames.

Then start adding details.

Less chance of damage whilst fettling any of the above.

I've got them out using a rare earth magnet and a panel pin.

The panel pin (or small nail) ideally should be close to the diameter of the bearing. File the head smooth and flat and shorten the shank to just longer than the bearing depth to the ball.

This should create the maximum pull on the ball.

The Hornby 4F I bought some years ago didn't have traction tyres though the 2P 4-4-0 did.

Both locos share similar motors and drive set-ups.

In their Airfix/Mainline days the tender drives were identical.

25 minutes ago, Flood said:

The EFE ones are a completely different model to the Heljan ones.

Thanks, your'e right. Just looked at the relevent thread for the first time!

I have a set of three which negotiate 3' radius curves with no problem.

I presume all three have the problem on your curved track, as there may be damage or misplaced detail parts fouling on one or more.  What is the radius of your curves, most manufacturers recommend second radius minimum, This is usually about 17.25ins (44cm).

I believe the Bachmann ones may be the same models but sold under the EFE brand. 

The Hymek and Clayton diesel locos appeared this way.

2 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

It was also good to see you and the other Witham vagabonds. 

"Vagabonds" Clive, just looked it up. 

I don't think most of us have have done much wandering without home or job!

Tim had a career at sea so with a job, plus home. Richard H has been on  world cruises since retirement but still with a home.

I'm sure we're just happy to be members.😉

Good to catch up with you today at Ally Pally Clive!

Paul's photos answer your question Richard. All were built by the LMS for themselves and the LNER and were the same.

The LNER built other wagons for both companies, again within the wagon type there was no difference in the vehicles for each company.

Yes, you are right, they were built many years ago, I think the whitemetal parts threw me.

I've not built the lowfit version but done a version using a modified Bachmann lowfit body and Parkside chassis.

Bogie fixing on Bachmann D11

Put a spacer in both positions Richard. That keeps your options open...

16 hours ago, 41516 said:

Do you have any photos?  Cambrian's Lowfit shared everything except the solebars with the FM chassis, so I wonder if the masters went to ABS which would explain why the current owner of Cambrian doesn't have them.  Or Mr Swain produced the masters for the white metal parts to begin with?

 

The parts, sketches and acompanying notes look identical but the main text on mine is handwritten as well.

I'm sure I've still got the instructions, if I can find them I'll put photos on here.

1 hour ago, 57xx said:

@MrWolf Wolfie, Here's some extra detail pics.

 

It's easier to see in the flesh, the colour differences are washed out with the camera - but - to get some area to glue the brake lever to the inside of the solebar, I had to add a couple of small bits of microstrip behind it, otherwise the only gluing point is the thing lower lip of the solebar.  The step hangers have a nasty ridge in them where the mould is slightly misaligned. By the time I'd file it flat to get a good glue surface, then filed the other side flat because I'd done the wrong side It was very thin so some strengthening microstrip was added to it.

 

 

 

When it comes to mounting the steps, note the bracket moulded on the inside of the solebar, this is supposed to be the top part of the step bracket on the prototype so that's what you line them up to.

 

 

For the long step boards, there is a fair bit of detail that needs to be removed to get them to sit right - rivets and the bottom of the moulded bracket just mentioned. It's fairly easy to do with the tip of a sharp scalpel.

Whilst not a construction issue, I've often beefed-up the suspension J-hangers on the Parkside GWR long wheelbase vans. They always look a bit 'weak' to me.

The grounded coach body howler. How many times have we seen good layouts spoilt by a BR meat van body in a pre-nationalization scene for example?

Ratio must take some blame for this, with kits for the coach shown above and a Southern van sold as grounded bodies.

The LMS container chassis I have are ABS Models kits. They came with Adrian's hand-written instructions. He also sold the main chassis parts together with parts to make an early BR built lowfit. (Diagram 1/001)

Just looked at the article for the first time.

The red sheets look to have a plastic look about them. Remembering the 'Pakamaks' we had as a family in the fifties, though they were black.

I can't add anything more so will follow with interest.

2 hours ago, Chuffed 1 said:

Has anyone seen West Hill Wagon Works new ‘Oil Storage tank’?

it appears to be a complete body and underframe ( but no axleguards, buffers, springs or brake gear) of an ex-LMS 6w Milk Tank wagon.

And at £6.95 it’s an absolute steal!

I've just ordered a couple.

1 minute ago, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Would this be close enough?

 

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/product/24t-iron-ore-hopper-br-grey-(early)-[w]/373-218a

 

May do for some but personally not as it stands. The model dates from Mainline days.

The body is a fairly close but slightly long representation of the Charles Roberts 1930s built 21ton design. BR built more in the early fifties uprated to 24ton.

The chassis is well out: 10ft wheelbase, 17ft 6in over headstocks, morton brakes, 13ton axleguards and axleboxes. This is the chassis normally used under merchandise vans and open wagons and is fine for that purpose.

It should be; 9ft wheelbase, 16ft 6in over headstocks, independent (eitherside) brakes, 20ton axleguards and axleboxes.

So, a mediocre representation of the intended prototype which is not an LMS iron ore hopper anyway!

Though an accurate model of either would be welcome.

4 hours ago, montyburns56 said:

*cough* Rapido *cough*

 

Sheep Pasture 1964

 

 

The LMS iron ore hoppers would be worthy of producing. No RTR and no kit. There is a 3D print file available to download.

In fact, iron ore hoppers are poorly represented in model form.

24 minutes ago, Simon60 said:

Are the Mainline/Bachmann models of period II correct at 57’?

Yes. They are actually period 1 stock. 

Regarding size and quantity of wire. We reasoned that as it was going to be hand tensioned and wound, the amount may vary if we just counted number of turns. So we stripped a few duff armatures of all three diameters.

We carefully measured the length of wire and its diameter and arrived at the figures of:

   14 feet of 38 gauge enamelled copper wire for each pole.

Every rewind we done was successful and with the 350hp diesel-electric shunter actually seemed to improve them.

We didn't often rewind the 'half inch' motors, they didn't lose magnetic strength like the bigger motors.

Back in the seventies me and a mate rewound a lot of H/D motors of all types many for local model shops. The main failure with these is the plastic moulded insulation on the armature which was melted, as yours appears to be.

It looks as if you have painted it for insulation. This is unlikely to be robust enough. 

A thin heat resistant insulation tape may be the best way now, it wasn't available years ago.

Watever you use, make sure the winding surfaces are properly covered. 

Just to add, if you are not aware, the motor will need remagnetizing after reassembly.

If you use a rare-earth or 'neo' magnet the motor will be powerful but slow running is impossible!