84B Oxley

Ken Another photo of my 92022 to entertain you. Impressed by your build-but then I expected to be! Being highly self-critical I think I didn't make a brilliant job of the cabsides, I didn't really get the subtle bend in them quite right. Will yours be weathered? I reckon Crewe turned them out ready weathered, never saw a clean one myself. Like you, I foresaw problems with pick-ups on the loco but I used JPL cast iron wheels and the 'American' method. All in all, a very enjoyable building experience of a well designed kit-I'm not telling you how long it took to build mine................... Jeff

Ken My 92022 drives on the fourth axle with no problem, in reality there isn't much vertical movement in the axle. I used an ABC/Maxon combination in mine and it is a tight fit to get the motor in the firebox. You have been warned! Not sure I like the idea of the Delrin drive, I know DJH use it in their 9F but I dispensed with it when I built one of theirs. All down to personal preference, although I will confess to having a Connoisseur 4F with chain drive and it purrs along, driving the rear axle. Jeff

Ken Thanks for the compliment, not sure I would describe any Crosti as 'beautiful' but I know what you mean. It turns heads wherever it goes. 92022 doesn't have to cope with anything less than 6' curves so I can't comment on anything less than that. The compensation does work well, the only problems I have had, as did the real thing, is the centre driver dropping off the track on changes of radius. (There is one part of our club's layout where it is banned, as is my GWR 2-8-2 tank.) What is really critical, and it is covered in the instructions, is the amount of sideplay you allow in each set of drivers. Mine has none at the front, for obvious crankpin/crosshead clearance issues, and a huge amount at the rear. Trial and error was the only way I arrived at good trackholding. It is very satisfying to watch 92022 negotiate the slight hump in our club's layout with all the drivers staying in contact with the track. My only advice would be to follow Dave's instructions to the letter, try the loco and then modify accordingly in the light of experience. On a different note, the firebox construction looks intricate and daunting but I found that all the pieces of the jigsaw fitted accurately. Anyway, a highly competent builder like yourself will find his own solutions I'm sure. It just won't go together quickly. Not even for you! Will follow with interest. Jeff

A Crosti? Very interesting! The Seven Models kit is pretty well designed and goes together fairly easily. There's just a heck of a lot of pipework on it. I liked the compensation system that Dave Ennis has built into it. Mine's a rebuilt one. As you can see. Jeff

Lewis The Arpley Chord plan has been floating around for years, I'm not sure it will ever be built. Network Rail are trying to get Warrington Council to contribute towards the estimated cost of over £14 million, the carrot being offered is that the council could then redevelop the land released at Latchford. There will still be a run-round at Walton Yard to perform for most of the Fiddlers Ferry coal traffic. Logic suggests that a vastly cheaper option would be to do what they used to do in the 80s and 90s, i.e. use a spare loco to drag the trains round from Walton to Latchford, a lot of time sould be saved too. Yet another factor to throw into the equation is the projected remaining life of Fiddlers Ferry, it must surely have exceeded its design life by now. Jeff

An interesting thread. Here's a bit of inspiration for you, taken yesterday. I've heard that there are plans to close all the signal boxes on the route this year. Shame, it has a nice juxtaposition of the old semaphores and new(er) locos. Three 60s now on the Liverpool-Fiddlers Ferry circuit, this week there are 007, 065 and 079 to be seen, along with the 70s and odd 66. There's also the gypsum train at least once a week...............

I seem to have started something here.............. Jeff

CME I've scrutinised all my Scottish photos from the early 80s and can't find a single high viz on any of them, either in cabs or out of them. I think also that as many parts of Scotland were far from the eye of authority, some rules were obeyed more in the breach than the observance, as they say. Thanks for your input, I think that when my 1980s ScotRail TMD reaches the stage of needing to be populated I shall sprinkle a few around anyone working trackside but not in cabs. ATB Jeff

Thanks, chaps, I don't recall seeing much of the high-viz stuff in the 80s, nice to have my impressions confirmed. Brian, in my book you can't have too many 26s, go for it, the memory of 26024 blasting up to Ravens Rock in 1981 is still very strong. The only thing I can see missing from the Heljan model is a large circular vent on each cab roof, it's clearly visible in the shot I posted several pages back. Fortunately, the overhead shot I have of 26029 in 1981 shows it didn't have them then, that's why I chose it. That and the fact that it didn't have spotlights so saved me a bit of work ! All in all, it's a lovely model, so much easier to work on than the 37 and 47, no wires trailing everywhere to marker lights and tail lights, and much easier to access the screws holding body to chassis. Opening up another can of worms.......I don't seriously see Heljan ever doing a 27, I might consider doing a 26 to 27 conversion. Any thoughts ? Jeff

Brian Sorry to hijack your thread, doesn't seem worth starting one of my own just for this. Here's a photo taken on the Preston Group's layout of Heljan 26029. I've filled in the tablet catcher recesses and made new doors. Drivers fitted, cab interiors painted, full respray, Fox numbers, Precision data panels and a little weathering. Looks good to me ! As the loco is portrayed in early 80s would I be right in thinking that the crew wouldn't have been wearing high viz tops ? Waiting now for Pete Harvey's fan grille and steps to become available so that I can add them to it. Jeff

Spares for 26 are now listed on Howes' website, including later pattern doors though I'm not convinced they are totally correct as they have horizontal beading on them; most of my photographs look like the doors are very plain with just handles and nothing else on them. I have filled in the tablet catcher recesses on mine and made new doors out of 40 thou plastikard with a bit of Slaters microstrip to represent the backing plates for the handles. A total repaint is under way, I'll post a photo when the job is finished. All in all, a lovely, well thought out model. Jeff

And now, the photo ! Jeff

Brian I already have a model of 26024, from a PRMRP kit built in the days when never in my wildest dreams could I have foreseen a Ready to Run 7mm scale Class 26. It's not bad but it's not brilliant either, photo attached. Apart from that I have a very large and mixed bag, all BR period, ranging from a King to a 15xx Pannier tank, a Duchess to a Super D, nearly all of the standard classes, a pair of Heljan 20s, Heljan 37 and 47s and the aforementioned 26. And no layout ! I'm about to begin building a 13' x 2' diesel depot layout with a 1980-85 Scottish theme. The steam run mainly on the Preston O Gauge group's layout and on those of friends. Hope you don't mind me asking, I like the 06 you built, one is on my list for early acquisition. What wheels did you use on yours ? The photo of 06 008, which will be my chosen loco, looks to have 11 spokes but I can't find anything suitable listed by Slaters. Cheers Jeff

Hi Brian My first post on RMweb though I've followed it for a while. Just admiring your Heljan 26, I acquired one a few days ago and must say that I'm impressed with it. It's clear that quite a bit of thought has gone into it, the body fixing screws are much more accessible than on other Heljan locos and I like the way that the lights have been arranged so that it uses light guides rather than loads of LEDs so there aren't wires trailing everywhere. Just one plug (the fan motor lead) to relase from the PCB and you have the body separate. I think I will fill in the tablet catcher recesses and try to match the paintwork. I'm impressed by the availability of later pattern cab doors but can't see them listed on Howes website, is it just a case of a phone call or email to them ? Have you worked out what the blue painted plastic parts-four of them-are that come in the bits bag ? Two are identical and two are not. I think the identical ones are horn grille covers, the others perhaps for plating over what I think are the boiler exhaust ports. What do you reckon ? If I can crack the technology I'll post an overhead photo of 26024 at the Kyle in 1981. Cheers Jeff