41516

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

Paint me surprised

Nice to do a bit of myth busting.  The chassis I have is also made of a nice plastic that cuts and takes glue well, which bodes well for bashing.

Chassis

Even on the craptastic Silver Seal square axle wheels buffer height is fine, perhaps a smidge high as checked against a Bill Bedford buffer height jig and a Hornby Shark.   Certainly not several mm out as has been mentioned up thread.

If anything, the shark buffer height is higher and I don't recall there being problem with it?

Anyway, snippy snippy with the  Xurons... 

For this one, I'm leaning into the roof curve.  Currently sitting on a Airfix 16T mineral chassis, minor whoopsey in measuring....

Sides and spare roof bit ready for another day.... Or do I use the doors on this perhaps, keep more of it 'original' (stop laughing).

4 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

(applying the 3 foot rule)

So I don't need to get a friend to help tread on it?

3 hours ago, cypherman said:

Hi, I think you need to scratch build a new roof rather than trying to make the old one fit.

We'll see.  I'm not going to be doing anything too serious, in keeping with the thread. What I have done is hopefully provide some notes and thoughts for others as a springboard for creativity.   I'm surprised no-one has suggested chopping the bodies to make containers yet!

Final thoughts for today. Adding 1.5mm to each side really helps, but what can't be helped is the roof arc. Very sharp and more early 20th century in appearance.

Not sure what I'm going to do next with this. As I said before, I'd prefer to try and merge 2 bodies to give enough sides to try and make a body that fits the full length chassis rather that cut that down, but unless I find another for about a quid, I'm not buying!  Other options would be to recess the doors, LNER fish van style, or with two bodies go for something Mink C like with two sets of cupboard doors per side. Iron Mink C?  Cut down the whole thing down for a 10ft chassis?

Can you make anything accurate/prototypical out of the body? Probably not.

Can you make something from the body? Yes. Fun/practice/imagination - why not?

Missing sections from where the previous owner had melted bits out of the roof.

I'm sorry Sir, an older boy told me to do it.....

Thoughts so far. I think you really need two bodies to graft together to get up to full chassis length and then use spare side parts to graft in as sliding doors to make a mini-VDA type body.

Currently thinking MOD 24t PALVAN for full side replacement keeping the chassis (would need body lengthening overall), or cutting down body futher....

5 minutes ago, SteveyDee68 said:

I always thought the horizontal mouldings on the sides were metal “corrugations” so making them a little more modern than a wooden bodied van. Goes to show what I (don’t) know! 🤣

Just the toolmaker's way of representing planking on the MAJ kits - think older kits with everything as raised detail.  I'm sure the idea on the Hornby body is supposed to be metal sheeting

The idea intrigued me enough to go find out my single example, a Kelloggs one the previous owner appears to have dropped a hot soldering iron on....several times.

They're very narrow.  Width as compared to that of a spare Parkside LMS/BR fruit van end. A good couple of mm thinner, again throwing off proportions. HO sized perhaps?  This would probably be the biggest problem to making it look anything like a real world van, requiring cutting one length ways and adding a width plug, or heavily reskin the sides.

The small door width also seems a bit odd with the size of the van.  Similar to LNER fish vans in comparison, but the longer overall length make it look out of proportion. 

37 minutes ago, petethemole said:

L&YR van diagrams formerly produced by MAJ kits

A little bit longer and doors narrower.

Again, width is significantly different!

I use Clostermann 1K Etch Primer in black.   No problems on plastics, brass, NS or WM so far (except for user error when I used it outside and it was a bit too cold for it).

The only downside is that the nozzles that come with the tins aren't great and I've replaced them to get a better spray for modelling purposes.

17 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

 

 

Might I suggest turning the cab the other way round to give space for the control desk at the engine end and the doors at the fuel tank end?

43 minutes ago, Barclay said:

This is 90:1 ratio as the motor is pretty fast revving, an unbranded ebay cheapo, but it runs nicely and has a 5 pole skew wound armature. No screw fixing so I will have to rig something up.

That looks to be the same as a batch of motors I have.  I just removed the paint from the front of the motor, some solder on the gearbox front and sweated together (Edit - I think that was based on a comment by Michael Edge on a motor thread).  Works fine so far, very sweet runner (will be a a chassis for a 3D printed Bagnall body from Hardy Hobbies....if the I can get past the thing being so damn brittle).

On 05/05/2023 at 00:27, Schooner said:

 

Can't unsee the TIE Fighter!

2 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

If there's any specific information in particular that you're after, I can probably look it up.

I have a couple of lingering questions where I think the answers might be on the relevant datasheets for a couple of specific queries. Do you mind if I drop you a PM about them?

8 hours ago, Schooner said:

*Without the hours of frustrating fiddling, fettling and fairing demanded by older whitemetal kits.

But that's the bit I like!

A late LNWR D53/54 question for the thread, perhaps better here than by itself, as I move towards finishing the bendy D54.

Without much in the way of LNWR references, I did find in LNWR Liveries (HMRS 1985) a comment regarding D53/D54 wagons: "These wagons were fitted with bottom doors and in later years at least this was indicated by painting diagonal white stripes, some 3 1/2" wide  and 12" long on the top plank only, in such a way as to cover the diagonal iron strapping" pg133.

No photo to illustrate is given and there also don't seem to be any with the stripes on the LNWR Society or HMRS websites.  I'm in the latter stages of another bout of 2020's favourite communicable disease and I'm not sure my brain is working correctly, but is the interpretation of the stripe (yellow) below correct?  

I  noted the other day H&A models have some of the lineside range already in stock - link

C4125 - A Bagnall rather than a Peckett?  2542 'Jubilee' perhaps?

Roxey only showing the Markits turned vents and out of stock as well - would be a bit of spoon gold plating using those on a K's van!

After a few weeks of not really feeling like doing anything in particular, I decided that getting something, anything from the boxfile of part-finished items closer to the paintshop would be a good idea. The K's SECR D1421 van came to hand, typical K's, not bad from the solebar upwards. 

Some liberty has been taken based on the few photos in Southern Wagons Vol.3, I've assumed a wagon that has gained the extra bodywork strapping (as supplied by K's) and with the addition of the door bracing seen on some SECR vans later in life. 

Everything below the solebar has been largely replaced with approximation of what should be there as there seems to be a lack of SECR parts available, so I wouldn't look too closely! Buffers and springs are 51L H&B, brakes assumed to be a replacment of the wooden brake block with iron shoe as a bit of a fudge to get it finished.  Axleboxes made as generic as possible in the absence of low-cost SECR ones.  I've put the wagon label clip in the wrong place as I was looking at the drawing for the 1419....horsehook still to add.

Roof still needs a final tweak, vents from Ratio.   Anyone know of another source for tall vents? Most available are the later lower profile ones.

I do have another, this will be more as-built, with the strappinbg removed and a wooden brake shoe, possibly done with a direct acting brake for variety.  Strangely, the master has been damaged at some point as the right-most vertical post was missing on both sides (K's branding not inside this one, Nu-Cast perhaps?)

I can only think back to days with balsa aircraft and a tin of Humbrol dope.  I seem to remember the dope was cellulose based, so a bit risky around plastics and paint finishes perhaps, unless made separately on a jig to be dropped on a wagon once dry?

and

It's quite a nice representation of a Bagnall

Note 1529 has gained longer buffers (no packers) and a new snap rivetted smokebox by the time of that later LMS photo.  It's also reminded me that the steps will have the edges bent up by the LMS and should be flat as-built.

16 minutes ago, Schooner said:

...and Paul Gilbert's fetching treatment of the 7mm CSP kit

But proves the peril of using only provided parts in a kit- a dished smokebox door that seems to have only appeared with the 2nd batch (and then swapped around in later days).   I think there's also some other odd bits with the Underhill kit - If it's anything like another I have on the bench, there are some areas of loose interpretation or purely inferred detail by the creator.

1536 would like to say hello to her long-lost sister.  The oversized dome should be the DNA test proving a common parent.

This might sound very much like a 'if I was going there I wouldn't start here', but then again I also like improving old kits!

My non-exhaustive list from tonight includes:

Buffers - Not great, missing corner bolts. Unsprung, heads too small. Should be MR short with packers as built

Buffer beams too thick

Bufferbeam holes too high - Should be at base of bufferbeam

'Pocket' on bufferbeam for drawhook should not be there. Coupling hook is oversized and wrongly shaped.

Lamp irons - Top lamp iron should be on the top of the smokebox as built, 3 in front bufferbeam

Smokebox door - Correctly flat profile. Two lowest locking dogs at 5 o'clock and  7 o'clock should not on 1528 as built, should be single dog at 6o'clock

Globe lubricators on tank fronts as built missing

Flush riveted smokebox as built - rivets to remove

MR cast numberplate to replace decals

Chimney too thin/wrong shape?

Dome is wrong!

Bolts on cylinder covers missing

Tank fillers should have elliptical hinges

Clack valve/boiler mounts a bit weak

Gap between tank and boiler not as large as prototype

Tank straps should have prominent mounting bolts and pass through square(ish) plates over the boiler cladding

Tank top depth should be slightly greater

Cab rain strips too tall

Cab rivets/bolts should be snap rivets even on first batch locos (i.e. raised)

Builders/water capacity plates needed

Cab steps should have straight back for 1st batch locos

Cab ventilator sits too high

The rear spectacle plates also are a little too high and too far apart- probably means issues at the front too

Steam dome/safety valve mount too tall/too far forward - should be up against cab front

Sandboxes too short and wrong shape

Brake shoes too far away from wheels (& missing on front wheels in kit?)

No hole in frames between wheels

Crossheads do not match prototype well

Simplified Cylinder drain cocks

Possibly valve gear issues - not looked at this in great detail yet.

Edit - mine has correctly fluted rods - yours look plain?

Whew?

8 hours ago, Schooner said:

Please do if you have the time and energy! It's all taken on board, and all appreciated :)

Will do, as most things will also be my future working list.

Very much the same as mine, so College Models without too much doubt.

30 minutes ago, Schooner said:

She's also an absolute unit, over 1kg.

My 1536 is also a heavy beast, stuffed with lots of lead.....lead and plasticine. It's going to be fun to try and get that cleaned out!

30 minutes ago, Schooner said:

 

I'd really appreciate hearing the good, bad, and ugly to get this process rolling

Visually, the dome and chimney are both not great and the most noticable thing to me at least. The chimney is a bit too thin, the dome just wrong!  The dome may be an issue as trying to match the paint with a reshaped/replacement might be problematic.

Short answer woulb be to probably do something with the chimney, sort out lamp irons and lamps, fire irons and heroic load of coal in front of the cab, crew and patch painting.

I can make a much longer list....