berth44

I was waiting on this, the 'official' BR spec is 'Sherwood Green',that's fair enough and I'm sorry for doubting the fact,I can't argue,nor will I attempt to, Sherwood it is....So I'm sorry Brian,I had my opinion, I'm wrong and I'm prepaired to admit to the world that I was wrong,sorry world, but I'm still going to go ahead with the 'yellow/green' Deltic style band as that is the only shade that my eyes can perceive, forget the stuff about 'light and shade' in this case,I've taken my model outside in the brightest of sunlight,the dullest of days and I still can't replicate any colour photo that I've seen of a Baby Deltic. So,if I'm the only one in the' world' with my Baby Deltic painted in this way,it's my choice,it'll be trully a very 'individual' model then??, I just wish that I had saw a real one!..will I paint it back when the 'Replica' hits the rails......no..............Dave

I've reduced the access door height to be inline with the windows,removed the warning panel and put in a new one same height as the window,I've also made it a wee bit dirtier!...Dave

OK,here we are Brian,perhaps these photos will explain just what I did...Dave

Wrong way round,maybe one day I'll get the hang of this!!...Dave

I've put together these two photos to compare,the first one is obviously a real Baby Deltic and the band is not Sherwood Green,well, it's not the Heljan version, there is quite a bit of difference I think..Dave

Hello Mr 'Baby Deltic' man,I'm not sure what 'cut'n'shut' means in Colchester,but it means nothing to me,never came accross the thing here in Aus-tral-ia!..... Anyhoo,only to glad to pass it on,and yes,there was a cut,a few infact! I have taken a couple of photos and I'll post them this afternoon when I get home from work,you should be up from bed in Colchester by then! It was quite easy,sort of..first,remove the frames from the bogies,remember what end the speedo goes,it's only on the one bogie, I almost forgot!. The frames are easily removed, turn 'baby' on her back and just prise them off the bogie with a small flat screwdriver, push from behind the pickups to get started,and then from the 'front', slide them off the pin thingies.....too easy! Now you have them off,cut the part at the rear of the frame to separate the sides, I cut mine in the centre, "phew", that was hard work! OK,now with some form of cutting device,or tool,cut off the 'female lugs' on the frames,all up 8 of them, I used a 'sprue cutter' to cut mine off,it 'squeezes' the ends in a bit,but that's not a problem . These 8 parts are now cut to the same size as the 'male' pins on the bogie and these,the 'females' are re-introduced back onto them..for the time being. Right,this is where I had to think,I had tried just glueing the things straight back onto the frames,but slightly lower down on the frame,this is what makes the bogies sit higher..if you gets me drift..but it didn't work! Nearly there? (not really!!).......OK then,thinking cap on,I just happened to have 'lying around' a length of Evergreen plastics 'angle', 2mm X 2mm What I did then was 'superglue'( just a tack) a length that measured the distance between the ' M&F' fittings that are attached (still) to the bogie. The angle is glued accross the top of the two parts,with the back of the 'angle' to face the frame (quite clear in the photo) This forms a 'wee bridge' that permanently joins these two parts (per side) Once enough time is given for these to 'set'.. 2 cups of coffee,just to be sure!, they are then prized off once more from the bogie and a wee bit more 'SG' is added just to be sure they stay together, more coffee........... Once these 4 wee bridges are completed ,individually they are glued to the frame, if you have made a good job cutting them from the bogie in the first place,you'll notice that there is a 'ledge' that will make fitting of these parts a doddle,just ensure you line up the thing with the existing cut marks where the 'lugs' used to be and glue the 'bridge' to the frame just a bit shy of being totally flush with the top of the frame. I then superglued each one onto the frame,let it dry....2 cups of coffee,then each frame is placed back onto the bogie as it had come off and walla,that should do exactly as per my photo above. Howz at?,it's as clear as mud,I know, the photo will show the way.."a picture paints a thousand words"....Dave P/S,just ensure that all is square when you glue up, by using the bogie 'cross members' as a guide,otherwise your frames will be wonky. To make things easier while handling, if you can remove the steps and the cylinders atop the frames this will ensure that you do not break them................good luck! PPS if you are going 'P4' it might be wise to add another 1mm 'spacer' to each bridge,then glue these to the bogie. I think my bogies might be a wee bit narrower than as per the 'original' as I had to cut off about 2-3 mm from the rear 'cross member' of the bogie,this is not noticed and as you can see my my photo,it looks fine.

Hello Brian, I'm afraid I still don't agree! (I also asked a 'non interested party' to confirm to me that the colours were indeed 'not the same) Most of the 'slide show' that you have confidently posted show these locos in a heavy weathered condition and even condemmed. I have a book called 'Green Diesel Days' it has a solitary photograph of D5900 just fresh from refurbishment,beautifully clean, and the lower band is positively and definately 'yellow/green' as per her big brother Deltics (and WR Hymecs) A combination of dirt and light conditions might show the loco appear to have the SG lower band Brian,but I'm sticking to my guns and repainting... as per the 'Deltics' (I'm also a believer that the way the loco was painted and its 'Deltic' engine gave rise to the 'Baby Deltic' name) I believe that the 'Brush Type 4' had it's 'waste band' painted in Sherwood Green,as did the class later class 25 locos, 'Claytons' and there were a 'few' other classes with 'SG' cabs',and this colour in all sorts of conditions did not appear to be anything like the Deltic's green/Yellow..but the 'Baby D did!! Anyhoo, I've given my 2 bobs worth on the colour Brian,I reckon we are all entitled to our opinions and how we see things,obviously our opions on this subject are way different,and I'm sure there will be many out there telling me where to go,that is fair, but I am me,(and it's the Scottish in me),the paint is ordered and the air brush is cleaned and on 'stand by!! l thank you Brian in any case for the photo's, it's the most I've seen of the class in one hit and they will come in handy for 'detailing' One thing is for sure,with so many photos, they definately show up the 'wrongs' of this model...I didn't want to believe what was written in an earlier post, this described in all the 'grizzly detail' what is wrong (with this model),and after an 'in depth' look last night,'with the peepers'..here's just.one example, the relation between the side windows and the lowest one on the 'nose' puts either the side windows too low or the nose too high.... I say' ######', the post is right!! I thought a 'fix' would be to file the side window and , make it larger,but that wont work as it'll make the window wrong in relation to the door and roof cant,so that's 'oot the windy'...so to speak!! What I think 'might work',if the 'overhead 'warning flash' (amidships)is removed and a new one added to be either flush with the window,or 'half flush' with the same and access 'door' between the 'engine room' windows is brought into line with the top of these windows, it just might 'throw' the all seeing eye into thinking all is OK, but I'm thinking I could mark my nice new shiny body if I did that,but I think I will do it anyway!!. Unfortunately, I now say that the underframe and bogies are the best part of this loco,Heljan have used a blind man on some of measurements and profiles!! My 'disgarded' scratch build from brass is more correct,and that my friend, is hard to believe,but I now need to seek it out from the loft and see what I can do with it now that I have a decent chassis!! Anyway, I think I've said enough,I've stated my opinion, I'll be getting 'condemmed' for sure, but all I want to do is get on with whatever mods I see fit that will improve this model, I'll post the photo when done,and see what the response is .... Dave

I don't think the springs look very realistic, I'll fix that. I've also sent off to Howes for 'yellow/green to re-paint the 'Sherwood Green' band. All Colour photos that I have seen show it to be the same as the production Deltics. The 'couple' codes are in the same order to finish it off....Dave

Picture 2,modified frame height... Picture 3, I think it looks nice with whitewalls!.....Thanks for looking........Dave

Picture 2,modified frame height...

Here are 3 photos with the bogie side raised,picture 1, before......

I just received my 'Baby Deltic' from Hattons last Thursday. Opening the box,I was very happy with what I've just bought,and,after a 12,000 mile trip from the UK,it was 100% intact,nothing had come off! I did not realise that D5902 was a 'glossy' version,but I'm very happy with the finish,it's not just quite as 'glossy' as my D8501 Clayton,and I love that finish! Anyhoo,I've read through 17 pages of comment,some are favourable,some are not, but in the end I agree with what is ' fair comment' I'm no expert in the class, but I thank 'Heljan' in any case for producing one (I tried scratch building one from brass,I say... I tried!!)..I love it..thank you Heljan!!... Now, I've also just purchased the Dapol 22, it's a cracker as well,but that's a different story!, the bogie frames on that were not quite in line with the centres of the wheels,therefor the bogie looked' way too low ' in respect to it's body, and I fixed that! In my mind my 'Baby' suffered from the exact same problem and I went about correcting that (a much easier job than the 22 I'll admit), I have taken a couple of pictures and I will post them later for you to judge for yourselves,if anybody is intrerested in 'converting' after seeing the photos,just let me know,it's quite 'fidly',but easy!....Dave P'S,I only change what in my mind is blatently obvious to me,no rulers, no measuring, I just use the 'peepers'...all I require is for it to look the part,and both of the locos above certainly do that, but way better with the 'mod'!!

Hello,you know I thought I'd made a difference with the 22,obviously not, so I'll say no more and leave you guys with it...Dave

Hello Andy,here's a better angle,we're not really talking of a scale foot, it's been raised about as high as it can go without fowling the underside. The axle boxes are in line with the wheel centres which is a bit better than the original,well, at least I think it is..Dave Hello Andy,here's a better angle,we're not really talking of a scale foot, it's been raised about as high as it can go without fowling the underside. The axle boxes are in line with the wheel centres which is a bit better than the original,well, at least I think it is..Dave

This is the 'non' driver end,this is my last photo and it shows the better lot of springs and it's more in focus..Dave