rowanj

Afternoon, Andrew The Southern Pride sides make up nicely. One of these days, I'll tackle the underframe details. But here is the SO branded as a Rest. Car, along with the FK and SK with Ladies Retiring room. I think, strictly speaking, the SK should be a standard by 1958, but I like the distinctiveness in the rake, and unless one is modelling a very specific year, it's obvious that the consist changed almost annually, certainly after 1955,

Here are the first few coaches of my "Elizabethan". Southern Pride sides on Bachmann donors, with roofs modified as suggested by Tony. The underframes were modified too but not to the extent I could/should have done. The train is all-Thompson other than the MK1 Aberdeen pair, though I wonder if more odd MK1's in the main consist would be more prototypical.? Edit - I should have said that I have modelled the complete train - I'll have to check on the Rest. Car - should the Rest. part be facing south?

I found the discussion on the cost of having models built professionally interesting. How much craftsmen charge is an issue for them and the market to determine and how individuals spend their disposable income income is pretty much their,(and their wives) own business. I suppose the idea of spending £1000's at a stroke on a hobby like ours does give us pause for thought and a quick gulp. Now, I certainly don't believe the maxim that, just because I can do something, so can everyone else, and I'll never offer to build and charge for any model making. But I wonder how many people who say they can't, for example, build a loco, are put off by a couple of bad experiences, or by making a comparison of their efforts with those of the best, or by criticism ,usually constructive but by no means always, from those with more experience. All I can say is,they don't know what they're missing. To illustrate here is my effort at a Craftsman C12. My advice on this kit would be to seek a more modern version from SEF of LRM. But on the layout, mine looks OK and runs well.

Though I took several photos of the build, largely to check for reasonable accuracy, in all honesty there is nothing sufficiently different about this kit from all the other etch loco builds on this site to warrant publication, The photo does, hopefully, show that the Craftsman kit does build into a reasonable model, but, given the difficulty in getting one these days, I would recommend anyone needing a C12 seek out a more modern kit. SEF and LRM would appear to be better bets. But I'm content enough with my model, and, as I've said elsewhere, the greater pleasure is in the building.

Mike As you know, I had a bash at the PDK B16 as my first etched kit. I suspect many people would be interested in seeing your photos, not least as I feel they would be useful not only for anyone contemplating the PDK version as well as the potential LRM, but also generally as an aide to etch brass loco building. Just my personal view... John

Here is the current state of play on the Craftsman C12. The chassis is virtually complete as far as the major comonents are concerned. All the parts fitted pretty well, with only a small amount of dressing with a file required. It shows the kit's age, being designed for an X04 type.I'm using a Comet gearbox with a Mashima 1424, and so needed to open the broad slot where the final gear fits onto the axle to allow the gearbox to slip into place. Other than this, assembly is straightforward. I hesitated before fitting the fixing plate for the X04, but there is sufficient room to fit the modern motor, so went ahead to give added strength to the chassis. The Comet gearbox was in my box of failures, with one side completely snapped off. I managed to get it soldered back in place and it runs beautifully. What a fluke ! The chassis etch has a series of washers which the (comprehensive) instructions suggest are soldered to the appropriate spacers and then tapped. I'm going to use nuts, and a conventional piece of circuit board superglued under the chassis. The loco superstructure was trickier than I expected. The metal is pretty thin, and therefore I found it almost impossible to fit the small parts without the iron causing others to come loose. The loco steps were a real pain, and I finished up replacing the kit parts with pieces from a scrap etch of beefier composition. The instructions suggest you make up the coal plate rear - steps, lamp irons,etc, and then fit it to the footplate. I did it in reverse, My prototype loco, 67367, has, I hope, a handrail on the bunker rear, and the small footsteps removed, so a minor mod was required for that. Photos show a variety of very prominent pipework not given in the kit, these include a pipe run along the full length of both sides under the footplate - vacuum brakes? and another series under the cab. It will be necessary to have a go at replicating these.

I'm not too sure how Graeme feels about people just passing on his contact details as his excellent resin parts are produced as a hobby/spinoff from work produced for his own use. As Jonathan says, he can be found on Wright Writes and other sites as GRKing and a PM to him should prove fruitful. His work is on the LNER Forum as Atlantic 3279. The J2 on the layout, and then posed alongside the original J6 completes the sequence.

Santa brought a vintage Craftsman C12, via Ebay, so I'll make a start on that, Internet research shows the kits are rather passe compared to modern offerings, and certainly, as the photo shows, there are not too many parts ! However they seem to still have a decent reputation, and many seem to bemoan the fact that they are no longer in production. For anyone starting out, this looks a fairly simple option, not least as the instructions appear complete and well illustrated. The etched metal seems very thin, certainly compared to PDK and ArthurK kits, so I'll need to turn the iron down a notch. The age of the kits is shown by the chassis design, which is obviously intended to have an X04 motor fitted. I'll be using a cam and gearbox, probably from Highlevel. I cant speak to highly about their gearboxes, especially for any novice builder. They are the easiest to get a good mesh and quiet running of any I have ever tried, and, believe me, I have messed up more than one, The J2 is now complete, and I'll post a couple of photos in situ. It's been suggested I now try a J5. I don't think so, Andrew.....

There have been some fantastic pictures of wonderful models, and some deep and meaningful discussions on the merits or otherwise of EM,P4 etc, Really enjoyable stuff.. Just to lower the tone, here is a J2 converted from Graeme King's excellent J6 resin kit, I only did it because I noted Graeme's own superior conversion, and the fact that I had a damaged resin chassis and footplate from the J6. What I didnt realise on setting out was that ,by BR days, almost every one of the 10 strong class had noticeable differnces, and that the blasted things were fully lined in early BR days, Hey ho. Anyway, here it is. The idea is that it's workstained but not totally scruffy. Wheels are 22mm W&T, motor Masima 1024, with Highlevel Compact+ gearbox. Otherwise, all the parts are from Graeme's kit.

I decided to have a go at lining the loco as it was in 1951. What a chew!. I think Doncaster must have lined every corner they found. I've started to tone everything down using Tamaya Weathering tabs, but more needs to be done. If I'm not happy at the end of it, all black it shall become. Still need to fit sandpipes,balance weights and coal, and smokebox numberplate, but the loco is now essentially completed.

When I started this, I assumed it was a simple case of adapting the footplate and cab and fitting larger wheels. I knew almost nothing about J2's, and certainly didnt realise that, at least in BR days, there weren't 2 locos alike, after years of mods. After some research and help from others, I've settled on 65019 which lasted to mid 1953. It has the handrail arrangement I wanted, was fully lined in 1950 then unlined black by 1952 so that gives a option. Annoyingly, I discovered that the cylinder piston rods were removed by 1950, but the platform remained - it was removed from almost all J2's and I assume '19 lost its' platform at some stage. However it was already fitted on my model and is a distinctive feature on the class. Still a fair bit of tidying up to do but getting there. The Highlevel Compact+ and 1024 motor was easier to fit than the Markits/Mitsumi combo (not that that was difficult), And the quality of the resin castings is exceptional.

Personally. I think it's wonderful, Tony, and suspect that 99.99% of modellers would love imperfections like this. If only I could get near it.. John

Thank you.. That's very helpful. For a class of 10, modelling them is a bit of a minefield, given that I only started because I had a spare chassis and a dodgy footplate. In reality, given that they were all gone by mid 1954 and seem to have ended their lives on locals around Leicester and Nottingham, they don't really fit into my late 50's early 60's timescale so I'm really only doing all this for the pleasure of building... something I seem to do more than running the layout these days.. So I'll decide quite late in the day about lining them, though it seems as though the last survivors finished their days in unlined black. Thanks again, Papyrus. John

Thanks for the excellent picture, which I will use as my template. This loco survived to Dec 1953, and looks ex-works in the photo. Some of the lining will be a challenge !! Here are a couple of snaps of the amended cab. The spectacle plates and cab extension really change the look of the loco from the J6. I haven't quite got the spectacle plates right just yet. As with the J6, I needed to remove the resin ahead of the firebox and a small piece under the boiler to fit the motor/gearbox and suspect a similar small cut will be needed on the cab floor, All these were sufficiently invisible on the J6 to not cause any issues. John

The revised footplate is now complete, other than the usual filling and filing which a coat of primer and digital photography always seems to show. I decided I needed to adapt the splashers, as photos of the prototype made clear how much bigger they were than the J6. The valve guides seem to have got a bit "wonky" too. However, all that is cosmetic so should work out ok. I used Gibson Universal coupling rods, for the first time, The wheels revolve without any tight spots but I haven't applied any motor power yet, I seem to have got away with quartering by eye, but one soldered joint may be a bit too weak. We shall see. The last photo shows the J6 and J2 to try to illustrate the differences. Having said that, the only 3 photos of the class I can find show what could be 3 different classes of loco - different handrail arrangements, chimney, pipe runs. And I still only have 1 in BR days, annoyingly in fully-lined mixed traffic livery!

Hi Rob Thanks for all the posts. It's thanks to you that I tackled City of Truro. I've just got a Hornby Railroad A3 chassis running, so my last Scotsman will become Sir Fred.k Banbury.. but not today. John

On my railway, I can say what I like, Darrel !! But seriously, the pleasure was simply to get a runner using , largely, parts in the spares box. I was never going to fork out for a Bachmann version, though it looks a lovely loco. Nice to see your work on this thread. My current project is converting a resin J6 to a J2. It's coming along. Best wishes John

Progress on the J6 to J2 conversion has centred on getting the chassis/footplate looking satisfactory, before investing on the rest of the parts needed. The photos show the modifications to the chassis block to enable the Highlevei Roadrunner Compact+ to fit. As can be seen in earlier photos, the chassis is well marked to show where the axle holes need to be opened. On fitting the wheels, the chassis was rock solid, all wheels revolved freely, but the centre pair were no touching the track. They do now that I deepened the hole and all seems well. Pity the photo didn't have all of them actually on the track !! The footplate has been adjusted to add the extra 2mm at the rear at the expense of the front. I have also shown where white plasticard will represent the cosmetic changes needed for a J2. The loco was classed as "mixed traffic" by the GNR and has 5 ft 8 in. wheels. Graeme based his J2 on a Bachmann K3 chassis with undersized wheels. I split the difference and have W & T 22mm on Graeme's chassis. I was concerned that I might have problems with insufficient clearance at the splashers, but. although some resin needed scraping away, I seem to have got away with it, as the wheels revolve freely, and the loco height seems ok when posed with the J6 and other RTR stock. I'll see what it looks like when I get a boiler. I'm not sure about the livery late in the class's life. A few lasted into 1954 and were still in use on local passenger services .I assumed plain black/early crest was the norm. but 1 photo I found shows a loco in fully lined black at Nottingham Vic in 1952. If anyone knows....

City of Truro awaiting the coaching stock for an excursion to...???. Other than it's extended stays at the NER and NMR museums at York, I'm not aware of any ER/NER runs in BR days.

Not a very exciting photo, but it shows the start of a conversion of Graeme's J6 kit to a J2. Because I had a damaged footplate, which in any event needs modifying for the J2, and a spare resin chassis, I just decided to have a go and see how I get on. There are enough similarities between the classes to make the conversion reasonably simple and enough visual differences to make it worth the effort. The J2 cabsheets are longer, spectacle plates a different shape, the boiler is pitched slightly higher, as well as other details. I don't have a drawing, and so will be working from such limited photos as I can find, unless some kind soul can help. I believe there were kits in the past... The other difference is the wheel diameter, which is 5'8". I'm unsure if the wheelbase is the same as the J6, but as I'm using the J6 chassis, I'll just have to live with any error and hope it's not too visually evident. The footplate needs to be shortened 2mm at the frond and extended the same at the rear. The photo shows the cuts, ready for repair. I also show the "virgin" chassis, This will need modifying to get the correct ride height with the larger wheels, but the resin cuts and files easily, and seems to keep its strength. I know this because the original I bought was cracked, and this is actually the replacement. However, as an experiment, I used superglue to repair the break and used it on the J6 and it has made a very strong joint, Superglue, incidentally, is the glue to use on Graeme's resin. Wheels will be W&T 23mm, and motor a Highlevel Compact+

And here is the finished loco, bar the front coupling and crew, The idea is that it is work-stained but not unduly scruffy. It still needs the dummy coupling and crew, but is otherwise complete. A nice, easy way to a J6. Now for the Craftsman C12....

Good afternoon Tony, and fellow followers of this wonderful thread. I've attached, with his permission, a couple of photos of Graeme King's resin kit for a J6. This was a pleasure to construct, and I largely used Graeme's own resin castings for the detailed parts. The kit also includes a resin chassis, He uses an ingenious system of gearing, but I took the easier option of fitting a Markits single stage gearbox. This requires a fair degree of resin to be removed before the gearbox slips into the frames, but being resin, is easy to file. The idea is the loco is work-stained but not scruffy. To my old eyes, it seems to look ok. More photos of the work in progress are on my thread. I still need to fit a dummy front coupling and glaze the spectacle plates. Then that's that - a really simple way to a J6. John

A great tip I was given by Mikemeg was to take digital photos and study them as they reveal what the naked eye - esp 67yo ones- has missed. In this case, amongst other things, was the tender wheels out of sync with the axleboxes. Graeme supplies one tender sub chassis but different versions of the GN tender and, for the J6, I needed to ignore the pre- marked centre wheel and drill a replacement to match the axleboxes, which are cast integrally with the tender frames. Being resin, this is the work of a few minutes.

The rest of the loco and tender assembly was straightforward. The fit of parts was almost perfect. I used Hafixs superglue, on the back of a recommendation, and it's great stuff, but it grabs really quickly on resin to resin. I used all Graeme's parts, though I probably would use metal buffers on the next one. The steampipe is wire used for flower arranging, and was obtained in a pack of 20 x 18" lengths for £3 from a hobby superstore which has conveniently opened nearby. This will provide more than enough for all the locos I'm likely to build. I also use it for the "hook and goalpost" method I typically use to connect loco and tender, The photos show the loco under construction, then virtually complete, Wheels are 20mm Markits, slightly underscale, but I already had them, Being a resin chassis, both sets need pickups to complete the circuit, though I used uninsulated wheels on 1 side from my existing stock. I need to construct and fit balance weights, and fit a dummy front coupling, then I'll weather it using dry brushing. Being all resin, weight is an issue, I'm going to use self- adhesive 6mm lead strip as an experiment, when it arrives, There is plenty of room in the boiler and above the motor so all should be well. I'll post a final couple of photos when all is complete,

For something different, I'm in the process of building a Graeme King J6. I have his permission to post these photos, but need to stress that Graeme produces these and other excellent castings as a hobby. You will need to contact him diirectly to check availability. i thoroughly recommend his work on the LNER Forum where he posts as Atlantic 3279. These are all resin castings, including the chassis. Almost all the parts needed can be supplied for loco and tender. I only needed to provide a whistle, and a snifting valve which I damaged through pure carelessness. A sub-chassis for the tender can also be supplied. As usual with kits, motor, wheels and handrails need to be purchased separately by the builder. The first photos show the resin chassis, then my almost completed version. Graeme uses a system of gearing with a Cheap Japanese motor matched to plastic gears. I had the motors -£6 for 5, on Ebay? - but not the gears. So mine runs through a single stage Markits gearbox. This needed some resin removed from the chassis, and the chassis "hollowed " where the gearbox fits. I was a bit apprehensive about how strong the chassis would be but all went well. I found a drill in the Dremel used as a sort of file against the chassis sides gave the quickest result - there is a fair bit to remove - finished off with a small flat file. The footplate needed no work, but resin needed to be removed from the front of the firebox and rear of the boiler underside to clear the motor, and a small piece was removed from the centre of the cab to clear the gearbox. the photos show this. The resin chassis is marked to show the location of the wheels, which were drilled out and bearings fitted. ​ ​I had a set of J6 coupling rods in the spares box, origin unknown, and, although they needed opened out rather more than I would have wished, the chassis runs very sweetly.