Jump to content
 

ROSSPOP

RMweb Gold
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,754

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by ROSSPOP

  1. ROSSPOP
    This project is another part of my lockdown efforts.
     
    Warren Shepard`s small prairie kit was the only kit of this type available at the time of purchase and I`ve needed to replace the heavy whitemetal kit of the 45XX that I constructed back in 2009.
     
     I`ve never made this make of kit before and was encouraged in my research regarding the quality of his  lost wax castings supplied with each kit. I also studied P A D`s 2017 build of this very kit and was made aware of a few of the kit`s short Cummings ( tee! hee!).
     
    The kit has a plethora of guidlines and diagramatical illustrations but no numbered written instructions to follow. Also this is not a tab and slot designed kit. So, if you are shy of soldering and possible anealing  as well as shy of riveting  this kit is probably not for you.
     
    You are required to work a bit  to achieve a good build so I will see how things go.........................
     
    I always start with the coupling rods and for this kit a set of jointed Premier Components are supplied. That saves a few hours work...
     
     

     
    The next job is to fabricate some sprung hornblocks and I chose from my broom cupboard a set  of Slaters old style nylon honblocks as I needed an adjustable axle ride height.
     

     
    Once these had been fettled up I used some metal blackening solution to save time later on together with the preparation and blackening of a set of Slaters wheels.
     

     
    I like to have very smooth backs of the wheel treads to  reduce the braking effect of plunger pickups.
     
     
    Warrens chassis design is made from substantially thick brass etchings so I am using an 80watt bog standard Antex soldering iron with my all time favourite flux Baker`s Fluid which I have been using since the 1960`s.
     
    But before that You will need to mark and drill the brake hanger positions and rear sandbox positions which are not pre etched. I also needed to use some measured scratchings to position the axle ride height as designed for this kit before I cut out the hornblock slots.
     

     
     

     
     

     
    Time spent here will save a lot of tears later on. I also marked and drilled out the plunger pickup positions which are best placed at the axle centreline position so as not to impede the wheel suspension movement.  I also fettled and soldered up the driving wheel springs so as not to melt the nylon hornblocks.
     

     
    Having mentioned the lack of tabs and slots , there are  two chassis stretchers that are so...... but the slots are etched in the wrong places....more on this easily rectified issue later.
     
    Next is to fettle up and prepare all parts needed for the chassis assembly.
     

     
    The two cylinder block stretchers are designed to make the whole cylinder assembly completely removeable to which they are very useful parts  to keep things square during assembly and soldering up.  I needed to cut notches in two of the stretchers to accommodate the hornblock positions. The two stretchers with the incorrect slot positions were sorted out at this stage as they are both required to be the correct height for the two bogie trucks.
     
    The front stretcher I was able to solder to the rear of the chassis block to which it does have corresponding slots and tabs and does not need to be soldered to the chassis sides. Slots have to be cut to accommodate the hornblocks and the brake hanger rod and the plunger pickup positions   to make it all removeable.
     

     
    If you see what I mean.....
     

     
    Eventually you can produce a very substantial solid chassis frame.....
     

     
     
    Here you can see where the original slots are too high in the chassis sides....
     

     
    It was easy to use this datum to match the height of the front stretcher....
     

     
    Once all that was sussed.... everything else was plain sailing....
     

     
    ...with the exception of some crude springs to replace the originals that are far too strong for this application.  My easy method of jigging evrything in place for a trouble free chassis and motion.
     
    And finally a wiz- popping free running basic chassis.....

     
     
    Next a pleasant evening putting together the two identical bogie trucks from Warrens brilliant quality castings...
     
     

     
     
    The back to finishing off the cylinder block mainframe...... requiring some riveting and metal bending....
     

     
    and  a wee bit of finger burning.....
     

     
     

     
     

     
    Knowing that I have a sweet running chassis I ventured on to perhaps the most challenging parts of the kit.
     
    Warren has cunningly produced a printed riveting guide which you cut out and stick to the rear of the loco tank sides, rear, and front footplate and then apply the rivets using these guides.
    Apparently the printed guides don`t match up to the etchings and I could`nt be arsed , so I used them to mark all rivets by hand and then rivet in the usual way.......
     

     
    Job done in one evening.........
     
     
    And now.... the real build begins..........
     
     

     
    I felt the front footplate needed annealing to get that curved bend...... it was a b%$$£r to flatten out aferwards....
     

     
    ...despite a few dents for added realism I just about got away with it.......... this time....
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  2. ROSSPOP

    Getting it all together.

    By ROSSPOP,

    Something has to be done with my languishing Churchill project this year. The trouble is I am going of the idea of having a through station and don`t relish the work to make two fiddle yards at either end.
     

     
    I`m leaning towards changing it all to a GWR country terminus complete with an Engine shed so that I can keep it all in the shed and just play trains whenever I feel like it. And of course start another layout project afterwards.
     

     
    The signal box is based on St Mary`s Crossing
     

     
    The main buildings are based on Portesham in Dorset...
     

     

     
    Do I go for it ?? just the Engine shed and cattle dock to complete. And of course a new platform........
     

  3. ROSSPOP
    With aging hands and eyesight this will be the last kit build for me as I`ve now got quite a selection of builds to play with, plus it`s time to start playing with them all.
     
    I`ve been wanting to build one of these for quite a while and took the plunge just after Christmas.   £ 400  gets you a complete kit including wheels and a motor/gearbox kit plus all the  detail parts in either lost wax or white metal including seating parts for the passenger saloon. Scorpio supply three instruction booklets, covering  the motor bogie, trailing bogie and body. It is a complex kit.
     
    As ever I kicked off with building  the motorised bogie and vertical boiler unit, starting with the coupling rods.
     

     
    There is a great set of etches in nickel silver for the bogie frames etc.  There is provision for beam compensation but I have opted for a fixed chassis as this is a complex build.
     

     
    Reading the instructions several times is essential for this kit as they flit about rather than flow in sequence.
     
    Nickel silver solders so well and I numbered the parts required at each stage.
     

     
     The etched bearing holes are accurately positioned.
     
     
    But I like to be doubly sure, as this mechanism will be difficult to be dismantled even for painting.
     

     
    I do like to have compensation with loco chassis but this would have added too much complication with the internal white metal detailing.
     

     

     
    The motion parts are very finely etched or lost wax which benefit from fettling before assembly.
     

     
     

     
    Not the simplest of ways to construct slide bars, but they do look the part.
     

     
    But after a bit of a clean up  it all comes together....
     

     
    .......................... more to follow...........................
     
     
     
  4. ROSSPOP
    I suspect , like a lot of railway modellers, I could`nt see the point in struggling to build a locomotive kit to the same standard of finish as Bachmann and Hornby have been producing since my first purchase of a 4mm Bachmann Jinty, in the new highly detailed standards, back in 2005.
    For a long while I drifted away from loco kit building in 4mm, not that I ever made larger locos of 4-6-0 or 4-6-2 types, I did`nt need them for my end to end set-ups.
    It did`nt matter that nearly all of the RTR locos purchased with outside valve gear had dog leg coupling rods and trembling piston rods and linkages when powered up on the test track. Binding and poor running did`nt matter either as I needed to change the wheels to 18.83 guage in any case which immediately improved their performance.
    Having had a preference for P4 modeling since the early 1980`s there was an added bonus in that the RTR locos I was interested in had one fully sprung driver axle ,so providing a small amount of compensation and maintaining good electrical contact with the track. All such converted RTR stock has run faultlessly through my P4 pointwork.
     
    Sadly, my more recent RTR purchases have lacked the provision of a sprung driver and those with a long wheelbase have proved to be too unreliable when converted to scale profile rims ( Bachmann SDJR 7F).
     
    With the onset of retirement has come the opportunity to rationalise my 4mm loco collection and with it the realisation, to me anyway, that my kit built stock still hold their own with the quality RTR we have had available to us over the past 10years. There are a couple of provisos ,however, and that is the kit built locos superstructure should be in etched brass or nickel silver. RTR locos should have replacement coupling rods ( usually using the Alan Gibson etched replacements).
     
    Etched brass kits emulate more realistically the sheet metal fabrication of the protoype, particularly the edges of footplate and cab cutouts etc which photograph much better in closeup.
     
    Likewise, when looking at the motion parts of RTR locos the coupling rods are far too thin and unconvincing especially the crankpin boss profile. A lot of RTR locos in close up appear to have running plates a scale 1 inch thick or more and overall look `plasticky`
     
    Cast white metal loco kits , for me , do not produce a fine enough finish.
     
    So, for me, I have purchased my last RTR locomotive, sold my last whitemetal loco and constructed my last etched brass kit in 4mm scale at least.
     
     
    The last Whitemetal Kit.....................
     

     
    A Kemilway BR 3MT with portescap motor.
     

     
    Good for it`s time (1980`s) but a lot of errors in bodywork design. Has sprung compensation. A beautifully designed etched chassis kit .
    Constructed about 7 years ago and sold last year.
     
     
    Replaced by the far superior Bachmann Class 3........
     

    Replacement Alan Gibson wheel set and coupling rod set which fit the models wheelbase precisely, enabling me to re-work the movement of the working parts.
    She does`nt have a sprung driver, so has no compensation at all. Yet being a short wheelbase is very surefooted through P4 pointwork. All my other non sprung RTR converted stock has been sold.

     
    To me she is the best RTR Bachmann production......perfection would be that missing sprung driver...........
     
     
     

     
    Here she is with the last etched kit.
  5. ROSSPOP
    I still like making whitemetal kits but having moved into 7mm modelling this is to be the last. Bought through the O Guage Guild Society relatively cheaply with wheels included, I already had a motor and gearbox in the spares box. The kit is from the 1980`s and the body castings seemed reasonable. With some major fettling of the body parts I felt she would make a reasonable loco.
     

     
    By thinning the edges I felt she would have a much better profile.
     

     
     

     
     
    The boiler casting would really need some major work. I decided to remove all cast boiler bands.
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
    Then provide brass boiler bands to improve the look.

     
     

    She has been low melt soldered throughout due to the weight of a 7mm model.
     
     

     
     

     
    I would normally provide compensation on the chassis, but this time I did`nt bother as she weighs a ton and some!! But I did add some extra frame detail with plasticard.

     
     

     
     
    Having got this far i decided to scrap all the boiler and smokebox fittings as they looked overscale. I sourced alternative castings from various O guage suppliers. Overall I think it improved her looks no end.
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
     
    Then it was off to the paint shop for etch priming and livery. Number plates and cab detailing and the Old Gal was done......
     

     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

  6. ROSSPOP
    I`m actually heavy into O Guage since retiring, but I need a break from my 7mm Diorama layout, which has fully occupied my time this year, having made baseboards, track, laid track, wired track, and finally tested track.......
     
    I have kept a selection of my 4mm modified and kit built stock and it was while I was `stocktaking` I came across a 4mm project I put to one side in 2005 having built it the year before.......
     
    She`s not `state of the art` and there are a few errors and compromises to be looked at but I`m thinking seriously about spending a little more time on her.......
     

     
    She is based on a Craftsman models kit with a different chassis assembly and even has Ultrascale wheels. I `improved` the buffer beams by using Cavendish MR sprung buffers and various vac piping to produce a push pull variant.......
     

     
    I used a variety of parts from the bits and bobs box to replace dome and chimney and added the obligatory lamp irons. I can`t find the photo I worked from but she is based on 58051 that was based at Leicester and finally Highbidge.
     

     
    Anyway.... after a decade I think she has a quaint charm about her and am considering working on her again......
     
     
     
     

     
    The lining as a bit poor and she has those wonky shaped cast whitemetal splashers,but with weathering etc and a bit of detailing inside the cab...... i think she might be worth saving.....
     
    What do you think ????????
  7. ROSSPOP

    A Shell Out On Tanks

    By ROSSPOP,

    Rather than convert Bachmann tanks which I did`nt feel were opened framed enough. I had a go at David Geen kits and started on a set of three. I began with a general clean up of parts and to work out how to incorporate my favourite w-irons.
     
     

     
     
     

    this proved to be a little more complex as I had to to fit all three springing units seperately making sure they all squared up with the framing.
     
     
     

    A little jiggery pokery to make sure the wheels were free of the framing.
     
     
     

    One of my pet hates is poor quality axle box details, and I feel this is a failing on these kits. All were replaced with MJT.
     
     
     

     
     
     

    The rest of the kit was very good and went together well. Then a thorough clean and off to the paint shop.
     
     
     

     
     
     

     
     
     

    I used Fox transfers to complete the project.......... The entire project was completed in the late Ray Earl style...........three Brownie Points to anyone who can say what that is........?????
     
     
     
     

    And I did the same!!!!! Actually I messed up the Fox transfers.
  8. ROSSPOP
    It was inevitable that I would also need a stone built Engine Shed to match what has been completed so far......
     
    I should mention that I used the Invertrain  Models Abbotsbury kit as a base model.  The kit as supplied will not make up into the  final assembly described here.
     
    I used the same method to begin by re-engraving the resin moulded stonework into a more pleasing appearance and used some reference material to make a more convincing looking GWR structure from photos of the original shed.  Bearing in mind the original shed was taken out of service not long after it was built and had the roof windows and doors removed. It was therefore a dilapidated shell in the 1930`s and no one knows so far what the roof style looked like back then.
     
    I used Slaters stone moulded plasticard to add some rudimentary detailing on the inside walls and I decided to remake the shed doors, sill and hinges from scratch.
     

     
    Careful attention in squaring up the sides and end mouldings before final assembly was required.  And  I re-sized the overall roof and vent to give a more finer look which was made up into a separate
    stand alone unit to aid painting and interior detailing later on.
     

     
     
    Much thought and use of the trusty Milliput has been essential in changing the stone work to hide the corner joints and making the windows more prototypical.
     

     
     
    The guttering parts of the kit and the external chimney stack were replaced with scratch built parts.  
     

     
     

     
     
    some of the roof vent parts were used but have been suitably re-sized to suit the new roof shape.
     
     
     
     
    A coat of Halford`s Acrylic Primer hides a multitude of sins.......
     

     
     

     
     
    To be continued..............................................................
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  9. ROSSPOP
    Spent all of last evening with two fingers and a thumb in a bowl of ice cubes!!!
     
    Never, NEVER pick up a soldering iron by the wrong end...........
     

     
    Told you me eyesight was getting bad........
     
    Current modelling progress delayed.......
     
    John
  10. ROSSPOP
    Thinking a long way ahead towards making a small LMS layout project, I thought it might make a change if I ignored having a stationary goods yard hand crane.
     
    It might be more interesting if I had a mobile hand crane , so I searched the web for ideas and information and came up with this photo.
     

     
    Strictly speaking I think this is an ex LNWR version but there are similar Midland examples and I took a chance on a Meteor Models hand crane truck kit in 7mm , which is based on Midland Railway practice.
     
    Rather than bore you all with blow by blow construction I will start by saying that the kit is very much a mixed bag of both reasonable and poor white metal castings. The buffers are supposedly sprung but you have to drill the solid cast buffer housings first.
     
    The etched truck had fold up W irons which were badly drawn before being etched. These were replaced with Slaters compensated MR W irons that also had better axlebox castings.
     
    The kit had an atrocious piece of tatty wood for the jib, so this was replaced by a suitable size of square plastic, which I sanded to shape.
     
    The crane castings, however, were reasonably good. After cleaning up the crank wheel castings and painting all the parts prior to construction, the hand crane actually works!!!
     


     
     
     
    The crane truck finally turned out quite well.
     
     
     

     
    It has been difficult to establish what colour these cranes and trucks were painted. The preserved example at the Chasewater railway centre is red-brown with a black truck.....
     
    It took four evenings to complete and paint so not a huge project and I`m pleased with the model. Still needs more painting to be done and a suitable match truck to be added..........
     

  11. ROSSPOP
    it`s been a bit of a while........
    But I`m aiming to get this project built over the next six weeks....
     
    So, with the loco chassis 90% complete and pending the fitting of replacement Slaters drivers I`m pushing on with the bodywork.
     
    Like most modellers I`ve replaced those vulnerable  white metal lampirons and loco whistle with lost wax castings from LGminiatures
     

     
     
    At the same time I drilled all 40 odd holes in the mazak body casting. I used a cordless drill and kept dipping the drill bits in neat washing up liquid and did`nt break a single drill.
     

     
    I thought the cab backhead was a tad too high bearing in mind the cab roof has lots of internal detailing   and there is a lot of pipework at the very top of the cast backhead to be fitted in place so i reduced the height......
     

     
     
     
     
    The most awkward part was folding the thick etched cab and keeping the window frames from buckling...........
     

     
     
    I`ve done about 90% of the chassis now........
     

     
     
     
    ...and quite a bit of fettling with the front bogie pivot and rear axle to get her to negotiate a B7 turnout.......
     
     

     
     
     

     
    as most modellers now know , the original Hatchette drivers are completely useless for turning her into a working model so I have a replacement set of proper Slaters wheels....
  12. ROSSPOP
    It`s surprising how accurate these kits were in their time. First thing was to open up and separate parts not needed.
     
     

     
     
    I`m making two kits and plan to use Bill Bedford sprung W irons, brakegear and MJT replacement axle boxes and buffers.
     
     
     

     
     
    Bill`s W irons are now my preferred suspension system. Previously used the MJT three point suspension method, but I found them a bit fiddly to get a level height.
     
     

     
     
     
    Once fitted squarely it`s just a matter of adding a little weight to depress the wire springing, Plastic kits aint heavy!!!
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
    I nearly indulged my childhood by having opening doors at least on one side. However, I decided to fill all holes after removing hinges with plastic strip.
     
     

     
     
     
     
    Then spent a pleasant evening soldering up Bill Bedford`s underframe parts.....
     
     

     
     

  13. ROSSPOP
    This completes my 14month back -to back LMS loco kit build project.
     

     

     
    I discovered that the Canon 1833 motor is intolerant to any hint of feedback so I track tested with pure DC power which does not give the very `fine` motor control I will eventually achieve once she is fitted with the superior Zimo MX645 decoder.
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
    Panic set in over the possible demise of 7mm loco kits now that the epoc of quality 7mm RTR has arrived..................................
     
    see ya!
     
    John
  15. ROSSPOP
    The built in fold-up hornblocks needed to be free from paint and so as with the 1P chassis I have continued with a combination of Birchwood Casey chemical blackening and Clostermans black etch primer rattle can.
     

     
    A secondary advantage is also avoiding shiney axles , bearings, wheelrims and coupling rods. All the steel parts are coated in Electrofix to avoid rust.
     
    Then its just a case of slowly putting it all back together again. There are some rattle can paints that do not swamp all the detailing with copious amounts of paint.
     

     
     
     
    Just a bit of tidying up and the wheels and motor can be fitted.
     

     
    The chassis has completed it`s session in the paint shop. It`s a smooth mover and just needs to be wired to the motor which can wait for another time.
     

     
    Body fits well with no fouling of the wheels or coupling rods........ so on to painting the bodywork......
     

  16. ROSSPOP
    I`ve done all I can with reworking the stonework which seems to have been more challenging this time. One of the shed cast end pieces seems to have `soft` cast and my dental burr bit into it and nearly pierced the casting.
     
    I`m sure if I had contacted Chris at Invertrain he would have replaced it.
     
    However I`ve percevered.......
     
    Photos of the original shed are not that common and I`ve wondered whether the shed actually had a skylight.
     
    ...but I found this and something is there.......
     

     
    so... I was hoping to build a removable roof to help with painting later on, but first I wanted to reduce the roofs all round overhang and to use my slitting disc to produce a much finer edge to the roof tiles particularly at the barge board ends. Also, I wanted to position the soffits and fascia boards so that they did`nt encroach on the stone arches front and back.
     
    So, orf` I wented..... donning a face mask I `milled` down the roof edges around the tile moulding and chamfered the top edges after reducing the overall size of the roof to give a better looking profile.
     

     

     
    Then it was an easy task to superglue it all together using the end barge boards to get the roof angle square... so easy infact that I then wasted half an our slowly removing my thumb from the inside surface of the roof... very painfull....
     
    But, mission accomplished.....
     

     

     
    I`ve reworked the stone as far as I can but still need to Milli it up....
     

     
    I`m generally quite pleased with progress today.......
     

     
     
     

  17. ROSSPOP
    It has taken me a while to get this model to work and look right. I hope this has been achieved.
     
    It was important to dig in the two gate mechanisms and then to lay the track.
     

     
    The servo`s worked well once I had callibrated them to be in crossing gate mode. However, I had not realised that first you needed to cancel out the bouncing signal mode and so although this short video
    looks reasonable, both gate hinge mechanisms broke when the servo flicked back into signal mode and slammed the gates agains the posts !!!!!!
     

     
    This mayhem did, however, lead me to completely redesign the hinges and make simple shock absorbing joints below baseboard.
     

     
    The blob of fluid is sweat from my brow !!!!!!!
     
    I guess one comment would be `dont use heavy white metal crossing gates in 7mm ` having said that, these Springside models crossing gates are an accurate GWR representation and it is a pity that a pedestrian side gate is not included.
     
    Studying the one picture of Sarsden Halt crossing that I have you can just make out those charactristic bars of `kissing gates` so I have had a go at representing these as accurately as I can.
     

     
    The white metal gate is from the Duncanmodels range.
     

     

     
    Obviously, everything awaits painting and ballasting in.....................
  18. ROSSPOP
    ]As some of you will already know, some recently produced HMRS 4mm and 7mm pressfix transfers have a problem. The paper or the adhesive is wrong and in my recent purchase of 4mm red lining, I couldn`t soak off the backing paper without the lining pulling away from the model despite experimenting with letrosol and Transfix etc.
     
    So when it came to dressing the 1P in her intermediate lining I had to use my Bob Moore`s lining pen for the first time ( at least on a model steam locomotive).
     
    According to the LMS literature, buffer beam and lining are both Vermilion so for my model it has been my favourite Humbrol Satin Black No 85 and Phoenix P451 Vermilion buffer beam red.
     

     
    Having red ( read ) up on how the professionals do lining I fabricated some plasticard formers to use as the datum lines , particularly as the corners of the lining panels are rounded.
     

     
    I also added the suggested 12 drops of lighter fuel to the tin of vermilion to get it to flow well.
     
    I`m reasonably pleased with the result even though applying red lines onto black alters the hue of the red. I would`nt want to do this for a living !!
     

     
     
     

     
    Just a few more lines to apply and then on with the LMS transfers..........
     
     
     
    I used Fox waterslide transfers of the appropriate countershaded style..................
     

     

     
    And then a `sealing` coat of Railmatch Satin Varnish...........
     

     

     
     
     
    The end is in sight....... internal cab to be painted , window frames and glazing and then some lovely builders plates and smoke box number plate to be applied..........
     

  19. ROSSPOP
    Having built all my GWR loco kits and won`t be doing anymore ever, it`s time to move over and build some coaches.
     
    I have got a token RTR GWR auto-coach from the Lionheart stable but my preference has always been to build kits as these will have my own build compromises rather than the manufacturers.
     
    Anyway, I was lucky enough to snap this Cavalier B set on ebay back in 2012 and made an initial assessment of what was needed back then.
     
    Serious construction then started last November so as to be some alternative project during the building of my last two loco kits.
     
    Cavalier kits were the biz back in 1985 and were way too expensive for me back then.
     
    you get quite a bit for your monies......................................
     

     
    Nice pre-formed and VERY thick brass coach sides.....tin plated pre-shaped roof.... fold-up etched truss framework and then all white metal underframe detailing, coach ends and bogie kits plus wheels.
     
    Having very thick gauge brass draws a lot of heat from a soldering iron and I needed every watt from my 80W Antex iron.
     
    The kit represents a GWR 60` Bow-ended B set with recessed door handles and guards door.
     

     
    Folding up the recessed door etches was hard going......
     

     
    The recessed door handles was much easier going........
     

     
    .......and I finished the recessed guards door with Milliput Filler.
     

     
    CPL Models produce some very juicy 7mm coach detailing products and I used their fold up door hinges and door stops to upgrade the kit as I went along.
     

     
    Drilling small holes in the thick coach sides caused a lot of cheap drill casualties !!!
     

     
    The next challenge was to be soldering white metal cast ends in place. For this I used Carrs 100deg low melt solder ( Carrs yellow label flux is essential) which needs no pre-tinning of the brass sides.
     

     
    I don`t possess a temperature controlled iron so in true cheap-skate style I merely switch off my 80watt iron for 1.5mins and she`s then ready for 4mins of whitemetal soldering !!!!!...... but like a full Porta Loo on a camp site you need to be in and out quick !!!!
     
    Then solder on the tin -plate roof and brass rain strip and trim everything up.
     
    The bottom edges of the coach sides have a pre-folded recess to take the pre cut `hard board` flooring. There are also pre-folded brass channel chassis frames and white metal frame ends. This assembly bolts on to the bottom of the coach end castings .
     

     
    The kit has etched thick brass fold up angle irons for the underframe trusses..... impossible to fold without making a `pigs ear` for me anyway, so I replaced with brass angle strips....much easier and better looking in the long run...
     

     
    ....and it`s not a difficult job to complete. I did use the etched centre truss support brackets supplied.
     

     
    The cast whitemetal bogie kits are not compensated and go together very well.... no brake blocks but looks the biz..
     

     
    Next I added further detailing parts from CPL Models plus some scratch handrails of my own to supe rdetail the outer coach ends...
     

     
    The kits have a simple and ingenious way of springing the buffers which are cast lostwax offerings
     
    These kits have a good supply of chassis components which need a minimum of cleaning up ready for assembly....
     

     
    I have completed both coach underframes this week....a couple of evenings work....most satisfying.....
     

    .... note the use of PCB strips for the running boards.....
     

     
    So far .... so good.........
     

     
    This week has seen the final amount of detailing prior to etch priming.........
     

     

     
     
     

  20. ROSSPOP
    You know how it is, you`re quietly numbing your brain spending endless hours trolling through ebay sites and then you suddenly make an impulsive purchase..........
     

     
    The expected parcel arrives and then, of course, the guilt sets in........
     
    Should I have made such a rash decision? It looked good from the pics on ebay and, to be fair, it looks good now it`s in my possession. I need to upgrade it a bit , and repaint it here and there, but overall it`s a good build.
     
    But I`m not going to show any of you until I`v finished what this parcel has started.
     
    Tucked away in the attic there are a number of railway building kits. One of those is an Invertrain 7mm kit of Portesham Station a resin complete kit in the GWR style of William Clarke.
     

     
    When I bought it back in 2008 I thought it had potential for some improvement, and still do, so spurred on by my mystery ebay purchase I`ve decided recently to assemble the kit and upgrade as I go along using easily availble parts from the O gauge trade.
     
    The first thing I elected to have a go at was remodelling the stonework with a dental burr to correct the `skew-wiff ` appearance of a couple of areas
     

     
    ....and to get rid of the `jelly mould ` look of some of the stonework.
     

     

     

     
    The next episode was to square up the resin slab sides and assemble the parts using Gorrila Gel superglue rather than the long established
    use of Araldite.
     

     
    Then to correct some of the offending stone work with Milliput and then engrave the new levelled off stonework.
     

     
    I also plan to use individual roof slates so I replaced the resin roof with plasticard.
     
    Next up was to completely replace all the canopy parts starting with the canopy support brackets. For these I sent a way for some 3D printed parts from Yorkmodelmaking.
     

     
    ....and then more engaving with the dental burr to bed them in...... I refashione the support timbering to raise the height of the canopy to make a more accurate fit.
     
    The three chimney stacks are plaster mouldings and these needed a lot of work to re- engrave and tidy up.......
     

     
    The it was time to bring it all together with a heavy spray session with Halfords Acrylic Primer....
     

     
    Then last evening I spent a pleasant 5 hours scratch building a new replacement canopy and skylight using Yorkmodelmaking Acrylic glazing sheet.
     


     

     
    Now comes the real work of hand painting the stonework.... this will take a little while me thinks......
  22. ROSSPOP
    As you all know, in my other blog, I found a previously unfinished 4mm version of a Johnson 1P in the attic stored away and decided to finish it......

    Now that I`ve moved into 7mm modelling, but entirely GWR, I had been bitten with an LMS bug and decided to investigate the Slaters 7mm version. There were no real negative comments about such a kit that I could find, and so, I sold some stock to fund the purchase.
     
    The Slaters 7mm Johnson 1P kit dates from the mid 1980`s. so it is`nt a, so called, state of the art kit. Having said that, it is supplied as a `complete kit` so no extras are needed.
    It`s not supplied with a Belpair boilered option , but I`m happy to build her as an LMS 1930`s push-pull version in beautiful all black with intermediate passenger livery and a few polished brass bits!!!!
     
    She will be No 1260 based at Bedford , my home town.
     
     
     
    Way back in the early 1980`s I discovered for myself at least that sprung hornblocks provided a most reliable way of improving loco performance whereby all wheels are on the track despite any track irregularities. I think it also maximises electrical pickup provided the right type of pickups are fitted. I have carried this preference forward into 7mm construction. I also like the idea of using the loco coupling rods as a jig for establishing accurate axle and hornblock alignment at all times which in turn eliminates all those hours wasted trying to find out why a chassis binds or works in one direction better than the other.....for me at least it means I can get it right everytime.....
     
    With this slaters kit,however, I was unable to follow this tried and tested method in full. The kit makes up into a fully sprung system, but the hornblocks are etched foldup tabs as part of the chassis etchings and do not have any form of screw adjustment to ride height either....... so new territory for me ......
     
     
     
     
     
    I decided to begin with making the rear bogie as a way of assessing the kits accuracy and also discover any failings on my part in making up the Slaters hornblocks

     
    The bogie hornblocks differ from the main chassis as the hornblocks are assembled by soldering on the axle box guides as seperate units
     

     
    However, if you take your time at each stage and read the instructions making sure everything moves freely with NO SLOP, you will find few problems that can`t be solved with a minimum of fettling.
     
     
     

     
     
     

    I think it makes up into a very clever designed sprung bogie mechanism. with both axles at 90degrees to the chassis with no lateral axle movement. A very free running set up.
     
    I opted for black foam between the two brass washers instead of the plasticard provided as an extra level of adjustment.
     
    The only problem encountered was a wrong drill size written in the instructions.
     
     
     
     
     
    So... on to the main chassis fret..............

    As already mentioned, the hornguides are attached to the chassis etch and the instructions suggested folding and soldering these first before bending the main chassis into its U shape.
     
    I did`nt feel this suited me at all and chose another way..........
     

    I opted to fold the chassis sides first and then fold up the hornblocks as there is plenty of room between the frames to solder easily. I had also at this stage made up the coupling rods to check on the accuracy by lining them up with the fixed spring stop etch...... all looked to be accurate.....
     

     
     
     

     
     
     

     
     
     

     
    After reaming the axle boxes and preparing the main drivers I assembled the coupling rods and was amazed and pleased that the chassis ran absolutely faultlessly with no fettling of the rods required. No slop at all and a very free running design.
     
    Still plenty of detail to be added later on but now I have a solid chassis to work with I will now proceed with the loco body and make sure every thing lines up.......
     
     
     
    These are my preferred sprung hornblocks, although the plastic Slaters have been upgraded and are not adjustable...
     

     


     

    I prefer to make coupling rods first and then after cutting out the frames use them with a Metalsmiths axle jig to solder everything in place........
     

  23. ROSSPOP
    Having been back up in my attic rummaging around I found the very first RTR loco I purchased from Bachmann in 1999.
     
    According to a few RMWeb threads , this particular early example 31813 could be a victim to `Mazak Hypotrophia` I prefer that to `cancer`............
     
    ...............................................rather like this example on Ebay................................................................
     
     
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-OO-GAUGE-32-152-N-CLASS-BR-BLACK-EARLY-2-6-0-LOCOMOTIVE-31813/201436800836?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33834%26meid%3Dcecf8f40ed64425bbf020e4710eee1af%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D201436800836
     
     
    Or should I assume that after this amount of time my loco is safe ??????????
     
     
     
    I do hope so as she is a particular favourite being the first RTR I ever converted to P4 and now I wish to upgrade further............
     

  24. ROSSPOP
    I `ve nearly finished the BR 1P so here is the coach.........
     
     

     
    I changed the bogies to full MJT parts and MJT Sprung buffers. The roof is completed so its just the interior and coach lining to do.......
     
     

     
    This was the inspiration........
  25. ROSSPOP
    The two coach set is based around the excellent comet coach kits , but changing their 9` bogie kits for the MJT compensated frames and white metal sides which, in my view, are much better representations of the type. I also used MJT sprung LMS buffers and vac pipes from Wizard Models.
     
     
    suburban
     
     

     
     

     
     
     
    Having upgraded all my loco`s for this project to DCC sound I decided to revert back to using 3 link couplings, but this time using magnetic bottom links. I used what remaining stock of PC Couplings I had left from the 1970`s , with additional frets from the excellent Wizardmodels own range.
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
    I decided to use Bill Bedfords coach connections for this local set as they will work forever together!!!
     
     

     
     
    Hope my eyesight is good enough to use this uncoupling gadget I bought about 1980..........
     
     

     
     
    The real two coach set....
     
     
     

×
×
  • Create New...