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eetype3

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  1. eetype3
    Hello,
     
    Long time no post - but the modelling's continued when time and health permit.
     
    Time to right a long-term wrong.. that being the general ill-feeling towards Lima products - which (and it pains me to admit) I have also been party to in the past.
     
    Lima diesels are now well into bargain territory; with little searching, it is possible to obtain a near-mint example of most Lima diesels - limited editions possibly excepted - for £30-£35. In most cases, what you get is a robust, reliable locomotive with a more-than-reasonable level of fidelity and detail, especially when the age of the tooling is taken into account.
     
    Ah, that motor - the reviled Lima pancake. OK, it's not the smoothest performer off the blocks and most locomotives are geared for a just-subsonic top speed, but it's reliable. Cleaning off the gunk and original lubricants, then replacing them with minute quantities of Tamiya ceramic grease on the geartrain and a modern loco oil on the motor and axle bearings, makes a useful difference - and a couple of hours' running-in on the rolling road in each direction (I use 15min periods before reversal, to even-up the initial bedding-in) has resulted in some really rather good runners.
     
    DCC conversion? Easy. Either hardwire a decoder in, or fit a spare Hornby decoder socket assembly (which has 8 solder pads provided, ready to go) - there's loads of room, but you may need to modify the glazing unit a bit to clear the decoder. No biggie; a decent excuse to fit either South Eastern Finecast vac-form glazing, Shawplan Laserglaze (SO good!) or homemade flush glazing - however, only masochists will attempt the latter on the 117 DMU... By the way, extra phosphor-bronze pickups on as many wheels as you can - the middle driven wheel is difficult, but all others are a walk in the park - are also worthwhile for smooth slow running and provide extra opportunity for homebrewed fettling. An hour's-worth of fettling CVs results in a loco that will happily crawl around at walking pace and accelerate/decelerate smoothly - particularly if extra pickups have been fitted.
     
    For those - like me - with Code 75 trackwork, the nearly-drop-in Ultrascale wheelset conversion kits are a reasonably-priced improvement; however, note that this (of course, and thankfully) deletes traction tyres so you may wish to add extra ballast - but put it in the correct end, i.e. around and near the motor bogie.
     
    Then the fun bit - detailing. Identify what's there but shouldn't be and remove it; identify what should be there and make/fit it. There are plenty of etched-brass detailing parts out there, and it's a decent way to build your modelling skillset before tackling expensive modern locos. Carving off the moulded handrails and fitting suitably-fine wire replacements is cheap and very satisfying as a first step.
     
    My own recommendations? The 31's a peach, I consider the body to be better than Hornby's SD version. The 47 polishes up very nicely, but needs work on the underframe. The 40 is worth a look, even if the body/nose sides are a little deep and the windscreens need the Shawplan windscreen surround panel and some careful filing. The 37's generally good (once the Shawplan windscreen panel has been fitted) but if modelling a 37/4, avoid the early models which - for some reason lost in the mists - were all based on the RSH bodyshell tooling with divided cantrail grilles, which none of the 37/4s carried - also, all of the bodyside grilles are undersized, but this isn't glaringly obvious if the rest of the loco looks good - and can be replaced if desired.
     
    Anyway... my Lima diesel-related catharsis is complete, and I'm proud to be adding a few of these underrated niceties to my fleet. Give 'em a bash; you might enjoy going old-skool for a project or two. I am!
  2. eetype3
    I've finished my model of KOYLI, based on the early 4-axle-drive Bachmann version. I've added extra phosphor-bronze wiper pickups to the unpowered wheels, an Olivia's Trains sound decoder with bass-reflex speaker in the underbody tanks area and detailed the shell.
     
    I chose her final in-service condition, so all tweaks were based on photographs from 1981. In fact, I was visiting the NRM with my parents on the day that KOYLI was handed-over, and the memory of the hulking, gleaming, bellowing brute moving slowly into the hall is still vivid... I modified the glazing so it actually fits in the apertures, then fitted single wipers in place of the original twins, Hornby Class 31 sprung buffer assemblies, sprung Romford coupling hooks with Smiths screw couplings, nose-corner steps and all pipework - the latter a mixture of scratchbuilt and Shawplan. I also replaced the cabside numbers and crests with Fox equivalents and fitted Shawplan etched nameplates.
     
    Only some light weathering to add now, and some remedial paintwork to the No2 end RH bonnet side... Here are a couple of pics:
     

     
    Next: Class 20, and some further practice with my new airbrush.
  3. eetype3
    Mornin'
     
    Finding myself with an unplanned day off due to problems with a pool-car tyre and a large crosshead screw (sigh...), I decided to update my blog. Here's my workbench as it stands today:
     

     
    Visible are:
     
    55 002 KOYLI, Bachmann 4-axle drive version, now fitted with phosphor-bronze pickups on all wheels and an Olivias Trains LokSound decoder and DCC Supplies bass-reflex speaker. Now capable of the tear-jerking yowl of twin Napiers in full flight B) and awaiting full buffer beam detail and better buffers.
     
    Toffee Apple 31, which will be either 31 005 or 31 018; Lima, fitted with Ultrascale wheels, ModelTorque motor and a scratchbuilt 8-pin DCC interface. Awaiting paint stripping and detailing plus scratchbuilt buffer-beam valances.
     
    37 100; long-term project based on a Lima shell - I work on this when I'm waiting for bits of other projects to dry.
     
    37/7 shell; ex-ViTrains 37/4 and due even more major work than it's already had to become an ex-splitbox example in Railfreight livery. Sidelined for now as I've subsequently switched from the Craftsman windscreen panel etch to the Shawplan version, so major rework is required. I have a feeling that this loco is my Nemesis...
     
    20 034, 1982 Tinsley condition; one of my intended Tinsley pair, awaiting decals and medium-heavy weathering.
     
    Heljan TTG 47: awaiting developments in Nottingham!
     
    Hornby Hymek: an eBay bargain, to be extensively detailed and finished in heavily-weathered green livery. Already fitted with Ultrascale wheels and extra pickups.
     
    "The Coal Rake": various kitbuilt and detailed RTR 16T and 21T minerals; awaiting decals and weathering, plus the other 10 wagons needed to form a decent rake.
     
    Hornby Class 31 bogies: removed for weathering from my Immingham 31/1.
     
    Lima 9400 0-6-0PT: snapped-up on a whim through pure nostalgia. I haven't owned it long enough to decide its fate yet
     
    The current plan is to finish the Deltic and then concentrate on the Tinsley pair. I knew that this was becoming an obsession when I realised that I was ignoring more than half of the average RTR generic buffer-beam detail kit in favour of more accurate fittings, pipes and hoses... B)
  4. eetype3
    Crikey, I must update this more often!
     
    My current workbench projects - alongside the complete "re-scenicification" of Southwich - are as follows:
     


     
    37 100
    37 883 (currently on hiatus as I can't stand the sight of the damned thing - ViTrains 37/4 donor bodyshell; 'nuff said)
    25 279 redux (found a 'cratered bodyside door' shell to replace the existing '2-inch proud bodyside door' one)
    25 027 redux (too faded; Bachmann replacement chassis to be fitted)
    As-yet-unspecified Hornby/Bachmann hybrid 2.5-window 25/2
    47 278 with Stratford Silver roof
    821 "GREYHOUND", in commemoration of my recently-departed 45mph Couch Potato (RIP, sweetheart)
    Wagons - too numerous to mention; vans, Engineers' stock and mineral wagons
    Volvo F88 artic (long-term; still researching a period livery)
    Dodge Commando BR tool/mess wagon (found an ex-Commando body serving as a shelter at my friends' shooting ground - tape/clipboard/sketchy mission imminent)

     
    Need to get my priorities straight, clearly... Watch this space.
  5. eetype3
    Hello again
     
    Just to prove that I am still alive, here's my first post to my new blog - here's hoping that it's all working as it should. I have to confess a certain aura of the Luddite when learning how to conform to the new order; I find it quite complex compared to the previous RMWeb but I'm sure that I'll get used to it in time.
     
    I've decided to blog my "locomotives" thread and "layout" thread separately; "Southwich" is still very much alive but somewhat denuded since I decided that my modelling skills have improved since building Phase 1, deciding that I couldn't live with what I'd already built and tearing some of it back to the boards. I'll start the "layout" blog, er, when I start the layout again
     
    Right, back to traction then My current project is 37 100 in early-to-mid-1980s condition in Rail Blue with deleted water tank and rebuilt No.2 nose end. I'm using a Lima splitty 37 shell as a basis (a personal challenge, deciding that I wanted to see if the Lima offering could be fettled to stand alongside my Gen-2 Bachmann 37/0 without being outclassed). It will be mounted on a much-modified ViTrains chassis with customised lighting and - hopefully - lowered on its bogies by 1.5mm. Current progress has seen much filler, Microstrip and Shawplan etched detail added; the unique No.2 end (with non-standard marker lamp positions) currently looks like this (cruelly enlarged and not yet finish-sanded or cleaned-up):
     

     
    37 100 was an oddball in a number of ways, for a number of years; it carried Rail Blue into late-1990 (with the late-80s addition of an orange cantrail stripe), and also managed to avoid being fitted with HI headlights until it was repainted Triple Grey.
     
    Thanks to Brian Hanson for his Fotopic album of images of 37 100, taken at Barrow Hill prior to the HNRC 973xx rebuild - it has been of much help.
     
    Finally (for now), I highly recommend Squadron Green Putty, a model filler sold ready-mixed in a tube. It has an almost perfect consistency, dries completely in about 30mins and sands beautifully. It's not really strong enough to fill deep gaps and holes (although I got away with filling the original lamp apertures on the Lima shell with it) - I'd still recommend Milliput Superfine White for those areas.
  6. eetype3
    It transpires that I was the first person to request an Ultrascale conversion kit for the ViTrains 37. I'd had issues regarding DCC and the traction tyres, and the allegedly-RP25 flanges just didn't look right and caused intermittent problems on my modified Peco Code 75 pointwork. I lent Ultrascale my 37/4 for evaluation, and in return they have kindly supplied the first-off Vi 37 conversion kit free of charge, on the condition that I report on my findings. Hugely appreciated
     
    My development 37 is in the process of being lowered on its bogies (sort of... Watch this space), having a more user-configurable lighting system installed, having the new Shawplan Extreme Etches windscreen panels and roof fan/grille fitted and having the chassis casting "tweaked" (ha ha, where's my angle-grinder gone?) to allow fitment of both standard and bass-reflex speakers. I'll post pics of the whole project as it progresses, but I'll fit the Ultrascale kit this weekend and post before'n'after pics here if all goes to plan.
     
    Cheers, Ultrascale - the first report will arrive next week
  7. eetype3
    Road vehicles are my other modelling interest, so I've decided to separate them from my traction blog.
     
    My first effort is a Coles Argus 6-tonne SWL mobile crane, based on the Corgi 1/76 diecast model but modified slightly and weathered. The cab guard was knocked-up from fusewire, fine metal mesh and Microstrip. Other tweaks include copying the wasp stripes from the rear of the example that appears in the background of so many Crewe Diesel Depot photos, plus adding OLE warning flashes and red double-arrows, a registration plate (mine's 429 PRO, because it's based on a photo of 428 PRO but isn't a direct copy...) and a rear-view mirror. I then got the weathering washes out.
     
    Anyway, here's a couple of pics of the result. Overview shot:
     

     
    and a detail shot from the rear:
     

     
    Next: a pair of Bedford HA vans.
  8. eetype3
    Ah yes, the HA vans... No 70s/80s layout is complete without at least one in the background.
     
    I'd originally been looking on eBay for BR-liveried examples split from the Corgi BR vans set; no joy, although the rest of the set seems widely available... It's clear that there's a market for HAs in BR Road Vehicle Yellow. Given the rarity of Mk1 Escort vans in BR service, it's perhaps surprising that a Mk1 Esky was chosen for the volume-production "yellow BR van" rather than the HA.
     
    Sooo... Quick rethink and a new approach. I picked up two for less than £3 each in other liveries, one unboxed from a toy fair and one in the Modelzone sale. Drilled out the rivets, stripped 'em, dunked 'em in Tetrion and repainted them. Four times. In order: Airbrush failure; too thin a paint mix; and the modelling board getting knocked to the floor by hyperactive kids (don'tcha just love the school holidays?), chipping the paint on both shells down to bare metal. Aaaaargh! They're now looking OK so far after yet another strip and respray, and they're hidden somewhere safe! Ford Signal Yellow over white primer is a near spot-on match for BR Road Vehicle Yellow, to my eyes anyway. A thin paint finish makes all the difference, bringing out the detail in the casting - does Corgi paint them in the dark?
     
    The wheels are dreadful - too wide even for a boy-racered HA Brabham saloon! - so I'm planning to fit TPM wheels. One van will be in 70s condition with chrome fittings, the other will be late-70s/80s with black fittings and grille. I'm still pondering whether or not to improve the grilles, which are a bit second-rate and carry the car-style lozenge badge. I know the whole model's closer to 1/72 than 1/76, but that's an advantage in this case as both will be parked at the front of the layout and will help with forced perspective. Any that sit further back will be TPM kits!
     
    Next: Detail painting, then decals - and I might be making my own 'cos I can't find any commercially available Yellow Period decal sets. Slightly dreading that, to be honest!
  9. eetype3
    Finished one... Mods include narrowing the track by cutting-down the bosses moulded onto the rear of the original Corgi wheels by 1.5 mm per side, adding etched stainless-steel interior and exterior rear-view mirrors and windscreen wipers from the TPM "60s car details" etch, home-made decals and registration plates and some detail painting. A couple of photos (rather cruelly enlarged!):
     

     

     
    The decals were scanned from an old BR photo, tweaked in Word 2010, inkjet-printed onto Crafty Computer Paper's transparent waterslide paper and sealed with a couple of coats of Phoenix Precision aerosol satin varnish. When the finished bodyshell was varnished, they blend perfectly.
     
    Having now seen the enlarged photos, I'll go back and paint the headlamp rims silver again, as I appear to have overdone the yellow a taste. Othere than that, it'll do :-)
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