Woodcock29

Nice one Mark. I've actually got a  VR J Class and could get tempted with a K. I've also got a DJH kit of an N Class but this will probably be built as one of the SAR 750 Class, acquired from VR in the 1950s.

Andrew

Oh I do like a C12!

Andrew

2 hours ago, Iain.d said:

 

Yes, you're quite right! But I haven't found anywhere in Western Australia that sells etch primer; the model shop I use doesn't, and I've been to a fair few automotive shops and just received a blank stare when I've asked if they have any - admittedly that was a while ago. The Tamiya primer I use is okay but it's not as good as etch primer.

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

Iain

This might sound strange but I'm now using Dulux metal etch primer in a spray can from Bunnings! (For those in the UK Bunnings is probably our largest Hardware chain here in Australia) I've sprayed a Chivers NE 4 wheel CCT with this only a few hours ago. It seems to work fine. Just give it a number of light coats. Firstly I spray the vehicle with it upside down then when I can move it I spray it the right way up.

I used to use an automive spray but started to get rather average results with this hence the search for something else.

For the first time today I've used Testors dullcote through my airbrush - let down with white spirit and that seems to be fine on a loco I'm just finishing off.

Andrew

2 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Tony,  

 

Thanks for the masterclass on renumbering. I have a slightly more challenging proposition! Can you suggest any ideas for changing the identity of two of these wagons as I have three ‘8245’s? They’re Dapol 7mm wagons weathered by yours truly.

 

 

Andy

Andy

In your situation I would change one of the 5s to an 8 and the other to a 6 using a fine paint brush.

Andrew

I've not had to vary BTB on any of my recent Hornby purchases  (I use Peco Code 75) but have on a number of Bulleid light pacifics a friend purchased quite some years ago. Some were less than 14mm on the driving wheels.

Andrew

I've recently purchased a secondhand, virtually mint 'Black Watch' DC Ready model in early livery.

I've noticed it seems to draw a very high current, around 0.7A at about 80% on a Gaugemaster controller. It seems to run ok most of the time but certainbly doesn;'t have a very high top speed, but I did notice it slowing down yesterday at one stage.

Has anyone else noted what current a DC model draws running on DC?

I thought I'd better ask this question on line before starting to pull it apart to see if I can find any faults. 

Andrew

On 08/10/2023 at 12:13, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

I wonder, if ever, the SAR 400 class Garrett will ever run again.

 

manna

It would be great to see 402 running again Terry. I somehow doubt it though.

However, we probably thought we'd never see an ASG run again but the only survivor is well under way in its restoration at Queenscliff. So I guess who knows?

Andrew

29 minutes ago, Mark Laidlay said:

Here's the brass version, there's one for sale in Melbourne currently - the seller seems to be looking for $6,000AUD.  It's not selling, yet.  I won't be buying it.  At least the tender wheels aren't green...

Ah yes the version produced for Prescision Models if I remember correctly? Clearly a model of the preserved loco as it visited Australia in 1988-89 with an A4 boiler. 4472 must have been painted in haste before leaving the UK as the lettering and numbers were never finished with the full shading and the white edging to the gold. Also the superheater header covers were not the normal shape having sharp fore and aft edges. The model appears to have these. I seem to recall seeing one of these models in a shop at the time.

Andrew

6 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Andrew,

 

I think you'll find that you were removing a 'banjo' dome, not a 'streamlined' one. Hornby's original FLYING SCOTSMAN had a 'banjo' dome (something the real thing has never carried in its whole 100 years' existence, as did Trix's - later Lilliput. I don't know which dome the first Trix SCOTSMAN carried, if any). 

 

Draughtsmen like Skinley, Roche and later Beattie, cheerfully drew 'banjo' domes on not just their A3 drawings, but A1s, the A1/1, A2s, A2/2s and even V2s! All were copied by the contemporary RTR bods and also the kit-makers such as Wills and Millholme. 

 

The only locos (apart from the two V4s, but theirs were very different) which carried 'banjo' domes were last-built A3s; 2500-8, and then only until their first boiler change. 

 

I have never seen this fact documented, but someone in the 'metal-bashing' department at the Plant must have decided that it was nonsense to form a 'pear drop'-shaped dome cover (or 'banjo') to go over the perforated steam collector (which was underneath); what with those complex reverse curves. Why not bash-out a simple tapered ('streamlined') cover? Much easier.

 

The situation has not been helped by the RCTS getting hopelessly muddled up in their A3 dome descriptions - Thompson 94A boilers? Peter Coster also got confused in his first The Book of the A3s. 

 

Hornby finally got it right, as did the kit-makers.

 

I have loads of cast metal 'banjo' domes, just waiting to be melted down!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Tony it's so long ago I can't really remember whether it was a banjo or streamlined. Clearly it must have been a banjo. I also have some banjo domes in stock- accumulated from bits and pieces that have come my way. I could start using them for weights in vans or under loads in open wagons I suppose as I doubt I'll build any A3s from the last batch built.

My first attempt, at the age of 8, was an Airfix Presflo that I found in Dad's cupboard during the school holidays probably not long before we emigrated to Australia. I can't remember his reaction but I guess he wasn't pleased at the time as I think there was glue everywhere!

However, my main introduction into kit building was from around 11 starting with the Airfix Sopwith Camel as I'd been reading Biggles books. Several more WW1 aircraft quickly followed. Then it was warships and WW2 aircraft. I've actually still got most of the warships in a cabinet in my railway room.

In my teens I started to also muck around with repainting RTR models like a BR Flying Scotsman into LNER apple green after trying to fill the hole after removing the streamlined dome and fitting a round one. My first kit, for my 16th birthday was a Wills bodyline N7 which I fitted to a Triang chassis as intended. I've still got that sitting in a cabinet but with Romfords on the chassis and an MW005 motor in it. The body I rebuilt back in the 1980s to an LNER build with roundtop firebox, different bunker, cab roof, chimney etc. I've even only last year acquired a SE Finecast chassis to build for it.

Every now and then I browse the warship kits available now in the shops but daren't buy one as it would distract me from the main game building the extensive stash of loco and other rollingstock kits I've accumulated. The latest addition being an LRM Midland horsebox won in the raffle at the recent BRMA Convention in Brisbane.

Andrew

It was great to visit yesterday John and Steve is still singing the praises of operating two DCC layouts as the highlight of our trip! But I'm sure he'll come back down to earth and remember he has a nice DC layout which featured in the last issue of The Clearing House.

Andrew

With regard to Jidenco/Falcon Brass I've built the Lanky Steam Railmotor which eventually turned out very well running on a Black Beetle bogie in the coach end. Can't show it as I'm away at present but it been seen on here before. About one third ended up being scratchbuilt including the cab rear, cab interior, coach interior, underframe, outside frame of coach bogie, half the valvegear and the mechanically operated push pull gear on the roof. I've also built the 5T and 6T GN fish vans and have 2 of the GC 6 wheel brakes to build one day.

Andrew

On the subject of disposing of someones books, if you're in a group/club or somesuch then you have to opportunity to sell to fellow members which I've done several times. I've never contemplated selling books and having to post them to someone due to postage costs. Fortunately I've managed to sell most that I've needed to but I price them to sell.

Also fortunately I've never had to deal with a very large collection of books.

Andrew

9 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

You say that Tony but ...

 

It might be me(!) but has anyone else had problems trying to use the inner of the two positions on the (Hornby) drawbar (ie to have the engine-tender coupling in more realistic close-coupled mode rather than 'Bob Beamon' mode?!) It's impossible to deploy it thus as it fouls on the adjacent area of the chassis block! And if you turn it round to try it the other way, it fouls the aforementioned plug-n-socket!!

 

I had to file/cut/bend the thing (can't exactly remember) to make it work on 6201 ... but given recent discussions about 'modellers' increasingly not being able to do simple things for themselves it does seem an odd piece of design.

I've sometimes found It's often easier to make a new one from thick brass wire to the exact distance to suit you radii.

Andrew

Tony

Beware of the new arrangement on the P2s. My Thane of Fife stopped working and upon investigation one of the contacts in the female plug on the tender had stopped connecting so I had to pull it all apart and found the contact strip all mangled up. It broke off when trying to straighten it out so I actually had to solder a piece of phosphor bronze strip in its place. It's all working again now.

Andrew

Over the last year I've had to overhaul a large collection of RTR models I was selling for an old chap. He'd fitted DCC to most including to several old Bachmann split chassis locos. So I needed to remove the decoders in most instances to be able to test them on my DC.

Managed to get most running including 2 Granges. Most were sold to our BRMA members as DC models.

Didn't have much trouble removing bodies including from the Granges. Mainly just had to remember how each type came apart. Have also just overhauled another Grange for friend- just needed relubrication as it hasn't run for quite a while.

Have to agree with comment above about working on Heljan steam locos - they are simply awful to pull apart and fit back together. I found that when working on my O2/3. Their very fine wiring is terrible. I ended up doing away with using tender pickups on that after I removed the awful coupling arrangement. It wa too hard to get wires back into the engine from tender.

Now I have a garratt to fix that had fallen on the floor! Got it really cheap and I'll keep that but the wiring of the units is all shot! Also another really cheap O2/3 that doesn't run properly - also exceedingly cheap. Hoping to rebuild it to an O2/1 if I can get the new low footplate as a spare in due course.

Andrew

13 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

 

I've added the extra bits to Hornby's latest P2.

 

It really is a striking model, with performance to match.

 

You can see how it runs (and PRINCE OF WALES) on WOR in due course. 

Tony

I've just received Thane of Fife through a friend who's a member of the Hornby Collectors Club. It certainly is a striking model. Given you've fitted the additional parts provided it looks like Lord President also has the front guard irons missing in the extras packet, as does Thane of Fife. I understand these can be provided by Hornby if one asks for them. Of course I can easily make up some brass ones which will be thinner anyway.

I have to say I'm still very disappointed with what Hornby provide as etched nameplates - in reality they are nothing like proper etched plates. I've also just received Earl Marischal and that proved to be interesting. I already had a pair of etched nameplates in stock (from 247) but they are nowhere near long enough. I understand from another thread on RMweb that Fox plates for 'Earl' are also too short. It appears that Hornby have got the length of the plates correct and unfortunately on 'Earl' they've actually fitted plastic plates (like their A4 models) whereas on the other P2s they have applied nameplates in the print process and also provided their version of etched plates as add ons. I'm thinking of asking either 247 Developments or Fox if they can produce plates of the correct length as I'll need plates of the correct length once I remove the plastic plates. The alternative that I'm contemplating is to make a pair of the smoke deflectors that were fitted later, from brass and simply fitting the etched plates but I'll know they are much too short.

On my 'Earl' I noticed that the cab sides were bent inwards in the centre of their rear so I've removed the cab by gently prising the sides away with a screwdriver inserted between the sides and the seats.  The seats in Earl need to have their backs removed as they have the large rear cab cutout. Also the metal footplate is bent very slightly downwards at the rear under rear part of the cab side so there is gap under the rear of the sides, particularly  on the drivers side. As its metal I'll just need to leave that alone I think. I've scraped away a lot of the glue that was holding the sides to the sides of the floor inside the cab with a scalpel and have got a much better fit after straightening the rear of the sides simply by bending with my fingers. Despite all this it does run very well!

Andrew      

6 hours ago, DougN said:

The gentleman to the left of John is Brian Frary (dec).... i know that jacket anywhere.  Its now been 2 years I have been battling with his estate. Not sure who the man is to the left of Brian... I suspect a BRMA member 

Doug the chap to the left of Brian looks like former BRMA President, Harry Howell. May he also rest in peace maybe watching trains at Stafford?

1 minute ago, Chas Levin said:

Goodness me, that really is quite a thing, isn't it? As you say Andrew, not a casual undertaking and the future would seem uncertain, especially if the local authority isn't keen...

There aren't enough multi-millionaire steam enthusiasts in the world, are there?

I'm waiting to win the lottery myself right now, as it happens: I'll keep you posted...

That Beyer-Garrett (or Beyer-Garrett lookalike if I'm mistaken) is a beast, isn't it? Very sad if that can't be saved.

Chas

Fortunately there is one operational AD 60 garratt currently and I'm hoping to see it and ride behind it at the end of Sept at the NSW Transport Heritage Festival in Sydney on my way back from our annual British Railway Modellers of Australia Convention in Brisbane the weekend before.

Here it is close to completion in its restoration in Canberra back in 2013 and if I'm not mistaken that's St Enodoc looking rather pensive standing right next to the loco on the left behind the bloke in the high vis top!

Andrew

4 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good morning Chas,

 

I 'built' my first locomotive around 60 years ago, turning a black Tri-ang Princess Elizabeth into a Jubilee. The valve gear had not long been available as a spare, so I obtained that, fitted a turned brass chimney (bought from White Friars in Chester for more than a Kitmaster Schools!), made new cabsides from tinplate and obtained a Trix metal tender. The nameplates (which had to be cut out!) cost a bit, and I brush-painted the lot with Humbrol enamels. Lining/lettering/numerals were of the 'pressure-sensitive' type. I was quite proud of it, but where it is now I have no idea (hopefully buried!). Does this mean I've been in the hobby a considerable time? 

 

At the time, what else was there? I learnt self-reliance and developed any (limited) skills. 

 

I recall the arrival of the Tri-ang B12/3 (actually a B12/2 and a half), and within months the press had articles describing how to make a B12/3 from a Tri-ang B12/3 (or even a D16, in extreme cases). Why mention this? Because it showed, back then, that in order to get a half-decent model, a fair bit of 'modelling' was necessary, so poor were the contemporary RTR offerings. Things improved, of course, and it's certainly not the case now. As for any cardboard packaging, that was used as groundwork for scenery! 

 

Speaking with a friend this morning, our conclusion was that one could build a fairly (even very) accurate layout in OO, say, depicting the ex-GC London extension, just by flashing the credit card and opening boxes. How times change................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

My Dad built a D16/3 from the B12/3 on a Triang L1 chassis based on the magazine article (MRC?). I used a B12/3 body to make an O1 sitting on a Hornby Dublo 8F chassis when I was in my mid-late teens I guess. It didn't look quite right so I converted that body into a K1 using a Triang 2-6-2 chassis. Likewise I have no idea what happened to them and have no photos. I think the 8F chassis went back under its 8F body and was sold - I know I bought the 8F from a friend at school for $2 (~£1) in about 1970 !

Andrew  

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I fear that Dorrigo is a lost cause.

I wonder what happens when the instigator of it all paases on? He has amassed a huge collection and I do understand there is some form of support group but he told me personally back in 2019 that the local council is  totally 'green' and opposed to any notion of anything burning coal being operated - not that he has anything in operational condition or ever likely to have.

However, I understand the 2 RODs, along with most of the other steam locos including the AD 60 4-8-4 + 4-8-4 garratt have been painted with oil every few years and exhibit minimal surface rust considering the years they've been there. So maybe their condition is not terminal? 

A few photos from my 2019 visit to give readers an idea of what is there.

Andrew