scratcher

I'm about to embark on the same conversion, the idea being to have X7 & X8 from Parkside kits and X9 from HD/Ratio u/f. I'd love to see a picture of the finished article please, if possible? Steve

I was Didcot last Sunday specifically to photograph the brake gear etc of their Mink G, I can send them if you are still interested

I have a Hornby B17/4 Footballer which I bought in 1982 just before I went to university. For the time it wasn't at all bad, and it's one of the few models from back then that has survived onto my present setup. I decided to smarten it up, but not do anything that would require a respray, so cosmetic stuff. I bought the current Hornby B17/1 detail pack, Fox Transfers black/white lining for A1/A3 (handily the B17 has same size driving wheels, bogie wheels, windows, splashers, and buffer beam), already had Fox Transfers gold letters/numbers, and added lamp brackets and cab seats. I've renumbered it to 2858 Newcastle United (my team) although 2858 only ever carried that name in its trials; for some reason it went into service as The Essex Regiment, swapped tenders and was sent to GE section. It looks so much better. Still to add are tender brake standards and reversing handle (on order) and I will have a go at some more red lining. The addition of the front steps and drain pipes mean it just gets round a 4th radius curve.

A bit more progress ...

Currently working on a D144 restaurant. Again Hornby donor with Bill Bedford sides, but this time I added a 1mm x 3mm length of brass angle to very the top of the sides, which gives a much better join for the roof. The heavy duty bogies are Comet brass units with white metal sides, plus the plastic plate with the brake shoes attached from the Hornby ones. Roof ventilators from Mike Trice, pipework layout gleaned from his very useful drawings. Further inspiration from a Steve Banks article in BRM April 1998, and 'Daves C & W Works' and 'Micks 4mm LNER Models' on The LNER Encyclopedia site.

I spoke to Dart Castings today and there is a possibility they are creating/replacing some white-metal moulds early in 2021, the GWR autocoach buffers are candidates. Suggest emailing them if you are interested.

I recently bought a nicely made kit of an A28 on eBay but it's got two broken/missing buffers. I can't seem to find anywhere that makes or sells spares in 4mm. Any ideas? Or does anyone have any unwanted spares I could buy? It looks like the Dart Castings detailing kit no longer contains buffers. The 247 Components catalogue is here https://www.247developments.co.uk/4mm Cat September 2020.pdf but none listed. Thanks.

My next one is a D114, brass sides and Hornby ends & roof. Using Ian Rathbone's technique again, but after much experimentation this time I mixed Humbrol 133 and 62 in roughly equal amounts and then added Precision GWR Chocolate until I got the desired degree of brown. Base coat is Precision M&GN Gorse Yellow which is orangey, and gloss. First attempt was too grainy, so started again. Second attempt I think is better. Lining could be better, still getting to grips with the pen.

Thanks Jonathan. There seems to be some debate about the guards handrails colour - see https://www.steve-banks.org/prototype-and-traffic/133-teak-coaches. I'd love to know the definitive answer. Agree about the rain deflectors; a casualty of using the Hornby roof & ends as a donor.

Ian Kirk D212 sides onto a Hornby donor chassis, ends and roof. Teak finish is the method used by Ian Rathbone. I used PP Golden Teak mixed with Humbrol 62 as the brown. The colour is a bit on the orange side, next time I will use try PP LNER Teak. I have two more lined up, a Bill Bedford D114 and a Bill Bedford D144 (which I will make as a D10C).

Also from MJT https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/3003.php

Iain they are from MJT - https://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/3918.php

K38 finished, see https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131072-improving-Hornby-restaurant-coach-and-other-coach-builds/

Next project is finished (bar lamp irons). BSL GWR K38, bought part-built as per first picture. I also bought a BSL GWR underframe kit, but only used the truss rods, V-hangers and dynamo in the end, as the battery boxes and vacuum cylinder were too basic. The truss rods needed filing back to 1mm square from 1.5mm square. Battery boxes from Frogmore. Vacuum cylinders and running boards from spares box. Gangways from MJT. Door handles from Bill Bedford etch. End handrails, gangway arms and door grab handles from Hornby Collett. Bogies from Modern Traction Kits but I would avoid in future and use Hornby. Guards footsteps and hand rails from brass wire. Precision paints. The droplights were sprayed before fitting (I use Golden Teak for the colour). Pressfix transfers for lettering and roundel. Fox for numbers and lining. If I could redo anything I would scribe the doors deeper; by the time three layers of paint are applied they don't show up enough. Maybe applying a black wash can fix that.

Sorry not to be clear Rob. It bonds all kinds of metal and plastic. I called out plastic as that’s where many superglued fall short.

I use Zap-A-Gap Medium (green label). It's viscous enough to stay put. And it bonds pretty much all types of plastic.

I tried removing the tyres from my late 90s Hornby version but it ran worse so I put new ones back on again. It’s running is tolerable. I tend to agree with the earlier post that blamed the trailing axle. One day I’ll go the HighLevel route...

There's two in Russell. The second one (I think p182) is pretty good. Lining up my Comet sides with the drawing, all the doors and windows are pretty much spot on, except for the middle double doors, which are 6" too far to the left in the drawing. Here's my sides and the Comet drawing in case it helps.

The Hornby Colletts make great donors apart from the continuous stepboards if the original didn't have them. I can't see an easy way to remove them, if you managed it please share! I lived with that for my H33 upgrade (see https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/131072-improving-Hornby-restaurant-coach/) but it's the one thing I wish I could fix. It wasn't an issue for the K38 as I bought it part-built and the sides, ends and chassis were all glued together. I'm going to fit door handles, grab rails and droplights after painting. (The latter I will paint before attaching).

I picked up a brass part-built GW Monster at a show a couple of years back and finally finished it last month. It was only the chassis/body/ends shell so much scratch building needed. Gas pipes added to roof make a real difference. Queen posts modelled using split pins. (I do wish someone would make decent GW underframe trussing, of both kinds).

This is my first attempt at a Gresley coach. Ian Kirk D212 sides onto a Hornby donor chassis, ends and roof. I know the Hornby chassis is slightly too wide, but personally I think the main visual problem is caused by the low ride height. Fix that with a washer and it looks loads better. Teak finish is the method used by Ian Rathbone, painting the D212 sides was the project I took along to his workshop at the Missenden Modellers Spring Weekend 2020. I used PP Golden Teak mixed with Humbrol 62 as the brown. The colour is a bit on the orange side, next time I will use PP Weathered Teak. I have two more lined up, a Bill Bedford D114 and a Bill Bedford D144 (which I will make as a D10C).

I've managed to get a couple of coaches done recently so I thought I'd add them here to keep in one place. The K15 is the K's plastic kit. The poor Dean bogies are replaced by American's from MJT, as is second gas cylinder. Dean vacuum cylinder and window grilles from Frogmore. Gas pipes and train alarm gear added. It's useful having the preserved example at Didcot which is only an hour away. They kindly let me round the interior last year.

I also have Comet K40 sides, but I was planning to use the Hornby/Airfix B-set as a donor as it's right length, bow-ended and has 7' bogies. The underframe would need a rebuild. The main thing stopping me from starting down that route is the continuous step boards, just don't look right on a full brake. I need to see if they can be cut off somehow. Your end result looks closer to a K41 at a glance because of the 9' bogies and flat ends. Obviously the doors/windows are K40 though. I'm currently making a BSL K38, and I found it made a surprising difference adding door hinges (by Frogmore Confederacy, via Dart Castings website). Please post finished pictures. Steve

Thanks, I think they were Bachmann. I can't seem to find a decent set of 1930's attired seated passengers. Yes but worth it. I think the fiddliest thing was the numbering, I can barely see the figures when applying them. Numbers, roundel and lining are Fox, lettering is Pressfix.

Finally finished this, other projects bumped it for a while. The biggest inaccuracy is the continuous running board courtesy of the Hornby Collett donor.