TurboSnail

Another RTR modification project, starting with a rather sorry looking Bachmann E4.

As mentioned in the last post, I'm having a bit of a clearout - after a moment of madness, I have too many Barclays... but also some other bits and pieces! Apologies for being a bit commercial, but there will be things of interest to some of those who read this thread. Grant Ritchie 0-4-2ST: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886629310 Grant Ritchie 0-4-0ST: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294887631886 SECR d1553 brake van: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886613666 Lilliput Fireless loco body: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886588845 Ford Model A tourer: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886597575 SECR grounded van body: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886584792 Ruston 48DS body and match truck: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294886575212 Naturally, any funds raised will be reinvested into other pointless railway ventures!

Not on these two - they're up for sale, so I'm not going to put any more effort in at this point! I'm planning to make a couple more as I'm thinking about doing some changes to the cabs, but I can't justify keeping all of them. I cheated and 3D printed the wheels, I didn't have any tyres the right size at the time (they're a bit of an odd dimension if I remember right) and it helped me get the right spoke pattern too. Runs on a steel axle in a bit of brass tube as a bushing, and the assembly is sprung off the bottom of the chassis using foam so it runs properly.

Turns out RMweb being down results in rather a lot of productivity, who'd a thought it?

Bother. I was hoping the Hawthorn Leslie would be an industrial I could avoid buying! Still, I haven't found any info on what it was like ex-works (livery etc.) so I might still be able to avoid.

The building, the coach, or both?! Hope all goes well with the move!

Finally got round to making another D1419 van, this one being numbered as one of the Ashford 1872 batch - the transfers are slightly wrong, but the best I can do with what I've got to hand. Simple vans, but I quite like their small size, only 8ft wheelbase in this case.

Unfortunately, I rather like both! I may have to buy another Barclay in future...

I'm having a project dilemma - I've got hold of a Hattons' Barclay (poor thing doesn't know what's going to hit it). As with everything that comes my way, I'm going to ruin personalise it. I like the Grant Ritchie locos, so will make one of those, however, this is the choice I have to make: 0-4-0st open cab, with porthole windows (pic from Ribble Steam Railway site). This would be a nice easy cab conversion only, maybe replacement cylinders, buffers and chimney if I'm feeling really prototypical, or 0-4-2st, involving a new cab, bunker, rear frames, bufferbeam, wheelset, buffers, chimney and some chopping of the chassis. This would be much harder to execute neatly with the frame extensions necessary. (pic from The Transport Library) So, what should I go for?

eBay - I had a saved search on there and these turned up after a few months wait. If you're prepared to translate "fireless" into German and search ebay.de, you might come across something sooner. I've seen quite a few go for under £40, so the joker selling them for £150 on there is being optimistic... or maybe I'm the fool for making models out of them and not flogging them for vast profits EDIT: for those interested in the build process, it's linked here:

A Fireless pugbash (apologies to those who've already seen this elsewhere) - bashed from a Lilliput loco with significant changes to the body and chassis, and a new cab, inspired by the Hawthorne ones. All done cheaply with plasticard and bits from the spares box, the only thing I had to buy specially was the replacement wheels. Still missing a few details but good enough for now to start getting some use on the layout. I'm calling it a pugbash, as the donor locos can be picked up for around £35 these days, so it's not a high budget model! Now to decide what to do with the other one...

Last post on the Fireless (to give your eyes a rest from all that yellow), some slow TV of it running on the layout.

For a direct comparison:

The Fireless build was supposed to be one post a day, but I've been away the last week (on a work boat in the North Sea - the weather was pretty "exciting") Still, here's the final pics. Needs a bit of weathering to tone down the yellow, but I'm pretty happy with how different it looks from the starting point! Also needs sandboxes, the wheel centres touching in and a couple of small details, but it's done for now.

Bufferbeams cut from plasticard, backhead improvised from the leftovers when I shortened the pressure vessel. Fortunately Fireless controls are fairly simple!

Just to explain a little more about the wheel-swap, taking the wheels off was fairly easy, removing the crankpin screws, the valve gear held itself together. I had to remove one of the wheels from the driven axle to get access with a gear puller to get the drive gear off. The drive gear could then be fixed to the new Scale-link 3mm axle with a dot of superglue. Then the rest of the wheelset built up using a back-to-back gauge (working with drop-in RTR wheelsets is easier than having to poke axles through frames and square everything up in situ!). Finally, putting the valve gear back on with the brass tube bosses I made a few posts ago, and shortening a new fixing screw and reducing its head height to clear the valve gear. Phew!

Back in one piece, and the body has gained some lining, in case the paintwork wasn't already suitably hi-vis And it runs! https://youtu.be/yL8bz-Povkk

Time for the bit you've all been waiting for, replacing the wheels! I was dreading messing up the valve gear while doing this. I did try filing down the wheels first, which worked a bit, but they still looked too small and still caught on some of the trackwork. Painted up some Scale-link 12mm ones - the tyres are a bit shiny but I find they need cleaning less often than other brands. I also had to cut some brass tube down to replace the bosses on the old wheels, and cut down some M1.2 screws to replace the originals which were too thin to work in the new wheels.

It's quite vibrant...

Cutting off the continental style bits and filling the holes, and adding the Hawthorn disc bit at the front. It's not quite the right size, but it's the closest size tube I had so it'll have to do.

Back in one piece with the footplate cut down - starting too see how different it will be to the HO version.

This is a Bachmann/Lilliput chassis, I don't know about the Hornby Nellie chassis and don't own one be able to check. The 7ft 6in wheelbase measurement is approximate, it's probably done to a round number in HO scale, so probably won't be such a neat number in OO. I don't think there's ever been a UK outline RTR Fireless, but there are a few models about, including my Barclay (sadly now sold, video below) and the thread that inspired this model - using the same starting point - a build by Gwynraven of this parish. I think my modifications will end up being a bit more extreme than theirs though!

Will this do? It's had the ends (which include the buffers) chopped off and the DCC bits taken off.

I think it was designed in as an option, but it runs on DC well enough (apart from the wheel flanges issue). It's also (or was) DCC fitted.

The aim with this loco is to make something like the Hawthorn Firelesses - I think this is the closest resemblance to some of the existing parts. This will mean: - shortening the pressure vessel - changing the cab - shortening the chassis - removing some of the extra bits on the top of the pressure vessel - new bufferbeams - modifying the front of the pressure vessel - pipework detail etc. The conversion started by chopping a section out of the pressure vessel and tweaking a B2 cab to look like the Hawthorn type. I've also removed the DCC bits, hardwired for DC, removed the AC skid plate and removed the lighting from the chassis at this point, as it all took up space in the cab I didn't want obscuring.