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Adam

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Blog Comments posted by Adam

    Mikkel

    Posted

    Great photo's and commentary Mikkel. Didcot really is a wonderful place.

     

    I don't think the GWR every used transfers back in the day. There's quite a few photo's about of wagons fresh from the works which still have the chalk lines on them. These were used as a guide for the numbers and marking to be painted on.

     

    Going on photos dad took at Swindon in the '70s I don't think that they used transfers at all on wagons even then - these were very clearly signwritten. Coaching stock and loco's were probably different.

    Adam

    • Like 1
    halfwit

    Posted

    There's some useful prototype detail in the instructions for Robert's chassis kit too (and here I can't make the usual disclaimer because I supplied it to Robert and typed it out - all the gen comes from Don Townsley however, via the MORILL article). I noticed the other day that correct pattern buffers can be had from Lanarkshire Model Supplies and that you can have them drilled for sprung heads...

    I have all the bits for another couple of Austerities lurking around - much like many preservation sites - but I have two already...

     

    Adam

    • Like 1
    halfwit

    Posted

    I doubt the steps on the lever guide are for chaining the wagon down; from what I've seen of the operation of the real thing, such stability as there was available was provided by the attachment to the loco. I've certainly not seen any evidence of chains for any obvious purpose showing up in pictures unlike things like slag ladles which are rather heavier with rather more dangerous  contents. My guess (and that's all it is) is that they're present in order to get enough leverage on the brake lever to apply the brakes by means of a brake stick/shunting pole. 

     

    Have you worked out how to attached the tipper to the chassis yet? Clearly it has to be after painting, but I'm not sure I know what the 'best' way might be.

     

    Adam

    Knuckles

    Posted

    I do think that condemning the entire medium of whitemetal on the basis of an extremely old, un-revised kit is perhaps a bit rash.

     

    This must be one of Wills/SEFinecast's oldest kits and the reason that it hasn't been upgraded is the Hornby model (which is a bit short in the bunker - there was a rebuild of one by Francis Samish in BRM, probably about 15 years ago). There are some  excellent kits in that range although the E2 certainly isn't one of them.

     

    The only direct comparison that I can make is for the LSWR O2. Finecast's kit for this is a league ahead of the etched Gibson version though both can be made to produce a nice model: the chassis is about the same amount of work of course, but the body of the Gibson version is poorly designed and very difficult to build square with a host of designed-in errors and potential to incorporate more errors. 

     

    The best route in that instance would probably be the Finecast chassis, boiler and fittings (the quality control on the Gibson brass castings was abysmal - this was from Alan Gibson, NOT the current owners) and Gibson tanks and cab but only for the reasons of weight distribution with an 0-4-4.

     

    The assumption that "simply being a 'kit' the model would be far superior as a base to detail" is interesting, to say the least...

     

    Good luck with the next attempt.


    Adam

    Captain Kernow

    Posted

    Similar, yes, but a poor representation if you compare with the real thing: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/apcmpresflo/h17951752#h1ea4158e

    If I were to be boring about it, the step in diameter to too great and the larger is too large and the smaller too small. That this is the kingd of thing that bothers me probably says nothing good! ;)

     

    So far as I can tell, the APCM (Blue Circle) vehicles all had this sort of buffer from new and it's worth noting that all the shots in Paul Bartlett's gallery show these buffers. I've no idea how easy or otherwise it would be to spring these - I didn't feel the need since Presflos are quite short. For my money, they're one of the best things Bachmann have done; the only non-technical (wheels, couplings) change I made to my trio was to replace the buffers.

     

    Adam

    • Like 1
    Knuckles

    Posted

    I'd concur with CK here. High Level have a downloadable gearbox planner: http://chrisgibbon.com/webftp/gearboxplanner.pdf which, in conjunction with a scale drawing (or a sketch based on the internal dimensions of the body), should provide a good, clear guide.

     

    The High Level site also features a speed calculator: http://chrisgibbon.com/webftp/speedcalculator.xls If you key in the relevant figures, a theoretical scale top speed will result. Now my guess with a E2 - a middle-sized 0-6-0T - would want something like a Mashima 14 series can, flywheel (always worth it if you can fit one) and 54:1 gearing (that would be my preference, but no more than that). Several gearboxes will give you that and keep the cab clear. 

     

    Adam

    Captain Kernow

    Posted

    Sorry for banging on about the lorry - it's a nice kit, but a poor model. I guess it depends what business Dando's in as to the type of lorry he might buy. Had he bought an AEC pre-war, my guess is that he'd have been regularly driving it reasonable distances, they were quality motors. As such, assuming he had a fleet of vehicles, he'd probably have had it nationalised as part as BRS and his late '30s AEC would probably have been scrapped by them about the time of 'denationalisation' c. 1952. If he'd stayed in the haulage business he might have bought any number of middle weight lorries. There's a range to be had from Road Transport Images and though the cabs, wheels and chassis are good, I'd give the resin flatbeds a miss. RTI will be at Warley if you're going and Frank Waller (a retired transport manager) really knows his stuff.

     

    If he were a simple coal merchant or carrier with one or two vehicles, or a bigger operator doing delivery work, it's unlikely he'd have bought anything as posh as an AEC in the first place, something like a Bedford, Ford Thames or an Austin or Morris Commercial is more likely and he'd probably have kept going with similar vehicles.

     

    By your period, the ubiquitous Bedford TK (introduced 1960) would be a good bet for any operator running a flatbed. Oxford diecast do a good one of course and dull though it is, they seem to have been typical. A Ford Thames (EFE) wouldn't be unusual and nor would the replacement Ford D series (the best available is probably the Road Transport Images version).

     

    Adam

    Captain Kernow

    Posted

    Increasingly impressive - despite Coopercraft's dismal rendition of a pre-War AEC (sorry Tim, personal hobby horse, and a working late '30s lorry is pushing it by even the early '60s) - and I especially like that open space in front of the goods shed; too often we try and crowd too much into out models. Fifth picture down shows where the cottages go I think Mike (clue's on the baseboard!).

     

    Adam

    Adam

    Posted

    I can answer the first off the top of my head - I replaced the footplate, the Dapol/Kitmaster one warped too much - with 1mm sheet brass with a layer of shim laminated to the top to represent the overhang since I made the frames to account for a 'thick' footplate. The Perseverance frames, by the way do NOT do this so either need trimming to allow for it or a replacement thin footplate with valences. I'll check out the measurements later (they were taken from the Townsley drawing published in Model Railways Illustrated and later - to 4 and bit mm to the foot - in Model Rail), and put the whole up as a blog entry.

     

    Adam

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