David_Belcher

On 08/06/2021 at 04:32, kevinlms said:

Found a date for you, if case you weren't aware.

 

In Railway Modeller 1962 September  Page 247 is a news item entitled 'A welcome return', where it states that the Pullman cars 'are also reintroduced, with some improvements. The bodies are lighter and the bogies freer running, while a more stable plastic has been used for the mouldings. The faults of the earlier models have therefore been overcome, and the price is now reduced to only 15/9'.

Thanks. I did have a "2nd era" styrene car with the diecast bogies/battery boxes years ago (as a kitchen car for a 1980s Hornby K-type brake and parlour, as Margate never did a kitchen), foolishly sold it. All of my current GF ones I think date from the 3rd all-plastic era.

David

On 23/05/2021 at 22:01, 74009 said:

Hi all,

 

Another MTK creation from about 20 years ago - this is one of the original Swindon-built Inter City 6 car DMUs.

Superb!!

Finally done on both sides. Just the crests, branding and number panels (as Car 161) to do now.

Glad I haven't got any more of these to line out!!

David

13 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

The L1 tools, modified to make the 2P, were not used for Edward.

 

Edward was made from the LNER Shire 4-4-0 tools, which had been modified to represent the Lentz valve gear version of the Shire, the Hunt Class.

(Though the chassis remained a Shire, with Walschearts valve gear.)

 

Like most Hornby Thomas locos, Edward has the tender drive Schools derived tender...

 

Edward neatly avoids the valve gear problem....

 

Thanks for the clarification. Must have confused it with the James/3F example.

David

13 hours ago, andyman7 said:

For a while Sir Dinadan was quite collectable due to its short two-year 1977-78 production run but the wide availability of more accurate models has long dealt with that. Only made for two years, it crossed the divide between the ridiculously glossy lacquered finish used until 1977 and the equally ridiculous dead matt lacquer used from 1978 - so both glossy and matt versions exist.

It really is the last of the pure Triang parts-bin efforts (even though it is a Hornby-era model) so definitely has a place in the history of British RTR. The other thing to mention is the unique automatic loco-tender coupling, featuring the flexible loco drawbar. This was the only model ever to have this feature.

It must be one of the few from that mid-70s era of Margate, along with the Ivatt 2MT, not to get a revamp/second chance. The J83 made a comeback on a better chassis, whilst the L1-derived Fowler 2P was the basis for Edward in the 'Thomas' range, I believe (just as James was a stretched-out 3F).

I guess the vastly superior Schools must have rendered it utterly obsolete as Hornby's "Southern passenger loco for layouts too small for a Light Pacific" option.

David

On 30/04/2021 at 12:46, andyman7 said:

I have heard that the Airfix paints were actually manufactured by Gloy. I have a box of vintage paints and adhesives and it includes Humbrol Flattening Agent, which needed to be mixed in the appropriate ratio in order to dull the gloss finish of the standard paint range. Most of my built MTK acquisitions have clearly (and understandably) been gamely put together by someone 'giving them a go' rather than at the sort of professional semi-scratchbuilding level needed for, say, an exhibition standard model. 

However, the GWR railcar with which I introduced this thread back on page 1 is an exception in terms of painting, having been decorated to a delightful standard. It does run like a bag of spanners though, showing how skill specialisms vary  

I had a few tins of the Gloy "authentic railway colours" series some years back - the tins were certainly suspiciously similar to Airfix ones!

David

On 29/04/2021 at 21:21, andyman7 said:

This was listed on ebay as 'Mainline' but a perusal of the photos suggested the fine detail of an MTK cast lump on a Mainline chassis. I'm not quite sure where the tendency for vintage builds of these models to get coated in thick gloss comes from and this one does not disappoint in that regard....
Anyhow it will get a new identity, small yellow warning panels and I will tone down the finish. I'll probably go for the mid/late 1960s simplified green rather than add the grey stripe but fear not, it will retain all its MTK charm 

MTK on a Palitoy chassis is an interesting combination...I used to own one built out of a Mainline body/underframe on Jouef 40 bogies (with buffers from the Dapol breakdown crane kit) to get round the original 45's buffer beam faux pas.

David

On 18/04/2021 at 21:51, Golden Fleece 30 said:

Lined both sides and fronts of 10201 now, looks slightly better than the first side but the panels and ribs etc make it look more out of alignment than it is when you look straight down the body. Photos are cruel anyway lol. I may even get to put glazing in this one.

 

Garry

Currently having similar fun & games lining out a 4mm GF Pullman from a HMRS sheet! Still not finished either side of it in full...

So, finally took the plunge and started lining out the final car of the set, which came unfinished from the GF factory. The HMRS Pressfix transfers don't allow much room for error and are perhaps a bit too sticky for their own good resulting in umpteen attempts and frayed patience. I had old episodes of Friday Night Dinner running on All4 for background noise; it's a wonder I didn't end up using the late, great Paul Ritter's infamous catchphrase for my own means whilst using that transfer sheet...

David

22 hours ago, Golden Fleece 30 said:

The start of my Tri-ang TT 10201 loco. The bogies (Tri-ang A1A) were initially made for a class 40 but I made some better ones and kept these to one side just for this loco. I will have to paint the bottom piece under the buffers black though.

 

Garry

Shaping up well, should be a real talking point once complete & painted. Lenny's bodyshells are a class act.

David

On 24/03/2021 at 22:20, Ruffnut Thorston said:

This is our 2 Rail 8F, 48109. The Half Inch motor version.

 

With right facing lion...

 

 

The loco is from the Goods Train Set.

 

 

With the Breakdown Train...

 

Same version I've got. Will check the lions but presumably the same, as the 2R 8F with the open-frame motor had a very short production run compared to the Ringfield loco.

David

On 27/03/2021 at 07:21, Silverfox17 said:

Thats what I was told David, all Scottish ones lined and all English ones unlined.  I tried to find if any English were ever lined but no luck so went along with what I was told. 

 

Garry 

Could've sworn I'd posted a follow-up to this but anyway - "Princess Mary" was (I think) based at Darnall in the 50s and was lined black. Here's a pic of it at Rotherwood near Sheffield:

https://www.semaphoresandsteam.com/p36854212/h420AC54A#h420ac54a

"Zeebrugge" was also lined, I have a slight hunch that both might have been so treated for double-headed railtour use (RCTS "Pennine Pullman" springs to mind)...

Edit: "Somme" was fully lined too. These 3 seem to be the exceptions?

Second edit: Also "Prince of Wales" & "Jutland" in mixed traffic black. "Marne" was plain black, "Prince Albert" had a very odd style of white lining on the splashers only.

David

On 26/03/2021 at 22:49, David_Belcher said:

2 out of 3 cars basically done apart from maybe adding passengers to the interior, plus tail lamps on the outer ends. Roofs painted and everything satin varnished. Paper bellows gangway helps improve the gap between coaches.

 

David

Got the destination board holder positions wrong on the 12-wheeler (the 8-wheelers don't seem to have them looking at pics), had to redo them, and this shows up badly on camera - you *can* see the join, to misquote Eric Morecambe.

David

On 25/03/2021 at 15:31, Golden Fleece 30 said:

Butler Henderson "completed" with the 247 Developments name and number plates. The Precision Satin varnish looks to glossy to me (as the J52 did). I may respray one day with Railmatch satin, as in the locos above, but it will be fine for now. The wheels may need touching up but it is a lovely model, especially as I was given it for nothing. I was told that this loco was never lined out in BR black during steam days although it was in preservation so I have gone for unlined.

 

Garry

Lining must have been selectively applied to English D11s; the Scottish ones with painted names rather than cast plates appear to have all carried lined BR black. Years ago I built a model of "Princess Mary" around a Rovex 2P footplate and chassis and that too was lined black in real life so painted accordingly.

David

2 out of 3 cars basically done apart from maybe adding passengers to the interior, plus tail lamps on the outer ends. Roofs painted and everything satin varnished. Paper bellows gangway helps improve the gap between coaches.

David

Was 48158 issued with the incorrect "right facing lion" version of the BR emblem?

David

On 15/03/2021 at 07:21, DK123GWR said:

According to Wikipedia (so take it with as much salt as you like):

"They [14xxs] could reach a maximum speed of 80 mph which was much faster than the diesel railcars designed to replace them could reach."

Allegedly these kinds of speeds were often reached on Stroud Valley auto-trains descending Sapperton bank!

David

On 18/03/2021 at 16:37, Sophia NSE said:

Now while I've mostly been happy with the lining on my locos, there's always room for improvement so I've been testing something else out 

This stuff was suggested on my own workbench thread and I decided to give it a go 

It comes in several different sizes from 0.5mm to 10mm. I'm finding that 0.8mm is pretty much perfect for lining. Its available in plenty of different colours too. Fiddly? Yes. Well worth trying out? Also yes

 

Recently bought some white PVC lining tape for the lower bodyside stripe on a green Class 25. Thought it might shrink/wrinkle after varnishing but all seems OK so far, cheaper than the HMRS "general purpose" lining too.

David

On 20/03/2021 at 16:40, locomad2 said:

 

Myself and it's my opinion I tend to avoid all modern post 2002 Hornby models due to poor performance and quality issues.

 

I like my trains to work and not sit in cabinets, I expect a fair share of failures, &  maintenance to be done. However compared to older models like Hornby dublo, triang, Lima, Wrenn etc quite simply modern Hornby and some other manufacturers are not up to working standard. Up to a few years ago I would probably buy 1 or 2 new ones a year, I've now got at least half with broken value gears, mazac rot, failed motors, bent buffer beams, cracked wheels.

 

Hence spend my time putting decent looking bodies on 70 year old chassis which are still working

I don't think I have a Hornby loco in the collection that wasn't a Margate product. My Fowler 2-6-4T was bought in 1996 or so. Since then most of my locos have been bashes (like the A2 and Caprotti 5MT), motorised Airfix/Dapol kits (4MT Mogul) or repainted/detailed 2nd hand models (Rovex Class 25 & DMU, HD Duchess, Jouef 40).

David

20 hours ago, locomad2 said:

Tenders for Duchess, Cities, etc both Hornby Dublo and triang, Triang Hornby, Hornby etc seem to be a topic of there own. I've seen plastic HD Wrenn ones on Hornby and vice-Visa, rivet plain etc. Certainly about 25-30 years ago loads of plain plastic bodies available for next to nothing at swap meets, as got some myself to fit on old 3Rail HD ones to replace the tin ones.

 

As for Duchess here is the GBL tender with replaced metal wheels , such an easy conversion, so was the peco coupling fixed nicely at the back

 

Even the tender pin fits the drawbar

 

Also spotted this, iam not really up to knowledge on newer Hornby it's a tender drive with weathered blue tender body.

 

 

 

 

As for Amercom dicast does anyone know if they are hollow inside ?. There is a gift shop shut at mo (Welsh non essential) selling them locally, and what metal is it ?

The tender looks like an easy job. I have a GBL Peppercorn A2 and the tender chassis/wheels are just a one-piece diecasting so have had to replace that outright.

David

Roof detail in place. Brake car and Iolanthe very close to completion now. Milliput needs tidying up then paint can go on followed by varnish then windows. Brake still needs the interior doing too, table lamps are in the post.

(Please excuse the photobombing Caprotti 5MT...)

David

On 12/03/2021 at 17:05, Gilwell Park said:

Reverting to the Triang 2-6-2T. Two pictures, one shows a BR class 3 fitted with Romford Wheels & Hornby Dublo valve gear. This raises the body & allows the front buffer beam & platform to be shortened & refitted under the smoke box giving a much improved appearance. The other is the Continental body fitted on a HD 2-8-0 chassis. The chimney & domes have been shortened & smoke deflectors fitted. I called it a 141TB but it does not match exactly any French 141T.

Massive improvement on the original. Another option might be the cylinders/VG off Hornby's Fowler 2-6-4T? I fitted Fowler tank gear to the Ivatt Mogul and it looks better for it.

David

Trying things for size...valve gear & motor not installed yet, tender now has something resembling a rolling chassis.

David

Bogies in place on the 12-wheeler. Precision Labels name/number panels in place on 2 out of the 3 cars. Good decals these, considering you get 2 sheets covering 10 or so cars for under 4 quid.

David

On 23/02/2021 at 22:44, 33C said:

And these are old, damaged Triang coaches with Merco litho's cut and stuck to the sanded smooth sides with damaged Triang "Hymek" chassis for power. Each set cost less than  a tenner a go. First pic. 4COR, 2nd pic. 6PUL , 3rd pic. shows the HUGAR models signalbox and last pic. 2 of the litho sheets i had.

Where'd the Merco sheets come from? They still pop up on eBay sometimes. For fans of see-through windows, Alex Bowie did a good article on using litho coach sides as part of more detailed stock in his New Approach articles (MRC 1959-60...I have a tatty copy somewhere).