cabbie37

Final post for today. The roof is trimmed down and trial fitted. I’m fairly happy with it and am hesitant to try too much more improvement today, I’m bound to ba%%s it up and ruin a days work. Tomorrow I will be at the Royston show where I will be picking the expert brains on hand over painting and also the possibilities of automatic couplings that I’m thinking of adopting..

Thanks Doilum, that's an approach I will bear in mind for the future. To be clear, I'm posting this thread in the hope of learning from the comments of others, which is already proving to be the case...

Quick update, before lunch. I decided that the mounting lugs were a little fragile for the job they had to do, so I’ve added a ‘bracing’ piece in 40 thou between them. This has stiffened them up considerably..

Coo, this is fiddly... I drew a centre line on the underside of the roof panel and marked the centre of each mounting ‘lug’. Having fixed one in position, holding it a right angles to the centre line as best I could by eye, I then measured the distance between the faces of the internal partitions and got the second lug in place as best I could. It’ not perfect - I wanted an ‘interference’ fit between the portions and the lugs, but its not quite. It wil have to do. I think any further fiddling will only make maters worse. At the last minute, I did realise one mistake, I had made the lower part of the ‘lugs’ too wide and they would have meant I didn’t have anywhere to glue in the glazing material... they are now slimmed down. Next is to mark up the roof and trim it to size and then put it to one side until I’m ready to fit it...

So I’ve started work on the roof today. First thing was I realised I didn’t have sone plastic and formed to shape as I thought, so had to make new.First blunder was not realising that all the tins I had available have a ribbed side which, as you can see, transferred itself to the end product. I scratched around for something smooth sided and came across a (sacrificial) can of beer. This has proved ok, though not as tall as I needed (so had to have 2 goes at it) and a beer can isn’t as robust as a normal can. I’ll need to find a suitable can for future projects, or drink a can of beer each time..

Well, if nothing else, this is refining my soldering skills.. the 4 strengthening corner pieces are now all in place. By the 4th one, I was getting quite pleased with the result. Don’t look at the other 3 though. My saving grace is that this all will be covered up... I will attempt a trial fit of the roof tomorrow once I have come up with a way of being accurate with the positioning of the ‘mounting lugs’ so they ‘pinch’ between the two partitions.. I’m assuming that I won’t fit the roof until the rest of it is painted and I have fitted the glazing. Is that a reasonable assumption?

Thanks for the continued input and encouragement. I’ve mulled over the suggestions and advice and, taking into account my coefficient of bodgery, i’ve Decided on the following approach. I’ve made up some little ‘under roof’ supports as suggested by nerron but was worried that the outer corners may not have enough support and may curl up or whatever. Here, I have taken into account other suggestions (thanks polybear, doilum and jwealleans) and have made up a small section of brass I have soldered in as you can see in the photo. The idea being that this will give an extra place to add a dab of glue when I finally mount the roof. Before I go much further, what does the team think of the approach?

You are all being very kind. I should point out that the precise angle of the photo is to eliminate from view the worst of my ham-fistedness! I found it particularly tricky to add some of the whitemetal parts (which, I should point out, did not come with the kit, but I found in the bottom of my treasure chest - the etched kit was particularly '2 D' is some respects) with superglue. A wobbly hand when trying to stick on such pieces as the uprights on each end of the veranda is something I must learn to overcome - or find a more forgiving glue. On that, I am using yellow top Gorilla glue that I found by chance in Aldi the other day. Do we have any better recommendations for a fast acting glue that would give just a little more time for final positioning adjustment?

Thanks Nerron, that sounds like a perfect solution! I have the framework of the etch left over so I can use that to get a perfect outline for the additional pieces you suggest..

1986 saw me as a part time modeller, dabbling in a few whitemetal and plastic kits with no real ideas in mind, just an aimless hobby. It was then I bought 2 LSWR 20t Brake van kits from Falcon Brass (Jidenco) and set about them. Upon reflection, I think the frustrations of assembling those kits may have brought an end to my railway modelling days and I moved on, consigning all my accumulated bits and pieces to a large box in the loft. Fast forward 33 years and a chance encounter with RMWeb was a bit like a hit for a long term addict And within a few weeks, I was up in the loft gazing lovingly at the contents of said box. The first to come out were the part made (shockingly) Falcon Brake van and another, barely started. I set myself a challenge of honing my skills by finishing one of them off. My progress so far is attached. For a ham fisted, clumsy modeller, I am encouraged and disappointed in equal measure. However, I persevere.. There is a real question behind this, however. As I get closer to completion, I am thinking about adding the roof. I have some plasticard shaped by wrapping round an old tin which I filled with boiling water. However, I am not sure whether the thin section of the van ends and internal portions will give enough ‘purchase’ for what I guess will be superglue. Can the assembled minds give me a better option? I worry that the roof simply wont stay in place. However, the true irony of this is I’ve just been reading the thread on the Hornby version of this that is just about to be released and, no doubt, will be better than anything i’m Likely to produce, so some might say, i’ve Just been wasting my time! Hey-ho, if nothing else, it’s been good practice...

And if the screw couplings were still available, I would quite happily make use of them... cheers.. Hugh

Apologies for the delay in responding. I’m out of the country at the moment and access to RM is a bit spotty.. Thanks for the reply Mike, that is very kind of you to offer to help. Let me do a bit of digging on the range of kits David offered (I’ve found one dated 2009 on the web) and I’ll drop you a pm.. thanks again.. Hugh

I realise this may be a forlorn request, but in the time I have been away from the hobby, David Geen has come and gone. His kits seem to get very good reviews and I would like to have a go at building one or two (my interests lay with 1930s era SR but I won’t be picky). If if you have something that you might be prepared to part with or were thinking of putting on EBay, I might be interested. I would pay a fair price, so I’m not looking for bargains necessarily. Drop me a pm if you have anything ... many thanks in advance.. Hugh

I might be interested in any from no. 216 onwards, to go with the collection I acquired here a few months back. As a returning modeller, I am finding them a really useful source of information that introduces me to how things have changed since i was last involved... Hugh

II have just acquired an etch for an R1 chassis from Branchlines. As this will be my first venture into brass chassis construction, I will need all the help I can get. The etch came without any instructions and, although I could *probably* work it out, I am naturaly being cautious. Does a kind soul have the instruction sheet tucked away they could provide me a scan of perhaps.. very many thanks in advance for any offer... Thanks to a helpful RMweb member who has provided a pdf of the instructions. Hugh

PM sent...

Thanks. I have the same book - and some others on related classes so will have a look at this. As I am going through this, I am better understanding the bits and pieces I need and where I mght source them.. I'll fire a letter off to SEF tomorrow..

Thanks John - they may well be the ones. However, this morning I have been trying to chase up the Markits bits and pieces. I sent an enquiry to Markits last week and have had no reply. The phone isnt answered (or they are permanently on calls) when I try to ring. I've tried another retailer who cant provide everything I want - particularly the frame spacers. As I would imagine I am not the only one to wish to purchase these sorts of bits and pieces, does anyone have any suggestions as to where I could track down the following - preferably from one supplier.. Frame Spacers - 4MA019 9.5mm (3) Sandbox – MarkitsM4SandBx/Q1 Snifter valves - MARKITS M40B M4SNIFTSR 4MM SCALE Clack valves - MARKITS M90 MCLACK-SR COMPLETE Buffers - MARKITS M71 M4BUFLOCOSR 4MM Safety Valve MARKITS M62 M4SFTYV01 4MM SCALE Safety Valve MARKITS M62 M4SFTYV02 4MM SCALE Axle bush Markits MRAXFB24 2mm Axle Bush 4mm o/d x 3mm

As I am still yet to hear back from Markits as to availibilty of components I need, I have been pondering the work I will need to do on the body. Much of it is fairly obvious to me, carving away existing mouldings for hand rails etc, but the area that needs most thought is the reconstruction of the cab area. There are a couple of elements to this. First, I wish to create a fairly good representation of the cab detail itself, backhead etc etc. I will need to make room for that detail and provide a floor. Similarly, both bodies I have have sufffered some damage in varying ways to where the tab on the chassis located, and this needs to be repaired. The most important thing, I think, is creating somewhere and a method of creating a point for the chassis to be located. There are two aspects of this, as well. One is just the locating point and two is setting the height of the loco so it aligns with the running plate of the tender. This is where I probably could so with some guidance. Up until now, I have just been taking things apart, now i have to do some actual modelling!

Very nice, Chris, very nice.. I doubt my rehash of a 50 year old Triang model will be able to match these, but I'll do my best. A little more time spent since I last posted has left me with my L1 now looking like this... I can do little more on the chassis now until I know what the drill size is I need for the frame spacers I plan to fit. In the meantime I can start looking at the work I need to do on the bodywork enhancements....

So, it has started. SImple beginnings. I have 2 locos to play with, so I have a fall back position if I foul anything up. Here they are showing the difference that can be made by simply swapping the tender for something more appropriate (in this case, one from a Hornby King Arthur) Having had a closer look at both models, I realised slight differences between the two as one had a smoke unit. I chose the latter as the chassis side frames were 'bright' brass, whereas the other chassis seemed to have been 'blackened'. My thinking was that the brass one would be easier to prep for any subsequent soldering that will take place. Half an hour's work with a small screwdriver left me with this. That was the easy bit. Next thing is to remove the wheels etc and then drill out the 3 mounts where the brass side frames are connected to the mazak centre. Fortunately, I have a pal who is an amateur jeweller who has a small pillar drill, so i can be sure to drill at a perfect right angle. I'm assuming that fitting the Markits frame spacers at those same points won't give me any problems later on. As an aside, does anyone know what the clearance hole needs to be for the screw on the frame spacers? I don't have them to hand yet, waiting to hear back from Markits. I also want to check the wheel base, hoping it will be the scale 40mm. I'm not quite sure how to proceed from that point. One of the most important things to do is to lower the body by 2 or 3mm so the frames line up with the tender. I do wonder whether that might be one of the first things I do, so fitting a motor and gear box (I want the cab empty for proper detail) so I can see how to achieve that.. As ever, suggestions as to my next steps will be welcome, nay, encouraged! Subsequent edit to get rid of the appalling number of typos...

Very many thanks for those who have contributed recently. There are some good pointers there. I have to say, it wasn't my intention to start a thread and *actually* do the work, I was just going to get my thoughts in order for what I might need. However, it seems that there is some expectation amongst you that I actually *do* some modelling.... So my idea is to start with the chassis modification and I have fired of an email to Markits this afternoon seeking pricing and availibilty - their list on-line some 5 years old. I need the frame spacers at a minimum and some top hat bearings. My intention is to use the driving wheels scavenged from the scrap T9 I bought as a first attempt and I think the axles for them are 2mm. I'll be very happy to have your comments and observations as I go through this. Like I say, it's been a while and my intention is to model at a far higher standard than I did before...

Further digging through my old modelling box has revealed quite a few bits and pieces from the old days. So some 'Medium Handrail knobs' and a selection on brass wire around 0.5mmhave been added to the list of what I will use in the upgrade. Is the 0.5mm wire too small a diameter for the handrail? That equates to 1.5" so sounds about right.. I also found an RG4 gearbox still in its packet and some sprung buffers from the Cavendish range. Although they were described as LSWR, they might fit the bill... or they go on the M7 I found in the box that is half way through a Crownline upgrade.. The list grows smaller of unidentified items, but I still need some help and advice where I have chosen items or where I still have the gaps.. Replacement chassis (including Motor and gearbox) Brake shoes – Mainly Trains MT182: SR Loco Brake Shoes & Hangers Bogie – Wizard Models – Comet Models LS11: LNER/SR Locomotive Bogie – 6’3″ Wheelbase Bogie wheels – 3’7“ Markits 4MA019 Frame Spacers 9.5mm (3) Steam reverser – SEF (from Wainwright R1? – F192) Snifter valves - MARKITS M40B M4SNIFTSR 4MM SCALE, Clack valves = MARKITS M90 MCLACK-SR COMPLETE Handrail and knobs – Medium Handrail knobs and 0.5mm wire in stock Steam Pipe (?) Chimney – 247 Developments CH18 CHIMNEY MAUNSELL N,U,W Buffers - MARKITS M71 M4BUFLOCOSR 4MM or Mainly Trains 4 LNER/SR Locomotive Buffers (4909) Whistle and Safety valves - MARKITS M62 M4SFTYV01 4MM SCALE Heating pipes etc Various pipework Cab backhead Paint and transfers Loco lamp irons – Mainly Trains - MT187: Loco Lamp Irons

I wonder whether it would be ok to point the honourable members to my thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/138157-triang-l1-detailing/ and ask for your assistance. You will see from the thread the help I am looking for and I'm sure some of that knowledge will be found in this group. If you are in a position to help, I would be really grateful. Perhaps you could post any comments there, rather than continuing this thread... Very many thanks for any contributions made.. Hugh

As part of my information gathering process to kick off my proposed Triang L1 upgrade (see http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/138157-triang-l1-detailing/ ) I am on the look out for a copy of Back Track from February 2017 which has an article on them. I've been following Ebay for a while now but, for some reason, that particular issue never comes up. Can anyone help please? Many thanks in advance... Hugh Edited to add I am now sorted, thanks to all those who replied. I sourced a copy from the Vintage Carriages Trust, details here http://www.vintagecarriagestrust.org/magazines.htm A very useful resource, it would appear. One that I did not know about...