RobMG

I have a Slateters 4mm rectangular tank to build , but not enough transfers in the kit. I have tried looking on Cambridge Custom Transfers list but I can't get on the site to see if there are any. Are there alternatives ? Rob

I solved the problem. As soon as you had reminded me, I could no longer live with it. I thought 'I wonder if I could get the measurements off a mineral wagon. I had a squint, and decided they look about right. So I have worked off that. It was easy to do , no point spoiling the ship for ha'porth of tar eh.... Rob

I could ask, that is true . Cheers Andy Rob

Yes I remember reading that somewhere. Unless I can find drawing or judge it from a picture, I will probably live with it. Thanks for reminding me though. Rob

What makes this more interesting is that BR seem to have converted iron ore tipplers to coil J's. I just found a picture of one. Maybe Hornby built those and BR weren't happy with them 😆 Rob

That sounds interesting. Any info you have re that would be useful for a future project. cheers Rob ( when I read Bob I chuckled, My missus can't believe anyone called me Bob, But they did when I was a kid, but then for some reason people started calling me Rob 😄 )

Thank you Phil that is brilliant. I will now go ahead with that little project, and see how I go .

Thank you Mike for your reply, I do understand that I can save time by buying them ready or almost ready to run, but i don't paticularly need to save the time. It's good to save the money though. 🙃 I had in mind to use Red Panda chassis, but I actually enjoy modifying existing parts. Hence I have just completed a vanwide by stretching, narrowing and lowering a Hornby example. I made the Oleo buffers, which also I could have bought. they took me a bit of time, but I enjoyed making them. Brass bodies, steel heads. Non sprung. I used a Parkside chassis and roof. It looks pretty good.I had no idea about vanwides until I bought the Hornby one, and was then showered with negative comments. I was told how ridiculous it was to even consider it, when I could go and pay getting on for £50 and save all the bother. Very true of course, but if I hadn't already had the Hornby item, I wouldn't have bothered at all. All I need for the sand wagon is the height of the body sides. I am interested in wagons, and love building them. Goodness knows what I will do with them all. 😀 Anyway Mike thank you again for your reply, I am very grateful. I would post pictures if I could master the complexities of posting on here.. Rob

Does anyone here have any idea of BR sand wagon dimensions ? I have one or two old Hornby 27ton iron ore tipplers which are I believe too low. So they don't seem to be any use for anything else I wondered about cutting down the height of the bodies to convert them into sand wagons . Obviously new chassis would be needed. Thank you in advance. Rob

It seems very likely they were bauxite, or possibly black. I think I might go for bauxite, and weather it. Thank you for your help Brian. Rob

I am building a 1950s era Enparts van based on a Parkside Mink D kit I need to find out what colour the Enparts vans were during that period . the only photos I can find are monochrome, so no help. I have searched everywhere for info but so far can find nothing. Does anyone know PLEASE ? I would be most grateful for any info. Rob

I have certainly thought about a second motor bogies. What has put me off is that I don't think the loco would be as controllable at very low creep speed. Also I don't have room for a layout where the loco could pull very long trains. As I think I have said , It can pull up to six free rolling coaches, and at least 20 free rolling wagons. That is more than I have space for. So for the time being I will stick to one motor bogie. Other people have fitted the Hornby body to a Bachmann chassis. I didn't want to do that either. I wanted it to be as much Hornby as possible. The pick ups are a bit of a problem. Underneath was the only way I could see for the power bogie, and having done that, I did the same with the non powered one. It works pretty well, though a touch vulnerable. The guitar wire does a good job, though I do have some phospher bronze strip. Rob

Hi, Yes I did replace the marker lights. I also re positioned them. I made them using two sizes of brass tube, one inside the other. At this moment I can't remember the sizes. I will check them out and let you know, but I have to go out in a minute for an appointment. Yes, I like the class 25's , and 33's . I had a good cab ride in a 33 many years ago, and always they were a favourite. Any other questions you have re my mods just ask. I used lazercut flush glazing, and buffers from SLW . Tanks etc from Brassmasters. Transfers from Railtec. I haven't yet detailed inside the cabs, but I will.. I lowered the Body right down on the bogies to get the buffer height as near as dammit.

Well, in the absence of any phospher bronze wire, I used guitar string wire prob about 12 thou. It is quite springy stuff and does the job pretty well. The wheels btw are Hornby coach wheels with the original Hornby gears grafted on. Quite a fiddly job, but it works. Rob

I simply go on ebay and type in what I want. Works every time. Or you can look for Tracy Tools they have every size of tap and die that you could want. You need to look in the right places. In this instance places that specialize in tools Rob

Well, I have to say, having a lathe solves a lot of problems. It's got me out of trouble many times. I did try to fit a different make of motor ( a Mitsumi ) it didn't do the job . I tried to make adaptors, but I couldn't get it right. I eventually made it work, but couldn't get any speed out of the loco. I knew I had to get the right type of motor. Even a different model as this one is. This time everything lined up as it should. With power fed directly to the motor it runs smooth and quiet. Rob

Hi Neil, I did look for EKM and found the website. I ordered what looked like the right motor, but when it came, there was a little note in the package to say they didn't have the one shown. They sent an alternative. Fortunately it was the right size, but the drive shaft is smaller, and the spigot on the drive end of the motor is smaller too. I have just spent the morning turning a tiny coller for the spigot, and adapting the worm gear of the old motor to fit by turning a micro sleeve. The motor now fits, and runs. I just have to re solder the wires from pick ups to motor, then fingers crossed it will all work. Thanks for telling me about EKM. without you telling me that, I had the choice of searching for another chassis or building a Comet chassis. I didn't want to do either , because the loco came to me in pristine hardly used condition. When I was testing it one coupling rod came apart at the knuckle joint and the whole lot jammed and burnt out the motor while I was out of the room for a few minutes. Grrrrrrrrr, was I peeed off. Rob

I expect you sorted this backlash problem ages ago. It is very simple to adjust. Loosen the nut in the centre of the handwheel turn the hand wheel clockwise until it takes up the slack, but doesn't make it too tight to turn. Then holding the h/wheel tighten the centre nut. I often check everything on mine. My Unimat 3 will for sale soon. Rob

Thank you Neil, I will try again to find it. I tried a while back, but couldn't make any sense of it. The motor is out, so will be easy to compare with any pics. cheers Rob

WANTED Buhler motor for Bachmann 2251. Rob

Yes, cheers, will do Rob

Yes should have been in wanted. No I do not expect anything for nothing

That was an interesting video. I didn't realise it was possible to copper plate Mazak and then solder. It is something I will try sometime. I want to try plating anyway to see if I can nickel plate brass parts I make, such as buffers coupling rods etc. I know can make these bits using nickel silver, but I just want to try it. Rob

There is a use for the bogies fitted to very old Triang clerestories. I bought earlier this week an old but pristine clerestory brake for £10 at the shop on Carrog station. I had been on the lookout for some of these coaches for a while. I then had to look more seriously for others. I found two more Brakes on ebay for £10 the pair £4 postage, which I thought was pretty good. Then, looking just now I saw the joke of the week..... A clerestory brake roof for £1.50, I thought yes reasonably ok price, until I looked further at the postage ! £5 now the postage for that should be £1.99 no more. That type of thing really pisses me off.. Anyway enough of that. My other ones arrived yesterday, and I set about them with my razor saw to make a C10 which I am pleased with. The bogies however present more of a problem. I didn't feel like buying the shapeways offering, So I looked at the the Triang B1's that came with the coaches, and wondered if I could do anything with them. The wheelbase is right the springs and axleboxes are passable, but frames are not. Nevermind I told myself , I will have a go. Fortunately the plastic they used in those days is not the soapy flexi stuff they use now. It responds well to Mek. So I carefully cut away all the unwanted detail, and built up the frames with 'Plastikard' and made parts by turning old bits of sprue on the lathe. I guess you could make the bits by hand, but I have a Unimat so could do them quickly. I have made one fair representation of a Dean 8'6" bogie. When my partner is back home I will get her to help me put some pics on here to show you how I did this. I am quite pleased with my efforts. I am looking for other ones I can do which lasted into the BR period.

Wanted. Does anybody have a Buhler motor as fitted to the Bachmann Collett goods ?? I believe the motor is the same as the one fitted to the N class loco. I need this to restore the model to working order. I have a plan B, which is to build a comet chassis, but if I can get a Buhler motor, I will be happy with it until I convert to EM. SORRY I should have put this in the wanted section. TIA Rob