Hacksworth_Sidings

Y’know I was just thinking about how you motorised the Stephenson’s Rocket kit with a cheap windup motor, and how you can get cheap coreless motors off eBay… Drive gears from Microscalextrix car, cheap eBay motor, Dapol Rocket kit, possibly gut a windup motor for a gearbox casing, a cheap flatbed wagon for power collection… Would give Smokey Joe a run for his money 🤪

Not sure if it counts as “cheapo train sets”, but here’s an idea I’ve had for a while: I’ve been seeing a lot of those YouTube videos with people making fancy things out of those 3D pens, one good example I found whilst checking YouTube was a car body made using a 3D pen, designed to fit an existing RC chassis, and this got me thinking… Could this be applied to railway modelling? I know decent places to get cheap chassis’, I have a book of OO drawings by F.J. Roche, all I’d need is the pen. Would it be to the same scratch as a professionally made model? Absolutely not, but as a bit of fun I think it could be a decent challenge! If I were to attempt it, I’d likely try something like a Jinty, not many complex shapes since most of the boiler is covered by the large tanks, hell, maybe even whip together some scale drawings of a Nellie body and attempt a replica of that, either way, I’ve been thinking of this for a while and want to hear other peoples thoughts on the matter.

…On a considerably lighter note: Remember that Kitmaster pug my friend sent over for a rebuild? I finally found the cheap train set wagon that the bogies came from, and so I’ve finally fitted the wheels! Handles radius 1 curves like a champ. Hornby 0-4-0 for scale.

Guess which clutz dropped the model and shattered the cab! About to go and hunt around the floors, managed to find two parts of the cab already, really could have done without this though… Push comes to shove, I attempt to rebuild it with Milliput and plasticard, any recommendations for paint? I’m considering Humbrol RC405 “GWR/BR green”, pretty sure that’s what was used when this model was first made, regardless of if I find all the cab pieces or not, I’m still going to get some paint to touch up the model’s details alongside other projects.

Merchant Navy if I recall correctly, uses a Triang BoB as a base though. Can definitely agree on the livery too, after I’ve restored the Rosebud BoB I bought from Elaine I’m tempted to pick up a Dapol one and paint it up in BR blue.

Managed to throw together a drawbar, a cut down Airfix COT’s drawbar, in hindsight I should have just cut the double loop which slots over the tender coupler off and used that instead of creating unnecessary faff for myself, but it holds and at a somewhat believable distance.

Completely neglected to show, but after 20 minutes with just my hands, a flathead and some new plastic wheel bushes it’s rolling smoothly, need to file away at the ash pans so the rear bogie can swivel properly, fix the cylinder block (which is likely sitting too low down as of now) to the chassis, create a drawbar, and get a motor, but all in all it’s shaping up to be a decent model! Will be focusing on cosmetics next, going to buy a smokebox dart from Silver Tay, considering getting brass 34056 “Croydon” nameplates from Fox.

About 20 minutes with just my hands and a screwdriver and it’s at least rolling correctly, need to file away at the ash pans so the rear bogie can rotate freely, and properly secure the new cylinder block, develop a loco/tender drawbar too, and then it should be ready from a mechanical standpoint.

There is an "AG" on the back of the smokebox, which is quite clearly a cast, so I'd assume yes. Plenty of other white metal castings too, including two rather annoying ones beneath the cab which restrict the rear bogie's movement. (Edit: just looked in a book, they’re the ash pans, will have to file those down so the bogie can swivel) Also, turns out it isn't an Airfix Bulleid, but rather an original Kitmaster! Or at the very least on Kitmaster frames.

Just been checking the model over and I have reason to believe there's a conversion kit at play here... White metal casts for the whistle, safety valve, smokebox and boiler backhead, two casts to actually mount the body onto the chassis, a cast to mount a tension lock coupler to the tender, and a casted tender coal chute(?), anyone know of a Rosebud/Airfix BoB conversion kit which uses the Triang B12 chassis as a base? Or am I looking too deep into this and it's actually something that someone has thrown together out of several third party components?

Bulleid finally arrived, should be a relatively straightforward restoration, will show more photos once it's complete, but I'll go into greater detail on the Kitmaster thread.

Yep, I’ve just found my eBay alternative, I ordered on the 30th, she posted on the 31st, and today it arrives, all 2nd class post mind you, will absolutely be buying from Elaine again.

My third Spam Can just arrived, running on a B12 chassis, not a Jinty, the top of the model was loose but I’ll likely keep it this way as there are a few white metal parts which are used to hold the body down to the chassis which can only be accessed by removing the top, I need to devise a loco/tender coupling but all in all nothing I can’t sort out. As for customer service from Elaine? I ordered on Monday October 30th, she posted the item yesterday (Tuesday Oct 31st), and it arrived today (Nov 1st), good prices and swift delivery, I’ll absolutely be buying from her again.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195993267715?hash=item2da21bee03:g:5JIAAOSwETtlDKmW&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4GktTZcSzdHE2e936XKjvOTiFTOsqBKN8e%2BJxtRUMbvzWyrGI9sj1ScG4TzEuniCm%2Bfz5uyiqMrdqApF8eyckCXGP9TO8nr5%2BtoItbhYAF%2B%2BVozWB4O5z199kXsg%2BFAefFHE9%2FB%2FvJGLBvA%2FMtMNm2VY6PDtrhTGndWTQ0bBwpJAAsHc9ZsGYt8GyrUK1wvtP%2Fg2PzMHNwQ2h%2Bb8oE3uUIi61kCzFPW9PEC2QcWkujE2zm%2F4d6jCNey2IeRf4v77QTjC1qoRCF8w2AmyzYfN7mW3zK8LUAMmHrXXpfDNLfzt|tkp%3ABk9SR87PzKnxYg Found this on the 'bay, looks like a 5MT body simply fitted to a Princess chassis, a good choice for motorising the tender drive 5MT, something I've been considering doing myself...

Been considering doing that on this model, fill the spokes in with Milliput, just worried about fouling up the running in the process, since they’re the “see through” type wheels. Model only cost £7, £2 in repairs (new crank pin threads for the new centre drivers) so less than a tenner in total, trying to keep it cheapo for the cosmetics too. Fitting entirely new wheels which require smaller axles would just generate unnecessary faff.

Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure something else out.

Might give those a try if they’re the same diameter as the Princess wheels it’s running on, push comes to shove, there’s a busted Triang Bulleid up for grabs too… Edit: No there isn't, got reserved not long after I bought the Airfix Bulleid, the Boxpok wheel overlays are also reserved, unsure of where to go from here in terms of modelling the correct type of wheels...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155859614998?hash=item2449f4fd16:g:WFAAAOSwOt1lPo50&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwFLgToqDvt0rRIZlFXpRbd4JxiJQlOajgrneGOgXdsJZ7EngP21lF46%2FwxCBDN59%2FYL542C7FbC3ZqdnGsc0FEGALQNCTSIEX28Wa4bxF0YXEPWHlzZRBaUdtzpeap9PnCQMOWrXC9t2mVtXxCiUh%2FhDvjeAzqBVYkTwozZrYTja0r9Gvq5KbBiA3PRu%2F0rhoB9spwLBvyvy58bdKyD5WNOiFn9BvIvNWogiSVzzZIS6Lf1t%2Bg2qqbXD2fK7367Ayw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4Sph6vwYg Ah yes, “vintage”

You by any chance referring to their Princess Elizabeth model? I had the chance to see one when I went to Brighton last year, as you said, rather lumpy by modern eyes, but way better than what they did for Scotsman, I wonder what would happen if they continued with O gauge instead of making the change to Dublo...

Y’know, just for 5h1ts n gigs, I’d love to attempt to model that in OO… One day…

Running on a Triang chassis, no plastic drive parts (except the insulators). Just needs new centre drivers which I have already, a cylinder block which, again, I already have, a pickup for the insulated wheels and buffers, standard Triang servicing should suffice.

Might have just found my new eBay alternative… Ordered one of the cheaper items today, Elaine’s customer service is amazing and her prices even better, might just start buying from her more often.

Shared on the Kitmaster thread, but it's a kitbash, so off to here it goes! Bought this from Elaine's Trains today for £7, Airfix Biggin Hill on what looks like a Jinty chassis, all I need is crank pins for the centre drivers as I have some spare already, missing the screw threads, but besides that it should be a relatively straightforward restoration!

Just bought myself a fun little restoration project from Elaine's Trains, Airfix Bulleid on what looks like a Jinty chassis, will have to get some of the short crank pins as I have some spare Princess wheels to fit on the centre axles, problem is that they're the "see-through" type wheels, should I maybe make a card or paper cutout to go over the wheels instead of attempting to fill them with Milliput?

I’ve… Never heard the expression K.I.S.S. before, what does it stand for? Something along the lines of “Keep It Stupidly Simple?”.