locomad2

Really enjoy this thread and a great credit to Airfix making this kits over 60 years ago, in terms of quality, value for money never been bettered. Quite a few of this beautiful kits have survived years of service and contine to do so, often rebuilt, repainted, rewheeled, re coupled etc. I'am not far off having over an 100 and plan to haul them all in one train using an Airfix 9F fitted with X04 motor. Here's one made about 30 years As you can see almost a perfect paint match to a Hornby Dublo, roof almost matches as well, wished I made a note of the paint used at the time. Often confuses us as this one gets put in the wrong box or just lost on the layout. Now all models have a code painted underneath so can match/compare future models.

Someone must have tried this one before, actually found it the easiest. One of those magazine loco display models all the rave few years back on a standard Hornby dublo duchess chassis It's a very quick conversion just undo those screws cut off the long tabs and fit straight on, tender easy to undo one screw pull off the brake gear and replace the wheels. Maybe replace in the display case with the old body with the solid running gear, just needs bit of padding on cylinder and front bogie

There is quite a good write up on wiki about Superquick, what I found out years ago from a Model mag was the creator actually went into the business because he had spare capacity on his printing machines, a similar reason Kitmaster kits was created by Rosebud then a Doll manufacturer. Both these manufacturers had a big effect on the railway model industry at the time by providing cheap, good value products, to us the consumer. My other reason why I ended up making so many superquick kits was because at school there was "craft and cooking" lessons. Us pupils had to pay for our own materials, wood, metal etc, been at the time a shortage and materials expensive, plus of course lack of school tools and a qualified woodwork teacher, it was decided we could make Superquick models in crafts instead. Amazing at the time pupils could choose which to do, most choose crafts cause it was cheaper, so for about 2 years whole classes would turn out "cities" of superquick models. Been easy to construct requiring only glue (pots of PVA) and a simple ( shared) knife or even scissors, we would compete with each other to produce the best model, prize at end of term - a more expensive superquick models. Amazing after 50 years later these models often appear in local car boots, model shows, toy fairs, with the name and class number of the builder on the back.

Interesting thread, while on the subject has anyone noticed Superquick seems to have got a bit bigger over the years. I've noticed more recent additions are larger in comparison to older models and don't quite look right if place next to each other, notice the doors of these two different models The one on the left is bigger I've measured it as well, its 26.2 mm high, one on right 25.8 mm, at 1:76 that's about 1inch in real terms. Not much I know, however the terraced houses look bigger and out of place compared to older models.

Thanks I've often wondered whose it was, excellent paper which has lasted, built for my first layout 55 years ago, there is actually a hidden siding on other side

Are these "Bilteezi" backscences, just mounted on thick card ?

Great thing about any cardboard model is the ease and speed which many can be repaired here my old favourite Post office on Station road Brick paper over tears, etc Other problem with any cardboard is they deteriorate quickly, slag, bend, lose the shape I found best way to keep the shape is a block of scrap wood cut accurately to shape. They stand better after Course like the real thing require paint (crayon, felt pens,) to finish them off

Think I built my first Superquick aged 9 and loved them ever since, your right a charm of there own and my own view more fitting for 60's and older layouts as they look "Grimmer". Look at any old colour photos of the period and most towns & cities building covered in a thick grey/dirty black, sooty, deposit from hundred odd years of coal burning. Superquick grimmer look, definitely looks more realistic than more recent manufacturers which are best suited to post 80's layouts about the time grants given to sandblast urban buildings.

Thanks knew somewhere I read and almost sure seen a picture of one with conventional value gear but retaining the cladding which I was led to believe could be put though coach washing plants Getting there

Plus the white bottom half on some ladders

Someone must have tried this before, putting a unrebuilt West Country or Battle of Britain body onto rebuilt one. With the cost of the un-rebuilt ones fetching silly prices even just for the bodies, so I looked around for a suitable body. Found in the scrap box a complete Kitmaster kit, reasonable built, with a few bits missing. No doubt part of a "box of bits" purchased under the counter for next to nothing or just given away in car park after the show or toy fair. Few minutes later after the screwdriver split the glue body / chassis comes apart, just placed on top of a Triang Wrenn chassis to decide good fit, does it look right? etc Yes more work to do the cylinders are angled raise body or cut ?. Position of body forward/back ? Too much overhang from Ringfield. Fit front buffer beam, or lengthen it a bit, since it is a "neverwas" prefer to get it to look right than actual diagram cause there was never one. Tender looks ok. Only other issue it will lose some weight but then they were light weights

Anyone actually use the original Airfix coupling ? When I did start building them 50 years ago did try on the layout to use them but found not compatible with then Peco type, at the time kits cost about 2/- and the peco coupling the same price so doubled the cost and as a result often "robbed" them from peco wonderful wagons. I can also remember trying to run them in a rake, running backwards found they derailed easy, plus the elastic bands broke. Often get mine now from toy fairs in the scrap boxes for ridiculous low prices, often broken, bits missing, etc. However great fun in rebuilding many and adding to collection. Did pick 2 made unpainted versions recently and tried again, this coupled up Pulling And Pushing So noticed pushing on curves etc the buffers would meet, now experience of loose stock using chains buffer lock can occur, wagons need to be heavy, buffers the same height and strong plus you couldn't really push more than a few. Airfix kit buffers not the most robust and kits very light. However one advantage is close connection about 13mm beam to beam compared to 20mm peco or tension Plus how do they uncouple? Special ramps ?

Interesting thread as I've rarely come across any Farish coaches prehaps the price at the time put local retailers off, so never saw any on sale, nor have I come across many at toy fairs etc. However I have few "banana boxes" of scrap coach bodies etc and did find a dusty Southern Railway composite coach and a Pullman Brake. Noticed that the bogies were the dual type similar to kitmaster, ie each end you could fit different coupling. Someone has hacked off the tension lock bar on the inner end but on this end you could fix trix or a triang coupling. Note that hook And the method to prevent side play, a wire staple thing After a really good clean the detail showed up quite well

SAVED, thanks everyone for replying, spent few hours last night testing the loco on existing layout, performance etc. Its a good runner compared to triang L1, (same chassis/motor) just that little extra weight brass body makes all the difference. It didn't stall on insulfrog points like some 2 axle engines do. Also compared to 30 year old Hornby 38xx, tender drive, actually out performed it by pulling 6 Hornby dublo SD coaches. I also noticed original builder had fitted the cylinders closer to the frames. These type of cylinders did stick out and on corners rip into platform sides. I myself have a soft spot for such models, they often look more realistic, certainly more reliable, easier to repair/service. The X04 is a simple motor tough, powerful, easy to repair/service as yet only remaged 1, I don't really need spares as they just keep going. Plan is to touch up paint, rebuild value gear, use Lord of Isles tender, if paint job don't work, walnut shell blast it as its brass and respray.

Prehaps the wrong area to post, but here goes. Over the years I've collected a few wrecks, bits models, spares etc from toy fairs/ model shows in the view of either restoring them or scraping them for the parts, mainly for wheels or motors etc. Now is the time to look at them and decide what to do ?. Here is a good example, County of Bedford engine only, no tender Brass built body, tatty, firebox looks odd ? triang chassis X04 motor, Hornby dublo bogie, runs well now, wheels pulled out a bit so accepts code 100 track no wobble, missing value gear, no tender. Save and repair or scrap ?

I've other packs somewhere, however I know many were opened and used years ago, these came painted and without stands so quickly got glued on to then existing layouts. The policeman very handy for 60's street scenes as I can actually remember them in real life directing traffic especially in seaside resorts as then not considered cost effective to install traffic lights for short busy peak seasons. The mail boy another common fiqure which did appear in the merit boxes, I used to chop off the bases so can't see any difference between them now. I often wonder did they come from the same mould ? Can anyone remember the subbuteo crowd fiqures sold about 1980, unpainted crowd fiqures both seating and standing ? Sold in poly bags. I've seen some on toyfairs 1000's of them in bags, however seller wanted silly money for them

Thanks that could be a source of them, I've always called them "tails" and quite common to find they rot, split or come off. For years I've used insulation from wiring, often chew the end to ease fitting. Heat strink works well, its important to get correct flex.

Interesting thread very informative, I've some Slater's fiqures I found recently, I think purchased at Manchester Model railway show at UMIST about 1979, set of 8 painted in a small plastic bag Quite a considerable about of flash on all

Dreadfully motors, not even worth talking about

I've a fair collection of X04 motors powering quite a range of triang and early Hornby chassis some are now 60 years old and given excellent service. I found it to an excellent motor if serviced ie oil, clean etc and only once remagistered a 2nd hand motor, I suspect magnet removed, easy done and reduced amps power. The original magnet last better than the Hornby dublo types. The only issue I have found is a supply of orginial brushes

Found from experience and I believe in real life balance is quite important i.e. each driving wheel axle should exert similar force. In modelling this applies to both driving effort and pick up's. Some model locks are badly balanced and as a result suffer poor running and haulage effort. Simple test just pick up centre and see which way they lean too ie test centre of gravity. As for weight I still use Lead and recently Uranium, source of later rubbish left from people wearing weighted vests running up mountians

Still interesting this thread found a couple of old trix coupling pre 1954, the ones with the spike on top allowing coupling to old pre war type. First mentioned in 1948 catalogue

Timeless

Southern "Q" class built by my late father over 50 years ago on a standard triang chassis XO4 motor etc, some 30 years ago I pulled the wheels out a bit to cope with more modern points. Very popular loco giving 50 years of continuous service on 4 layouts and a excellent haulier capable of at least 30 HD standard wagons. One of the first to get ATF4 treatment of wheels some 10 years ago, seems to work reducing stalls on non live frogs, and reduced corrosion at slight expense of haulage capacity.

Lovely pictures those tank wagons so thanks for posting prehaps the next batch will be in silver, I've a few box limited edition left, plus odd wrecks found in toy fairs. The airfix tank wagons are especially good in a long rake, like them so much I've been building / rebuilding them over the past 50 years, not easy to photo, so here's a rake in a siding taken recently The last one has been left as original, one I built when I was 9, therefore I've built at least a few every decade since making them easier the the most popular kit I've built. The whole rake uses peco coupling, some did have tension lock, but I found as trains got longer over 20 wagons they tended to derail when shunted in reverse. I think also there is about 4 different types of wheels used, however some are airfix which tend to squeak especially on curves, "just like real thing". The brake van also airfix is actual a convertible wagon both peco & tension lock, notice too the overhead crane, that's part airfix too.