Bassettblowke

Note the description of the wheels as being finely knurled which to be fair by the standards of the day they probably were. I have some Bassett Lowke O gauge that could be described as having steam roller wheels.

I’ve been reading this thread with interest with a view to recommissioning my childhood Blue Pullman set, I am surprised it took so long for Magnadhesion to rear its head. Back in the early 60’s this train set arrived one Xmas and I loved it, over time the super 4 track needed cleaning and in my naivety I used wire wool this resulted (obviously) in a set of very woolly wheels. Using a more powerful magnet the wire wool was successfully removed, and much to my relief no damage seemed to have been done, indeed it still runs today. However I am not happy about the rutted cartwheels it’s fitted with and a replacement motor bogie has been ordered. Magnadhesion was of no use on nickel silver track and I presume this is why it fell out of use, if my grey cells are functioning correctly Lionel also used it theirs being called Magne-traction, how long for I’ve no idea but interesting to see it get a mention.

Wandering around a local charity shop I came across this little Tonka bulldozer which fits nicely in the well of the Hornby wagon.

If you intend to pursue an interest in LMC products David Peacocks book available from the trust is an essential buy, giving chapter and verse on LMC products over the years. The Dutch HRCA website also have some excellent pictures of Leeds models. Both David and Bruce Palmer are very helpful guys as well as providing those essential parts for restorations.

At long last I’ve managed to acquire a Manchester Collieries LMC wagon in good condition. It’s quite common to find problems with loose wheels on the axles and the degradation of the zinc alloy used for the wheels. This one is in excellent nick compared to 99% of my other purchases. sneaking into shot are two other recent acquisitions a GWR open and a Bogie van, the open wagon was also in very good condition and required no attention beyond a clean. The NE bogie van had a good litho but required re-wheeling due to zinc pest and missing wheels. The wheels were replaced with Hornby plastic wheels on shortened Hornby axles, new buffers all round and a replacement fabricated for a missing solebar, this was a simple task utilising a scrap piece of wood, attached with PVA and a coat of paint and ready to roll.

Another addition to my stable of on the cheap bitsa coal wagons. This one utilises my least favourite LMC livery, I think it must have been unpopular as they crop up fairly often. The running gear is from a late Hornby cylinder wagon and the couplings I think may be Bonds at least that was what was on the envelope. £4 for the donor wagon complete with brake levers and plastic wheels, the rest has been in stock for a while, the body was cut from left over ply. The red cylinders will find a home in the goods yard so nothing goes to waste. A coal load will be added to this one once I’ve pounded a lump with the hammer.

The damage to the litho is rather odd and I believe this is down to the prior attempted removal of a sticky substance (varnish at a guess) which had been applied sometime in the past. When first purchased it was very tacky to the touch subsequent experiments revealed that the litho had been penetrated by the varnish and attempted removal with a cotton bud with a variety of cleansers, thinners etc on a very minuscule part of the livery always produced an instant crimson lake hit on the cotton bud. However Pledge multi surface cleaner whilst not removing the varnish coating has taken away the tackiness and it can now be handled without leaving distinct fingerprints. I have another ongoing issue with a postwar B/L coach which at first glance looks like it has been wrapped in cling film leaving behind a distinct fractured plastic film which is also tacky to the touch. The Pledge also works on this to a degree removing a good 80% of the offending film and the tackiness that went with it.

Some pictures of further progress on this coach, the roof has had its primer coat and the first topcoat it’s awaiting a quick rub down and it’s final coat. The coach came devoid of wheels, bogies and the mounting points. As a temporary measure the bogies are spaced off the bottom of the coach by a column of 5 washers pending a suitable bogie mount being fabricated. The couplings have been changed and it now rolls quite well. As can be seen the coach sides show distinct signs of damage to the litho, I am undecided about whether or not to tackle it or leave well alone.

Fred That is an exquisite example and the roof colour seems to confirm what I’ve unearthed from internet searches. Several paint suppliers also specify light grey for MR coaching stock roofs. During the process of removing the old paint layers from the roof three colour were encountered, the crumbling white, black and grey. Here’s a picture of the roof stripped and ready for paint, my initial thought once it was cleaned up were to just give it a coat of satin lacquer as I was quite taken by the pewter/grey finish. I am now edging toward paint especially after seeing that gorgeous example.

I’ve recently acquired one of these carriage’s in pretty poor shape, the most obvious stand out smack you in the chops problem being the poorly applied repaint job on the roof. Not only is it heavily brushed marked it’s also flat and filthy, looking at it I suspect it may be old white lead primer. I’ve searched around a bit and so far every picture I’ve seen shows MR stock with what appears to be grey roofs, as always when viewing black and white photographs gauging colour or shade of colour is problematic. As a B/Lowke model does anyone know what the original roof colour would have been ? And secondly does anyone know what colour the full size coach roof was in Railway service. I also had a look at the Darstaed 6 wheel MR coach offerings and they are grey. Any opinions welcome

I also have never had any problems and have never been able to notice any difference between them. However that said I’ve never really been able to stretch them, all of my layouts being simple and uncomplicated with very little demand placed on the transformer and controller. It would be interesting to hear opinions/comparisons with more up to date offerings and whether this vintage stuff is still considered viable.

With my expertise in such matters I dread to think what I would turn up

Maico It does indeed, in the first chapter it explains the differing types on offer, being an electrical dunce I will copy the pages so you get the proper explanation. From what I can gather it’s just a case of progression, Variable Resistance being first on the scene followed by Variable transformer and then Transistorised control. The first time I read through the explanations and differing types of wiring I definitely needed a lie down afterwards. As you will see I’ve managed to post the two pages in reverse order, just a knack I’ve got I am afraid. The important thing to remember is these articles were written nearly fifty years ago and time has moved on even if I haven’t.

And finally for comparisons sake with Barclay’s earlier post about the ELECTRAN here’s a picture from the 6th edition catalogue which shows the differing spec and later casing style which was reflected across the model railway transformer\controller range. The Victor, Minipack and Matchless power units and the Imp, Superglow, Alpha and Glo-Worm battery chargers had their own individual styling.

Back in the day H&M operated its own service facility and actively discouraged third party repair thus I think you will struggle to find a Pukka H&M one, but never say never they must have had some printed for internal use.

I used to work in a “bums on seats” university, to those unfamiliar with the term these are former poly techs that used to major in vocational subjects. Hands on engineering, Mates tickets for merchant navy officers etc etc. Many of the old Poly hands resented being elevated to third rate Uni status issuing degrees in tourism and travel and to their minds various other non subjects designed to pull in the paying punters. One such Character I used to meet on occasion was a technician from the electrical engineering dept and in conversation he told me that he started out in life as a TV repairman. Now in the fifties as a child I well remember the two day wait with a defunct tele waiting for the man in the van to appear, my dad probably inflicted additional damage by administering numerous whacks on the top before resigning himself to forking out for the engineer. In passing I mentioned to him our central heating control panel had gone on the blink and did he think it was repairable, he fixed it in short order and some time later repaired a Marklin transformer for me so this sort of work would be well within the scope of an old school repairman. Only problem is finding one, the local repairman is now an extinct species with modern electronics being consigned to the bin as beyond economical repair as soon as the warranty has expired. On the Classic O forum there is at least one electrical engineer who is a service agent for both Ace and Darstaed as well as manufacturing his own controllers and a rolling road. It might be worth an enquiry before consigning the transformer to history or even worse the bin.

This little booklet is well worth keeping an eye out for although it might cost you a bit more than 20p i picked this up along with several H&M Units when a local dealer closed, like many others my first controller was a Clipper purchased from Hattons. I currently run a DC60 with a Commander and a multipack DC Control Unit. Also stashed are at least 3 clippers a Safety Minor, Executive and a RC1, two meter units and a switch console. Yes I know I need help. Quoting from the H&M power control manual 6th edition the POWERMASTER and Safety Minor are both Variable transformer units the ELECTRAN and the EXECUTIVE are both Transistorised Power/Control Units the CLIPPER and DUETTE are both Variable Resistance Units the Powapack is a Transformer/Rectifier Unit the COMMANDER is a Transistorised Controller the DC Control Unit is a Variable resistance control unit the model R.C.I Rectifier-Controller is a control unit the same as the previous DC unit but incorporating a built in Rectifier unit making it suitable for operating DC motors from 14-18 volts AC power sockets. and finally the MULTI PACK DC POWER UNIT which is the heart of the multipack system and not forgetting these connectors which are worth keeping an eye out for to add the finishing touch. A row of multipack units would have set you back a pretty penny back in the day but with time and patience they can be acquired quite cheaply today and if like me you are trapped in the past they go nicely with a vintage/classic looking layout.

My initial thought were that it was only suitable for parts the couplings being in good order and the roof although rusty was free from dents and with this in mind it was stripped down. Prior to storing away for future use everything was given a clean, the roof being quite rusty was rubbed down with some wet and dry abrasive paper with the thought that I would give it a coat of etch primer prior to storage. However once this was done I started to toy with the idea of keeping it in unrestored condition, thoughts of putting it back on the rails stalled when I realised I didn’t need anymore 4 wheel vans (one of the down sides to impulse buying) having far more than I need already. That’s when the idea sprang to mind, operating in a world of predominantly vintage tinplate its pretty much a world of same old same old by it’s very nature, virtually nothing new having been offered since the old King died. Here was a chance at low cost to inject a bit of interest to my otherwise staid collection of predominantly Hornby tinplate structures. It was built on its own base so it could easily be relocated around the layout, at the moment it’s destined to sit behind the platform on a modified Hornby station. Further detail such as a porters barrow and an old packing case or maybe an old milk churn may be added later. The current layout/glorified test track is a work in progress basically two loops of K line supersnap which is used pending replacement with Lionel tinplate track. The supersnap has excellent connectivity and is very stable without being pinned down.

The end of the road for most rolling stock more often than not involved a cutting torch and the scrap yard. However many a humble four wheeled van survived albeit dismounted, they provided storage in station yards, farmers fields and sundry other places. Here’s my take on the subject a rusty old Bassett Lowke LMS van purchased minus wheels and axles and with damaged axle boxes for £4. Fitted with a wooden floor and resting on four period Bassett Lowke sleepers located on a ply base and provided with an access ramp for the door.

Here’s another three in one of my favourite liveries only to be bettered by the LMS livery which I am led to believe is essentially the same with LMS blotting out the midland in the small black panel. Again listed on eBay and not exactly cheap. I was initially quite interested in them until I realised someone had gone to the trouble of cutting out all the windows. Two other coaches also listed at the moment one a Bakelite GWR in poor condition with missing window frets and disintegrating bogies yours for a paltry £149 and another substandard one for £25. Some of these sellers must be getting high on the fumes from disintegrating Mazak

I presume the Tricoethylene is the cleansing agent prior to bonding the whole kit and caboodle back together again with Araldite. If that’s correct it would be interesting to see the finished article.

I agree not the sort of house guest you would welcome, I wouldn’t have paid what they were eventually sold for, my view being they were only worth the value of the sum of salvageable parts. I can also visualise lying awake at night waiting for the first tell tale hole to appear in the apparently unaffected coach or even worse the Chippendale toilet seat I bought for a snip from some fella in Shenzhen

More pictures the third one showing the best of the bunch

I’ve been watching three LMC coaches on eBay and was tempted at the start price but they soon accelerated beyond the range of my pocket. One of them wasn’t too bad but the other two were pretty grim and nicely illustrate some of the issues to be encountered with vintage stock. Woodworm and Zinc pest have both been at work and I would only salvage parts from the two afflicted coaches.