Bassettblowke

Taking a leaf out of Fred’s book I also did an eBay search and up popped this variation also with the odd shaped hook faithfully copied on the Soviet example.

It’s so close in appearance to the last one in Fred’s post that I think he’s hit the nail on the head and that this is a Russian copy. No doubt all part of a plot to bring the capitalist toy world to its knees. Seriously though I would love to see the innards to see what the other lever operates and how. The other thing that caught my eye was the unusual hook that they both share. I wonder if that hook had a dedicated piece of cargo otherwise it looks no earthly use whatsoever.

Made in USSR would presumably mean it was made for export. Another pic to show the innards, one control lever operates the lifting and lowering of the cranes jib the other lever has been disconnected, I can only think that this one used to rotate the crane however nothing remains of the mechanism to do this that’s if it ever existed in the first place.

I’ve had this for a while now and every now and again I wonder why I bought it, wrong Scale for a start and secondly there appears to be bits missing which makes it doubly difficult to fix especially as I haven’t got a clue about the maker. I have pondered dismounting the crane body from the pier like plinth it sits on and mounting it on a Hornby Series bogie flat. But first things first I thought I would test the knowledge of the forum and see if anyone can identify its origins. the Triang transcontinental diesel is included in the picture to help gauge the scale

David Cooke is the new owner his contact address for Wessex Transfers is dcooke@netspace.net.au

For anyone interested I have had a reply from the new owner of Wessex Transfers to confirm that they are available at a price of $20 Australian which is approximately £10 plus postage and packing.

I thought this would be the concluding post showing the signal in all its new found pristine glory, sadly it wasn’t to be. I elected to paint the semaphore arm with Humbrol enamel, the white went on fine but the red was still not dry 24hrs later. Humbrol enamel chucked in the bin and the arm was taken back to bare metal with brush cleaner. Both tins of enamel were of a similar age why one should work and the other not beats me.

Delving back into my distant memory when stripping cheapo old pine furniture ( my grandfather a cabinet maker disparagingly called it hammer and nail furniture) once the piece was removed from the caustic tank it was dipped into a solution of water and white vinegar this was to neutralise the effects of the caustic. The place I had the misfortune to work in was slapdash in its approach and I didn’t hang around long. If not dried and stored properly black mould could easily establish itself and the appearance was then ruined only suitable for paint finishing. Caustic would also quickly ruin veneer and de laminate plywood so no use at all on your long garaged De Havilland Mosquito .Periodically the rinse tank was drained and refilled and a gallon of white vinegar added. If you are concerned about the effects of caustic long term you could adapt this approach to neutralise any ongoing reaction within the alloy.. I am no chemist or metallurgist so I have no grasp of any of the chemical changes that may or may not occur I can only go on my limited experience with Diecast Toys and Tinplate and to date I have encountered no problems whatsoever. i would add that I don’t use the white vinegar myself,but it may allay any concerns if you are about to dip the Countesses Tiara.

Almost at the finishing post, no satin black in my rattle can stash so casting the eyeballs around my other paints I came across this water based all surface paint by Rustins, quick dry goes on easily with little or no brush marks. The pins which hold the semaphore arm and the lever in place broke on removal. Looking at them closely they appeared to be nothing more than panel pins with the ends crimped. The only panel pins I had that fitted were brass but I quite like the look so brass it is. All that remains is to touch up the semaphore arm and crimp the ends of the pins.

I shall be parting with several items from my Smaug like pile of treasures to raise the dosh.

My springs are in rude health it’s the thumb that’s the problem hence 101 dispatched for a refit with a can motor and hopefully on return it will be easy street, for the thumb at least, and a lot more track time for the 101. If I take to it there are at least four other clockers to follow.

I’ve never experienced any problems with diecast or tinplate, I only leave the model in the potion until the job is done, no longer, in the case of a Dinky toy (old school variety) less than a minute does the job and tinplate even less. A thorough rinse and a once over with a scotchbrite pad and off you go. you often see stripped doors and old pine furniture with a furry type finish this is caused by over exposure to a hot caustic dip it has the same effect on the lead work used in leaded light panels. one other word of warning once you realise how quick and effective this is you may be struck down with the same affliction as me commonly known as restoritous a sad condition and an all to common side effect of over exposure to vintage trains and toys.

This is the stuff I use I certainly wouldn’t use Acid neither sulphuric, hydrochloride or any of that ilk. i add the soda very gradually to the vessel that contains freshly boiled, not boiling water which holds the item to be stripped, so you are adding the caustic soda to very hot water this creates an immediate reaction normally a brief hiss and bubbling, slowly add more, no more than a teaspoon at a time sprinkling the soda onto the water this keeps the reaction under control. Keep slowly sprinkling the soda until the water starts to change colour, it will turn into the colour you are stripping. Stop adding soda and leave for five minutes, then extract the object, this is best done by an attached piece of wire, if it’s stripped of paint it’s job done if some paint remains re immerse it and let the caustic do its work. If you think the solution is weak add some more soda. Never Never be tempted to add or pour the soda in large amounts this will create an uncontrollable reaction be patient and work methodically. Once the item is clear of paint rinse with cold water and pour the solution down the plug hole flushed with copious amounts of water and at the same time rinse the object you are stripping. Do not store the solution it’s cheap and storing a toxic harmful substance is dangerous. Do not breath the fumes protect yourself with appropriate clothing, long sleeves, gloves and eye protection and manage your work space, no pets or children and only do the job where you have access to running water. Take your time be methodical. the biggest no no is never ever add water to caustic soda this will create an hissing, spitting uncontrolled chemical reaction. That’s my method, reading the above it seems like a right old palaver but in reality once you have done it once it becomes a very quick process.

The de rust completed I thought it still looked a tad crusty so into the pot it went, a rinse with cold water a scrub with the scotchbrite and a blast from hers trulys scorched earth hair dryer/blaster and the first and with a bit of luck the last coat of white is on. whenever something goes in the caustic it’s a feeling of crossing the rubicon, there is no going back, all originality is destroyed and it ceases to be of any value as a collectible. That said hopefully when it’s finished you have an item that is functional and attractive to the eye and ready to be put to use.

Having slept on it I decided to try and break it down a tad and much to my surprise the twisted tab holding the ladder to the base was straightened and freed with little drama, after that it was simply a matter of prying the top of the ladder free from the locating holes on either side at the top of the post. I now have unobstructed access to the back of the ladder which especially at the top has a fair crop of red rust. Next step another search through the paint stash for a suitable black.

Well the last resort if I do make a pigs ear of it will be caustic dip, over the next couple of days I will see how things pan out. As you have probably gathered I do get a lot of satisfaction out of the renovation process but there is always the risk element in that you may end up in a worse place than when you started. I have a stalled B/Lowke compound project awaiting attention that proves that point.

That’s problematic normally with Hornby stuff it would indeed be chucked in the caustic pronto but this little beastie has crimped wires and tiny tabs so the repaint may have to be done with everything in situ either by spray with masked off areas or brush maybe a combination of the two. You can see some of the rust on the paper towel it was this that provoked the attack. I can live with dents, paint chips, fading paint even peeling paint to a degree but rust just gives me the heebeejeebies so as much as possible had to go and inevitably that meant some paint loss as well.

Its so plug ugly I couldn’t put up with it, I might give it a dip in the rust treatment and reappraise. Meanwhile I couldn’t resist the temptation to attack the signal here’s a few pics of the start of the revamp.

Now that had me puzzled, on mine looking even more closely the indent for the hole on the second corner hadn’t been fully punched through, a slight tap with a centre punch removed the blockage. The hole is a different diameter to the other one so I think someone has widened the hole in the past, the ragged edge also being an indicator. I also removed the spring which didn’t make an ha’porth of difference to the action and given its condition it will probably be binned. If the signal is used at all it will probably be as a static ornament, next time I stumble upon my box of springs I shall look to see if anything comparable is in stock. Head scratching time to see if anything further warrants doing.

The fencing being done and dusted the signal began to draw me in, initially I wasn’t to impressed but I gave it a quick wash and brush up and it began to look like it may have potential. Now I have no knowledge of B/Lowke signals this being the only one I possess in anything like scale proportions. One of the first things that caught my eye was a hole in the base this may be original but to me at least has the appearance of a diy job and if that’s the case the originality has gone out the window and it’s fair game for some bodgery. Any thoughtshole is bottom right corner Also the spring which doesn’t seem to serve any purpose at the moment hanging like a wet sock as it does, I am tempted to remove it, opinions also welcome on this.

One of the joys of using hot caustic is the spotless finish obtained, a quick wash down with a spray of water and a scotch brite pad followed by a blast from the other half’s industrial strength hair dryer ( it’s that powerful I am surprised she’s got any hair left) and your good to go with the paint. I am impressed with the Baufix product good coverage, quick drying and a deep lustrous finish akin to a coat of lacquer and best of all reasonably priced. The down side is it’s not a stock item in Lidl so only pops up when the DIY promotions are on, well worth keeping an eye out for.

Back from the brink is the platform fencing, instead of appliance white I treated it to a coat of Lidl’s Baufix metal paint which like Hammerite purports to deal with rust, requires no primer and the minimum of prep, unlike Hammerite it dries to a perfectly smooth high gloss finish. ,

I am indeed a member of the HRCA and I have contacted David via email, he isn’t sure whether any are available at the moment as he is away from home and unable to check. I will be contacting him again towards the end of March once he returns to his home address.

A quick update on the decal hunt, Fox transfers do a 7mm set, not specifically Hornby reproductions but they would do the job as I am not about producing a 100% authentic replica. What’s holding me back is the price £11.80 which is only £4.20 shy of the purchase price of the tank wagon. I also tracked down the guy in Australia who has taken over the late Rob Hortons Wessex Transfers business, he is away from home and unavailable due to personal circumstances until mid March so it’s wait and see for a while yet.