97xx

Be vary careful with a Mainline Manor . Mine which I have owned from new had developed Mazak rot in one half of the split chassis, and would not move at all. It was a very major task to correct, requiring me to machine up an entirely new chassis half. Thankfully it runs superbly now, but rather a lot of effort to get there...!

Thanks John. The 'main tanks' annotation - would that have been on the ends of an RB with underframe as opposed to end-fill roof water tanks? Anyway, my 40-year old transfers don't have that detail so I can't apply it. I was very conscious that as much as possible I needed to 'make do' else I'd end up spending as much on modifying a fundamentally out-dated and fairly poor model as buying a new Hornby RB!

Yes, I've subsequently spotted that and imagined it was why Lima tried it as an 'LMS Dining Car'. Bad choice though as RB was late Mk1 anyway...

Tried the SEF and 50:50, so left out for now. For those interested, work included: Bachmann commonwealth bogies on brass bushes (removing underframe to clear flanges) Adding some interior detail (buffet counter, wood panelling, table colour, a few 'customers') Adding plasticard propane boxes Adding second battery box - made up from scribed plasticard Removing all roof water pipes, vents and weld lines Removed Lima buffers and added BR ones Removed end water pipes Adding correct number of welded sections to roof using Archer arcweld transfers Adding correct clamshell vents and Ventaxias Added end handrails Repainted roof Stripped Frankenlivery from body (see original pictures at top of post) Added strips of 10 thou plasticard rod for window vent draught preventers Added steps to solebar Primed body/underframe Masked sides, blew in underframe and ends in weathered black Masked ends/underframe and repainted, relined, named and numbered sides Added C1 and solebar transfers Satin varnished the lot Things I know that remain incorrect, some of which I could fix: Missing the rectangular kitchen vent - might add later Probably need stepboard on bogie below BOTH emergency exits - only did one, but can do other Probably should have removed carriage end steps, although not 100% sure whether I might be OK as I haven't added later OLE flashes (is that when steps were removed?) Stars for water connection points on solebar? Curtains I'm sure we can debate the precise positioning of the 'Buffet Restaurant Car' but I have enough examples of variations to be happy enough... So far it's only cost me a pot of paint and the vents as everything else was around. Some of the transfers we 40 year old Methfix - worked perfectly. This is what I've ended up with:

Just spotted this thread, and continuing the discussion about liveries, I think there is an opportunity to present an engine in the really well-worn state it would have been at the end of steam. I would have done this to the Adams radial when it was being cosmetically brushed up a while back for show purposes - it seemed a bit daft to make it look pristine whilst completely inoperative. An element of 'preservation' could be to present what steam really looked like throughout a lot of its day, and how better to do it that to a loco out of steam and sat right at the end of the restoration queue?

At the point of reglazing. I have bought SEF 'flush' glazing but frankly not sure it looks very good - the upper vent windows in particular are like 'bubbles'. What are people's views on: living with the original (which I have polished up nicely) accepting the thick body sides Installing SEF AND the original as a sort of 'keeper' (per SEF instructions) Cutting roof up to remove original and using SEF only. Thanks.

Good point. Looking at the picture in Parkin supplement, First had orange, the Second none.

Must admit I could not find references to curtains in the Supplement. I may conceivably have missed it buried in the Minutes section but have tried to scan through that.

I'm rebuilding an old Lima 'Franken-dining-car' into a maroon Mk.1 diagram 24 RB, and considering adding curtains. I've got Parkin but it isn't a good reference for this area. To make this thread useful for all, could people itemise the various curtain colours on Mk.1s from Crimson & Cream onwards? First, second and catering if different? Thanks. EDIT: I should have added that I appreciate there will be a lot of variations but I'm sure some outlines would be helpful.

You don't seem to see/hear of these very often but I have a Revell Masterclass Professional. It is dual action and has the choice of top cup gravity feed, or swing this round through 180 deg and you can attach a bottle (suction) feed. Compressor fed. I spray acrylics exclusively these days. I like the water-based process. The only downside appears to be the propensity for the acrylic to clog/dry out. What tends to happen is that the airbrush slowly builds up a fine coating of paint - even though I only use the acrylic thinner (which is propanol I think). However, it's delivered excellent results in my amateur hands. I'm spraying at about 15-20 psi (cup) and have done full loco/rolling stock to fine weathering. I probably should use the suction for the bigger jobs. I have bought the various needle/nozzle sizes and have found it very easy to use for weathering through to full loco/rolling stock. It appears to be of very good quality. It only goes down to 0.5mm nozzle which I suspect some may feel a bit coarse for expert work. I should add that I'm a complete beginner, aside a Humbrol air can fed dual action suction airbrush I had 40 years' ago - from which I sprayed a scratch built loco in fully-lined green, and a Coronation class tender respray in crimson lake, all in enamels. I do recall being careful about paint leaking out of the glass jar up the thread as there was no proper seal!

Thanks all. @giz Yes I did wonder that re timing. That's a bit annoying as it's currently the Frankenliveried Lima RB which has serif lettering, and LMS and BR Roundel and 'Dining Car' and I really wanted to B&C it. I think I may choose to flex reality as I'd like a go at airbrushing the dual-colour livery on something reasonably inexpensive/expendable.

Could someone clear up for me whether the "blood & custard" livery used black/GOLD lining or black/YELLOW lining? If gold, 'metallic' or 'old' gold? Similarly, was carriage side numbering and labelling in 'metallic gold' or 'old gold' or 'yellow' or straw'? I'm modelling a BR(W) RB Diag.24 Mk.1 and am a bit confused by the range of transfers available. Two very old Mainline BR(W) SK/BSKs I have are certainly 'gold' lined and texted - however I wouldn't assume them to be accurate. Thanks.

UPDATE: yes, it was a failed blanking plug. Replaced with the 'new version' - marked 'Class 52' but sold as for 22 and 52. A vastly simpler board which seems only to sense polarity and switch some stuff on and off. Both shown below - 'new version' (grey background) picture taken from DCC Supplies website, Product Code: 115600 in case you are looking. You'll note the new version has two switches on it. I tried them briefly and unless they control the cab lights (Which I didn't have connected at that moment), it's not clear what they do. Both left in the ON position at least had all DC lighting functionality working as with old plug. Curious as to why the original has three legs of the op-amp IC cut through.

Just embarked on converting some recent purchases - a Dapol Class 22 and a Bachmann Autocoach, both of which have NEM pockets. What I discovered was that a cranked HD coupling fits perfectly into each/either and is automatically at exactly the correct height. All that is needed is to cut the boss end off and square the end before sliding into the pocket. The only minor fettle is to file/cut a small groove in the top front edge of the NEM pocket as the upwards crank has a small strengthening rib and unless you create a corresponding slot the coupling will be bent downwards as you slide it right in. There is scope to adjust angle and height by a small amount if needed as the HD coupling thickness is less than the slot in the pocket. A drop of superglue then fixes. EDIT: tested them on an Autocoach coupled to the Class 22 (!) and all works fine through reverse points. Checked against a 'reference' Dublo vehicle and again excellent. I would expect a few situations where they won't couple easily as the 'spring' in the pockets might not be ideal or enough, but very pleased with a workable and easy solution.

Definitely neither of those - it is in mint condition in original packaging. On dismantling one of the faulty plungers the spring had per above clearly lost its temper, and I definitely had a very wobbly driver which in spite of best endeavours with mill vice and so on would not square up. Another plunger case was simply so loose it kept disengaging from the contact strip. Anyway, to avoid further embarrassment, perhaps I was over-zealous in my condemnation. However, all said it crawls across points at cogging speed without any faltering. Very pleased and it's a lovely little loco. I quite like rescuing these early models... ...or perhaps it's just having the time... see...

I would concede it ran OK when I got it and I have fond memories of it being my first purchase of the 'super detail' era - it did indeed look and feel 'fantastic' then. The plungers were quite quickly a bit iffy. I think you've been lucky to have two that work 'perfectly'! Here it is in what must have been late 1970s... It looks as though I may have erroneously applied a running number to the bufferbeam back then!

I've removed the 'positive' side plungers and replaced with 0.3mm PB wire. Aside some of the plungers just not working, with Romfords/Markits they occasionally bridged the insulator between tyre and centre on certain corners. The original Airfix wheels, aside having plastic centres had deep tyre backs and so the centre of the plunger is not ideal. Anyway good enough now to actually use it.

You beat me to it - looked at one of them and the spring was shot as it had been heat treated - I could tell by the way the coils had compressed fully and set that way. Even after a remag, the motor will draw 300mA and given it was highly likely that only one wheel was ever in contact with the rails that would do it! I am definitely going to replace them - useless design, poorly implemented.

Yes they certainly are. I've never had much joy with plungers - this being the first example from 40 years' ago, and the second being trying to use them on a brass chassis of my own, where I reverted to springs. People do seem to be good with them and my assumption is that they are most likely to be successful where the sideplay is very limited. My 14xx was markedly improved in pickup when I initially added nylon washers to limit the sideplay - they must have designed it to endure 6" curves with that sideplay on such a short wheelbase...

Thought I'd share this regarding getting the truly dreadful 14xx to work without a complete chassis replacement. I don't need to recount how bad these models are. The wheelset was pretty clearly eccentric on mine also. However, the body is quite reasonable and I was reluctant to bin it, but equally was unsure that it warranted the expense of a High Level or Comet chassis. The good news seemed to be that the axles are 1/8" so the motor gear is transferable. What I have done in essence is to 'reverse' the Airfix design which has: Massive play up/down in forward driven axle A fixed middle axle with tyres A trailing axle with considerable up/down play The consequence, to state the obvious, is that the only wheelset in permanent contact with the track is the (almost electrically-insulated) tyred wheelset, so the whole thing bobs up and down and stutters. My 'design' revisions are: Rigid front axle Rigid trailing axle Front and rear dead square Floating middle axle Gibson rods My modifications have been: Replace drivers with Markits (so not wasted if I DO go HL/Comet) Broach out front axle slot in chassis to accept 1/8" brass axle bushes - so this will become a 'fixed' axle Install front wheelset with gear pushed onto axle, adding (in my case 2 x 0.5mm ) washers to limit sideplay to minimum practical level Remove trailing axle PB spring Ream out trailing axle slot to accept 1/8" brass axle bushes I then sweated in 1/8" - 2mm conversion bushes - as I bought Markits traling wheels. The originals are 1/8" so you could forgo this if minimising the spend. So trailing axle now also 'fixed' Mount rear trailing axle with wheels into bearings Using either a chassis jig or glass plate, fettle the axle slots in the chassis to get parallel axles. Loctite bushes at this point Broach out rear driver axle slot to allow about the wheelset to have 0.5mm upwards travel from rail contact Once you're sure step 11 has an axle which is now 0.5mm 'up' and level... Drill 1.6mm diameter hole, 2.5mm deep, in the chassis sides at the top of that axle slot to accept an Alan Gibson plunger pickup spring Drop the rear driver wheelset in place, using (in my case 1mm) washers to limit sideplay - enough to negotiate your smallest radius Make sure the ****dy plungers are free and positioned correctly Remove plastic from the Airfix keeper plate across the front driver and rear trailing axle positions to ensure that the plate doesn't apply pressure to the bushes (as even through they're loctited they seem to budge) Refit keeper plate. Solder a wire from the motor -ve to the motor brass magnet bolt - the contact between the PB spring and chassis block was average at best. It seems to work fine now. Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/26u7dq3qrwossl9/Airfix 14xx crawl.m4v?dl=0 The video is lowish bitrate so if it appears jerky, it's the video not the loco... ...hard to believe I know!

I have the above on DC and although it runs fine, all the lighting has failed completely. Am I correct that this is a known issue, and may be solved by a 'new version' blanking plug/board? My blanking board as no switches on it - the 'new version' does - and so what do they do as my instruction sheet does not reference them? Thanks.

Ah, good point re pony/bogies and cylinders. Mind you, maybe not such an issue on a 2-10-0 as the pony appears far enough forward? Has someone got one?

I have a hankering to make a 9F, and fancy the DJH Crosti. I see it's labelled as 30" min radius, which I wasn't surprised by but put me off as I need 24". Then I spotted that pretty much all their models are 30" minimum. I've just built a Finecast Q1 compensated chassis that handles 21" without problem (so 24" is assured) so am now curious as to why the DJH are 30" minimum?

Wise words. Drills and thin material are generally to be avoided as you will tend to get a triangular hole. In bigger sizes you can grind the bits to have a 'lip and spur' which means that the central spur centres and then the lips cut a circle before the body of the drill removes material. However, impossible to grind below about 3-4mm. Many wood drills are ground this way and you can use these in brass or N/S sheet if they're reasonable quality.

However, I would say that a broached crankpin hole (cut and smoothed) at 4mm scale is actually an almost perfect application for the process? Yes, for an axle I would ream it every time - different intent.