railroadbill

44/45 had battery boxes with x shaped strengthening grooves (like St Andrews cross) which 46 didn't have. Triangle plate not fitted on 44 even in late condition. But originally steps in bodyside at I think B end behind cab to climb up to boiler tank filler. These look like they were later plated over - looks like the boiler filler was as well? (They are on my 1980 state Bachmann 45). I stand to be corrected but think those are definite differences. Would look a good conversion I would think. Looking at post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69535-great-british-locomotives/page-168&do=findComment&comment=1733173 the GBL loco has the steps plated over while the mainline one it's compared to still has the steam heat era steps. Also D9 had a one piece headcode panel at the no 1 end in 1969, after an accident, which it carried to withdrawal. Also all 44s were painted blue before TOPs numbering.

Thanks for including the Tiff file to download, printed it out. Be interested to see any Adams locos T3 etc. from GBL as well.

Sounds like the later wheels will be best on nickel silver track, also finer flanges so I'll go for them. Did think about tender drive but tender rather low - I'll have a look later if spare Airfix drive would fit but motor drive onto driving wheels like the Hornby chassis arrangement should be ok. Thanks for info.

C8 definitely, same wheel size (6' 9") as T9, 4' 5" dia boiler but shorter. firebox, however think the coupled wheelbase was shorter because T9 one was lengthened to 10'. But looks like they had 8 wheeled tenders. Not sure about Adams X2 but presumably similar size but different boiler etc? Have thought about the Drummond E10 double single. Plenty of scope!

Thanks Steve. Found later wheel sets available as spares but also the original driving wheels (Peters spares) - using Hornby ones seems right way to go as I can't find any other driving wheels the right dimensions including some o gauge bogie wheels. Prob either type would work just to get loco running. Bill

Thanks, I'm starting on the original condition T9 as well, shortened smokebox and cut off moulded handrails, made smokebox wingplate but not done splasher sandboxes yet. Got a Drummond chimney somewhere, just got to find it. Got driving wheels on order. C8 is a good idea, it appears the boiler dia is the same as T9 but shorter like M7 and K10 (another possibility) so easy to shorten firebox end. Plenty of possibilities without even going to Scotland!

Final (!) question about the Caley single. Been looking for Hornby spare wheels. The later (China made) release looks as if they have traction tyres and therefore a groove on the tread, the original Margate version doesn't. Are there any other differences between the two versions, like flange depths? Which would be best for a working model. old type or new? Thanks.

I've had similar problems with those conical grinding tips, or the grinding wheels, on plastic before. What worked on white metal etc. But the thing about plastic is that it does cut cleanly (well can do) so I have got some craft knife blades with the cutting edge across the top, like a little chisel, and that sometimes can pare away unwanted plastic, then sand it. Sort of chiseling imperfections off. Problem I'm having at the moment is cutting holes in the "chassis" of the GBL deltic, which appears to be of rather soapy plastic so getting a straight cut is taking time. Hopefully I will be able to glue plasticard strips to it as the next step.

Only got 1 Director, it's in a perspex display case on a shelf - and does look good imho. I found several in Smiths in Buxton while on holiday but was out walking and had no way of carrying any of them and didn't go back, blast it! But I've got enough to be getting on with. Having seen Londontram's Single to jumbo conversion, I have thought T9 to 700.... but enough excitement for one day.

Thanks Dick. Sounds like this will be possible with a bit of crafty part selection. Good idea with Hornby body, if I could find one. In fact the best thing about GBL is that they do provide bits that aren't otherwise easily obtainable. The Star will be done! I'd started on the Castle, cut off the moulded hand rails and chimney and got a turned brass later chimney from Mainly Trains but that's as far as it's gone so using footplate for Star may be another step. Like you the T9 is the current project but I've been sidetracked by the Caley single. T9 is complicated by deciding what version to do, want an original condition one in Drummond livery but some had watertube boilers, some with 6 wheel tenders. I want to do Drummond livery, no water tubes and 8 wheel tender but more research needed to find right one (my books aren't detailed enough about that era). Urie era easier I think. I usually rub down joins etc with wet and dry paper finishing with 2000 grade but would be interested in some sort of mini power sander - sanding discs/wheels on dremel type drills don't really seem to work for me, so also interested in what can be done.

Re Yes it is of extreme interest and hits the needed spot. All that info is very useful to inform these projects. re the tender, I also wondered if it was of the type that ran with some Granges (to go with a Hornby one) but haven't done enough research into that yet. The problem with the Hornby Star appeared to be with the chassis which didn't have proper round bearings. I suggest that there are many on this thread who can manufacture their own chassis which will run better and especially have a far longer working life. However, my P2 runs very well indeed so maybe... Which said, by the time I'd flaffed around not making my mind up, the only Stars I could find were the special edition Steam ones, which meant I would have had to cut around a £150 loco to get the later type Star I wanted. Don't think so, rather cut up a £9 model from the front of a magazine.

Good job they didn't let me loose on the naming task!!

Good move. Think there may have been Hornby locos (probably this one!) with firebox lights?

Hi TheWeatheringMan, On the contrary, I am most certainly delighted that you are offering this information! Saved a lot of effort. A higher quality Swindon No1 boiler, if such a thing should become available, would be just the job. I'm also thinking that a Saint conversion could use the Hall running plate etc as well. H'mm. Otherwise the 28xx will look ok standing near the shed, as GBL usually do. Is the GBL 28xx tender reasonable, do you think? You may notice from my current avatar that I have name and number plates for Star 4054. This is due to my recently arrived granddaughter having been named after a Great Western express loco. In fact 2, as there was a Queen Charlotte as well. Oh and a GBRf 73. Ok, I don't think that was my daughter and son in law's actual intention, but what a spot of luck! Just got to have a Star, was put off the current Hornby one by negative reviews on RMweb, so either the old SEfinecast kit (how good is that?) or - GBL! cheers.

Had an Airfix 31 as well. Mine was a blue one. It had brown bogies which I thought was very cool as the full size locos had bogies painted brown for a while. Mine sat in a box for a long time until a big clearout when I sold it to a guy who collected them and had found a type of replacement magnet (can't remember what size) which he claimed made the motor run better. Now a GBL 31, there's a thought! Re the Peak, I've got a copy of Model Railway Constructor for Aug 1983 here which has a review of a Mainline Peak which had been revised to have split headcodes. It came in green as D100 and blue as 45 048, and had the horizontal seam added. The review felt that the seam was too deep and noticable (!). The earlier Bachmann peak I've got which has a central headcode panel doesn't of course have this. Haven't had a go at it although I fitted extra pickups. So perhaps it's a shame that GBL didn't get hold of this revised Mainline version to copy. ps The Hattons ad in 8/83 MRC has the 45 as £15.95 but the airfix 31 remaindered at £7.95

Public note of thanks to JohnMartin90125 for the 2 GBL locos which arrived today. The BoB will become 222 Squadron which I've got the nameplates for, which I once spotted and which kept a high sided tender to the end (so that's one less mod to do!). Got a Hornby old type chassis which could be used, just have to cut away some of the inside strengthening from the body. The 28xx may go through a more radical transformation, possibly involving a merging with parts of a Castle, or another 4-6-0 since the boiler looks the same as star and saint - more investigation to be done. Thanks, John Cheers, Bill

Yes, an excellent idea to have an old motor retro thread. This theme within a thread started off as a "how best to motorise GBL locos" but I think the closeness of the single to the original Triang one has taken it into the use of vintage motors or chassis rather than how to use bits of GBL in modelling of converting to something different. Which said, it is interesting, and useful somewhere else perhaps like the very useful Lima gear thread. Thanks for that. cheers, Bill ps after the trauma of the K's 0-4-0 tank attempted build with the "gearbox" motor so many years ago, I wouldn't even think about using a Ks motor, - some things have definitely improved!

Zilch bids.

Thanks for going to so much trouble. Your post explains the situation with these motors very well and I've printed it out for future reference. I'll follow this topic on the Lima thread, looks very promising. Regards, Bill

Hi TheWeatheringMan, No worries, re the MRRC and K's motors. the MRRC and K's motors look very similar. However, the J94 motor is MRRC and as a matter of interest, here's a K's motor. This isn't one of my chassis but from a partly built kit I bought on e-bay. Won't use this motor or maybe the chassis but the wheels are ok. As a further matter of interest, here's another K's motor, still attached to the card, from a Princess kit. Think it will stay on the card.... And finally an Airfix 14xx chassis with the 5 pole motor which you said was derived from MRRC designs. Again a bad runner when I bought it (early 80s?) but dug out recently and after careful adjustment of the plunger pickups , now runs well. Now that would be a great Great BL! cheers, Bill

Think this is one of the 5 pole MRRC motors you refer to. It's in a chassis for a J94, I made many years ago. Perhaps over flywheeled and motor goes through cab.. Still runs ok, Romford 50:1 gears. GBL doing an Austerity tank was referred to earlier, there was an Airfix (previously Kitmaster) kit when I made mine but not now so another GBL type body would be useful. I guess it's very unlikely though.

Hi John, Well, if you go to the thread, right click on the title having highlighted it, then save it, then paste it into your post here, you get: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92209-lima-final-drive-gears/?view=getlastpost which clicking on will take you to it. There is a way of naming the link but I can't find it yet. Bill

The disc drawer in-out motor should be lower reving high torque then sounds just the job. I took an old pc hard drive to pieces once, but the motor was synchronous as I should have suspected so no use for models. Thanks for explanation, sorts out what to look for.

Actually Airfix DG cheap on e-bay would be a good version!!!

re ringfield motor bogies, I'd moved on most of my older locos with that sort of drive, but among the remainder had an A4 amd 37, both of which ran erratically. They'd been in the to go box but purely because of this thread I dug them out, stripped the drives down dropping the axles out etc. cleaned everything up, relubricated them. They both then purred round the track. Very slow running perhaps a bit notchy compared to say a Bachmann 25, but much better than I expected. Same with an airfix castle. So that design which I think was originally Fleischman, can be reasonably ok with a bit of tlc. OK just running round the layout, anyway, and doesn't need the big figure from the sky. So the A4 chassis is under a GBL A4 and 37 bogies (got some spare) going under a GBL deltic.