brightspark

I have done the conversion to EM on a Wilton and just done a Merchant Navy United States Lines using the EMGS manual sheet. 

There are a couple of minor issues and an improvement that I will write up and add to the manual sheet. Apart from that I thought that it was still a simple conversion.

What was the problem you had with the slidebars/cross head?

Edit. I just realised that I responded to this in part 1 a decade ago.  Doesn't time fly!

Last time I had a close look at a Wimpey, it had just arrived at Weybridge on a back of lorry from Loch Ness. We connected the electrics to the lorry battery and were delighted to find that the lights still worked.

Its now sitting in Brooklands Museum.

The first guy I was working with as an apprentice at Weybridge was Ted Walker. He told me that his first job as a "boy" was to assist in assessing the damage to aircraft that had been returned to Weybridge for repair. His job was to find the bullet hole in the skin and trace where the bullet had bounced off the structure and log each point.

These aircraft were very popular with aircrews as they had good survivability in combat. i.e. they could soak up a lot a bullets and still fly home. An advantage shared with the Hurricane that was also being produced on the other side of the track (The Byfleet side of the site).

I recall that Barnes Wallis was proposing a bigger version to carry his bouncing bomb. I think it was either going to be a four, six or even eight engined monster. But this design was dropped by the War Office in favour of the new Lancaster which itself was an improved version of the two engine Manchester Bomber. So if you fancy doing some kit bashing there are two prime candidates.

That work vortex...aerospace...I thought that it was only me.

A lovely model though. Oh soooo shiny.

Thanks Mark.

Check out the "Build a loco challenge".

The Std 5 is offering lots of challenges.

Thanks for the kind comments Steve.

At last nights local EMGS meeting, where I was showing progress of the Class 5, a Mr Bixley, famed for his knowledge and love of things Brightonish and pre 1945 expressed the same opinion. The discussion then considered the asthetics of Class 5 and the Black 5 and came to the conclusion that it is the high running plate on the standard with a lack of splashers that gives it a clean line. Another observation is that the Black 5's boiler is set lower, thus giving it a more universal loading gauge but making it look more dumpy.

I must admit I hadn't really noticed. But I think that it is worth studying a few photos and then discussing over a few beers.

Thanks Steve.

Let us know what you find.

Andy

The statement about the position of the handrail knobs is not quite correct. The front lower one should be slightly lower than the position indicated on the moulding. I will make mention of this in a later blog entry.

So tell us, did you want inside keyed track? I just made the assumption.

I hadn't considered P4.

A very neat piece of trackwork but....

Ummmm, I think that you may have an error. The C&L chairs (assuming that is what they are) are outside keyed track (unless they have a new range that I am not aware of).

If you assemble with keys on the inside you have two problems.

1. the cant (Angle that rail lies) is wrong.

2. The chairs are too high and the wheel flanges will hit them..

I wish that someone did inside key chairs. They were very popular in the 19th Century.

It looks like you are using ply sleepers so it is easy to strip of the chairs (scapel blade underneath) and reuse them.

Don't forget that when laying keyed track to get the keys around the right way. That is that the forces on the rail cause it to creep so that it forces the block into the chair.

After years of struggling with kits, I gave up. I was convinced that the problem was with me, "I must be useless" I thought. It was when I dabbled with some Japanese RC buggies that I realised the problem. For some reason Japan, the land that developed quality (see Deeming, Ishikawa et al) had worked out that it was better to put everything you need into the kit. In other words a "Kit" is everything you need, including screws, nuts and perhaps the screw driver and spanner. Even Ikea have worked this out.

Since then I have regarded model railway "kits" as scratch-builders aids. In that here is a collection of bits that maybe useful for building a model of something. Since then I have been quite happy as I assume that not will the kit be incomplete but also quite often inaccurate, I have now managed to produce several locomotives that work.

I agree with you, some kit manufacturers need a kick up the jacsky. Kits should be easy, logical, go together like a .... radio control buggy from Japan, or a chair from Ikea.

Thanks 46444. And for all the likes etc.

I do hope that this inspires someone else to have a go.

Hi Cranstock,
 
Thank your very kind assessment of my "skills base". It took me a long time and many errors to get where I am, and that still isn't good enough. I have had the benefit of some very good guidance and constructive criticism that I have been able to use to improve. There is nothing wrong with reworking and reworking again to improve the model.
 
By the way the cab is 1mm too low, that would be three inches. ( I guess that this is what you were thinking.)
 
Southampton was very good and I had lots of kind comments about both models. A few people even said that they were inspired to have a go themselves. I do hope that they will.

The scribe on the Watercress website calls it "Super Pig".

Hmmm. Now do I want to do that when I come to build the model? I will think about it.

Are there any advantages?

That sounds much more sensible. Motor choice wasn't great in 1975 so it probably seemed a good method of keeping daylight under the boiler.

Hidden behind the etch in the second photo, are the words revised in 1981. I am wondering what that affair is in the top right of the picture. It appears to be an inner frame of some sort.

I have surprised myself, in that I have not yet removed the contents of the bag. I shall hold back though until I have a less cluttered workbench. It's like the last window in an advent calendar.

Interesting. I must confess that I know nothing of Kemilways history and this sad episode. However the contents of the bag look the job. To think that this was available in 1975 well.....I think that there may have been a modelling revolution going on a that time. As there were people certainly pushing the boundaries as to what could be achieved. Perhaps more should be written about Kemilway...a thread perhaps with pictures of the results?

As soon as 76010 is finished 76011 will be started. As usual I will be planning to have it running on the EMGS test track in May. (Sniggers as he refuses to state which year)

5' is 60 inches in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the EMGS.

For more info see the entry for ExpoEM 2015 in exhibitions.

I had a think about this myself, but it's the width that throws me into a tis. Good luck I will be looking out for more entries.

Perhaps there should be a thread for this challenge.

If you study 43106 you will see that it too has the square boxes on the cylinders. Which begs the question, is the BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0 a smaller version of the Standard class 4 4-6-0 or a standard version of a Flying Pig?

Both Comet and Branchlines kits have their merits. Its a shame I didn't do a photo essay on the Comet model.

Thanks for all the likes.

So far the nut has survived push off tests, so I am confident in its ability. Time will tell. I do like your idea of gluing in a brass strip though.

A shame as I enjoy reading about your modelling as it is so inspiring.

I think projects like this are better on a thread. I am going to do that with my 2-6-0 standard that I started as a blog. I am almost ready to continue with it.

Very nice simple conversion.

Beware of re-gauging the wheels. Some of the OO wheelsets can be a bit course and it may be worth considering buying some new EM wheel sets as they can be narrower and have a shallower flange.

The only way to find out is to run the model on an EM layout.

Tip: If you don't have access to one go to Model Railway show where there is one and ask if it can be run. (I have done this with some of my models and as a group we do this at shows...normally at the end of the show or at least when it has gone quiet)

Another thing to consider is inserting brass bearings for the axles. With moulded underframes it is a curse to get a drill into the hole to open it up. As you got the axle boxes off your task is so much easier. The advantage of doing this is smoother running. Plus we have found that the moulded frames wear alarmingly during use and this leads to poor running.

Anyway well done. Let us know what layout you have run it on and post a picture. What is the next conversion going to be?