boxbrownie

You haven't got a key for the cab door yet though......or have you?

David,

 

Surely that is not the only consideration. Another might be that you know the detail is there!

 

On your reasoning, why also would anyone bother to fit inside working valve gear to a steam loco? or build fully detailed coach or wagon underframes with rivet detail you can hardly see, as opposed to a simplified moulded representation of the same? Its a matter of personal preference, surely.

 

Regards,

 

David Parkins,

Modern Motive Power

David,

Not at all the only consideration, but one of importance to those who wouldn't know (or care too much) about the difference between a rivet and a set scew, which appears to be borne out by the success of the Heljan models in 7mm.

I have inside valve gear on a kettle but it is visible so I like it to be there, but I am not so sure I am at all bothered by hidden blast pipes in the smoke box or the rivet detail and underframe fixings that are NOT visible.

If its running rolling stock as opposed to a museum/exhibition model, after all in that case why not build representations of the engines hidden away inside our beloved diesel locos? Having said that I have considered detail inside the engine bays but ONLY where it can be clearly seen through windows, and then yes it would be a representation of the engine and not detailed down to the glow plug leads!

Yes of course its personal preference.......that is why I would "personally" like to see the two side by side to make my mind up as to the added visual value, as an aside I have often pondered replacing the mostly heavily cast and represented coil springs with wound wire, I find the moulded/cast spring-damper units the most obvious flaw on virtually all bogies whether they be from RTR stock or Kit built.

Lets face it any model can be improved, RTR or Kit built and as you say it is personal preference as to the balance of worth v effort.

Anyway I only wanted to see what they both looked like weathered and side by side....thats all....

Best regards David

I'd like to see the two types both weathered to within an inch of thier lives......would there be that much visual difference?

I can see the steps set being useful, but not so sure about replacing the whole caboodle......might as well have bought an JLTRT, or dare I say an MMP kit!

But I am sure they will look prfect when finished and fitted.......I have enough trouble with my banana fingers fitting slaters pick ups.......one of the reasons I have now given up on fully etched kits, stopped being a pleasure a few years ago and just became bloomin' frustrating. Thank heaven for JLTRT and Heljan

I like the short message David.....did you mailbox start getting full?

Don't know if anyone has noticed but the model has different windy wipers at each end! I am doing a swap with a friend who has a green un so he needs a set of pantograph ones where as I need a set of straight ones.

 

Hi Brian.........yes, I noticed that on mine as I was taking it down to bare plastic shell, I assumed Heljan had got it correct and the prototype had a pantograph drivers side and a cheap old pendulum wiper for the second man. But on looking through many, many, many pictures.......mainly yours I have yet to find a combination in practice. Anyhoo I have a spare sprue of Heljan bits which includes some wipers I think so that'll be another job when I finally get around to pasting all the bits that usually fall on the floor back on.

Just how much too wide are the fuel tanks chaps? Is it that noticable when finished? I ask because the speaker I am fitting in my 47 is a nice "snug" fit in the tank internals....which means I would have to trim down the speaker frame as well.....urgh....dodgy business that!

 

Hattons are still showing a pre-order price of £460.00.

Not today they are not.....pre-order price is now £0.00p well thats what it says if you follow the pre-order through.......I think they mean T.B.A ........damn'it

Blu-tak? Your methods are going downhill Brian

Stick a bit of mud inside the splashers....they'll never know....

Wow, only just found this thread... hmmm, this could cause a departure from "OO"... This looks like it'll be a good model to work with... my preference would be to beef up the lower nose end with ETH gear. Whilst you don't need it on yours Brian (pre TOPS), you might want to add the nose mounted steps (the ones in the corners), which can really give the fround end some additional depth. Some detail to the bogies such as the speedo connection from the upper hub, behind the steps and up to the cab might be nice, and fitting of the kick plate in the steps on that side... add in the sway braces between bogie and body... add the sanding gear to leading and trailing axles in each bogie a frame for the headcode panel and the three rivets above the upper lamp bracket and some refined headboard brackets (the rectangular ones not the lamp brackets). I'm not sure about the front sandbox covers.. they look a little big. Body profile looks good... although I've just noticed one problem.... the bogies represent the fabricated bogies... and in sevice these were replaced very early on with cast ones. The survivors all have fabricated ones now (I think), but as blue (pre or post) tops, green with yellow front panels cast bogies would be accurate.

However, that said - I'll be getting one! I wonder if Mr Hanson will consider some etch bits in 7mm:)

Jon, don't forget I think this particular model is a loaner from Heljan/Tower, Brian has been limited to making a pre-production model basically into what a finished production ready version will look like....and it hasn't hurt the pre-order sales either no doubt? It certainly has got my wallet twitching

Regarding the BR Blue in the pic I use a Canon G10 I changed the white balance to daylight but it still does not like blue. Used the same camera on auto white balance in the attic under strip lights and I think they are ok. I had the same trouble with my Canon 30D in that the blue on my models where rubish.

 

 

Brian, although I am not familiar with the G10 I assume it has a preset white balance setting, in which case try pointing it at a sheet of white card/paper in the garden and "lock" that balance in, then shoot the Loco at that setting, it should give you a true representation of the blue then, well what the Canon software thinks is true!

Brilliant build as always Brian, defo on my list for next year....after the 08 just announced from JLTRT

Brian, thanks for the interesting piccies, it appears Heljan have this time really designed the loco for specific sound fitment, looks like that fuel tank was built to take the ESU 40mm round sealed speaker, I wonder if the spacing of the PCB lugs are the same as the fitment holes on the ESU XL sound board as well? Tha would make it a doddle to fit....but I still think there is plenty of room there for a big speaker in that fuel tank/body area, just a bit of machining of the chassis required and you have a 40x70mm speaker humming away....mmmm

My Uncle was top link at KX for a very long time and I well remember trips in and around Finsbury Park amongst these huge beasts, there is no way I can not buy one of those but the only problem will be which one will it be?

Thank you Heljan....thank you.

I'm surprised to see a Green 'un in Brian's possession in the first place... ...maybe it's just on loan, which would explain the distinct lack of BR Blue on it...

Maybe its a past life regression.....we'll be seeing a black diesel next!

Brian, I am suprised at you.....I thought you might have at least repainted the Heljan to match the JLTRT so we could get a accurate comparison, whats the problem....too cold to paint there?

Mike, Brian, this is all good stuff.....I am presently awaiting delivery of my ABC gears powered bogie for my 40 and enjoy gleaning information like this before plunging headlong into disaster

As to the SA pads, I assume the pad travels further than the underframe and catches "on the way back", if thats the case maybe a thin piece of brass soldered across from one pad to the other would keep a continous bearing surface available for the pads to slide over? I havent got any where near to trying even a dry assembly on the frames and undertray as yet but hope to get a little modelling done over the Christmas break, I wish I had the hours you seem to dedicate Brian.....I think I managed to pop into the railway shed for about an hour last week

Bloomin' annoyed about Reading, unfortunately I have been seconded away to Northampton for the weekend. Would have loved to have seen and heard your 26 Brian, no video can give the same impression as hearing it live.

Oh well....always next year.

Best regards David

Hi

 

I'm waiting for the EM1. I've promised myself one as I always liked the idea of a 7mm scale model.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

WOT no Class 31 from JLTRT...........boohoo

 

 

I have also got my JLTRT 26 to the painting stage. Attached pics show one problem to overcome was how to fit the square bogie safety loops and still be able to get everything apart. I glued a casting into the chassis on one side only. Then you can slide the bogie in at an angle and secure the other side retainer in with a 12 Ba screw into a nut glued into the chassis. With these bogie safety brackets in place the model will go round 6ft radius curves but if you want it to go round tighter curves I would probably cut the little extensions back to clear them.

By a quick calculation I reckon if JLTRT made an alternative cast bogie restrictors they would only need to be approx 2 mm longer to enable negotiation of a 4' curve.....and OK for the out and out rivet counter it would be a little wrong but only by about 86mm on the prototype.....and would still look fine I reckon.

Then it would satisfy the purest and the modeller who wanted it 95% and run it on any layout.

After all the needles on the lit dials on your console don't actually go around......yet!

Best regards David

 

As I have said before though the biggest downer with them is the total cost with motors and wheels etc.

Tell me about it!

Thanks Brian, I have been chatting to JLTRT this morning and got around to ordering a 40 along with all the odds and sods required, as to the cost its all relative I find now I can easily afford to spoil myself if I want to, so why arse around and go in half cocked.....nah.....blimey I have so much invested in LGB which almost never gets a run around the garden anymore, and that really did cost an arm and a leg!

I am very much looking forward to opening the box sometime next week, all I need now is a track longer than my metre test straight, move over LGB!

Try here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36653

Bloomin' marvelous, cheers.

Brian, just like to say your site is excellent, a mine of information, thanks for all the time you put into those piccies.....

On another note I am just about to get back into O guage and want to model modern image (eastern) and am looking seriously into the JLTRT range rather than jump back into brass construction as I did many years ago, the bits look so much smaller now, I cannot imagine why? I was hoping to find your construction/workbench efforts....are they still online somewhere, as this new site seems to have "hiccuped" and lost all previous posts.

I basically want to know if the JLTRT are as good as they look in your piccies?

Best regards David

Received mine today, what a cracking model ...I have been out of OO gauge for many years after getting real depressed with the poor running qualities of the RTR stock in the 80-90's, but have been building a Kato (now they do have sublime running quality, twice as good as OO in half the space! ) based Japanese layout for three years after having seen the models perform in Tam TAm (the model shop) in Tokyo during several visits there for business (and pleasure ).

Problem is, although I am deeply impressed with the Kestral (I saw it last week and just had to buy it even if I have nothing to run it on) I am now wondering, how does it run? Is it as good as the weight and apperance suggest? Do I nip out the the Chelmsford exhibition this Saturday and buy a few yards of track just to try this little monkey on?

I was all set to start a modern O gauge small layout until I saw Kestrel......aw poo....what to do now? Was ready to start building a few JLTRT kits until today........

Anyone want to buy an "on the door" N gauge Japanese layout, all wired and DCC'ed up?

Best regards David