Taz

Time for a bit of an update.

The Phoenix sides lacked detail and relief.

The first thing I wanted to do was add the door hinges. I used the jig provided as part of the Comet coach detailing fret to mark out and drill the holes for the hinges from the same etch.

However when I compared the hinge positions to prototype photos they didn't look right and would clash with where the lining would be.

So they had to go. The hinges were removed, holes filled and sanded flush and then new hinge positions were marked, referencing photos. The holes were drilled and hinges secured with superglue.

I also wanted to add droplights so I asked Rod (10800) to produce some on his cameo cutter using measurement I provided.

These were superglued into the coach:

I was then able to start reassembling all the components.

Corridor side:

Compartment side:

I wasn't happy with the thin aluminum stampings used for the solebars and they were also set quite a way inboard which was presenting problems with bogie swing.

So I replaced them with plastic C section. Step boards were also added from plastic strip.

The truss rods were fabricated from 1mm brass angle. Battery boxes, vacuum cylinders and dynamo are Comet. The V hangers are David Geen etches.

She's since had a coat of paint and was staged (alongside the B set) on the Bodmin boards we displayed at Scaleforum.

However the paintjob was rushed and I also wasn't happy with the shade of Precision Crimson so I will strip her back to do properly.

More to follow soon.

Have the interiors of the HST standard class coaches been refurbished?

I've had a look on t'interweb but can't find any photos.

Thanks Gordon. That means a lot to me coming from you. Eastwood Town is one of my favourite layout topics here. It is where I first heard about OO-SF (or whatever it is called this week).

I don't normally comment on the OO-SF threads as I can't be bothered with the politics. I'll just carry on with what seems to  work for me so far. I've shown some OO-SF track work to my local P4 group (DRAG) and lent my track gauges out and I think some other future OO-SF projects will be taking off in the future.

I'm lucky enough that Brian Harrap is part of our group so although the track work I have built so far isn't quite of your standards I have one of the best to help/guide me as I get round to producing the rest of my trackwork.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I've been very busy in my work life recently and haven't really felt like doing much modelling but I'm getting my work/life balance sorted now and starting to do more modelling.

However that has been directed more at our groups P4 Bodmin project and I have also developed a liking for brass coach building so I'm afraid progress on the layout itself is still on the back burner.

I look forward to more progress on Eastwood Town once you tire of chasing that little white ball about

It just seems like semantics to me.

I would be willing to bet what most people actually do (including myself) is model in OO (16.5mm) and then narrow the gauge to 16.2mm (OO-SF/ 4-SF) at the crossings to get improved running and visual appearance.

I certainly don't model in 16.2mm and gauge widen my plain track to 16.5mm.

Regardless of what it is called I will continue to do what works for me and everyone else is free to do  likewise.

I fear I am being misunderstood, modern cars isolate the driver from the conditions allowing some to make poor decisions or blindly copy anothers actions eg 2ft off the back bumped of the car in front at 70mph in thick fog that had reduced lanes 1&2 to 40mph due to lack of visibity.

 

Modern lights may pierce the fog better than those of the Minor but does that mean you can continue at normal motorway pace?

 

The same with modern wipers and tyres in heavy rain / spray, in extreme conditions I can feel my motorbike, all 250kg of it is slightly unsettled and there is a wall is spray from each lorry but speed in lane 3 doesn't drop, silver (and other colours) cars emerge from the gloom with no lights on having moments before not been distinguishable from the weather.

Wasn't it ever so? People have always driven too fast and too close in bad weather conditions. It has jack to do with how modern the car is.

Unfortunately far too many drivers do not adjust their speed and behavior to the prevalent conditions.

As a BMW owner who also happens to be an IAM advanced driver I could take offense at some of the generalisations here........

One of our club members is an ex SR driver he told me off for calling one of those a spam can. He insist the Q1 is the spam can. I suppose driver and spotters have different views.

Don

All those southern engines look the same anyway, don't they?

I think they are also Parkside. Same page as the link but further down  - PC31

The heli is a Puma.

Excellent photos as usual Jim. Thanks for sharing.

If metalwork isn't your thing then Parkside also sell this underframe under the Red Panda brand:

http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/RED_PANDA_RAILWAY_MODELS.html

Not as fine as the Rumney version but can still produce a good model.

I wasn't going to get one of these as I already have an old Airfix one and a Mainly Trains detailing kit squirreled away for a bit of old fashioned modelling.

But that looks so good I might just weaken.

Which reminds me Cap'n. Shouldn't we be having another SWAG curry evening soon?

No,as you will see from my initial post,I accept my view is heresy.Notwithstanding that I believe there are instances where a front coupling mount could have been better implemented at the very least.On the new Kings.....are they really necessary ? My opinion is that they are not.Not worth " getting worked up about  " ?  Perhaps not but maybe worth an expression of opinion....which is,after all what I intended it to be....and maybe to get people and manufacturers thinking about it .....Improvements can be made if we nudge a few elbows.Matters of importance are also matters of personal opinion.Fixing the Hall frame ....beyond my competence,I am not buying.If,however,I can work to an improvement in design for the future by drawing some attention to what I think is an issue and perhaps some others do,then that is worth a shot.

Apologies Ian, I hadn't intended to be dismissive of your post or opinion.

I just believe that in order to cater for the trainset end of the market tender locos (including the King) will always come with couplings at both ends.

I also believe that most people wouldn't take advantage of a substitute bogie and therefore the manufacturers couldn't justify the cost of its conclusion.

A plug in 'blanking plate' type fixture might work.

I just think I would rather the manufacturers used their development budget for the models on making sure the basic shape was correct rather than thinking up whizzy ways to make the bogies work for all sectors of the market (it would be nice if they could do both but there will be fixed budgets in play).

The door is always open for you to return Chris. We won't hold your temporary defection against you

What we have to remember is that a fair chunk of sales (if not the bulk of them) are going to go to people with more trainset like layouts (no snobbery intended) where tension locks are required.

It's not as if chopping of a NEM pocket and replacing with a bit of plasticard is that difficult. the reverse (fitting a NEM pocket) would be much harder. This is just one of the compromises along with 2nd radius compatibility and 00 that we have to accept unless we want our models to become even lower production niche items with a resultant much higher price tag.

Things like this aren't worth getting worked up about. Of far more importance are the difficult to fix issues such as the Hall front frame issue discussed above.

I'm not sure if this would be the same train but in a couple of my photo books from the Plymouth area the author comments about the 'Swindon Fish' which was a train often used by the works as a running in turn. This led to some unusual motive power visiting Laira such as 77xxx 3MT 2-6-0s in the early 50s.

I'm not sure if anyone can confirm or put me back in my box but I always thought that this particular series of bow ended coaches did not have 4 roof handrails as shown in the CADs but only two which were on the roof centreline?

Stubby's loo?

That's an excellent job Brian has done there.

Can I ask a question about the original Bachmann Modified Hall?

Split chassis aside, what is the general consensus on the accuracy of the model? Does it have any major flaws (boiler / firebox shape etc)? 

I have one which is a reasonable runner but am not sure if it is worth upgrading to the latest model.

Thanks.

Don't forget to bring your personal mug!

 

Here's mine!

 

Show us yours!

 

Mine reminds me of of those lovely pink loco hauled trains!

 

31601_Swindon.jpg

 

001.JPG

Well if it's mugshots you're after Mr RE6/6 -

 

IMGP9242cr.jpg

I'll see your pink trains and statements of authority and raise you one antipodean monster

+1 for steam please

Shirts on order!

Ah, I knew those eclipse glasses would come in useful again

Wow, doesn't time fly. It had never registered before but RMWeb is exactly 31 years younger than me HAPPY birthday to us both.

Too late. I stripped it 2 weeks ago. Immediately washed in warm soapy water after. No adverse effects showing so far but I will keep my eye on it.

Unfortunately earlier this year longstanding DRAG member Allan Pulley passed away. However he was kind enough to leave his railway collection to the group.

Amongst this was a Phoenix Coaches diag E128 bow ended composite brake coach.

We decided this should be set aside for the Bodmin project where it would be used as a strengthening coach to the usual B Set consists.

I volunteered to take on the renovation and repainting of this coach so it can join the Bodmin fleet.

So this is it as it arrived:

As it came it obviously would need a repaint to fit the time period of Bodmin. The glazing was loose but this wouldn't be an issue as I would need to strip it for repainting anyway.

On closer inspection I realised there were a few other things I would need to address as well.

The sides have very little relief. Thin wire had been used to represent door handles and grab rails but they were the wrong shape and way under scale. So these would need replacing. I also intend to add door hinges. I will probably skip on door bangers on this coach as being of aluminium construction I think it will be hard enough adding the hinges.

The bogies are some sort of internal rocker set up which doesn't work very well and is overly complicated. So I shall replace with rigid Comet alternatives.

I also noted that the underframe is laid out incorrectly. Allan followed the Phoenix instructions but they are incorrect, with both battery boxes under the guards compartment.

Reference to prototype photos shows that E128s had the more traditional layout of battery boxes either end on the corridor side.

Finally the sprung buffers are oval and not the correct round shape.

So I will be looking at addressing all these issues.

The first stage was to strip it all down which wasn't too difficult as it was either glued or screwed.

So I currently have a pile of bits:

It will be interesting to see how working with aluminium compares to the brass I am more used to.

More to follow....