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SRman

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  2. SRman
    The class 450 conversion from a Bachmann Silverlink class 350/1 is now all but complete. There are a few very minor tweaks and finishing touches to do but the unit is now running as a complete four-car set in one livery.
     
    It's not perfect. I have a few small air bubbles, a couple of small lumps in the paint underneath, and I cut and partly hand-painted the front end stripes to correct the Electra printing. It still saved an awful lot of work in adding the various livery elements and looks absolutely great at normal viewing distances. I am going to suggest a few minor changes to the vinyls to Adam Warr of Electra but, even if he doesn't consider the alterations, I would still whole-heartedly recommend the product.
     
    I have taken a couple of videos of the unit too and will edit them into one vid and post that in the next few days.In the meantime, here is the unit, 450 107, looking complete and actually in service.
     

     

     

     
    Edit: video added.
     

  3. SRman
    I thought I had a workbench thread somewhere but cannot find it, so maybe I simply added these things to my layout thread before ... or maybe I am going completely loopy!!!
     
    Anyway, I have been fiddling with a few more projects lately.
     
    On the railway side, I have an Ayjay models resin kit for a post-war 2HAL unit, also known as a 'Tin HAL'. Some of the detailing is a little on the heavy side but it looks like a 2HAL should. I have removed the moulded jumper cables from the DTC end and will do the same at the DMBS end soon, with separate wire cables to be added. I also filed down the over-thick secondman's window surrounds. Both coaches have been primed but I still have to remove some flash from the bogies.
     
    Sorry about the blurry driving ends - I must stand back a little further to improve the depth of field in the future.
     

     

     

     
    With a view to the upcoming Model Bus Association of Australia's modelling competition in December, I have been pushing a few bus kits up the production line. I can only enter two models in each category so 4mm kit-built items for this year will be the Southdown Leyland Tiger Cub with Marshall BET style body, made from a Westward Models/ABS Streetscene white metal kit with a few minor modifications. I am flush-glazing the windscreens and rear window (not happy with the driver's screen right now as I got some glue on it) but I have yet to do the side windows and doors in these photos. I am also not yet happy with the shape of the cream 'V' at the front. The other entry is the Little Bus Company resin 5Q5 of London Transport, as it appeared in the pre-war period. I haven't glazed any part of this model yet.
     

     

     

     
    For future entries, I have started on further bus kits. The next four are all Little Bus Company resin kits. In order of the pics:
     
    1. An all-Leyland Titan PD2/12 'Farington' as run by Southdown in the early 1950s with an open rear platform. Thos one is partly painted but still needs tidying up before glazing.
     
    2. A Southdown 1957 Commer TS3 coach with Beadle Rochester body.
     
    3. A southdown Leyland Leopard coach with Duple Commander body from the mid-1960s.
     
    4. A Southdown pre-war Leyland Titan TD5 with post-war East Lancs body.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    Also shown with the Leyland TD is a Royal Blue Bristol LL from Weico Models. This is also a resin kit but comes locally from Melbourne.
     

     

     
     
    04/11/2011
     
    I have been doing a little more work on the 2HAL. I fitted the wire replacement jumper cables to both driving ends.
     

     

     
    Next, a few thin coats of my specially mixed BR(S) green. It is not quite a match for the Bachmann 2EPB green (seen in the third pic of this sequence) but it is close enough for me. I have not picked out the jumpers in black, yet, nor added the handrails. Underframe and headstocks and buffers also yet to be painted.
     

     

     
     

     

     
     
    There is also an interesting contrast with the pre-nationalisation malachite green on the Lord Nelson in the foreground of a few of these pics.
     
    Now to the buses and coaches. I have now painted the first coat of Southdown light green on the Beadle and Duple coaches while tidying up the 'V' on the Marshall bus. The BR(S) green mentioned earlier also works well as Southdown's darker green! The first coats have been applied to the Duple coach skirts but, of course, there is a lot more tidying up to do before these will look presentable.
     

     

  4. SRman
    To illustrate what I said in the previous post, here is a photo of the front part of the red and orange 'swoops' modified to show nearer where they should be going. I have subsequently trimmed the lower orange bit and reseated it at a slightly better angle. The point of the red should end under the headlight and intersect the tail light while the orange should pass under the taillight with only a very slight overlap of the rim.
     

     
    Fixing this will entail a little hand painting although that's not too bad to do. The ERG vinyls take a lot of the drudgery out of doing this livery. For completeness, I will also have to add some red stripes around the inner ends to continue the lower body stripes.
     
    Edit: I took a quick (rushed! Sorry about the blurriness) photo of the corrected angle and position for those front stripes. There is too much red and orange showing still but it gives a better idea of what should be.
     

     

     
    As can be seen, in daylight the 'Barbie' blue is slightly different but it's as close as I will get to being correct for now. I think it is better than leaving the roof in the dark grey it left the factory with, and likewise at the inner end it is better than leaving the light grey.
  5. SRman
    We had our first postal delivery since Christmas Eve today (Monday), and look what the postie delivered! My Bratchell class 319/1 kit in Network South East livery! I pre-ordered this kit back in May and got the special advanced order price, which saved me over £50.
     
    The body shells go together very quickly and easily, so I have glazed and assembled all of them already and slipped the Replica Railways motorised chassis into the PMS coach (that's Pantograph Motor Second!). I still need to remove the moulded on footboards from the chassis but I'll leave that until I am ready to adjust the height it sits at in the body.
     
    Now here's a question: does anyone have a good photograph of a 319 pantograph well (319/0 or 319/1 will do), please? I will need to recreate the insulator and bus bar runs as well as mount the panto in the right place.
     
    Here are a couple of photos of the first bit of my progress.
     

     

  6. SRman
    Continuing progress with the Bratchell Models class 455/9: the body shells have now had a couple of coats of grey primer, then a couple of coats of flame red (all from automotive aerosols) to approximate the final base colour for the South West Trains suburban livery. The driving ends remain unattached (except for a couple of spots of Blu-tack!) and unpainted at this stage.
     
    The bogies have been assembled, although the motor bogie sideframes remain to be cut down and fitted. I have adjusted the ride heights: I found that Hornby's valve gear spacer washers worked well, with one thick and one thin washer added to each of the trailer bogie mounts.
     

     

     

  7. SRman
    In response to a request from Mallard60022, after fitting a decoder to a Bachmann Lord Nelson with split chassis, here is a step by step guide to how I did it, using my second LN as the example (I didn't take any photos for the first one!). This one is no. 850, Lord Nelson, renamed and renumbered from no. 864
     
    Some of the photos are a bit blurred as I was trying to hold the model and operate the phone camera at the same time, but I think the results are sufficiently clear to show what I was doing or what I am talking about.
     
    To start with, remove the body from the chassis. This is retained by one screw under the cab and with a tab on the chassis slotting into the body under the smokebox at the front.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 3 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 4 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Next I removed the two remaining screws holding the chassis wheel keeper plate / spring and brake block detail (I'll refer to this as the base plate from here on), after springing out the brake rodding (note that I actually took the screws out before lifting the body off - this doesn't affect the process).
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 2 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    After this, I removed the cylinders, which are simply a force fit on metal extensions from the chassis. Then I levered the motion supports off; these are also simply a force fit, like the cylinders.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 5 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 6 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    There are three screws holding the chassis halves together. One of them also holds the solder tags on to the front end of the chassis. Before we remove the base plate / axle retainer, I prefer to remove the front screw, pull out the plastic plug from the other side and release the two solder tags. I didn't do this on the first conversion and ended up breaking one of the wires coming up from the bogie.
     
    You might wish to mark which tag is on which side, perhaps with an ink marker pen. This will assist identification for reassembly and connection of the decoder wires later.
     
    If you have a later release LN from Bachmann, these tags may not be present as Bachmann quietly dropped the extra pickups from the specification. In that case, you may wish to add some brass or copper tags later when reassembling the chassis, to ease the job of connecting the decoder track wires.
     
    44291315681_dcf79eb8b6_b.jpg
    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 7 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Now lever the front end of the base plate up, just behind the bogie, lifting it and moving it backwards slightly to unhook the rear part that hooks over the chassis end.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 7 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 8 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    This leaves the wheels, axles and valve gear free to be lifted out of the chassis.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 9 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    The remaining two screws can be undone to allow the split chassis halves to be separated. Watch out for the plastic spacers: two white rectangular ones at the bottom and two black plastic washers around the upper two plastic plugs (that the screws go into). Also ensure you don't lose the plastic gear.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 10 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 11 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    I actually use a little black-tack (or mastic material) to retain the spacers in their places so they don't get lost and don't shift when reassembling the chassis.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 13 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    The motor just lifts out, but keep an eye on the two black plastic cup washers that go over the end bearings. Also, make sure the thrust bearing stays put (it is wedged into the chassis where the worm gear touches it). Note also that the motor has a small red spot marking the bottom which was connected to the right-hand chassis side - this brush will get the orange wire from the decoder. As an extra precaution, I chose to wrap the motor in insulating tape but this is not really necessary.
     
    Remove the two copper/brass (or whatever!) springs that bore on the brush tags.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 14 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 15 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Now prepare the decoder. This one is a TCS M1, which is very compact yet able to handle over 1 amp loads. These give reasonable running qualities at good prices and are covered by TCS' 'goof-proof' warranty, which means that if something goes wrong with this installation, they will replace it with no quibbles. I bared and tinned the grey and orange wires. Don't forget to thread on some heat-shrink tubing before soldering the wires to the motor brushes: orange to the red tagged brush, grey to the other one.
     
    Slide the heat-shrink tubes over the bare wire ends and brush tags and apply heat.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 16 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 17 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 18 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Now resite the motor in the chassis half. The decoder wires are only just long enough and are routed through the gap between chassis halves.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 19 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    The chassis halves can be reunited, ensuring all the plastic spacers are in place (a bit of black-tack stops them moving or dropping out during handling, as mentioned earlier). I replaced two of the screws but not the one at the smokebox end (yet). I did temporarily push the plastic plug into the smokebox end hole to align the spacer washer.
     
    Next I replaced the wheel sets in the chassis and clipped the motion supports and cylinders back in.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 20 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 21 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Next I clipped the base plate back in, hooking it onto the rear of the chassis first then sliding it up and pushing it home at the front, and replaced the two screws.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 22 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Now for the final connections. I shortened the black and red wires from the decoder, stripped the ends and tinned them. Note that I have also cut short the function wires (white, yellow and blue - green and purple additionally if using a TCS M4 decoder as I did with Lord Anson) and "tied" them up with a section of heat-shrink tubing. If you are going to fit lights or firebox glows, or other extra functions, these are the wires you will need in addition - that's beyond the scope of this essay.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 23 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Solder those red and black wires to the solder tags attached to the bogie pickup wires. Make sure you identify the right-hand wire (as you look from the back towards the front of the loco) and solder the red wire to that. The black wire goes to the left-hand tag.
     
    Now you can pull the black plug back out of the chassis at the smokebox end, insert it through the left-hand solder tag and then through the chassis. Insert the screw through the right-hand tag then screw it into the plug through the chassis.
     
    Finally, add a section of double-sided tape to stick the decoder to the very front of the chassis.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 24 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    Now test on the programming track. Mine read back properly so I reprogrammed the decoder to number 850, tweaked the inertia and momentum settings (CV3 = 20, CV4 = 15 as a starting point for my tastes - yours may be quite different), then gave it a track test. Again all was well, so it was back to the workbench to refit the body.
    Note: I also used the opportunity to lubricate the motor bearings and gears while everything was accessible earlier.
     
    Here is Lord Nelson hauling a test goods train under DCC control.
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 25 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     

    Bachmann LN Decoder Fitting - 26 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
     
    I hope this helps somebody and hasn't been too boring or laboured.
     
    Edit: I have had to reload all the images into Flickr after suspending my Photobucket account. I hope I have got the right photos in the right places.
  8. SRman
    Some years ago, I decided to try and improve the running qualities of one of my Lima class 73 models by replacing the Lima armature with a ModelTorque motor (available from the manufacturer just a couple of kilometres up the road from me at the time - sadly no longer available since the passing of the man responsible for them). This was almost a drop-in replacement but promised much better, smoother and more responsive running. It still used the Lima gearing and did deliver what was promised, although the Lima gearing did it no favours, but it would go from a crawl to around 350 mph. The top speed was later tamed a little with a diode pack supplied by the manufacturer. At this time I was still using analogue DC.
     
    It was still totally dependent on the Lima brass wheels and dodgy electrical pickups, however. That remained the achilles heel for running qualities. Hard-wiring a Bachmann decoder allowed much finer tuning for the motor speeds and also tamed the acceleration and deceleration using the inertia/momentum settings, but still those brass weheels and poor electrical characteristics prevented reliable running, with the occasional prod from a large finger being needed.
     
    A partial solution has since become available in the form of a Hornby dummy bogie from Peter's Spares. The Hornby bogie not only has better wheels but also picks up from both sides of the bogie, where the Lima one only picked up from one side. Fitting the bogie required the hole in the chassis for the original Lima one to be enlarged a little, using a round file. The Hornby bogie could then be clipped in, after first threading the two wires through. When I originally rewired the Lima chassis for DCC, I followed the convention of using a red wire for the right-hand track feed from the power bogie (which is always the number 2 end of the Lima/Hornby models). Hornby have very kindly marked one of the two black wires from the new bogie with a red patch - this also goes to the right-hand side of the bogie. I simply soldered the red-patch wire to my existing red connections, and the black wires together, then tested for short-circuits before putting the loco on the programming track and double-checking that all was well.
     
    Doing this modification means that I have electrical pickup from four decent quality wheels on the dummy bogie, and two (on one side only) through the Lima brass driven wheels. I could wire up extra pickups for the remaining two wheels on the motor bogie but these also have traction tyres, so the benefit would be marginal, to say the least. Anyway, the running, while not perfect, has improved considerably, to the point where 73 142, Broadlands, can now rejoin the main fleet and not be parked languishing at the back of the drawer.
     
    In the photos, the motor bogie looks like it has a standard Lima 'pancake' motor, whereas, in fact, the ModelTorque motor is installed from the other side, away from the camera. The first photo shows the new bogie clipped in place after opening out the hole, with the two wires floating loose, and the original Lima clip arrangement also detached, awaiting removal.
     

     
    The second photo shows everything soldered in place and all joints covered with heat-shrink tubing. I had to use a short stretch of red decoder wire to extend the reach of the Hornby wire to the original wiring.
     

     
    I'll post a short video to demonstrate the improved running in a short time - I'll edit this post to include it.
     
    EDIT: OK, video delayed - it ran smoothly enough until I got the camera out, then the main drive gear started slipping! I'll try again when the glue has set properly.
     
    2nd EDIT: I finally got the video, edited it and then uploaded it to YouTube (even that took ages, for some reason).
     

     

    I may have to consider putting a newer, better decoder ... I'm not even certain that the existing one has BEMF facilities, it's that old!
  9. SRman
    Work continues apace on the class 450 conversion. I have taken a couple of photos showing all four cars, with the first two all but complete, the third prepared to accept the vinyls and the fourth with the first coats of red paint on the roof but otherwise untouched.
     

     

     
    And another two with the vinyls now applied to the third (composite) coach. I scraped the existing "first class" wording off the windows with a wooden cocktail stick before applying the vinyl sides. I have also altered the line of the red swoop on the existing driving car plus added a bit of red at the bottoms of all the passenger doors.
     

     

     
    One driving coach left to do then I can take a few photos of it in service as a complete four-car unit. I will see about filling and patching the holes in the pantograph well in due course.
  10. SRman
    Another new project started: a 2 HAP unit of the 5601 - 5636 batch built to the Bulleid style.
     
    This is based on the Ayjay Models resin kit, bought through Radley Models. As I intended to use Hornby 2 BIL running units and chassis, I asked Phil Radley if he could sell me just the body shells and seat units. He very kindly did this and included the floor/chassis units as well as he wanted only the bogies for other uses.
     
    Having adapted the same manufacturer's 2 HAL unit to the 2 BIL chassis recently, I had a fair idea of what to look for this time. Modifications involve cutting/milling some notches out of the sides of the seating units, removing part of the seating unit on the motorised coach, and removing the buffer beams and fittings from the body shells. I also drill and ream out various holes in the floor or under the seats to clear some of the projections from the Hornby chassis and also the Lenz decoder. These holes can be covered over with a bit of thin plasticard later, before painting occurs.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    The 2 BIL buffers will be replaced with non-sprung white metal castings for BR retracted buffers - this will be consistent with BR practice, where the Pullman buffing plates were normally used in conjunction with the buckeye couplings, and also with the Bachmann 4 CEP or 2 EPB units with which this one will be able to run. It could also run with a Hornby 4 VEP - I have a couple of photos (in reference books) of this occurring.
     
    At this stage, I am planning to finish the unit in plain BR blue with full yellow ends, but I could change my mind before getting to that stage of the construction.
  11. SRman
    I have now added the first vinyls to the Bachmann SouthWest Trains class 450 (ex-Silverlink class 350/1). I was a bit stuck for the right shade of blue to match the SWT blue on the vinyls so as a preliminary undercoat for any exposed edges, the inner end and the roof I used a Revell dark matt blue, then followed it with some Precision Paints First Group 'Barbie' blue, which has turned out to be an almost perfect match for the vinyls.
     
    I also pre-painted the leading end of the roof with red and orange to roughly correspond with the Stagecoach 'swoops' so that the holes in the roof vinyl overlay for those colours where the vents go through would match.
     
    I have applied the first vinyls to just the one side at the moment so I could assess which edges need to be pre-painted on the other coaches.The instructions say to apply the roof flashes first so I did that carefully, then added the unit numbers on the cab end, over the windscreens. While I was at it, I added a destination over the relevant windscreen.
     

     

     
    There are a few small air bubbles present and I may try the previous method used for Electra Graphics to smooth the vinyl over any raised detail, that is, I'll try the hair dryer heat on it to see if I can improve things a little. Overall though the effect is quite good. From normal viewing distance I think it looks great.
     
    One other thing I will be altering though is that front end sweep of the orange and red: the ERG version is set too low so will be cutting it off at the corner and hand-painting the remainder. The red stripe should intersect the lower part of the tail light and there should be a band of blue across the bottom of the cab front (already painted earlier when I did the roof, in fact!).
  12. SRman
    After a long pause, I have done a little more work on the Bratchell class 455/9 unit, having received a message from Adam of Electra Railway Graphics that he is nearly finished with the South West Trains vinyls for the unit. I have long been putting off painting the window frames, but recently bought a Sharpie permanent marker pen in silver with a view to trying it out on the frames. So far, I think it has been very successful: marking out the raised frames took me around 45 minutes to do the lot, and the paint/ink medium seems to dry quickly and can stand a bit of handling.
     

    Painting the Window Frames - 1 by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
  13. SRman
    I have just started on some more pre-grouping brake vans, this time from Smallbrook Studios (http://www.smallbrookstudio.co.uk/). These are all resin kits and come complete with Dapol OO wheels, white metal buffers, NEM coupling pockets on self-centering mounts with (changeable) tension lock couplings, and all the handrail wire, microstrip, styrene and other bits and pieces to makea complete model, except for paint and transfers. The instructions seem reasonably clear and a re backed up with diagrams.
     
    The resin parts are all packed individually in separate resealable plastic bags, all contained within a larger resealable bag.
     
    I purchased four of these kits from Smallbrook and their Michael Rayner was extremely courteous and helpful, even when I asked question s that were already actually answered on his website (the scrolling wasn't working using Google Chrome so I didn't realise the info was there!).
     
    I have taken a couple of quick snapshots, showing two of the kits partially assembled but unpainted and a third one in its component pieces.
     
    From left to right: LSWR 18 ton road van to D. 1542; 20 ton LSWR goods brake to D. 1549; and the almost identical Metropolitan Railway 20 ton van (in pieces). The latter comes with optional duckets as they were removed in later life. Not shown is the LSWR 10 ton goods brake to D. 1541 that I also bought.
     

     

     
    I don't envisage these kits taking long to finish properly but at the same time, I won't be racing through them as I did with the SR Z class locomotive - I was on school holidays then!
  14. SRman
    Continuing on from fixing the Silverlink class 150/1 Sprinter, I have now repeated the steps with my Provincial sector class 150/1, with photos!
     
    Dismantling is relatively easy, once the three body fixing screws are removed from the chassis. Two very small screws hold the PCB in place, and two larger screws retain the bogies. A flat-bladed screwdriver at the inner ends of the bogie side frame mouldings will release those (easier to do before removing the bogie retaining screws), and the axles just pull out with a small amount of force.
     
    This is what you should have before any soldering occurs:
     

     

     
     
    Insulated wires are prepared by tinning the ends, and the copper pickup strips on the bogies are also prepared with blobs of solder - one up near the step, another just above the "tee" formed with the strip along the bogie sides. The wires are soldered at one end to the strip. Meanwhile, some brass (or copper or phosphor-bronze) pickup wires are prepared by cutting to length (a little shorter than the bogie wheelbase) and the centres are tinned with solder.
     

     
     
    The pickup wires need to be bent outwards and slightly downwards to bear on the wheel backs when the axles are reinserted later.
     
    The insulated wires are fed up through the slots in the chassis block. The wires can then be soldered to the springy strips that bear on the tops of the bogie strips.
     

     

     

     

     
     
    Reassembly is mostly the reverse of dismantling, although I found it better to screw the bogies back on as soon as I had soldered the wires to the PCB. Axles and sideframes were clipped back into place, ensuring that the wires go behind the wheels. From outside, one would never know there was anything different!
     

     
     
    After a quick test, the body is replaced and the unit is ready for service, with no more hesitations or flickering lights. I'm not too sure whether the Provincial liveried units would ever have run in multiple with Silverlink ones, but here are the two units posed together, regardless!
     

     

  15. SRman
    The vinyls to convert a Bachmann class 350/1 into a SouthWest Trains liveried class 450 arrived last week, while I was unable to do anything due to a back injury! I have now healed sufficiently to allow short (very short!) spells at the workbench, so I did a little preliminary painting on the first driving coach of the Bachmann class 350.
     
    I have also removed the pantograph and associated insulators and conduits/bus bars from the appropriate coach, Some holes will require a small amount of filling before painting but as I won't be using the vinyls here that can be done at any stage of the conversion process. I noted from photos of that coach in Modern Locomotives Illustrated that one of the underfloor modules appears to be absent when compared to the 350. I would assume that it was the AC high voltage step-down transformer and equipment. This was a rather nicely moulded separate fitting on the model and was easily levered out with a small flat-bladed screwdriver.
     
    The vinyls come with panels to cover the pantograph well, the red and orange flashes on the roof and include a red panel for the driver's cab air conditioning unit. I decided that I would actually paint the drivers aircon unit red and dispense with the vinyl panel for that. I have also decided that I will paint the roofs, ends and skirts (above the underframes) blue. The photos show the first thin coats of red and blue. These are still very thin and do not necessarily reflect the final colouration of the panels.
     
    The vinyls themselves may be seen on Electra Railway Graphics' website at http://www.electrarailwaygraphics.co.uk .
     
    Photos are of only the first coach at this point.
     

     

     
    I don't know how rapidly I will be able to progress with this project but I will take photos at each stage - hopefully slightly better ones than these!
  16. SRman
    After a long wait, the Electra Railway Graphics (ERG) vinyls have arrived for the Bratchell class 455/9 kit I was building in South West Trains livery.
     
    While there is still work to do and some adjustments to make with paint, I am happy with the effect on the first Driving Trailer Standard (DTS). Putting these on and trimming slightly to compensate for the odd discrepancy is time consuming, with the use of a hair dryer set on hot to help settle the vinyls over raised detail and form it around corners, so the other three coaches are going to be done over the next couple of months (because of other commitments I have in the next few weeks).
     
    Anyway, here are photos of the work so far, with, as I said, more blending in and touching up to do. The first couple are a little blurred because they were taken rather hastily.
     

    P_20180913_121926_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

    P_20180913_121935_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

    P_20180913_191324_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

    P_20180913_191332_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
  17. SRman
    Quite a while ago, I started building a Bratchell Models class 455/8 unit - the first batch with the really ugly front end! Most of the build has been covered in my layout thread in the main forums but it really belongs here on the workbench blog. The unit has actually been running on the layout for some time.
     
    I started the handrails on the leading DTS car using handrail knobs but this looked much too coarse when compared to photos of the real things. On the trailing DTS, I used shaped wire handrails with an intermediate support made from plastic rod, and this looked much better. I have now revised the leading car to match. By way of explanation, even though it is an EMU, for DCC purposes I need to designate a front and rear for the train, so the number 1, or leading, car is the one immediately ahead of the MS car with the Replica motorised chassis installed. The trailing, or number 4 car is the one behind the TS car, which itself is also behind the MS car. Formation is DTS(#1)+MS+TS+DTS(#4).
     
    In the meantime, I had fitted the jumper cables and receptacles (adapted from Blacksmith Models EPB jumpers) to the leading DTS but not the trailing one. That also has now been updated to match.
     
    Turned brass horns were also fitted.
     
    DTS #1 has some seats installed but none of the other coaches has an interior fitted yet.
     

  18. SRman
    Yet another project started (while several others continue, unfinished!). I decided to make a start on my Golden Arrow Productions ex-LSWR G16 4-8-0T heavy shunter. I have cleaned up the resin body a bit and filled a couple of holes, drilled out the chimney, smokebox door and handrail holes, and glued in the smokebox 'dart' and the main handrails.
     
     
    The kit is designed to fit a modified Hornby Stanier 8F 2-8-0 chassis. This entails sawing off a bit from the back and mounting a resin block, adding a front extension, and shifting the valve gear and cylinders forward a bit (the valve gear operates off the second axle on the G16 but the third axle on the Stanier original).
     
     
    Of course there are many other details that will need to be added as I go. I have some LSWR sprung buffers to hand, a suitable whistle, and things like lamp irons will have to be fabricated and added.
     

     

     
     
    At least the livery will be simple - all over unlined black!
  19. SRman
    Further to yesterday's entry, I have now fiddled with the CV settings on the Dapol/Kernow Western, with a view to dimming the excessively bright lighting in both headcode panels and cabs.
     
    I downloaded the full manual from TCS's website and eventually deciphered it to work out what changes were necessary to the CVs in the EU621 decoder fitted to D1030 Western Musketeer. I set the following values, using the TCS Constant Dim level 2 setting):
     
    CV49 (forward direction headcode/headlights, forward direction only) to 66
    CV50 (reverse direction headcode/headlights, reverse direction only) to 82
     
    ... and the following values, using the TCS Constant Dim level 1 setting)
     
    CV51 (cab light, no2 or B end, both directions) to 44
    CV52 (cab light, no1 or A end, both directions) to 44
     
    The lights are now much more acceptable to me, and there is less obvious light bleeding around the headcode panels. Compare these two photos to the previous entry.
     

     

  20. SRman
    I recently ordered one of the Realtrack Models class 143 units in First Great Western Local Lines livery. To go with it, I decided that I wanted a class 150 to complement it. Bachmann have already produced a class 150/1 in FGW plain blue livery, although that seems to have sold out. I may still be able to get hold of one in the future, so there is no point in doing one myself ... yet. That leaves a 150/2 in the more interesting, but superseded 'local lines' livery.
     
    With that in mind, I kept an eye on eBay for a relatively cheap 150/2 that I could use, having already ascertained that Electra Railway Graphics (ERG) produce the necessary vinyl overlays.
     
    I located a Regional Railways unit in Rails of Sheffield's eBay shop and made an offer, which they accepted. At the same time, coincidentally, I bought a Bachmann Silverlink class 350/1 from Rails website shop on special for £99 or so, with a view to doing a second class 450 conversion, also with ERG vinyl overlays.
     
    The two sets of vinyls were ordered from Adam at ERG, and he very kindly offered both sets with postage at an inclusive price.
     
    So far so good! The 450 conversion has been dealt with in my previous blog entries, so I need say no more on that. I commenced work on the 150/2 by removing the bodies and pushing out all of the door glazing, with a view to pre-painting the doors in pink. The ERG vinyls include overlays for the doors but I prefer to simply paint them. I used an initial coat of a standard Humbrol light pink, followed by a coat of the correct 'Barbie' pink.
     

     
     
    I then used one of the side overlays to test out what areas would need any paint touches. The vinyls seem a fraction short, so I used First 'Barbie' blue to paint all of the necessary end and door edges to blend them better with the vinyl overlays. I know that the 'Barbie' blue is not quite correct but it is close enough to do what I need from it.
     

     
     
    The other vinyls will follow once the paint dries. Here is the initial one that I did, though.
     

     
     
    As usual when I am trying to do these jobs, I have just snatched the photos somewhat hastily on the mobile phone camera, so the quality is not the best. It does show what I am talking about though, so they will have to suffice. Once I complete the job, I'll take some better ones of the finished product.
  21. SRman
    As a quickie project, I bought a Hornby class 60 on eBay for a quite reasonable sum with the intention of updating the old class 92. I made a previous attempt to improve it with a 5-pole armature and DCC decoder but it still didn't run as well as I would really like. In some ways it is almost a shame to lose the EWS 60 as the only fault with it was the windscreens were broken (easily replaced if I wanted to).
     
    The real class 92s used a very similar body shell to the 60s and after examining the 92 shell and 60 chassis, I decided that it would fit, provided I removed the PCB. I also found after test fitting that I needed to grind a little metal off the two metal 'towers' along the edges f the chassis block - only about 1 millimetre was removed.
     
    The body shell, cab interiors and lighting blocks fitted very neatly , with a small amount filed off the mounting spigots and spacer moulded on to the clear plastic lighting blocks..
     
    Next I have had to remove the class 60 fuel tanks, compressors and battery box mouldings, then cut off the class 92 electric equivalents file down those to fit the 60 chassis. I fitted one of the choke mouldings (I think that's what it represents) to fit over the metal ridge on the chassis (also ground down a bit). The other bits still await filing and fitting but I have made good progress, considering I only started this on Christmas Day and it is now Boxing Day!
     
    I have to rewire the beast but that's not difficult. I intend reusing the small PCB with resistor and diode from the class 92 but if that doesn't work, I have plenty of resistors suitable to wire each end's lights separately to the decoder white and yellow wires.
     
    Here is a photo posed on the temporary workbench. I'll post one of the chassis separately next time and of the finished product when it is done.
     
    I have already added the etched tunnel rings and will shortly be ordering the Shawplan BR arrows and Charles Dickens nameplates.
     
    I'm looking forward to having a class 92 model that will actually run very smoothly and haul trains that suggest the 5,000-odd horsepower available on third rail!
     

     
    Edit: I have to reglue that missing shoebeam - it can be just seen at the left, in front of the locomotive. I have glued them on several times with a superglue but obviously the plastic is resistant to that particular glue!
  22. SRman
    Last post on this topic for today!
     
    I have added a little of the 'Barbie' blue along the bottom edges of the sides, retouched the 'swoop' stripes around the front and touched up the black on the 'buffers' and gangways. The stripes are sill very rough and the vinyls require trimming around the tail lights but it is taking shape.
     

     
    That isn't a stain or patch on the sofa behind; I doctored the photo to remove a distracting red and blue bag on the sofa!
     
    For anyone wondering, here's what you get in the pack from Electra Railway Graphics (great service from Adam, too!):
     

     
    It includes the one-piece side overlays for four coaches (the missing pair from the photo are the ones I have already used, of course!), the roof red and orange flashes (two but only one in the photo because I have used the other), pantograph well blanks, gangway door covers, unit end numbers and a heap of destinations in dot matrix style. The vinyls are actually clear so the windows go straight over the existing ones on the model and include the interior stickers ('no smoking' and the like), all pre-cut and self-adhesive so they only have to be peeled off the backing sheets.
     
    The second side on this first coach went on more quickly than the first (practice makes perfect!), although I think I may have stretched it ever so slightly so that the windows on the second set of doors didn't quite line up perfectly and the last two side windows had the tiniest amount of the factory colour showing at the lower edges. The discrepancies are very small and won't show when in service on the layout, especially as the underlying colour of the doors and window surrounds was dark blue anyway.
  23. SRman
    Continuing with the Bratchell class 455/9, I have built all of the unpowered bogies now, but will need to adjust the ride heights of these upwards slightly, and the powered coach downwards slightly.

    The Powered bogies will have to be cut and shut to lose 1mm from the wheelbase but, as with the previous class 455/8 and 319, the blank sideframes on the Replica Railways motor bogies can be used to reinforce these, using the Bratchell sideframes as cosmetic items only.



    Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 7 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


    Bratchell Class 455-9 Under Construction - 8 cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr
    Once again I have had a little difficulty with poor light and the black ABS plastic Bratchell used for the driving trailer sides.
     
    I have used local manufacturer Steam Era Wheels (10.5mm dia., catalogue ref WH6) for this build, as Bratchell had run out of wheels when I ordered this kit.
  24. SRman
    I have been completeing or pushing a few projects further forward in the last couple of weeks, besides the layout progress in preparation for a BRMA meeting at my place on Saturday 18th August.
     
    One project was to fit headcodes to the Dapol/Kernow class 22. I chose some Heljan Western headcodes to fit inside the headcode boxes, which entailed removing the cab interiors by cutting the glue until they loosened sufficiently to take out (thanks Rick/gwiwer for the heads up on doing this). This pic also shows some of the newly completed ballasting at this end of the layout.
     

     
    The (fictional) maroon Hymek now has its glazing fitted. I need to reduce the yellow panels a little and fit tail/marker lights.
     

     
    The class 455 with the new treatment of the cab front handrails - these have to be painted white when I am ready. As this treatment looks much more successful than the previous one, I'll be redoing the other cab front to match.
     

     
    Bachmann class 57/0, 57 008 'Freightliner Explorer', lights. I had to repair some wiring and replace one of the marker lights with a new LED. In the second pic you can see that the new marker light is a little dimmer.
     

     

     
    And here is the Bachmann Collectors' Club Porterbrook class 57, 57 601, now with sound fitted (I swapped the Howes sound decoder out of 57 008 while fixing its lights). Enthusuasts nicknamed it "Purple Ronnie".
     

  25. SRman
    Work on constructing the Bratchell class 319 continues: I have now assembled all of the bogies as per the instructions and installed them under the correct coaches.
     
    I drilled out the head and tail light apertures on the Driving Trailer coaches and tacked some red and white LEDs into them. These will be made to work later. I will hve to touch up the WIPAC panels as they chipped slightly during the drilling process.
     
    I posed the four car unit on the layout for one photo, although it has no undergear at this stage. I will also have to install weights into each coach and I am not entirely sure I have posed it in the correct formation: the Pantograph Motor Second car (PMS) and Auxilliary Trailer Second (ATS) are correctly formed and oriented but the Driving Trailer Second (DTS) and Driving Trailer Composite (DTC) may possibly be at the wrong ends of the unit. I'll check this when I am ready to assemble the full unit for real. Note also that the ride height of the PMS car is wrong, and will remain so until I trim off those footboards on the Replica chassis.
     

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