Ressaldar

Hi Brian, thanks for putting my mind at rest. You will have noted that there are only sandboxes on the outer ends - despite the fact that the kit was ordered as an 'as built' prototype, JLTRT only packed 4 sandboxes! - I've asked Laurie to send me the missing ones and also a replacement shock absorber pad as to add insult to injury, I lost one at the club last night Talking of sandboxes, why do JLTRT say that the pipework cannot be fitted to the outer bogie if you are going to take the inner chassis out in the future - it - the pipework is surely all fitted to the outside of the bogie frame. I can understand that fitting the bogie to body jumper cable needs careful thinking about. By the way, I have started a Workshop Blog for the 40at present, it gives details of the electrical pick-up - no plungers and through the bogie pivot bolt Again, many thanks for the input. regards Mike

Hi Brian, The wednesday trial running was fine - on Thursday, I built the bogie outer frames and left them to cure overnight, fitted them on Friday along with most of the external body castings and again took it to the club for testing - disaster!! It seems that the lower face of the chassis is bearing down on the shock absorber plates causing the rear axles to lift off the track and therefore the loco is not tegotiating curves at all. The remedy seems to put a bearing plate (spacer) on the pivot plate, thickness to be determined by trial and error. Have you come across this in any of your 40 builds? There is no up/down movement on the bogie at all which would suggest that the spacer is the required remedy. No 2 end bogie detail showing shock absorber plate touching chassis overall braodside view No 1 end detail any thoughts/comments would be apreciated regards Mike

Hi Phil, I drill a hole through the tread of the wheel at approximately 45 degrees, coming out at about the point where the plastic starts, I then use a circular burr in the mini drill and starting in the edge of the brass centre and obviosly opposite the hole that you have just made, draw the burr towards the outside and repeat this operation until the grove that is formed is no more than 1mm deep, and clean off the residue. Measure the distance of the grove and add 5mm, then using a piece of 0.7mm wire, form a 45 degree bend at the point where the wire goes through the hole, then solder the wire at both ends, not dwelling too long otherwise you could melt the plastic. Then file down the centre ensuring that you have a flat mating surface for the bearing and then file down the protruding wire on the tread - job done. I'll post some photos over the weekend, the loco is in it's box ready to go down the club tonight for another test run. regards Mike

Hi all, started this beast last week and thought you might be interested in the pick-up method that I have adopted. I decided to take advantage of the fact that with the bogie chassis block and the main chassis both being resin/plastic, I would pick up from one set of wheels on each bogie - I hate using plungers so shorted out six of the Slater's driving wheels. I then drilled a 0.7mm hole in the edge of each bearing flange on the shorted out side, although I have not used the centre bearing as teh wheelbase at 112mm is more than enough to span most point frogs. I then soldered a length of 0.7mm nickel silver wire into one flange and the bent it to come just below the top of the chassis block, introduced four more bends above the centre bearing so that the wire was in line with the slot in the bogie pivot bolt, soldered it in the slot, and repeated the process at the other bearing. The photos explain it better than the words. Having got the power to the bogie swivel plate it was easy to then slip a connector over the bolt and above the sprung washer and it is held down by the nylock nut and then connected to a chocolate block. Repeat for the other bogie and connect the motors in series and you're away. Or so I thought! Ran fine on the straight but needed the pony trucks to be installed before it would go round any curves without coming off. A good trial run session at the club on Wednesday and all was well. A rebate has had to be formed in the bogie side, which hopefully shows up on the pictures, to accomodate the wire . Proceeding with the detailing now - more pictures to come later. regards Mike

Hi Brian, thanks for the reply. I took it to the club last night and tried it on the outer track which is about 6'6" radius and it came off on the curves. I have this morning built up and fitted the pony trucks and it runs ok on my test track so I'm hopeful of it doing a complete circuit at the club this afternoon - I'll keep you posted. regards Mike

Hi Brian, I have looked in my paint stock drawer and guess what I found - Tamiya XF 55 Deck Tan - a thinned down version looks good against the photos above. On another tack, I have started a JLTRT Class 40 - D232 and have motorised the bogies, fitted them to the chassis (without the pony trucks) and given them a quick run and they do not seem to the generous curves on my little test track. I am taking it down to the Club this evening for an extended trial and will let you know how I get on. There is no sideplay whatsoever on the leading and trailing axles, obviously there cannot be any on the motorised axle, but have you filed down the outside bearing face of the leading axle to give you some sideplay or does the pony truck do this for you - as it should? Sorry to highjack the thread. Best of luck with it. regards Mike

Hi Brian, a goodly two days modelling there. I have used brown shoe polish in the past with some black and blue rubbed in for good measure. If you have not fixed the deck in position yet, give it a try on the back first - no need to bull it up though - unless your going to go on parade! regards Mike

Hi Phil, just catching up on a few things. The GUV is looking good, other than the bogies, what else do you need to complete the build? regards Mike

Hi Brian, thanks for picking up on the 40. I'm doing D232 Empress of Canada, for a very good friend. I have opened the castings bags, in turn, and as you know, there are no lists to check the contents against, so I'll blunder on and see where I get. having said that, there are discrepancies in the fixings bag and I sent an email to Laurie earlier this evening, and it bounced back, so I'll phone him tomorrow afternoon when we get back from shopping in Chester. I have acess to your detail photos and have also been building up a library of 40's books, including Deisels in Depth - Class 40 by David Clarke. I'll keep you posted on progress - or lack of it. Again, many thanks for your interest. regards Mike

Hi Brian, thanks for posting the comparison photos. It seems that the only main item is the (lack of) representation of the rubber seals on the windows on the cab on the Heljan version, but bearing in mind that the JLTRT one was kit built and painted including the rubbers and you would then do the same to the Heljan model, I cannot see much to comment on, until I get my sweaty hands on one that is! (large numbers and Kingfisher logo etc. already on order from John Peck). Just sorting out a JLTRT Whistler to do - lack of parts list for the castings does not really help matters. regards Mike

Hi Keith, many thanks for your speedy response. As you say, there are any number of 'domino' headcode boxea, but I have only come across the one in yellow, which makes it the likely candidate to do, even though I cannot put a date to it. regards Mike

Hi Yellowvanman, a wonderful thread and please keep the pictures coming. I am about to 'convert' a Heljan 7mm 37 - removal of skirts and associated bufferbeam works etc + my earlier works detailed on 37057. Again using 37057 as my prototype and carrying large logo blue livery, but without the headlight. I have come across just one (undated) photograph of it with yellow headcode boxes, taken I think at Stratford all of the other photos that I have seen with it in LL livery have the boxes painted black. Some questions if I am allowed - any idea as to when the photo might have been taken, could the No 1 end have been black and lastly, the closest that I can get to the installation date for the headlight, is around September 1992, do you have any closer dating information. I have the potted history from the cl37group but that does not give these details. regards Mike

Hi Brian, we're waiting with baited breath and then after the 27, the 33 , 43, 22 , 14 (according to Mr Waterman at the Merseyside show on Saturday) regards Mike

Hi Peter, many thanks for the comment. Then it's the finishing off of the rebuilt West Country that I started a couple of years ago!!! See new thread - set up to shame me into it regards Mike

Hi Brian, great work as usual, but don't you mean............the first coat of grime? regards Mike

thanks Dibateg, it went down well over the weekend at Birkenhead too - even though it was sat next to two blue 'Duchesses' regards Mike

Hi guys, many thanks for the kind comments, sure encourages you to make the next one. regards Mike

Hi Kev, 28ten & Dan, thanks for the comments, having had a few anxious moments when I first opened the box and saw the detail in the frets, I am really pleased that it turned out so well, due mainly to the thought that Dave put into the design in the first place. I shall be dropping Dave a line next week, once the dust has settled from this weekends exhibition and then possibly do an article for the G0G Gazette - (the November issue due out any time now, PO permitting) regards Mike

Hi Kev, thanks, the yellow triangles I cut out from a piece of Trim Line self adhesive tape. Hi Martyn, glad you like the finished article. Weathering is the incentive to finish the model as far as I'm concerned. regards Mike

Hi Pugsley, glad you approve. real coal held in position with diluted PVA and left for a day then two coats of Johnson's Klearon the 'exposed' part of the sheet. On 'reflection' if you will excuse the pun, I could have just used the Klear by itself and carried out both operations at the same time - we live and learn. regards Mike

Hi Phil, thanks for the comment. I'm sure that you will give yours your best shot and am looking forward to seeing photos on here in the not too distant future. regards Mike

Hi all, I had just finished writing v1 of this final chapter and was about to add the photos when I had a windows error message come up and have had to start again. Well, the build is now complete - the cab canopy is on and the coalman has been, the fireman has dirtied his trousers (you would not think so but it is a trick of the flash - honest) and the Johnson's Klear has found another use - the water overspill in amongst the coal. 33006 lefthand side 33006 cab detail 33006 righthand rear detail 33006 righthand cab detail 33006 righthand tender A great kit to build and all credit to Dave Sharp for producing such a masterpiece, hopefully, I'll be doing another one from his range in the new year. The loco will be running on the O Gauge Group's 'Layout in Progress' at the Merseyside MRS Exhibition at the Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead from tomorrow evening and all weekend - full details on www.merseysidemrs.co.uk regards Mike

Hi Ken, very nice as usual, looking forward to seeing the 'painted' jobs. regards Mike

Hi 28ten, looking really good. The pipework is fiddly, but when finished always gives you that extra satisfaction as well as looking right. There may not be many photos available for you to refer too, so just follow your instinct and if anybody makes comment, ask them to provide the photgraphic evidence! Looking forward to the next episode. regards Mike

Hi 28ten, just wait till the coal arrives and he gets up on the tender MOK were 'represented' at Telford I have the details in the workshop, I'll look them up and let you know who they were - it might be a similar arrangement at Reading. regards Mike