5Bel

Hi Colin,

The sides look excellent. Just drilling the holes for the door furniture is enough for me after one coach. You must have the patience of a saint and forearms like Popeye! Once again excellent work.

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the tips on the underframe, I have already built it, but will look again at Godfrey's excellent photos to make sure what I have done is correct. For the conduits nearer the centreline of the roof I will be using  0.3mm loops as I have done on my 4Sub and 2Epb rebuild. I look forward to the 2Hal though I think Hornby would be better served doing a Bulleid pattern suburban unit.

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Great photos of the underframe. It is always good to see these kind of photos, especially in white, makes the layout very clear, especially the pipe runs. Might just be the push I need to finish my Kirk 2Bil next, I only lost interest in it because of a lack of lamp tops. Poor excuse I know. Excellent work as always.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

The underframe parts look excellent as usual. I can't believe that Hornby have left of the compressor off, did they actually go and see the real thing? As for the 2Hal, I have one to refurb and bring up to a better standard. Mine will have a compressor. Can't wait to see the bodywork progress.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Chris,

Exellent work on the EMU's. I have often thought that I would like to model an ER EMU from Replica bits, they are not something you see modelled too often. Your 307 may give me the push I need to get started. The 156 looks a whole lot better too. Once again excellent work.

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the info on the solebars. The picture of the 4Cor is excellent, I think you are right about the small gap. The Blacksmith kit had the feature designed into it, before I replaced the solebars that is! 

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

Looking great so far. Thanks for the tip on the 4Sub story, it contains so much information. I keep picking it up and reading it when I am in the middle of other modelling tasks. One question for you, what size channel do you use for the solebars? I am afraid I guessed at 4mm when I chose mine!

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Complete coincidence on my part. As it is only one coach I may redo it in the future. This is one of those little things that every time I look at the model I will be concious of. I have just ordered myself a copy of the 4Sub story, you can't have too many EMU books!! I don't think there are too many I haven't got now.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

I didn't realise that the underframe trusses were of different sizes until I read this post. A bit late for mine now! Dave's photos posted earlier are brilliant, they show that whoever did the artwork for Blacksmith really new what they were doing. Looking forward to more updates.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Godfrey, 

Great photos, just what I need for my Kirk 2Bil resurrection! The underframe pictures are particularly useful.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

The 2Bil looks so much better in Blue. You have carried out an excellent upgrade. The yellow on the front does go a long way to hide the fact that the front is way too flat. I saw a green one in Kernow models last week and can say I was not too impressed by it. My old Kirk kit will be getting a dust off and a Hornby motor bogie to finish it. On the subject of roof vents, it may be worth trying to contact Coopercraft to see if they do the vents from their 4Sub kit separately, they look good on my model. Good luck with the Sub.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin, The unit looks really good in it's new colours. I think the yellow does hide the front end problems better. With the MU equipment on the effetct will be even better. The spots on the roof look quite effective too!! One of my earliest memories is of one of these units in this colour gliding into Hastings station when I was very small. Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

The underframes look a whole lot better with your modifications, it is amazing what a few strokes of the file has done to the motor bogie shoebeam. You can actually see the bogie now. Looking at the cab fronts they seem to me to have more of a look of a 2Nol about them rather than a 2Bil. Maybe the yellow face will hide it.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Ian,

 

Thanks for your comments. The toilet window was not too to change as I have just recently had plenty of practice making such things on the 4 COR. Forget altering the Hornby cabs. The roof is out by the same degree.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the heads up about the cab roofs. I may get my half finished kit out and finish it. Combine the kit and a new Hornby motor bogie and I could be on to a winner! I have put some pics of the NNK steps on my 4Sub topic.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

Your toilet transplant looks really good, it is something I will be doing on mine once I get it. I have a Kirk 2Bil half finished so may look at transplanting the ends, though that may be a step too far!! Depends on how much I end up paying for the unit. At least the underframe mods will be a bit easier!! Not that we modelers should have to do them in the first place.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

The upgrade is looking good. It certainly looks better with all the roof gubbins re-modeled. I wasn't aware of the toilet problem, there seems to be a growing list of niggles. When I do conduit on the roof now, I only glue one of the junction boxes to the wire. This is normally in the middle of the wire so it can expand both ways. This I worked out after doing a 2Epb and having the conduit ending up like a doctors handwriting after gluing every box. Looking forward to more updates.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi Colin,

Here are a couple of pics from on top;

The cowl measures on average about 1.05mm across the sprue of six. Total width is about 3.00mm. The painted example is on the roof of a BY van

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Your upgrade is looking good so far. The roof vents are a tricky subject, I use Comet torpedo vents on my Southern units as they are flatter than other suppliers.

The ref number for these is RC1. I think they capture the look of Southern vents really well and have used them on all sorts of Southern coaches and vans. Hope this is of use.

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Looking forward to this project. I intend doing a similar thing when I get round to buying one (or two!) It has occured to me that if I buy two units and replace the incorrect pick up bogies with Roxey units then I could use one of the incorrect dummy motor bogies under a non powered 2Bil. With me so far? You then have two motor bogies, one powered and one unpowered. These could then go under another unit, 4Sub or 4Lav, or maybe a couple of two car units. Are you having any luck with the lamp tops?

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi All,
 
I have been a bit quiet on the 4mm Emu front of late for a couple of reasons. One is because you can get tired of all those hinges and another is because I build and repair 7mm models for other people. The first of these is a rake of HST Mk3 coaches that my friend wanted strengthening. As built the kits are somewhat flimsy. I strenghened the roof and underframe skirts with thick plastic and the result is now a strong coach.
 

 

 
I have done five of these coaches but only took photos of one. I don't know who the original builder/painter was but the livery is executed really well. Next is a Wagon and Carriage works/RJH  TEA tanker. This is the second one of these I have built and it goes together really well. 
 

 

 

 
This one is finished as my friend wants in plain black, though it would have looked nice in full BP/Shell livery. Maybe one day I will get some of my own. Next is a BR Model 158. This was missing its driveshaft and was a simple fix with some brass tube. I believe that this kit is now available again after some years in the 7mm wilderness.
 

 

 
 
To finish with it is my long suffering Vulcan Terrier. This has had many liveries over the years, but the chassis was always the weak part. I rebuilt it using a Master Chassis jig and while I was about it rebuilt the body to represent KESR 32670.
 

 

 

 

 
These views show it's modified bunker and it's unique green livery as worn when first nationalised. It is also a model I think it is unlikely that Dapol will produce, but you never know.
 
It is nice to have the sun out to be able to take pictures outside again. It is now back to hinges and commode handles!!
 
Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi John,

A really excellent step by step guide. I like the simplicty of the PRMP kits. I have built a few now and they go together quite easily and look like what they are supposed to be. I rebuilt a Shark many years ago and it now resides in the permanent way train on Rockmoss, you have probably seen and operated it! Once again an excellent thread, looking forward to your loco!

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi Colin,

Just had a look at the video clip on the Hornby facebook page. The bogie under the trailer car is indeed a dummy motor bogie as opposed to a pick up bogie. As for the guardirons, I agree with you that none of the Bils were fitted with angled ones. Lets hope the production run is correct, otherwise it will be out with the replacement pick up bogie!!

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi,

Thanks for the comments. Captain, the windows are the Wills originals. I have cleaned them up a bit but that is all.

Cheers for now, Ian.

Hi All,

Here are some pictures of my first building for my future layout. It is built using the Wills Kit as a basis with a Slaters brick base and Plasticard additions. It is based upon Etchingham box, which will fit in with the planned SECR location of the layout.

I have a Wills interior kit to finish it off. Overall I am quite pleased with the progress so far.

Cheers for now, Ian

Hi,

Brilliant, what a fantastic conversion. Excellent paint job aswell. I wouldn't mind doing one in Jaffa Cake livery. It would bring back memories of travelling down to Hastings on the their first weekend of operations on that line.

Cheers for now, Ian