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46444

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  1. 46444
    This morning our Postie delivered a small package from the Bachmann Spares Department. Excellent service as ever.
     

     
    Inside was the new tender chassis and coupling mounting block highlighted as damaged in the previous post. 
     
    Armed with a mug of Yorkshire Gold in a suitable receptacle with an Ivatt 2MT on it I set to work... 
     

     

     
    The smokebox door handle was replaced with a new brass Eileen's Emporium example. This was sprayed with Hycote grey primer and satin black before fitting.
     
    The top lamp bracket has been renewed also. Finally the vacuum pipe was added and loose buffer fixed in position. 
     

     
    On to the tender which had received the most damage the chassis was renewed.
     
    The electrical gubbins and weights were fixed in position. Damage to the front of the tender was made good using a piece of kit sprue from a Parkside kit. 
     

     
    The rear of the tender had the broken coupling mounting block renewed. 
     

     
    Also the rear vacuum pipe and ladder were replaced. 
     

     
    Here is 6404 essentially ready for service having been reserected to full glory. Just needs brake rodding to loco and tender adding along with front foot steps.
     

     
    Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to remove the numbers and insignia before spraying the sides to make good. 
     
    I'll also lop the chimney off and replace with the brass DMR version.
     
    Still undecided on a lined 46467 or an unlined 46468. Could be a toss of a coin... 
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark 
     
  2. 46444
    Now if you have a large piece of equipment to move you need to borrow a Pug no less. 
     
    According to Tonks in his Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands-Wellingborough Area book this was the case in the early 1950's when Wellingborough 15A borrowed a Derby 17A Pug to help move machinery from Finedon Ironstone Quarry to the Wellingborough exchange sidings for onward transfer to Blisworth Quarry near Northampton. 
     
    Due to the RTB Finedon Quarry system no longer having motive power 51235 was hired in from BR coming from Derby. 
     
    Now over time most of us modellers have owned either a Dapol or Hornby Lanchashire & Yorkshire Pug at some point in our modelling lives. I know I have. 
     
    Wishing to model 51235 I acquired a second hand Hornby weathered example of 51232 for a princely sum. Thankfully it was a very smooth runner. 
     

     
    Detailing wise I have filled in the cut out of the front and rear buffer beams with plastic strip and repainted them with Vallejo and Citadel acrylics. 
     
    The coupling hooks were replaced with Mr Franks finest from Lanarkshire Modelling Supplies (LMS) versions. 
     

     
    I also replaced the moulded smokebox door dart with a Eileen's Emporium turned brass example suitably trimmed for length.
     

     
    Front and rear lamp irons were made up from staples. The sheeted over cabside has been opened out also. 
    The cab windows were reamed out gently as well.
     
     

     
    I refinished the cab moulding with a few coats of Halfords  spray grey primer and satin black
     
    Fortunately I discovered that the etched brass 18" inch scale cab spectacles from Mainly Trains (MT 226. Available from Wizard Models) were a perfect fit.
     

     
    These were suitably fixed in place. Using Microsol Kristal Klear new cab glazing was made up.
     
    The boiler tank had received the TCut treatment and the factory finished weathering had been removed including the BR early crest. 
     
    A few coats of Johnson's Klear brought a nice sheen to the saddle tank.
     
    Transfers are from the Fox range and the smokebox numberplate is from the excellent Pacific Models. 
     
    Eagle eyed viewers will notice that Hornby have made a mistake with the builders nameplate. It's says 'LMS BUILT ???? SWINDON'. Not sure what the L&YR would say about that. 
     

     
    The weathered valve gear was painted in using a Sharpie silver marker. 
     

     
    Jobs to do now include weathering, fitting a crew, fitting lamps and adding some cab side screens to disguise the motor. 
     
    More soon in the next instalment. 
     
    Cheers, 
     
    Mark 
  3. 46444
    Whilst perusing a well known auction site I came a cross a rather sorry looking Hornby M7 which had been converted quite crudely to a Caley 439 Class. 
     
    Now I have seen conversions of M7's to 439's that have been rather good such as Ben Alder's of this parish.
     
    Like many I would like to see a Class 439 produced to complement the Rails/Bachmann Caley 812 Class. No doubt we will eventually see a ready to run version.
     
    The badly converted M7 was purchased and arrived safely. It had been de-Southernised with removal of the additional route indicator disc brackets on the smokebox and rear of the bunker. 
     
    The original M7 number had been removed damaging the paintwork and poorly applied numbers for a 439 Class had been applied. 
     
    The whistle was missing as was the attached pipework. A few other minor jobs were needed to reconvert the Caley conversion.
     
    I should have taken some snaps of the loco when it arrived but set too quiet quickly on the project.
     
    Here it is in its completed state.
     

     
    Dapol B4 spares are available from Peter's Spares. I ordered a set of lamp/disc brackets which having made good the damage from the previous owner certainly looked the part.
     
    The smokebox door dart was a replacement from RT Models and has the correct profile. The original was missing.

     
    Replacement middle route indicator brackets on the bunker. Real crushed coal added.
     

     
    The smokebox and cab roof received an airbrushed coat of Tamiya Flat Black to blend things in.
     

     
    The missing whistle again came from Peter's Spares and is a standard Hornby affair. A piece of piano wire replaced the missing pipe to it.
     
    Cab spectacle plates came from a Mainly Trains etch available from Wizard Models. Microscale Liquid Glaze made up the glass. 
     

     
    I asked Steve at Railtec to make me up one of his excellent 3D printed smokebox numberplate/shed code plate combinations for Bournemouth 71B's M7 30107
     
    These 3D printed numberplates  are released in water like normal waterslide transfers then allowed to dry on an old tile.
     
    I edged in the number plate sides carefully with a black Sharpie. Then both plates were fixed in place with matt enamel varnish.
     
    These 3D printed number/shed code plates are well recommended from Railtec and great service as always from Steve.
     

     
    Here is the other side. I have inked in the wheel rims with a black Sharpie. Also the connecting rods have been treated with a silver Sharpie. 
     
    Replacement numbers on the bunker sides are courtesy of Fox Transfers. Then to seal everything a coat of airbrushed Tamiya Satin Varnished completed the detailing.
     

     
    I will lightly weather the loco and also add in a piece of plastic tube to replace the centre gap between the vacuum cylinder ends as well behind the front buffer beam.
     
    A nice project and it has been good to reconvert the converted, bringing a model back to its former glory.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark 
     
  4. 46444
    Recently Hornby have released their 6 wheeled Sentinel in the guise of L81 which represents the first of three Sentinel's acquired second hand to replace the venerable LT Pannier tanks.
     

     
    Unfortunately with the prototypes their wheelbase was insufficient to operate track circuits on the main line. To address this a tender was attached fitted with a trip cock. 
     

     
    The tenders were manufactured from 'Q' stock bogies. The tender and Sentinel carried conventional coupling gear as well as Ward-Lock couplings.  This allowed the shunting of other Underground stock. 
     
    Difficulties in fitting the Ward-Lock couplings made fitting of normal buffers to the Sentinel's problematic. To address this wooden buffers we're fitted to the Sentinel's front end with a Ward-Lock coupling.
     
    The tenders were able to accommodate Ward-Lock couplings as well as standard hinged oval buffers. 
     
    CDC Kits have come to the rescue with a 3D printed tender. A choice of buffer positions are available.
     
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225753447991?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0CsmXNqgQWK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=MNMqJGNPSxi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
     
    I chose the buffers down version. On arrival other than paint and couplings the kit is ready to go. Unless...
     
    If you look at prototype pictures of these tenders coupled to the Sentinel's you will see tender runs at the same height as the Sentinel's buffer beam.
     
    The CDC kit is supplied running on 12mm Dapol wagon wheels. This then gives a stepped appearance between tender/Sentinel.
     
    To address this holes were drilled out for brass axle bearings. Then Gibson 10mm Lowmac were fitted which lowers the ride height of the tender correcting it.
     

     
    In using tension lock couplings, lowering the tender then ensures coupling height is the same as the representation of the Ward-Lock coupling housings on the tender. 
     
    As you can see from the photo below markings have been set out for drilling holes for Bachmann NEM fitting tension locks.
     

     
    Finer handrails will be soldered up for the tender as well to match the Sentinel. 
     
    Livery wise on the prototype the tender was finished in black with a red buffer beam, white handrails and collector shoes. 
     

     
    More soon once I've fired up the soldering iron.
     
    Cheers,
     
    Mark 
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