Colin parks

Hi Mike, The cab is coming on well. Once the yellow paint goes on the end, it will look very neat. It certainly is quite a transformation from the early pics. of the mis-matched body and cab front casting. All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, The Dogfish is looking good. Onve you get into it,the hopper is quite a complex shape to construct. Those supports that you had to cut are probably designed over-length to allow the chassis to be used as a basis for the Catfish too. All the best, Colin

Hi Mike, The pictures of the DTSO look very good. Once you have the cab front painted in yellow the difference between it and the roof will be negligible. Are you painting the unit in plain blue? All the best, Colin

Oops! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/17158-Hornby-class-423-4-vep/page-16 Apologies to Hornby. I am confused by the body issue, having looked at your posts on the Hornby VEP above, I had assumed the VEP sides were too low. All the best ( hoping I am not going to hijack the topic with too much debate on this ), Colin

Hi Mike, The pictures of the recent work on the driving trailer coach look promising. It's a fiddly business to chop all these parts up I'm sure, but I can see you have thought the process through. All the best, Colin

Yes EBD, It would be about time there was nicely made cab front for the 4 CIG and 4 VEP. It would be right for the 4 TC and 4 REP too. The problem for a manufacturer would be: Do you make it to exact scale size or make it to fit something like the Hornby 4 VEP which isn't quite to scale, but might have a higher potential sales to those wishing to improve the 'face' of the model? All the best, Colin

I'm afraid Mr Robinson, that Mr Downes will produce pictures of Llaregub before long. Forgive me for saying so, but that will then be game, set and match! Colin

Hi Andy, Just been catching up on your excellent and interesting plasticard loco build. There are a couple of tips that might help you: This first one is a thechnique that was used by Mike Peascod when bending plastic sheet. Brush enough solvent to dampen the surface on the inside face of the piece to be curved. Once touch-dry, the bending can take place. Mike Peascod used this mostly for the forming of coach side tumblehomes (for this, amazingly, he used his fingers to manipulate the plastic), but it would be equally effective on splasher tops etc. I take my hat off to you in using 5 thou. sheet, I just can't get on with it. I tend to view anything less than 20 thou. as untrustworthy in its stability unless laninated! The other thing that came to mind was for the specacle plate round bezels or whatever they are called (as in post #52), you could gently sand them down if you find them too thick. It is much easier to apply flat details made of 10 thou. sheet then sand down to the required thickness the wrestle with the 5thou. stuff. A pair of dividers can be useful for forming circles of plastic sheet, digging one point into the sheet and rotating the dividers, using the 'free' point to scribe the circle. Once the disc is attached and hardened, the dividers can be used again with the points reduced in span to scribe the inside edge of the 'ring', using the original centre mark to guarantee that the ring is concentric. When you get to the painting stage, make sure there is a coat of paint on all plastic sufaces - inside ones wherever possible. This should help avoid any tendency of the plastic to 'bow'. All the best, Colin

Hi Dave, Really entertaining photos! Those in post #827 a very well lit, composed and realistic. All the best, Colin

Ah, I can see your point now you explain it like that Mike. Certainly plastic is a more easily worked material than brass. Re. the windows, Pete harvey did a very nice set for the 4 CIG which are of the same design (but not numbers) as the 4 TC's. As for the cab ends, it looks like filler is the only option - unless you build up the height with lots of low-melt solder I suppose. I'm sure that the cab front window seals are the same height as the bottom edge of the cantrail water strip, if that is of any help in locating the castings. Here are some photos courtesy of Ceptic showing the difference between various EMUs with this type of cab front :http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/51422-4-cig-for-newhaven-harbour/page-8 Post #37 has some very good photos of the cab front of a 4 CIG , which is the same as a 4 TC, by Tomstaf: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/51422-4-cig-for-newhaven-harbour/page-2 As for skills, by the time you have finished this conversion, you'll have plenty! All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, What I meant was that I have offered the glazing to several RMwebbers and nobody needs it! It is interesting to compare the cost of bespoke glazing for £55.00 with the price of an entire 4 CEP at £89.00. The latter figure was coincidentally the same as the price I was quoted for replacement bodyshells from Bachmann several years ago. I made the fatal error of giving my 4 CEP a sprayed-on wash of dilute black paint and white spirit which cracked the glazing. The Hurst tinted glazing packs mentioned by Paul must be the best solution, so long as their dimensions match Bachmann's. All the best, Colin

Hi Mike, I have had a look at your proposed, well started project. I don't mean to criticise the aims of what you are trying to do, but one thing springs to mind: why is the 4 CEP needed at all? It has all the wrong bogies for a 4TC and for that matter, a 4 REP too. By the looks of things though, it is too late to save the 4 CEP now! I made a 4 CIG from four Bachmann Mk.1 coaches with the (almost) correct B4 bogies and scratch-built sides as you probably already know. That might be what you have for your 4 TC in terms of coaches, I do not know. Whichever way you go about it, you will need to pay attention to the doors and quarterlights at the cab ends of the 4 TC's DTSOs. I do believe Ceptic has dimensions for this. Brian Kirby should be able to help with basic dimensions too. If I recall, there are subtle differences in positions of doors and windows between the 4 CIGs, REPs and TCs in this area. Re. the fit of the cab, I'd put money on the Bachmann model as being dimensionally correct, but have you actually got a 4TC type cab from MJT? Even if it is, the MJT cabs were made to be compatible with their etched 4 CIG sides, which are much thinner than a plastic Bachmann coach side. The only remedy to make the MJT cab front fit the Bachmann body would be to add filler at the top and round it over to form the domed top. If you line up the cab front castings, as they are with the top of the roof, your cabs will not only have the steps out of alignment, but the cab front windows will end up to high as well. Good luck! Colin

Hi Jon, Times are tight and money is short, but are you going to save much by not having the bespoke glazing made for you?! The idea of joining the original glazing for the lower part and joining on something plain above does sound like it would be worth a try. At least fixing that to the body sides would be easy. I do have some spare Bachmann Mk.1 glazing (not 4 CEP stuff though) - if you need any (can't seem to give it away!) All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, I have just seen your last post re. glazing. It will come as no consolation to hear that I was quoted £55.00 last year for 4 CIG glazing, so even more expensive than for a 4 CEP. Are the window frames you have had etched not wide enough to fit hand-cut glazing? If you cut the glazing to size and round the corners, surely any small inaccuracies will be hidden behind the frames. How would the perspex window panes be fixed to the coach sides if you went for that option? Flush -glazing is harder to fit than the 'glued-on-behind-the-side' method. All the best, Colin

Lovely work Adam. The detail you have applied really shows up well in natural light. I rather like the scratch-built vac. pipe. All the best, Colin

Lovely work Adam. Separate bolt heads on the ends too! All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, You can never have too many pictures - especially of the quality you are posting! I am almost tempted to have a go at an etched kit seeing the method explained so clearly. It looks like you have all the right specialised tools for bending and folding etc.. All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, I'd never have guessed Bulleid designed something like that. Now as a challenge, what about one of his cast-frame Lowmacs? I have great confidence in your abilities! All the best, Colin

Super finish on the pipe wagon Adam. I shall win no prize for guessing what that other vehicle is - I've no idea! Al the best, Colin

Oh yes Adam! The wagon looks very nice. Those door retaining pin chains are ever so effective, as is the wood grain finish on the interior. I like the magic you have worked on the TTV too, with the addittion of all the fine parts. All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, I can't see the images. How frustrating, they are sure to be good! Colin

Hi Jon, I am getting quite inspired by this project to have a go at a 4 EPB myself one day. I have Bachmann 4 CEP, but it suffered damage to the glazing when I wrecklessly gave it a spray of dilute balck paint in white spirit. This caused numerous cracks in the windows to appear. It would be possible to re-use the 4 CEP roofs for a conversion. It looks like there is an interesting selection of stock in your fiddle yard. All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, I've just caught up with this most interesting thread. Forgive me, I thought it was a hypothetical discussion on the subject, which it quite clearly is not! With 4 CEPs available new for £89.00 (or they were until recently), its cheaper than buying all the chassis parts. Davyjcrow's refurbished 4 CEP looked absolutely excellent, so I'm sure yours will be too, using his etches. The 4 EPB looks promising too. Perhaps the cantrail-level water strip could be thinned down to match the Bachmann EPB body? I have used stainless steel for such things, as you might know I had some window frames made for a 4 CIG last year. It was tricky to stick them down, they had to curve to the body profile, which was OK if they were stuck with superglue at the top then the bottom once the glue had set. A refinement of that method is, if you are able with factory-painted bodies, is to bed the frames down onto the side with a small amount of solvent, which will tack the frames down to the sides as well if the etched metal is thin enough. Pete Harvey did mine and they were half-etched 8 thou. stainless steel, thus very flexible. All the best, Colin

I second that remark! Colin

Hi Andy, Thanks for the advice re. mandrel making. I shall never need to turn loco wheels, but Hornby coach wheel flanges are a different matter. I shall have another go, following your instructions and make the bolt with a tapered shank. All the best, Colin