Richard_A

2 minutes ago, Roddy Angus said:

I am surprised that you find the idea of parents wanting to avoid their children being stuck with large debts when they graduate "amazing". 

 

As a parent with one child who has graduated and is now in a good job and a second due, hopefully, to graduate in the summer, I would do whatever possible to help them financially so that they can concentrate on their studies.  Both also had part time jobs whilst at Uni but, like many students, only on the minimum wage.

 

Regards

 

Roddy

 

PS my parents were unable to assist me when I went to Uni in the 80s and it was extremely hard to budget.

When my kids get to university age I am sure I will help them if they go, however they will be required to get a job as well. 

Anyway, I don't wish to antagonise anyone regarding their choices, so I shall bow out of this. 

22 minutes ago, westernviscount said:

That is impressive. Fees of 9k plus living costs, rent etc on top. I think students finding a part time job of £15k-20k would be a stretch, especially in a uni city. Well done. 

Sorry, I should clarify that I had a student loan which covered part of the fees, but still I got no help from my parents which is why I find the notion that people fund their kids through uni, amazing. 

11 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

That window configuration and separate stepboards suggest a D178 BTK.

Thank you, do you know if the kirk kits could be bashed into one? 

I can see Bill Bedford produces the sides, but I'd prefer to try a plastic kit. 

One thing I never understand is, why do kids at university mean you have less money? 

My parents made me get a job to fund my degree and I know many others people who's parents did the same. 

And in case anyone asks my fees were £9000 a year and I paid rent etc. 

Can someone help me with the coach immediately behind the fowler tank please? 

I thought it might be a corridor composite brake but the windows have a different spacing/number. 

I have asked Andy if I can use images from books as long as it for research. 

I would like to see the various railways around Swansea, just so when I got back to the future I would have an idea where it all was. 

On 23/12/2023 at 16:19, Tony Wright said:

 

 

 

 

I don't know if this has been posted before, but as @TonyWright is from Chester I thought it was worth sharing. 

2 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

'Fraid not - and the model is currently inaccessible.

 

It's very simple - long screws up though holes in the floor, screwing into matching holes in a thick plasticard ceiling stuck under the roof.

 

Sorry,

John Isherwood.

Hi John, 

No problem, thanks anyway. 

I'm trying to turn this pile of scrap into a full unit and I'm having to chop bits up to make full sides, and thinking about how to strengthen the joins and keep access. 

On 20/08/2022 at 21:16, cctransuk said:

 

Removeable roof - secured via three long screws as per the old Tri-ang Hornby Mk.1 coaches.

 

Where the roof is securely glued, you may have to resort to a razor saw. Sounds drastic, but microstrip, solvent and Milliput can cover a multitude of butchery!

 

Removeable rooves are a prerequisite of interior detailing. Glue a false ceiling below the roof to stop the sides from bowing, and drill/tap the false ceiling for the roof securing screws.

 

CJI.

Hi John, 

I don't suppose you have a photo of this so you? 

1 hour ago, Siberian Snooper said:

If you buy the kits from H and A models, you can specify EM gauge wheels with the kit.

 

 

I'll be doing this from now on, just don't want to waste what I already have. 

I've decided to give em gauge a try, as I haven't yet got a layout so I am not restricted with anything, recently I started building some airfix, Parkside etc wagon kits but used the OO gauge wheels which came with the kits. 

My question is can I regauge these or are EM gauge wheels slightly different? 

11 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

If you fit them that way round there's a lot less metal to file away, I do it if the frame width requires a lot of filing.

Is this something I would need to do for em gauge with a radius of 3'? which I think is the accepted minimum from what I have read. 

1 minute ago, Chuffer Davies said:

Sounds a bit extreme to me but might be necessary if you want it to negotiate near right angled curves.  What is your minimum radius likely to be?  E.g. if your minimum radius is 3ft then you only need about 0.3mm either way on the centre axle.  Most kits will easily provide that and more.

 I normally add washers to restrict side play on the outer axles and only allow the centre axle/s to move sideways.  This reduces the risk of buffer locking.  

Once you have the basic chassis assembled you can experiment to determine the optimum number of washers needed to achieve sufficient side play by pushing the chassis around a length of radiused track.

Frank

Thank you, Frank. 

I'm building in em gauge, but don't have a layout as yet, I'll build it as initially suggested and worry about that later. 

16 hours ago, Richard_A said:

Regarding fitting the axle bushes, are they best fitted from the outside, like shown in the picture attached, or from the inside? 

 

Also, do I need to file them flat to the frame, once soldered in? 

I'm hoping to get stuck into this today, but first, I have another question about the axle bushes. 

I have been reading a thread about building a k's coal tank, where it was suggested that to increase sideplay to allow the loco to negotiate tighter curves, some of the bushes should be fitted from the inside and filed flush to the frames on the outside. 

Is this something that anyone does, or would recommend? 

1 minute ago, JeremyC said:

I have always fitted them from the outside and would only file them back if there was a clearance issue, e.g. to clear a gearbox on the axle. The longer the bearing the better.

Thank you, 

I didn't think that there was much point in filing them back, time to crank up the iron. 

Regarding fitting the axle bushes, are they best fitted from the outside, like shown in the picture attached, or from the inside? 

Also, do I need to file them flat to the frame, once soldered in? 

3 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Far too soft, I did use melamine face chipboard at one time but aluminium angle is best.

Thanks again, 

I'll pick some up and have a go then. 

22 minutes ago, Michael Edge said:

Use a hard steel pin (or an old gramophone needle), hold it with forceps and drop a hammer on it. Dropping from the same height produces same size rivets but it does very much depend on what the brass is resting on, not too hard and not too soft (said Goldilocks), I use a length of aluminium angle held in the vice. I have three different rivet presses but still use this method for very close spaced ones.

Thank you, 

I have plenty of code 4 lead, I was thinking of using that to support the brass etchings, would it be too soft? 

19 hours ago, rka said:

I, now have a kit of parts. 

 

Removing glue is pretty boring. 

After giving the parts a good coat of looking at, I can see I need to punch some rivets out of the etchings. 

I want to get started on this over Christmas, so I won't be able to get a rivet embossing tool or gravity punch in time. 

What techniques would people on here recommend? 

19 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

 

Ooh, which Panto are you playing Captain Hook in?

That's for cleaning my kids bum with. 😗

On 17/12/2023 at 22:49, andyman7 said:

OK not MTK but this was a modern traction kit back in the late 70s/early 80s, a Jidenco Class 50. This was a brass kit that despite its not-quite-right cab front 'face' I really rather like. This one was acquired already built with Lima 'Deltic' bogies (close enough even if a bit underscale ); I had to finish off the decoration but this is a worthy addition to my classic 70s kit builds

I started one of these, but didn't like the white metal sections so it's back in it's box, while I figure out how to graft sections from a lima class 50 that I ruined trying to make a super deltic. 

2 hours ago, rka said:

This is my intended victim as bought, a dip in some cellulose thinners to dissolve the glue, then start this kit building lark. 

I, now have a kit of parts. 

Removing glue is pretty boring. 

This is my intended victim as bought, a dip in some cellulose thinners to dissolve the glue, then start this kit building lark. 

1 hour ago, NFWEM57 said:

I model in EM gauge and recently tried to convert a Lima HST using a Hornby Railroad Power Bogie - tiny motor and without traction tyres, could only just pull itself.  Undertook the same for a Lima Class 37 using a Hornby Railroad bogie - bigger motor and plenty of pull without traction tyres and hauled 6 coaches with ease.  I don't think there are too many sizes of motor as the Railroad Class 47 bogies are the same as the Class 37 ones.  The motor in the Class 43 HST bogie is quite small, possibly deliberately to steer buyers towards the full fat HST that Hornby also make.  Being small, adding weight to gain traction overwhelmed the motor so in the end I added the full fat bogies and central drive motor to my Lima HSTs and sold on the original Lima bogies.  Overall cost was far less than buying a Hornby full fat HST..!

 

The only way to find out I guess is to measure the motor you have in the 2bil and ask on this forum.  Provide a side on image with a ruler in the shot and people could give you feedback on sizes of other bogies; happy to do so for Class 37 and Class 47 bogies. 

Thank you for your reply, 

I was planning on using the bogie in a triang blue pullman, but in the end I found a second hand Heljan class 17 chassis and plan to use the bogies in the kitchen cars, I figured that this would be a better option. 

18 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Lez,

 

I'd agree that the Craftsman 1F is an excellent starting point for anyone 'new' to the delights of kit-building. 

 

I had two kits for sale recently on behalf of a modeller who is now too infirm to carry on his hobby, and they both sold very quickly. 

 

In fact, I'd recommend any Craftsman loco kit for any builder. I've built several and have had several through my hands. A few Craftsman examples...........

 

 

I sold a Craftsman 1F on behalf of Brian Lee's widow. 

 

However,

 

 

 

 

 

What price a kit-built 1F now that there's a Bachmann RTR version?

 

 

Master Piece even does a bespoke crew for it.

 

 

A Craftsman 0-4-4T from the Brian Lee collection. Is there an RTR version of this now?

 

 

 

Tony Geary built/painted/weathered a Craftsman A5, altering the bunker to the correct proportion. He built it for Charwelton, and it now sees service on Little Bytham (I replaced the bogie/pony wheels with those with the correct number of spokes). 

 

I built a Craftsman A5 for a friend several years ago, but I don't have any pictures of it.

 

Bytham does, however, have...........

 

 

Another Craftsman A5. I bought it off the estate of a deceased modeller, and it didn't run all that well. It does now! I also replaced the bogie/pony wheels on this one.

 

Who would have thought there'd ever be an RTR equivalent of this?

 

 

But there is now, from Sonic. 

 

One class that is highly-unlikely to ever appear RTR (though who knows?) is........

 

A C12. I built this Craftsman example for Ian Wilson as a Christmas present a decade and more ago.

 

 

Subsequently painting it.

 

 

Which Tom Foster then (beautifully) weathered for Ian (much more-natural).

 

 

And it now runs on Ian's Edenham (which might be for sale - please PM me if interested).

 

It's in company with a South Eastern Finecast example, which I rebuilt/painted and Tom Foster also weathered.

 

 

Someone brought along this Craftsman GNR example.

 

 

 

I bought another Craftsman C12 from the estate of a deceased modeller (builder unknown). It didn't run too well (haven't we heard this before?), but it does now. It was painted in a glossy finish (as was everything else in the collection). Geoff Haynes toned it down for me and she now performs as a light engine in Bytham's running sequence.

 

 

I've even built a Craftsman GWR 2-4-2T for one of Geoff's customers!

 

Though I don't have any more Craftsman 1Fs for sale, I do have...........

 

 

This MPD equivalent. Complete with wheels, motor and gears, I'm asking the princely sum of £50.00 (it's from the estate of the infirm modeller).

 

Anyone, please PM me if interested.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very tempted by the kit, but I already have many to build.