Silver Sidelines

On 10/08/2020 at 23:18, atom3624 said:

... I have been wondering whether the older bodies will fit the non-split chassis newer ones.

 

Hello Atom I see you have your answer from Theakerr.  I am guessing you might need to change the colour of the wheel spokes?

Some of my split chassis models run really very well.  A bit of a lottery.  Digressing - but not all newer Bachmann chassis run smoothly.

Thank you all for keeping the thread alive.

Cheers Ray

On 07/08/2020 at 15:40, John Tomlinson said:

Glad it's worked out for you - the next one will be a breeze!

 

John.

Hello John

I don't know what I was doing when all these comment came in.  Monday today - we have had sunshine and rain.  Long may it last.

Cheers Ray

8 minutes ago, Theakerr said:

It is the new DCC ready chassis. 

 

Thank you Theakerr for the clarification.  I recently 'won' a couple of  A Harold Bibbey.  I managed to get £85 for the surplus one.

Cheers Ray

On 07/08/2020 at 19:47, Theakerr said:

Just for Comparison, Mayflower on 'New Waltham'.  New Bachmann Chassis, Re numbered and detail such as the plaque added,  cross head slide angle corrected, real coal

On 07/08/2020 at 15:32, atom3624 said:

I tried everything - apologies for the late reply. No joy.

 

I got a set of 'isolators' and a pair of springs from Jenni anyway.

 

Managed to reassemble everything after a thorough clean ... quite a neat assembly job by Bachmann there - easy to work on.

 

Despite the new isolators, I superglued them in, and cleaned and cleaned .... and had a 23$er of a job getting it going.

Quartering?  Possibly, 'though most is covered by the design of the isolators with virtually no room for movement.

 

The wheels were of course 'gapped' B2B.

 

Whilst I was at it, I painted inside the cab - roof off-white, and the piping / guages relief mouldings sort-of as they should be.

Seats were sanded down to limit mould lines, backs painted green, crew fitted.

 

Tools added to the tender as well, and handles painted - I like to use red.

 

A few photos - I'm liking this locomotive now.

 

I added the cab floor extension from a piece of plastic sheet, the same used for the cab door side - slightly exaggerated hinged areas I admit.

 

 

Al.

I seem to have missed a few posts.  Thank you for your contributions.

I am impressed 'Atom' that you are have LNER liveried models - that has to be +75 years ago?

Theakerr 'new chassis' - is that the digital enabled chassis?  A Harold Bibbey is quite expensive?

Cheers Ray

On 06/08/2020 at 13:03, nswgr1855 said:

 It sounds like the reported  rough running is probably a poorly set up factory DCC decoder.

 

Thanks Terry, rough running what's that?  I don't use digital - even for sound - just LokSound on analogue.

Here's the latest video

Sorry it is not ex GWR

Cheers Ray

38 minutes ago, railroadbill said:

... Heljan locos run well imho, seem to have a feeling of weight to them. 

Certainly agree about the Westerns - power and poise!

Cheers Ray

1 hour ago, John Tomlinson said:

Replica did and I think still do complete valve gear sets for the B1, for something like £4.95, and worth knowing if you have a problem in that area.

 

Thanks John, the Replica Railways web site is quite fascinating - as is the history of the company.

Earlier in the month I had a fancy / need for a Collet coach body.  Replica still have brand new crimson and maroon SK fully finished shells - for £2.15!

Regards  Ray 

18 hours ago, atom3624 said:

 

Jenni's been very helpful to me several times this year.

 

Good.

Well done, totally pulled apart.  I have had to source some of the nylon / plastic chassis spacers from Bachmann as the square ends seem to shear all too easily.

Some of these old models go back together easily and run well.  Others I just cannot fathom.

Regards

Ray

19 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

.I particularly like the wall paper paste idea.

 

 Good - an independant test then.  Our mice like chocolate!

You need to experiment and keep the paste concentration up.  You also need to work with small amounts so that the seeds do not get too wet and start to swell.

Luckily we don't have gophers.

Cheers Ray

On 24/07/2020 at 10:58, atom3624 said:

I've contacted Bachmann directly in the event they can supply replacement 'isolators'.

Hello atom

Sorry for the delay in replying.

Yes speak to 'Jenni' at Bachmann technical services.  They have nylon isolatores £3.00 per set plus postage.  They are working odd hours so be patient for a reply.

We have the square holed axle isolator sets, these are £3.00 per set with £2.00 pph.  The J72 sets differ so please let us know if its for these that you require the sets for on ordering.  3 sets would be £11.00 and If you wish to order please contact us on 01455 245 575 to pay via card, alternatively please send a cheque/postal order made payable to Bachmann Europe with your order details, name and address, offices are open 8.30am until 12.30pm.

There are a lot of 'unused' models out there some of which are in need of some loving care and attention.  Replacing cracked isolators is manageable, dealing with nylon wheel inserts is less satisfactory.  Super glue - I have used it on new isolators where they have been a sloppy fit.  I have also used super glue on the grey / black plastic isolators used for pony truck and tender wheel sets, where there is no issues with quatering.  Only this week I came across a D11/2 (Director Class) where the tender wheel isolators were split from end to end and applied some super glue.  This model must be way less than ten years old?

Good luck

Cheers Ray

Hello Shaun

Yes 2011 when I wrote the Post.  It was only this week that I was marvelling that the paste and poppey seeds were surviving.  We do get mice in the house from October, but not last year because our neighbours were giving home to a stray cat.

We have lots of wee beasties in and around the house - it is a continual battle in the garden to protect the peas, beans and strawberries.

Yes long time no speak, I have been weaning myself from RMweb.

Keep safe

Cheers Ray

2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

Another thought on the liner pen. I've tried these for window frames, and also found it to be quite a difficult process. The only answer I came up with was to get the nib damp by pressing down before going to the work, and then using the paint/ ink already on the nib whilst hardly pressing at all. I also used nib angled to the side rather than held straight on. It really isn't easy at all, and I had a lot of wiping off with tissue and a soft brush with just a trace of white spirit in the bristles.

A very good summary I would say.  Starting off is the big challenge.

Cheers

Ray

2 hours ago, YK 50A said:

I've been following this on Flickr and am minded that: "details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail".  Remarkable persistence and an end result more than worth the effort.

2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

Doesn't the loco look marvellous on those chocolate and cream mark 1's.

 

Thank you Alun and John

Good literary comments to boost my morale.

Yes there has been a lot of discussion here about shades of brown  Some people very close to the project have been very supportive but are still not sure about the suitability of the colour.  Desert Sand was a very adventurous colour for 1961.  It would be 1973 before British Leyland felt confident enough to entice the public with 'Tobacco' and other such brown colours on their Triumph / Rover 2000 ranges.   Western Enterprise came from Swindon the cradle of all things Great Western.  I don't know for sure but I am guessing that Swindon forced the hand of the British Railways Board to let them paint some of their Mk1s chocolate and cream rather than blood and custard.  I am suspecting that by 1961 when D1000 appeared that Swindon might have been forced back into line and would be turning out Mk1s in the corporate BR maroon livery.

Back to the garden

Cheers Ray

Looking good Bill?  These two vans seem to be getting finished.

I had a couple of Airfix meat vans - the plastic was a funny bright red colour.  How have you fitted the metal wheels.  I don't think there were pin point wheels available in the late 60s when I built the kits.  I used Jackson wheels which in thosed days had domed ends to the axles.  I had them running in Peco brass bearings heat pressed with a soldering iron into the plastic axle boxes.

I also had a long wheel base Triang cattle truck.  It had the orginal coupling cast as part of the underframe and a split pair of plastic wheels.  Latterly I must have spread the axle boxes and forced in some Jackson wheels.  I used to cut tiny sections off the old Triang axles to glue into the outside of the axle boxes to block up the gap.

I have seen that Bachmann have been selling one of their super detail catttle trucks badged up to carry Ale - what a great idea.

Cheers Ray

4 hours ago, railroadbill said:

 

.... does that sound best way to go with these?
 

Hello Bill

Some nice pictures - I like the track ballast.

Too much oil can be a problem with the old Mainline pancake motors - especially if it gets on the commutator between the copper and the brushes.   A little bit of oil on the axles might be useful if the engines have been laid up for a length of time.

The Class 4MT looks good with its sprung buffers.  The original buffers were in my opinion far too small.  It was a good model and the green version feature on the front of the Hammat and Morgan Controller box.

Getting on e of our 'Scots' running will be a test of your ingenuity!

I have popped in to your Blog.  I like the CCTs - I must go back and add some comments.

Keep watching

Cheers Ray

10 hours ago, railroadbill said:

....... I've got a  J72 that's on it's 2nd chassis, with the worm drive can motor, that runs ok.  .......

 

How exciting - lots of projects.  The J72 has different nylon axle joiners to any of the other models - when you speak to Bachmann Technical Department they will ask you if you need the joiners for the J72 or any other model.

I too had a couple of Airfix 4Fs.  I remember changing the emblem on the tender on one and blackening the edges of the driving wheels.  One ran infinitely more quietly than the other.  No problem with haulage of the tender drive!

I still have one Airfix Castle which I converted to 'Swindon'.  As has been mentioned elsewhere it has a Collet tender body from a Dapol County.

I look forward to another update!

Cheers Ray

2 hours ago, steamfinale said:

.......I've also painted out the crude boiler lining.

 

Hello again SF

Your mention of the lining encourages me to add a couple of pictures of my Jubilee Connaught which has a centre black line to the boiler bands.  All other pictures of the model on the web that I can find show a single orange band.  I have drawn attention to this matter previously.  This model was purchased second hand. The shade of green used by Bachmann on Connaught is similar to that used on Patriot 'REME' - which had a black centre line to the boiler bands - just like my model of Connaught.  I am convinced that the lining was completed before the handrails were added and therefore was added in the factory - a nice touch.

Cheers Ray

23 minutes ago, steamfinale said:

....... My old Mainline locos have been modified by the addition of a fall-plate, cab doors and closer coupling of the tender. I've also painted out the crude boiler lining...

Thank you SF - that really is rather neat and clever.  Just a little thing like bringing the tender and engine closer makes a huge difference.  I don't like taking a knife to my models.  With the B1 family of tenders the 'hook' is a separate screw on moulding that can be replaced.  The Bachmann Stanier and Folwer tenders are rather more 'cast in plastic'.

I am well impressed with the arrangements for the fallplate.

Thanks again

Regards

Ray

13 hours ago, railroadbill said:

Great fun!

 

Its a challenge and if something breaks you can usually find a similar model on eBay that you can use for spares.  That in itself is a whole new interest.  Bachmann technical department sells the nylon isolators / axle joiners for their split chassis models.  Peter's spares (and others) sell the equivalent bits for Mainline and Replica models.

As to the Airfix Castles they were great.  I have a couple of their tender drives fitted into much newer Hornby Counties.  They seem to be indestructable although I could never work out why some were so much noisier than others.

I shall wait to hear more.

Cheers Ray

1 minute ago, MikeParkin65 said:

An interesting article in this months RM on resurrecting old models. 

Thanks Mike - sounds as if I might need to look at a copy.

Cheers Ray

49 minutes ago, railroadbill said:

Very interesting,  those Bachmann wheels with the finer rims look good, the older chaasis look ok as well, nice to keep  them running.

Thanks Bill - there are a lot of good old models out there that can be tweaked to keep up with the latest offerings from the retailers.

Cheers Ray

2 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

.. It must have been fun trainspotting on Teeside c.1960, non -stop action I would assume...

Thanks John, yes it was exciting especially when you were just twelve!  Sometime around 1960 a new engine shed opened at Thornaby (51L) constructed adjacent to the new super large marshalling yard.  At the same time the old smaller sheds, Stockton, Middlesbrough and probably Haverton Hill were closed and the stock transferred to the new facility.  Teesside with its iron and steel, and chemical plants was a hive of industry.  Yes exciting times.  Thornaby had two pairs of tracks, an up and a down for passenger and then a pair of tracks on the north side dedicated to goods.  I seem to remember trains of coal and coke travelling nose to tail from the Durham coal field out to Dorman Long at Cargo Fleet.  Lots of J26 and J27s.

Keep safe

Cheers Ray

On 22/03/2020 at 05:47, Mikkel said:

It still runs very well. And silently.

 

Hello Mikkel - I have added an addendum to the main Post with a short demonstration video confirming quiet and smooth operation.

Cheers Ray

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

Certainly the bodies are not for sale as they are far better than I can build a K's one to, its in the pile as a definite keeper. though a new loco chassis maye be the more sensible choice 

The performance of Bachmann split chassis designs is very variable - I would say a bit of a lottery.  I have found huge differences in the running qualities of identical models with no outwardly visible differences.  I would aspire to building an etched chassis but it could not be on the kitchen table and might require skills not yet learnt.  Would I be able to get the quartering of the wheels any better?

Cheers  Ray

On 22/03/2020 at 05:47, Mikkel said:

 

It will be interesting to see if the Dapol 43xx mechanism can compete. In theory it should be better of course, but in practice who knows?

Thanks Mikkel - I am sure that there will be numerous members on RMweb who will offer an opinion.

Meanwhile my little fleet of Western Diesels is still all Heljan.

Keep safe

Cheers Ray