James Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 It was a guy at Warley one year who just wanted it - it was response to 'it's not for sale'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted August 9, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2010 At exhibitions 37 219 was always well received - I once turned downa four figure offer for it. £10.50 :lol: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted August 9, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2010 "A wee bit younger"?! I looked at your profile and you're the same age as me! I've aquired Lima 31s for around £15 - £20 from eBay and shows. Members sales stalls at exhibitions seem to often be a good source of reasonably priced Lima locos. Ah, poor choice of phrase there on my part, I think 'more recent returnee to the hobby when models with proper drives and I was no longer an impoverished student' would describe my lack of exposure to the lima hacking methods better I thought it was the stuff every D&E modeller did in the 80's and 90's, hence the 'before my time' comment, only graduating from a trainset runner to aspiring modeller in the last few years. As for the cheap 31's, thanks for letting me know. Unfortunately over here people put higher value on Lima engines, and at swapmeets the prices are 25-30 euro. (and as 2nd stock in model shops, they try to charge as much as 50 euro!!!) I'll have to have a better scout the next time I'm at a UK show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
60526 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 Just pass this on, but on Friday I was down the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park and Modelzone had a tent there selling model railway equipment and I managed to pick up a weathered Blue Hornby 31270. On the box was written "chassis broken, motor ok", price £25. This was a return so I don't know if Mzone has this type of offer on sale in their stores, I certainly haven't seen any. It turns out that the Mzone stand at Sheffield Park was manned by The Signal Box from Rochester. Seems as though these returns are bought as a job lot from Hornby and sold at exhibitions, but Mzone certainly don't seem to sell them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 16, 2010 Author Share Posted August 16, 2010 Ah, poor choice of phrase there on my part, I think 'more recent returnee to the hobby when models with proper drives and I was no longer an impoverished student' would describe my lack of exposure to the lima hacking methods better You see I kept modelling while I was at uni! I thought it was the stuff every D&E modeller did in the 80's and 90's, hence the 'before my time' comment, only graduating from a trainset runner to aspiring modeller in the last few years. It kept going into this century too - even now a good Lima based project can be a good learning experience and confidence building exercise I think Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted August 16, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 16, 2010 You see I kept modelling while I was at uni! It kept going into this century too - even now a good Lima based project can be a good learning experience and confidence building exercise I think Fair play to you, my five years in uni was spent purely on having a good time for myself; women, gigs, and of course, drink. (well, I am Irish after all.) It is, and my lima/vitrains 37 hybrid is a work in progress, and has been interesting so far. Have a 47 in the works too awaiting a chassis, and think I will treat myself to a cheap vitrains 47 from Hattons to detail and weather in the near future. I have a 31 in research livery which I may treat in a similar fashion to yourself should cheap Hornby 31 bits fall my way... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Fair play to you, my five years in uni was spent purely on having a good time for myself; women, gigs, and of course, drink. (well, I am Irish after all.) I had cricket, nights out, comedy-nights in the union (every Sunday for five years!), not too many ladies as I started going out with my wife while still at uni (and she wouldn't have been too impressed if there had been!) with the 'odd drink' thrown in! I think doing engineering and withit being often rather full on meant modelling was a rather nice change of pace! And it paid for uni for me too. It is, and my lima/vitrains 37 hybrid is a work in progress, and has been interesting so far. Have a 47 in the works too awaiting a chassis, and think I will treat myself to a cheap vitrains 47 from Hattons to detail and weather in the near future. I have a 31 in research livery which I may treat in a similar fashion to yourself should cheap Hornby 31 bits fall my way... The advantage of the 31 conversion is that you don't have to repaint if you don't want to as the body is very good - the only thing that the Lima body is really needs are the handrails on the front and the warning panel (for most liveries) can be resprayed without the need to touch other areas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Any pictures of your progress James? Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 No photos yet, although the loco body is now primed. The final details to go on was a pair of rather trimmed Replica headlight. A little work is needed at one end (the previous owner got a little superglue on the nose strangely...) and then recoated and hopefully painted next week And thank you for the present Pete - a kind gesture which is greatly appreciated Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 This is the current state of things - A little dull in East Yorkshire today and a white body on a black chassis will never be good for contrast! Starting to get somewhere no though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggoforgold Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 James I'm following this with interest, not least because its encouraged me to proceed with my own model of D5579. Having read this, I decided upon a Lima body with a Hornby mech like yours, but when I tried to get a S/H Lima example I found a brand new unpainted Airfix one instead, so I've put that on a Hornby mech. I'm also working on a class 37, so I'm looking forward to reading about yours. Off the current topic for a moment, how did you improve the tumblehome on the Lima body? I'm proposing to thicken the bottom of the Lima side, and reprofile the body, but I would be interested in knowing how you went about it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 21, 2010 Author Share Posted August 21, 2010 James I'm following this with interest, not least because its encouraged me to proceed with my own model of D5579. Having read this, I decided upon a Lima body with a Hornby mech like yours, but when I tried to get a S/H Lima example I found a brand new unpainted Airfix one instead, so I've put that on a Hornby mech. I'm also working on a class 37, so I'm looking forward to reading about yours. Off the current topic for a moment, how did you improve the tumblehome on the Lima body? I'm proposing to thicken the bottom of the Lima side, and reprofile the body, but I would be interested in knowing how you went about it. There's a bit about my 37 and the tumblehome here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/19812-has-anyone-put-a-lima-37-body-on-the-vi-trains-chassis/page__p__193929entry193929 I think Airfix 31 looks rather nice; replace the handrails give it some proper buffers and they look rather good. In an early MRJ, Monty Wells (no relation) wrote a rather nice article on detaqiling the Airfix 31. Might be worth seeking out - clicky! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Hi James, The 31 is looking good, I had a look at my Lima loco the other day and decided the Lima headlight would have to go. Did you just file some off the back of your Replica one? Or did you take some off from around the edge? Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 22, 2010 Author Share Posted August 22, 2010 Thanks Peter Did you just file some off the back of your Replica one? Or did you take some off from around the edge? Yes and yes! The 'outer square' was carefully sliced off - if you know which bit I mean... I then sanded it down by rubbing it along an emery stick, but so one side was thinner, ever so slightly, to take into account of the curvature of the cab front. I think the result is rather pleasing The loco now has yellow cabs, so it's coming along! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Thanks Peter Yes and yes! The 'outer square' was carefully sliced off - if you know which bit I mean... I then sanded it down by rubbing it along an emery stick, but so one side was thinner, ever so slightly, to take into account of the curvature of the cab front. I think the result is rather pleasing The loco now has yellow cabs, so it's coming along! Hi James, Thanks, Probably wouldn't have thought about making one side thinner until I went to put it the loco. I did the same recently when putting the same lights on a Bachmann 47, I ended up adding just a sliver of plasticard to the botton to pack it out a bit and sanding a bit from the top. Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Which Livery will it end up being in? Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 23, 2010 Author Share Posted August 23, 2010 Thanks, Probably wouldn't have thought about making one side thinner until I went to put it the loco. I did the same recently when putting the same lights on a Bachmann 47, I ended up adding just a sliver of plasticard to the botton to pack it out a bit and sanding a bit from the top. If you're prepared to modify the lights, they become rather versitile! Which Livery will it end up being in? It'll be in large-logo grey as per this photo - http://britishrailphotosbymichaelmcnicholas.fotopic.net/p48283445.html It's one of the best fotopic sites too I think! That shows 171 sometime earlier than my model though. There's a picture in the Rail Portfolio from Ian Allen on the class, showing 31 171 working on the Roxby/Dragonby/NLLR branch just north of Scunthorpe, and this is the exact condition in which the model will be. More faded and weather beaten Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Not knowing very much about Class 31s, and not having a Lima body, what flaws did the old Triang-Hornby moulding have? (I had one of the latter for years which a friend repainted into mid-'80s Railfreight livery as " 31 209", but never got round to providing a drivetrain for it.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 24, 2010 Author Share Posted August 24, 2010 I think the Tri-Ang body is fundamentally correct; I'm not aware of any big errors. I think the detail is bound to be a little less refined than the Lima moulding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
50A55B Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 I think the Tri-Ang body is fundamentally correct; I'm not aware of any big errors. I think the detail is bound to be a little less refined than the Lima moulding. In many ways it is less refined, but the Triang one has exquisite moulded on Brush makers plates which probably haven't been bettered to this day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 Hiya The biggie on the Triang one is the skirts in the center are too short, this was to allow bogie swing on train sets. By modern 'design considerations/cock ups" its not much at all in the wrong stakes. I personally think its a tad 'rounded' but thats just me. Horsetan, if you want a chassis for it the Athearn PA1 is a decent fit and being a bit sloppy runs well in P4 - PM me if you want one. Cheers Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 ....Horsetan, if you want a chassis for it the Athearn PA1 is a decent fit and being a bit sloppy runs well in P4 - PM me if you want one.... Interesting. I do have the old Tru-Scale etched frets (1990/1 vintage) to build a pair of "31" bogies - the whole lot's etched, even the transverse leaf springs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 26, 2010 Author Share Posted August 26, 2010 Just a little update; this is how the loco currently appears - Now the fun starts! By the time I've chosen to depict 31 171 it was rather faded and dirty, so a lot of fun should be had weathering this one! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 26, 2010 Author Share Posted August 26, 2010 Interesting. I do have the old Tru-Scale etched frets (1990/1 vintage) to build a pair of "31" bogies - the whole lot's etched, even the transverse leaf springs! Any chance of a photo?! I'm intrigued now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted August 26, 2010 Share Posted August 26, 2010 Starting to look good now James. I always liked 31s in this livery, its one I'm hoping to do soon but its about half way down the to do list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.