RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted June 7 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 7 Stop fishing for compliments Phil!! Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 10 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10 Running trials with the Herring rake - all looking good except some wheels a little “stiff” and not as free running as I would like. Some wheelsets May need to come out for a clean of the bearings as I suspect weathering grot has leached into them. Some maybe due to the brake gear being too close and file at the ready. First extensive use of instanters, very pleased with the close coupling and more prototypical appearance and do appear to be behaving over pointwork. The big test yet to come, a run up the helix. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10 Looking great Neil. Mine still need a bit more tweaking for reliable running… 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted June 10 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 10 14 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said: Looking great Neil. Mine still need a bit more tweaking for reliable running… Agree, loving the 3 links, and mine still need the box to be found to see how far I've got with them! Currently having a p way wagon phase so they might be in danger of being finished! Mike. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 11 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 (edited) The Herring rake will be predominantly hauled by Hymeks, reflecting the late 1960s operations of Tytherington quarry where prototypical shots show this actually happened. I’m extending the 1967 closure of the route as if it never happened and operations continued through 1967 until the relaying and reopening in July 1972. I have a large Hymek fleet, but gradually working through them getting Shawplan upgrades, roof fans, removal of headboard clips etc to reflect the D7000-D7033 batch , new air horns etc. The Heljan model is an excellent starting point, but all lack the lower door handle modification which was applied to all locos from 1966, the exceptions being D7005, D7021, D7054 and D7060. This is quite a prominent feature, and hopefully the new Heljan tooling reflects this. My Hymek fleet will be initially all locos I actually saw in operation (relatively few in late 1974) plus about half the class in scrapyard condition. First up for such treatment in D7026 which I saw in action August 1974, when there were just a handful still in service D7011; D7017; D7018; D7022; D7026; D7028; D7029 and D7093. On discussion with my good friend Phil Bullock and others on here plus the evergreen site of excellence (Kier Hardy EM gauge 1970s) I think I’ve come up with a solution to model this modification, after purchasing multiple brass etches which were either too big or too small. Almost the exact size can be obtained by cutting out individual panes from the Ratio N-gauge domestic windows brass etch and introducing the central bar with 0.3mm plastruct rod. A trial run this morning with the etch, put in place to judge size and appearance. It’s not an exact match, but serves my purposes. Excuse the rough and ready shot, as it’s a work in progress. The prototype (From Reddit) the raw materials first attempt - since refined - brass trimmed and central bar glued in place after careful trimming. The other three will involve protecting the bodywork with masking tape- noting the sideswipe from an errant drill! A cruel close up photo- the real thing is tiny and fiddly to work with. Neil Edited June 11 by Downendian 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted June 11 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 Does anyone have the exact dimensions of this surround, I have a plan! Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 11 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 Completed one side of D7026, fairly pleased with the result despite the weird lighting effect in the photo. Quick waft with primer so I could also judge the removal of the headboard clips too. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 11 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Does anyone have the exact dimensions of this surround, I have a plan! Mike. Is it a cunning plan Mike? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted June 11 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 According to the Kier Hardy gang the cab door hole needs to be 2mm x 2mm, but all photos I’ve looked at show a slight rectangular surround. Neil 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted June 11 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11 And 2mm square brass section is what I used… with the finest etched brass strip I could find for the handle…. Think I sacrificed some shawplan wipers , but flat not round. I reckon 2 x 1.5 mm would be the best for accuracy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_crisp Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 On 11/06/2022 at 14:33, Enterprisingwestern said: Does anyone have the exact dimensions of this surround, I have a plan! Mike. I don't but I like the sound of this plan.... :) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted July 17 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17 (edited) Two Hymeks approaching decals, numbers and glazing stages. the first is a simpler rework of a spare Heljan bodyshell, new air horns, Shawplan etched scavenger grille, floor level door handles, repaint and wire handrails to become D7026 one of the last in service in 1974. the second is a much longer project which has featured earlier in this thread. D7029 which started life in 1974 as my thirteenth birthday present - never discarded and never will. Reshaped cab roof and windows, new roof panel with etched scavenger grille, floor level grab handles, and (never to be repeated) roof panel lifting eyes. These were a pig to do, and completed them before respraying which was a mistake. The lifting eyes are so fine that no matter how careful you are with painting they clog up. With hindsight fit these after spraying as they come precoloured, I used Dapol Western lifting eyes. I cut the eyes off the fret and threaded them onto a segment of 10lb bs carp fishing line which then served as a very useful tool for fitting to the roof. I will refit D7029s lifting eyes as the roof needs more attention using a fresh fret, I would recommend the fishing line method though as it minimises losing the blighters to the carpet monster, plus I have loads of Dapol Westerns to do. The good thing with photos is that you get to spot errors, the errant handrail on D7029 has just been removed and to be replaced as the door level handles which need a tidy up. There have been several rounds of paint touching up, still no where near as good as a factory finish, but they are models I will not part with, and they still are better detailed then anything available RTR. However, the Hornby model especially the cab window area is hugely challenging including the fact that the nearly 50 year old plastic is extremely brittle. D7029 was the first Hymek in my spotting book, 48 years ago July 1974, which I remember like yesterday. It roared eastwards on a South Wales Paddington parcels through Bristol Parkway, most probably a rake of Siphon Gs. alignment and fitting roof lifting eyes D7026 (Heljan) and D7029 heavily modified Hornby top/bottom Edited July 17 by Downendian 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted July 17 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17 Brilliant Neil. Think I would have copped out with the lifting eyes and used Bachmann warship ones instead… those Dapol ones are a mare! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted July 17 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17 Yes I’d have preferred the Bachmann lifting rings Phil, but Bachmann spares have none in stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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