Revisiting a few locos
I have decided to revisit a few locos that I have found out a little more about since i did them. The lineup is as follows.
50033
A few class 50s had some subtle variations from the rest of the fleet. A lot of class 50 fans will know that 50050 didn’t have the horizontal handrails on the nose front but 50033 lacked the vertical ones at the no. 1 end. This will be a quick fix. I have also discovered that 50007 (which I havent done) had a dropped cab at one end. Anyone fancy cutting a cab off, filing it a smidge and sticking it back on to represent this feature?
25288
Ive never been that happy with this one as subsequent late body 25’s that I did had the Bachmann bodies mated with the Silver Fox cabs. 288 is all Silver fox so I plan to cut the cabs off and bring it to a consistent standard to the others. It will also become a 25/9 which fits my period.
25059
A few things to do on this one. The central window is too small and needs to be deepened. I will replace the roof fan with a Shawplan/EE one and the bodyside grills had hinges on one side only. Also I need to add in the extra ‘triangle’ that 059 carried on the body side. Finally I will improve the cabside windows. I am hoping I can avoid a repaint on this one.
To read my original Class 25 detailing article click here
Gangwayed GUV – Part 2
My Gangwayed GUV prototype is essentially complete (I have 2 more to do that I will do as a batch). The roof has been slightly reprofiled to mate with the body sides better and the little details added. Theres a few more bits to do (dynamo belt and safety chain along with couplings ETH and end pipes etc) but this one can now wait for the other 2 to catch up and then all 3 can go for paint.
Evenin’ Mail Guv?
As you may have guessed I am quite a fan of some of the old Lima Models but there were some real gems in the range that were a long way ahead of the competition at the time. The GUV is one such model, the Sealion is another, which bogies aside still stands up well against the current versions of the same vehicle. The Bachmann GUV is a better model out of the box but with a bit of work the lima one can be its equal. It’s also a lot cheaper which makes it good for bashing into different types.
One type I have wanted to do for a while is the Gangwayed Newspaper variety. Newspaper traffic was just drawing to a close at the time New Street is set.
My chosen route was to use the lima body and underframe mated to a Replica BG Roof and ends with the same companies B5 bogies. The handrails and ‘blackboards’ were cut/filed off the bodyside and a new toilet widow added at one end. I also removed the raised window beading that GUV’s never had.
As the roof and ends are now permanently attached to the body I cut 3 large holes into the floor so that I could get back inside to do the windows later. The battery boxes have been cut off the underframe and replaced with new ones from Hurst Models while the buffers are MJT retracted ones. For some reason the dynamo was mounted the wrong way round so this has been cut off and re-attached.
To mount the B5 bogies a pad of 100x250thou microstrip was added to the flor and drilled for a 2mm bolt.
Extreme etches – Apt I think!
Some companies in the world of model trains are very aptly named such as Extreme Etches (Masokits is another one). The above example is Hood’s crest which is a 3 part etch for something only 3.5mm high! (I think i need to buy a magnifying glass if im honest)
That said just because something is small and fiddly doesn’t mean the design or thought process that goes into it is poor, quite the opposite in fact. There are many examples of add on bits that are, on the surface, easier but in reality due to poor design are a struggle. Things that don’t fit, are not the right shape or are nigh on impossible to put together (or stay attached to the model). Those who were around in the 1990’s will remember the craze of hacking great big holes in their models to stick on etched bits that if you took a step back and look at properly were worse than the molded stuff you had just sent to the bin. Sadly there are still companies producing stuff like this but at least we have a choice that if we are going to do something, we can do it properly!
Feedback
I would like to share some thoughts on the subject of Feedback.
Feedback will always be welcome on my workbench page. It doesn’t have to be the way I would word it or timed how I would like it. It doesn’t have to be qualified or backed up with anything, its my model so I expect to do the homework, I don’t expect it to be done for me. You don’t have to feel that you can do better to have an opinion as we all see things differently. Some of it i may agree with, some of it i wont. Some I may agree but decide not to follow for whatever reason but rest assured I always appreciate it.
Giving feedback takes time. For someone to read something and then provide a comment shows a degree of effort that does not go unnoticed. The intention of such a person will always be good even if the feedback is particularly blunt or ‘nit pickey’ because at the end of the day if people didn’t care they wouldn’t bother.
Sadly criticism is frowned upon these days but not without good reason. Some people don’t like it or can’t take it, we have all witnessed toys departing from prams, or comments being ignored on Model Railway forums over the merest suggestion that something could be better but surely the desire for feedback is the reason why we share our efforts?
The other 4mm scale Mk2 Aircons
The Lima mk2f. Not a bad effort for the time with a better body shape than the Airfix Mk2D. It did have a few problems though.
It used their Standard B4 bogie which appears to be something like 3.8mm scale rather than 4mm. There was no attempt at flush glazing and its a bit odd lengthwise. I say a bit odd as it’s too short but in a strange way. I shall attempt to explain. Overall its 2mm short (which is less than 1 percent) but between the doors is 4mm short. The error seems to be in the shape of the ends and for some that’s a problem. I’m not convinced its worth the faff to put right so im just going to ‘tart one up a bit’.
In order
- New buffers. MJT for retracted ones, Fourmost models for extended ones
- Deeper bufferbeam (a strip of 40×40 evergreen). This allows you to mount the buffers lower as they are too high on the original model
- End steps (from me when I have them)
- New handrails from 0.33mm wire
- Bogies steps (also from me)
- The air conditioner module needs cutting off and mounting further in from the front – The shroud is 9.5mm evergreen tube with the end chamfered on the inside.
- Spare brake gear from a Bachmann Mk2 – you could use the same S-kits/Genesis combination that I did for the air braked Mk1s though.
- New bogies from replica. A pad of 100×250 though evergreen glued to the lima floor will give you the right ride height.
Still to do – ETH gear and glazing (shawplan do laser glaze for these coaches if you dont want to cut your own. ) Of course you can just wait for the Bachmann ones.
Another project comes to a close
Completion of 50008, Thunderer (besides the crests which im waiting for from Shawplan), sees another roster for New Street complete. I think 8 of the class is probably a bit disproportional if im honest but its good to have a spare or 2!
On the subject of class 50s I recently discovered this book.
Which i cn recommend to anyone who likes the class. You can order it from here with any profits made going towards the continued preservation of 50027 Lion and 50050 Fearless.
OK whats wrong with this picture?
Not everything that was first class had the yellow stripe it appears. When the Mk3a RUB’s were converted to RFB’s the only external difference was the addition (sometimes in a fairly slapdash way) of the number 1 on one or both doors per side.
The above image ( © 2012 John Turner/53a Models of Hull Collection and used with kind permission) shows just what a Heath Robinson affair was made of some of the vehicles. Note the 1 is a different size to that on the Mk2 nearest and that it’s in different places on both doors.
It’s all good fun and will give the ‘exhibition experts’ something to get excited about.
To see more of John’s superb collection of images click here.Thanks to those on the Coaching Stock Yahoo group for their assistance on this one.
Mark 3 buffet project finished (well nearly)
Aside from weathering 3 of these my Mk3 buffet project is done. Quite a bit of work has gone into them and I bet no one notices! Ironically the one on the far left would have been almost out of the box if I’d used a Lima one but i used a Joeuf one as I already had it. (the roof had to be tweaked as well as the mould lines removed but that’s par for the course with Jeouf mk3’s.
The eagle eyed will spot that the blue and grey liveries don’t match and this is something I havent seen mentioned before but they don’t. Blue and grey loco hauled mk3s have a slightly different treatment to the blue and grey HST mk3s. By kind permission of Dennis Taylor the two images below illustrate the difference.
image copyright of Dennis Taylor/80s Rail
HST First open – note the bottom of the grey runs through the door handle and above the grab rail.
image copyright of Dennis Taylor/80s Rail
Loco Hauled first open. Note that the bottom of the grey is much lower and runs through the grab rail.
Dennis’ online galleries are well worth a visit for those modelling the 1980s. Click here to see them.
Bachmann Mk2’s, it made sense!
It made sence to follow on from the Bachmann Mk1’s with a look at their mk2’s. Arguably a better product with much nicer looking windows but not without some errors and room for improvement.
The most well know applied to the first batch and the blue and grey versions and was simply down to an error in the livery. The grey band is too narrow, it should go down as far as the door bump stops but is half a mil too high. Bit of a catch 22 problem this one. Better painters than I wont have a problem as it’s an easy fix but that pain in the backside white line is a bit worrying for us lesser mortals. Will the benefit of fixing the half mill height difference be undone by a dodgy white line? To be honest im not sure what to do and as I don’t have that many (enough for a Norwich rake) im drawn towards leaving it be so that the rake is consistent.
Another error concerns some of the first class coaches. The bars on the toilet windows being far too low down. Best to try to avoid those ones really although I do believe that this and the livery errors have been corrected on the current models.
Lastly is an error I havent seen mentioned before and I only came across recently. During a discussion on New Railway Modellers someone mentioned that they can’t run these coaches because their layout has third rail and the battery boxes hit it. Looking again at the models they do seem to hang quite low down so a bit of digging ensued.
As can be seen, on a real coach the battery boxes line up with the bogies…
… on the model they don’t and they are out by quite a long way. Luckily they are separate moulding and can be gently levered off. I cut the front mounting brackets off level with the top and carefully sanded the tops down so the the angle matches the Bachmann floor. Below is a before and after picture to give you an idea of how much sanding is needed.
Theres one box the other side that needs doing too. This one has its mounting lugs in the middle and I simply cut them off and again sanded the top to make sure the angle was right.
The modified coach. Other mods are Replica bogies and my steps.
Improving the Bachmann mk1’s. Part 2
Regular Mk1 coaches ran on 6 different bogie types. BR 1, BR 2, Commonwealth, Gresley, B4 and B5. Of those the BR2, Gresley and B5’s tended to be restricted to catering vehicles although TPO’s also ran on B5’s and most types could be found on Commonwealth. Bachmann supply their Mk1’s on BR1, Commonwealth and B4.
Of those the BR1 and Commonwealth are OK but the B4 is a bit disappointing. Replica also do a B4 which is better as it features brakes in line with the wheels and a flat top. The Bachmann one has an odd ring which I think is to hold the coupling in place but it’s quite noticeable from the side. The one thing a B4 or B5 does is look somewhat detached from the vehicle – the Bachmann one doesn’t capture this to my mind.
Bachmann B4 bogie on the left, Replica on the right. To make a replica bogie fit you just saw off the mounting clip and drill a 2mm hole where it was. The Replica bogie also accepts P4 wheels better although if you are using the original coupling you might have to stick with the Bachmann bogie.
A real B4 bogie – note the dynamo mounted directly to it, some Mk1s were arranged like this, some weren’t. I do a little etch for the bogie mounted footsteps which most mk1’s (and all mk2’s carry)
Turning to the bodies there are a few things on the models that were as built condition. Namely the end steps and roof handrails. The steps are cut off (you don’t need to be too neat – BR weren’t!) and the roof handrail removed. the end handrail was shortened and mounted into a new hole. The roof ribs are a modelling myth. They are not ribs at all but welds. It’s best to sand them down by dismantling the coach first. The sides are clipped to the roof and by pulling them gently outwards they should unclip. While you have the coach apart it pays to pop some people in the seats (not in a BG, obviously) and glue the weight in place. It’s a royal pain to get the coach back together if the weight is loose. Bufferbeam steps are my own etch and its worth replacing the buffers too – MJT for retracted and Fourmost Models for extended. The ETH bits are just microstrip.
Improving the Bachmann Mk1s – Part 1, Brakes
We are no doubt spoilt by the Bachmann Mk1 as they enable a good looking train to be modelled pretty much out of the box. However they are not perfect and there’s quite a bit we can do to make them better. I’m going to start by looking at brakes. Theres some good books on the subject of Mk1 coaches and the HMRS book by Keith Parkin is considered the first place to look. However in my copy (the first edition) there’s little info on air and dual brakes although there are later supplements that may cover this. Theres also a new book just come out that covers Mk1 and 2 coaches, I don’t have a copy yet but a review can be read here – MaxStaffordsKennel
Vacuum Brakes
Lets start with vacuum brakes as that is what your mk1 will have (even the NEA does!). Basically all that’s missing is the dynamo belt (ok not part of the brakes but as it’s in the general area I’ll include it), dynamo safety chain and push rod linkage from the body to the bogie. Theres 2 types of the latter depending on the bogie fitted so we will look at the BR1 bogie first. Masokits do a handy little etch of linkages and the Dynamo belt that can be used here.
Here you can see the dynamo belt and chain (40 links per inch from A1 models) along with the linkage to the bogie. On a BR 1 bogie the linkage feeds under the bogie while on a B4, B5 or Commonwealth bogie the linkage feeds above the bogie. The cross rod has been replaced so that its wider and the linkages made up from the Masokits etch.
Here we see the vacuum brake arrangement for a Commonwealth bogie – you can see how the arrangement is the other way up. This version is far less obvious when the coach is the right way up.
Dual Brakes
As the name suggests, dual brakes are both vacuum and air , the following prototype pictures show the important bits
Dual brake arrangement – the Vacuum cylinder is upper left and the air brake cylinder is center and to the right. Both Cylinders link to the same cross rod.
The air brake cylinder
The Air tank and air distrubutor. This arrangement appears at one end of the coach only.
The model version – The air brake cylinder is from S kits and th vacuum cylinder from a spare Bachmann coach (this is a DC kits underframe)
Please excuse that the body isnt fitted properly yet – The air tank end. The tank itself is from Genesis kits and the distributor from S kits. A few bits of wire make it look like they should do something!
Air Brakes
An air braked mk1 essentially has the vacuum cylinder replaced with an air cylinder like so,
The vee hanger is in the wrong place as supplied and needed moving back towards the center of the coach (this only applies to an air braked Mk1 ) Spare vee hangers are on the masokits etch.
The NEA the right way up!
Finally an odd ball.
These comments are not based on any engineering knowledge of how railway vehicle braking systems work but mearly based on replicating what I see. However I came across an NBA at Bescot (94528) that had a different air brake arrangement
Its Air braked but more in like with a dual brake conversion – perhaps it was and the vacuum gear has since been removed?
Edit
Thanks to some helpful feedback from Keith Norgrove the arrangement of the Vacuum cylinder as supplied is correct for some BR1 fitted mk1s only. BR1 bogies come with both over bogie and under bogie push rods and as supplied the coaches are correct for the under bogie ones. For the others, Commonwealth and B4 or B5 you need to use the over bogie push rods and swap the vacuum cylinders arround so that they are outside (ie towards the vehicle end) of the Vee Hangers.
Class 45/1
My model of 45115 has been on my workbench for years – quite literally! Starting life as a mainline example, it had its nose improved first – then switched to an early Bachmann chassis. When the current Bachmann model appeared I swapped the body and later, upon realising just how squashed the original bogie sideframes were I swapped them too to the newer bachmann ones!
So it’s nearly a standard Bachmann model – except with the main chassis block being the earlier Bachmann effort and the battery boxes being the only parts left from the original Mainline model!
The headlight is from replica and the lifting brackets are Shawplan. The original bombshell was one of the Modelzone 45/0’s and as such the boiler end was wrong for a ETH fitted peak.
The picture above shows new roof panels and I also filled in the bodyside steps. The models rather tatty (for me anyway) is as per an image of the real 45115 taken during 1987.
Further thoughts on mk2s
I have always thought that the back of a train is just as important as the front. It’s usually the last memory you have as it trundles off to where-ever its going. With regard to improving the Airfix Mk2’s this is a bit of a problem as the gangways are kind of odd, Too long and lacking the windows.
Cutting a couple of mil’ off the length makes all the difference while adding the windows and the dividing bar are simple ways to improve the look of the gangway. You can also see from the above image the filing mentioned in the previous post to improve the look of the tumble home. I don’t know if the picture below conveys the difference all that well but its quite noticeable in real life.
Above, a simple before and after comparison. With a bit of work there’s no reason at all to abandon the good old Airfix Mk2s!
Mk2e’s
Ok, I know that Bachmann have announced mk2e’s and f’s and I have every reason to believe they will probably be really nice models and sell by the bucket load. However given the amount of coaches I will need and that I have been stockpiling airfix/dapol Mk2d’s for a good few years now there’s no reason to abandon those just yet.
The above came to me ready started and I have just added some etched bits, window frames from Shawplan and bogie/end steps from my own etches. Im thinking I will probably just cut a hole for the repositioned toilet window when I do my own from the start. The air conditioners were cut off and remounted 2mm lower. This will be one of the earlier Mk2e’s with the deeper door windows as per the Mk2d’s. One of the modifications Brian at Shawplan recommends is to file the bottom of the tumblehome to make it rounder. When the coach is finished i’ll take a before and after picture to compare.
Steven Mcnaught wrote a great article on modelling Mk2 coaches in the November issue of Rail Express.
Mk3 RFM done (well nearly)
The RFM has been through the paint shop and glazing added from a brown plastic folder (from an office supplier). I’ll add another picture to the coaches section when it’s received some light weathering. Up next will be either a mk1 or a m project, I havent decided yet!
More Mk3 variety
Ok I admit, doing the Mk3 TRSB earlier was just a bit addictive. I do need to do another 2 but I have been looking at the loco hauled options too, namely these…
Mk3 RFM (restaurant first modular). 2 were converted in 1984 from spare HST TRUKs with more following on later (and after the period the layout is set) converted from more TRUK’s or loco hauled FO’s. This means the fleet is a bit of a hotch potch of detail differences. The most noticeable being that later vehicles have 7 full size windows on the corridor side rather than 4. The underframes are a myriad of differences as are the roofs with different vents and positions for the air con access hatch at the restaurant end. Even the first 2 ride on different bogies from each other, 10200 having the Girling wheel slip gear and 10201 being fitted with BR equipment.
The model
As with the earlier TRUK the body was filled or holes cut in it as required and fitted with new window frames from Extreme Etches. The underframe had the incorrect modules cut out and some where moved arround while others made from scratch. The pic below shows which bits were cut out
Buffers are from MJT. The old roof vents were filed away (the real coach has scars shere the old vents were so that saves having to try to preserve the ribs) and the bogies modified as per my earlier posting. Below is the structurally complete coach ready for the paint shop. Theres a pic of 10201 in the HST Silver Jubilee book (page 55) showing it in the original Intercity livery, I guess 10200 was outshopped in the same colours but i believe the rest of the RFM’s entered service in swallow livery.
Hornby OAA – done!
With a spot of weathering the Hornby OAA is done. I have made a start on the wagons section of the site too with a couple of small galleries to be getting on with. Click here to go to them.
Improving the Hornby OAA
A little project that has been in the back of my mind for a while is a couple of OAA’s. I picked up a cheap pair from Ebay (strangely lettered as OBA’s) and set to work.
The body is OK but the chassis is horrible plus it rides way too high (Hornby repositioned the buffers to compensate). The chassis went in the bin and new solebars added (spares from the Cambrian SPA kit), The wagon uses Bill Bedford sprung W irons and the linkages and handbrake levers are from Colin Craig.
Some more thoughts on puddles.
Thanks to everyone who commented on the last entry about the weather. I have been looking at puddles (ok that sounds REALLY weird I grant you) and have done some more experimentation on a scrap bit of card (sprayed to look like tarmac).
There’s 3 rows here, on the left just Klear and in the center and on the right I sprayed a very light coat of black first (the Klear was applied with my airbrush in all cases)
The pre darkened areas look much more like the real thing I think.
Do the Brits really talk about the weather?
Yes we do! But do we model it? Not so much.
A lot of model railways are set in the summer or on dry days. There are a few set in the snow but what about the rain or just wet? According to the met office the average rainfall for the west midlands is 116 days a year or about 1 in 3 days. 1987 stood out for the great storm in October of that year (the one where the weatherman said there wasnt going to be one the night before, remember?) so it’s probably worth considering rain a little more seriously. 
Ok in post processing its a doddle. A bit more contrast than usual, no harsh shadows and falling rain from Photoshop’s diffuse setting with a bit of motion blur. However its safe to say falling rain on a model is not going to be doable.
So we are left with the rain has just stopped or the rain stopped a while ago. Just stopped means everything is still wet and to be honest I have spent quite a while looking at different levels of sheen on things. Blasting everything with gloss varnish is not something i really want to do but nearly dry is different. A few puddles here and there perhaps? Time for an experiment!
The beauty of this is by using good old Klear floor polish I can have a go and see what it looks like. If its naff I can simply spray it with matt varnish and its gone. Ok the puddle shapes are a but a bit iffy but as an overall feel I have got to say, im quite tempted.
He’s not still on about timetables and lights is he?
Afraid so! The good news is my waffling on about timetables is now complete as the walls at the wolves/derby end are now done.
There are 8 of these boards, each with 16 timetables.
If I do say so myself its starting to get the feel of the place now. ie. grim!
The bad news is I am now thinking about the lights that go under the roof. As these are on all of the time they are going to have to work! Not knowing the best way to do this I built a quick mock up of a section of the ceiling.
the light on the left is just a LED shining through a hole in the foamboard. The one on the right has its ‘section’ lined with foil. The difference is quite marked.
More modules nearly done
I suppose modules is the right word, it’s certainly how I am approaching the various structures that nestle on the platforms.
these are 2 of the lift modules that appear on the ‘A’ platforms (that’s Derby/London or Eastern end of the station. The large flick through timetables are still there. The area where the wall is recessed had benches in the 1980’s. These will be replicated by using cut down DMU seats from DC Kits.
Dont forget the little guys
Although a fair way off yet I can see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the platform. What this means though is that some serious thought needs to be given to the subject of people. It goes without saying I’m going to need a lot and that’s going to get expensive. However the more there are the more they merge from an individual person to a crowd and the more confused they get. It also means the more corners can be cut. An example of this can be seen below.
The more observant will notice that some of the passengers on this bus are black. Observation of people inside things like buses and trains leads to the realisation that sometimes you really do see little more than a shadow or a dark shape. There’s no need to paint some 4mm scale chaps tie if he is sitting inside a model. The fact that he is there is often enough.
Other than the sheer cost of lots of little people the other thing to consider is the repeats. No point buying 20 packs of the same figures. The 2 chaps on the left are from Bachmann the 2 on the right cheap Chinese figures from ebay. The difference is obvious but the Chinese figures still have their uses. Before I come to that some thoughts on paint. A lot of modellers follow the way the military guys paint larger scale figures but is that the right approach? Most large scale figures are the point of the model but not only that they are highly stylised, kind of like a style in a painting but do they actually look real? More importantly do the same methods scale down to to a figure that’s only 24 mm high?
Its my opinion that they don’t and that we can easily fall into the trap of modelling what we think we know and not what we actually see. For a real person to look about an inch tall they need to be a good few hundred feet away and you cant see detail from that far away. Figures 2 and 4 in the picture above have had a light wash of black applied to bring out the shadows a tad but that’s it. The other thing I quite like about the mixing of figures is that they are not all the same height.
All this talk of distance and what we actually see doesn’t mean that the 2 chaps on the right are OK, Far from it they are crudely moulded and crudely painted but all is not lost.
By mixing the figures and putting the better ones at the front a crowd is born and for a lot less money than using all higher quality figures. If you could try to imagine how I think the platforms will look they will be reasonably dark, what light there is will be a horrible colour and the ceilings are low with a lot of stuff in the way of a lot of the views. The people need to do what all the other details on the layout do and that is kind of disappear into the scene, They shouldn’t scream out at the viewer but just simply ‘be there’
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