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
I think if you do the Shawplan roof fan, you’ll have to do the others of the same type, as they will look really out of place as I found out from mine.
Jim, by how much should the central window on 25059?
Hi James
It needs to be opened out to the bottom of the beading. The beading will then need to be re-added underneath.
Thanks for that Jim! I’ll have to revisit my own 25 which is still a work in progress! Is the original Hornby ‘nose’ door correctly proportioned in terms of its top level relative to the cab windows? (Excusing the lack of depth at the bottom of the body for this purpose.)
Hi James
Its about 20 thou too low (rough estimate). I do think the bottom of the body thing might actually be a bit of a modellers myth if im honest. If you have a look at this picture the actual bottom of the body and the cab is not that different. I’d say closer to the hornby difference than the rather extreme step that the bachmann models have. If anything it might be better to open up the slight gaps in the bodyside and score a line along it than to deepen the cabs. Even if the cabs are out it must be only something like 10-15 thou i’d say.
this is another good one
did all the 25’s have 2 triangular panels on one side? or is it just a few locos which have them
reason i ask is i’ve been redoing a craftsman class 25 conversion and i’m trying make it look a little more realistic.
Hi Richard
They definately didn’t. I’ve got a feeling it was to do with adding air brakes but to be honest I have no idea why I think that. Best to pick a specific loco (on a specific date if you are modelling one) and copy it.
Cheers
Jim
Thanks Jim!
Tried it on the Class 25 I’m currently working on and it does make a difference!
I do however disagree regarding the lack of depth of the Hornby body/cab. If you add the missing bits along the side of the body as Pete Johnson described in REM, then the cab does appear to be lacking as it’s then the same level all the way round. The end result is only about a 20thou step.
I’ve not measured things but worked from Brian Daniel’s close ups which make it much easier to gauge things all the way along. I may be going down the wrong route, but it looks right to me!
Hi James
Thanks for that – it does actually back up what I was thinking in a funny sort of way. You see the hornby body from rainstrip to the bottom (over the radiators) is 23.5mm and the cab is 24mm a difference of 20 thou as you say. However the bachmann body is also 23.5mm while the cab is 25mm – a difference of 60 thou. I guess its horses for coarses whether or not you add the bottom panels all the way round or scribe them into the bodyside.
Cheers
Jim
Hi Jim
Love the further tweaks on your rat fleet. I’m particularly interested in 25 059 which in my period was a Bath road stalwart and still had gangway doors (1974-6). I really like your jig for the triangular access panel, will shamelessly copy that. 059 will be added to my fleet in due course.
Neil
Thanks Neil
make sure you double check which triangular panels it had in the mid 70’s
What make are the screw link couplings? Thanks.
Hi
I use smith screw links, they are over scale but easier to couple up than scale ones.