Make do and Mend - Keeping going

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notascoobie
GCR O4 2-8-0 'ROD'
Posts: 554
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:43 pm
Location: S Yorkshire

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by notascoobie »

drmditch wrote:
will5210 wrote:Van looks excellent! Lanarkshire models do a good range of buffers.
Thank you again. I've used Lanarkshire's products before. The NER G7 van above was refitted with them, as were a couple of other vehicles I haven't dared to post on here yet. However, I haven't seen the kind of ribbed buffer casting that the GNR used in their range.

I can't quite work out how to make them either, and would be grateful for any advice.
ABS have a selection of different length GNR ribbed buffers with and without collars.

Cheers,

Vernon
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by drmditch »

notascoobie wrote: ABS have a selection of different length GNR ribbed buffers with and without collars.

Cheers,

Vernon
Thank you. Do you know how to contact ABS - or an outlet that sells their products?
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by jwealleans »

He posts on RMWeb (see the thread on King's Cross Model shop) and there is an email address for him somewhere - try 'suppliers.txt'.

That said, the last two orders I've sent him have been ignored and the cheques never cashed so you do take a bit of a chance. I try to look elsewhere these days if possible.
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by drmditch »

Not much work completed in my shops recently. What I have been doing is to re-furbish several vehicles inspired by all the excellent modellers in this forum!
I first made two of these Parkside long-wheelbase CCTs several years ago. This one has now had it's handrails replaced (thank you Mr Wealleans for that idea) and some construction done on it's brake gear. I use acrylics for painting and weathering, and this model seems to show the in-service look I like. One nice thing about acrylics is that you can wipe them off with isopropyl alcohol.
Post_24.JPG
Isn't real sunlight lovely for photography!
Last edited by drmditch on Sun Apr 27, 2014 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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2002EarlMarischal
LNER A3 4-6-2
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Location: Burbage

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by 2002EarlMarischal »

That looks great, well done! :)
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by drmditch »

2002EarlMarischal wrote:That looks great, well done! :)
Thank you.

This other picture shows a bit more of the detail. Only problem is that there is another one waiting for the same amount of finishing!
Post_25.JPG
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by drmditch »

My latest project to be inspired by Peter Tatlow's books is an ex-NBR fifteen ton six-wheel van. It was meant to be a quick project, but now I've got to the detailing stage it may take a bit longer. The advantage of this van for my 'make-do and mend' ideas, is that it has a twenty-foot wheelbase, ie twice ten-foot. This allows the re-use of older Bachmann ten foot underframes of which I still have a number replaced in previous projects.

So, here is the starting point:-
Post_01.JPG
I used two of these, although I was originally planning to use three. The plastic was easier to cut than I had expected, so I was able to cut away the moulded on brake levers more easily than I thought. The next picture explains the process. The Bachmann brake shoes, 'V' hangers, and push rods are kept on one side of each unit. It is the side with the representation of the Morton clutch which is cut away.

There is still one small piece of extraneous plastic over the inner end of the outer springs, but that will be obscured by the new brake levers when they are made and fitted. You will see that I miss-cut one piece, but fortunately that did not matter when everything was glued together. The longitudinal cut enables the axleboxes to be set slightly further apart. This provides more clearance for the Hornby wheelsets and axles in the outer w-irons, after brass bearings had been secured in the plastic axleboxes. It also allows more clearance for the centre wheelset to move sideways.
Post_02.JPG
This wheelset was fitted with a replacement hollow axle formed from modified brass tube. A steel rod fits inside this.
Post_03.JPG
The centre axleboxes are drilled to take this rod. When drilling I deliberately made the new bearing slightly raised from the original centre.
This is entirely consistent with the later versions of these vans. I had originally thought that the earlier version with a pivoted underframe for the outer wheels would be needed to get round my curves, but the method selected is easier and allows the vehicle to transit my test curves at 18" radius. The four donor pieces are plastic welded to a support plate cut from thick plastic. This is then bolted to the underside of the strong plastic box which forms the van body.
Post_04.JPG
The three bolts were intended to allow the relative height of the wheelsets to be adjusted, if there was any tendency for the van to see-saw about the centre. In fact, the slightly raised centre wheelset allows to vehicle to run effectively on 4 wheels, with the centre wheelset only just touching the track. It seems to manage my pointwork safely, although before I finally secure the centre axle I may put a small spring on each side.
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by drmditch »

Post_04a.JPG
The van body is made of layers of plastic in the usual way. Now the only question is how much bolt-head detail do I make!
Post_05.JPG
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by jwealleans »

how much bolt-head detail do I make!
All of it, of course!
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notascoobie
GCR O4 2-8-0 'ROD'
Posts: 554
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Location: S Yorkshire

Re: Make do and Mend - and back to re-cycling

Post by notascoobie »

drmditch wrote:
Post_04a.JPG
The van body is made of layers of plastic in the usual way. Now the only question is how much bolt-head detail do I make!
Post_05.JPG
Don't forget the bolt detail on the inside as well! :twisted:

Looking good in the pastic, I'll look forward to seeing the build develop.

Rgds,

Vernon
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by drmditch »

jwealleans wrote:
how much bolt-head detail do I make!
All of it, of course!
I chickened out. I did miss out some!
Post_07.JPG
Now in first coat of primer. Still quite a lot to add.
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by drmditch »

Now nearly finished.
Post_08.JPG
I'll try and take some better pictures when the sun is out. Natural light seems much kinder to the detail.
Post_09.JPG
For Mr Weallans benefit there are over 400 bold (edit - I did mean bolt) heads, and I still had to miss some out!
Post_10.JPG
The coupling hooks and brake levers are cut/filed up from brass. The buffers (which seem to have some kind of double housing) are made up from Peco steel heads, brass washers, and two diameters of brass tube, soldered up and turned in a drill.

I was worried that the scribed planking and the detail is overstated, but now the whole van is painted and weathered it looks much better in reality than it does in the photographs.
Despite its derived nature the underframe seems to resemble the original quite well. It has to be one of the vehicles built with a rigid underframe, because (if I'm reading the photographs correctly) the conversions from the flexible wheelbase had slightly different spring hangers.

I wanted it in pre-1936 LNER livery, but the only pictures I've found are in Peter Tatlow's Volume 3 (from which all the construction detail is taken) and one picture in Ken Hoole's 'North Eastern Branch Line Termini'. This shows a van used for storage at Guisborough, and still largely in LNER livery. The caption is clearly wrong (I know it can be so difficult to get good proof readers) because it calls an ex NER van, and I don't think the NER built any six-wheeled vans like this.

I've put the number on the RH door because it seems a logical place to put it, but am not convinced that it shouldn't be in the middle. Does anyone know where the Tare Weight should be displayed? If on the RH end, as shown in the Guisborough picture it would be obscured by the door when open.

I've just realised that I've left off the latches on the sliding doors!
Last edited by drmditch on Mon May 26, 2014 9:38 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Atlantic 3279
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by Atlantic 3279 »

Well I like it a lot. If others wish to criticise, the obvious challenge is for them to make a better one.
Most subjects, models and techniques covered in this thread are now listed in various categories on page1

Dec. 2018: Almost all images that disappeared from my own thread following loss of free remote hosting are now restored.
mick b
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by mick b »

Ditto as Graham, nice job.

A guess here on livery (Bottom of page)

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/4-rsto ... stock4.htm

doesnt look right to me

Personally I would have weight to the far left , number far right
drmditch

Re: Make do and Mend - now on six wheels

Post by drmditch »

mick b wrote:Ditto as Graham, nice job.

A guess here on livery (Bottom of page)

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/4-rsto ... stock4.htm

doesnt look right to me

Personally I would have weight to the far left , number far right
Thank you. I did see that one, but haven't found any other evidence for it. Because the doors slide outwards, then if the number was in the 'usual place' on the far left, it would be obscured by the door when open, the same with the tare weight if on the far right.
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