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Sitting on the test track next to a tender from a Bachmann City Class. Runs smoothly, so that's a start!
Airfix City of Truro with Branchlines kit
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Sitting on the test track next to a tender from a Bachmann City Class. Runs smoothly, so that's a start!
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210 Posts
QUOTE (Maz066 @ 17 Feb 2014, 20:34) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You are a braver man than I
Good luck and keep your cool. Will be worth it when finished
I tell you now, if I can do it after having built plastic kits with my only prior exposure to brass etched parts being detailing on coach kits then you can do it too...
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I figured that I have been putting off stretching my modelling skills for too long, and I should quit talking about doing this and actually do it.
I have been working on the brake rods today, and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. Even if it is only the tender at this stage! I'm happy with how my soldering skills are coming along, and I am happy with the tools and equipment that I am using, which makes a huge difference - instead of having to make do with tools that are not ideal for the job, I have invested in a few of the things that will make my life easier for this. So far so good...
More pics to come later.
Good luck and keep your cool. Will be worth it when finished
I tell you now, if I can do it after having built plastic kits with my only prior exposure to brass etched parts being detailing on coach kits then you can do it too...
I have been working on the brake rods today, and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. Even if it is only the tender at this stage! I'm happy with how my soldering skills are coming along, and I am happy with the tools and equipment that I am using, which makes a huge difference - instead of having to make do with tools that are not ideal for the job, I have invested in a few of the things that will make my life easier for this. So far so good...
More pics to come later.
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210 Posts
OK, so thoughts please.
This City is going to be built as 3706 Melbourne in the livery she would have worn just before she was withdrawn in 1929 - plain unlined Green with black frames, and the brass removed from the splashers. Not only because I have no desire to line her out at this point
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but because I have already got the Bachmann Cities in both lined green/black and lined green/indian red.
Now at that stage of her life she would have been fitted with a 3500 gallon tender, not the 3000 gallon one that comes with the Airfix kit. At this stage I am now wondering whether to just go with the 3000 gallon body that came with her. If I wanted to do a 3500, what suggestions for replacing the tender body?
This City is going to be built as 3706 Melbourne in the livery she would have worn just before she was withdrawn in 1929 - plain unlined Green with black frames, and the brass removed from the splashers. Not only because I have no desire to line her out at this point
Now at that stage of her life she would have been fitted with a 3500 gallon tender, not the 3000 gallon one that comes with the Airfix kit. At this stage I am now wondering whether to just go with the 3000 gallon body that came with her. If I wanted to do a 3500, what suggestions for replacing the tender body?
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210 Posts
OK, so I had done the water scoop incorrectly. The Branchlines instructions for the tender have some poor diagrams on how it goes, and there is other information in the detailing info that I had missed...
After looking at various photos and diagrams I realised that I had fitted it much too high - it would have never reached a trough! So it came back out, and instead of using the spindly little extender that is provided I built a false floor from 1mm styrene and fixed the scoop to that.
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It now sits where it should, and looks to a not too detailed and close inspection fairly close to what it should from the photos and diagrams! So that's a win so far.
After looking at various photos and diagrams I realised that I had fitted it much too high - it would have never reached a trough! So it came back out, and instead of using the spindly little extender that is provided I built a false floor from 1mm styrene and fixed the scoop to that.
It now sits where it should, and looks to a not too detailed and close inspection fairly close to what it should from the photos and diagrams! So that's a win so far.
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210 Posts
OK, it's been a busy day on the work bench...
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The tender chassis is completed. Since taking the pictures I have given it a better clean, fibre-glass brushed the wheels and as much of the frame as I can get to.
The end axles have no washers (the axles tubes standing 1mm proud of the body giving the required clearance), the centre axle has 0.5mm styrene washers. The water scoop rod that runs along between the back of two of the wheels and the tender body has had a 0.13mm thick clear styrene piece cyano'ed to it to prevent the wheels shorting out to the tender body (the supplied wheels are plastic inserts, so the axles are dead, but the tyres get very close to the scoop rodding).
Next step will be to pop the wheels back off, trim the axles so they fit inside the plastic body, prime and paint the whole thing.
I am very happy with how the tender has come together. I think I will do the tender body next, and then move on to the locomotive after that.
The tender chassis is completed. Since taking the pictures I have given it a better clean, fibre-glass brushed the wheels and as much of the frame as I can get to.
The end axles have no washers (the axles tubes standing 1mm proud of the body giving the required clearance), the centre axle has 0.5mm styrene washers. The water scoop rod that runs along between the back of two of the wheels and the tender body has had a 0.13mm thick clear styrene piece cyano'ed to it to prevent the wheels shorting out to the tender body (the supplied wheels are plastic inserts, so the axles are dead, but the tyres get very close to the scoop rodding).
Next step will be to pop the wheels back off, trim the axles so they fit inside the plastic body, prime and paint the whole thing.
I am very happy with how the tender has come together. I think I will do the tender body next, and then move on to the locomotive after that.
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210 Posts
Overnight I built the tender body, glued, filed and filled... Today I cleaned, primed and matt black sprayed the tender chassis.
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The axles are now cut to length, and next step is to temporarily bring it together to see how it all fits.
The axles are now cut to length, and next step is to temporarily bring it together to see how it all fits.
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210 Posts
Hmmm. Matching them up shows that the chassis dimensions are slightly wrong compared with the tender sides:
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Shy of major surgery I can't see that being changeable. If I centre it so the centre axle is right I think will look best...
On to detailing the tender.
EDIT: The drawings show that the axles are at 7'6" spacings in real life. The chassis is correct at 30mm spacings. The Airfix plastic sides are not at 29mm (7'3") spacing. The body is the correct length, just the axle spacings not quite right.
Shy of major surgery I can't see that being changeable. If I centre it so the centre axle is right I think will look best...
On to detailing the tender.
EDIT: The drawings show that the axles are at 7'6" spacings in real life. The chassis is correct at 30mm spacings. The Airfix plastic sides are not at 29mm (7'3") spacing. The body is the correct length, just the axle spacings not quite right.
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9,967 Posts
*** Very probably Dapol's "any plastic will do" approach - shrinkage can be significant if plastic choice isn't what the tool was designed for - that plus lack of temperature control of the tooling during production are much of the reason why Dapol kits are rarely as good as the original Airfix models made using the same tools.
Richard
Richard
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210 Posts
QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 21 Feb 2014, 12:34) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>*** Very probably Dapol's "any plastic will do" approach - shrinkage can be significant if plastic choice isn't what the tool was designed for - that plus lack of temperature control of the tooling during production are much of the reason why Dapol kits are rarely as good as the original Airfix models made using the same tools.
Richard
This is an Airfix one. I've compared a Dapol one and it's the same...
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Richard
This is an Airfix one. I've compared a Dapol one and it's the same...
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9,967 Posts
*** Oh well...
Never mind - centralise it and the difference will be minor - the option is a lot of work.
Richard
Never mind - centralise it and the difference will be minor - the option is a lot of work.
Richard
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210 Posts
Coming together!
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QUOTE (Simon Wilson @ 21 Feb 2014, 11:11) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Coming together!
It certainly is, very nicely indeed.
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Pity about the axle alignment issues.....
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One option might be to use the Mainly Trains chassis kit for the Bachmann 3500 gallon tender, although I have no idea how well it would fit the Airfix/Dapol body.....
Regards,
Cameron(Kiwionrails)
It certainly is, very nicely indeed.
Pity about the axle alignment issues.....
Regards,
Cameron(Kiwionrails)
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210 Posts
I'm going to just go with the existing tender for now...
A query - I'm not really happy with the way that the paint has finished on the nickel silver, what is the best way to strip it back to do it again?
A query - I'm not really happy with the way that the paint has finished on the nickel silver, what is the best way to strip it back to do it again?
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1,008 Posts
Nice job so far Simon keep it up.
there are a couple of methods, depeding on the paint a fiberglass pencil might shift it, Dettol liquid works wonders it shifting paint, but takes several days, Precicsion super strip is another one, even wet and dry can be used but may scratch the NS...
Sean
there are a couple of methods, depeding on the paint a fiberglass pencil might shift it, Dettol liquid works wonders it shifting paint, but takes several days, Precicsion super strip is another one, even wet and dry can be used but may scratch the NS...
Sean
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*** None of Sean's suggestions are really ideal unless you have a fine FG brush (propelling pencil size) and definitely don't use any of the liquids unless you are exceptionally careful. They will wick along the rail and knobs and wreck the body finish. both of Sean's stripper suggestions are far too slow.
if it was me I'd pick at it around the detail of the knobs with an 00 or 000 brush moistened only with soething quick acting like acetone - dip the brush in it and then touch the brush to something absorbent to just leave it damp. Use a fine brush and make sure its natural fibres - any synthetic brush will be damaged by acetone. be patient and it will all eventually come away. Have a second clean brush and alternate, removing all paint between swaps.
If you do not have a really fine sable or camel hair brush you can control (and are prepared to stress with solvent), soak a couple of toothpicks in hot water for a few minutes then crush the end like a primitive brush. neaten with scissors, soak in thinners or acetone, touch to absorbent surface to remove any excess and worry at the detail with it.
Once the knobs are clear a dampened brush will soften the paint on the handrail...
take it slow and be patient.
When you are finished take a trip to the local gunsmith. Buy some "Birchwood Casey metal black for antique firearms or standard gun blue if they have none. Other brands will work too. brush onto the NS and neutralise as it darkens with cotton buds and water. Much better than painting them.
Richard
if it was me I'd pick at it around the detail of the knobs with an 00 or 000 brush moistened only with soething quick acting like acetone - dip the brush in it and then touch the brush to something absorbent to just leave it damp. Use a fine brush and make sure its natural fibres - any synthetic brush will be damaged by acetone. be patient and it will all eventually come away. Have a second clean brush and alternate, removing all paint between swaps.
If you do not have a really fine sable or camel hair brush you can control (and are prepared to stress with solvent), soak a couple of toothpicks in hot water for a few minutes then crush the end like a primitive brush. neaten with scissors, soak in thinners or acetone, touch to absorbent surface to remove any excess and worry at the detail with it.
Once the knobs are clear a dampened brush will soften the paint on the handrail...
take it slow and be patient.
When you are finished take a trip to the local gunsmith. Buy some "Birchwood Casey metal black for antique firearms or standard gun blue if they have none. Other brands will work too. brush onto the NS and neutralise as it darkens with cotton buds and water. Much better than painting them.
Richard
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210 Posts
Thanks Sean and Richard.
The body is not painted at all, the black is the plastic Airfix finish, and until I get to airbrush it, it will stay as is.
The n/s chassis is entirely removable, so all I want to do is take off the paint from the chassis, which is all metal, so no plastic to worry about. I am not worried if it takes a couple of days, so would have thought a bath would probably be the best option...
Do like the gun black idea...
The body is not painted at all, the black is the plastic Airfix finish, and until I get to airbrush it, it will stay as is.
The n/s chassis is entirely removable, so all I want to do is take off the paint from the chassis, which is all metal, so no plastic to worry about. I am not worried if it takes a couple of days, so would have thought a bath would probably be the best option...
Do like the gun black idea...
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79 Posts
Hi Simon,
Your heading Airfix City of Truro caught my eye.
Are you aware that the City of Truro pulled the Westward Television promotional train around the West Country during 1959/60ish.
Westward Television was the very first independent television company to end the reign of the BBC in the West Country
It came to Falmouth in Cornwall when I was a 9/10 year old at Wellington Terrace Primary School, and we were taken on a school trip to Falmouth Railway Station, where we boarded the train to see the banks of TV screens etc in the carriages, and also climbed aboard the City of Truro engine.
The City of Truro also came to Truro City Centre several years ago by road, where it was sited on a special rail so not to crack the paving slabs.
Now you have the engine and tender, would you consider building the Westward Television Promotional Train, to make it quite unique?
Dave.
Your heading Airfix City of Truro caught my eye.
Are you aware that the City of Truro pulled the Westward Television promotional train around the West Country during 1959/60ish.
Westward Television was the very first independent television company to end the reign of the BBC in the West Country
It came to Falmouth in Cornwall when I was a 9/10 year old at Wellington Terrace Primary School, and we were taken on a school trip to Falmouth Railway Station, where we boarded the train to see the banks of TV screens etc in the carriages, and also climbed aboard the City of Truro engine.
The City of Truro also came to Truro City Centre several years ago by road, where it was sited on a special rail so not to crack the paving slabs.
Now you have the engine and tender, would you consider building the Westward Television Promotional Train, to make it quite unique?
Dave.
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Found this link to the Westward television Exhibition Train.
http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/1...sponheimer.html
http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/1...sponheimer.html
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210 Posts
QUOTE (Dave Saunby @ 27 Feb 2014, 08:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Found this link to the Westward television Exhibition Train.
http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/1...sponheimer.html
Thanks Dave - it's not going to be Truro at all, but "Melbourne" - 3706. I have the name plates and everything!
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But thank you for the suggestion...
I stripped the chassis back to nickel silver today with dettol - very effective. So now it's back ready to be etched, primed, and painted again.
http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/1...sponheimer.html
Thanks Dave - it's not going to be Truro at all, but "Melbourne" - 3706. I have the name plates and everything!
I stripped the chassis back to nickel silver today with dettol - very effective. So now it's back ready to be etched, primed, and painted again.
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