[Merry Go Round]

Hi, I would like to ask if anyone has built a Bill Bedford 4F chassis kit in 4mm. I am relatively new to loco kit building and have been easing myself in to it gently with a couple of Comet chassis for RTR locos. I would like to know if they are a big step up from the basic Comet chassis or if they are on par? My plan is to build a few basic six coupled chassis then progress upwards, I have a Craftsman Johnson 1P to do as well.
After the basic six coupled chassis what should be my next logical progression, my goal is to get to a standard where I can attack a DJH S&D 7F.

Many Thanks

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (Merry Go Round @ 4 Mar 2008, 21:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi, I would like to ask if anyone has built a Bill Bedford 4F chassis kit in 4mm. I am relatively new to loco kit building and have been easing myself in to it gently with a couple of Comet chassis for RTR locos. I would like to know if they are a big step up from the basic Comet chassis or if they are on par? My plan is to build a few basic six coupled chassis then progress upwards, I have a Craftsman Johnson 1P to do as well.
After the basic six coupled chassis what should be my next logical progression, my goal is to get to a standard where I can attack a DJH S&D 7F.

Many Thanks

**Bill Bedford 4F chassis goes together really well like all his stuff - bear in mind its primarily designed for P4 and EM rather than OO use, and designed for sprung beam suspension, but it builds well in all guises as long as you take care... It is certainy a step up from the good but more basic Comet Chassis.

If you can manage these and the craftsman 1P then you will have no problem with the DJH 7F however you will be probably disappointed in the very basic nature of the DJH chassis after building one of Bills!

Richard

 

[Merry Go Round]

Thanks for the reply Richard, one of the reasons I was looking at the Bill Bedford kit was it does look better even though I am happy with the Comet one my main goal was to improve my knowledge and skills plus I want to enjoy the build process and not be frustrated by trying to attempt say a 9F kit from day one.
Shaun

 

[Guest]

QUOTE (Merry Go Round @ 4 Mar 2008, 14:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks for the reply Richard, one of the reasons I was looking at the Bill Bedford kit was it does look better even though I am happy with the Comet one my main goal was to improve my knowledge and skills plus I want to enjoy the build process and not be frustrated by trying to attempt say a 9F kit from day one.
Shaun

Hi Shaun

Have you considered going the whole hog and building the Brassmasters kit?

http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/4F.htm

Cheers

Jim

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (jim s-w @ 5 Mar 2008, 19:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Shaun

Have you considered going the whole hog and building the Brassmasters kit?

http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/4F.htm

Cheers

Jim

***Hi Jim

Its a superb kit - I've done 3 of them, including the working inside valve gear on one (Its too much like hard work in 16.5 though, the clearnances defiantely need EM chassis widthas a minimum).

It is a truly superb and very accurate kit like all brassmasters kits but I'd not recommend it as a "starter" as there is a lot of fine overlay and laminating of layers... Looking at Shauns goals and objectives, I'd say have a go at the DJH he was thinking about and then think about Brassmasters when the soldering skills are honed a little....

Richard

PS: Jim SW- what diameter wire are U using on the catenary? - I've just discovered a source of perfectly straight 0.3mm phosphor bronze wire in 1 metre/3 foot lengths and was thinking about putting my toe in the water with some overhead.... Or is 0.3 too fine for practicality?

 

[Merry Go Round]

I am also looking at a London Road MR 3F as another project for a later date.

Shaun

 

[Guest]

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 5 Mar 2008, 12:01) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>PS: Jim SW- what diameter wire are U using on the catenary? - I've just discovered a source of perfectly straight 0.3mm phosphor bronze wire in 1 metre/3 foot lengths and was thinking about putting my toe in the water with some overhead.... Or is 0.3 too fine for practicality?

GOING OT for a moment (sorry chaps)

0.3 is overscale for 4mm overhead. Dead scale is .25 for the contact wire and .2 for the catenary wire. I use .25 brass coated steel and .2 silver coated brass respectively.

I know 0.05mm doesn't sound like much but in this application is 20% overscale. May as well get it right for the sake of using the right stuff. Also the steel wire is designed for much higher tension than I am using.

Cheers

Jim

 

[Richard Johnson]

Thanks Jim

Richard

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