The GBL Mallard motored...
The GBL and Hornby Chassis compared...
The Hornby Chassis test fitted into the GBL Body...
The chassis used is a later
X.04 (well, a new type X.03 with the plastic worm and no oil pads!) Tri-ang Hornby (probably Hornby Railways) "Flying Scotsman" Chassis. It has the later finer driving wheels, with the centre drivers also having flanges.
The GBL Mallard body requires the black plate locating pillar in the firebox removing or shortening to clear the chassis.
The flange under the back of the cab footplate requires removing to be flush with the side footplates, to clear the swinging rear truck.
Locating pillar shortened and rear body modified to clear the Hornby Chassis...
After the locating pin was removed, further trials...
The modifications required to the chassis would be the same for any of the
"Flying Scotsman" and LMS Streamline
"Coronation"chassis based on the reversed B12 /Hall chassis block with the screw on cast box that originally held the bulb for the "firebox glow" feature. (This could even be fitted if required!).
The Cast box is best modified off the chassis.
Chassis Mods. Back box filed down...
Rear fixing hole drilled out to clear fixing screw pillar on GBL body...
Front plate notch for front fixing screw...
Cylinders filed down in width...
Test fitted with chassis located on rear pillar...too far back!
Side view...
With bogie and trailing track fitted...how I found out that the chassis needed to go forwards in the body...
The chassis body fixing hole turned out to be to far towards the front of the loco. It needs to be opened out to a slot (that clears the back body mounting pillar) towards the back of the chassis, to allow the chassis to be moved forwards.
A small washer and a new short screw are required to fit the back mounting point. (The original GBL screw is too long.)
The modified rear fixing...
A fair amount of the rear cast box needs to be cut and/or filed from the back of the box to clear the inside of the Mallard firebox backhead.
(see photo above...)
The front chassis extension should be marked for a notch to clear the front body fixing screw, noting that the front body fixing pillar is to the right of the body centreline. The cylinders can be removed, and the extension is also screwed in place and so can be removed to make modification easier.
Another small washer, notched to clear the chassis extension side, is used with the original GBL front body fixing screw to mount the front of the chassis.
The modified front fixing...
The Tender...
The Mallard tender body is glued to the chassis, there are 2 lugs at the back, roughly in line with the buffers. One broke off on mine. These should be eased first. The centre front fixing pin should then break free when the tender body is eased up at the back.
The GBL Mallard tender body is a bit narrower than a Tri-ang Hornby A3 tender body.
The two tenders compared...
To fit the GBL Mallard tender body to the Tri-ang Hornby tender chassis, the body locating strips on both sides and the back of the Tri-ang Hornby tender chassis need to be removed.
New side locating strips from styrene strip can then be fitted to suit the GBL Mallard tender body. These are roughly along the inside edge of the Tri-ang Hornby locating strips just removed.
Measure your tender body to check...
The back locating strip is also a bit forward of the Tri-ang Hornby strip. This needs to be positioned so that the front of the tender is flush with the front of the tender chassis. There will be a small "flange" around the two sides and the back of the GBL Mallard tender body when mounted on the Tri-ang Hornby Tender chassis.
New white styrene (blacked on the top and outside) side and rear locating strips on the Tri-ang Hornby Tender Chassis...
The Modified Tender Chassis (with repaired coupling loop!) compared with a later Hornby "Sound Fitted" tender chassis...
A small strip of styrene needs to be glued under the front of the tender footplate to engage with the front locating strip on the tender chassis.
If the GBL Mallard tender coal space and coal load are properly glued in place (Mine fell apart easily, so I re-glued it together.), a small hole can be drilled in the coal space (Not the coal) to line up with the hole in the tender chassis, and the original Tri-ang Hornby tender body securing screw and collar used. (With the packing as well if required. Or the weight can be glued down.)
The location to drill the tender fixing screw hole indicated, and the new front locating strip added from white styrene strip...
The complete model before wheel painting...
The wheels then need to be painted red (Signal Red in my case...)
Wheels painted...
Final Body Fixings...
A Bachmann Loco crew fitted...(The Driver's seat needed mending!) Some pipes and gauges, etc coloured in...
Two LNER loco head lamps by Dart Castings finish the job...
2
, and tend to wash out things a bit. I will try and get some van train piccys on the plank outside at some point.
