What's on your workbench?

[The son of Triangman]

[Tony57]

Brought a Swallow livery 125 non runner, found the motor caked in old sticky oil requiring a total strip down, I washed all the parts in meths and rebuilt the motor now works ok.

I need to now to sit down and put together a pile of new bits to make a fully working chassis for a Wrenn Air smoothed West Country body I brought sometime ago without any instructions

[Tony57]

A few days ago I brought 6 pairs of 3d printed replacement container doors for some older freightliner containers, had a few spare minutes so I fitted them today what a difference they have made. I know they need painting but I just might leave them as they are

[Rana Temporia]

SOT I got one of those Princess Victorias for my birthday in the mid 70s from a shop in Bolton. They had the green (Elizabeth?) one as well without the full valve gear. I think they’d got a job lot from somewhere, possibly a catalogue place as Littlewoods was based in Bolton and they were only £5 each from what I remember.

I still have the loco in its original box with the polystyrene case and white plain cardboard cover. It was and is a ridiculously fast loco even with some Tri-ang blood and custard 10” coaches in tow.

[Rana Temporia]

Tony, I suspect I know where you got those doors from and I have had some of his other 3D prints which really are excellent. I have been able to restore some of my old locos and you can’t tell they are non NOS parts.

[Tony57]

Hi Rana

You are right you do know, What is good about the seller he is doing a lot of replacement roofs for box vans, bits for Transcon range locos with either both MK2 or MK3 couplings and interiors for early produced 9 and 10 inch, transcon and other coaches and the little 4 wheeler, coaches.

[Rana Temporia]

Finally got some time to work on one of my locos that has been waiting much too long. This is a Gaiety Pannier that came out of. A junk box. The original motor works fine but the wheels are damaged and there are no rods, so a conversion to a Tri-ang Jinty chassis (an 08 actually) has been on the cards. It was a bit more complex than I expected as the chassis needed quite a bit of filing down as did the body to clear the front wheels. I drilled the back of the cap to take the Tri-ang lugs and used the hole in the front buffer beam to take a fixing screw which was drilled and tapped (8BA) into the chassis by hand during a very long remote meeting where there was a serious risk of nodding off otherwise.

The number plates are Kings Cross and once it warms up a bit it will be sprayed black and finished with late BR totems. It can join the GWR versions I have. It’s a very heavy loco due to the cast body and runs very well. Just a shame about that horrible safety valve cover.

[Bulleidboy]

In the process of weathering almost nine feet of retaining wall - still experimenting with colour and washes at the moment.

[Rana Temporia]

Some time ago I am sure someone posted on here about a Tri-ang DMU with a seized motor bogie. I did a search but couldn’t find it, however I think I bought it yesterday at the Bolton toy fair. I got a 3 car mix and match DMU with one of the last type of power cars (Big A7 lighted panel above the cab which no real one ever had), a fairly late centre coach and an old trailer coach with the short Pullman bogies, split axles and no warning panel. I only bought it because the motor bogie had the smooth scale wheels on it and paid less than I would for a new set of wheels on axles so all OK.

When I got it home it was a straight short so I stripped it down….the bearings had been filled with superglue and one of the axles was superglued in place. Half an hour or so later it was all stripped down, cleaned up and re-assembled but the armature still wouldn’t turn so I put a new bearing off a dead Dock Shunter chassis at one end and that finally got it going. After 5 mins running at top speed in both directions it runs like a new one, the friction disposing of any remnants of glue.

One of the bearing retaining clips disintegrated when I took it off, presumably it had been glued to the bearing and of course I managed to lose one of the thrust bearings despite working in a tray. The oil retaining pads are solid and soaked in superglue so they are also scrap. One of the brushes disintegrated, there was a batch of them at around this time that had been badly soldered and had a habit of doing this. I might try and fix it while my soldering iron is out. I have one of the brush assembly jigs (A strip of wood with a routed channel) that Modelspares used to sell so should be easy enough. I have done enough of them in the past.

The only remaining task is to re-solder one of the light wires to the bogie where it came away as I took the roof off, not a big job.

So now I have a spare A7 DMU power car, I already had a complete set so don’t really need it, and I only bought it for the wheels so what to do????????

The big question. Why would anyone fill a power bogie with superglue? Nothing was broken in it and it’d be difficult to mistake it for a lubricant so it must have been done deliberately. face_with_rolling_eyes

[Rana Temporia]

Just had the time to add new transfers to my two black WAB tanks with the later non-cellulose acetate bodies. These are easily my favourite of the Transcontinental locos and both run like new. One is still missing a rear lamp. I may make one or buy some of the printed replicas off eBay. Great locos!

[atom3624]

Often a point made by Sam of 'Sam's Trains' on YT, Hornby motors and chassis are generally seen to be higher grade, at least within the steam locomotives, than Bachmann.

I finally got around to replacing the motor in my Bachmann Stanier Mogul, which I'd owned perhaps 6 weeks before the motor started 'performing erratically' until it decided enough was enough ... finally replaced the motor earlier this evening - all running nicely again.

Another handled during the 'holiday break' was the observed inconsistent performance of another Bachmann - one of my favourites, the Class 37.

It would be running nicely, then go slower, then speed up to the initial speed. The problem might have been related to the directional lighting - non-functional initially in reverse.

These models have extra screws each end of the body, alongside the buffers to really ensure contact of the 3 body 'fingers' with the chassis. A body removal, general slight re-lubrication, then a little tweaking here and there, and all lighting is fine, and so far, the speed is consistent again - might have been a poor electrical contact.

I've a few other locomotives I need to work on before I return to work next Monday - might get there, but then, there's that unfinished bathroom ceiling ... !!

Al.

[Bulleidboy]

This hobby is not always about locomotives and rolling stock. This cottage has just left the workbench, having had the power re-installedblush. It is a Hornby Lyddle End cottage (N gauge) with a bit of creeper added, and the lighting is a cut-down carriage lighting kit, with a latching reed switch. To operate the lights you just wave a magnet over the cottage and the lights either turn on or off. The system is identical to the Hornby Maglight system.

[Luciton St James]

Lima class 67 in TFW Black-red

Lima class 60 in DC Rail & Lima class 156 in ScotRail Spot livery. Old Hornby mk4 coaches converted to suit the 67

[81F]

My last two Railroad type Gresley LNER teak coaches in bits (one awaiting a new glazing piece after I scratched the original when removing it).

These two are the last that I am using a colour washing to make the teak a closer match to my LNER six wheelers (something described in anoter thread on this forum.

I will probably move onto my LNER short Clerestories next.

[TVR1707822112]

Building traffic cones and shortly a bike shelter at present!

[Rana Temporia]

Back to the vintage stock! I got fed up waiting for the rain to stop so rather than spray my Gaiety pannier I got the brushes out. Two coats of satin black and then two of Matt varnish and I’m quite happy with the finish. I just need to make a smoke box number plate now but no rush for that. Pictured next to an original which needs the paint touching up and the safety valve cover and chimney cap painting. If I can bring myself to take a saw to something over 70 years old I may replace that horrible safety valve cover! The GWR one is still on the original chassis and runs perfectly, the black one is on a modified Tri-ang Jinty type.

[81F]

@Rana

I think it looks a lot nicer in black. However, just out of interest does the original green one look like a true GWR green or is it something that would be a reasonable match?

[Rana Temporia]

@81F I’m too young to remember GWR green so have to use my other GWR locos as a guide which unsurprisingly are all different shades of green. However, the green on the Gaiety loco is very close to my Lima GWR prairie tank, which is similar to my Lima 94xx but nothing like the green on my Lima contemporary King which is a bit ‘grey’ in comparison. With it’s age I suspect the colour has drifted somewhat from what it was when new so it’s going to be fun trying to match it up. At least it’s not the catch-all Humbrol Gloss Brunswick Green that seemed to be used for everything in the past.

I have noticed on preserved railways that two prototype locos next to each other can differ in colour quite a bit, especially green and blue diesels. Maybe the slight differences in colour are quite authentic.

[threelink]

@RT I think colour differences would be unavoidable, especially pre-group. The LNWR specification for carriage painting refers to the addition to the white "spilled milk" paint of upper carriage panels of "sufficient ultramarine" to counter the yellowing effect of the final varnish coats. The LNW specifications for various colours of paint give quantities by pound weight of pigment to be mixed in the oil base. I would say that slight variations would be inevitable. LNW carriage production and painting was concentrated at Wolverton works so some degree of uniformity might be expected but in terms of locos I expect that individual sheds of every company each had their own paint shops, each producing slight differences in hue. Then there is the effect of weathering on the particular paints. Blue was known to be a "fugitive" colour, i.e. a colour that would fade or change very easily. In adddition one has to consider the colour perception of those setting the liveries - Stroudley's "improved engine green" being a prime example of a green that was anything but. What one would give for the chance to travel back in time to see the real thing...

[atom3624]

I have a few Hornby Pacifics which show some erratic performance at very low power. I have generally put this down to some imprecise alignment of gears, quartering of drivers, etc.

Inspired by a certain Scottish gentleman posting on YT (not Sam - not Scottish), I decided to clean the worm and intermediate drive gears of my renamed Duchess of Abercorn - as Duchess of Sutherland, no blinkers. I simply cleaned the motor worm thoroughly, and removed all old grease on the gears, then lightly re-greased.

There's still some partially inconsistent low speed running, but it is substantially improved now. Quite happy!

Al.

[Rana Temporia]

Fun time! I bought a continental 0-4-0 off eBay for the motor in a cradle to fix one of my other 0-4-0 locos and try to keep everything as original as possible. However, it came with a second 0-4-0 and two clockwork locos. Everything worked on them all so no need to fix anything. So, what to do with the spare loco body that donated the chassis? I have a few spare clockwork chassis and random parts so decided to make a ‘neverwazza’. I drilled out the key hole and cut a slot in the roof for the brake and created a clockwork loco that was only ever available as an electric version. I also I found a spare red body and added a red wheeled chassis, usually used under the green locos.

A fun but probably pointless ten minutes!

[Potterton]

"Rana Temporia

If it was fun, it wasn't pointless. Enjoy! smiley

[Rana Temporia]

I have just noticed that a clockwork ‘6042’ has suddenly appeared on eBay which is obviously also a conversion of an electric body. grinning In case anyone else sees it and thinks it’s mine, it isn’t. Mine has the 2wd drive chassis with rods and weight rather than the 4wd version on eBay. I really like neverwazzas, great fun to make your own as long as you are honest if/when you sell them on. I have done loads with Jouef locos backdated to Playcraft couplings and replica boxes from a friendly local printer. I have also swapped Dublo wagon bodies and Lima chassis, selling on the Lima bodies on Dublo chassis as neverwazzas, clearly labelled.

I would like a prototypically green Tri-ang WAB tank but they cost too much to mess about with.

[Rana Temporia]

Had half an hour spare so made some 0-4-0 pick-ups out of an old guitar string. All working fine now

[ModelerXYZ]

Hornby R9291 Thomas the tank engine Gordon that needs new traction tyres. I have the parts, just need the time to fix it now.

XYZ