Rana Temporia
-
Posts
1,712 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Articles
Gallery
Posts posted by Rana Temporia
-
-
Someone made one in one of the model railway mags years ago with a ‘spud’ motor bogie in the slip coach. When it detached it could be driven into the station. Easy with DCC but a bit more difficult with conventional DC. In the pre-DCC days that this featured I don’t know how they managed it and I got rid of a lot of my magazines recently.
This would also deal with any less than level track as most modern UK coaches (and any even elderly continental ones) will roll away if someone breathes too hard in the room.
-
On 13/05/2024 at 17:48, Tony57 said:
Hi Rana
Nice looking tank locomotives you got there, it makes one think why can't Hornby do the same and produce real types of tank locos for the 040t and 060t chassis they make rather than the freelance makes, even if they are just for club members.
Thanks Tony, I have been saying this for years. Hornby could offer a cheap or free download for people to print themselves, maybe to club members, offer a basic shell ready printed or add a detailing pack. they already have the CAD for the chassis and then are guaranteed to sell a donor loco or a chassis if they offer them as spares, or enough parts to build one. A number of other firms are offering them and making a profit so why not? There are a number of options for the ‘pocket rocket’ chassis on Shapeways and Budget Model Railways do a range on non-prototypical but good looking locos that use it. There was a diesel shunter body that was available and built in one of the mags a long time ago. I don’t know if it’s still available? Some of the free download sites have a number of other 0-4-0 locos designed to use the Hornby chassis.
If you then look at Shapeways, Oak Tree Works etc. lots of other options to fit Hornby RTR chassis from both Pecketts, the Terrier, the pug, the Ruston etc. Great opportunities for learning new skills and supporting the producers of handrail knobs, smokebox dates and the like.
-
On 15/05/2024 at 17:30, Britannia Builder said:
I've just bookmarked the url which in my case is https://community.hornbyhobbies.com/discover/8/ - not sure what the 8 means but it gets me there!
Regards, John
John, thanks for posting this link it’s the only way I can get on to the topics using my iPad, I don’t know if any other iPad users are having the same issues? I have tried following the other information but the options aren’t working.
-
When I was in the 6th form Fred Dibnah’s kids were at the same school and he used to bring his traction engine at any excuse….and smoke out the main building.
When my kids were young I took them to an ENVIRONMENTAL fair in Salford and while I was on the helter-skelter with them the steam engine working one of the other rides fumigated us for added enjoyment. Coming from a mining family I was used to the smell of coal, my kids weren’t.
-
Three more 3D industrial loco bodies to fit Hornby chassis arrived this week. This time from Oak Hill Works and I think all are Ex-Hardy’s Hobbies items. As I was drilling the three from Shapeways and fitting handrails I made a start on these as well but have now run out of handrail knobs so need to order some along with some smokebox darts.
I had the Shapeways ones done in the cheapest plastic but these from Oak Hill Works seem superior in finish and are in grey resin. They were all around the same price so make a good comparison.
First one from the left, a Kitson loco as used by various collieries and the Manchester Ship Canal amongst others. Designed to be a direct fit to a Dapol or old style Hornby Terrier chassis. The only problem I can see is that the chassis I have has a bit of a birds nest of wiring on top and needs sorting other than that the fit is perfect.
Second one is a Fox Walker loco designed to fit the Electrotren/Jouef/Hornby 0-6-0 outside cylinder chassis. A perfect fit and a great looking industrial loco.
Third one is a Bagnall as used at Preston Docks and various other locations. One is preserved on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite railway and I think there is one at the Ribble Steam railway as well. Designed to fit the Hornby Peckett 0-6-0 chassis but I will be modifying mine to fit the Electrotren one as I have a few spare. The wheel size is correct and the back axle is a mm or so out but close enough for me.
You might think it a bit odd to order so many at one go. I bought one of the Electrotren chassis years ago to fit an ARC model that was suddenly discontinued. I then bough a few more ready to put an order in for Hardy’s Hobbies the week they sold the business. I have a year or so’s modelling in these six locos but I know I have them!
I also resurrected two Arc models Andrew Barclay locos I started years ago on Pug chassis. They are moulded resin which warped. I think I will be able to sort them but they are lower down the priority list. The box they are in has all the detailing parts I use so I will keep getting a reminder.
-
1
-
-
If you took the wheels out did you put them in the right way round? One side is insulated (black plastic bush around the axle) and this side needs to go where the pick-up is. The other side is live through the chassis. I have bought a number of Tri-ang diesels as non-runners for very little money that have had a wheel set put in backwards, less than 5 mins and they were great runners.
-
2
-
-
Does the armature get hot as well? I have had this problem with a few Tri-ang motors. It’s been a fault in the armature and a change has solved the problem. The dock shunter is basically the same as the Transcontinental power bogie with a different top piece and can be swapped over, much easier than changing the armature as you will inevitably lose one of the trust ball bearings!. Just make sure you put the top piece back on the same way round.
If you want to change the armature then as well as the Transcontinintal bogie, it’s the same one in the DMU/EMU/blue Pullman but not the Hymek.
-
These three locos are currently under construction and are my first purchase from Shapeways. Left to Right they are an Andrew Barclay ‘Ogee’ tank designed to take the standard Hornby 0-4-0 inside cylindered chassis but mine is having a Bachman Greg (Percy) chassis fitted instead as I want the outside cylinders. The same designer has a number of other locos designed to take the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis and as I was paying for postage anyway I couldn’t resist this one.
The middle loco is a long-tank Hudswell Clarke as used by the Manchester Ship Canal (and as preserves on the East Lancs Railway) amongst others. Only problem is the prototype is inside cylindered and this one is designed to use the Hornby/Jouef/Electrotren chassis. The holes in the rods are too big to take a screw on a replacement set of wheels so it looks like it’s stuck with the OC chassis with the fitting for the cylinder rods on the wheels. A later and updated version of this kit was marketed by Hardy’s Hobbies along with a short tank version which was more appropriate to the chassis but it is no longer available.
The loco on the right is a model of the Garstang and Knott End railway ‘Knott End’ loco to go with my model of ‘Blackpool’ from the same line and again is on one of the Electrotren chassis. This was the poorest of the 3D prints and although the body is fine, the smoke box was virtually flat and I had to use a cast Manning Wardle smoke box door I bought for another project and never used.
Lots of detailing to go on these three locos and I have just found some more handrail knobs I didn’t know I had so saves buying some!. The one I really wanted was the G&KER loco and although it’s not designed for any particular chassis the Electrotren one is very close to the prototype and was an easy fit.
Can’t wait to get them all finished!
-
1
-
-
The good thing about those two locos is that they will virtually last forever with a little bit of maintenance. Enjoy!
-
1
-
-
Which locos are they? If diesels than replacement wheels are available (at a a price) unless you can get a scrapper with later better scale wheels.
-
I have bought spares from the Jouef part of the Hornby website and not been able to add UK parts to the order (might be down to me rather than different warehouses) but the Jouef parts have come from the UK and been delivered very quickly.
-
Other countries use Loc as in Electroloc as I found out when I bought a couple of OH electric locos based on those from the Netherlands. Not sure if Belgium do to.
-
I think the old style Hall wheels were the same as the B12 ones.
-
I have had this problem now and again usually with later ‘Nellies” but also with some other locos. For some reason all the tyres fell off a Duchess I had while a second identical loco never had any problems. It could be down to the castings being not quite right. maybe a bad day in the factory with some impurities in the mix and the castings shrank a little more than expected, just enough to cause an issue? I would just push them back on and if you have a back to back gauge I’d check that when you do it.
-
1
-
-
Which mail coaches had side corridors as per the early Tri-ang model? I believe this was correct for some and sure I have seen a video of a prototype with this feature. I think all other models have had central corridor connections.
-
There are lots of ideas out there. The two small PECO plan books usually have pans designed for operational use, but they also tend to cram as much railway in the available space as possible. The PECO settrack book is rather like the Hornby books in putting as much product in the available space as it’s possible to achieve and uses their old 1st/2nd radius curved points which aren’t available anymore. However, they are all excellent sources of ideas on things to incorporate in a layout if you have the space.
Old Model Railway mags are usually available very cheaply and usually have some track plans in them, you can always copy a good part of someone else’s layout as well. They have already done the design for you.
-
`Rog is dead right. This layout will look good and there is good loco storage but actual operational ‘fun’ is limited. The geometry means that if you follow this plan you need to use the first radius curves and there isn’t anything you can do about the gradient. This means that you’d have to use contemporary locos and controllers to get the best out of it. Modern locos and controllers wouldn’t be designed to run on it. There are also a lot of curved points. Others have said to use the Peco version. If you were to use contemporary locos you would probably have a problem with modern Hornby points as well as they are designed for wheels that are more to scale, again Peco settrack ones may be a better option.
None of these points will stop you building this layout it’s just that you need to have realistic expectations about what you will be able to run on it. I’m not sure if Hornby still do a signal control set? I have noticed four on this plan.
-
Have you a picture of the pan as that would help?
-
Silver seal, they were the upmarket Hornby range and the wagon boxes had a little silver sticker holding the flap closed. I have some good ones but many were egg shaped and useless.
-
The first ‘proper’ electric locos I had were a re-painted Polly and a red Dock Shunter. I now have a collection of the 0-4-0 tanks with some of the different numbered red and blue versions and a blue Connie. I also have a few neverwazzas.
There are a lot available second hand and in good condition and the originals have the X04 motor which is virtually infinately repairable. The main problem I have found is the wheel tyres falling off later versions and the rubbish black plastic cog that strips off the axles.
The loco body was modified to produce a push along train to use with orange/red track that clockwork Thomas and Percy came with. I don’t know if the mould still exists?
While I have a fondness for these locos I wonder how they would go on today with people who don’t have those memories of what were very well running and reliable little locos. Personally I would also like to see the top tank come back as well but that is even less likely with no link to a real loco. Now I want someone to prove me wrong!
-
Just got a second hand copy of this book. Not a model but relating to the other thread on inspiration this book has so much information it’s great! Inspiration for me as a child was being taken to the area (My dad worked at Lankro Chemicals, Later Diamond Shamrock at the time) and seeing the diesel shunters which in my mind were my yellow Big Big train Ruston loco. the fact that it was based on a narrow gauge prototype didn’t matter. it pulled the same wagons and coaches as the Blue Flier Hymek and represented the locos that ran up and down near the docks.
Hornby have produced at least two MSC locos, the 0-4-0 sentinel diesel and the 0-4-0 Peckett. They may have also produced an Austerity 0-6-0 in MSC Grey, I have seen one somewhere. there is definitely one available in N gauge.
With a little more work there are a number of other relevant locos that could be made using easily available 3D prints on Hornby chassis. Shapeways do a Hudswell Clarke long tank body designed to fit on the Jouef/Electrotren/Hornby chassis although it’s outside cylindered and the MSC Prototypes are IC. Oak Hill Works produce the Kitson tanks designed to fit on a Hornby Terrier chassis. Chesterfield Models produce the Yorkshire Engine 0-6-0 as used by Lancashire Steelworks at Irlam alongside the MSC. (I have one of their slight mis-prints of this loco which was £12). There are probably more but as far as I know no-one has produced one of the short tank Hunslets other than as an etched kit.
I need to have a proper read of this book now but first impressions are good.
-
I think I read in one article once to use finest grade wet and dry paper to represent tarmac platforms. Look at any platform and none are uniform in colour. Stone flags have natural variation, tarmac gets dug up and the repairs are invariably a different shade. Modern platforms have the textured flags as in JJ’s photos for visually impaired people near the edge. My local station has some areas of stone flags (Haslingden flag?) and some areas of tarmac with the edge stones either natural stone or modern concrete.
Some of the Scottish platforms are red stone (granite?)
Some people have used various materials to texture paint from the ash left by an anti-social activity to sand and grit. The super quick platforms had flags of different shades and some damaged ones.
-
Wrenn produced a dummy class 20 in OO and they now go for a silly amount of money. I’m not sure if LIma also did it with some of their diesels.
-
81F those Lima diesels were the best available at the time. The Mainline Peak may have had better detail but the pick ups were rubbish and the Jouef 40 was a bit too wide. The Lima ones will basically go on forever with a bit of TLC which is easy as they were designed to be simple to maintain. They also have a distinctive smell when running. You can even replace the motors with one of the CD motor kits off eBay if you want something that runs a bit smoother and quieter. Personally I’m happy with the Lima ones.
What's on your workbench?
in General Discussion
Posted
The Lima OO locos were great for the time they were produced, I still have a few including a couple of Crabs and expect them to virtually last forever. There is one version of the Crab (I think it is a maroon one) that has an HO body as it was going to form part of the British HO range that Lima were introducing before they realised we mainly use OO.
Main problem I have had with Lima locos is the Mazak weight expanding and damaging the bodies/jamming the wheels. A few taps with a lump hammer sorts that (with the weight taken out of the loco obviously!).
Many of the Lima diesels were re-introduced by Hornby in the Railroad range with a new drive unit.