I'm starting a new thread for this build as otherwise it'll get mixed up with the 'Caprosti' on the other Whiffed loco thread, as I've renamed it.
Just to remind you, this one's going to end up looking like this, I hope............:-
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/4558/uodyJq.jpg)
And it's running chassis looks like this :-
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/8742/lUIXBM.jpg)
The basic kit, a Dapol/Airfix/Kitmaster 'Battle of Britain' class Pacific locomotive, comes in a plastic bag, just like a vintage Airfix kit, and its sprues are around 10 mm in dia!
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/7571/p4f7Ns.jpg)
Now the one thing I needed to remember about a kit that first came out in 1960 is that the design goes back almost 60 years! :o As such, a modern kits close fitting parts are totally foreign and the BoB's larger parts are pretty warped, but the old hot water trick gets round that, some anyway.
The BoB body, unlike most locomotives, is basically a box with a bit of tumble-home on the sides, so it goes together pretty easily, apart from the warped base plate and sides that is. The locations consist only of small cylinders, maybe 1mm dia x 1mm high, which form 'bulkheads' to locate the adjoining parts, and the amount of variability in positioning is enormous!
So far I've got the backhead, that's the back of the boiler that protrudes into the cab, one side panel and the smokebox front, the bit at the front, in position. As I have a much finer detailed smokebox door en route the plastic one is only tacked into position as I'll have to remove it later, but it needs to be there for now to position the side panels.
Obviously I'll have to hack out large portions of the baseplate to accept the chassis, but I intend to Dremel that out once the main body assembly is done as it'll be a lot stronger, hopefully.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/4862/LyGViL.jpg)
Looks interesting Kit and something a little different :thumbsup:
Gondor
I like the look of this. BTW the Quizmaster at my local, Glyn Sims, is one of the volunteers on Battle of Britain Class No.34081 "92 Squadron" http://www.92squadron.co.uk/ (http://www.92squadron.co.uk/)
A veritable cornucopia of white metal and etched brass bits and pieces for the Baltic tank arrived while I was away over Christmas.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/4600/f25sG4.jpg)
I've started to add the white metal and etched parts to the Baltic tank.
The basic body assembly is done now, but it'll have a lot of stuff added as I go on. Here's 'standard side'.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/9847/umfhXp.jpg)
The other side has had the etched brass cab windows added.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/958/u1GsAG.jpg)
And I've cut a new styrene smokebox front plate to take the white metal smokebox door. I've filed off the BR era numberplate as the Baltic will have a circular 'Southern' plate there with its number on the buffer beam. Almost the entire front end will be sawn off and replaced by the white metal casting that's sitting to one side.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img922/6383/TJqFxa.jpg)
Very cool. Nice to see somat like this. I've been thinking of Trains myself lately. Lots of detail bits eh !
Quote from: Captain Canada on February 02, 2018, 04:07:30 PM
Very cool. Nice to see somat like this. I've been thinking of Trains myself lately. Lots of detail bits eh !
Yes, lots, and I didn't buy all the ones they have either.
Needless to say I've found one that I
should have got, but I can fit it later in the build.
I've glued the upper part of the casing in place now, but I sawed off the cab roof first as I'll need to paint the cab interior before I add the bunker etc. There'd be no way to get to the interior once it's in place of course.
I also sawed off the forward part of the cowl as that's the bit I forgot to order, and it's much more accurate than the existing plastic moulding, the real thing having a large hole underneath the roof so the air flows around the chimney and lifts the smoke clear of the top of the boiler.
I've also sawn off the forward apron and the buffer beam and replaced it with the white metal part. The thing's feeling a tad nose heavy now as a result...
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/6135/lOS5TE.jpg)
Might need to rebalance it, them, Kit. :thumbsup:
Quote from: rickshaw on February 05, 2018, 06:30:28 PM
Might need to rebalance it, them, Kit. :thumbsup:
The coal in the bunker may do that on final assembly....
Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 05, 2018, 08:41:57 PM
Quote from: rickshaw on February 05, 2018, 06:30:28 PM
Might need to rebalance it, them, Kit. :thumbsup:
The coal in the bunker may do that on final assembly....
Going 'old school' and using crushed coal dust for the load, then? ;)
Still, if it works... :thumbsup:
Quote from: Rick Lowe on February 05, 2018, 11:40:39 PM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 05, 2018, 08:41:57 PM
Quote from: rickshaw on February 05, 2018, 06:30:28 PM
Might need to rebalance it, them, Kit. :thumbsup:
The coal in the bunker may do that on final assembly....
Going 'old school' and using crushed coal dust for the load, then? ;)
Still, if it works... :thumbsup:
Absolutely, it looks so much more realistic than various plastic alternatives.
But it does need sealing or else the model becomes 'self weathering'.......... ;D
;D ;D
I had a mammoth Dremel session today, hacking away the baseplate of the Baltic's shell. I kept on trying the chassis in position time after time, and eventually I found out I'd cut away almost all the baseplate! But I couldn't have built the upper parts without it, so no loss really.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/3457/pOvd1u.jpg)
With the chassis in place it's starting to look like the Barnes drawing, but without the leading and trailing trucks it looks rather silly at present, and it's unbalanced as I haven't done the major bodywork mods for the side tanks or the coal bunker yet. I'll maybe start on the side tanks this afternoon.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img923/4315/fJv7wz.jpg)
I forgot to mention that I cut the buffer beam off the chassis too, it's not needed as it would be about 10 ft. too far back and it'd be inside the body shell!
Hornby threw me a curve ball as the beam is plastic, but it's moulded over an extension of the cast metal frame! I had to use the Dremel on that eventually as my saws were losing the battle. :banghead:
It's getting to be like building an aircraft kit but without wings! I even had to resort to some PSR work this afternoon! :banghead:
I sanded off all the rivet and the raised colour line detail to start with, which went surprisingly easily, the styrene is pretty soft for a change. Then I cut up one of the tender sides to make one tank side, and glued it in place. As the curvatures aren't quite the same I had to add a small shim of 10 thou on the cab side, and then PSR the joint so that it was all a smooth curve. There's a very small bit of PSR I need to do right underneath the front facing cab windows, but that's in hand.
As it looks like this technique seems to work OK, I'll paint the interior of the cab next, but that'll be a week away yet, as I'm away up in Yorks most of next week.
(https://imageshack.com/a/img924/9504/WW83TS.jpg)
Starting to come together Kit :thumbsup:
A bit off topic, but is about model trains. I had an off-road excursion on the way to work this morning (see weather with you thread) and after walking to a farmers house to get help, I had to wait while his tractor was warmed up. Found out while chit-chatting, he's into model railways. His preferred scale is what he called 'G' gauge. Not having heard of that scale I found out it usually means 'Garden' Gauge', turns out he had a whole layout in his back yard. He then showed me his basement --------- it was completely done up in railway layout which ran through holes in the walls so the layout could run from room to room. And all his steam engine were just that --- what he called 'Live Steam'. Mind you his diesel engines were mostly electric powered, either from the mains or battery.
One engine that was particularly interesting was one he called a 'Shay' engine which was used in the logging industry. Never seen one quite like it.
Like this one.
http://shaylocomotives.com/surviving/2645surv.jpg
His model engine was actually like this one
http://www.mendorailhistory.org/images/railroads/locos/shay/colin_shay_6.jpg
Oh yes, G Gauge has been around some time, and it's BIG too. :o
As for Shays, they're fascinating things. I built an HO gauge 2 truck Shay around 20 yrs ago and was chuffed to blazes when it won a loco class at an NMRA Convention in the USA! They were suitably astonished that a Brit had built it.
Later on I ran it on the Twin Cities Model Railroad Club's huge layout in St Paul, and it still holds the record for the slowest lap of the layout, something well over 2 hrs. ;D We had enough to go out for dinner before it made it all the way round.
I'll post a pic of it when I get back from the wild north.
Mind you, I don't have layout to run it on. ;D
Hi Kit. Interesting build log.
How's this tank loco going?
Looking forward to see what is involved in this conversion, and how she will turn out.
It isn't going at the moment I'm afraid, apart from in my head.
I've got too much real railway stuff on my plate just now and modelling has crawled to a halt. It'll improve in a few weeks I expect.
Time spent in planning is rarely wasted. Keep up the full sized railway missionary work amongst the ranks of the unbelievers and we will all await with eager anticipation the masterpiece that Bulleid didn't quite build.
Quote from: PR19_Kit on April 17, 2018, 01:19:23 PM
It isn't going at the moment I'm afraid, apart from in my head.
I've got too much real railway stuff on my plate just now and modelling has crawled to a halt. It'll improve in a few weeks I expect.
Thanks for sharing. Will revisit in a few weeks. Stay safe with the real railway stuff.