Thanks Graeme, glad you said something before I went further. It got past me that you can see the brakes for the front driving wheels quite clearly in the photo, not hidden by the front steps. I might as well do something about it given how much cutting has already done. The bogie relationship to the front steps looks like it should stay the same so I reckon about a 5mm extension would be close. Thankfully I haven't thrown any of the boiler off cuts away yet.
Firstly, from measurement the Hornby B12/3 boiler diameter is approximately correct for what it intends to portray. We have been here before with Stratford boiler casing, and it would appear that Stratford could be very generous with the thickness of their insulation. Many years ago there was an in MRC on converting the Hornby model into a B12/4 article in MRC. Apart from length the main issue with the Hornby body is that the footplate over the coupled wheels isn't raised enough - this also has a knock on effect on spacer size. When it come to the coupled wheelbase Hornby comes to a scale 7ft 3inches by 7ft 3inches rather than the scale 7ft by 7ft so 1mm fore and aft of the centre driving wheel - as Atlantic has indicated elsewhere 1mm or so is neither here nor there. Should you be seeking, what is acknowledged as a fairly accurate drawing, you can download the Great Eastern Society set of mainly John Gardner drawings for the princely sum of £15.00 - well worth the relatively small outlay.
Thanks for the pic Graeme, very useful.
The bogie to front driving axle wheelbase has been extended to 32mm. It wasn't particularly difficult to insert the extra piece of boiler and fill the gap in the running plate, these old Triang based things have plenty of meat in them to glue extra bits to. The front bogie is now mounted on a simple brass extension moving the mounting hole forward.
I've made up the wheel valances from 0.5mm plastic sheet, not a job I'd recommend if anything else in life is frustrating you at the time, much calm required to get them to this stage and some tidying up still required once the glue has completely set. It does add some weight to Pebbles comment about the foot plate height, the valances do seem quite abbreviated.
So, after my "whaa choo talkin bout Willis" moment yesterday here is the elongated B12.
Proportions certainly looking better. As has been said already, the starting point imposes limits on what can be achieved, but that doesn't mean that it is a sin to try to improve it.
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Before the B12/1 Mgowan kit I am currently doing battle with I did compare the drawings to the Hornby model to see if I could do what you are doing. I didn't feel I could get it right but I can't say the kits has been much easier!
I think "better" is about the best I can ask of this. Similar in a way to the J83 done a while ago, you can polish a turd all you like but it will always be a bit stinky. I enjoy the work and I don't feel like I'm wasting time. By the time it's covered in plumbing hopefully it will at least capture the character of the real thing more or less.
Even if you can't make the improved model perfect, I often see merit in the "improve what you've already got" approach, especially if sale of the one you already have would raise a lot less than you would have to pay in order to replace it with the model you'd really like. In any case, the improvement exercise gives you something to do that tests and develops your skills.
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I have some ideas Phil, as for plans, um...yea...not so much. The plan is to build it, fix it later.
"Improve what you have already" is an ideal way not to waste money, also immeasurably more gratifying than unpacking someone else's mass produced thing. The two J36's I have are a good example, Hornby one is a vastly better model that my old Gem over Bachmann chassis concoction, at the same time, it's not.
Hi All
B12 update, I hate plumbing.....this model will be a one off, no repeats effort. Despite the difficulties it's working out in a way I'd call acceptable. In the interest of not spending much money on it, everything has been made from bits in the scrap box and some brass wire. Heat exchanger/header tanks are 1/4" plastic tube and piping is all 0.5mm and 0.8mm brass rod. The large pipe from the firebox to the heat exchanger is 2mm brass tube with a piece of wire inserted to stop it crushing flat when bent. The pump is made from various bits of plastic and brass tube.
Unlike American locos the feed water paraphernalia does nothing to help the looks of the B12. The Alesco units fitted to C&O and NYC locos (among others) look as if they belong there, this doesn't.
I need some advise on colour before I continue, From what I gather the wheel valances should be green, lined white and the pumps and tanks should be green also, anyone know for sure or have a colour photo that could help out? Thanks in advance.
I think valances should be black lined red for the period with the ACFI gear fitted. The heater itself I think is black. Colour rail has the image. The model and the heater look great.
Valances were green while the number was on the tender, black thereafter. There are however a couple of photos showing green valances in conjunction with the number on the cabside; in both instances this is the very early version of this livery, with the number squeezed in above the splasher beading (later removed). It is not at all easy to interpret the colour of the ACFI fittings on any of the photographs I've seen, be they black and white or colour.
Inverurie painted them black all over, with double red lining.
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