Micks 4mm LNER Models

[Atlantic 3279]

Good price and good result. What's not to like?

[mick b]

Makeover of a Hornby D49 Railroad version, with the motor in the chassis version.

Not much left of the original model, the following has been added.

Hornby A3 Lined Drivers and parts of a Hornby A3 valve gear set used to replace the awful original valve gear, Hornby B17 Bogie 12 spoke wheels , Crownline castings conversion kit , Puffers Lentz Cam Gear, Bachmann Stepped Tender . New handrails , rear Caol Plate lowered since these photos,and extra detail added. The Tender will have pick ups fitted in due course, the original Hornby Driving wheels were fitted with rubber traction tyres.

Now in primer.

[mick b]

A 4mm LNER lining sheet from HMRS arrived over the weekend. Sadly if this is the standard they are now producing , it will be my last order to them . All of the Black/White lining is out of register and therefore its fit for the bin.
I have emailed them asking for a replacement sheet or a refund , I will post the response (if any) in due course.

You can see additional Black lines on the edge , they have even managed to make the White different widths on the Boiler Band decal and a additional Black line !!

Sadly the only photo it will allow to me to post is the one above . Others I took at the same time and settings are too large!!. No idea why.

[Atlantic 3279]

If the remaining choices for new sheets of lining are either those, or a "specific loco" set from Fox for a King's ransom, then the prospects for those of us who cannot produce our own perfect lining are not good.

I gather you have requested good replacement or refund. If there's no satisfactory response, please let us all know, and depending of course on how you've paid, you may be able to get a refund even if HMRS fail to respond - defective goods.

[mick b]

Graeme

I have a suspicion that I will not even get a response from them. I complained once before a few years ago, about the quality of their decals and recived a rude and arrogant response on that occasion. Hopefully times may have changed?. A Credit card claimback will cover that issue in due course if needed.

Fox are not much better, I find the lining to be overwide, as to price simply laughable.

Modelmaster never deliever etc , as noted from numerous complaints on the Dark Side.

Railtec list a suitable lining sheet, but it has been listed as non available for a long time .

It does'nt leave much !!

If anyone has any HMRS version spare sheets for sale , please let me know !!

Mick

[mick b]

HMRS Update.

I recieved a response and a apology that ' the quality of their product was of not a high enough standard for myself". I recived a refund a couple of days later of the Decal sheet price, but not the £4.00 postage charge ( another common growing practise amongst some retailers, a postage stamp £1.08 and a 20p flat normal envelope). I still am undecided if the reply, was/is being sarcastic or not?.

Either way current HMRS LNER Lining sheets are of no further use to me for the future. Luckily I have managed to just have enough "normal standard " HMRS LNER lining sheets to finish the D49 , just numbering and nameplates to be done and varnishing in due course.
Back to Black and Blue Locos in the future.

[Chas Levin]

Hm.

Sorry to hear of your woes Mick; like - I suspect - many others, I've managed lately with older stock and as my speed of construction is quite slow that's sufficed to date, but I've also noticed some of the more recently purchased sheets in my transfers box don't look quite as crisp. I haven't examined them closely yet though, as I haven't actually needed to use them. I think that qualifies as 'kicking the can further down the street', as the saying has it.

I'm assuming they didn't say anything to the effect that the printing might improve in the future - I'm sure you'd have mentioned that if thay'd said it!

[mick b]

No, the HMRS response was as already written, no more, no less !!!

[mick b]

D49 completed.

[Atlantic 3279]

Suitably customised and improved.

[nzpaul]

Nicely done Mick. Curious to know if you've added any weight to compensate for the loss of traction tyres. I did the same thing on my own D49 and fitted A3 wheels, it runs really well but a bit limited in towing capacity.

Paul

[mick b]

I have added as much sheet lead as possible around the sides and above the motor area . My two D49 conversions , will both pull 5 Hornby Suburban Coaches without issue , 6 will make the wheels spin.

[Hatfield Shed]

You could resort to the old trick of filling the loco body with lead in all available voids - making it very front heavy and thus ill balanced and prone to derailing the rear driving wheels - and then balancing it with weight in a modified tender resting on the loco rear.

The usual way of modifying the tender was to remove the front and centre wheelsets, and mount them in a compact inside bearing bogie not supporting the tender at all, just on a pivot post (a light spring may be necessary). The rear tender wheelset remains, so the loco is now functionally dragging a 'wheelbarrow'; and a coupling arrangement is made to enable weight in the tender to bear on the rear end of the loco. I will not pretend this is easy to get right, one of those solutions that 'can be made to work' with much patient adjustment, and there is a minimum practical radius, around the 30" mark.

[Horsetan]

....Modelmaster never deliver etc...

Wasn't Modelmaster the one where its owner wanted to run down the business in order to concentrate on getting elected to the House of Commons?

[mick b]

Nearly I believe the local Council was his aim in some very weird emails !!

He is still failing to deliver etc ,according to the Dark Side. Latest is someone receiving nameplates painted in the wrong colour ,and then being ignored when he asked for the correct items to be sent etc etc . Simply avoid !!.


Trading Standards should be giving him a visit ASAP !!