Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I found that the Bachmann V2 gear was spot on to the Roche drawing. Which one's right?

[mick b]

A measure of my models below

PDK A1/1 @20mm
NuCast A2/1 @ 20mm
DJH A2/3 @18mm

[Atlantic 3279]

I dare say that the Roche drawing can safely be ignored for the purposes of accurate analysis of dimensions - though it is perhaps a little more accurate than (reputedly) are certain of Mr Neep's "drawn on a bad day" etched kits.......

Ta for those figures Mick. Interesting!

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I'll second the comments re Mr Neep's "bad day" etchings. I have one of his "gearboxes" done for SE Finecast that, despite being assembled as per instructions, puts the motor too close to the driving axle. It had eaten 2 D13s before I realised this, assuming that it had to be my grotty chassis!

[Tim79]

Oddly enough, it looks as if the 18mm length would be near enough the correct scale one for an A2/1, A2/2 or A2/3. I believe that Tim E has managed to use the Comet eccentric rods on an A2/3 conversion that he has assembled, although I couldn't see how I could safely accommodate much more than 16mm on my modified Bachmann chassis. Were my slidebar ends too far to the rear I wonder, or does Bachmann's return crank create too much travel of the rod??

I've tried 18mm (as per the Comet etch) and it didn't want to play ball. The current one now has rods 16.5mm c2c and runs a lot better, though I'm still not too keen on the "split and splice" method, especially from the engineering perspective!

My solution for the next pair of A2/3s is probably going to be a case of moving the motion bracket forward a little to compensate. It's certainly something I compared to the PDK A2/3 I've got in my care at the moment. It measures 18mm and the motion bracket is a little further forward than how "Herringbone" currently is.

Which reminds me..... Must get a workbench thread set up for the work I'm doing at the moment

Cheers,
Tim

[Atlantic 3279]

I'm glad that Tim has clarified that point - I was beginning to wonder if he could build in a way that I find impossible!

Now..... with due regard for what has been said today on this thread
http://www.lner.info/forums/hornby-a3-b ... t6354.html
in respect of the relative crudeness of the Bachmann V2 cab, it is perahps still a reasonable time for me to divulge an outline of the scheme that I had mentioned having under consideration in respect of the A2/1. The image below gives the general idea, and as I see it at present the re-arrangement of the trailing axle suspension system that I'm trying on my A2/3 clears the way for the fitting of an alternative cab and firebox of a type not specifically developed to go over the rear end of the Bachmann A2 chassis. Taking a scale foot off the very rear end of the chassis need not be too complex a job, and could be done in a variety of ways. The use of the A3 boiler (and its running plate right through to the rear of the loco) gives the correct boiler, firebox and S-curve shapes, but the firebox fittings all have to be changed and both the bands on the parallel part of the boiler and the junction with the smokebox have to move. All of my existing resin parts for the front of the loco should however be usable, save for a different length of smokebox extension.
All thoughts from others would of course be welcomed with interest.

It also occurs to me that if an A2/1 body can be successfully built by this method, then it is only a matter of placing the cab a foot further back (with another firebox in-fill piece if necessary) along with yet another arrangement of firebox plugs, and then you have the A2/2 with early (dia 106) boiler shape accurately portrayed - and no need to shorten the rear of the chassis in that case.

I'm still not necessarily planning or offering to have a go at this myself in the near future, but it occurs to me that the cheapest, safest way to begin is by attempting to produce the core of the body from the cheap spare A3 shell and alternative cab from another cheap spare V2 shell. Only if that works is it worth taking the risk with the chassis.

[Horsetan]

I dare say that the Roche drawing can safely be ignored for the purposes of accurate analysis of dimensions....

Along with most other Roche drawings. The main quoted dimensions on Roche drawings are mostly correct, though; it's just that the details are wrong.

- though it is perhaps a little more accurate than (reputedly) are certain of Mr Neep's "drawn on a bad day" etched kits.......

Ivatt Cl.2 2-6-2T is just one example to steer clear of.

[2002EarlMarischal]

The A2/1 scheme is very interesting particularly as you say the body work could perhaps be done using relatively cheap donor locos.

I have 5 Bachmann V2s, (Green Arrow, 4801, Coldstreamer, The Green Howards and 3650 wartime black), in my display cabinets which, in my blissful ignorance, I used to be quite happy with. Of course I can now see the glaring inaccuracy, and I don't feel anyway nearly so attached to them. At least one of them could be for the chop, but perhaps I should try the "A3 re-boilering" job first!

[Horsetan]

..... perhaps I should try the "A3 re-boilering" job first!

Go on go on go on...'twill do ye good....

[S.A.C. Martin]

As I said in my PM, it looks like a salient plan to me.

The thought occurred to me last night after sending you a PM, whether or not it would be better to make the bodyshell in a CAD form and use that, plus your resin components, to make a "master" for moulding the full boiler, running plate and cab, as three separate resin parts.

All said, an interesting thought process and development.

[Blink Bonny]

Go on..... you know you want to.

Although - got me thinking....

Mrs BB: No you don't!!!!

[Horsetan]

....All thoughts from others would of course be welcomed with interest.....

Well, if you're proposing to dispose of a Bachmann A2 shell as surplus to requirements, I'd be happy to give it a home on P4. Do let me know.....

[Atlantic 3279]

Step right up, one customer for a spare A2 body. I'll try to remeber that, thank you Sir.

I've been trying today to tie up some of the loose ends on the A2/3, which was elbowed-out as a project when I started trying to lay the foundation stones for the A1/1 prototype. I've re-done those suspension wires for the trailing axle. It was actually much easier to asemble when the for'ard end of each wire was to be soldered to an adjustable position on a piece of PCB rather than hving to live in a fixed position hole. I kept the PCB behind the rear screw in the keeper plate so that the suspension wires would not impede access to that screw. The wires of course in side view are bent down to let them pass below (just clear of) the cast lump and then upwards a bit at the rear so that the trailing axle can rise too - there's no point having the trailing axle carrying all of the weight of the rear of the loco leaving none available for grip!

It turned out that only on the left side of the loco (where inevitably, by Sod's law, the reversing rod cover makes it easiest to see the correct "line" for the base of the cabside numerals) was the horizontal cab handrail more than 0.5mm too low, so I've only disturbed the handrail knobs on that side, heating the old ones with the soldering iron to encourage them to pull out, then filling the old holes and drilling new ones. I've also cleaned off the rear upright edge of the lining panel as it was too far back. As you can see. I've also fitted the rather bright Bachmann cylinder drains:

[Atlantic 3279]

T'other side I've also made ready to alter the lining and fit full size numbers, supplied courtesy of of our esteemed colleague 2512Silverfox. I've also fitted the control rod that Bachmann supply on the A1 but not, strangely, on the A2, even though the supplied Pepp cab has the hole just waiting for it (no smuttY remarks thank you......)

Chatting to David West at Spalding on saturday (he had valiantly made the journey despite illness I gather) I found he was a bit concerned about drilling the running plate to take this missing rod. Just center-pop the hole well and drill slowly by finger-twiddling the drill in a pin-chuck.

Of course, you can't get away with anything in front of the avid LNER men on here, and it had been kindly pointed out to me that my number plate and lamp iron position on the smokebox door wouldn't really "do" with a late BR crest applied to the tender, so I've attended to that too.

Now I'll have to either dump the AWS battery box or fit a shield under the buffer beam, I suppose .

'Night all!

[Tim79]

Looking very good there Graeme! One little mod that you might wish to do now, rather than much much later, is the removal of the footstep off the smokebox door. I discovered that on my current one after primer, but it'll vanish once the black goes on!

Any tips for doing lamp irons where the electric lighting has either been removed or never fitted perhaps? I have three to do.....

Cheers!