Great British Locomotives Magazine

[2002EarlMarischal]

At the risk of appearing rude, can anyone suggest where I might obtain some weights for my tender bottoms?

Hornby do not supply the weight as a spare so a substitute item is required.

[S.A.C. Martin]

I'm thinking of entirely replacing the buffers, including the shanks for sprung versions. Does anyone do A4 type buffers that are sprung, but just the shanks and buffer head only without the skirting (in contrast to Hornby's one piece skirt and buffer shanks affair).

The reason I ask is that I think the whole model would look significantly better at the front end if the buffers were separate to the casing, and the casing was filled in and made one piece with the body, if that makes sense.

I buy my handrail knobs by the ton as I need them for wee Industrials, so it won't be a problem to replace all the knobs on the cheap body.

What brand do you use St Johnstoun? As I suspect I will need a fair few for my A4 body shells.

[Atlantic 3279]

So to simplify comprehension Simon, do you want buffers that include the bit that is normally blue or green, or do you want buffers that fit into the plastic blue or green socket bit

If you want the whole lot including the outer painted piece, I believe the Maygib ones are required, in fiddly kit-form you'll be glad to hear...

[Manxman1831]

At the risk of appearing rude, can anyone suggest where I might obtain some weights for my tender bottoms?

Hornby do not supply the weight as a spare so a substitute item is required.

I know the ones you mean. If you have a friendly builders merchant close by, I'd suggest getting a piece of lead sheet. Alternatively, ask at a demolition site. I think that Peter's Spares may have the official ones you may be after, otherwise.

[Mercator II]

In the past I have in this and other hobbies used heavy nails bundled up and glued together, cut to fit the available space. This was mainly due to had them to hand in me old mans shed and cost, like other members here I also am owner to a Yorkshire wallet!!

HTH

oOo

Brian

[S.A.C. Martin]

So to simplify comprehension Simon, do you want buffers that include the bit that is normally blue or green, or do you want buffers that fit into the plastic blue or green socket bit

If you want the whole lot including the outer painted piece, I believe the Maygib ones are required, in fiddly kit-form you'll be glad to hear...

I did think when I wrote that earlier it didn't make much sense!

Basically, the buffers themselves, and the outer shanks (the casing normally blue or green) but not the streamlined casing as per Hornby's apron style solution. I will try and illustrate exactly what I mean tomorrow morning. The idea is to make it look more prototypical as this is an area where both Hornby's A4 and Bachmann's don't look right to me.

Are Maygibs suitable for this - and does anyone have a set who can show me what they look like, please?

[MikeTrice]

At the risk of appearing rude, can anyone suggest where I might obtain some weights for my tender bottoms?

Hornby do not supply the weight as a spare so a substitute item is required.

Fishing tackle shop? Lead weights of various sizes.

Car tyre fitter? Old wheel balance weights.

[Saint Johnstoun]

I get my handrail knobs from Nairnshire Modelling supplies - they do three sizes, short, medium and long, and do packets of 24. Their service is fast and efficient and you can order online.

Just picked up another 2 x A4s at the newsagent in Scone this AM. They have plenty more so if anybody is completely stuck I might be able to oblige.

As for ballast - lead flashing is the thing - you can cut a piece to size and drill to fix just as the proper ballast weight but being lead it is much heavier!

[S.A.C. Martin]

Thank you kindly Sir, I'll check them out in due course.

[Atlantic 3279]

Turned heads, incredibly tiny springs, turned steel intermediate rams, brass outer sleeves for painting to body colour:

[S.A.C. Martin]

Graeme, thank you. Those are perfect - I will go and get an order of those in. Precisely what I needed.

[Saint Johnstoun]

Couldn't resist a further experiment so here is what I have done so far. At £3 a go I can see me filling in all the gaps in my A4 collection and doing some enjoyable modelling into the bargain! As an exercise I intend to 'cost' a conversion and see just what it does come out at!

[S.A.C. Martin]

Tell you what, that looks the part. These body shells are very useful; for a variety of things. Cheap donors mostly, but still. Looking forward to having a go with a few of them in the next fortnight.

The Flying Scotsman model looks like it may be of some limited use too - that corridor tender body looks fully lined out, and the cab glazing may be worth a punt. It's a pity it's not 4472 with a single chimney or an A3 boiler (that looks like a direct copy of the NRM's 4472 with the A4 boiler installed - look at the washout plug arrangement).

[Atlantic 3279]

Note that the publisher's pictures of the Mallard model show finer handrails and a slightly better form of red-white lining curve than we actually got on the models. I think those same pictures suggest only white lining of the boiler bands on 4472, and possibly slightly shaky lining at that. wouldn't get too attached to the idea that the loco and tender wil have a superb lining job......

[Manxman1831]

Lovely, more donor bodies for future projects. I can hear the wallets screaming for the hills, already.