Golden Eagle from Minitrix A4

f4kphantom · Post by **f4kphantom** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:49 pm

This thing was a labour of love to get the whole lot to fit together and get it to WORK. I removed alll of the original handrails and double chimney from a Mallard body and tender which had seen good use. Fitting the Langley single chimney was straightforward but not the valances, I understand now why the kit is for the Farish version, the valve gear protrudes a lot less on the Fairsh models. I used Railmatch Doncaster Green and Fox Lining which went on great. It's the 3rd model I've done, I think it looks OK, it certainly runs OK. If anyone is interested, I got the curve for the ogee by scanning the decals and transferring the line onto masking tape.

The next one to come will be Capercaillie, saves changing the chimney!

CVR1865 · Post by **CVR1865** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:58 am

They do look good in Apple green. Great work and nice to see an A4 being valanced. So many people love the BR look, fully dressed has always been my favourite for the streaks.

wehf100 · Post by **wehf100** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:18 am

a steak should ALWAYS have skirts!

Lovely model, and very neat job of the conversion. Added benefit of disguising the older standards of valve gear too!

cheers for showing us the pic!

Will

smudger · Post by **smudger** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:16 pm

Nice model.

I'm about to do something similar, producing a Silver A4 from the Farish model . Is the whistle from the original Minitrix, part of the Langley kit, or something else? It looks better than the Farish version.

Have you used Fox Transfers for the lettering and numbers? I ask because there is no trace of carrier film that I've always associated with waterslide transfers.

f4kphantom · Post by **f4kphantom** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:30 pm

Thanks for the compliments.

The whistle is the original Minitrix part.

The numbers and letters are Fox decals. I applied gloss varnish to the model after painting and then after applying the decals I used satin finish. The joining pieces between the letters LNER were cut out.
I have since heard about a method which works just as well and is cheap as well, paint the model with two coats of Johnson Klear, apply decals and finish off with two more coats. For those who have not come across before, Klear is an acrylic floor finishing product. It dries with a perfectly smooth finish when applied by brush or spray.

Atso · Post by **Atso** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:47 pm

Wow! That looks amazing! I've got two farish A4s waiting to get simalar treatment to become Golden Eagle and Mallard. How difficult was it to fit the skirts - that's the main thing that has put me off to date.

f4kphantom · Post by **f4kphantom** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:05 am

The skirts weren't bad at all, a bit of filing was needed at the cab end and to fit the curve of the running plate. I attached them with Araldite Rapid. Removing the moulded handrails and the double chimney took a lot longer. I have one of the Farish ones to do and the valve gear fits a lot better, the Minitrix ones need a bit of modification to get it all to fit but the valances hide a 1000 sins

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:37 pm

I had/still have the skirts, and couldn't get them right for love not money, were they fitted to the underside, or outside?

I have the incorrect Mallard in LNER Blue (un skirted)

and in BR (late)
2 x Unions
Merlin and
Falcon

but don't fancy painting them
I'm after Silver Fox next, when I can find it at a reasonable price.
(Well it's the York show next week, I'll see what's there!)

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:09 pm

Been doing my first identity change, of UoSA to Dominion of Canada

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:48 pm

I've had a good look round, and I can't find the wings anywhere, but still have the other bits in the box, the only thing is the single chimney, I found the double, but didn't get a single, I'll see them tomorrow at the show, so will find one with a single chimney.
I fancy building a Silver, due to the easierness of on lining round the curve!

f4kphantom · Post by **f4kphantom** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:54 pm

I have thought about the idea of doung a silver one. I notice that Fox do all 3 colours of Grey and the Silver/Blue decals. Who is going to be brave enough to butcher on first?

Does anyone produce the coaches for the silver streaks in N gauge?

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:59 pm

Went to the langley stand, but they don't have the a4 kits on the shelf, and you have to ask, and with no one bothering me, I stalked LH Loveless, and ended up with a Silver Fox, coming Tuesday to the door, and the first coaches he's doing? 7 Car Silver Jubilee to match Silver Fox

As for Nagauge, it was either pathetic, or the best stuff had gone! All I could muster were Merlin in BR Late (Again!) and Knight of (THE) Thistle in BR Late, I had intended a couple of A4s and a couple of BR 04s.
Nether mind, I did come back with also RTCS 2A, and a DVD on the A4s in Scotland...oh and some new track cutters after I broke mine cutting a nail (a big one not track one!)

And TV's own Harry Gration didn't buy a program, but he still got to Leeds to do the evening news!

And while I'm on, Lawrie Loveless, was posing the question of Mallard. On 'that' run, which set of coaches did it run with? All I have been able to find out is that it was 6 of an 8 car set.

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:34 pm

Has any one had any problems with Farish A4s/Pacifics navigating points? Mine seem to go fine for a few laps, then the front bogey jumps the point and derails!

Post by **richard** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:15 pm

I didn't have any trouble with my Farish A3. It did become more sensitive to poor track when I fitted more realistic wheels on the front bogie (available from the N Gauge Society).

Richard

Atso · Post by **Atso** » Sat May 17, 2008 11:36 am

Richard, did you find a fix for the front bogie? I'm looking at getting some of the N Brass kits for my locos as it really does improve the look of the model. Why didn't Farish fit scale wheels on their models until now?

Mark, I cut and filed my A4 valances from a piece of nickle silve, took about 20 minutes to do and another 30 minutes to fit to the loco so that they didn't foul on the valve gear.

The LNER Encyclopedia

Golden Eagle from Minitrix A4

Golden Eagle from Minitrix A4

A couple of questions if I may...

Been doing my first name change (ok so no name yet!)

Digging up an old post, while I'm on the subject!