My better half can never understand why I carve chunks out of perfectly good models, especially new ones. I've tried explaining that I do so in hope of producing something unique, more accurate and perhaps a little better. Whether that is the case is open to question, but there's no harm in trying. In this case I wanted to model 7416 as she appeared in the mid fifties whilst earning her keep around Kington, Titley Junction and Presteign. The Bachmann 64XX is a fine little model and makes an ideal starting point for such a project. Apart from modifying it to a 74XX I wanted to see if I could do something about those large wheel splashers and the chimney, which to my eye both look wrong, so I threw caution to the wind and got my butchering tools out.
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In a previous post I mentioned that I had sourced a new chimney from South Eastern Finecast , its
from their F180 GWR Metro tank kit, however the wheel splashers presented more of a challenge.
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I started off by cutting some strips of 20 thou styrene approx 4 mm wide, which were then wrapped around a length of brass tubing of approx 13 mm diameter. The whole lot was then immersed in boiling water and allowed to cool. The photo shows a Gibson wheel, the first splasher arch and the brass tube which I used to form it.
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The styrene strips were cut into segments to form the arch of each splasher. The one on the left has yet to be trimmed to size, the next two are ready to be cut out. The remaining one is ready to be checked against Ian Beatties drawings of the 64XX class, which appeared in the January 1980 Railway Modeller. Once satisfied with its size, appearance and fit, the remaining splashers were carefully cut out, trimmed to shape and attached to a 5 thou styrene base.
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I actually took the knife to the body before converting the chassis, as I wanted to see if the changes that I had in mind were feasible. First of all I removed the rear splasher and much to my relief I found that everything would work out as planned. Now full of confidence I carefully removed the other splashers, cleaned all the surfaces up and started the rebuilding process. The section marked do not remove, and a similar one behind the front splasher needed styrene overlays to increase their depth by 1.5 mm. The smaller replacement splashers will then fit under them without leaving a gap.
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I took this photo prior to removing the last splasher, so a comparison between the original and replacement could be made, note the 5 thou styrene base under the new splasher. Believe me it looks thicker in the photo than it actually is.
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Once I had finished fitting the wheel splashers I removed the original chimney with a pair of old Xuron rail cutters, its remains being carefully carved away with a curved scalpel blade and smoothed down with wet and dry paper. Whilst the base outline of the old chimney was still visible I marked out its centre, then drilled a pilot hole through the tank casing and into the ballast weight beneath it.
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The chimney on these small panniers protrudes through the top plates of the tank casing, and to replicate that I opened up the pilot hole by gently twisting an 8mm arbour, twixt finger and thumb. A piece of styrene was then cemented beneath the hole to provide a base for the new chimney, the base of the latter being filed flat, and its flare trimmed so that it would fit snugly in place.
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The smokebox dart was carved off, as were the lamp irons on the rear of the bunker, auto gear junction boxes and conduits were also removed. The smokebox door now has a turned dart and 7416 is displayed on its number plate. The bunker has been topped up with real coal and an extra lamp iron has been fitted on its rear beading. I've also added the linkage which runs behind the splashers, and fitted a pair of grab rails above the running plate steps.
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Since this photo was taken the wheel balance weights have been fitted and the extra lamp irons have been trued up. I'm just waiting for my screw couplings to arrive now, and then they will be assembled and fitted in place, followed by the buffer beam pipework. Painting and weathering will then follow and 7416 will at last be complete.
In a previous post I mentioned that I had sourced a new chimney from South Eastern Finecast , its
from their F180 GWR Metro tank kit, however the wheel splashers presented more of a challenge.
I started off by cutting some strips of 20 thou styrene approx 4 mm wide, which were then wrapped around a length of brass tubing of approx 13 mm diameter. The whole lot was then immersed in boiling water and allowed to cool. The photo shows a Gibson wheel, the first splasher arch and the brass tube which I used to form it.
The styrene strips were cut into segments to form the arch of each splasher. The one on the left has yet to be trimmed to size, the next two are ready to be cut out. The remaining one is ready to be checked against Ian Beatties drawings of the 64XX class, which appeared in the January 1980 Railway Modeller. Once satisfied with its size, appearance and fit, the remaining splashers were carefully cut out, trimmed to shape and attached to a 5 thou styrene base.
I actually took the knife to the body before converting the chassis, as I wanted to see if the changes that I had in mind were feasible. First of all I removed the rear splasher and much to my relief I found that everything would work out as planned. Now full of confidence I carefully removed the other splashers, cleaned all the surfaces up and started the rebuilding process. The section marked do not remove, and a similar one behind the front splasher needed styrene overlays to increase their depth by 1.5 mm. The smaller replacement splashers will then fit under them without leaving a gap.
I took this photo prior to removing the last splasher, so a comparison between the original and replacement could be made, note the 5 thou styrene base under the new splasher. Believe me it looks thicker in the photo than it actually is.
Once I had finished fitting the wheel splashers I removed the original chimney with a pair of old Xuron rail cutters, its remains being carefully carved away with a curved scalpel blade and smoothed down with wet and dry paper. Whilst the base outline of the old chimney was still visible I marked out its centre, then drilled a pilot hole through the tank casing and into the ballast weight beneath it.
The chimney on these small panniers protrudes through the top plates of the tank casing, and to replicate that I opened up the pilot hole by gently twisting an 8mm arbour, twixt finger and thumb. A piece of styrene was then cemented beneath the hole to provide a base for the new chimney, the base of the latter being filed flat, and its flare trimmed so that it would fit snugly in place.
With the difficult jobs out of the way I filed the cab roof lips away so they were flush with the front and rear of the cab. Then I removed the curved joint between the rear of the cab and bunker, gently filing it until it was square. Once modified a section of beading needed extending a touch with a sliver of styrene, which was trimmed to shape once set.
The smokebox dart was carved off, as were the lamp irons on the rear of the bunker, auto gear junction boxes and conduits were also removed. The smokebox door now has a turned dart and 7416 is displayed on its number plate. The bunker has been topped up with real coal and an extra lamp iron has been fitted on its rear beading. I've also added the linkage which runs behind the splashers, and fitted a pair of grab rails above the running plate steps.
Since this photo was taken the wheel balance weights have been fitted and the extra lamp irons have been trued up. I'm just waiting for my screw couplings to arrive now, and then they will be assembled and fitted in place, followed by the buffer beam pipework. Painting and weathering will then follow and 7416 will at last be complete.