G scale class 25

[rjr]

Looking at what I have "in stock" wheel and frame wise these rather toy like coaches appear to hold no promise.

But take away the body an you are left with...

Buffer positions to low, steps need chopping, but other than that, they measure 260mm over buffer fixings which equates to 260 inches. Any possibilities ?

 

[Simon]

I reckon that would form a good basis for one of those "Blue Spot" fish wagons that got turned into Parcel vans and painted a nice rail blue colour. A couple of those would look great behind your Rat and I think the construction of the prototype would lend itself very well to your contruction methods.

See

http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/c521664.html

From the ever wonderful Paul Bartlett wagon site.

Shouldn't take you more than a week for a pair :lol:

 

[rjr]

Blue spot is looking favourite !


Tonight I ventured down the shed for an hour while everyone else was out. The 25 is getting to a point that time spent yields small perhaps even unnoticeable results.

Anyway I have cut and fitted the remaining glazing so all windows are now done, there will be a little tidying to do round the frames, but that is best when the solvent weld has hardened. I also added the steps under each door and painted them steel along with the door hand rails. End details will be next I think lamp brackets, windscreen wipers ect..

John

 

[rjr]

Question ?!! What is the significance of the 2 small painted blue stars, seen on either side at the bottom of the yellow front. They appear on most if not all 25s I have looked at in BR blue ??

And secondly, it may be a light issue but some 25s seem to have black cab roofs where as others are blue. Is it a weatherproofing finish, a livery variance or just muck ?

Having trawled the web I think mine is going to become 25 196.. as seen here

http://sulzerphotos.fotopic.net/p28601593.html

John

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi John,

25 is looking really good, keep going.

The answer to your first question - blue stars - is for coupling compatability - something that I think was more of a problem with the DMUs than with locos.

Afraid I don't know the answer to question 2, but you might get an answer in 'Diesels in Depth - Classes 24/25' by David Clarke published by Ian Allan ISBN 978-0-711031-71-5 @ ?16.99.
(thinking of ordering one myself)

regards

Mike

 

[rjr]

thanks for the answer !

Next question which kind of suggests what I am thinking of for my next "project" to go behind the Rat..

Mrk 1 coaching stock.. I am reading through "British Railways Mrk 1 coaches" its full of information , too much information !!

I dont see me building 2 coaches in close succession, so if only doing one I guess I need to start with a brake second BS unless my lack of proto knowledge is wrong, would a short 1 / 2 coach train run with out a brake and just put an lamp on the end ??

Any way due to tight curves I plan to follow prototype practice and look at doing a 57' The only 57' foot BS is indicated as diagram 371. I prefer the look of a BSO more windows less doors, but cant find reference to a BSO in the shorter length.

In fact nearly all the short coaches seem to be multi door (non gangway)

To summerise

Is the only short BS multi doored (non gangway) Would this at some point in its life have been blue grey.
Is there such a thing as a BSO in 57'
What would be the make up of a VERY short train i.e. do I need a brake at all or would a couple of BSO with a tail lamp be prototypical.

Sorry for so many questions I'm new to all this !

 

[Neil]

.... it may be a light issue but some 25s seem to have black cab roofs where as others are blue. Is it a weatherproofing finish, a livery variance or just muck ? ...

It's the third of your suggestions, muck pure and simple.

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi John,

The basic answer to your question is that mainline stock was 64'5" long (except the BG brake which was 57') and the non-corridor suburban stock was 57'

If you want a 'short' train, why not just use a single BCK, BSK or BSO (less partitions in this one) and you have passenger seating, guards van, corridors and tail lamp all in one vehicle or as you say, go for the plain BS

Have a look at Dave Parkin's Modern Motive Power website http://www.djparkins.clara.net/mmp/mmpmast.htm this list the various options and gives the body lengths as well.

As they say............over to you Mr Starter

Good luck

Mike

 

[rjr]

Thankyou for your answers, with the information gleaned, and book in hand I went down to the shed for some testing....

As previously mentioned coach length is not an issue to make short trains, more to get them round the corners !!!

With some 3" by 2" timber I set a pair of bogies first to simulate a standard length coach TOO BIG !! Then to the shorter 57' or 40' bogie centres..

Then in the failing light tested it round the circuit, It will go round the bends, just, but the biggest issue is over such a length I need more pivot movement on each bogie centre than my mocked up pan head screw causing problems on a couple of my corners due to cambers.

In reality although it is a tempting build it is probably TOO big for my track work.. I may try a couple of pivot options in tomorrow, but thing the blue spot fish vans are more likely.

John

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi John,

Something to consider before you go too far might be the positioning of your 'trial bogies' they seem to be too close to the end of your 'carriage' it could well give you better results if you placed them at the correct location and centres. Did you have a washer between the wood and the bogie? Two would be better still so that there is minimal friction - again this might help getting the carriage to stay on the track.

Best of luck with your progress. I might have a similar pivoting problem to overcome on the MLV this coming week, we'll see.

regards

Mike

 

[rjr]

Hi Mike, the bogie's are on correct centres, they look to close to the edge as the timber is not cut to the scale coach length it is too short, I just made it long enough the carry the bogie centres.

Between the bogie and the wood I have a plastic washer that is about 5mm thick to ensure the wheels don't rub on the underside of the timber. But as a result I really need longer screws, as they are a touch short they are probably too tight, putting longer ones in would allow me to back them off a bit and give more "tipping movement as required. I also only have one metal wheel set in each bogie at the moment, the other being plastic. Using a pair of metal wheels in each would increase the weight and help keep them on the rails perhaps.

Finally LGB bogie's are designed to twist and I could slacken the retaining screw that attaches the frame on either side to the central cross member, this would make them twist more easily.

I haven't given up yet, just ensuring my optimism doesn't get out of control !

John

 

[rjr]

Im not one to give up and as I worked through getting the test rig to run I was / am getting optomistic. It now runs fine round the garden which Im pleased about given my tight radius curves and the fact at the time of laying I was planning on short 4 wheel wagons.

But im not out of the woods yet !

I can live with the overhangs on the tight curves, the loops at the end are what they are .. return loops, if it was an indoor layout they would be "off stage"

I can live with the fact my bogies are not prototypical design wise, I'm always trying to show modelling can be do on a budget, they only cost ?4

My problem now is that although you have all been too polite to mention my 25 rides a touch high, its the best I could do with the playmo motors I was using plus the fact the track is 45mm and its 1:24 scale ! Perhaps I have hidden it well ? But now I am considering a coach I think the height and gauge issues may be more obvious and harder to bodge.. which may mean the project is abandoned before I get any where..

Getting wagons to look right may be easier

Thoughts ??

 

[rjr]

Numbers and face details, the first 2 compartments of the coach have some glazing now too.

John

 

[makhis]

SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Makhis

 

[lancer1027]

I totally agree. SUPERB

 

[rjr]

If you collect together enough scraps of rubber tube, wire and plastic sprues then add in a couple of plastic card offcuts and you have just enough bits to make some buffer beam details

The green is a garden plant tie.

I also have moved the numbers to be on the drivers window at each end as per the discussion with James after the last blog post.

Then add a bit of black, orange and silver paint..

Finally pointing man is devastated it appears the platform is not built to the correct height.

He has taken it hard

But I can report despite at least one of his colleagues looking like he is not offering help he has made a full recovery.

John

 

[lancer1027]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Jordan,

"Will soon be attempting to sneak a big parcel past SWMBO..."

but aren't boxes for British outline locos smaller than those from the Dark Side? regardless of scale. So where's the problem to an expert like you??

regards

Mike

 

[rjr]

Two of the last pictures look better in black and white ??

John

 

[Rob Pulham]

Even to my kettle orientated eyes :shock: that looks superb John