7mm MMP CLass 56 in S7

richard carr

Western Thunderer
David

I don't think I'm being unreasonable at all, I'm not complaining, I am really enjoying building your kit, and I'm sure it is going to make a first rate model but I was a bit confused with folding the body , which is why I dropped you the PM. There is lots of great help on the building O gauge online site, unfortunetely they didn't complete the model thats the only shame about it.

Richard
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
A fair bit of time over Christmas has been spent reading up on class 56 details. There ae not that many books out there with class details.

These are the ones I have

Class 56 Pictorial as it says mainly pictures but a bit info

Lomotive illustrated 187 a bit more in this one

BR Class 56 Diesels this is the best I have found

Fortunately there doesn't seem to have been that many external changes over the years. I have decided to build 56081 which was based at Gateshead in 1982. So this is from a later batch that does not have the lipped drag beam. For 1982 it would have had a central round headlight rather than what is now the group standard one. It has a raised horn grill and the original roof grills . It also has aluminium window and radiator surrounds and oval buffers.

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SteadyRed

Western Thunderer
Power of the Class 56's has a picture of 56081 new, awaiting acceptance trial at The Plant in August 1980.

The only differences to the photo above (from the same end) are:

No large number under the horn grill.

No cab to shore radio ariel on the front of the cab roof.

Front window surrounds appear to be black rubber rather than the silver / white on your photo

The side girl is body colour rather than silver / white of your photo

Drivers side windows is yellow, rather than silver / white.


Maybe the primer used at Doncaster didn't adhere to light weight alloys?

56081 doesn't appear the book again.

Hope the above is of interest.

56081 would have been one of the last locos delivered in standard rail blue, 83 or 84 appeared in large logo livery.

Dave
 

warren haywood

Western Thunderer
I think 81 was the last to appear in standard blue.
My mates dad was shed foreman at Knottingley and when they were released from Donny works they were sent there for running in. I remember 82 appearing in immaculate large logo blue. In the school hols we were allowed to spend all day riding round in them between Gascogne wood the pits and the Aire valley power stations. The highlight though was a trip out to Fiddlers Ferry one day. Never took a single photograph :mad:, just got the memories.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
#080 and 081 were bulled up for one of the open days in the early 80's, Toton or more likely Tinsley. Window and intake grill surrounds were painted white, buffer beams (plus side drag box plate work) red and the 080 - 081 number officially added after someone scrawled one on with a 1" paint brush on 081 on one end.

#084 was the first official large logo engine (October 84) and #056 was the first to have the remains of the buffer beam shroud totally removed, it was also the first to change from rubber windscreen surrounds to metal frames and have raised horn grills and marker lights.

#031-055 retained only the top part of the shroud, 001 -030 had the full shroud, many were cut back in later years or totally removed like 056+ but I think some went for scrap with bits of the shroud still fitted.

Roof grills changed much later and all were built as above out of the box, think it was late 80's early 90's and into sectorisation when the grills started to change.

Small part of me regrets letting my kit go, larger part happier it went to a better home :thumbs:

MD
 
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warren haywood

Western Thunderer
Ah well only two out:)
Like I said no pics just memories and obviously not what it was:(
October 84 sounds a bit late though, I left school that year, think it may have been 1980 that they started getting LLB
 
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mickoo

Western Thunderer
Ah well only two out:)
Like I said no pics just memories and obviously not what it was:(
October 84 sounds a bit late though, I left school that year, think it may have been 1980 that they started getting LLB
Yeah I thought large logo was earlier around 81 82 but it appears not. My only exposure to 56s was the Fletton fly ash at Peterborough, back then there could be two or even three trains on a Saturday and they were any thing from 44 to 47 or twin 25s before the 56s took over.

MD
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick, not often I disagree with you but 56084 was released to traffic in October 1980 in LLB
That fits my time understanding as well. The date above was from a photo at Doncaster showing a pristine 084 in large logo in 1984 so more likely an overhaul date than release to traffic date.

MD
 

richard carr

Western Thunderer
Although I haven't been able to progress anything for the past week as I'm away on holiday, the last thing I managed to do before I left was form the cab front. I had this down as one of the more difficult things to do but essential to make a good job of the kit.
The instructions suggest annealing the cab front before bending it to shape, unfortunately my experience of annealing brass isn't good the parts always end up distorted before I have started bending them. So I used a piece of brass rod held in a vice I used a 3/16th piece for one corner and a 5/32nd for the other. Here's the results.

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I think the 3/16th rod gave the better result so that will be used for the other one.

Here's another view.

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Here it's placed on top of the one still in the flat.

And below another view

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And here is what it needs to look like

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richard carr

Western Thunderer
This week I have been in Chicago so I have been using the time to work on the 56 bogies.

These are very detailed with well over 100 parts per bogie but the end results are worth all the work involved in making them, even if as Steph has pointed out there are still a few minor details missing.

Here's an almost finished one.

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Anyone spot the deliberate mistake !


I can't believe I managed to do that, all fixed now though.

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Here's how this all goes together, the first thing to do it to fit all the brakes and brake levers. These just snap into the holes in the etch all a really nice fit.

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Then I added the air cylinders these two parts to each of these a casting and a small etch so another 12 parts per bogie to add to the 24 parts for the brakes and levers.

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Here are the first 2 brake cylinders, these I have glued on with super glue.

Once those are added you then need to make up the axle boxes and suspension items there are 7 parts in each of these 6 per bogie so 42 parts per bogie.

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So when you fit the 7 parts together you get that at the bottom of the above photo. The very to item has sneaked in and isn't part of the axlebox assembly.
There are a total of 12 of these to make and the first 2 seem very fiddly to put together but fortunately you soon speed up making the rest of them.
Again the the castings are very good quality and the holes int he etched parts are just the right size for a gentle force fit. The springs might not look it but are handed and have the boss to attach to the frame slightly to the outside, they will not fit in both holes if you get them the wrong way round.

Again I just stuck these on with super glue.

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Thats the first one in.

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And an hour or so later they are all in. I would point out I had spent quite a bit of time cutting all the etched parts out with scissors and cleaning them up before Christmas.

So here are the 2 largely finished bogies, there are still some dampers to add and retaining wires etc but they do look really good if you ask me and are worth all that time to put them together.

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richard carr

Western Thunderer
The next thing to do with the bogies is to build the inner chassis.
Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with what is provided inthe kit, it works just fine.
I though wanted something a little better that has full 3 beam compensation and uses a horn block made from the kit bearings and an a simple etch. This is the test bed and is then going to be used for my JLTRT 40 and 46 kits that do need a better chassis than the ones in the kit.

Here's the finished article

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This is how it goes to gether

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I have already cut out the etch for the hornblock axle box, these just fold over and the bearing slots into them.

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The whole size was a bit of gues as I did the drawing when I was on holiday and didn;t have bearing to hand to measure.

The main chassis then needs to be cut out and the hornblocks folded up

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I found it easier to fold the hornblocks before folding the chassis, you then get this.

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The axle boxes fit in the slots then a cover goes over the front to stop them falling out.

I next added the chassis bracing, these are all fitted using tabs and slots ala MOK style, all these fitted perfectly.

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You can clearly see how I have tiwsted the tabs to hold everything very firmly in place, now you just take your time soldering them together.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
What type of drive will you be using - an all axle drive with two motors with chain or SDMP gearboxes; a centrally mounted motor with a Weaver style drive; axle hung motors?
 
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