Ho Ho Ho....

[Yorkshire Dave]

Yes... and here are some pictures of some British HO models I have been working on recently in various states of construction .

For the record the SR utility is a Keith Trueman resin kit with Fleischmann bogies and Alan Gibson 12mm wheels; BR 16T mineral wagon is a Ian Lyndsey resin kit. I am waiting for etched brake levers to arrive; SR van is a Firedrake whitemetal kit which will be remounted on an etched chassis in due course and the shunter is converted a few years ago from the Roco Dutch 500/600 series model with Alan Gibson Bullied wheels.

David

 

[Dog Star]

and here are some pictures of some British HO models I have been working on recently in various states of construction.

Thank you for sharing your photographs of what, even for WT, is a minority scale. What attracts you to British HO rather than, say 4mm EM or 4mm P4?

regards, Graham

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Hi Graham

I also model Dutch and German HO (along with Southern Region O scale, Canadian HO and American HO) which allows me to use the Roco and Liliput ferry wagons. In addition I don't have to build points and track. I dabbled in P4 many moons ago but gave up after laying about a foot of track and the point construction then put me off. If I were to start again, now with the benefit of a decade and more experience, it would be 4mm P4. I also enjoy the challenge of seeing what can be achieved in the smaller scales.

David

 

[28ten]

I must admit I like to (mostly) have my 'own' models that are unique to me, rather than the same collection of instantly recognisable R-T-R that everyone else has.

That has always been my view, when I used to go to exhibitions so many of the layouts seemed to be the same.
It is nice to see something different, although a bit on the small side for me

 

[TheSnapper]

I got interested in British HO a long time ago, when Heljan announced they intending to enter the British market with a Class 37 in HO.. I think still have the “flyer” somewhere. They obviously did a bit more market research, chickened out and went OO!.

Tim

 

[Ressaldar]

I rather liked the Fleischmann Warship from the 80s? The guy that ran the local post office/newsagents used to have them for sale - I wonder what they are fetching on ebay these days?

cheers

Mike

 

[Phill Dyson]

Very nice modeling Dave

 

[Phill Dyson]

I got interested in British HO a long time ago, when Heljan announced they intending to enter the British market with a Class 37 in HO.. I think still have the “flyer” somewhere. They obviously did a bit more market research, chickened out and went OO!.

Tim

Yes I remember the 37 too Tim, I think we are well & truley stuck with OO in the UK market now though

 

[Eastsidepilot]

HO, a sensible scale/gauge combination , better than the OO flaffing about.

Col.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Mike
As it happens I have a Fleischmann HO Warship here which I purchased a few years ago for around GBP30.00 when Gaugemaster was selling off the British HO.

To which I intend to strip, detail, repower with the innards from a secondhand Roco V200 and add sound...

D.

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Dave,

a bit of a bargain there I think. Is that a straight swap of chassis then?

cheers

Mike

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Hi Mike

Not quite as both chassis are cast metal. It would the easy option but unfortunately the V200 chassis is too wide (UIC loading gauge). Instead I will be rewheeling the Roco bogies (as a matter of course) in order to rid them of traction tyres (one of my pet hates) and mounting them into the Fleischmann chassis. I intend to post this project as a thread but before starting I need to obtain some reference material.

D

 

[Steph Dale]

There is a very good case for the opposite viewpoint...
R-T-R HO has the correct track gauge, but because the wheels etc are essentially "coarse standards", on steam locos especially things like chassis frames, cylinders, and bodies, splashers etc have to be moved out of scale to accomodate them - which is of course why 4mm on 16.5mm track came about in the first place.
If HO was modelled to exact scale (Proto 87) the issue wouldn't arise, but with R-T-R standards and train set curves, the compromise is in the models, whereas with OO the compromise is the track gauge.
As an example, look closer at how thin the springs are moulded on the frame of Dave's Roco Shunter, above.
It may sound heretical, but HO is no more accurate a scale than OO. It's food for thought...

Jordan,
As you know I model in H0 too, but not British. I must admit I still find I like the scale, but I used to do a lot to running gear to improve running and appearance. Pretty much all my European stuff was RP25-88 re-wheeled and much of it re-motored. I also used to do some P4 and can assure you it was cheaper and generally easier to do, the extra width in the frames was worth it!

Dave,
Lovely to see what you've done with those bits and pieces, the GBL is lovely, but I was wondering whether it should be on Fox bogies as they were built on ex-LSWR underframes?

Steph

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Steph,
As you have correctly surmised the GBL should be on Fox bogies but unfortunately they are no longer produced. The Fleischmann SR 8' bogies will have to stand in until I can source or make a pair of LSWR Fox 8' bogies.

By the way the next project is 'V2oo zu englischer Kriegsschiff' which I anticipate posting into the WR section of the group. I know, it's very unlike me.

D

 

[Steph Dale]

Steph,
By the way the next project is 'V2oo zu englischer Kriegsschiff' which I anticipate posting into the WR section of the group. I know, it's very unlike me.

I hope you manage to find some suitable relief for the inevitable rash - beer maybe?

Steph

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

More tales from 'Darker than the Dark Side'.

In between bits 'n pieces I've been messing (no, not brass) around building these.... only another 15 to build.


... for my British HO rolling stock. 1:87 Society etched nickel silver chassis kits 10' wb on the left and 9' wb on the right and just to prove it.


Another reason for British HO - so I can run the Liliput and Roco Fahrbootwagen without any scale discrepancies. Liliput Fahrbootwagen shown next to a Lima standard BR van body on a 1:87 Society 10' wb chassis (I'm just surprised given the amount of Continental train ferry traffic through Harwich and Dover (mainly 1950 onwards) no-one has produced 4mm or 7mm Continental ferry wagons apart from the odd Transfesa van from Triang-Hornby as it was).


For comparison of the old Lima HO wagons. A cut 'n shut to reduce the length is on the left on a 1:87 Society chassis and the original Lima version on the right. Lima 'stretched' the wagon to fit its 10' wb chassis.


There is work still to be done to finish the wagon body as can be seen. The wheels in the etched chassis are only temporary (Alan Gibson Lomac wheels) as I've yet to fit bearings, order Steam Era Models RP25-88 HO scale wheels from 'down under', order axle boxes and springs and fit the brake levers which are on the chassis frets.

There will be more as this progresses....

 

[allegheny1600]

Hello David,
Sorry to ressurect such an old thread but how have you got on with your British H0 projects?
It's a scale I've dabbled in for over two decades now, on and off.
Cheers,
John.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

John
Alas I took the decision to cull my British HO and sold it all apart from the Fleischmann Warship (as I still want to re-motor it using a Roco V200 chassis) to fund my SSW/Cotton Belt P48 project here

 

[allegheny1600]

Ah, okay!
Good for you, the good old SSW/SP was my first love in US H0 outline, many, many moons ago and again when I went all 1/48th!
I have a set of P48 wheelsets I could offer you if you like, for the price of just the postage!
Me, I'm sticking firmly with 3.5mm scale!
Cheers,
John.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

John

PM sent regarding wheels.

I have retained some HO stock for sentiment: a converted and super detailed Canadian National GP9 (P2K); a brass SP C9 2-8-0 and a kit built Model Loco USATC S160 in US Transportation Corps livery. And a small selection of SP rolling stock.

I still have another S160 kit to build at some point to run with the Klein Modellbann USATC rolling stock.