Mol_PMB

Whitemetal soldering is a different art. For me, extreme cleanliness and red flux. Iron set to 200C (!) with 70C solder and be VERY quick - the solder will flow like water and fill the joint. But this takes some bravery…

Many thanks both, that’s really helpful! Assuming suitable wheels are available, do you have any views on the comparable quality of Gibson and Sharman? It looks like Sharman have something fairly close to what would be needed for the J26 (which is my preference for a prototype).

There's also 60+ years between those two pictures, so the effect of fading, polishing, perhaps a re-varnish.

There seems to be a shortage developing in the supply of wheelsets for kitbuilding and scratchbuilding in 4mm scale. My background is mostly in 7mm scale modelling where Slaters is the preferred supplier, but now I'm working in 4mm I'm finding that while there are many more firms referenced, few of these seem to actually be in production. Others have changed hands and the range may be under a different name, or no longer available. Of course there are also different wheel profile standards for OO, EM and P4 and from what I've read the manufacturers don't seem entirely consistent. And then there's a need for extra-long axles for 21mm gauge. I am confused! From what I understand, Ultrascale are still in business but with lead times often more than a year. Markits have ceased trading owing to the death of the owner. Alan Gibson (the firm) continues to trade, now run by someone else, but are having production difficulties with some items. General traders such as Wizard Models who used to stock many of these wheels and other detail parts are showing out of stock on a majority of items. Some other ranges seem to have vanished into thin air. 10 years ago it seems that one could choose based on factors like quality, appearance, ease of quartering, wheel tread profile etc. Now it seems you're lucky to get any suitable wheels at all! I'm mulling this over now because if I'm going to have to order the wheels a year in advance then I need to think ahead. Have I got this right? Am I missing something obvious? If I wanted to build a steam loco where should I get the wheels? Down to specifics, I'm considering an SSM kit for either the J26 or J15, with a preference for the J26 number 560. I'm working in 21mm gauge, EM wheel profile standards. I note that the wheels recommended for the J26 are from 'Scale Link' who seem to be retiring and I can't find any driving wheels on their website. If they are still available there's no indication of what profile options exist. The wheels recommended for the J15 are from Alan Gibson and may still be available directly (though out of stock at Wizard). I also note that they are slightly larger than the prototype's wheels which may cause issues with clearances - I would have thought a slightly smaller diameter would be preferable if the exact dimension wasn't available. Alan Gibson also uses the same profile for OO and EM so I'm concerned these will be too big over the flanges. Can anyone point me in the right direction? This will help me decide whether to tackle a steam loco. Cheers, Mol

'Britomart' on the Ffestiniog Railway is still mostly painted in real GN blue. There have been a few repairs that have had to be touched up with a substitute paint but the livery is mostly still the 1960s paint (from when it was first preserved), which was liberated from Dundalk.

Thanks David! There are pros and cons of doing it this way, and as ever it comes down to a money/time/abilities balance. Getting the etches done isn't cheap, but once you have them it's enormously quicker than scratchbuilding from sheet metal (which I have done in the past, and a piercing saw is still one of the tools closest to hand!). I find that I have a fair bit of spare time when I can sit in front of a computer, sometimes more so than actual 'modelling' time. Also, on the screen I can zoom right in and design the model while viewing it many times larger than real life. So doing the time-consuming bit on the computer lets me make the most of my modelling time, and also means that I can do things more accurately with gradually deteriorating close-up vision. I learnt CAD back in the 1990s when it was only 2D, and therefore all my design work tends to be in 2D format - etches, laser-cuts etc. I've got pretty good at visualising how the shapes come together, have learnt the good and bad points of different materials and thicknesses, and have rule-of-thumb allowances for etch cusps, hold sizes etc to make sure it's a good fit. On the other hand, I've never mastered 3D CAD, and hence the world of 3D printing isn't for me. I admire those who produce excellent 3D printed designs, like John. Equally I admire the 'old-school' scratchbuilders like yourself who achieve such beautiful results hewn from raw metal. One other benefit of the CAD-based approach is if you want more than one of anything! But then if your preference is for something unique, that may not be a benefit. Railway modelling can make use of such a broad spread of skills, we can't all be good at everything and a good approach is to focus our efforts on the things we get most satisfaction from.

I'd say this 1949 image is pretty definite on the tank side lining and lozenge, they are very clear: RNC_LLSR_10_Buncrana_1949 | [Photographer: Robin N Clements]… | Flickr Possibly lining on the boiler bands too? Not so clear: DLGH_LLSR_10_Buncrana_08_Aug_1949 | [Photographer: David LG … | Flickr Again, lining and lozenge on the sides, but no lining on the back of the bunker or cab: The bufferbeams have a black edging and shaded numerals both ends.

I've got plenty I could send you, but we'll end up in the post-Brexit customs/VAT/shipping cost nightmare. So if you can find a source more locally that would probably be better.

Thanks to Ciarán, here's a nice view of 001 with the orange-shaded numbers that were applied to this loco, but few others: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54388296422

Oh, now that's looking superb! The model really captures the style of the prototype, and those little details have brought it to life. Superb craftsmanship - very neatly done. I look forward to seeing it painted.

I would certainly consider doing an E421, there should be a fair bit in common in the design and construction methods even if the details and dimensions are almost all different! I think an E421 may have greater appeal, but I'm aware that it's also a more likely target for an IRM RTR model. I'll let the dust settle on the E401 first, and I'll have to get myself to Downpatrick for a crawl over an E421 at some stage. Many thanks Leslie, that means a lot! Sorry, I don't think I'm going to get into building these for other people - and you're not the only person to have asked! There are a lot of manhours involved and they would be prohibitively expensive if I charged a sensible rate for my time. Perhaps more importantly, I can't let my hobby to become a chore - I'm still in full time employment and lead a busy life, and if I committed several months worth of modelling time to building models for other people then it wouldn't be an enjoyable and relaxing activity. Once I've completed this first one, then in due course I intend to finish building a second one for myself - as a black loco in later condition.

Thanks! I'm pleased with how it has come together. The etches can be made available (at cost, directly from the etchers at 4D Modelshop) for anyone else who wants to make one. I will also put together a list of the other parts needed, and finish off writing the instructions which I can share here.

I'm getting there, and thought it was time for a trial assembly and photoshoot. It presently works on DC power and runs smoothly. Things still to resolve: A few more details to paint Numbering (I've asked Railtec for some decals) Weathering Fit buffers, cosmetic coupling hooks and Kadees Fit LEDs for marker lights (now ordered) Fit DCC decoder, stay-alive and wiring (now ordered) Put some thin black platicard behind the bonnet grilles to block the view Fit the radiator fan and cab control console Fit glazing to the cab windows, and a driver It's riding about 0.5mm too low at present; I need to fit a couple of thin packers between the chassis and the footplate.

There's a possibility of some etches from @Mayner And I think @Past-Avenue was considering them as a follow-up to these? Depends on your preferred material and track gauge.

Many thanks! So they do work. I'll get some 2mm LEDs ordered.

Ah great, many thanks! Perhaps it's worth me adding some LEDs in there then, dialled right down in brightness.

I agree with all of the above. I can't comment specifically on London Road Models kits as I haven't built one myself. You may get a better view on those over on RMweb. What I will say is that of the dozens of etched kits I've built over the years, some have been excellent, many are OK, but there are some truly terrible ones out there as well. Build up your skills with ones that people recommend as good. Soldering is a key skill, and it's well worth learning about this from books or online tutorials - whatever format suits you best - and lots of practice. I would encourage you to learn to solder first, which you can do with any old offcuts of thin brass (I expect anyone into brass kits could give you a free pack of etch fret offcuts). Don't glue the first kit - soldering is far better and it's a skill you need to learn at the start and develop over time, rather than being scared of it. The right iron and temperature, the right solder, the right flux, and cleanliness of the metal are all important. Get those right and it's easy! Different soldering jobs may call for different tools/solders etc, but for 99% of my etched kit building I use these: 25W temperature-controlled soldering iron with interchangeable bits, Carrs green flux, leaded 145 degree solder, and a fine brush for applying the flux. While we're on tools, I gathered together the tools I've used for building the E class. I think I've got most of them here: Not shown are a small vice, and an ultrasonic bath for cleaning up after each soldering session. Also various odd bits of wood etc. As you progress with building your skills on etched kits, you will gradually build up your toolkit too. And your stocks of brass offcuts, wire, small nuts and bolts etc. It's very rewarding to make a nice brass model. Start simple, gradually build up towards your dream loco.

Well, it works. Testing on DC at the moment - I need to find or buy a suitable decoder before moving on to DCC. As you can see, the gubbins tray is loaded with lead flashing, but there's space on top for a decoder. The superstructure is all now painted silver too - I used Tamiya TS-17. Testing on 21mm gauge flexitrack - the holy grail - thanks @Rob R One thing I've been mulling over is lighting. These locos had built-in lights, 2 white and 1 red each end, but having studied about 150 photos of them, I haven't yet found one with any evidence of illumination or glow from the built-in lights. In use, they always carry an oil lamp instead. At present I can't see the point in fitting working lights, because it seems they were never used! Has anyone got any evidence to convince me otherwise? If the lights were used it would be good to know which combinations of lights were illuminated.

The EFE coaches are wooden-panelled, if we mean the same thing by that term.

Agreed - I couldn't find anything that was a particularly close match, though as steam era 'layout coaches' you could do worse. Broadly, they're this sort of thing, but the details are all different:

Ah, thanks for the correction John, that's very useful to know. It's probably easier to convert the 1937 ones to the 1935 shape if one wanted both. That model looks excellent - very tempting! I'd buy one to make up the numbers, but I have no need for a whole rake. With so many people ordering an 800, I wonder how many of them would be prepared to build etched coach kits to go behind it? I suspect it's a small percentage but maybe enough for Des to justify a batch of these.

Chassis painted and reassembled, test run with direct power and lightly lubricated with graphite: Next step on this is the pickups, and then a proper track test. But first I'm going to paint the superstructure silver.

I wonder if these are of any use to Irish modellers? Available in crimson and 3 shades of green depending on whether you want GSR or CIE... https://southern-railway.com/2025/03/14/bachmann-announce-ex-lbsc-isle-of-wight-coaches-as-part-of-their-efe-rail-brand-in-00-gauge/?amp

20-odd years ago the tran and ferry option would definitely have been my first choice. In recent years they have become much worse for the foot passenger or 'rail n sail' option, because: Several routes no longer take foot passengers at all (e.g. Liverpool-Dublin) There are fewer fast ferries on the routes and what used to be the best route (Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire) no longer operates - there's no longer the seamless option to walk direct from train to ship The transfer facilities for foot passengers at the Dublin Port end are unreliable/non-existent GB rail services are unreliable The rail n sail tickets are no longer so readily available The prices are often more expensive than flying The journey time is much longer than flying For this particular trip, I could avoid the main expense of a hotel in Dublin by taking the overnight ferry from Holyhead (dep 0130, arr 0500) and then hope that I can get to Connolly in time for the train (probably by walking there). But that's hardly a restful night, and there's considerable jeopardy in the connections. For me, it's just not a sensible option nor a pleasant one for what is supposed to be a holiday.