[berth44]

I'm at present working on the 'conversion' of a Hornby Brush Type 2 diesel loco (BR) This loco was purchased from EBay as 'the price was right', it was blue and classified as a 31XXX.(not my 'era')
In it's favour, and the main reason as to why I bought it it was a later model with the Head code panel,(for the reporting number,IE 4CO1) I have two more of this class without the Head Code panel, otherwise known to those in the know, as a 'Toffee Apple'
Anyhoo, BR removed the water "Boilers' (for train heating) and the access to the filler for this was on the roof, but this along with the access steps up the side of the loco (to get to the 'lid') were 'plated' over!
This then was my job to 'unplate' these on my model by drilling and filing out the 'square holes' and the fabrication of a 'lid' and all the other parts associated bits with the conversion. With 'Plasticard' at hand, only requiring grab rails in the 'square holes' to complete. The loco body is devoid of all it's glazing, handrails etc etc ready to be painted back to BR green and with the custom white stripes that adourn this type of loco.
For those of you who have read and understood this,I say this only because most of you interested in locos do 'Aussie or American stuff,(nothing wrong with that by the by!!) us BR modellers are few and far between!!
Anyway, I'll follow up with a photo later on that will perhaps explain all the above........ Dave

[SkyFire]

Sounds like a nice little mod to the loco.

[berth44]

Sure is Anthony, but in theory I'm not really modifying it, I'm just backdating it a few years...before the overal yucky 'blue'...Dave

[berth44]

Well, it's about 11 months since I started this work on the A1A. I completed the modifications to backdate it (as I mentioned above) quite quickly and then it languished on top one of my HI-FI speakers in my 'lounge' up till the 'New Year', then into the garage it went!
It finally got my undivided attention when I had finished 'airbrushing' the Princess loco and before all my green paint was finished!!! I masked off the body first and did the roof in a light grey (airosol),that was then masked off when completely dry, and the body was done.
Once that was dry and finished off to my satisfaction,it was all masked off again so that the upper and lower body stripes could be sprayed in matt white. These 'stripes' have come out really well, it's these that bring the loco to 'life'.
Lastly, the yellow' warning panels' will be hand painted or spayed on to the front ends (yet to make up my mind as to which) once this is done it will complete the 'colour' transformation from the overall 'drab' corporate BR blue and take her right back to the 60s....man!
All that is required then for the 'body' will be the addition of transfers and a light spray with 'semi gloss' varnish to 'seal' the completed unit. I will then put all those parts back on that were removed for the 'backdate'...if I can find them!!.plus the addition of some 'grab rails' for the 'new' access steps to the roof, and that I think should be the body completed...finished....done,....at long last!
Lastly lastly, it'll be finally re-united with the chassis,but I think I've got to paint the buffer beam red first....then maybe take a photo of it,unfortunately my camera is still 'lost', so that'll make it a wee bit difficult!!......Dave

[berth44]

Yellow warning panels were air brushed on and 5 tiny grab rails cut from wire were fitted ,unfortunately, to get 5, I cut 12, (frustrating!) these 'extras' went 'pyong'..gone, never to be seen again!!
That's another step towards finishing the A1A, next the transfers,I found a few sets of 'pressfix' in one of my 'spares' drawers,heaps of them for the loco numbers,and the 'Danger!' Overhead lines' warnings, but the BR emblems look a bit dodgy!
Anyhoo, before that, I might do a bit of 'touching up' later this evening on the white 'stripes',not just 100% happy with the front ends...I'll have a wee look at some photos today on the internet to clarify if really need to.....Dave

[berth44]

I re-airbrushed the yellow warning panel one end, the bottom white strip on the other end...quite happy,might do the transfers tonight...Dave

[berth44]

One step nearer to finishing my 'Brush Type 2'..it has now received it's 'new' identity, D5580. I just did'nt pick it at 'random', there are many to choose from folks! It just had the 'detail' in the right place that I had added,and as an 'extra' bonus. this loco is preserved in real life,and it's also one of the few of the class that I've spotted..way back in the 60s..."man" I must have saw it at Tinsley MPD (41A) Sheffield on one of my rare 'trainspotting' excursions 'up' to England!..."Ach"..those were the days!!
Anyhoo,this project is almost completed,a rarity in my case...finish something off???..Hmmmm..this'll be a first for a very long time!!!................Dave

[SkyFire]

Well done. Now you just need somewhere to run it.

[berth44]

It's a long time between 'fixes' for this loco. I've just bought a can of satin varnish to 'seal' the decals (and the paint) and that's it ready to have all it parts refitted,windows etc etc etc....Dave

[bluedot0]

What varnish did you get?.......Phil

[bluedot0]

Let me know how it goes, I want some satin in Humbrol, but I can't get it here, but Toyworld here in Goalburn have a spray can by Testors......is that the one you bought Dave.......Phil

[berth44]

I bought the can at 'Toyworld' on Saturday Phil, Humbrol it is,got it home,into garage ,spray spray, nay nay, no work!! So back on Sunday and got another, that worked,but it's not as controlable as the Tamiya cans,it's not quite the best of finishes,but it's OK, I'll give the A1A another quick pass and see if it improves the finish.....I'm still 'happy' with it though, but I've seen better!!.Dave

[berth44]

Update, still ongoing project, it'll get finished someday,I found the parts for it,I thought I'd lost them!!...Dave

[berth44]

Made a start on this one again,looks like I've lost a hand rail or two..but disaster was about to strike!
Having the body and chassis separated (for obvious reasons) I hadn't noticed this before,on one of the 'front ends' of the chassis ( the cab), it was sort of 'bent down' and the floor that supported the cab 'module' was bent upward,this was not good (an EBay purchase)
At some stage this loco has had a serious 'head on' or a nasty tumble!!..so, I removed the offending floor and it more or less broke into several bits..and it's a 'cast metal' part...bugger!!
Putting the broken parts aside, it was now quite evident of the 'bent downward' front end. Now, here's me thinking(...Hmm) if I go softly and gently with pliers it just might straighten, not the best of judgments as the whole front end broke off as it's the same brittle as hell cast metal! (who's a silly boy then!??)
This broke into 3 parts, total and absolute disaster and with that came the coupling socket, and that has the tiniest spring that I've ever seen in me entire life!!, so what's supposed to have been a pretty 'straightforward' job, has now turned into something else!!......
Well??,what's the point of crying, I'm Dave, if anybody (cough) can mend it, I can...and not forgetting, me trusty tube of 'Shooperglue!!' (I really need a welder,but thars nae wee welders anywhere!!)
I've got the 'front' end/buffer beam all back together and as 'fortune' would have it there is a 'plastic valence' that actually fits under the buffer beam and curves round the front, this part is roughly half the cab side and it is screwed to the underside of the frame by tiny screws, luckily , the non broken side still had a solid bit of 'floor' to screw into,this gave some strength to the 'break' and as the 'valence' also protruded onto a 'solid part' of the frame,I'm thinking this'll surely keep it together and 'superglued' it...maybe I'll be lucky and it'll hold, but unfortunately the floor has had it, this part also has the 'contacts' for the front lights so this will have to be made from 'Plasticard'

So there you go, just lets you see how a 'simple' job can all go belly up,it'll take more time now, but the 'worrying' thing is, it takes a wee bit of 'force' to get the body on,this will be 'the make or break' of my 'fix'...watch this space!!.....Dave

[SkyFire]

Good luck with the repair, wonder what happend to the loco.