Lima Class 31, 2021 upgrade. The final.

My Lima Class 31, No 31420.

It would probably be easier to say what hasn't been done to this.

Strip down and complete repaint.

Handrails and washers added to cab fronts.

Handrails to roof panels.

Lazer Glaze, 

lights front and rear, 

a cablight to one end, I don't like to see both cab lights on at the same time.

Buffer beam detail. 

Replace couplings. 

New transfers, 

Add body side mouldings. Cab interior details built from scratch. 

Driver. 

Windscreen wipers, 

new sprung buffers. 

Screw couplings.

Add pick-ups to rear bogie.

Yeah, I think that will do for the moment. Not forgetting of course, a zimo sound chip from Youchoos.

https://www.youchoos.co.uk/

Let's get to it. Here she is. Probably the best 31 in the world.

Cab lights, tail lights.

A night shot.

This has been an interesting project, what was supposed to be a quick project over a couple of weekends, this turned into five.

I am very pleased, if you asked me whether it was worth it, I would say yes deffinatly.

Including loco and sound chip it has cost just shy of 200 quid, what's the present Hornby offering. I think around 170.

All we are waiting for are the ultrascale wheels.

You want a video don't you, ok, go on then. Bare in mind it's a bit dodgy on my trackwork with those huge big wheels.

https://youtu.be/guIVuAW8c1o

Drummond 700 class

Let's have a short interlude from the class 31.

Hello Mr Drummond 700 Class, welcome to your new home.

Yes, I have bought myself a Hornby Drummond 700 Class. 

I had one before but plain black, not realising at the time for my era that it should be lined green. I sold it not realising at the time how rather scarce the lined green ones are. Well, we picked one up off that auction site in the week.

She runs beautifully.

The description said "No couplings" not a worry for me as she will be fitted with 'Sprat & Winkles' anyway. The only other thing, I think there might be some brake gear rods missing on the tender, we can make those. Fit a crew and job done.

Oh yes, I can hear you all crying " what no video"

Ok.

https://youtu.be/wAjpguCwn7M

She's a good runner.

Vacume/air pipes, how I make them.

A couple of people have asked where I get my vac/air pipes from, well I actually make them. As long as you can solder they are easy enough to do.

I can't take credit for this idea as someone told me years ago how to do it but for the life of me I can remember who.

So, moving on.

You need some 0.7 straight nickel silver wire and some 0.33 for the smaller ones.

Clamp about 5mm or so in a vice and add a spot of flux.

I use this, 29swg copper tinned wire, bought from Maplins years ago, not cheap but has lasted ages. I would say fuse wire would be just as good.

Solder the end to your length of straight wire.

Wind one around the other to the length one requires.

Then flood with solder, not to much as you want to keep the ribbed detail.

Shape to your requirements using a pair of round nose pliers and cut to length.

You should end up with something like this.

Drill your hole in the buffer beam and insert, I usually flood the back of the beam with Araldite.

Paint using a Dark Grey, not black, for added effect you can add a dab of yellow or red paint to each end to represent the connectors.

Job done. Simples.

Lima class 31 refurb for 2021, where is it going to end.

Where is it going to end with this Lima class 31.

I thought the body was done but decided to do some more mods to it.

I decided, with great trepidation to carve all the plastic nuggets off the roof, those representing the roof hatch handles and replace them with actual wire handles, that's using 0.33 wire. 27 of the buggers there are, yes that's 27. This was suggested to me from a friend of mine, you know who you are. After blowing the roof over again I have to say, it does look good.

Ok, so let's get on with the cab detail.

it's done. A whole day of cutting bits of plastic.

Looking at the real 31420, I have made a boo boo, in 1980 it still has it's side body mouldings, ok here we go again.

Now it has them on the model.

What's the thinnest thing one has to hand, paper isn't it, well that's exactly what I have used. First coated with a layer of varnish, painted then another coat of varnish on top. Then all one has to do is cut a few 2mm wide strips.

I don't care what anyone says but the front buffer beam just ain't right is it. It's seriously lacking detail. Besides just noticing we have a falling star.

That's better, just have to do the other end now. Not to sure about the buffers, looking a shade to long. Pipes have been made by the one and only, that'll be me then. Will explain in the next post how I did them.

I bet you can't wait for the next exciting instalment of this, can you ?

Lima class 31 refurb for 2021. A bit more.

Continuing on from the last post, we have done a bit more to the Lima Class 31.

We have a coat of paint. Using Railmatch paints I have added a tiny spot of black to the Blue as I always think it looks a bit bright.

Doing the yellow first.

Not a great lover of painting yellow, this went on really well.

Masking up we proceed to the Blue.

Then when dry, a spot of weathering on the roof. Might as well while the airbrush is out.

Adding the decals then some more weathering on the sides, blackening off the grills and adding some rust spots.

Not forgetting the cab ends of course.

She has become 31 420.

The next thing was to punch out some white translucent discs for the domino headcode box, not forgetting we are putting lights in behind here.

So that's the body pretty much done, just waiting for some ETH leads to arrive.

What's next then. Somebody once told me Diesels are easy ' no they aint' Cab detail, well, it's know different than making a backhead for a steam loco, it's just that there's two of the buggers.

I bought these, I got four actually, you never know.

Searching around on the tinterweb looking for pictures of the cab detail. I sort of drew something out and developed ideas in ones head as to what was possible.

Here I also must thank 

https://westhalton.wordpress.com/
For giving me some ideas. His blog is definitely worth a look.

Making up the bulk heads, a bit of trial and error needed here to get a good fit.

I have spent all afternoon cutting up very small pieces of plastic, look what we have produced.

Don't forget the bulk heads have to be handed.

And now in primer.

Ready to paint and pick out the detail bits tomorrow.

This has been a good project. Still lots to do. Buffer beam detail next perhaps.

Lima class 31 refurb for 2021.

It's been sitting on the shelf for a couple of months now and seeing that the station building for New Road is doing my head in, time for an interlude.

Bring out the Lima Class 31.

As it is, from the box.

so, we have stripped her. Getting the glass out was easy enough.

I scrubbed the 'cant' rail off. To be honest, I used some of Delux Materials Strip magic, now this stuff has worked before but on this Lima model, nothing, not even a slight peeling effect, nope, nothing.

Washing this stuff off and applying a few coats of Isopyl Alchohol it removed the surface coat. The picture above is the result. Good enough for a coat of Halfords etch primer. I didn't worry to much about removing the decals as they will be re-attached in the same place. ( etch, I hear you cry, on plastic, yes, it's fine). You will notice the new fan grill, bought off eBay, fits perfectly.

The fronts needed some more work.

We have, drilled holes for headcode ( that's the Domino style) lights and tail lights. I carved off the front moulded on lamp iron and made some better looking ones from plastikard strip. I also carved off the moulded on handrails and made some new ones from 0.4mm nickel silver wire. The handrail above her nose wasn't even represented so we have added that as well. We also added the Two metal plates either side of her nose, most of the class seem to have these. Does anyone know what these are or what they are for.

She's now in her primer coat.

looking good, honey.

We are going to have to paint some yellow, I hate spraying yellow.

If I can get this done during the week. Hopefully we can put her back together next weekend. She might even look something like this.

New Road, a station building.

Oh it's a long slog. This station is becoming a pain. Well, we now have windows.

The bay window centre section has been painted and the front granite has been formed.

Let's just say, it's getting there.