11. Airthrey Park workbenches

A ever expanding set of views of what is going on behind the scenes on Airthrey Park's various workbenches in Lisbon, South Lanarkshire, Stirling and Clackmannanshire

<-- Index | Showing 1-36 of 36 pictures | Index -->
01. Workbench No.1 Lisbon 47562 Sir William Burrell is to the front of this general view of AD's workbench. 27003, 37147, 37403, 47550 are all virtually ready, whilst a pile of 26s waits attention in the background along with a 25/3 and a 122 bubblecar.
01. Workbench No.1 Lisbon 47562 Sir William Burrell is to the front of this general view of AD's workbench. 27003, 37147, 37403, 47550 are all virtually ready, whilst a pile of 26s waits attention in the background along with a 25/3 and a 122 bubblecar.
 02. Workbench No.2 Wiston AD on the Lanarkshire work bench struggles to prise of a pair of highly 'prized' Heljan ploughs from a Rat which is leaving us?
02. Workbench No.2 Wiston AD on the Lanarkshire work bench struggles to prise of a pair of highly 'prized' Heljan ploughs from a Rat which is leaving us?
 06003 is seen here under construction by Colin Foster and shows the superb etched brass and white metal castings around the nose end. The modular design helped with painting as well as maintenance and trying to DCC the loco!
06003 is seen here under construction by Colin Foster and shows the superb etched brass and white metal castings around the nose end. The modular design helped with painting as well as maintenance and trying to DCC the loco!
 20127. The AP fleet of Choppers is destined to feature 2 pairs, one of each nose end style. The second disc fitted loco is 20127, which unlike its partner, 20114, is not a Bachmann factory fitted sound fexample. The loco started life as a 20028 and has had the cabside tablet catcher recesses filled in and a partial repaint.
20127. The AP fleet of Choppers is destined to feature 2 pairs, one of each nose end style. The second disc fitted loco is 20127, which unlike its partner, 20114, is not a Bachmann factory fitted sound fexample. The loco started life as a 20028 and has had the cabside tablet catcher recesses filled in and a partial repaint.
27003. Bogies 1. The frames have all been doctored with the centre springs pushed back. Simply carefully cut off the springs level with the underside of the bogie frame, mount piece of thick plastikard behind the bogie frame with a thin strip hanging on the back of that and reatttach the spring to the front face of the second strip. Thus pushing the coils back behind the line of the bogie frame.
27003. Bogies 1. The frames have all been doctored with the centre springs pushed back. Simply carefully cut off the springs level with the underside of the bogie frame, mount piece of thick plastikard behind the bogie frame with a thin strip hanging on the back of that and reatttach the spring to the front face of the second strip. Thus pushing the coils back behind the line of the bogie frame.
 27003. Bogies 2. 27003 hopefully showing the improvement in appearance that setting back the bogie centre springs brings to the loco? I bl**dy well hope so after doing 8 of them 16 bogies 32 side frames etc etc
27003. Bogies 2. 27003 hopefully showing the improvement in appearance that setting back the bogie centre springs brings to the loco? I bl**dy well hope so after doing 8 of them 16 bogies 32 side frames etc etc
 37027. 37188. The first projects of 2008 involve a pair of Large Logo Blue class 37s, based on the new Bachmann examples. Converted from Dutch-liveried 37035, Loch Eil has had nose end doors added, bodyside steps plated and a full repaint.
37027. 37188. The first projects of 2008 involve a pair of Large Logo Blue class 37s, based on the new Bachmann examples. Converted from Dutch-liveried 37035, Loch Eil has had nose end doors added, bodyside steps plated and a full repaint.
 37108. As part of the plan to expand and upgrade the AP Tractor fleet, a new, big blue ED stalwart has been completed. 37108 is based on a Bachmann 37035, with front end and roof panels modified along with the usual bits and bobs. 37108 was one of the last ED 37s in blue, very unusually however though, it retained both sets of bodyside steps as portrayed by Bachmann.
37108. As part of the plan to expand and upgrade the AP Tractor fleet, a new, big blue ED stalwart has been completed. 37108 is based on a Bachmann 37035, with front end and roof panels modified along with the usual bits and bobs. 37108 was one of the last ED 37s in blue, very unusually however though, it retained both sets of bodyside steps as portrayed by Bachmann.
37188. 37027. Completed Pair of Monster West Highland 37s! 37027 Loch Eil and 37188 Jimmy Shand on the rather clean Lisbon workbench having been completed ready for Devilla Colliery's Glasgow date at Model Rail Scotland
37188. 37027. Completed Pair of Monster West Highland 37s! 37027 Loch Eil and 37188 Jimmy Shand on the rather clean Lisbon workbench having been completed ready for Devilla Colliery's Glasgow date at Model Rail Scotland
 47461. Can you tell what it is yet?! Charles Rennie Mackintosh sits on the Lisbon workbench during March 2008. With some of the masking removed, it almost looks like a new design...
47461. Can you tell what it is yet?! Charles Rennie Mackintosh sits on the Lisbon workbench during March 2008. With some of the masking removed, it almost looks like a new design...
 52031. The Fab 444 makes its debut - well the DMSL does anyway...! This is 52031, repainted in Strathclyde 'Red' with minor bufferbeam detailing on otherwise standard Bachmann 108.
52031. The Fab 444 makes its debut - well the DMSL does anyway...! This is 52031, repainted in Strathclyde 'Red' with minor bufferbeam detailing on otherwise standard Bachmann 108.
 59804. Centre Car 59804 has also been completed, the only work being done was the full repaint.
59804. Centre Car 59804 has also been completed, the only work being done was the full repaint.
Heljan 26s. 01. Dead McRats... The early stages of work on 4 Heljan 26s, with all glazing removed apart from the cab door windows which have been glued solidly in place. Updating the Heljan 26 to 1980s condition (just announced by them for 2008!) involves filling in the cab door windows, tablet catchers, door hand recesses and bodyside boiler filler ports, thats 12 per loco... multiply by 4 locos...! Thats alot of Milliput...
Heljan 26s. 01. Dead McRats... The early stages of work on 4 Heljan 26s, with all glazing removed apart from the cab door windows which have been glued solidly in place. Updating the Heljan 26 to 1980s condition (just announced by them for 2008!) involves filling in the cab door windows, tablet catchers, door hand recesses and bodyside boiler filler ports, thats 12 per loco... multiply by 4 locos...! Thats alot of Milliput...
Heljan 26s. 02. Milliput Madness. One all the relevant filler had been added, this was followed by LOTS of sanding.With some of the debris around it from all of the sanding, the shell of what will be SB's 26025 sits on the workbench, having taken an hour or so to get it to this point. Heljan discs and modified horn grill covers have been added.
Heljan 26s. 02. Milliput Madness. One all the relevant filler had been added, this was followed by LOTS of sanding.With some of the debris around it from all of the sanding, the shell of what will be SB's 26025 sits on the workbench, having taken an hour or so to get it to this point. Heljan discs and modified horn grill covers have been added.
 Heljan 26s. 03. Another 15 mins later and this ghostly sight is on the desk... 26025 having been subject to a coat of Halfords Matt Grey undercoat. Other bits added by this stage are new door handles and retaining brackets above each of the closed discs.
Heljan 26s. 03. Another 15 mins later and this ghostly sight is on the desk... 26025 having been subject to a coat of Halfords Matt Grey undercoat. Other bits added by this stage are new door handles and retaining brackets above each of the closed discs.
 Heljan 26s. 04. Turning the air blue... Half an hour of masking the trio up, another half hour splatting Railmatch rail blue in their direction and hey ho... And yes, the 25 is sitting on a glass of white port and tonic water - it helps with the masking...
Heljan 26s. 04. Turning the air blue... Half an hour of masking the trio up, another half hour splatting Railmatch rail blue in their direction and hey ho... And yes, the 25 is sitting on a glass of white port and tonic water - it helps with the masking...
Heljan 26s. 05. McRats are a bit like buses, wait for ages then two come along at once... What do you follow 26025 with? 26041 of course... The pair are seen having been primed and received a coat of Railmatch warning panel yellow around the cabs.
Heljan 26s. 05. McRats are a bit like buses, wait for ages then two come along at once... What do you follow 26025 with? 26041 of course... The pair are seen having been primed and received a coat of Railmatch warning panel yellow around the cabs.
 Heljan 26s. 06. A quick blast with the hair dryer (not used for anything else other than drying models a bit quicker...) and off comes the masking tape. I prefer to do this as it allows the chance to clean off any stray paint which has seeped under the masking, to be clean off with a knife before it hardens.
Heljan 26s. 06. A quick blast with the hair dryer (not used for anything else other than drying models a bit quicker...) and off comes the masking tape. I prefer to do this as it allows the chance to clean off any stray paint which has seeped under the masking, to be clean off with a knife before it hardens.
 Heljan 26s. 07. The final stages required on the bodyshells involved refitting the Heljan glazing and tail lights, once the varnish had set. The bodyshells are now ready to be re-united with the underframes, which will happen sometime after Dec 31st when the shells arrived in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire... To be continued....
Heljan 26s. 07. The final stages required on the bodyshells involved refitting the Heljan glazing and tail lights, once the varnish had set. The bodyshells are now ready to be re-united with the underframes, which will happen sometime after Dec 31st when the shells arrived in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire... To be continued....
 Heljan 26s. 08. 'Its A (Mc)Rat Trap Honey And You've Been Caught!'....as someone might have said....
Heljan 26s. 08. 'Its A (Mc)Rat Trap Honey And You've Been Caught!'....as someone might have said....
SWD01. Heljan McRat part one. They are lovely models but need a little work to make them run really well. First job strip chassis and open up the bottom of the bogies. Here lies the problem.
SWD01. Heljan McRat part one. They are lovely models but need a little work to make them run really well. First job strip chassis and open up the bottom of the bogies. Here lies the problem.
 SWD02. Full of nasty grease and with pick ups that don't always touch the wheel backs. Add to that the horrible 'chemically blackened' wheels.
SWD02. Full of nasty grease and with pick ups that don't always touch the wheel backs. Add to that the horrible 'chemically blackened' wheels.
SWD03. Design fault. The bottom of the circuit board is very close to metal chassis block. Too close, the 8 pin meets the chassis block and Kaboooom! We know to our cost. Lenz Silvers don't survive. The answer is a piece of plasticard cut to shape and glued to chassis top.
SWD03. Design fault. The bottom of the circuit board is very close to metal chassis block. Too close, the 8 pin meets the chassis block and Kaboooom! We know to our cost. Lenz Silvers don't survive. The answer is a piece of plasticard cut to shape and glued to chassis top.
 SWD04. Another view of the circuit board. I also add a piece of electrical tape on the back of the 8 pin plug where the solder spots are.
SWD04. Another view of the circuit board. I also add a piece of electrical tape on the back of the 8 pin plug where the solder spots are.
SWD05. Another thing to do is to polish the wheeltreads and wheelbacks to optimise the electrical contacts. At the same time ease the pickups out from the bogie sideframes so they line in a line outside the inside line of the wheels. When you put the wheelsets back in squeeze the pickups closed so the spring back against the wheel backs.
SWD05. Another thing to do is to polish the wheeltreads and wheelbacks to optimise the electrical contacts. At the same time ease the pickups out from the bogie sideframes so they line in a line outside the inside line of the wheels. When you put the wheelsets back in squeeze the pickups closed so the spring back against the wheel backs.
 SWD06. The wheels and pick ups back in place showing what a shiny clean world we inhabit compared to Heljan. Fully test the loco in DC mode and run in. Then install the decoder.
SWD06. The wheels and pick ups back in place showing what a shiny clean world we inhabit compared to Heljan. Fully test the loco in DC mode and run in. Then install the decoder.
 SWD07. Another view showing 'splayed' pick ups
SWD07. Another view showing 'splayed' pick ups
 SWD08. Pick up shot showing how we splay the pickups wider so that you have to squeeze them inwards to get wheelset back in. Pick up then much more 'positive'
SWD08. Pick up shot showing how we splay the pickups wider so that you have to squeeze them inwards to get wheelset back in. Pick up then much more 'positive'
SWD09. The battery boxes off the 26 unclipped and the centre wall cut out with a razor saw. This shows one side replaced and the removed section to the right of photo
SWD09. The battery boxes off the 26 unclipped and the centre wall cut out with a razor saw. This shows one side replaced and the removed section to the right of photo
 SWD10. The battery boxes reassembled and reglued showing the missing section to good effect.
SWD10. The battery boxes reassembled and reglued showing the missing section to good effect.
 SWD11. The decoder in postion with the speaker wires (brown) dangling. By this stage you should have unsoldered the speaker and put it safely aside for later.
SWD11. The decoder in postion with the speaker wires (brown) dangling. By this stage you should have unsoldered the speaker and put it safely aside for later.
 SWD12. Test the space in the battery boxes for the speaker sound box. If you have shaved the battery box down flat it should fit without cutting. Mark the position of the round box with a pencil and then drill out holes for sound inside the area of the circle (see later pictures)
SWD12. Test the space in the battery boxes for the speaker sound box. If you have shaved the battery box down flat it should fit without cutting. Mark the position of the round box with a pencil and then drill out holes for sound inside the area of the circle (see later pictures)
SWD13. The speaker wires need threaded down to the battery boxes. No need for anything drastic. Drill 2 fine holes as near to the chassis block as you can and thread the wires down. Make sure you have them coming out adjacent to where you will be fitting the speaker.
SWD13. The speaker wires need threaded down to the battery boxes. No need for anything drastic. Drill 2 fine holes as near to the chassis block as you can and thread the wires down. Make sure you have them coming out adjacent to where you will be fitting the speaker.
 SWD14. Resolder the speaker and test the sound before final assembly.
SWD14. Resolder the speaker and test the sound before final assembly.
 SWD15. Put the speaker into its backing box and postion it inside the battery box. Check again to ensure that it is low enough to allow refitting of the battery boxes without fouling the chassis. Then VERY carefully glue the battery box to the speaker box. I held them in my fingers and 'painted' plastic weld very sparingly around the outside of the round speaker box with a fine paint brush The beauty of this being it is very quick to set and you can be very accurate. Here I also added a bit of extra strength to the box with plastic strip. You can also see the speaker holes here.
SWD15. Put the speaker into its backing box and postion it inside the battery box. Check again to ensure that it is low enough to allow refitting of the battery boxes without fouling the chassis. Then VERY carefully glue the battery box to the speaker box. I held them in my fingers and 'painted' plastic weld very sparingly around the outside of the round speaker box with a fine paint brush The beauty of this being it is very quick to set and you can be very accurate. Here I also added a bit of extra strength to the box with plastic strip. You can also see the speaker holes here.
 SWD16. Side view of completed installation. The sound is very good. Loud!! I will touch in the wire with matt black and also the plastic strips. I await the return of the body from Portugal with baited breath!
SWD16. Side view of completed installation. The sound is very good. Loud!! I will touch in the wire with matt black and also the plastic strips. I await the return of the body from Portugal with baited breath!
© 1998-2009 Airthrey Park - All copyrights rest with the Author
[ descript.ion | PDF contact sheet | Index ]