Hello All
How about a resin chassis for the Bachman coal wagon ? And assuming there other wagons use the same chassis this ought to cover them as well . Also could we have some new end stanchions to replace the mouldings all ready on please .
John
I wonder how many would be interested in the Bachmann conversion route?
A poll may be an option.
Producing the patterns and moulds for commercial production is a major "overhead" in resin casting.
The one-piece chassis route followed by GRS on their recent models is not suitable for home production.
A component package of headstocks, solebars and the underframe skeleton is suitable for home production, in either resin or whitemetal and I use both systems to produce my own wagons (the patterns for Mike's recently released van kits were produced in this fashion). Add the laser-cut running gear as per Mike's kits and you have the components you require.
End stanchions can easily be cast at home in either resin or whitemetal.
A topic for further input from Mike, since he has re-worked the Bachmann model.
If a component package is what is required (and attracts sufficient support) I may be willing to undertake the work.
Regards,
John.
Just back from the ALSRM show at York and what a lot of activity there has been on the Forum!
I found that fitting scale conponents to a Bachmann wagon produces a nice model, but not at an economic cost. I think the best way would be to make a simplified underframe without springing and probably retaining the original wheels. That it represents an unusual steel frame rather than teh more common wooden frame shouldn't metter for this cheap, entry level conversion kit.
I suggest a casting to include headstocks, buffer guides (maybe buffer heads too) and axleguards. No brakes required.
In my opinion that's the only way to make it cheap enough to encourage people into Gauge 3 via that route.
Mike
Mike,
What format would you suggest, a combined W-iron / axlebox unit in whitemetal to be attached to either a resin or whitemetal solebar?
Separate buffer guides in w/m attached to a resin or w/m headstock?
Is there a need for the full underframe skeleton or would the components be easily attached to the Bachman floor?
The Walsall Models compensation units cost 5GBP per set (including inside bearings) and I have been using them on my current batches of GNR and GER vans and these might provide an easy way to deal with the gauge conversion (assuming the underside of the wagon is flat).
John
Hi chaps last weekend i was at the Alexandra Palace exhibition and the new range of G Scale Bachmann Thomas wagons have been released. Sadly the tankers they have produced are not worth bothering with as they are physically too small all round. The open wagons are still available and Mike Williams has done a superb job on his conversion as featured in a recent G3 magazine issue.