A long time ago I started a project to upgrade a Triang TT Brush Type2, and as usual never finished it. When the kittens (five of them!) were growing up, one day there was a mad rampage around the bedroom knocking everything in sight flying and ending up with the usual shredded net curtains. One casualty was a box which had the 31 in it, and unfortunately the window frame area around both cabs got broken off.
I found it out the other day, and after testing whether ordinary plastic card would successfully bond to the 31 body (I wasn't sure what sort of plastic they might have used) I decided it could be repaired. So after gluing some scrap bits of plastic on (using Mekpak, it's stronger than Plastic Weld) and leaving to set hard overnight, I managed to rescue the body. Which is just as well as I spent a lot of time reprofiling the buffer beam areas, and filing out the grooves either side of the cab doors where the handrails fit.
Another mod was at the rear end of the cab area, the model as it comes doesn't have a curved edge where the cab roof steps down to the top of the bodyside. Fortunately filing a bit off the body, and adding a bit to the roof puts this right easily and it makes quite a difference to the looks:
Above, the modified 31 with recesses for the handrails, grooves scribed in around the cab door, modified cab/roof, and deepened bufferbeam (which still allows clearance for the Triang tension lock coupling). I think the bodyside skirting between the bogies (where it is deeper) could also stand having a bit added on without the bogies fouling.
Other jobs are to scribe a line around the nose end connecting doors, drill the holes for the end handrails, and scribe the lines around the engine room access door on the bodysides; A few minor alterations to the roof 'catwalk' ribbing may also be needed. Finally I'll need to study the skirting area closely as there are a few details which are missing on the model.
I then have to decide on a livery and identity (probably the hardest job of all-I never can make my mind up!) I found two pics on Flickr of blue 31/0's with their TOPS numbers applied to the bodyside behind the cab doors,
a very short lived thing- but I'm trying not to stray too far into the 'BR Blue' era, as I much prefer green (and black!) diesels.
No comments:
Post a Comment