Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

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barrowroad
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Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Tue May 18, 2021 11:12 am

In 2006 I started to build three 4f's using Bill Bedford chassis. I got as far as completing a rolling chassis for all three when things ground to a halt.
The reason was two fold - I couldn't decide on the pick up arrangement and more importantly the old Airfix body I planned to use just didn't cut mustard. I purchased three Brassmaster resin boilers with whitemetal castings and fitted these but I was still unhappy with the footplate/splashers and cab.
4F & Chassis.jpg

They were put away in the 'cupboard' while I started on my layout of Bristol Barrow Road.

In the meantime I obtained three 4F body etches from Brassmasters.

In March this year I decided to resurrect the project after all Barrow Road shed had an allocation of around 9 of these work horses. Progress has been good and the three bodies have just gone to my good friend Morgan for painting. All three have Bachmann Fowler tenders to which I have fitted the excellent Dave Franks chassis units.

IMG_20210323_174549759.jpg

Brassmasters footplate


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Footplate fitted to Bill Bedford chassis


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Brassmasters boiler removed from the old Airfix unit ready to be attached.


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The Brassmasters chassis has the front frame section under the smoke box whereas Bill's does not. I used 20thou plasticard to resolve this issue.
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Dave Franks Fowler tender chassis to fit Bachmann tender.


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RHD 4f 44135 in grey etch primer with tender and LHD 44569


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All three ready for painting. I am currently working on the third tender.
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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Mon May 24, 2021 4:56 pm

Not my favourite job fitting pickups but all now fitted to the last two 4F locos.
You will note a number of my failed efforts at the top of the picture.
IMG_20210522_180517835.jpg

Decoders also wired up.
IMG_20210524_165531708.jpg


Awaiting the return of the three bodies from the paintshop.
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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Tue May 25, 2021 5:42 pm

I collected the three 4Fs from Morgan earlier today and have fitted the buffers. What a great job he has done on the painting!

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I will fit the front couplings tomorrow.
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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Thu May 27, 2021 6:25 pm

AJ's fitted plus exactoscale screw link couplings

IMG_20210527_170240524.jpg
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nberrington
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby nberrington » Thu May 27, 2021 7:14 pm

Those look great - solid looking workhorse locos!
Three points for sneakiness on the pickups. Its a job I also hate.

bécasse
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby bécasse » Thu May 27, 2021 7:30 pm

barrowroad wrote:Not my favourite job fitting pickups but all now fitted to the last two 4F locos.
You will note a number of my failed efforts at the top of the picture.


I used to fit my pick-ups to bear on the rim too until I realised that the rim was slowly cutting its way through the pick-up wire. Now I use the same basic arrangement with a pair of bus-bars (although I tend to copy Ian Rice in using straightened paper clips bent to avoid obstructions if necessary) but for the actual pick-ups I use hard brass wire (typically AGW 0.33mm ø) which is springy enough without needing loops and which are arranged to miss the rim by about 1mm and then bent at about 60° to bear, end-on, on the tyre. They will still wear but surprisingly slowly and the 1mm initial clearance round the rim allows for a lot of wear before they have to be replaced and that is a simple task. I have had no problems using them on locos with compensated chassis but they may be less compatible with springing systems. Both bus-bars and pick-up wires are chemically blackened after installation.

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Craig Warton
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby Craig Warton » Sun May 30, 2021 2:39 am

Absolutely brilliant to see three 4Fs. It has been interesting to see the larger locos but I must admit to having a bit of a thing for the humble 4F. There is nothing quite like seeing something so ordinary so well done.

Regards,

Craig Warton

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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Sun May 30, 2021 10:59 am

Thanks for the kind comments chaps. Having fitted decoders to the last two I found one refused to work correctly. It refused to work forwards and shot off like a scolded cat in reverse. Despite doing a factory reset it still displayed the same problem. I swopped to another decoder, a bit of a pain as it needs to be hard wired, and it is now working okay.

Robin

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Paul Willis
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby Paul Willis » Mon May 31, 2021 6:57 am

barrowroad wrote:Thanks for the kind comments chaps. Having fitted decoders to the last two I found one refused to work correctly. It refused to work forwards and shot off like a scolded cat in reverse. Despite doing a factory reset it still displayed the same problem. I swopped to another decoder, a bit of a pain as it needs to be hard wired, and it is now working okay.

Robin


Interesting... What type of decoder? I'm established in DCC, but over the last few years I've not built enough locomotives to gain worthwhile data points on good and bad.

Cheers
Paul
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
www.5522models.co.uk

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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Mon May 31, 2021 1:01 pm

Paul,. The decoder concerned is a Zen V12 Black DCD-ZH8H-2 which is a small 8pin unit.
I've fitted five others which have been fine.

Robin

DougN
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby DougN » Mon May 31, 2021 10:58 pm

Robin, I am seriously impressed with you building 3 locos in what appears to be one go... I can see the advantages as generally you read the instructions once or twice, find the part... then you know the sequence and the builds for the next one or 2 are all quicker!

They look fantastic and your layout is coming along nicely along with a great number of trains. I do enjoy your youtubes as well! :thumb
Doug
Still not doing enough modelling

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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Wed Jun 02, 2021 6:34 pm

Thanks for your comments Doug. Not quite building all three at once as the chassis were made in 2006, but the bodies and tenders were finished one at a time over a shortish period.

Robin

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barrowroad
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Re: Brassmasters/Bill Bedford chassis 4fs

Postby barrowroad » Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:38 pm

One of my 4F's 44135 has been into the paint shop for a spot of weathering - thanks to David Clarke - an excellent job.
Here she is on a loaded minerals passing the shed.
Sorry no sound on this engine.


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