Having a go - on a budget

[Yorkshire Dave]

Mine start off as bargain poor or non-runners from start sets.




However, by the time I've obtained spare and detail parts and tinkered with them - €€€s/£££s.

 

[Neil]

Sir Nigel's finest for thirty quid? Of late I've bought a few spares or repairs jobs from either e-bay or sellers of second hand models on the internet. Earlier this year I picked up a Hornby China, loco drive A3 for thirty quid. Listed as DCC fitted, non runner with damage to body I though it worth a punt. I took out the chip, put in a blanking plate and it worked fine. I gave the body the once over and put it away in the cupboard of projects. Last week its time came, I ordered some new plates and started the process of identity change and cosmetic surgery.



More to come shortly about the repair and refurbishment on my Northern Town thread.

 

[Herb Garden]

Sir Nigel's finest for thirty quid? Of late I've bought a few spares or repairs jobs from either e-bay or sellers of second hand models on the internet. Earlier this year I picked up a Hornby China, loco drive A3 for thirty quid. Listed as DCC fitted, non runner with damage to body I though it worth a punt. I took out the chip, put in a blanking plate and it worked fine. I gave the body the once over and put it away in the cupboard of projects. Last week its time came, I ordered some new plates and started the process of identity change and cosmetic surgery.

View attachment 196981

More to come shortly about the repair and refurbishment on my Northern Town thread.

I thought the B17 or V4 were sir Nigel's finest?

Only kidding sounds like a great project

 

[Liver & Fry]

Throwing my hat in the ring, I found some photos from previous projects that I think would qualify for this thread. Apologies if the photo quality is lessened; I had to save these from my own Facebook to be able to repost them here (and the actual models are boxed away somewhere...)

First up we have a couple of Bachmann 35t BRT grain wagons. I have quite a few of these squirreled away from a time in which I was considering building a layout of the grain depot at North Elmham circa 1968. They are fairly basic wagons by modern standards, but I always enjoyed weathering them and trying to make the best out of them that I could. Weathering was done by dry brushing and the wheels were swapped over from plastic to metal. That's all I did, yet I've always been quite pleased with my results and whilst my layout plans have changed dramatically, it's still nice to know when I do get a loop of track set up, I'll be able to run a full 1960s Norfolk pick up freight.



Next up, we have a Hornby Q1. How does this qualify as "budget"? Well, way back when (2010?) my local model shop had 8 of these in a reject box. Each one had some kind of damage and had either been pulled before making it to the shelf, or brought back in by customers. These were, if memory serves me correctly, going for £30 per loco (which is mind boggling today!). So I picked the best loco and the best tender and walked away with practically a new loco for next to nothing!

I then ruined the model by using it as the basis for my first ever loco weathering project. I was 16 and had no experience. @herbsaw the results and will no doubt agree that its a good job im not sharing photos of that first attempt. But, we all have to start somewhere...

Seven years later, having gained a lot of practice weathering BR vans and grain wagons, I decided to give the Q1 another go and this is what I got:



I can't help but be honest, but I remain quite proud of this one! And it was done with just £30 and two shades of paint (a grey and a rust, mixed to varying shades and layered up).

I like to think it's also a good lesson in perseverance and hopefully offers reassurance and inspiration to those with less experience that, with time, your skills will improve and if you keep practicing, you can achieve anything!

- James

 

[steve1]

I like this thread. My EM project, Wemyss, Fife, is based on a second hand layout and a lot of the stock is older and being reused.

The Railfreight wagons below are old Hornby, detailed and weathered from a long ago layout called Shirebeck-in-Emsdale and one loco, a Lima Class 20, ditto. The other motive power will be upgraded Lima 37 and 26, plus an old kitbuilt 02. The Triang Dock Shunter is in process of upgrading*and has already been Ultrascaled.

steve

* aka “Doing a Rushby”

 

[Phil O]

Throwing my hat in the ring, I found some photos from previous projects that I think would qualify for this thread. Apologies if the photo quality is lessened; I had to save these from my own Facebook to be able to repost them here (and the actual models are boxed away somewhere...)

First up we have a couple of Bachmann 35t BRT grain wagons. I have quite a few of these squirreled away from a time in which I was considering building a layout of the grain depot at North Elmham circa 1968. They are fairly basic wagons by modern standards, but I always enjoyed weathering them and trying to make the best out of them that I could. Weathering was done by dry brushing and the wheels were swapped over from plastic to metal. That's all I did, yet I've always been quite pleased with my results and whilst my layout plans have changed dramatically, it's still nice to know when I do get a loop of track set up, I'll be able to run a full 1960s Norfolk pick up freight.

View attachment 197191View attachment 197192

Next up, we have a Hornby Q1. How does this qualify as "budget"? Well, way back when (2010?) my local model shop had 8 of these in a reject box. Each one had some kind of damage and had either been pulled before making it to the shelf, or brought back in by customers. These were, if memory serves me correctly, going for £30 per loco (which is mind boggling today!). So I picked the best loco and the best tender and walked away with practically a new loco for next to nothing!

I then ruined the model by using it as the basis for my first ever loco weathering project. I was 16 and had no experience. @herbsaw the results and will no doubt agree that its a good job im not sharing photos of that first attempt. But, we all have to start somewhere...

Seven years later, having gained a lot of practice weathering BR vans and grain wagons, I decided to give the Q1 another go and this is what I got:

View attachment 197193View attachment 197194View attachment 197196View attachment 197195

I can't help but be honest, but I remain quite proud of this one! And it was done with just £30 and two shades of paint (a grey and a rust, mixed to varying shades and layered up).

I like to think it's also a good lesson in perseverance and hopefully offers reassurance and inspiration to those with less experience that, with time, your skills will improve and if you keep practicing, you can achieve anything!

- James

Looks about right for a lightly weathered flying dustbin, I remember seeing the odd one at Three Bridges, a lot worse than that.

 

[steve50]

I like this thread. My EM project, Wemyss, Fife, is based on a second hand layout and a lot of the stock is older and being reused.

The Railfreight wagons below are old Hornby, detailed and weathered from a long ago layout called Shirebeck-in-Emsdale and one loco, a Lima Class 20, ditto. The other motive power will be upgraded Lima 37 and 26, plus an old kitbuilt 02. The Triang Dock Shunter is in process of upgrading*and has already been Ultrascaled.

steve

* aka “Doing a Rushby”


View attachment 197197

I remember Shirebeck, sure it visited my local exhibition at Shenfield many moons ago. I like the look of the LWB wagons, I'm upgrading a few Hornby VDA's myself, have you lowered the wheel trucks or replaced underframe at all on yours?

 

[AJC]

If you’re brave, and keep a careful eye on second hand listings, you may occasionally find a bargain. In this case, a batch of whitemetal wagons, two from D&S kits (both GNR opens, good luck and deep pockets needed to find unbuilt examples), and a David Geen, more of which anon.

View attachment 196910

This was the one in better shape, stuck together with I’m not sure what. It was brown, had bubbles in it, was applied liberally, and had to go.

View attachment 196911

One bath in cellulose thinners later (another pass will be required) and we have a complete kit, with usable wheels, for £7.50. It’ll join the queue for soldering back together.

Adam

A bit more on these:

4mm - An EM Workbench - whitemetal rescues

Feels like a group build in the offing? Do you have a 2mm version to bring to the party? I surely don’t need another… that said, I do have other fitted vans on the go, so if anyone wants to share them while my workbench is out of action (we have the builders in), please feel free. Adam

www.westernthunder.co.uk

. They've scrubbed up fairly well.

Adam

 

[steve1]

I remember Shirebeck, sure it visited my local exhibition at Shenfield many moons ago. I like the look of the LWB wagons, I'm upgrading a few Hornby VDA's myself, have you lowered the wheel trucks or replaced underframe at all on yours?

@steve50 - Thanks for remembering Shirebeck!

I’ve had another look at the wagons and other than new wheelsets, it was just cosmetic work. The only real mod was removing the unwanted ‘vent’ on the van roof.

Cheers

steve