AMRC expo + Jinty Final + Hymek etc..

There is a connection between these apparently separate topics, as will be revealed.

Andover Model Railway Club exhibition 

The annual Andover Model Railway Club exhibition was visited today and I must say it was an excellent show. I may be biased because I was able to buy every rare thing I needed plus a bit more!

On entering the first hall our attention was immediately drawn to the layouts there, which were of a very high modelling standard, from the vast Thornbury Hill (fine scale 00), with its precision scratch built track laying and a plethora of red buses bringing colour highlights to the scene, to the diminutive Shad Dock (00) and its electric arcing third rail simulation as the EMU shoe contacted the end of the rail.

It is a close call but my best in show goes to Dock Green (0 gauge). It has just the right level of modelling details, so important for that touch of realism in the larger scales. The photos here show the goods shed and office. Note the filing cabinets inside the nicely lit office.

And so to the traders. Probably the greatest variety of traders with high stock levels I have seen for some time.

Jinty Renovation - Final Part

Following on from the previous two posts on this subject we needed to find a complete chassis with motor for the forlorn body. Yes. there were some available on Ebay but we were pleased to see Country Park Models at the Andover show. (I hope I have named the right trader). His is the stand with neatly hung locomotive bodies and separate chassis.

He had a variety of 3F chassis for the Jinty. Comparing the Bachmann and Hornby chassis in the flesh so to speak against the Triang Hornby body that we took with us we could see the higher detailed Backmann would not fit so easily. We opted for the second hand Hornby, which was a second series I believe as the screw fixing was not compatible with our early body.

Having got it home the chassis ran like a dream. Extremely good slow running considering its age and obviously serviced well before sale. The body fixing lugs did not quite fit so had to open up the locating holes in the body. The front end interfered with the buffer beam that I had rebuilt. Some filing of the chassis and body for relief finely resulted in a snug fit.


Hymek

After a very successful running session with my 1970s Hymek diesel loco a couple of weeks ago I left it standing on the track whilst other trains were being observed. On looking round I saw a plume of smoke rising from its power bogie. Quickly taking it off the track I then disassembled it to find the cause. One of the motor brushes had lost its carbon brush and flipped over the armature causing a low resistance that made the other carbon brush overheat (I assume). The missing carbon brush has not been found.

I then started looking on Ebay for a replacement X67 brush and was a little shocked at the prices, about £5 a pair plus postage. Whilst at the Andover show I enquired of Country Park Models who dug out a pair from his stock box and relieved me of £5 for it - the going rate it seems.

Please to say no further damage was caused to the Hymek, which now runs fine with its new brush and I have a spare one to hand for the next travesty.

Class 66

A previous post laid bare my attempts to find a Class 66 in EWS livery. Ebay and a Train Fair I went to had none available, or not within my budget. But I did secure a Class 66 in Freightliner livery. I could not beleive my eyes when at the Andover Model Rail Show there was a trader with three EWS versions on his stand! I left them there of course as the Freightliner had fulfilled my need.

This is not the first time traders at a Model Railway show have come up trumps. I feel Ebay is not the panacea we may think it is for finding those obscure out of manufacture items. It is always worthwhile getting up from the computer to visit a model railway show.