The Appleby-Frodingham project

Traditional modelling is used to transform the Hornby ‘OO’ gauge Class 47, formerly of the Lima range, into a BR blue Class 47/0, No. 47222 Appleby-Frodingham.

CONSIDERING the age of the original Lima Class 47 tooling, it remains a reasonable starting point for a budget detailing and repainting project, especially with the upgrading made by Hornby. It was chosen for a low-cost project to model an Immingham-based Class 47 which was associated with the depot for over 20 years: No. 47222 Appleby-Frodingham.

It’s longest spell at Immingham (IM) was between 1971 and 1991, during which time it was renumbered from D1872 to No. 47222. Its long association with Immingham was concluded when it was transferred to Railfreight Distribution, with a return to Tinsley. By this time, No. 47222 had lost the Appleby-Frodingham nameplates applied in June 1982 and was repainted in Railfreight Distribution livery alongside the removal of the bufferbeam fairing during 1991 and eventual fitting with long range fuel tanks.

Project objective

The project is intended to represent the locomotive in its last few years at Immingham when painted in BR rail blue livery. At first glance, it is just another ‘banger-blue’ Class 47, dirty and grimy from daily freight work which consisted of petroleum trains originating from the North Lincolnshire refineries alongside chemical, steel and fertiliser traffic.

This was not the case as photographic records show. It gained a red, rather than an orange safety stripe in mid-1986 which was applied below the cantrail rain gutter on the body sides and around the cab gutter. Oval buffers were fitted later, around 1988.

The base model

The Lima Class 47 tooling was usefully renovated by Hornby, including modifications to accommodate new drive and trailing bogies. Wiring was upgraded to all-wheel current collection and an eight-pin DCC socket. Whilst the drive and wiring was a success, the model remains basic compared to contemporary models and is sold under Hornby’s Railroad label.

It retains the one-size-fits-all features tooled by Lima, including the universal boiler compartment detail

and one underframe. Headlights are moulded on the cab front. Modelling an extended range fuel tank or Crewe-cut locomotive will require more surgery to the bodyshell and underframe than is covered in this article.

Its shape is not as accurate as more recent Class 47 models produced by other manufacturers, with a curve applied to the shallow bufferbeams and a touch too much curvature to the cab windows and cab front. The cab windscreen glazing cannot be reused because its distinctly curved surface is not correct.

Nonetheless, Hornby’s Class 47 is a popular model and has potential for budget modelling of some Class 47s where the detail can be matched to the full size locomotives, and in the case of No. 47222, the match was pretty close. The underframe boxes are correct and only a small amount of work is needed to the roof to change the boiler port covers. The locomotive was not modified with flush fronts, as it was not involved in a collision requiring

such repairs. The one serious collision it experienced was when an intermodal wagon was shunted into the cab, resulting in the locomotive’s withdrawal in 1996.

Replacement wheels and performance

Before starting work on the chosen model, it’s performance was tested for smooth running, both on analogue power and when fitted with a Lenz standard decoder. The performance was far superior to the Lima ‘pancake’ motor: controllable through the speed range and quiet after a period of running in.

The model is not heavy, being fitted with a new weight on top of the chassis which is designed with an opening to hold a round digital sound speaker. It allows the underframe to be detailed by cutting away the superfluous structure between the underframe boxes.

The model has a single twoaxle drive bogie limiting its haulage capability, even with traction tyres.

Some experimentation showed that the model would perform satisfactorily on shorter trains with ‘EM’ gauge wheels provided the weight of the model was doubled. It won’t manage a long rake of Cavalex Models TEA tank wagons without a second drive bogie being fitted.

To prepare the model for use on an ‘EM’ gauge layout (just for fun!), EM Gauge Society stepped axles were chosen, which have a step from 2.5mm to 2mm allowing wheels designed for 2mm diameter axles to be fitted. A set of Bachmann 14mm diameter disc wheels were fitted after being reduced in width to 2.2mm, with about 0.3mm taken from the rear of the wheel and the flanges reduced by a fraction.

The rear of the wheel insulation bush was trimmed and the wheels assembled to the stepped axles.

The pair of powered wheels received the drive gears from the wheel sets supplied with the model, which have a wide boss which prevents excessive side play. Reassembly to the model was straightforward and testing showed that only a little fine tuning of pick-ups was required for reliable running.

Dip and strip

Whenever possible, the factory finish should be stripped from a model before detailing and repainting. Paint stripping is always something of a chore, but Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) cut with a spot of water does the job admirably with Hornby Railroad models.

A long container is part filled with the IPA solution and the stripped body dropped and agitated. It can take days to strip some models whilst others such as the Hornby Class 47 are ready in a few hours, assisted with a little agitation. Remove and wash with clean water using an old toothbrush to ensure paint is shifted from detail and tight corners.

Workbench time

Detailing and reworking was broken down into the following tasks:

■ Cut out the moulded cooling fan grilles and tidy up the openings for etched brass grilles.

■ Remove the boiler port grille and replace with a blanking plate of 0.2mm thick brass.

■ Pare away the cab door and cab front hand rails for nickel-silver wire replacements.

■ Clean up the hand rail recesses and drill 0.5mm holes for new wire hand rails.

■ Prepare the cab fronts for wire hand rails and make them up out of 0.45mm diameter round wire.

■ Build up new cab aerial details from strips of 10-thou styrene card.

■ Remove the blocks of plastic from the underframe between the underframe battery box detail. It is a legacy feature of the Lima model to accommodate the large but crude ballast weight fitted to Lima models.

■ Check and modify the locomotive frame end plates on the bufferbeams and check that they are of the correct type.

■ Fit scale buffers, ideally turned from brass (oval ones were used).

■ Detail the bufferbeams with air and vacuum brake hoses if removing the

A fascinating locomotive to model in 1980s condition is No. 47222 Appleby-Frodingham which was based at Immingham at the time this photograph was taken at Nottingham Midland in 1986. It carried a red safety stripe at cantrail level (sister No. 47223 also sported a red stripe). It was fitted with round Oleo buffers at this time which were exchanged for oval ones around 1988.

↑ The base model for the Appleby-Frodingham project is one of Hornby’s latest Class 47 releases dressed in GB Railfreight livery. Upgrading includes new fan grilles (A); changes to the boiler port arrangement (B); cab roof aerials (C); flush glazing (D) and the removal of mould lines at the cab corners (E). Bufferbeams will be modified with the correct buffers (F) and changes made to the frame end plate detail (G).

Model upgrade work does not stop there. Moulded hand rails are replaced with 0.45mm diameter wire ones (A); the over-size cab window frames are made less prominent (B), and the cab side hand rails pared away and replaced with nickel-silver wire (C). The underframe has some legacy features which are corrected including the box which once held a large ballast weight (D), and the addition of some pipework detail (E).

← The single drive bogie and limited weight will also limit the length and weight of trains that the completed model will be able to haul. Additional weight will bring the haulage capability up to more acceptable standards.

→ The new wheels look the part in the model, even in its unmodified condition. The next steps are made at the workbench.

← The coach wheels are reduced in width to 2.2mm with about 0.3mm taken off the rear face of the wheel and the flange reduced by a fraction too. The new wheel sets drop straight in to the model with the gears having a sufficiently large boss to prevent excessive side play.

↑ From left to right: conversion from the original ‘OO’ gauge wheels to ‘EM’ gauge using stepped axles and Bachmann 14mm diameter coach disc wheels.

A quick dip in IPA soon shifts both the printed logos and paint from the Hornby Class 47 model. A little agitation and a scrub with an old brush soon produces a nearly pristine bodyshell.

The subject model takes a test run on the author’s ‘EM’ gauge layout following conversion with stepped axles supplied by the EM Gauge Society.

↑ Although a clever bit of tooling, the fans showing through the grilles do not look all that convincing. New etched brass grilles from A1 Models were chosen for the model for a see-through effect.

↑ Cutting out the moulded grilles is the first job to be undertaken to the bodyshell. It is started by drilling out the mouldings with a 2mm drill bit and pin vice.

↑ The holes are used to make cutting with a scalpel easier, which leaves a ragged hole which is cleaned up to the rim of the grille detail.

↑ Tidying up with wet and dry paper. The moulded rim itself is pared down ready for the new etched grilles.

↑ Shaving the boiler port grille detail away to accept a blanking plate of 0.2mm brass.

↑ The delicate task of paring away the moulded cab door hand rails is started with the tip of a new, sharp blade.