titfield thunderbolt

[green park]

have always been fascinated by the titfield thunderbolt film, especially as we live not far from where it was filmed, and realised that i actually have a third of the train already, a toad gwr guards van! this little train would look great chugging round my small track, so i have started knocking up the GW loriet wagon and dans coach, and if successful, may make the 14xx loco as an oscillator with pot boiler to keep the speed down as my smallest 0-6-0 steamer would not even notice these two hooked on. need to make the loriet steerable due to my small radius curves so put a spring between axles to bring them back on the straight bits. using mostly scrap mdf and aluminium. some felt roof nails and tubing for buffers and bent flattened wire for the hook. (cheapskate, are`nt i...) used some plastic centred wagon wheels i picked up at the last show. intend to weather it down as in the film. come to think of it, not sure the 14xx pulled this wagon, as it was wrecked before they used dans coach. hmmm, anyone selling an aster lion?.... mart

 

[mike]

oww i like that .

 

[KeithT]

Looks good - v good.
Lion has to be one of my favourite locos. It is amazing to see it running, like a ghost it is so silent but a living legend.
A friend of a friend used to drive it apparently, it is a pig to stop having nothing more than a tender brake at least, at the time he drove it.
Come to think of it, the last time I saw it in steam was at the Liverpool and Manchester Rail 150. Where the h*** did all those years go?

 

[trammayo]

A really nice film it was (or is). Nice job. It would be great to see the whole ensemble too. Can't wait to see more![e]339[/e]

 

[green park]

thanx guys, glad its of interest to you. not sure about rail 150 keith, but i think the film was made in 1953, 5 years older than me! we can now cycle from where we live, thru the 2 tunnels right to the viaduct at midford seen in the opening shot of the film. nice pub there too .... added incentive.. ..mart

 

[KandNWLR]

Still the odd Aster kit floating around, I expect.

 

[ge_rik]

I'm wondering if you've seen this video - http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hWlbZnBPtOM&feature=related

It was posted on here a while back (couldn't find the thread)

Rik

 

[green park]

wow, thank rik, i had not seen this vid and the guy has done well to get in exactly the right spot to film it. i know the s&d route well but much of the camerton branch has disappeared under growth. mart..

 

[ge_rik]

wow, thank rik, i had not seen this vid and the guy has done well to get in exactly the right spot to film it. i know the s&d route well but much of the camerton branch has disappeared under growth. mart..

Mart
Glad you liked it. I don't know the area at all, but I really like the film. I've a feeling there's another video on Youtube showing how they made the film. I remember seeing that they built a replica loco around an army truck for those scenes where it runs along the road and in one shot you get a glimpse of the truck and its driver.

Rik

 

[green park]

thats the scene when they are nicking the loco during the night and running thru the streets. hilarious. got the axleboxes on now... mart

 

[KandNWLR]

Keep going! We want to see the finished model

 

[green park]

loriet mostly finished, and the coach half painted. took it to a get together today and the host stuck it behind his childs thomas. hopefully in a few months i will have made something more salubrious to pull it.... 

 

[KeithT]

What are the Aster kits like to make - assuming that I could find one? If they are v intricate I will give them a miss though.
I keep looking at the Occre Adler kit and wondering if I could make a reasonable job of it. The best price I have seen for it is £99.

EDIT I see that the Aster is live steam. V nice but too fussy for me!

 

[KeithT]

Mart
Glad you liked it. I don't know the area at all, but I really like the film. I've a feeling there's another video on Youtube showing how they made the film. I remember seeing that they built a replica loco around an army truck for those scenes where it runs along the road and in one shot you get a glimpse of the truck and its driver.

Rik

I think this is the video showing how the film was made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pEqKxXkus&feature=related&app=desktop

 

[green park]

the adler looks the biz, i agree. the aster kit is harder to find now and quite pricey, but good quality. i intended to put the gwr 1400 class in front even though i dont think it ran in that config in the film. i have made a start cutting the frames and using some old wheels that came from a friends abandoned isle of wight tank project, the cylinders from which are now in my LMS 2P. heres a pic with my vintage archangel 0-6-0 in front. this loco is one cylinder but so powerful i have to put all my wagons behind to tame it. with just dans coach and the toad, it would fly off my track and be halfway to titfield before i could catch it!... mart

 

[green park]

hmmm, beginning to think the dans coach may be a little too tall. back to the bandsaw then. better now than later. thats the trouble with scratch building from photos. be all right on the night.... mart

 

[KeithT]

Thanks for the info on the Adler and Rocket. I will follow-up the link.
I have an eye problem which hinders my close vision but I think I should be able to cope - just - with the Adler.

 

[KeithT]

Spieleek are £21 cheaper but they do not appear to do PayPal and so the bank transfer charges would swallow much of that. Pity.
Cornwall Model Boats have the best price UK price I can find at the moment.

EDIT Ultra cheap in Poland until you discover that the price does not include VAT!

 

[KandNWLR]

Very nice builds of the Spanish kits. I´ve been looking at the London Tram to convert to a trailer behind a steam tram, but suspect that that it would require more than my rusty wood-working skills. :-\

 

[KeithT]

I am afraid I went for broke and ordered from Cornwall Model Boats. V impressive service, I ordered the kit and motor late on Sunday, got a note Monday morning to say it had been shipped and the model arrived at midday today.
Why can`t everyone do it that way?
The kit is probably the best presented I have ever seen; the instructions are full colour and clear. The only thing missing is a number on each component but they provide a numbered diagram so that they can be pencilled-in. There is even an on-line video available showing the assembly method.
Occre describe it as an easy build. Hmm we shall see.
I am in the process of building a Modelltown mill so the Adler will have to wait a while.