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English Electric Type 5 - Deltic Class 55
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Bachmann Deltic EM Gauge Conversion
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Bachmann Deltic Detailing -
by Pete Johnson
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English Electric Deltic 9002 The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Bachmann) hauling a
rake of Pullman coaches, featuring the original umber & cream in addition to the later
reversed blue and grey livery.
Top Link motive power in the form of Deltic 9009 Alycidon on the last leg of its journey
at the head of a Pullman service coasting through the station (Bachmann).
9012 Crepello & 9009 Alycidon rest between duties at Hornsey Road depot. All the Deltic models
on this page are Bachmann unless stated.
Deltic heading south through Hornsey Broadway with the Up Yorkshire Pullman.
9012 Crepello heads a line up of EE type 5 Deltics at Hornsey Road depot stabling sidings.
A large contingent of Deltics at Hornsey Road depot.
9002 The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry heading north with a Pullman service at Hornsey Broadway.
9002 The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry at Hornsey Road depot.
55011 The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers by Pete Johnson, at Wibdenshaw.
9017 The Durham Light Infantry at Hornsey Road.
A filthy 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier at Wibdenshaw.
55018 Ballymoss is a stretched Lima model seen at Shenston Road.
Another Lima Deltic 55021 Argyll & Sutherland Highlander at Holmeworth station with a Bradford bound train.
With a Class 501 rumbling overhead, Deltic 9009 Alycidon heads south for Kings Cross.
Bachmann Deltics at Hornsey Road depot.
Bachmann Deltics at Hornsey Road depot.
This conversion applies to the early Deltic and Class 37 four axle drive version.
The 00 gauge wheels are shown removed from the bogies, with a line-up of replacement coach
wheels in the middle of the picture awaiting fitting.
Although the Bachmann wheelsets are generally suitable for 00 gauge, the flanges can be too thick
for smooth running through some EM pointwork. Re-profiling the wheels & flanges on a lathe is one
way of overcoming this, but it may be found that the axles are slightly too short. For ease of
conversion, cost and time, replacement Romford Jackson 14mm wheels are used in this case.
The pin-points are removed from the new axles using a mini disc cutter, and chamfered for ease of
fitting the gears, bushes and wheels. Gently using a pair of cutters, a makeshift knurl is formed
on the axle to ensure a nice tight fit for the nylon gear.
The wheels and axles are assembled to gauge (with bushes in place), and the two Bachmann non-driving
axles are retained (due to the larger middle diameter) with the new wheels tightly push fitted on.
Showing the new wheelsets being fitted back onto the chassis, making sure the brass electrical pickups
spring nicely onto the back of the wheels.
A small section of non-viewable rigging may need removing from the bogie sideframes, leaving the
brake hangers in place and allowing adequate clearance for the wheels.
With the sideframes fitted back on to the chassis, cleaning the chemical blackening off the wheels
with a knife blade or sharp file will improve reliability. Upturned running can be achieved with
the use of croc-clips, or one of the proprietry wire brush wheel cleaners applied to the other bogie.
A rather unexpected development from the Canada Road work bench.... a Bachmann Deltic has come
under the knife! I have long admired the general look of this model and wondered how one would
respond to a bit of detailing.... (with thanks to Ian Manderson), I am now set to find out. This
view shows the initial strip-down of Bachmann's 55 020 ‘Nimbus’, on the way to becoming a model
of 55 011 in 1975/76 condition.
My impression of the Deltic is that it suffers from the same problem as the Bachmann Class 37
– that is that the windscreen opening in the shell is the right size for the glass, but is then
spoiled by the beading being put on the glazing panel. To attempt to improve this situation I made
a template in thin plastic for the shape of the windscreen using one of the removed panels, then
used this to mark out and cut frame overlays in 5 thou plastic. These had a rough cut-out put
through the middle before being bonded in position. With the glue well dried the centre is carefully
cut and filed back to the edge of the original opening. The resulting frame should hopefully be a
uniform width all round….Although I know that etched overlays are available, I do
like the thinness that plastic allows and the ease and reliability of fixing with liquid poly.
Another view of the same stage as above. The nose end and cab door handrails have been remade
using 0,31 wire, and the lower bodyside access panels have been lightly scribed and top edge hinges
added using microstrip.
A profile view at the same stage showing the buffer heads after thinning.
A few days later, and the worksplates, lamp brackets, and buffer shank detail has been added.
As have the cut-outs ready to take the sandbox filler covers. I considered trying to scribe these
last items, but found that a drill-through-and-file-to-size approach was much easier to keep under control!
By the mid-70s the fan grill mesh had been revised to a fine spaced pattern. A piece of mesh
fencing intended for N-gauge modellers was just the job, and has been fitted under the original covers after
these have been thinned slightly.
An overall view of the bodyshell, now with the sandbox covers fitted.
One of the bodyside sandbox covers. The same drill-through method was used, before fitting a
cover shaped to size in plasticard of the same thickness as the bodyshell. Microstrip has again
been used for the hinges, and the handle recess was embossed using a tool made from a brass offcut.
The nose-side access panel has had framing applied, and some engraved rivet detail added along
the top edge. The fire handle access panel has also been cut off and relocated further back as
per the prototype on this side.
The windscreens and wipers are shown after fitting. The screens were cut from 0,75 ABS after first
scribing the outline shape using the same template as for the framing. This template system worked
really well for what might otherwise have been a difficult shape. The panels were positioned just
below flush and then fixed using thinned gloss varnish. On the nose end the mounting bracket for
the ETH plug has also been added.
55 011 has now gained her nameplates, fixed using gloss varnish, but only after degreasing of both
plate-back and bodyside using white spirit and a clean cloth. Time will tell whether this method
is successful in the long-term. Don’t expect to see this Deltic out on ‘Canada Road’ anytime soon
as it doesn’t really suit, but they are a type that I have some good memories of (before HSTs
ruled the world) and ‘011 was one of the two that I actually got a mainline trip behind.
The yellow of the nose end has been repainted to match in the handrails and other added details.
(A slightly less orange shade than the original Bachmann paint job has been used).
A general view of the nose end after fitment of the ETH jumper cables.
A close-up showing one of the ETH plugs. These have been made from 2mm plastic rod and
0,45mm/0,31mm brass wire.
With the headcodes fitted and markings applied 55 011 really begins to take on a mid-1970s appearance.
On the chassis, the footsteps provided with the model have been fitted after careful thinning of
the vertical sections. The speedometer fitting has also been added using more plastic rod and 0,45
wire. The bogie sideframe was drilled through in two places at 2mm diameter and the plastic parts
set into the holes with superglue to ensure a robust result.
A more general view of the chassis showing the added pipe detail on the buffer beam (brass wire)
and the sight blockers for the rear cab windows (on the prototype these were the recesses for the
sliding cab doors). These were built up from 80 thou plasticard laminations, before filing to shape.
A general view of the completed bodyshell before weathering begins. 55 011 spent several months
being mended at Doncaster in both 1975 and 1976 so light weathering, as if not long after a works
visit, is planned.
