Airfix Midland 4F

[48111]

I think I have told you, but I have got two Airfix 4f locos, one came in an Airfix box and the other came in a GRM box, but they are both the same engine. Anyway this model is tender drive, not a drive I am too fond of, but I have renumbered one of the 4fs but now I have run the one this morning that came in the GRM box which was the last one I bought and "Lo and behold" it has got a distinct grating noise from the tender, not ear piercing but loud enough. So before I send it to the works (my workshop in shed) could a proffesional modeller tell me what it could be please, so that I know what to look for.
Many thanks.

48111

[DSY011]

I also have an Airfix 4F which was a good runner and a lot quieter than it is now. It also now has a distinct grating noise from the tender. So I will be keen to get some professional modellers advice as well.

[John H-T]

Does anyone know if the current Hornby 4F mechanism fit. It is after all the same model, which Hornby aquired from Airfix.

I think Comet may have done a kit to convert the 4F to loco drive as they have done for the Hornby Dean Goods. However even if they do it is expensive: about £70 by the time you include motor and Wheels!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[John H-T]

I have just looked at the Comet Website and they do do a chassis kit for the 4F. Comet can be found at :

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/

Best wishes,

John H-T.

[DSY011]

I had a word with a friend about the noise coming from the tender of my 4F. He told me to put a drop of modelling oil on the bearings on both sides of the motor. He said that the motor could make an awful lot of noise if the bearings were running dry. I did as he said, ( muttering a few words under my breath as I had been told the loco had been serviced when I bought it) I ran the loco a few times around a 2nd radius circle and have to admit that the thing was a lot better and soon there was no grating noise at all.

[48111]

That is worth knowing, I will give that a go.

48111

[48111]

Well, I have a set of right hand points going in to my terminal station, which takes the train in to platform 2.
Anyway they started to give me grief, my two GWR engines the Hall and the Grange, started to come off the road when they went over them,my 8Fs would go over ok, the 8Fs do not usually go into the station but I run them up there to see what happened, then I tried the GWR tank engine and that did not like that set of points either.
So I run the Hall over the points at a creeping pace and looked carefully and what was happening was, the road would be set for how I wanted it, but as soon as one set of wheels had gone over the points, they would move to be "half cocked", so instead of being set for one road, they would be in the middle. Anyway emergency repairs took place, but I had a problem, because I have loads of spare track and three or four sets of spare left hand points but would you beleive not one right hand set. So jumped in my car and off to the local model shop (3 miles away) and bought a set of Hornby right hand.
Everything is fine now, normal running has resumed.

48111