Well, there comes a time when we all hit that wall. After our local show (when I exhibited the 55s) and EMExpo last month, I felt enthused to carry on... the mojo was restored... but it didn’t last. Despite having a useful chat with Ian Rathbone (at EMExpo) the prospect of painting the loco looms over me and is seriously hampering my judgement. I’m also dithering over final details.
I’ve also spent some time setting up the Class 55 group on here (not much time doing anything, but a surprising amount thinking about it – how does Andy Y manage it all ?)
For the last few weeks I’ve also been clearing out material from inside the fuel tanks to remove the material behind the valves to add the pipes... this led me to think about adding a bass reflect speaker (cue diversionary research into which one to fit – will stop dithering soon and just phone SWD) and then trying to decide whether to go the whole hog and remove the fuel tanks from the water tanks and move them inboard... and then a) risk messing up the fuel tank brackets, and B) not be able to fit the speaker. Then there’s the fuel tank gauge that I ought to replace, but haven’t got an etch to do so – and the existing ones are a little small.
To cap it all, these last two days I’ve been questioning my judgement over not going for the cantrail grills... and tonight this came to a head. I spent some time looking at the body of my loco trying to decide whether I should risk all the currently fitted details and drill out the existing grills in order to fit the etch ones. However, as with much of this project, this might solve one problem but leads to more: If I remove the cantrail grills, I also remove the supports and housings for the inner screws that attach the chassis to the body, leaving only the four outer screws (by the bufferbeams) securing the loco... and given that much work has been done here already, i found myself wondering about the resultant structural integrity of the loco.
I’m certain that this problem is not insurmountable... but I think it might involve some extensive major surgery to rectify. Is this all too much for this my first extreme etching major project.... er yes!
I have to remember that I’m a newbie to this hobby and whilst what I’m doing here is proper modelling, which there is nothing wrong with, I have to remember that to aim for perfection the first time may be too much. I think that I need to cut back and focus on getting this loco finished... do what needs doing, get it painted and weathered and enjoy it. I still have problems to overcome (fitting brake chains to class 50 brake cylinder actuators – different to before; fitting bogie tie hooks; fitting sanding pipes to bogies) but I ought to keep the list to just these – but maybe add sound as my first DCC venture.
In the back of my mind I think back to my Grandfather, Tony Burgess: A true gentleman and friend, JP, Active in the Scouting movement (County commissioner, district commissioner, silver fox, and finally OBE), artist, racing yacht builder, ex scenery painter at Elstree, ex motorcycle racer (Brooklands), original supporter of the MNLPS (when Clan Line was bought) and railway modeller. His RM speciality was whitemetal kits and brass kit building: his goal was to make a perfect Bulleid Merchant Navy class Clan Line in 4mm... or specifically P4. I always remember as a boy wondering why our locos fell between the tracks of granddad’s scenic plank track. The trouble was, his striving for perfection in Clan Line meant that whilst a finished Clan Line appeared a few times over the years... it was always stripped back and taken apart again to improve on that imperfection. At the time of my grandfather’s passing in 1985, the model was in an incomplete state and was “acquired†by one of his acquaintances... despite it being promised to me. I wish I still had that loco to marvel over today, because despite its incomplete condition, a rivet counter would have a field day... it was (as I recall in the eyes of a 16 year old) spot on... although to my grandfather’s eyes, in his failing health, I can only assume it wasn’t.
So, perfection is something to strive for... but I don’t want this to be at the expense of all else. In my day job, we can’t ourselves deliver perfection all the time... we just need to ensure that everything that’s presented is right... so quite a juggling act that one!
For my relaxation hobby (if that’s what it can be called) perfection is something that can be identified... and results aimed at that... I’ll just not worry of my aim is slightly out.
I also have other Bachmann 55s sat in their boxes in my drawer; and as Brian promises to bring out new bits (cast fuel tanks?) in the future, perhaps by then I’ll have honed the skills a little, got a bit quicker and got a few more projects under the belt from which to feel more satisfied and confident about and something closer to perfection might be achieved. After all I’ve a 47, 50 and 37... and 08 all waiting titivation... and I think they’ll be a bit quicker to work than this one; and doing these will hopefully prevent me from continuing to be “a one trick ponyâ€... which I feel in danger of at the moment.
So, sorry about this slightly less than positive posting... but I think that I’m now going to focus on getting my act together and get on with this 55... finish it... show what can be achieved with the majority of the extreme etch bits (with room for further work) and do something else.
Right that’s it... tired now... Will post a photographic posting once I’ve got something proper to show on the fuel tanks ... removing the material is worth it... it’s just a case of knowing when to stop. Like this entry.. which I’m stopping now. Until next time.... J
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