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Kingsbridge - workshop


NoelG
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Recent posts on plough vans over on IRM forum got me thinking.  As many may already know, I'm a fan of the 60/70s era and dislike all things yellow.  Now I really like my rake of IRM ballasts, even if I pretend they are gypsum wagons hauling mineral freight rather than doing PW work.  Hence I have no desire to have a pair of yellow plough vans . . . but there were older plough vans in much more acceptable brown or bauxite livery like the GSWR plough below, and they looked prettier. 

 
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So I have decided to convert a pair of my GWR 'toad' brake vans to ex-GSWR ploughs and match them up with my rake of IRM ballasts even if not strictly prototypical, at least there won't be any yellow.  They will need some modifications, add small windows, remove the full length steps, replace with steps under door, add vertical stanchion at door to roof, a plough, and respray in GSWR brown/bauxite.  They will be a bit long but should pass the duck test.  The alternative is to just respray a pair of BR shark vans brown, but I do like the look of GWR toads resemblance to the GSWR van.
 
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Two in bauxite would do the trick and then one day I could pretend they are hauling ballasts and another day gypsum. :)
 
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Will update this thread as they progress along with a few other kits and bodge jobs in the pipeline like a GSV and a luggage van.
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  • 1 month later...

Change of plan.  I recently found a pair of these old 1970s Hornby GW brake vans which may make better donors for modification to ex-GSWR ploughs. At least they are closer to the wheelbase length and have shorter verandas than the Bachmann GWR toads.

 
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Step 1 - Coat of primer before cutting and adding bit'n'pieces.  Torn between 'Duck' standards and having a go at these. :)  These will end up a hybrid brown/bauxite colour with CIE roundels rather than GSWR markings.  Hoping to use them with my rake of IRM ballast wagons in the early 70s era so thankfully there were no glaring yellow ploughs back then in an era before hi-vis jackets had been invented.  These are far from ideal but should pass the 'duck' test when finished.
 
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Are you going to put side windows in Noel?

 

 

Hi Kieran, yes there are two narrow windows each side and one at the end.  There are only four vertical panel sections on both the Hornby and the Bachmann so a little poetic license will be needed to pass the 'duck' test.  I'll move the chimney, cut open one of the doors, put the vertical stanchions in the veranda, modify the under frame, add the plough and cut off the 'orrible metal tension lock couplings Hornby used back in 1972, and which were fitted with a rivet no less rather than a screw.  Once they are not yellow and the roof properly overhangs the sides I'll be happy.  Noel

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  • 3 weeks later...

Got itchy this evening and took first steps towards very lightly weathering a pair of baby GMs, four mineral wagons and three cement bubbles.  Will try some grey dust on the tops of the bubbles tomorrow after I get some more work done on the GSV.

 

 

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Got two more Murphy Model 141/181s lightly weathered last night.  Just enough to get the pristine finish removed and dull the shine off them.  In the B&T era they kept the locos fairly clean anyway.

 

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I've finally figured out a quicker way of masking off any bits I didn't want paint to go (e.g. windows, wheels, pickups, etc)

 

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I just loved the B&T era.

 

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Scary evolution of bubble weathering - so far!  I was terrified I was going to completely ruin these fabulous wagons.

 

Stage 1 - Pristine out of the box (I half wanted to keep them this way)

 

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Stage 2 - Light dusting of frame dirt and more on chassis to get rid of the black.  A little grey power on RHS wagon as an experiment

 

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Stage 3 - Mixed up some grey from Vallejo white + a few drops of black

 

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Vallejo paints are a total joy to use, they just flow so well through the air spray, mixing is quick and easy and cleaning the air brush afterwards take less time than after using either rail match or Tamiya. 

Edited by NoelG
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Got three more bubbles lightly weathered.  A little more grime added this time and some weathering powder mixed with water and decalfix administered using a cotton bud before air brushing the grime and then the concrete (i.e. for very barely visible vertical and weld seams streaking)

 

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IRM rolling stock is taking over Woodvale Junction.  I put a little more grime on these three IRM Cement Bubbles but tried to avoid going too heavy.

 
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It is fun experimenting and learning as I go.  Still scary on such fab models.  Have to be ultra careful handling these as there are so many added bits that are so easy to knock off when handling for painting.
 
Before air brushing I lightly applied some weathering powders mixed in water and decal fix, using a cotton bud to accentuate the weld seams and add some barely visible vertical streaking.  Looks a mess at first, but then you use a cotton bud to wipe off or reduce the surplus. After air brushing grime and cement later it looked less messy.
 
Before air brushing grime and cement
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Edited by NoelG
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Back to the GSV.  Ok how to make the louvered side vents for these.  Two options so going to try both just for the heck of it because I plan to do another GSV 3173 in the future, so may as well figure it out now.

  • Make from scratch using strips of styrene
  • Use the sides of plastic CD cases

Cut strips the same way I used to cut balsa strips and assemble them on sticky masking tape before gluing from the back

 

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Glad to see my old balsa strip cutter still works

 

 

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OR, use the ribbed sides of plastic CD case.  When painted up these may more than pass the duck test.  Will see what the styrene versions look like tomorrow.

 

 

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Next up start the roof details and under frame mods

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Tried two sample variants of louvered side vents for the GSV.  Not entirely happy with either.  First on left a) is scratch made from overlapping styrene strips glued together, the second on right b) uses off cuts from CD jewel case. Obviously both options will need a thin frame around them.  Any visual preferences for either or suggestions?

 

 

GSV_grill_options.jpg

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Tried two sample variants of louvered side vents for the GSV.  Not entirely happy with either.  First on left a) is scratch made from overlapping styrene strips glued together, the second on right b) uses off cuts from CD jewel case. Obviously both options will need a thin frame around them.  Any visual preferences for either or suggestions?

 

 

 

 

CD case is the most effective.

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  • 2 weeks later...

. . . Also started work on the first half of a rake of corrugated open wagons which were used as single beat wagons as well as general purpose open goods wagons.  At one stage CIE had over 2000 of these.  Using 3D for the body shells, modified Dapol chassis and some other mods.  Today priming before mods.

 

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Minor modification to my skeletal flat wagons and C-Rail containers - studs to stop the containers moving around or falling off the flats.  

 

 

Nice idea Noel, you did a good job on these wagons, pity about the coupling hooks on these kits, once they fall off they never seem to stay in place.

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. . . pity about the coupling hooks on these kits, once they fall off they never seem to stay in place.

 

 

Cheers Kieran.  I knocked the hook off when I man handled one of the wagons, but it snap clipped back on later and hasn't budged since.

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Noel, are the 3D printed corrugated bodies as good as Leslies kits?  The printed ones look good in your photos.

 

Yes and No!  I want to be very fair here because its more a case of RTR v kits.  It depends on what folks want.  Many will prefer Leslie's wagon, personally I prefer these on cost and for user friendly build.  Leslie's bulleid wagons when finished are more prototypical.  I use Dapol unpainted RTR chassis which are different to the Bulleid chassis.  

 

It's more a reflection on my skills than the kits, but I found the kits expensive for the amount of work that has to be done on them, dealing with flash and imperfections which is a feature of resin, especially the fiddly break gear and staples for the door limiters.  The rivets seem over scale.  On the other hand 3D bodies have the usual limits of 3D finish, lack rivets, and the doors could be better, but have a consistent finish without imperfections and are square requiring no work to tidy or straighten before painting.  The Dapol RTR chassis while different from the prototype are not a million miles away, but are precision mouldings that look great when weathered.  

 

These wagons cost me €25 each finished, they are almost RTR and run well, compared to €28 for a kit that requires quite a bit of fiddly work.  I was happy to compromise the prototypical fidelity in return for a more user friendly build that looks well enough when finished, especially the precision brake gear and chassis on the Dapol's.  I'm doing a few simple mods to these to create the optical illusion that the Dapol chassis are bulleid structure.  Horses for courses, etc.  Now I know some folk want more prototypical fidelity, thats fine and they are prepared to pay for it and put the extra work in for that.  Leslie's kits are very suitable for those folks.  When finished the 3D wagons were very pleasing to my eye, but that's just me, others may dislike them.

 

Ideally I'd love to see IRM produce an RTR version of these open beat wagons to their superb standard, as they were the most numerous wagon by far to have run on Irish railways for many decades, and would sell like hot cakes.

 

These are two I built last year before I added the Bulleid mods.

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Progress on GSV conversion is slow but on going.  A bit of work on battery box, diesel tank and steps.  Got the B5 bogie kits made up and new bogie swivel mounts made at the correct ride height.  Finding this chipping away with plastic quite therapeutic.

 

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Holes drilled for wire hand rails at guards door.

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Lima bogie holes drilled out, B5 bogies ready and new swivel mounts added at correct ride height so the bogies snap fit in place for ease of maintenance.

 

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Edited by NoelG
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One of the down sides to converting a Lima mk1 is the roof is made of plastic glazing and its a pig to cut compared to plastic.  The photo is self explanatory.  Taking a break, had enough of GSV, going to watch a movie. smile.png Lots more to do but there's no grass to cut this time of year.

 
gsv_bsk_lima_roof01.jpg
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Roof primed for first sand'n'fill.  Trying to get the roof 'gubbins' looking vaguely similar to pics I have of actual GSV roofs.  

 

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First prime coat before the vent and other roof bits are added

 

 

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New diesel tank, battery box, and louvers primed.  Holes drilled for door grab rails.  Every time I think I getting closer to the finish line I see more that needs to be done.   At some stage I'll have to call a halt and be content with the Lima conversion.  Louvers and water fillers need framing, and the twiddley bits for the roof need adding (air intake, exhaust, boiler overflow vent, etc).

 

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