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The Grot Box


Brasskingfisher
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Well having bitten the bullet and decided that this would give me a nice change from my N gauge layout, and I because I have lots of OO bits hanging around here and there from other things, I've put together a rough plan (I might well work on the name, but it gives a good impression of the sort of scene I'm aiming for).

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This is obviously just a VERY rough mock up, but the general plan is to have two tracks side by side with a coal office/shed and staithes in the nearest corner being filled from a wagon and the retaining wall in the back setting the dimensions of the scene and giving it a nice industrial feel with a Dapol/former arfix kitmaster 0-4-0 pug shunting things around. I'm undecided at the minute as to whether I'll be using the one in the picture, or buying another kit since this one is quite old and I think I could do a better paint job on a new kit. Or I might buy a new kit and set about hacking it about into a more generic industrial shunter.

Edited by Brasskingfisher
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Well having done some more work on this to create the industrial grime and necessary grot, and then playing around with my mock up I've decided to amend my plan, and split it into two separate CBCs.

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I'm going to get rid of the staithes and office, I might replace them with something else, maybe a loading dock (I was planning on only using two bays, but added a third when the idea for my new CBC came to me so watch this space for that one), I'm likely to fiddle around with the track plan as well but, will try and keep the industrial theme and grimy grot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, work has begun on the grot box proper. The track has been fixed to the bseboard (yet to be cut down so as it fits in the box, which will be something new for me).

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I've also got myself a nice little loco to go with the box van kit I have part built. I don't intend to leave it as is, I plan to remove and reapply  the livery in the hope of disguising its' Margate origins

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I've also got a Dapol/former Airfix Kitmaster 0-4-0 pug which I'm planning to build as an open cab industrial shunter which I might use instead.

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Well I've been indulging my last opportunity to do some modeling before Christmas (possibly even this year) and I think my little Margate Pug has come out quite nicely.

Taking the factory applied transfers off proved a little annoying (and left a nasty smear on the tanksides which necessitated a coat of matt black) but was achieved with some meths and cotton buds The mark on the cab gives you an idea of what the smear looked like, but I decided to leave those on the casbides be rather than risk messing up the lining.

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And here she is in her full BR livery, complete with freight classifications, courtesy of HRMS:

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The application of the transfers isn't brilliant I know, but this was my first time using them (partly why I was so worried about messing up the lining as a friend who's done it said doing lining using transfers is a right pain) and I'm quite pleased with the results, and I can hide some of the flaws with a bit of weathering.

Edited by Brasskingfisher
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  • 4 weeks later...

Well work continues on the Grot box.

 

I've weathered my little Margate pug with a few coats of Games Workshop Citadel paints 'Nuln Oil' and a wash of black ink. All that's left is to add a crew.

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This is now how my kitbashed Dapol pug looks, I still need to touch up the paint in a few places before I weather it, but I think it's not too bad as things stand.

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I've also done a bit of work on the board and box, but pictures will follow in the future.

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And for my next trick, I will build a shunting tractor as a nice alternative to having the locos running around.

Or rather I'll convert this die cast tractor into a shunting tractor. I've already taken the first step, which is to remove the mud guards, I just need to use some plastic strip to fashion some buffer beams.

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I've actually had this lying around for several years now without any purpose or ideas for it, but the rural branch line layout where I could use it doesn't really appeal for some reason.

 

Hopefully it should end up looking something like this:101%20Shunting%20with%20trace%20horse%20

 

Albeit a lot more used and abused.

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And for my next trick, I will build a shunting tractor as a nice alternative to having the locos running around.

 

Or rather I'll convert this die cast tractor into a shunting tractor. I've already taken the first step, which is to remove the mud guards, I just need to use some plastic strip to fashion some buffer beams.

attachicon.gif20180112_170622.jpg

 

I've actually had this lying around for several years now without any purpose or ideas for it, but the rural branch line layout where I could use it doesn't really appeal for some reason.

 

Hopefully it should end up looking something like this:101%20Shunting%20with%20trace%20horse%20

 

Albeit a lot more used and abused.

 

That's an interesting looking set of track work there.  Are you modelling that as well as the tractor ?

 

Adrian

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That's an interesting looking set of track work there. Are you modelling that as well as the tractor ?

 

Adrian

Is it a plateway? The bits you've built so far look very nice. There was actually a tractor that ran on rails in Penistone (can't find a picture online but it is in 'Industrial Railways in Colour: Yorkshire') plus of course the various Fordson based narrow gauge versions by Hudson etc.

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Good idea for a layout. And what a great picture, have you got any idea where this was?

 

A bit of digging (*) suggests that it was the Horsehay foundry in the Ironbridge area.

 

* - Right click on the image, and look at the image info, and that shows that it is linked from www.dawleyheritage.co.uk.  A bit of time on there found http://www.dawleyheritage.co.uk/horsehayworks/738/horsehay-works

 

Adrian

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Well the main work on the shunting tractor has been finished, and surprisingly easy it was too. The only real difficulty was getting the supports I had to fashion to get the front end to stay up at the right height for a wagon's buffer (though getting the tyres back on was something of a pain).

Here she is, ready for painting:
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And after a few coats of light olive, ready to be weathered:
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Looking at the pictures I've been able to find, machines like this seem to have been bodged together by the owners/operators  as a stopgap or for economy reasons when using a horse/shunting loco wasn't practical or economical and so I'm assuming they would have been painted in whatever colour paint was lying around at the time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've recently realised I've not been updating people on my work. Well here goes:

First off we have my weathered shunting tractor:
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The Footplate crew for my Margate Pug:
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And the work I've done to interior of the box itself:

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And just a final picture to give a rough impression of where I currently am:
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I've also got a Dapol platform kit I've half built to break up the scene a little, but I'm waiting until I've been able to sort out the ground cover before I add that.

 

I'd say all in all I'm about 80% of the way there with my first CBC, but already have ideas for a second and a third.

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  • 1 month later...

Well here's the latest update on the project.

 

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I've used air drying clay, stippled with plastic strut for the cobbles and given it a couple of coats of citadel Agrax Earthshade and Athonian camoshade to give them a nice thick layer of industrial grime.

 

Next task is to add the loading platform, and I have some left over sections from a Metcalfe kit I bought for another project which I might just use to fill up some space.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, the Grot box is now complete. It's proved an interesting challenge, and it's allowed me to play around with some new techniques. Overall I'm reasonably satisfied with it. I may even be willing to show it at my club's open day later in the year to try and encourage other people  by showing you don't need masses of space, or even a full layout to enjoy the hobby.

 

The first photo is just to the completed thing, the others are just a few cameos I've set up, I may even do some more.

 

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Guest ShildonShunter

Some brilliant railway modeling the archway with bridge girder and cobbles are really good with the right amount of weathering can't wait to see more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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