Mr Simon's N and 2mm Workbench - pg29> N V1 2-6-2, 2mm L&Y class 23, assorted wagons and stuff

[MrSimon]

Thanks David!

 

Can't beat a bit of uniformity haha - I think if they're white will depend on how the interior looks through the window...

 

I'm not sure whether to go for the separate hand-rail or one painted on to the back of the glass.

 

Cheers

Simon

[DavidK71]

I'm not sure whether to go for the separate hand-rail or one painted on to the back of the glass.

I've tried painting the rail on the back of the glazing, and it was very hard to get the line thin enough to look right. Possibly with a bow pen would be better. The best results I've had are with gluing lengths of Slater's 10thou Microrod behind the glazing. At least you've only got two doors in the main corridor side, so you'll only need three lengths of Microrod.

[MrSimon]

10thou!  Wowza that's thin - I was going to blag it with some .33mm brass.  I've got three sections of window, but there are some sides from the donor coach to go round too

[MrSimon]

When I got back from work today there was an envelope from Fox waiting for me, so tonight I grabbed a few minutes and added the BUFFET transfers to the 111 buffet:

 

I'll varnish it tomorrow night (or Thursday) and see about lining the other side at the weekend.  It'll definitely be ready for Peterborough.  (I had edit the picture slightly to make it light enough to see what I'd been doing)

 

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited September 5, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Some progress on the 111 buffet and the Thompson:

 

The second side lined, just sorting out the slight bump in the lower line right now...

 

I filled in the gaps in the interior, made some compartment doors and painted it all up:

 

 

I also fitted the hand-rails on the corridor side:

 

There's a slight curve of the wire, I'll fix the slight up-lift with some superglue.

 

I also glazed and fitted compartment side.  The corridor side needs repainting and I need to work on the ends.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

[Atso]

Those are both looking great! The Thompson coach is looking especially good (being an LNER fan) and very tempting. Shame it's too late for my modelling period, I'll have to console myself by actually finishing one of those Ultima Gresley conversion sides!

[MrSimon]

Thanks Steve!

 

I'm a definite fan of Thompson coaches, they look so much more modern - you'll have to console yourself with some tourist stock How late would the new K3 on your thread be in that condition?

 

The Thompson is drying - the maroon's been really hard to get a good finish on this time, not sure what's going on, but another coat of maroon is currently drying.  I gave the buffet a coat of satin varnish today and trimmed the transfers over the window.  It just needs weathering now and will be on Hawthorne Dene at Peterborough next month.

 

Cheers

Simon

[Atso]

Thanks Steve!

 

I'm a definite fan of Thompson coaches, they look so much more modern - you'll have to console yourself with some tourist stock How late would the new K3 on your thread be in that condition?

 

SAM_1148.jpg

The Thompson is drying - the maroon's been really hard to get a good finish on this time, not sure what's going on, but another coat of maroon is currently drying.  I gave the buffet a coat of satin varnish today and trimmed the transfers over the window.  It just needs weathering now and will be on Hawthorne Dene at Peterborough next month.

 

Cheers

Simon

Thompson's do look good but I'm still preferring 'teak' livery for them I'm afraid! Tourist stock is very much on my radar but I've got some old GNR clerestory coaches to figure out how to design first (etches most likely).

 

The BR K3 is late 50's early 60's so pretty much towards the back end of it's life. A bit more weathering than my LNER one but the new owner is very happy with it and I guess that's what counts.

 

I find that reds and yellows are some of the hardest colours to get a good finish with and I'm very glad that I'm the owner of an airbrush now as it makes the process so much easier for awkward colours. Your buffet coach is looking top draw and I'm sure it will be turning heads on Hawthorne Dene.

[MrSimon]

Thanks Steve,

 

I don't envy those - I've got some north eastern celestories in my drawer, I don't think there's a single flat surface until you get to the glazing (and even then, it has rounded windows on the ends).

 

Would the GNR cab have lasted to the 50s?

 

Cheers

Simon

[Atso]

Sorry Simon, I missunderstood your previous post. As best as I can work out the initial batches of K3s were rebuilt with the later style side window cab in the 1940's but retained their right hand drive.

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Just a quick update: I've finished the 111 buffet car, it'll be swapped into the 101 set at Peterborough next month:

 

 

Exhaust stained end of the roof where it couples to the driving motor.

 

I'll get something out of the to do box to take it's place in the building tray.

 

Cheers

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

This weekend I planned on working on a load of bits for the layout, so I worked on stock instead...

 

This has been hanging around on my desk for pages and pages of this topic, the last time I did I push to get it finished was in time for the Leamington and then Bristol shows which it wasn't ready for.  Last time I thought it was done it stayed randomly sticky for 2 months... but this weekend I realised the stickiness had gone so I decided to get it ready for Peterborough - third show's a charm!

 

I gave the faded crimson a fresh coat and the roof, then weathered it and sealed the weathering in with a coat of Klear. 

 

 

The camera picked up much more black than you see on the model, but overall I'm happy with it.  I toyed with painting it maroon but it would just be another maroon Gresley in a train of standard Dapol Gresleys, rather than an end vestibule open.

 

I also finished these off, I can't remember why they were down with me.  I gave them a bit more weathering and then varnished them.

 

The Parkwood bolsters kit came with a spare solid coupling so when I made the first pair I fitted the spare coupling to a standard Peco kit (which for some reason has the bolsters from a 15' bolster kit fitted...) I've painted the load about 5 times so far but the end is in sight.

 

I also varnished the Thompson ready for transfers (but I'm not doing them until I've fitted the roof), painted and varnished another DMU centre car, and I rebuilt the underframe of another Foxhunter fish van - only one more to go, but I didn't do anything different to the others so I'll just post a picture of them completed)

 

Lastly, I took this out for painting.  So far I've taken it to bits, repainted the interior, stripped and primed the body, and painted the window bars... then discovered the paint I need has dried up  When I finally get it finished the whole short loco-hauled regional rail train will be finished.

 

Can't wait!

 

Simon

 

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Had a few hours at my desk this week while skiving the gym... I finished the bolsters:

 

They took forever, nothing would glue and the paint wasn't behaving.  Here they are as ready as they're ever going to get, they'll be on Hawthorne Dene at Peterborough with the different pair I did last year

 

Lined and varnished both sides of the centre-car.  I'm not going to varnish it until I do the whole unit.

 

Today's main stock challenge was the Thompson roof.  I used the roof from the donor Mark 1, but obviously it needed shortening so I cut a bit out the middle.  This afternoon I stuck it back together:

 

First I stuck quite a thick bit of brass into the longer side of the roof.  This was with araldite and super-glue.  Once it was set I fitted the longer side into the coach then put some glue on the brass, then stuck the two sides together.

 

I don't know what I was doing when I cut this coach up but there was  2mm gap to fill.  Once it was set and sanded I marked out and fitted 16 torpedo vents and four handrails.

 

I can't tell if it's slightly bent.  The good thing about it being brass is that I can bend it slightly back to being straight.  The roof needs painting and weathering, as does the underframe, but now the roof is basically complete I can get on with applying the transfers and finishing it off.

 

Nothing like a deadline for getting things finished!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I had a bit of a rush last week to get the Thompson ready for Peterborough, which it more or less was - its proved to be really tricky to take a picture of, so I'll try again tomorrow.

 

While at Peterborough I took the opportunity to take some better pictures of some of the stock I've made for Hawthorne Dene / Croft Spa over the last few years:

 

60078 Nighthawk, my first go at making a passenger engine REALLY dirty, here is it on a parcels train over the weekend.

 

The 101, this weekend was the first time it ran with a buffet.

 

The LNER long CCT.  I might have a go at making a longer/bogie version, but not just yet.

 

The new bolster twin joined the original one on the second day, and performed well all weekend.

 

The two coaches I finished in the autumn, I swapped out two of Dad's coaches for these, and they ran really well all weekend.  I need to spray the roofs as it came off on my fingers.

 

I even managed to pick up some kits from the N gauge society stand

 

Lots to do

Simon

[Atso]

Hi Simon,

 

I'm glad that you managed to get the Thompson just about finished in time and that you and your dad seemed to have a good show. I was there on Sunday but unfortunately didn't make it over to the layout (I spent far too much time talking to demonstrators and guest operating NoEL - covering some breaks) which was a big shame for me as I would have loved to have had a chat - another time when Hawthorne Dene is out and about. That'll be the second time I've missed your dad as, from some of his posts, I'm sure he was at the Dapol open day but, having never met him, I didn't know what he looks like!

 

Are you guys going to be heading to Warley?

[MrSimon]

Hi Steve,

Sorry to have missed you! We're at Ally Pally and Warley with Hawthorne Dene next year, and Dad's at Manchester with it later this year. The layout ran well all weekend, hope NoEL did too!

I've got a few bits of stock to build/finish before AP, but I'm going to focus on finishing the bits of layout in time for Christmas

Cheers

Simon

[Les1952]

Hi Simon,

 

I'm glad that you managed to get the Thompson just about finished in time and that you and your dad seemed to have a good show. I was there on Sunday but unfortunately didn't make it over to the layout (I spent far too much time talking to demonstrators and guest operating NoEL - covering some breaks) which was a big shame for me as I would have loved to have had a chat - another time when Hawthorne Dene is out and about. That'll be the second time I've missed your dad as, from some of his posts, I'm sure he was at the Dapol open day but, having never met him, I didn't know what he looks like!

 

Are you guys going to be heading to Warley?

Hello.

I'm at Warley operating Whatton Parva for Jim Ross, then at Manchester with Hawthorn Dene. Next year sees Hawthorn Dene at Ally Pally, Barnsley, Weston-Super Mare (stc) and Warley, and No Place at the L&YDCC show in Manchester. Plus of course my own show at Cotgrave in April.

 

I'm not sure which of these (other than Ally Pally & Warley) Mr Simon will be operating at.

 

Les (dad)

[Atso]

Hi Steve,

Sorry to have missed you! We're at Ally Pally and Warley with Hawthorne Dene next year, and Dad's at Manchester with it later this year. The layout ran well all weekend, hope NoEL did too!

I've got a few bits of stock to build/finish before AP, but I'm going to focus on finishing the bits of layout in time for Christmas

Cheers

Simon

 

Hi Simon and Les,

 

My fault entirely that I didn't get over to see you. I'll be at Warley to see the show and Ally Pally is one that I nearly always attend - my first ever job was in that building and I enjoy going back and reminiscing!

 

I'm glad that Hawthorne Dene ran well and NoEL did as well - although that is very much despite my 'help' not because of it! As Sunday was NoEL's 1930's day, I was kindly allowed to run both my K3s, Yorkshire and Humorist (repainted Dapol Gladiateur with GNR style tender top).

 

Yorkshire and 2425 (K3/2) were up at the Pickering show on NoEL as my girlfriend had accidently managed to book our holiday up there at the same time! Unfortunately, she (Yorkshire, not my girlfriend!) still had a few bugs to work out and failed after only a couple of circuits (Tony Wright's picture of her on my thread was a static pose shot after she'd failed!). However, once I got back from holiday she was completely stripped down and reworked, solving the problems exhibited at Pickering. Fast forward a couple of months to Peterborough and Yorkshire performed faultlessly all Sunday afternoon with seven Gresleys (nine a couple of times) behind the tender. After her dismal debut, I was really happy to see her working properly (and better than I expected) at Peterborough and I'm very grateful to the NoEL team for once again putting up with me (four times now!).

 

I'll make sure I catch Les on Whatton Parva at Warley next month! 

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

I've had a busy few months finishing stuff off for the layout, now it's safely back in hibernation I can focus on some stock again. As soon as I got back from Christmas I tidied my desk Now it's tidy I can get more done without piles of stuff falling on me!

 

I give it 2 months...


I hadn't realised I'd tucked my new containers into a cubby, I did a bit of container shuffling but I need to be a bit more thorough - and then there's the weathering!


On Monday afternoon I hooked a 101 out to put up for sale, it donated it's centre car to a four-car 101 and I found that one car had a weathered underframe (but not the bogies) and the other was pristine... so I weathered the other underframe (and all four bogies). It's only the lack of a yellow warning panel that is stopping me from keeping it! I'm getting the hang of this weathering malarky!!


I had to be quiet in the other room tonight so I rather noisily cut out the 'big roof fan' so I could swap it for one of the Extreme Etchings one (to match the powered DRS 37 the dummy top-and-tails with. I've got a pair of Network Rail FEAs on order for a railhead train!

For Gresby this year I want to finish off my 3-car MML/CT Class 170, finish my Mk2/1 Regional Rail train, make a start on the Mark 3s for my New Measurement Train, finish my Taylor tippler rake, and do a load of detailing work on the other units.

I've also set myself the challenge of doing some shunting in 2mm... best watch this space for that one haha!

Simon

Edited January 3, 2018 by MrSimon

[gobbler]

Impressive, it's hard to believe these models are N gauge

 

Excellent stuff

 

Scott

[MrSimon]

Thank you Scott! Probably the best compliment an N gauge modeller could receive!! It's definitely all N.

 

 

 

 

I got the 101 finished, I just need to check it runs well then it can go for sale.

 

Cheers

Simon

Edited January 5, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!

 

I've had a bit of a productive weekend, and the desk is still relatively tidy

 

I built another tippler (no pictures, it looks the same as the others) and just have nine more to go before I have to bite the bullet and paint them...

 

Next I built and fitted the big fan in the class 37:

 

 

I just need to fit the mesh bit and sort out the weathering etc.

 

Next I dug these out of a box in my drawer, I'd like to finish them off so I can shunt with them - I was going to give them a going over with some CIF but I didn't yet, there's quite a bit of corrosion from the dodgy flux I used to use.

 

This failed on me at Christmas, I can't work out what's wrong with it - I stripped the chassis right down and tried to clean off as much lube as possible.  The gears seem to disengage and leave the motor running without much power going down to the wheels, then sometimes it 'bites' and the unit moves.  It's not the gears in the bogie, they're all fine and it did the same when I tried a 101 bogie.  I think it's the little shaft between the flywheel and the worm, but I'm not sure... I think it'll have to go for repair.  I've got plans for this badboy this year...

 

Plenty to do!

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody,

 

First thing finished of the New Year - bit slower than last year but can't win them all haha

 

 

 

I glued on the mesh and the frame and then painted it with a thin coat of black.  Then I re-weathered the whole engine and gave the sides and front a coat of klear to match the powered 37.  I'm in two minds about how much to weather the whole train when I make the rail-head bit, but I'll save that decision for later.

 

One thing I'm not sure about though - do top-and-tailed trains use a separate tail-light or use the engines red marker lights at the back?

 

I found three Peco van kits in my cupboard so have made a start turning them into banana-vans to match the others.  Here's the first one.

 

I've also been doing a bit of work on the 2mm wagons.  When I made these 10 years ago I'd got in a muddle with my brake-gear and just fitted it all to the wagons... literally everything that came in the kit was attached, today I cut bits off.  THere's still loads to do to these before I'd call them finished, but they're already looking loads better than when I found them.

 

I've also been doing some sorting out in the stock boxes - everytime I open a box I find something that needs to be done.  I should write everything down...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

It's been a while, I've been having big naps instead...  When I was down visiting the mother in law I dropped into the model shop in Eastbourne (great little shop, plenty of second hand and scenic materials) I picked up a pair of Farish frieghtliners:

 

I had intended them to get the couplings and wheels and use them to strengthen my freightliner trains; then I found set of couplings and buffer beams on Shapeways - so I gave them a go!

 

It has enough couplings to do a 5 wagon rake.  I took the containers off, swapped the wheels for some of the N Train 5.1mm ones, and stuck a buffer beam onto each wagon.

 

The short couplings seem pretty good, they do a different version for the different shaped coupling boxes - I bought the square shape box ones and had to swap the bogies for some I'd displaced with new bogies on the 100T tanks.  

 

Bufferbeam close-up.  It looks slightly different to the Taylor ones on my other freightliners, they might be a different type (but varieties fine in a train.

 

Done!  They just need a bit of powder on the wagons and I need to weather the containers a bit.  I decided as it's a strengthening set I put general/lease containers on so I could use it on either of my trains (one is more biased towards shipping lines that go to Felixstowe, the other Southampton)

 

While I had the couplings out I decided to see if I could use them on some of my older Mark1s:

 

i think they'll work, the train has a mixture of bogie types: two versions of the Farish bogies and some with Taylor Commonwealths.  They close up the gaps enough to be a massive improvement while also still going round tight corners:

 

 

They'll also tighten up my post train:

 

So that's a bonus - I'd better order some more!

 

I did some work on the coach/DMU repaints this week too, but I didn't get pictures.

 

Lots to do...

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I had quite a few bits I wanted to get finished this weekend... instead I started two new projects and watched about 19 hours of the Luge.  Pah.

 

Here's one thing I did finish:

 

When I was playing around with testing the short couplings last week I decided I'd be better off fitting this coach with Taylor Commonweath bogies.  I made them during the week and painted them this weekend.  It's a really bad picture so you can't see too well that I 'gun-metalled' the springs and then polished them slightly to give an oily look.  I would have done the same with the buffer shanks but they're long gone...

 

On to the new projects:

 

Another freightliner came for the strengthening set.  This had the last pair of short couplers and some 5.1mm wheels, brake wheels, and new containers.  

 

I've got a 100 pack of the couplings on order, I'll be able to close couple everything with that haha - there'll be far too many pictures of that when I start fitting them.

 

Here's the strengthening set.  Now I can run a 15 wagon freightliner.  I don't know where I could run it, but I can.

 

The other new project was a printed KFA (I think), I bought it off eBay (I think) years ago and I was going to build it and then the Revolution one was announced and I built other things.  Here is is half painted.

 

It's pretty light but I it looks OK, and it was good to be able to have a wagon in the train that could be run unloaded.

 

It needs finishing and weathering, but here is is finished with a hi-cube container fitted.  I've got some Revolution ones on order too - but I didn't want to waste the kit...

 

Finally, two projects that just don't seem to want to be over...

 

This is the last green 101 vehicle I'm doing, ever.  It's the 8th.  I thought I'd weathered the underframe, then I got it out the box and found out I hadn't.  I painted the underframe yesterday but I still need to paint the bufferbeam red.  Next I need to paint the headlamps and code-hole-frame (technical term) warning panel yellow, then I can get on with finishing the paintwork, etc.

 

This repaint has been going so long I think they were still in service when I started.  I don't know if it'll be done any time soon.  Maybe I should aim for Easter?

 

The 101 is the priority, other than that I really aught to be building stuff for Gresby...

 

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited February 11, 2018 by MrSimon