Modelling Mayhem in North Carolina.

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Pleased to get back to RMWeb once again, been a while since the big change over but I think that Andy and his crew has done a great job with it. Andy explained that there was a heck of a lot of work involved in this change over, so us guys at Wirral Finescale Railway Modellers left him alone to do his stuff and wait patiently until he was all set to open up our club room again. So what is on my workbench scheduled for errors mistakes and eventual discard in the bin..?

 

First up is the continuation of where I left off - The BLMA NS TopGon mods. I'll load the set of images that I originally posted so that there is continuity.

 

Next. Some of you know that a couple years back I was running a yahoo signal building group. I had reasons why I stopped posting to it, and for all intent and purposes it has died. Some of the reasons for that was a commercial agreement I made with Phil Atkinson of Hobby Holidays and another was right at that time new stuff was coming on the market that enabled me to do some different things. The upshot of all this is that, together with fellow WFRM'er Mike Turner, we'll be doing a joint signal clinic on here. Basically me doing all the mechanical stuff and Mike doing all the electrickery stuff. Look out for that new topic to pop up later on in the year.

 

Several years ago now, again on another yahoo group I did a full bifta clinic, rivets, rust patches, warts and all build of an 'otta da box' Blue Box even, Athearn SD50 build. The premise of this was turning a bog standard 40 bucks crap engine into an RPM display model and not buy any commercial after market detail parts. That info is all ready to post and I may well start that early in the new year. Btw, RPM for anyone who doesn't relate to the acronym means Railroad Prototype Model. As I said, warts an all.

 

Other items covering my chaotic modelling style will be 'weathering', yep, the real deal - a blob of paint and scrub it with ya finger. Always a cool subject, I weather with my finger, just love the finger, so many uses.

 

I do know that I'll be involved with building WFRM's new 18:83 gauge layout that will replace Charlotte Road. I hate layouts to hang around the expo circuit more than 10 years, so the Darlington Expo of December 2010 will be CR's last. Not decided how I'm going to axe that yet, perhaps do a number on it like the 'Who' did to their guitars and amps on stage back when. We'll see, unless anyone wants to buy it. If any of you do, please PM me. I'll get rid of anything for a case of beer.

 

So what's all this new layout about. Well all I know or more like all I'm gonna tell, is that it will have a fully functioning theatre box on it. I'll run a clinic on my build of it on here, well that's the plan anyway. That may well be 2011, mind.

 

Here in North Carolina I'm building a layout, a small coal mining area and its based on the Interstate RR located in the Western corner of Virginia, now operated by NS. Just up my street. So hang in there for that load of, can I type crap here without getting moderated..?

 

Later Guys, be safe out there by the tracks.

 

Cheers, Tony

[250BOB]

Great to see you back Tony........patience is a virtue so they say.

 

I'm looking forward to the WFRM section developing.

 

Best wishes to you all at WFRM for 2010.

 

Bob

[modelmaker87]

Great to see you back Tony........patience is a virtue so they say.

 

I'm looking forward to the WFRM section developing.

 

Best wishes to you all at WFRM for 2010.

 

Bob

 

Cheers, Bob, Yeah, I know you're not all that interested in my US pursuits, but the lads will collar me to do some British stuff for the new layout and all. Whatever it is other than my known signal projects will probably get posted here. They'll be plenty of surprises no doubt, and screw ups, usually plenty of them too.

 

Thanks for saying hi and stopping by in this thread.

 

Later, Tony

[250BOB]

Cheers, Bob, Yeah, I know you're not all that interested in my US pursuits, but the lads will collar me to do some British stuff for the new layout and all. Whatever it is other than my known signal projects will probably get posted here. They'll be plenty of surprises no doubt, and screw ups, usually plenty of them too.

 

Thanks for saying hi and stopping by in this thread.

 

Later, Tony

 

You're right Tony...US is not my bag, however, I have holidayed all over the US and had the odd hour at places like Barstow...also into Canada to the Museum at Revelstoke, then up the "Big Hill" to watch the trains through the spiral tunnels.....absolutely magical. You cant model everything afterall, we all do want we enjoy most.

Talk to you again next year probably.

Bob

[steve1]

Hello again Tony,

 

Some of us will be interested in the US stuff though.

 

steve

[PhilH]

Hello again Tony,

 

Some of us will be interested in the US stuff though.

 

steve

 

I'm one!

[modelmaker87]

Hello again Tony,

 

Some of us will be interested in the US stuff though.

 

steve

 

Steve, my man. Great to see that you have visited my thread here. Thank you and welcome. Early days yet but Andy has upped the bar and I hope I can do the same with what I have to offer. Again, welcome and be sure to join in. Lets have some fun....

 

Cheers, Tone

[modelmaker87]

I'm one!

 

Hi Phil,

 

Good to make your acquaintance, not sure that we have met, but welcome to my thread or threads as I build them all the same. Look forward to chatting and answering any question you may have, if you do have 'em that is. Anyhow, thanks for visiting.

 

Be back atcha sometime, later,

 

Tony

[Steve Williams]

I'm one!

 

...and I'm another!

[modelmaker87]

...and I'm another!

 

Welcome Steve, as I said to Phil, its good to make your acquaintance and I thank you for joining my thread. I see you have Pete Harvey logged in as as your friend. Good for you, he's a good guy and later on as we grow this and other threads I'll be suggesting on here some projects for Pete to get his teeth into. I said to Pete at the Darlington expo just gone that I'll try and support him and his etching work he's doing.

 

Catch ya later, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hey Guys, Within the mayhem here I found an O gauge RS3 for you guys to ogle at. Not my beer label for sure but I know Steve G

likes these older jobbies. Was one of a handful of O gauge models I've weathered for other modellers. The customer wanted the

dirt light and not all over his expensive RailKing. Long time ago now, April 2003

 

 

 

 

 

Later, Tony

[steve1]

Thanks for that Tony!

 

Now I know what to do with my P2K Pennsy RS.

 

Cheers

 

steve

[modelmaker87]

Thanks for that Tony!

 

Now I know what to do with my P2K Pennsy RS.

 

Cheers

 

steve

 

I thought that would be right up your street. these days I think I would make one of these far dirtier, to my taste for sure.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Thanks for that Tony!

 

Now I know what to do with my P2K Pennsy RS.

 

Cheers

 

steve

 

Steve, have you got one of these..... :icon_what: A nice urinal O gauge caboose.... Tone

 

[modelmaker87]

Steve, have you got one of these..... :icon_what: A nice urinal O gauge caboose.... Tone

 

 

Hi Steve, I see you never made a smart remark about the urinal abortion above. No doubt you can take the piss out of the below.

 

Later, Tony

 

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys, a new adhesive for styrene I have just started to use, and I'm loving it.

 

Cheers, Tony

 

 

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Craig Zeni made mention of RPP shells in my SD50 NS 5424 thread and how bad they were. I replied I'd pop a pic or three here in this section. This is my RPP GP40X which I built back in 2003 when all one could get was the dreaded RPP (Rail Power Products) shells. This baby doll got a lot of other parts bunged onto it, but it turned out not half bad. You could say that just under a third got Cannon parts. This was the second rendition due to a screw up, and oh boy, was it a screw up. Yeah, I learned. I'll post an image of "what not to do" later.

 

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

And this, gentlemen, is the mess I got myself into. Cool, eh. hehehehehehe. As you can see, after the melt down, I was forced to rape the original build of

all the salvageable parts. Believe me I was in the middle of painting it when things went way off base. So the prior image does have the brass parts that didn't

melt. As I said, I learned and this will never happen again. Enjoy that chuckle y'all are having right now. But I will post the model as it is today when I take a

piccie of it. Later, cheers, Tony.

 

[Pugsley]

Ouch!

 

What did that to it, was it lacquer thinners?

[modelmaker87]

Ouch!

 

What did that to it, was it lacquer thinners?

 

You've just won the million bucks. Yes, dead on the nose there Pugsley. :icon_clap: :icon_clap: :icon_clap: My now deceased cat that lived in my workshop decided to try to sit on top of my spray booth., you can guess the rest. Something akin to a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Anyhow, after three months and the procurement of a new RPP shell and Canon parts and a bunch of other stuff I did actually make a second one. This is how NS 7002 looks these days and how I display the model at RPM meets. It has more detail than the latest offering by whoever offers it. Atlas is it, or Athearn...? I have no idea.

 

 

I've got plenty more bloopers that I'll show as time goes along and someone just happens to mention something that makes showing a

bloop apropos. Its all great fun, what the heck, at least I don't live in Haiti, why should I worry about something so miniscule as this.

 

Later, cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Posted 14 February 2010 - 19:12

very impressive stuff Tony, I'd be interested to see what you could do with a similar approach to a UK outline model...

 

Matt.

Matthew Singleton.

 

SWAG powder monkey, Member of the Scalefour Society, First Great Western fitter.

 

 

 

 

Matt posted this kind comment about my work in my SD50 thread. I prefer to respond to it here, so here goes.

 

Matt, the following images show some of the details I've been adding to an old Lima Class 37. The project is not finished and has hung around my shop for a good while now. Richard Sandland of WFRM is building a new layout, Knottingley Yard, and if this engine is appropriate I will finish it to add to the stock to run on it, if he wants. If not, I guess it will continue to languish. I think the newer Class 37 offerings put the brakes on this build for me. It has been in this condition for a good number of years now.

 

I have to thank Gareth Bayer who provided me a couple of additional shots over and above those I had myself of these details. I did the re-paint myself and the orange areas are not decals. I have made all the windows from real glass, and they too sit in a little container. The sanding hoses run up through the mainframe and thus when the bogies rotate the hoses can move up and down in their respective holes. In this manner they look correct rather than stopping just short of the underside of the frame. There is another aperture to make and fit a surround into along the side of the body. The surround is made, the aperture is yet to be cut.

 

At the end of the day there's far less detail to add to a British design than you to a US design.

 

Anyhow, keep enjoying the SD50 build.

 

Later, Tony

 

 

 

 

 

[modfather]

Very nice Tony, thanks for a sneak peek.

[modelmaker87]

Mike,

 

Ref our discussion about clamping devices. Rather than send you these images off forum I thought they might be helpful to others reading here. We've talked about modifying tools and such for specific items rather than accepting that a tool is perfect as sold. You and I have been doing this for years I know. Remember the Widnes Vine Yard signal box steps. Not really viewable by the public when the layout is on expo, but I had a problem with these. The step by itself had no area to affix them to the angled stringers. My solution to that was to solder a side plate on both sides of each step. That was fine, but these steps were way small, the side pates were smaller still. So to aid my soldering I invented the lolly stick clamp. Popsickle clamp for those who read in Amerienglish.

 

Its a stupid as it looks but works like a champ. Bet on it, cheap too. Note the accurate red line for aligning the two components of this clamp. I'm good or what - cough & splutter - but it is an absolute amazing. don't you think.

 

I have drilled two holes so that I can move the stick and add more clamping force, if the part requires. I can add a spacer so that it will accommodate a larger/thicker component. This is just one of hundreds of special devices or jigs I've made to to aid in making scratch parts.

 

Enjoy, cheers, Tone

 

The expensive and accurately made parts, designed in 3D cad. Oh wow...!

 

 

The parts carefully assembled. Note how accurately the red line aligns on the two major parts. Oh so totally wow..!!

 

 

Action shot, the clamp clamping one of those frigging steps I made.

 

 

More action, the first side plate made from scrap brass off an etch and soldered to another part held fast as if it was part of the

British battleship, Vanguard.

 

 

This image is way special, the other side plate soldered. Note the swing action of the clamping piece. Cool or what..?

 

[James Hilton]

Posted 14 February 2010 - 19:12

very impressive stuff Tony, I'd be interested to see what you could do with a similar approach to a UK outline model...

 

Matt.

Matthew Singleton.

 

SWAG powder monkey, Member of the Scalefour Society, First Great Western fitter.

 

 

 

 

Matt posted this kind comment about my work in my SD50 thread. I prefer to respond to it here, so here goes.

 

Matt, the following images show some of the details I've been adding to an old Lima Class 37. The project is not finished and has hung around my shop for a good while now. Richard Sandland of WFRM is building a new layout, Knottingley Yard, and if this engine is appropriate I will finish it to add to the stock to run on it, if he wants. If not, I guess it will continue to languish. I think the newer Class 37 offerings put the brakes on this build for me. It has been in this condition for a good number of years now.

 

I have to thank Gareth Bayer who provided me a couple of additional shots over and above those I had myself of these details. I did the re-paint myself and the orange areas are not decals. I have made all the windows from real glass, and they too sit in a little container. The sanding hoses run up through the mainframe and thus when the bogies rotate the hoses can move up and down in their respective holes. In this manner they look correct rather than stopping just short of the underside of the frame. There is another aperture to make and fit a surround into along the side of the body. The surround is made, the aperture is yet to be cut.

 

At the end of the day there's far less detail to add to a British design than you to a US design.

 

Anyhow, keep enjoying the SD50 build.

 

Later, Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tremendous detail on that underframe - really exquisite! I'm guessing all scratchbuilt or are some of the valves and pipework available from american suppliers?

[Pete Harvey]

James some how knowing Tony I'm sure he is more than capable to scratch build the underframes on the class 37 but I do not think even he is that silly to of scratch-built the under-frames on that 37 when Lima had done all the hard work for him.

 

Pete