Another Kirkby Stephen

[ben pez]

Very nice work there mate

Looks superb

[Andrew P]

Coming on nicely, I like the colour of the stonework, superb.

[Reorte]

Coming on nicely, I like the colour of the stonework, superb.

Thanks,

 

The stonework actually looks a bit more orangish in normal light, which isn't quite what I want (the colour it's come out in the photo thanks to the flash is about what I actually wanted), but as a base should hopefully be fine.

[Reorte]

Continuing with my "start whatever takes my fancy without finishing anything" approach I got distracted by the Scalefour Society leverframe at Scalefour North and decided to give it a go. The frame at Kirkby Stephen was a 16 lever frame (not the one currently there, it was replaced in the 70s) with 2 spares, so three five-lever units should do the trick, I can drop a spare. However I managed to solder the first one together backwards everywhere it could be soldered backwards and bent it too badly getting it apart again. Enough was not bent to cut enough out for one lever though, so I've got 11 so far and will order another set of 5 (after I've moved house) giving me the 16 that I didn't want to spend a bit extra to get originally.

 

Here it is so far:

 

Since some of the signals (definitely including the distants) will never appear on the layout due to length considerations I suppose I could leave those out but I felt that if I was going to build this I may as well aim to operate it fully, including the bits I can't see. It'll be years until it gets connected to the layout in any case. In the meantime I may have to start thinking about interlocking.

 

Even if it doesn't get connected for ages it makes a nice desk top.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Reorte

[Physicsman]

Just been looking over your thread again - an enjoyable read. Nice work with the buildings.

 

Is Reorte your given name/alter ego or is there another name we can use?

 

Jeff

[Reorte]

I tend to pick random things for names, Reorte is from an old computer game. My real name is Simon.

[Physicsman]

I tend to pick random things for names, Reorte is from an old computer game. My real name is Simon.

 

Reorte or Simon, it's good to see someone else with a passion for the S&C who is a Kirkby Stephen devotee. Lovely place.

 

Although KL and KL2 weren't/aren't directly KS, the trackplan and the surroundings certainly exert a profound influence!

 

Jeff

[Reorte]

Funny thing about the lever frame, the current one is a recovered 20 lever one, and I've seen a photo with only 4 spares since some IB signals were added, which looks like it means that the box has more levers in use now than it's ever had (whichever box we're talking about), even with the actual KS track plan being simpler these days. Can't be too many places like that any more!

[Reorte]

Back to the waiting shelter, I've added a bit of weathering. I'll probably do a bit more, and with a bit more variety but better to go slow than overdo it.

[lmsforever]

A very useful video thank you for the info.

[Reorte]

I've not done much for ages, and then decided to get sidetracked. I thought I'd have a go at making an anhydrite hopper, just to see how practical it is without etching. My results so far:

 

This is my first attempt at scratch building in brass (I've tried a couple of kits). It's not perfect by any means but I've learned a lot, so my next attempt will hopefully be easier and neater. At this rate it should keep me out of mischief for, oh, a good few years.

 

Obviously I've not yet started on the really tricky bits - brake gear and W irons. I'm hoping that someone might sell an etch that could be suitably adapted with some bits of brass strip. If anyone can suggest something, better still if they'll be at Warley or Manchester, I'd really appreciate it. I also need to do a bit of researching into suitable buffers and vacuum cylinders.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Reorte

[Physicsman]

Good luck with this project, Simon. I know Mike (Dent) is always bemoaning the lack of RTR anhydrite wagons and the prospect of having to brass solder the kits.

 

Me? I'm just too damned lazy to do what you are doing, though you'll certainly have an authentic train once complete. Nice to see this!

 

Jeff

[Reorte]

I think I rather like the idea of things I've made myself running on my sort-of-layout, although perhaps the novelty of that will eventually wear off.

[peach james]

I've not done much for ages, and then decided to get sidetracked. I thought I'd have a go at making an anhydrite hopper, just to see how practical it is without etching. My results so far:

IMGP1688.JPG

 

This is my first attempt at scratch building in brass (I've tried a couple of kits). It's not perfect by any means but I've learned a lot, so my next attempt will hopefully be easier and neater. At this rate it should keep me out of mischief for, oh, a good few years.

 

Obviously I've not yet started on the really tricky bits - brake gear and W irons. I'm hoping that someone might sell an etch that could be suitably adapted with some bits of brass strip. If anyone can suggest something, better still if they'll be at Warley or Manchester, I'd really appreciate it. I also need to do a bit of researching into suitable buffers and vacuum cylinders.

 

 

Give Micheal Edge a email, I have 2 sets of kits for them (they are chassis only kits, not complete, but a "aid to scratchbuilding" for sure...).  They are on my list for next year...after I retire.

 

James Powell

[Reorte]

Thanks for the suggestion, I had a chat with them at the Manchester show and should be getting some (they don't have any lying around but said they could get some made up). Very helpful people.

[Reorte]

Long time since the last post, and I've just finished one anhydrite hopper.

 

Hopefully by the time I've finished a rake I'll have learned to solder neatly! Still need to figure out exactly what colour they were too, there's not much of the original paint left in the colour pictures I've seen and other models I've seen on RMweb look redder than bauxite. The washers I've used for the holes for the tarps are a bit large too, I think I'll have a rummage around for something smaller.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Reorte

[67A]

Hi Simon,

 

I had to do some detective work to find the above picture of your Anhydrite wagon following Jeff's mention, god you're a glutton for punishment with at least another nineteen to build! you are probably aware I converted the unpainted Dapol 24t hopper to do mine and have 12 done to date. As for colour I painted my first with Pheonix bauxite and it looked too red, I left it for a few weeks and it miraculously darkened down a little, I then rubbed it down using a glass fibre pen again this dulled the colour, after applying the transfers I gave it some weathering and I now feel it and the others all done to a different degree look okay. I'm now practicing with the tarpaulins and building up the stamina to work on the last eight.

[Reorte]

Another 19? Erk, I must've miscounted somewhere, I had 18 as the typical rake!

 

I thought about the conversion approach after seeing yours but in the end I decided that I wanted to try to build my own metal ones, mostly for the sake of building something (although the chassis is the Judith Edge kit mentioned above, and the castings are Lanarkshire Model Supplies and 51L). Is that too much to call it scratch built? I suspect that that enthusiasm will wane in time, but I'm happy enough if it takes me twenty years.

 

May I enquire about the transfers? If I'm remembering rightly you had them made...

Edited October 5, 2016 by Reorte

[Reorte]

Some grass and wall. The wall had been sitting untouched but the Kirkby Luneside walling epic inspired me to (nearly) finish this stretch. Must clean up the bits that have got everywhere.

 

I've not re-done the grass yet, hence the few thin and bare patches, which would definitely look better if there was a bit of scatter underneath instead of just paint. The advantage of tearing it up though is in the dim and distant future when I start work on the next board (I've no room for the whole planned layout, and no plan to address that!) I'll be able to match the grass if I buy more and note what I've mixed, which I've failed to do with this bit.

[Physicsman]

Some grass and wall. The wall had been sitting untouched but the Kirkby Luneside walling epic inspired me to (nearly) finish this stretch. Must clean up the bits that have got everywhere.

 

I've not re-done the grass yet, hence the few thin and bare patches, which would definitely look better if there was a bit of scatter underneath instead of just paint. The advantage of tearing it up though is in the dim and distant future when I start work on the next board (I've no room for the whole planned layout, and no plan to address that!) I'll be able to match the grass if I buy more and note what I've mixed, which I've failed to do with this bit.

IMGP2304.JPG

IMGP2298.JPG

 

Kirkby Luneside "epic", eh?!!

 

I'm expecting Ben Hur or Indiana Jones to come charging down the line, whips flashing, making choo-choo sounds!

 

And I'm only about 2/3 of the way through with the walling yet. Oh dear.

 

Good to see you're underway again.

 

As for the grass - don't rip it up. Paint a 70:30 (ish) PVA:water mix onto any areas you fancy and static grass a 1mm / 2mm grass mix, which will go nicely into the "gaps" and thicken things up. Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs!!

 

Jeff

[peach james]

I've not done much for ages, and then decided to get sidetracked. I thought I'd have a go at making an anhydrite hopper, just to see how practical it is without etching. My results so far:

IMGP1688.JPG

 

This is my first attempt at scratch building in brass (I've tried a couple of kits). It's not perfect by any means but I've learned a lot, so my next attempt will hopefully be easier and neater. At this rate it should keep me out of mischief for, oh, a good few years.

 

Obviously I've not yet started on the really tricky bits - brake gear and W irons. I'm hoping that someone might sell an etch that could be suitably adapted with some bits of brass strip. If anyone can suggest something, better still if they'll be at Warley or Manchester, I'd really appreciate it. I also need to do a bit of researching into suitable buffers and vacuum cylinders.

 

doh, realized we are going in circles here...

 

James

Edited October 17, 2016 by peach james

[Reorte]

doh, realized we are going in circles here...

 

James

?

 

I'm guessing that's to do with your post being edited - my rather slow rate of work perhaps being a cause of confusion. That said I've got two hoppers built now (a week off work last week helped there), although there'll be a pause now at least until I get around to buying some more brass strip (the stanchions get through quite a bit of it). In the meantime I'll probably try fiddling around with the templates a bit, things aren't fitting together perfectly on these. The main body sections were created by drawing them on the computer, printing them out, and glueing them on to the brass sheet as a cutting guide, but aren't quite right, probably because I've not taken into account the thickness of the metal. And twice now I'd not noticed that the printer had decided to default to "fit to page", which seems to mean squish in one dimension a drawing that was set up on an A4 page in the first place, until I'd cut the metal and found it was too short...

Edited October 17, 2016 by Reorte

[Reorte]

Here's hopper number 2.

I won't post pictures of every new one, that'll get rather repetative (unless I manage to make a neater job).

[Reorte]

I've sloshed a bit of paint on the hoppers. It looks a bit thick and uneven on the photos, but that may be the soldering as much as the painting, but I'm coming around to accept that I'll have to figure out the airbrush. It'll be useful for weathering them I'm sure, and I've got a few cheap second-hand wagons to practice on. Before that I'll need to figure out transfers.

 

The background is temporary, just a picture I had lying around (which is why the season doesn't match the grass). I've given the wall a wash-over with light grey. Later on I'll try picking out individual stones with slight variations.

 

 

[macgeordie]

Hi Reorte

I've just come across this thread. I produced a kit for the Anhydride wagons some time ago. There is a thread on the forum about them. If you do a forum search for S&C Anhydrite wagon you should find it easily enough if you are interested.

 

Ian