As I’ve explained on my Cheddar layout build, my layouts and most of my modelling stuff is presently packed in boxes pending a house move. Sadly this is taking an age, so I’m trying to keep my hand in with whatever I can do on a temporary set up.
So far, this has been limited to wagon kits, both in 4mm and whisper it quietly, 7mm. All very enjoyable but getting a bit monotonous. In a bid to mix things up a bit, I’ve dug out a High Level chassis kit for a 64xx GWR pannier tank. I’ve a
I’ve recently had the need to clear out a load of things from my mum’s house and whilst I was there I noticed a couple of buildings that have been on display in her house.
I built these models a long time ago when I was a teenager. By my reckoning they’re almost 40 years old.
These were of two locations in the Lake District; the Minstrels Gallery in Hawkshead and The Sun Hotel in Troutbeck Bridge. Both of these were connected with family holidays to the Lakes in the 1980’
And you may find yourself living in an end of terrace semi
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the build of a larger than usual plastic kit
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?"
And you may ask yourself, "How do I work this?"
And you may ask yourself, "Why is everything so large?"
And you may tell yourself, "This is
It’s now over 3 months since I took Cheddar to Wells and I think it’s fair to say that I’m in the middle of the modelling doldrums. There’s been very little modelling output or even enthusiasm which is why I haven’t posted anything for a while.
Some of this is circumstantial. I got married in August and moved to Cardiff thereafter, my son has started at university and my house in Weston has been sold. Whilst all of this is fantastic, it means that all my layouts and modelling stuff i
Just a short update of the progress I managed to make before having my op this week. Home now with an extended sick note so hopefully will be able to do some modelling during my convalescence.
The rake (or should that be shoal) of Herring are finished and awaiting a date with a rattle can. Just some holes to fill first where I’ve moved the handrails.
Coupling hooks are Ambis and I’ll fit the instanter couplings once painted.
Not much going on at the moment due to the house going on the market, but the tinking table is still working of sorts via a travelling modelling box. On the go at the moment is a rake of 6 ex GWR P22 hoppers. These are a straight build from the Cambrian kits and when finished will represent a fully loaded stone train. As they'll also be filled full of lead I'm not too worried about springing or compensation, though the pin points have been filed down a bit to induce a little slop. One was comple
I have finally finished the first B set for Cheddar. Little did I know that this was going to be quite so involved when I started, what now seems a very long time ago.
The origin was a set of sides, roofs and ends from the Ks kit, kindly given to me by Tim Venton. These coaches were prevalent in the Bristol division after nationalisation so I was always going to have a set on Cheddar.
When it came to start, I’d lost one of the ends so ended up making a blank from plasticard. The
Some projects just seem to take on a life of their own. The WC has been ongoing for a long, long time now and seems to have been one of those projects.
I'd decided that I was going to have to paint the loco. I wasn't expecting to have to do it twice.
First off was a Humbrol rattle can over Halfords plastic primer. The finish was awful so after much cussing it was stripped right back and second time round Precision BR loco green was airbrushed on.
Lining was achieved by Fox transfe
At the end of the last instalment, I'd managed to get a rolling chassis without too much difficulty.
The fun started when I tried to use a Markits single slide bar crosshead assembly. It just wouldn't fit. I couldn't adopt the usual dodge of widening the cylinders as their outside face is flush with the loco body. So another plan was hatched using the original Hornby slide bar and crosshead. I had to fit by trial and error, using epoxy to fix the cylinders and the slide bar assembly in plac
A very long time ago, some 10 years to be precise, I started a conversion of a Hornby West Country pacific to P4. At the time, I was trying to use the existing chassis and had modified the existing bogie and pony trucks. I was having all manner of problems with the slide bars though and despite trying everything I could think of just couldn’t get it to run properly. After a valiant effort I reached the point where I stopped and put it to one side for a proper think.
I decided to go down the
Glad to see the site is up and running again. I'm slowly adding back the lost images to my blogs so if there's anything anyone has a query on please ask.
During the site down time I finished off the engine and it's now released for traffic.
First up was a coat of Halfords etch primer, then Phoenix olive green through an airbrush.
I'm quite pleased with the paint job. I haven't tackled Southern livery before and I was a bit apprehensive about it but it seems to have turned out ok.
With the tinking table open again, I’m trying to get another loco finished before Stonehouse goes to Expo EM. It’s one of the ex PD&SWJR 0-6-2T’s built by Hawthorn Leslie. The origin of the model is a CSP kit and has been on my to do list for a while. The chassis will be compensated and I’ve got the body done. Frames are done with rods etc and next will be to fit the wheels. The high level gearbox is in the bench so hopefully not too far to go now.
Happy to report the tinking table has been reinstated!
It’s been a quiet (by my standards anyway) couple of years on the modelling front. Primarily due to a divorce which thankfully is now all resolved. The house was sold in December and I moved into my new abode just after Christmas.
After sorting the essentials I was able to build a new modelling bench in the box room. This also houses the office desk on the opposite wall but I’m left with a 6ft bench to play with. It’s so nice to have
After quite a lengthy delay, the 1361 has been finished, painted and weathered this weekend. It was great to get the airbrush out, though my set up was a little rudimentary. I just need a name plate, crew and couplings. Oh and balance weights and coal...
But I'm quite happy how this has turned out. There are naff all clearances between the wheel rims and underside of footplate (that's why the Kernow one had splashers) so Ive lifted the body up slightly.
All runs well and the CSB's work
Another bank holiday and a bit more time at the tinking table working on the 1361. The cylinders and slide bars are done, crossheads fettled and con rods added. CSBs are fitted and all runs smoothly.
The cab, roof, smokebox, bunker and tanks have been fashioned from about a million bits of brass. Everything has an overlay. Even the overlays. Thank goodness for my RSU. The kit is carefully thought out and any mistakes are mine. I can see a couple of things in the photos that are going to nee
I recently found a few photos of a recent conversion I did a while back of the Dapol B4 to EM for my Covid shunting layout.
I've been working quite a bit on Guernsey in the Channel Islands so this was originally an impulse purchase.
I decided the LSWR would have loaned it from Southampton Docks to work the Stonehouse branch in Plymouth in my universe anyway.
The B4 is a tricky thing to convert by the usual standards. I didn't want to change the wheels as there isn't a 100%
It's been a long time since I posted anything on here. Time doesn't seem to be what it was and a painfully slow divorce coupled with Covid restrictions has hampered modelling progress.
But in a rare alignment of planets, stars, work and other more domestic arrangements I've actually had a couple of days at the modelling bench. Must be a holiday or something...
I've been building a little Covid layout using the EMGS track and turnouts, details of which will follow I'm sure
Due to a senior moment, I forgot that I'd ordered one of these some time ago from Model Railways Direct. I duly ordered one from Kernow so imagine my surprise when two finally arrived. Hey ho.
As has been documented elsewhere, the colour of these vans looks a little on the light side. As I never saw one in service prior to 1923, I'm not qualified to say whether the LSWR brown is the wrong shade. The general opinion is that it is. Having a second model meant that I was prepared to have a go
Having just about got the hang of the new software and negotiated the family birthday fest between mid Jan and mid Feb, I've returned to the modelling bench. The 2MT detailing has been finished off. I've added injectors, ejectors, upjectors and downjectors, quite a few bits of wire that no doubt have very technical names. I cut out the original door recesses and replaced with a new set back one and added side hung handrails. I've fitted a new chimney (thanks Dave) and subjected the body and chas
Happy New Year to you all. I'm not sure how long we're all supposed to keep saying that but as its my first blog of 2019, I will.
This time of year is always slightly frugal when it comes to modelling as both the Mrs and myself have birthdays in the first half of the month and being the big 5-0 we spent last weekend in Barcelona, which was nice.
Anyhow, the Ivatt chassis has been wired, a substantial amount of lead glued into the body and pick ups added. Happily, it trundles quite satisfacto
Merry Christmas and festive compliments of the season (whatever they are - that's a moist turkey etc.) to you all.
Following some sound and appreciated advice, I turned with some trepidation towards the Walschaerts valve gear on the 2MT.
But, as was predicted, I took things steadily and didn't really have any problems at all (Thanks Dave!). In fact I enjoyed it. So much so I want to do another one!
I've used a 16BA nut and bolt to join the two halves of the valve gear on the expansion link
As it's been too cold and wet to go to the garage this weekend, I've shuffled up to the work bench and turned my attention to another loco for Cheddar.
This one's an Ivatt 2-6-2 2MT tank which were a regular feature of the Cheddar Valley branch. No idea what number it'll be yet.
The basis is the Bachmann body with a Comet chassis to go underneath, Gibson wheels, High Level horn blocks and gearbox and fully sprung with CSB's, as is my usual these days.
The chassis side frames were assembled
One of my long standing 'round tuit' projects has been a Triang bogie luggage van that was given to me by the late Bob Haskins. As is the way, I was looking for something else in the modelling room when I came across a box containing a number of wagons he'd given me, some years ago now.
I knew I'd picked up a detailing conversion pack for it from Roxey Mouldings at a bring and buy so I thought why not?
I guess Bob had this coach from the early seventies and the Roxey kit was also in a suitab
I was doing a demo at the recent Railwells show and was pleased that I managed to do virtually no modelling. Always the sign of a successful 'demo' weekend.
I did get as far as dismantling an Oxford models AA3 ex GW Toad in BR livery.
Several people pointed out the errors in the model (apart from the chassis being supplied in the wrong scale as the wheels are too close together obviously), so I didn't do much more than take it apart and compensate one axle with a low profile MJT unit. The ax
With the loco virtually finished, I've set about making a tender to go with it. This is a Mitchell 3500 gallon one, pretty much made up as per the instructions. Wheels are Ultrascale.
The front two axles are meant to be compensated but the instructions noted that the compensation beam could be omitted if you wanted to have the tender weight bearing on the loco drag beam and increasing adhesion, which I do I think so I'm trying it. If it doesn't work I'll add the compensation back later.
At t
