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About this blog

An occasional update on SRman's workbench projects

Entries in this blog

ex-SECR 'Dance Hall' Brake Vans - almost completed

The ex-SECR brake van kits are very nearly complete now. Just a few minor paint touches to fix up and some varnish and weathering to go, and they will be finished.   I have used the Cambridge Custom Transfers sheet 2b/c to add the lettering on the two vans, although some of it was just guesswork as to where it should go as there is a distinct absence of good photos of them in BR days (non-preserved state). They have both ended up as van S55476/DS55476 but I can doctor one of those numbers late
SRman

SRman

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ex-SECR 'Dance Hall' Brake Vans - started in 2009, nearly finished in 2015!

Does anyone remember the two Cambrian Kits SECR 'Dance Hall' brake vans I started sometime in 2009 (or maybe even before that)? No? I posted a few photos of them sitting on the old layout at Middlehurst, minus glazing, couplings and handrails. Here's a reminder:       I have had them sitting on a shelf above my workbench, reminding me every time I sit down there that I need to finish them. Well, I finally fitted the glazing, added the handrails and added couplings, utilising the Parkside N
SRman

SRman

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Improving some Second-hand Pre-grouping vans

Fairly recently, I bought three pre-grouping vans from the local swap meet, all Roxey etched brass kits and well made, although a little battered from unsympathetic handling. Each cost me $20, (compared to the £27 each, or approximately $AUS55, for the flat kits, still currently available) and was fitted with EM gauge axles and wheels. I have slowly regauged or replaced the wheels and axles, with two of the vans retaining their compensation at one end, while the S&DJR van had to lose its com
SRman

SRman

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DCC Decoder Fitting for a Bachmann Lord Nelson (split chassis)

In response to a request from Mallard60022, after fitting a decoder to a Bachmann Lord Nelson with split chassis, here is a step by step guide to how I did it, using my second LN as the example (I didn't take any photos for the first one!). This one is no. 850, Lord Nelson, renamed and renumbered from no. 864   Some of the photos are a bit blurred as I was trying to hold the model and operate the phone camera at the same time, but I think the results are sufficiently clear to show what I was d
SRman

SRman

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Further progress on the Ayjay 4 SUB and the Hornby N15 dome replacement

A little while back, I bought a Hornby N15 that was missing its dome. A quick phone call to South Eastern Finecast secured one of their white metal N15 domes, which arrived well before Christmas.   A few minutes' work with the drill and files on the N15 boiler cleared the area to allow the new dome to be glued in. Two coats of Humbrol HS 172 BR standard locomotive green (a very old tin of enamel from the old railway range of colours), including both the dome and the boiler segment between the
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A small advance on the Ayjay 4 SUB - couplings

I wasn't sure what to do about adding couplings within the 4 SUB unit. The motor coach, using the Hornby 2 BIL chassis, already had NEM pockets; a rigidly attached one at the driving end and a swivelling one at the trailing end. I have a few of the NEM pockets, as marketed by Bachmann and Hornby, so thought I would experiment a bit with these.   I filed a gap in the resin bogie ends and superglued the pockets in. I wasn't too worried about exact distances as I was going to experiment with diff
SRman

SRman

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A small advance on the Ayjay 4 SUB - detailing the fronts 2

More details added to the fronts of the Ayjay 4 SUB. Lamp irons and windscreen wipers added, horns removed from the dummy motor coach but not yet from the motorised one.   I must change the wire gauges used for the jumper cables. The ones I used match the resin moulded-on ones but they are really too coarse - I seem to recall I discovered this when I did the 2 HAL previously. I think most would agree the effect is still better than moulded-on detail though.           EDIT: I decided
SRman

SRman

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A small advance on the Ayjay 4 SUB - detailing the fronts 1

School holidays for Christmas are here. I am hoping to get a bit more modelling done over the break, including getting the 4 SUB and 2 HAP completed, wiring and more tracklaying on the layout, and some weathering on more of the Hornby ex-SR units (2 BIL and 2 HAL).   The first move on this has been to scrape and file off the moulded on pipes on the Ayjay 4 SUB and replace them with separate wire fittings.       Next job is to add lamp irons, windscreen wipers (both of these items to be f
SRman

SRman

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The Ayjay 4 SUB kit has Arrived, and More on the 2 HAP

The Ayjay Models 4 SUB kit has arrived from Radley Models. Oddly, it came with four trailer bogies and four motor bogies. I contacted Phil Radley and he immediately offered to send out the two missing trailer bogies. I also asked if he wished the extra motor bogies returned but, as yet, he hasn't replied to that. Excellent service, as always, from Phil.   With this kit, I am using the Hornby 2 BIL motor chassis but will have to use the Ayjay resin chassis/underframes for the remaining three co
SRman

SRman

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Bachmann Class 40 Bogie Frame Repairs

When visiting Peter Mantle's (PCM) Llanbourne layout for the monthly BRMA meeting yesterday, I took along two locomotives that were recently reblown with legomanbiffo sounds. One, 37 698, behaved perfectly (although I noted that I have at some stage lost the horns at one end, probably when transporting it to an exhibition). The other, class 40 D211, disgraced itself by dropping the bogie frame at one end. I was still able to run it and show off the sounds but it looked rather odd - like one end
SRman

SRman

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What to do with a Hornby N15 missing its dome

Last weekend I bought a cheap Hornby N15 at our local swap meeting. It was missing its dome but it ran sweetly and all other bits were present, including the Hornby bag of bits. It was the NRM model of 30777 Sir Lamiel, in BR late crest livery. I have memories of a ride behind Sir Lamiel on the Scarborough Spa Express back in 1984, when it was in SR green as 777.   After scouring eBay and the spares suppliers like Peters Spares (and others) and not finding any spare domes or even spare or dama
SRman

SRman

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A Bulleid style 2 HAP with Ayjay Models body shells and Hornby 2 BIL chassis

Another new project started: a 2 HAP unit of the 5601 - 5636 batch built to the Bulleid style.   This is based on the Ayjay Models resin kit, bought through Radley Models. As I intended to use Hornby 2 BIL running units and chassis, I asked Phil Radley if he could sell me just the body shells and seat units. He very kindly did this and included the floor/chassis units as well as he wanted only the bogies for other uses.   Having adapted the same manufacturer's 2 HAL unit to the 2 BIL chassis
SRman

SRman

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... And a Couple More Weathered Vans Hit the Rails

Here are two more vans of the workbench, weathered using the same techniques as the previous two vans. For dirty roofs I use a lot of Humbrol #66, a very good all round weathering and roof colour - good for tyres on road vehicles too.   For the previous crimson SR Van C roof I used the same grey #66 at full strength, then a very thin wash of the Revell brown #84.   The next two vans have variations on the overall weathering, starting with the roofs using thin washes of Humbrol #66. The Fruit
SRman

SRman

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More Weathering - this time an ex-LNER CCT plus an ex-SR Van C

More weathering! I bought one of the new Hornby extra long ex-LNER CCTs in BR crimson. It is a very fine model but way too clean - these types of vehicle rarely saw anything like a carriage washer between overhauls and repaints.   I used the usual weathering techniques and colours (much the same as the 2 BIL in the previous post but with heavier weathering on the vehicle sides) but wanted to try a patchy effect on the roof. My attempts at that failed so I ended up repainting the roof with Humb
SRman

SRman

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Weathering a Hornby 2 BIL

Having modified the livery and renumbered one of my Hornby 2 BILs so it represented a unit getting near the end of its life I decided that the bogies and underframe and its equipment were much too clean and shiny. In fact, this applies to all of the units, BIL, HAL, CEP, EPB and MLV! However, one at a time is the way to go, otherwise I get bogged down and lose interest again.   The techniques used on this one were simply to use thin washes. My usual colours for this are Humbrol coal black (#85
SRman

SRman

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Lighting a Bachmann disc headcode class 20

I have spent some time over the last two days fitting a lighting kit to a Bachmann class 20. The wiring up was complicated by the fact that it has sound fitted (reblown by Howes), a bass enhanced speaker and a pair of wires leading to a two-pin socket which allows a second, de-motored class 20 with a larger bass reflex speaker to be semi-permanently attached.   The lights include separately wired marker and tail lights at each end plus a cab light. The sound decoder is an ESU LokSound with onl
SRman

SRman

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Finishing off the Lima/Hornby RailRoad class 31

The transfers have now all been added and weathering improved/added to. There were a couple of minor setbacks: the matt varnish on the roof dried a lot glossier than the satin varnish on the sides, and one of the numbers dissolved in the satin varnish (I was probably too rough with the brush!).   I have reapplied the missing number and added blue star coupling codes on the ends. I revarnished the roof area using a Testors lacquer, which tends to dissolve any paint layers beneath it if one dwel
SRman

SRman

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Hornby RailRoad/Lima Class 31 modifications nearly finished

Continuing with the class 31 where I put a Hornby RailRoad chassis under my previously detailed Lima 'skinhead' body.   I added the buffer beam cowls as shown in my previous blog entry.   Then, after filing the lower cowl shapes down to clear the couplings, I removed the numbers and central BR arrows, which also entailed removing a bit of the paint work. Fortunately, Humbrol/Hornby's BR blue acrylic paint is a very close match for the Lima shade so I was able to patch paint. Once I complete
SRman

SRman

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Repairing a Hornby N15

A few months ago, I bought a Hornby BR early green N15, 30737 King Uther, at a very reasonable price, with the knowledge that it had a little damage on the tender rear, including missing a buffer and the lower corner of the buffer beam, plus a bit of the upper fairing being broken.   I have slowly been repairing this damage using plasticard and filler and a pair of Bachmann sprung buffers. Repairing the damage was relatively easy but touching up the pre-weathered paintwork took a little bit of
SRman

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Class 30 and 31 trials, tribulations and modifications

School holiday jobs: I have re-chassised my green Hornby Brush type 2 (class 30), D5513, as the original was one of those with the dreaded metal "cancer". That was all right, except I got the bogies at the wrong ends, initially; the difference is in the wire lengths! I had carefully noted the wiring before disconnecting all the wires from the pcb but, on reassembly, I found that the lights weren't working properly on DC or DCC (I started with the decoder removed and the original Hornby blanking
SRman

SRman

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Cambrian Sturgeon A, almost completed first wagon

After a bit of a gap, I have now added the door bumpers for the second side of the Cambrian Kits Sturgeon A. After I finish this one, I have to repeat the whole process for the second wagon!         The lighting was poor so I turned the flash on on the phone camera for the first two shots. None are ideal but they'll do for now, to show progress.
SRman

SRman

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A little more progress on the first Cambrian Kits Sturgeon A

Well, I have now done 14 of the door springs, so one side done! It is extremely fiddly fitting the small, semi-circular bits of plastic! I was using my Opti-visor with its built in light to see what I was doing, and two thirds of the way through this process, we had a power cut! I just carried on while the ladies in the house squealed and muttered something about finding some candles. Fortunately for everyone else, the power came back on after a few minutes!     Next jobs are to do the othe
SRman

SRman

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Further progress on the H & D Bristol MW and Starting a Cambrian Kits Sturgeon A

Another project started and a little further progress on existing projects: I have started on the first of two Cambrian Kits Sturgeon A wagons, their kit C82 (the ones with the side doors still in place). Progress will be slow because each wagon has seven doors per side, with two handrails, two door springs and two door bangers per door! Thats 28 of each item per wagon!.         Work is also continuing slowly on finishing the buses and coaches. The green Little Bus Company Hants & D
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Another Hants & Dorset bus plus another tweak to a Southdown coach

Further to the last post, I have painted the tyres on the coach wheels for the Duple Commander bodied Southdown Leyland Leopard. I think they work in this new installation, in spite of the extra diameter.       I have also started on another Little Bus Company resin kit, this time a Bristol MW bus with ECW body from 1958 or so, to go into Hants & Dorset livery.           All work done at this stage has been achjeved using an optivisor type magnifier because I can't yet focu
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A minor tweak to one of the LBC Southdown coaches

My modelling abilities have been temporarily curtailed, along with my on line presence and reading abilities; I had a cataract removed from my right eye last Tuesday and am having the left one done this coming Tuesday. I am typing this with one lens in my glasses and a patch over the right eye!! Once the left eye is done, I will have to wait for some reading glasses before I can see properly to read and type again - I will be doing a little of both but with severe limitations for a month or so.
SRman

SRman

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