Two weeks on and the luggage van has hit the rails. I finally finished a majority of the detailing bits. It had its first run around the layout on an old set of Minitrix Mk1 bogies, with no problems. Even the steps on the solebar cleared the platforms at Stur. All that is left are the cables on the ends, the inside window grills and the next major obstacle; the roof! So a question to all your blog readers out there, how do I shape the roof to the right profile, without having to buy special
The last couple of months has seen me trying to finish of some the many UFO's. On the list were some LMS 6 wheeled CCT's. These are brass etches made by Etched Pixels, which glue on to a 3D print body, which in turn fits onto a NGS 6 wheels chassis from the stove R.
These were quite simple to build. I opted to solder the sides together and then glue the body. The body's come with or without rainstrip. While the printed strip is a bit thick, added brass wire and shaping was a tad difficul
I'd start by apologising, it has been quite sometime since I add to/ updated this blog. Over the spanning time the modelling mojo has ebbed and flowed. I've been encouraged by Sithlord to get my act together and post some updates.
Work on the Patriot has continued, ever so slowly. Applying the lining decals has been an experience
Just as I was about to order some nameplates, the NGS shop closed, so now just awaiting the modelmaster section to be updated to order some plates.
The lin
Well I was warned. This whole having a baby thing seriously cramps your model train time. Douglas is fast approaching 7 weeks old, but he still can't put N gauge rolling stock on the track.
In between all the old chores and new responsibilities that come with being a new father, I’m still trying to find some time to get out into the garage and ‘do some trains’. I dug up the boxes containing UFO’s (Un Finished Objects), with the intent to try and finish some of them off. I was do
Well, this the 1st entry on the forum about my N gauge layout. I'll get around to transferring from the old site, once its up and running again.
I started this project officially, back in August 2008, well that??�s when we started making the baseboards. Some would argue that the idea was first hatched back in 2000 when I first saw the track diagram for Stur. Over the preceding year I did some researching and lots of reading. Having to spend some of my valuable time flying round the san
This photo shows the expanse of space and several times now I??�ve been quoted as saying I have too much space, what modeller ever say??�s that?
As the year has rolled on, work progressed gradually, most of it just tidying up. Ever so slowly I moved on towards the development of the station, yards and surrounds. At the same time research has continue, the biggest gain being some aerial photos taken by the RAF in 1947. These have both helped and hinder the building progress, ma
I don't seem to have gotten the hang of this blog thingy, so I reverted back to the old format in Layout Topics. Updates for Sturminster can be found there. Maybe in the future I'll work blogging out. You can now see updates in the link below.
http://www.rmweb.co....__gopid__55142&
Whilst playing trains this evening, I had a little bit of a mishap! I looked away from 5682 Trafalgar with 8 bogies Staniers in tow to attend to 46106 Gordon Highlander. Next thing I know there is a loud 'clunk' and when I look over Trafalgar is lying on its side. This is strange, I thought, nothing has ever come off in that area of track, a rather straight stretch about 200' from the Sturminster down platform. This is what I found!
I made some measurements of the beetle, it was a sca
Forgive my multiple posts, but I can't get the advanced uploader to work, so its 1 photo per entry
15 months after construction start and where am I up too. By the end of November 2008 we had the all the track laid and all the electrics in place and working. This quick deadline was in place due my impending marriage and a work relate move of 1600km. Believe it or not, on the nite of my wedding we even stole some time to go to the shed and run some trains, with the consent of the newly na
To try and get some authenticity, I found a model-maker who is making their way through my list of building that was require. Opening the order was the station building with station masters office and booking office. I??�m quite happy with them.
Progress on Stur has been a little slow of late. Last few weeks prior to going to the BRMA convention were spent preparing wagons for the modelling competition. I was quite happy with my 3 horseboxes. Whilst Brisvegas I did some consulting with our head musketeer, and owner of the 10 track traverser. Also managed to find an article about a OO layout based on Sturminster Newton, which was in the July 1987 edition of Practical Railway Modelling. Some interesting hints and tips there that may
Well I managed to save some money at the train show, so a new soldering iron was purchased. Temperature controlled and a ceramic heating element, hopefully this will help me to improve my skills with the hot wand. The wooden pegs as suggested in previous comments is a great tip, apart from the fact all the pegs in our peg bag are plastic! Looks like I'm off to the shops, again.
Managed to do some more on the luggage van today. Both solebars are fitted now, even after I put the frame on up
It's been awhile, almost as if I've been hibernating over winter, yes that's right we do have winter here down under. I went to the annual state railway modelling show over the weekend, and did some shopping. I also had a visit from 1/3 of the Ixion management, and after these long discussion, I think my mojo is back. Some new irons are in the fire, and hopefully at Christmas I will be having a date with the a 3d laser cutter.
Whilst I’ve been absent in model making, it hasn't stop
well believe it or not, but I did get some more done today, amazing.
There are signifcant and varying detail in the 2 variants of Quad/limbers/25 lbs I have. The Gramodel is alot finer, but the gun is lacking, whereas the Pithead is a bit rough in places, but the gun has more prescene. I really like the shovel and drag ropes molded onto the gun sheild. Considering they will be sitting on some warflats, they won't be static long enough for the rivet counters to .............
They still n
I managed to find some time to week to resume work on the luggage van. After several phone calls to the Sithlord up in Longreach, I made an attempt on the roof. With no previous experience with rolling brass, I was a bit hesitant to start with. To get the main curve of the roof I used a piece of 20mm diameter steel pipe and rolled it on a computer mouse mat. For the edges, I clamped it 1mm in from the edge in the hold-n-fold and then used a 3mm diameter brass rod to turn-up the ends. After
Well it looks like winter is about to come to an end, so its about time to come out of hibernation. I've got some Worsley Works MR Celestory coach kits a couple of years ago, but it wasn't until last week that I finally got the Chris Higgs roofs. Being a bit unsure on the how's of soldering with sides with tumblehome, I took one of the etches with me to the Caulfield model train show and got some hints, tips + advice from one of Ixion team.
After a one hour lesson, I got stuck into 1 coach
Not so much a modeling update, but goods news. With the release of the Farish production list for 2011, I thought I'd better check on the loco numbers of the proposed Std 5MT. A quick search promptly told me that 372-725 5MT 73068 was sheded at Bath Green Park, 71G, and it was its last before being removed and scrapped. I then did a quick flick through some Ivo Peters books, hoping to find a photo of said loco. It then dawned on me that I had purchased a 35mm slide on eBay several years ago
Well, I??™m about to take-off down to the beach for a week, a sort of pre-leave leave. Or as my wife puts it, time for us to spend time alone prior to our new arrival in the new year. Anyway, I thought I??™d better update on the little progress made on Sturminster in the past month. Time has had to be juggled between work, fire brigade training (yet another bad fire season is expected down under), anti-natal classes and keeping my 35 week pregnant wife happy (any tips most welcome).
I got
Have been tidying up over the past few weeks, its amazing the amount stuff you find when you clean-up!
Other work has included:
trying my hand at fence building,
refining my static grass technique and
trying to finish my entries into modeling comp for the BRMA convention this up coming weekend (3 NGS Mk1 horseboxes).
On a good news front, my 7F has hit the rails. Its one of the old GEM S+D 7F 2-8-0 kits running on a Farish 8F chassis. I contacted GEM last month to check on progress of
I know I set myself a week to finish this one, but ................. I blame valentine's day, a long story, for another time.
While not completely finished, they still need further weathering, I’m happy with the result so far. All I need now is to finish the warwells and warflats and order some more warwells, plus find some bogies I've got hidden in a box, somewhere!
On a side note, whilst at happy hour last week in the Sergeants mess, the topic got around to me and my model trai
Its been over a year since I last made an entry, where has the time gone? With a couple of days off work due to the big horse race, I decided to try and finish some outstanding UFO's.
This work included adding to decals to some Spirit Design VR "Aircon" passanger kits of the AE/BE/BG. I painted these last christmas, so it was high time they were finished prior to the big move at the end of the year. I have six in total, so only 2 to go.
Next was to make a start on new Ultima LMS 6 wheel
