Sorry folks, been busy with family issues and have done absolutely zero.
However I did get a nice birthday present
So hopefully the pics will be better now, especially If I unpack a tripod to use with it.
And also bought a present for myself
But Why this Bachmann? never happened - how about Man Vic?
I know it's not technically 100% but it's a damned good model and as a local store was "having trouble selling it"
It wasn't too bad cost wise (For Austra
Treading Water
Been busy with other things, so not much happening on the model rail front.
A4 update:
Well, the degreaser finally broke through that black paint, so I scrubbed most of it away.
No sanding marks - all looks good.
Another soak and scrub and she should be ready for a repaint.
So, where should I go with this?
Just a repaint in BR green with numbers and linework?
Get a whistle and some etched nameplates? [both missing on this unit]
Try and detail it up? althou
So here we have the current state of play with the brake van.
The roof is just sitting on top.
If you're thinking the undercarriage is very green/grey you'd be right. [Hard to see from the photo]
I just wanted to darken it before adding the couplers etc.
I'm hoping overpainting the whole lot with black will give a slightly weathered appearance.
If you think the bauxite is too light - I'm thinking of a quick black wash and rub over the top
again for a slight weathering. Oh and th
The Brake Van - Finally
So here's the almost assembled unit, you might see a couple of rough spots but hopefully they'll be
sorted in the prep and paint.
I took a photo of it now as I'm going to paint the interior and undercarriage before adding couplers, footboards
and other details.
The Triang van alongside it shows how much longer and narrower the Dapol kit is.
I had issues with the brake shoe pins, and one warped solebar.
2 steel washers were glued to the wagon floor to gi
Easter and taking stock
It's Easter - great I'll get a lot done this extra long weekend.
What dear? you want the family to go down the coast? Oh well!
Friday, coast trip.
Saturday, mundane work, shopping and household stuff - plus a quick blog entry.
Sunday, one of my biannual trips to church, hopefully not a family dinner afterwards.
Monday, Shh!, she hasn't said anything. Maybe, just maybe.
Back to the blog content:
Layout update:
I've ordered some construction timb
First model off the new workbench.
Well it's been a long time since I made any models, so here's the first.
A Dapol BR brake van, just one of an auction lot I bought.
First impression is how "messy" this kit is - lots of flash, bits broken off sprues
and the transfers look like they are well past their use by date.
I decide not to bother pre painting or modifying the kit - just build as is.
So clean up all the parts and start glueing.
I'm using "Plastruct" plasti
We're going to need a bigger tank!
Ok, nothing much done today, been busy working and fixing kitchen cupboard hinges, but here's a quick update.
I was meant to clear the garage workbench and move the fishtanks, the fish had other ideas.
They decided now was a good time to give birth to a batch of babies.
So the corner tank can't be moved for a few weeks now.
This means any spraying I do will have to be outside.
The rest was moved and put on shelving, the area given a bit of a c
Getting the Workbench(es) together
Ok, I admit it, I'm a messy person, you'll see in the photos.
Apologies for the poor photos at this stage, they were taken on an old iphone just for my use.
I promise when we get to modelling and layout progression they will be better (If SWMBO will let me buy a camera)
To do this ongoing project I need some workspace,
I'm in a small house now (compared to where I was) so space is an issue.
I have an office/computer room/computer workshop:
The test layout
Ok, so here's my new layout plan - a bit over 8ftx6ft with up's, down's, over's and round's.
Some of the curves are a bit tight (Tightest is same as Hornby 3rd radius - near enough 20 in)
Steepest incline is 3% (ish)
Don't scream "It'll never work!"
I've trialled 16 locos with wagons on a flat 2nd radius loop and on a 3rd radius loop with over 3% incline,
they seem to cope ok. And after all it's going to be my test track right?
So here's the very rough firs
Now how about a layout?
So the 2 Hornby settrack loops sitting on the floor just don't cut it.
Time to make a layout.
At first I thought I'd just use the Set track until I could build my "proper" model track of Werneth on the Oldham loop.
Months later and still researching, I decide to build a nice big layout to keep me going.
A kind of generic northern grunge location where I could run LMS LNER stock, with nice flowing curves just like some of the
lovely layouts you'll find he
Rationalize and improve
So, let's go through all the stock I've collected.
There's a fair bit of damaged and badly repainted items - These I'll keep to hone my modelling skills on.
They have low resale value so I'll practice on them until they are beyond recovery.
I've got Hornby Dublo (why?) Lima and some other HO - sell!
I've got some wagons and coaches that look terribly cheap and nasty - these I'll try to sell otherwise they
will be added to the damaged items above to play
Reality Hits
So here I am with all these Triang and Hornby trains looking at what else is available - Oh my!
I decide to limit any new purchases to pre 1962 era and things that might be seen in Lancashire.
(that's my era and location - yours may be different)
I realize that many of my purchases are not that good a quality and start researching how to improve them.
So many options .. around now I also realize some manufacturers have more realistic models than others.
I have to p
Why did I buy all this stuff?
Ok folks, this is my blog about how not to jump into model railways.
Do not expect fantastic modelling skills, or major projects completed every day.
This will be a slow record of my personal journey into eventually trying to model my home town station from the other side of the world,
plus whatever items I push through my workbench.
So post 1, Why did I buy all this stuff?
Ok, you know how it is, you decide I'm going to get into model railwa
