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About this blog

An O Gauge BR Branch Line Terminus Model Railway set around 1980 in or about Somerset. Ish.

 

The lock-down diorama kind of got out of control.

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Entries in this blog

Laser-cut Signal Box Kit (by LCUT)

In the six years or so I was going manic on the music front a lot changed in model railways, the arrival of laser cut MDF/carboard kits being one of them. Confusingly all the makers have very similar names, but after a lot of time on the web trying to work out the pros and cons it was decision time and I opted for LCUT's B 70-13L O Gauge Small Signal Box - with left hand stairs. I did consider kit-bashing the laser cut model of Pewsey signal box into a replica of my old box, or it would have bee

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End Of The Road - On Here

Unfortunately this site has a member, posting under at least two identities, who seriously needs to get a life, seeming to think this his private empire to rule as he pleases. He recently started contributing, unhelpfully, to a two-man discussion thread under his other persona (though blatantly him from the start), right from the off trying to goad a reaction - stalking really. When one's contributions are belittled it takes away the fun. Hope you all get through these hard time in one piece and

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Parkside BR 12T Pipe Wagon Kit Build

Having had some paint problems,  mostly very slow drying (maybe temperature related, it's not that warm in the loft at this time of year), the SR van is parked to one side while things go off. So to avoid practicing I've started the BR 12T pipe wagon kit. With a bit of luck I can do one while the other's paint dries and so on.   The box is what you'd expect - a box really. Inside there's somewhat less a number of parts compared to the SR van - and no need to pre-paint stuff.  

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Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build - Supplemental

Alas Wilko were out of their 350 x 450 x 40mm granite cutting boards, so a smaller local shop provided a glass one for a whopping £2. It's nice and flat, but being basically a bit of glass (I assume some form of Pyrex) so it's survival chances are probably not very long term. But it will do for now.     It's sadly not full of stars.  

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Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build - 2

And on to actually making it. The first thing I did, as I intend to paint the inside faces of the verandah as the instructions suggest, was to prepare the ends, side and chassis bits. Nothing overly exciting, just cut away some flashing and file mould marks flat. Where they will be visible I've removed the circular marks from the injection process (at least that what I hope they are!) , I've put 'as is' next to tarted up. This is probably a bit OTT since with the verandah doors shut you'd have a

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Parkside SR 25T Brake Van Kit Build

With the banner repeater finished and the stone walling on order, another sub-project as mentioned is needed. To this end I've secured a spray gun that actually sprays, but as yet can't find the marble cutting board I use as a known flat surface to make sure all is square. A trip to Wilko on shopping day may be in order. I'm attempting to order a set of wheels with roller bearings for this, as I'd like to see how effectively loose shunting can be reproduced, since it was such a major part of rai

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - Done (At Last!)

So the last bit was cap for the post. The bits I found in the signals odd-and-ends bag turned out to not be what was desired. However, further rooting around produced a brass disc (I'm guessing a counter-balance weight) that was only slightly oversize. Filing this to fit, it needs to be a kind of dome affair going by the drawing, was not going to be easy. Then the little grey cells had a conference and Plan B arrived... I soldered it to a off-cut of the correct size post, then it was easy to fil

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - 7 (Paint 2!)

That's the thing painted! Some tidying to do, and some chalk to apply to the woodwork, but that's essentially it. The back 'glass' of the case has had some white applied in a thin coat to see how it goes. When it's gone off I'll see if another coat is needed, to which end I've plugged it in as per the photos. The lamp tell-tale is definitely getting blocked, the post being white makes it worse. Eyeing up the SR van kit now, well more being glared at it, but that means.... gulp...... tidying the

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - 7 (Paint)

The plan was to paint the white first, but then I put the tape the wrong side of the line, so black it is. The good news is nothing fell off, the bad news is it's probably just waiting for an inconvenient moment. Doubtless someone will be along telling me I'm doing this all wrong, but some more photo searching seems to show that having a finial may only apply for BR days, and perhaps only then when the signal is much taller than I'm making. So I'm going for a cap, following GWR practice, so it c

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - 6

Not the most wildly exciting post, but the signal is now primed! A spot of tidying here and then the top coat. It looks like getting a finial before January isn't going to happen, so soon the next project starts. Much as I'd like to do the ABS guard van kit, I really need to get the three Parkside kits I have left over from an attempt at starting a model shop out of the way, to wit a BR 12T Tube, the inevitable BR sand wagon and an SR brake van. As Lady Provenance is delivering a spay gun on Wed

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - 6

A finally, less the finial it is built. The hand rail is a a square, made from bits - I guess you could just bend it - but since the irons out anyway I like making it. The tape holds stuff nicely while you squint trying to get the uprights upright. The first one I built I misread the drawing and had four uprights, this time I've done it right with two uprights and the rear fixed just to the post. I've added the base, which is more to hold it together than a layout fixing. I couldn't face taking

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Banner Repeater Kit Build - 5 (And A Bit Of Lighting)

So with the ripples of quantum uncertainty passed, back to the train set. The operating rod has been added, so the signal now 'works'. It's awfully cramped but it all went in. This was a bit of a pain with having to take it out each time to put the kinks in so it goes down through the centreline of the platform. It works nicely.  I'm thinking that drilling the tell-tale on the back of the lamp might have been unnecessary - no one can see it with the post in the way. I'll probably blank it.

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Lighting The Layout - And Pliers

Progress on the banner repeater hasn't for a couple of days due to exciting family based distractions, but while suffering the weekly shop I found something that solves my layout lighting problem - the problem being lack of daylight in the loft and poor artificial lighting making seeing anything difficult. I was aware of LED strips from art installations I've assisted with, but I've not been able source them at either a sensible price or with adequate explanation of what you get for your money,

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Banner Repeater KIt Build - 4

It's been a couple of days mostly waiting for tiny bits of paint to dry... and some musicing. Finally everything is coming together. The case, or whatever you call it, is finally in place as is the ladder. I added a small washer before the signal arm so it sits 'in the middle' of the case nicely. When all folded up (for the umpteenth time) the arm turns nicely, just tight enough not to wobble but free enough for a servo to drive it.      There's no base with the kit so I've

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Banner Repeater KIt Build - 3 (Going On A Bit ISn't It)

A good deal of time on the information super highway has confirmed these signal were not available in mechanical flavour, so plastering it with cranks to make it work is no longer a plan. Neither is the rod going up the post, since with three ninety degree bends there would be way to much flexing going on.     So the plan is now to turn the drive through ninety degrees with a crank or similar. Having soldered the bearing tube to the pivot support and doing a trial assembly i

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Banner Repeater KIt Build - 2

When the paint had dried on the arm and 'opaque glass' it was time for a trial assembly. The first of these I built I didn't make work, because it's sat about 40mm from a tunnel mouth and 70mm from the wall and there seemed little point so I just did the lamp conversion.  This is new territory now. It all went together nicely, except that the arm was jammed in between the 'glasses'.   At this point I remembered commenting in a way earlier post the strip seemed a bit thin and I'd try a

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Banner Repeater KIt Build

As I mentioned earlier now seems a good chance to build this kit, or rather the second one of the two in the kit. The instructions are essentially a nice sketch of how it goes together together with some drawings of various possible formats. I can't remember if there was another sheet with this giving dimensions, but I do remember having to to a lot of research as to height and such. From there I'm essentially guessing by extrapolating the drawings for things like how high the platform sits on t

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Signal Kit Build - Paint

And so to painting and finishing. First off was to pop out to the garden and spray it with good old Hafords etch primer (the can's about eight years old and still going strong). Before I did this I intended to mask the lamp 'lenses' with a bit of Blue Tac but forgot. I got away with it. The signal was then appropriately decorated. The black is possibly a bit shinier that intended, I'm going with having a very keen S&T Dept rather than mess about. The grey is just the aforementioned Halfords

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Signal Kit Build - 4

With the LED now fixed in the lamp, the leads got fed down the post. I half expected them to get caught up on the rod providing the pivot for the counter balance, but all went swimmingly. Twisting them together may have helped. The camera's really struggling close-ups today, wrong phase of the moon or something.   And then the lamp  was glued on, making sure it lines up with the spectacle lens holes.     Followed by the track circuit plaque. I placed this as

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Signal Kit Build - 3

The part of the instructions, which have only a couple of sketches and reminded me today of Airfix instructions back in the day when they purely text, is to add either a signal wire pulley, or a crank arm (cosmetic). This is different from the other kit I did which just offered a crank, so naturally I've gone with the pulley - though this is I suspect not prototypical for the period. It uses the same part as the bracket on the post and folds up with a pulley on another short bit of rod. This is

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Signal Kit Build - 2

On the way to the workbench I passed a flock of newly arrived tail lamps making their way towards their traditional nesting habitat; to whit some buffer stops. Beautiful plumage.   And so session number 2 with the signal kit. The next step in the instructions is to make the arm. All quite straightforward, but in the absence of any non-soldery pins to hold things square I did this by lying it face down on a bit of wood with a hole drilled for end of the pivot wire. Then looking do

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Signal Kit Build

Whilst painting and decorating, fitting fishplates and the final bits of rodding and signal wires proceeds in stops and starts (they aren't my favourite activities) I decided building a nice kit would be a pleasant diversion. Though I'm itching to build the 43two1 Models BR 20T brake van kit (I built one a few years ago, a delightful kit) reason suggested making the MSE signal kit for the platform would be more practical.   Those of the tidy workshop persuasion might like to go and hav

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Fencing Clay.

With fence/barricade/thing now all nice and dried it's was time to place it. I'm not quite sure what's going to happen past the points yet, so there may, or may not, be more. When the glue finally decided to set clay was worked around the posts, spread on a little PVA for grip. At the back the ground falls away rapidly to the cess, which will be decorated to look like its kind happened over the years rather than any sort of wall or such. With the posts and back done the ground was skimmed with c

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Yard Fence/Barricade.

I think I mentioned earlier that I fancied having some heavy duty fencing alongside the reception road run-round. In these 'interesting' times it's proved unviable to get hold of just two lengths of bullhead rail to make it as I envisaged, but that may have been a blessing. I have a length of flat bottom rail which I vaguely considered using, but that was a no go since although it bends nicely left and right so to speak, up and down without twisting isn't easy. I can't help wondering if bullhead

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Now Awaiting Paint.

So having settled on Railmatch acrylic Sleeper Grime... I've run out. More on order. There's a coupe of pics in different lighting of the test piece now it's fully dry. The difference in the light is just the camera being a few inches higher in one that the other.   As the pullies have arrived, I've made up the three sets needed for the platform signal and dummy I'd omitted. I've used Design No.3(a-198) for these - because I'd not ordered enough. Rather than making a pair represe

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Miserable in Scenery

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