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About this blog

Tales from my workbench and progress on my layouts.

Entries in this blog

YMR BR MK1 SK. A quick project.

Yesterday I managed to pick up two of these Your Model Railway £3.99 MK1 SK coaches from ASDA in Rushden for a friend of mine. He asked if I'd put numbers on them and weather them for him too.   Thanks to David I was able to source a suitable number for an Eastern Region example. Here's the link to David's in depth posting on the SK number series:   http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/75546-br-mk-1-sk-coach-number-series/&do=findComment&comment=1143408   If you've got
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Dapol Fruit 'D' detailing project.

A while back I ordered 3 un-decorated GWR Fruit 'D' wagons from Dapol. As you've previously guessed I do like Dapol for a source of modelling projects.    I understand the bodyshell for the Fruit 'D' has a venerable past and there are some dimensional inaccuracies. However Dapol have breathed life into it with a new chassis. With this I feel it makes suitable layout NPCS vehicle offering a bit of variety.      These 3 have received Lanarkshire Model Supplies buffers an
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Dapol/Airfix BR Prestwin Wagon Build. The Raunds Apprection Society....

'Hello. Welcome and Good Evening' as a well known TV presenter who once lived in Raunds, Northamptonshire might have said.   Sat on my workbench for a number of years have been two partially completed Dapol/Airfix Prestwin wagon kits.   These kits stem from Airfix, being released in 1964. However, Rosebud/Kitmaster originating from Raunds had been taken over by Airfix in the early 1960's.   From memory the current incarnation of this kit from Dapol has soft recycled
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Oxford Rail J27. Finished as Percy Main's 65802.

The Oxford Rail J27 is an excellent model and something of a bargain to boot.   I picked up an Early Crest example when they first appeared. It ran smoothly and had no problems when running in.    Looking through The Last Years of  North Eastern Steam by Tuffrey I found a suitable prototype to model in the form of 65802 of Percy Main shed photographed at Blaydon in fairly clean condition.   I wonder whether Oxford Rail will offer versions with modified boiler domes
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Oxford Rail Weathered 7 Plank ex-Private Owner Wagons

I'm a real fan of the Oxford Rail 7 Plank RCH wagon. I realise it's not perfect but it is has a number of merits including price.   I've a few of these including a couple I've weathered for my 1947 Teign Valley project. Some of them where bought with a view to repainting them into scruffy 1950's/1960's BR ex-private owner wagons. Paul Marshall Potter (PMP) on his excellent Albion Yard blog wrote an article on converting them to this state.   https://albionyard.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/nine-
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Following Halfwit's advice and completing an Hornby J94 industrial conversion

In one one of my last post's concerning stock for Juniper Hill-my Northamptonshire Ironstone micro-layout I posted some pictures of the Hornby J94/Hunslet I'm working on called 'Cranford'.   Paul (Halfwit) suggested I could improve around the injectors by cutting and drilling away excess plastic as he had done. I think he mentioned Chris Nevard had done something similiar.   The easy way out would be to just cut them off and use some RT cast injectors but I went with Paul's advice and was im
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Dapol/Airfix 16T Mineral Wagon. Now bionic and with added inserts..

A little bit of progress today on this build. I've replaced the top panel in the centre above the doors I removed on these two 16 Tonners. Suitable width plastic sheet was used for this. Trusty Micro-Strip then replaced the beading and door locking latches.      I've also tidied up the area around the bottom of the doors to try to look more prototypical. The kit doors are designed to open but in this case are glued shut.      Essentially other than the
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Part 2: Wagon Miscellany. Including BR/WR/GWR ballast wagons x 3.

Bit of an update on the wagon building miscellany.    The Three Peaks Models, Lancashire & Yorkshire Low Goods Wagons are coming on well. I must say how pleased I am with these kits.    Following on from reading Jonathan's West End Workbench, I decided to drill out the axle boxes to receive Alan Gibson brass bearings.         One is finished in BR unfitted grey. The other is in late LMS livery. Sole bars are to be painted brown on th
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The Ultimate Driving Machine. Brighton's BMW...

Some of you will know I do like the 1950's/1960's micro cars and courtesy of Oxford a Messerschmitt three wheeler often appears on my layouts.   Recently I was researching Southern Railway push-pull coaches and came across the excellent Blood & Custard Southern/BR Southern Region reference site.    This article was of some interest:   https://www.bloodandcustard.net/BMWIsetta.html   It appears BMW built their Isetta micro-car in the old LBSC/SR/BR rail
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Juniper Hill Stock. Stewarts & Lloyds wagons and a visiting Pug

A good friend of mine in his 70's who worked on the railways told me of a story where a L & Y Pug was brought down from Derby to take a large piece of equipment up one of the ironstone quarry lines around Wellinborough. The rationale being that it's short wheelbase would be suitable for the job and once completed the loco was returned to Derby shed.   In homage to this story I've taken a few shots of my Pug which isn't Derby allocated I know.   One of the reasons for these photos is to i
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Manning Wardle 'H' Class. Part 2 of a Pug bash.

Managed to do a few more bits on the 'H' Class over the past few days including fitting the cut section of tubing under the saddle tank to represent the boiler. Thank's to Ruston's measurements of his Ixion 7mm version I was able to work out a rough figure for the depth between the bottom of the saddle tank and the running plate. The photos below show the model held together once more with Blu-tac.       Thankfully, I managed to make up the smokebox door straps fairly successfully with M
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Motive Power for Juniper Hill-A micro layout based around a Northamptonshire ironstone quarry line

Evening,   After my 009 diversional therapy (see previous entry) I thought I better get back to the micro-layout I'm building called Juniper Hill (JH) which is based on the ironstone quarry lines of Northamptonshire around Kettering/Corby.   I really need to get in the garage and start the track laying and wiring. Once this is done I can at least start playing trains   However, there were a few bits on the workbench to finish including these two locos that will form part of the motive pow
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Dapol/Airfix 16T Mineral Wagon. We have the technology to rebuild them...

Apologies to Steve Austin/The Six Million Dollar Man and reference to the cult 1970's TV programme.    Likewise BR started a rebuild programme of its venerable 16T mineral wagons later in their lives. This entailed new build body work and removal of the top flap door amongst other things.   For more indepth knowledge it's probably best to consult a suitable reference resource.    From my teenage years long before the likes of Parkside/Bachmann the Airfix 16T Mineral
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What a Wonderfull Wagon! First build of an O Gauge Kit

Whilst in Devon recently I popped into Express Way Models at the South Devon Railway. Being a member of the SDR you get a discount in the shop. Pauline the shop manager is very helpful too. Having a browse around the shop I saw one of the PECO O Gauge 16T Mineral wagon kits for sale and treated myself.   On getting home and opening the kit up I was impressed. Everything you need bar glue and paint is included. In this instance some PC Transfers so I've a feeling this is an old kit-though I may
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A few LMS wagons and a Ruston Bucyrus 19-RB

Over the weekend I picked up two very cheap Airfix/Dapol wagons. Both of these had LMS origins and as I had two Ratio 10ft RCH underframes in my spares box I thought they'd make a nice couple of projects. So off with the original chassis' and the wagon bodies were put in a plastic bag with copious amounts of Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner and the paint speedily stripped off in less than an hour.   First up is the Dapol LMS three plank which I believe is based on a D1927 wagon. I think Mainline and
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In a Manor of speaking...Dapol 78xxx Manor Class detailing.

Some of you may know that the GWR 78xx Manor Class is one of my favourite engine designs.   Perhaps this comes from the Mainline model of the 1980's and seeing 7808 Cookham Manor at Didcot as a teenager.   Believe it or not I never owned a Mainline version. Just the reblown Bachmann version with updated chassis.    I remember trying to detail and renumber these as well as putting a correct profile chimney on them. Infact gwrrob of this parish and ANTB fame may have
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The Tailor of Gloucester. Part Two. Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 46526 of Gloucester 85B Barnwood Shed. Detailing a Bachmann Model.

Eventually I've completed my take on Gloucester 85B resident 46526 using the excellent Bachmann model as a starting point.      The DMR chimney has bedded in nicely on the smokebox. Pacific Models provided the source of the  smokebox door number plate. A Fox Transfers 85B shed code plate transfer was applied as well.      Usual weathering techniques using Tamiya NATO Black/Brown airbrushed for frame dirt. A dusting of NATO black was used on the boiler
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Juniper Hill Road Vehicles

Before I start thanks to Andy Y for his words of wisdom re: altering image sizes. I wish I'd have asked earlier!   This is my first entry for a while now. I've been working on bits for Juniper Hill, my layout based around the ironstone lines of East Northamptonshire. Hopefully, with the spring coming-believe it or not I hope to get into the garage for some track laying and soldering.   Fred the bus driver has known Doris his conductress for a number of years now. Doris had started working fo
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LNER/BR B17/6 61633 Kimbolton Castle

I'm not normally an Eastern Region modeller although a few classes do stand out. The big Pacifics don't interest me as such and it's the more humble classes like a J15 that appeal to me more. One class that I've always thought had really graceful lines was Gresley's LNER B17 with a short GE tender.   Earlier on in the year I brought a BR version and I really must say this is a beautiful model that Hornby have produced and captures the protype welll. It doesn't have the robustness of a Bachm
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Vehicles for Diddington

Recently I was asked by Alex (Wiggoforgold) of Diddington fame to finish off the a number of vehicle projects he had in his to do list.   This lovely Bedford CA van is by a company called CMC (?Cheltenham Model Centre) and moulded by a company in Bodmin.     I sprayed this with Halfords white primer before preshading the body panels with Valejo German grey. Then a couple of coats of Valejo biege and a couple of coats of Humbrol Clear to finish. Detail paintwork and additional washes.
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It's fun to stay at the MCV....1970's Retro. Dapol 16T mineral wagons almost finished.. .

Over the past few days I've been able to almost complete the four Dapol 16T mineral wagons I've been working on.    If you remember I had removed the top doors from two of them in my earlier blog entry. Since then they were finished with Tamiya NATO brown and black.    Then using prototype photos from Paul Bartlett's excellent site I have been able to weather the quartet.      I have used my usual Vallejo acrylics for weathering. Dry brushing has given t
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Wagons Roll. Dapol and Parkside builds with a few extras

With 009 goings on with Wadenhoe Road my OO builds have been put on the back burner. Hopefully this year will see a new OO gauge layout once more set in Northamptonshire with an iron stone theme.    Some of this stock I've had waiting around for getting the air brush fired up will no doubt make an appearance on the new layout.    Like many before the Dapol unfinished wagon body shells can be bought for less than £3. Mated with a suitable Parkside or Ratio chassis is a means o
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Manning Wardle 'H' Class. Or a Pug Bash. Part 1

Last year in the August edition of Hornby Magazine Phil Parker converted an Hornby Lancashire and Yorkshire 'Pug' into a resemblance of a Manning Wardle 'H' Class. I thought this would be a nice little conversion to undertake that I could use on my layout Juniper Hill based on a Northamptonshire ironstone line. It could also be used on my proposed Teign Valley project as well.   Here's the link to Phil's website with plans and pictures of his completed model:   http://pagenumberone.co.uk/dow
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Hornby Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0. Finished!

Here's a few shots of the Hornby Ivatt finished except the crew insitu.   Alex (Wiggoforgold) came up trumps with a Comet chimney. I was going to do Cambridge shed's 46466 in unlined black with late crest but had a change of heart.   Instead I finished this loco as 46483 another Cambridge engine in lined black with early crest.   The model was primed with Halfords grey primer then Halfords satin black. Tamiya NATO black was then sprayed on the smokebox and roof. Lining and decals are fro
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Silver Machine (Once upon a time!) The story of a resurrected Airfix Brake Van

Well fans of Ozzy and Hawkwind will be familiar with the title. Once more this has nothing to do this 1970's rock outfit. (He says listening to this song )   Recently a mate of mine was given a box of old Hornby/Lima locos and rolling stock (Tat )including a Hornby Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 and a Lima GWR Railcar which had seen better days. More of these in future instalments . Some of the tat was kit built including few Cooper Craft GWR wagons and a rare SILVER and BLACK Airfix BR Brake van. It looked
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