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"Thanks for Reading"

It all started here, in January 2008. The original post in what was intended to be my very first modelling project, building a Thompson Pacific, specifically no.60508, Duke of Rothesay.   That project ended somewhat abruptly, with metal fatigue present throughout the kit. Happily, bits of that original project live on in several different locomotives. The chimney and smokebox door were donated to two different Pacifics, the Romford wheels have been put to good use on a friend's P2, and the ten

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A1/1 from a Gresley A1"

I was all set to start a new project, completely unrelated to Thompson's Pacifics, when a timely email from an old friend reminded me I had yet to finish the most controversial one of all...   This is a project I first had a go at in 2007, on the old RMweb. The project's premise was clear: to build a model of the Thompson A1/1, Great Northern, from a Gresley A1. Much as Thompson did, in a way, by adapting the standard components of the A1 and converting them into the larger Thompson 6ft 8in Pa

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/1 from a Bachmann V2 & Graeme King Parts - Part 4"

A bit of finishing off prior to weathering. Firstly, the front steps on the running plate have been removed. 60508 didn't have these steps, and it was a timely post from one Tony Wright on another thread which spurred me into removing them (particularly as 60508 is photographed in this livery quite clearly without them). Lining out was also added to the bufferbeam, along with gluing down the buffers, hook and coupling and vacuum pipe.   EDIT: I should point out that 60508 is the only A2/1 whic

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/1 from a Bachmann V2 & Graeme King Parts - Part 3"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1aMWoAW8KU   It's not often I post videos on my RMweb blog, but I had a request from a reader to make a video of the A2/1 running, so here it is running on my rolling road. If I can get up to the High Wycombe club soon at some point I will film it on the test track.   The bufferbeam's been painted red, the dome painted green, I am working on cabside transfers and the model will get a coat of Johnson's Klear tomorrow too in preparation for weathering at some s

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/1 from a Bachmann V2 & Graeme King Parts - Part 2"

A bit of black paint, some nameplates and the smokebox numberplate, and the change from V2 to A2/1 is all but complete. There's lot of areas where I need to apply filler to smooth the bodyshell out in the various cuts made, so this isn't quite the final entry to cover on my cut and shut project.   Further things which need to be done include adding a smokebox upper lamp bracket, the front coupling, front steps, cabside numbers, apple green paint to be applied to the dome and some sections of t

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/1 from a Bachmann V2 & Graeme King Parts"

If you'd like a recap on this particular project, click here for part 508 of the madness!   Why 508? The locomotive number 508 was A2/1 Duke of Rothsey, which is my intended locomotive when completed.   Having received the cheap donor Bachmann V2 (Green Arrow in apple green), I proceeded to dismantle the other donor Bachmann A2 as well. The bodyshell and tender of the A2 have been put to one side, as I have a new chassis incoming from a friend who bought an A2 to convert to P4 and didn't wan

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/1 from a V2?"

An alternative title for this blog suggested was "Simon is mental Part 508".   So, what do we have here?   I have a boatload of older Bachmann V2 bodyshells. I bought up a job lot some years back to nab spare parts from. This particular one has sat on one of my shelves for about six years now. I decided to have a go at cutting the smokebox off, with the original intention of adding a Hornby A3 smokebox and boiler later on. However, curiosity got the better of me.   The resin components you

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Thompson A2/2, Gresley A4, and Copley Hill's Demise..."

We will start with the latter. I am planning a new layout, on which I can start to actually run my collection of locomotives and rolling stock, so Copley Hill's demise was assured really. I needed the space for a workbench on which to build my models, paint and weather them, and whilst the Copley Hill set was a poor trainset, it works very well as storage and a workbench (see above).   I've retained the shed for the purposes of photographing my collection and modelling, but all of the points,

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Identity Change...60503 & 2006"

It's been a difficult last month, with job woes and traveling a plenty, but when one door closes, another one opens. However, whilst my physical modelling has taken a bit of a hit, with no work done on the fleet of locomotives and rolling stock since early September, I have begun planning my new layout, Ganwick Curve, which I intend to build over a two year period.   However, I intend this week to finish a few specific projects and also push a few along towards their completion. It was plannin

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Pathfinder - Ganwick"

Inbetween work on my veritable and varied fleet of steam locomotives, I have begun clearing out my railway room in anticipation of the first section of my Pathfinder layout.   Remembering the priorities I covered in one of my previous blog entries:     My idea is a simple scenic layout; a double track main line with no turnouts or complicated track formations, and the ability to bring together all three priorities in one first test section.   Having studied and poured over photographs an

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Lone Wolf: The rebuilding of a Nu-Cast Gresley P2: Part 2"

One of the things I realized about this particular build of mine, is the potential the model has to be either very, very good, or very, very poor. For instance, I have been poring over the drawings to compare the P2s and the A4s as best I can, and one of the things which screamed out to me last week were the differences in the streamlined casing.   The exciting thing, however, was finding that there's not enough of a difference to make the use of an A4 front end, suitably cut and shut, unwarra

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Lone Wolf: The rebuilding of a Nu-Cast Gresley P2: Part 1"

Photograph is copyright of Simon Gott and replicated here for educational purposes only.   Lone Wolf   Oh dear. What have I done. I've taken on yet another project! (I have in fact taken on about five projects, one of which was the Ivatt Atlantic, but more on that later).   The above model will soon be in my possession and will be the subject of an excercise to see if I can produce a more reasonable P2 model for my personal collection and use in my future stocklist for my KX-Leed

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"The last Atlantic...in High Wycombe!"

Well, Wednesday evening came, and Harry Fielding and Graham Muz of this parish were very kind in letting me come up to the club to use the club's test track after work. I had a very warm welcome from the club members, and enjoyed in particular talking to Graham and Harry about Hinton Parva, which is a fantastic layout to watch. They are terrific people and I will be going back for sure, during the time I have left on my work contract.   The main reason for coming up to the club was to test 628

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"The Last Atlantic"

It's getting more and more difficult these days to write blogs. Not because I don't want to, but because modelling time is at an all time premium, and there are many projects still outstanding.   One which I have finally got around to finishing off is my model of 62822, the last London & North Eastern Railway Atlantic working by 1950. I have found dozens of photographs of this engine in Grantham, King's Cross, Doncaster, even York, but for a long time any shots of the engine in the Leeds a

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Bachmann V2 Modifications - Part 3"

Final bits and bobs. Chaos Black acrylic paint was used to patch up any areas of black paintwork damaged through the modifications. Fox Transfers numerals were applied individually onto the numberplate to form "60903".   One thing I should note. I have been examining a whole range of photographs of the V2s. My chosen example, 60903 appears to have had only two smokebox door types throughout its life, and strictly speaking my use of an A3 type door is only accurate for a time between 1950-54.

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Bachmann V2 Modifications - Part 2"

The above is where we were yesterday, test fitting certain components prior to gluing down.     I filed down the smokebox on the V2 bodyshell, and removed the outer ring on the Hornby A3 smokebox door, as per that on Tom's V2 (see Bachmann V2 thread).     This next picture shows the front end of the cylinder after the torpedo ends have been removed. The torpedo ends are the pair on the left, on the right are a spare set from a Hornby A4 set of cylinders (and correct for my ch

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Bachmann V2 Modifications"

I thought my post might be better served here.     The latest Bachmann V2 after Hornby A3 buffers, chimney and coupling are trial-fitted, using blue tack. Bachmann buffers, chimney and coupling hook removed.   The next stage is to remove the smokebox door and door, to replace with Hornby components, taken from a donor A3 bought for spares.   This model will become top shed's 60903 and will have "British Railways" on the tender in place of the cycling lion. I will attempt to portray

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Hornby Valve Gear: Interchangeability between A1, A3, A4"

You may remember my Graeme King 60700 model from an earlier blog post - apparently from as far back as 2010! This model was based on a modification of the Railroad Mallard 60022 model. The model originally sported the clunky Railroad valve gear - but no more, in preparation for a complete repaint to its 1949 era livery.     The model has had a change of valve gear, and cylinders. Both sets of valve gear are available on eBay from Peter's Spares from time to time. In this case, the supe

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"A4 Conversion Test Etches - Part 2"

For some time I had wondered whether I was always going to be an "also ran".   By that, I mean someone who is happy to buy ready to run engines, have kits built for them, even maybe weathered for them, and on occasion produce a diorama of sorts which looks more or less the part - but hasn't challenged himself enough.   Always that nagging fear, looking at the sheer depth and breadth of modelling on this forum and elsewhere, that I was never going to be anything more than a tinkerer, so to sp

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"A4 Conversion Test Etches - Part 1"

You will recall that recently, I had been indulging in some conversions of Hornby garter blue A4 Pacifics in order to gain 1949 condition A4s. I identified a few problems with this approach, went away, had a think, and came up with a solution; a set of etches that makes the removal of the valances easier, and also caters for missing components and/or damage.   Peter Harvey of PH Designs recently finished a set of test etches for a conversion kit I had specified. Unfortunately, it's taken me a

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Model Rail's ECML Masterplan: Some thoughts"

Oh dear - another crazy idea to throw into the melting pot!   I have been absolutely hooked on pages 44 and 45 of Model Rail no.170 this month. The possibilities of Richard Foster's 14ft by 12ft trackplan have had me measuring up rooms and feverishly sketching out ideas.   In terms of my "pathfinder" layout, splitting an overall bigger layout into four manageable chunks, to build over a few years is ideal for me, rather than building it up all in one. The thing which strikes me about the mas

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Atlantic Heaven"

My main aim for Copley Hill is to eventually be able to run and showcase a decent stock of locomotives, which portray as accurate as possible (or within the realms of my fantasy) locomotive classes which would have been found at Copley Hill. This means - as the shed was in the West Riding in Yorkshire - that I need a whole host of Great Central and Great Northern Railway classes, including, but not limited to, N1s, N5s, C1s, C12s, C14s, J6s, and so on and so forth.   I decided that this year w

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Pathfinder & Gresley A4s"

So the decision has been made - I'm going to do a short section of an in the planning stage "modular" layout, and the idea is to represent certain locations on the Leeds-London main line. With each section hopefully one day being built up into a fully functioning layout.   With that in mind, I have started drawing up more plans (!), this time for curtailing my rampant spending on locomotives (with only four purchases planned for this year now), and concentrate on building up a few authentic o

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

"Pathfinder"

So it's been a good few weeks since my last update. I've not had any time to devote to modelling, mainly due to the job. Just one of those things, though it has given me some time to reflect on the ultimate aims of my hobby.   One of the things I know to be true, is that I do not have the space currently, and am unlikely to have the space to, model Copley Hill as I want to. I could not do the area justice. My stocklist is based on that which could be seen at Copley Hill - and that is still the

S.A.C Martin

S.A.C Martin

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