The first of two packages I was waiting for, arrived today. They contained a few packs of Bachmann's standard round headed sprung buffers, and a pack of Hornby's standard disc wheels for coaches. Both were extremely cheap (a pound a pack!!!), and as this is being done on a budget, gratefully received.
The buffers are not correct by any means. The reason for my thinking here is thus. These coaches are going to be used as background coaches in my films, and will be bashed around a bi
The next stage to the GCR Clerestory story, has been removing the curved Great Western style grab handles, on the outside of the doors. That was done with a scalpel, and some wet'n'dry paper, followed by some light brush strokes of black primer to check the smoothness of each area before progressing.
The roofs have also been filed down on each of the three coaches I am working on, and after a fairly abortive attempt at building it up to make the GCR curved profile, I'm back to square
After a little prompting from a few friends on the LNER Encyclopedia forum, I've started work on modifying some Hornby Clerestories I got on the cheap into some pseudo Great Central Stock, to eventually go into carmine livery.
So here is one of the coaches before:
And here it is after its been stripped back, tension lock couplings removed, and the roof filed down to the correct style:
I'm currently scouring the net for a source of roof vents suitable to fit onto the roof,
Sean's done a little more work on the front end - sadly we've both been busy with various other projects, but Sean is quietly confident we'll have a pre-production sample for tinkering with very soon. Note, the smokebox surround, reworked smokebox door, handrail and the running plate, all much improved from my original concept model.
Until next time!
Was experimenting with some weathering techniques on my repainted Jubilee, 45742 Connaught (nameplates ordered and to be fitted when they arrive).
Overall I wanted the weathering to look darker and grimier than I've done previously, but my experiment hasn't really worked. However, the real coal in the tender does look the part better than the moulded coal, even if it's a little higher than it should be.
See what you think - it needs nameplates and front piping to finish, and mayb
Part three of this blog sees Sean's entry into the proceedings. He's taken the basic bodyshell, and is remaking it and including the full detailing of the model as he goes along. The model is based on a Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST, and Sean is working from drawings and photographs I've collated to get the final look "spot on".
There's a lot to do here - the chimney will need reprofiling, the smokebox surround is missing, the wingplates are not quite the right shape, and of course there's the han
The class 29 is starting to take shape - it is destined to become a two-tone green example, D6130, which was seen at Dundee Tay Bridge on occasion.
There's very little I have had to do to the model other than fit the etched (shawplan?) windows, which greatly improve the look of the cabs, then re-prime and paint using Railmatch British Railways Locomotive Green.
I have only done one yellow warning panel so far, and it needs stripping really and starting again, it's too thick
A little recap of the "Proof of Concept": I am embarking on a joint endeavor with a friend to produce a range of bodyshell and basic model kits to try and encourage younger modellers and beginners of all ages into the hobby. Something more basic than the old Airfix kits, and more durable than the current plastic Dapol kits of varying heritage.
The above picture has had a great deal of care and attention to get it to this stage, though it looks simplistic in the extreme, and very pl
I was extremely fortuitous to stumble across a "for sale" thread on RMweb recently. I had been collecting parts and various items to make a British Railways Class 29 diesel/electric, using the Hornby model as a base, and a Bachmann class 24 or 25 chassis to power it.
When one came up, partly finished, I took a chance, and I am glad I did as the model is stunning in the flesh. Yes, there's more to do, but the level of modelling is excellent and has produced something very special.
For the moment, that's it for the J11. I am working on finding a new GCR tender to partner it, and it will require a new smokebox door dart and a chimney when I find the money to do so.
It's got a little bit closer to completion, and I'm genuinely happier with its current state than when I bought it over a year and a half ago.
Of course, with the J11 in a reasonable condition, attention can turn to the D11...
Until next time!
I have a friend who is very much a Southern Region fan, so hopefully this blog post will go someway to redressing the "Eastern Bias" somewhat!!!
I've had a Hornby Watersmeet West Country model for some time. The reason behind buying it was originally for use in a friend's university project. I did a mockup of his project using a Dapol kit instead, in the event, and this loco has sat around doing nothing for a number of years.
Then I had a brainwave - I wanted to model real life, preserve
From this...
...to this:
Yep, I finally stuck my finger out and started working on my backlog of projects. The Stirling single, seen just behind, has had its handrails removed so that a new set can be added that will be more accurate, and the J11 has had a new motor fitted onto its old (but very weighty and sturdy) Triang chassis.
The model is indeed to be modelled as a J11 during the early cycling lion period, including the red coupling rods, and the ross pop valves and cab mou
In what seems like forever, FINALLY a blog post which includes modelling trains in it!
A friend of mine offered me this turned brass chimney - he'd found it in what he describes as the "spare parts bin", but to me, it's a mecca of unused and long forgot sundries which sometimes may turn up a gem. And this is one of them! The Emily chimney tapers too much, and is too tall, and had to go. After chopping it off, filing the base down, and fitting the new chimney with some adhesive, I used some H
Now for the physical business! This chassis is what I intend to use for the three Manning Wardle engines I have planned. The valve gear and cylinders are a placeholder - when the test bodyshell comes back, I will be using this as a template to add the cylinder block to the plastic bodyshell.
I am going to design the valve gear separate to the bodyshell thereafter. I am undecided as to how exactly I am going to do it yet, but it's all in the fun of learning how to do all this.
Until nex
A few changes - not happy with the chimney so had another go - looks much better after re-profiling and adding the lip. Whistle added, along with (not in this view) the window frames on the rear cab sheet.
Next step is a 3D print to check dimensions and fitting to a chosen chassis. Next stage after that is reworking to come up with the final model.
Until next time!
Here's something I'm working on currently.
My planned RMweb Comp project - sadly due to lack of funds, could not be completed or even started in time!
However I loved the idea of it so much, I'm going ahead with it - and part of it involves creating some locomotives, rolling stock, and buildings for my planned project - simply titled "Museum". It makes a change from my BR era, ex Eastern region rolling stock, and gives it a bit of a link to my missus and her family, who are from Malta.
"Proof of Concept"
It's become a buzzword here in the Copley Hill Works. I am currently working on a venture with a friend, and our discussion which started over a beer whilst on a trip to York, is starting to come together with very serious discussion and much thought on the way in which we proceed from this point on.
I have become increasingly fed up of plastic kits, designed for railway modeling, which look easy enough for the beginner to the hobby, but ultimately end up
I dare you to try and say that blog title out loud. It's harder than it looks!
I've wanted to get a crane for the layout and film set for a while now. Adds some form of operational interest in the background for scenes, and if I ever film a crash or similar...good for shots showing the aftermath!
However, at £35 a pop, the standard Hornby crane I favoured was looking too expensive - and I wanted two of them...
So I decided to invest in the bright yellow "Railroad" crane (got for
I used to love Airfix kits. I used to build them all the time when I was younger. Stopped at around the age of twelve, because I was into my sport and training most of the time. Athletics is as athletics does. I'm not very athletic now!
The last time I made an Airfix kit, I built a model of a Lancaster Bomber, specifically a 617 Squadron aircraft (though not with the bouncing bomb attachment). It was pretty good, neat in its paintwork, but crucially had been aided with a decent set of instru
Two new sets of nameplates from Narrow Planet. I have been so impressed by this company I am making up another order as I speak. Quick to deliver, great communication, and more to the point - the nameplates are terrific.
The first set is for the Permanent Way Model Forum Staff Competition - I'm building a "Gresley W2" (which is an entirely fictional locomotive based on certain not built designs), and Eastern Eagle is to be its name.
The second set, is finally going on my K3, well over a
Last week I wrote a blog which showed how I modified an old Hornby B12 to look a little more like a B12. I wasn't satisfied with it over the weekend, so stripped it down today, and started again this morning:
I totally stripped the front bufferbeam after discovering a set of brass LNER buffers in the spare parts drawer. Finally, the moulded (and inherently bad) Hornby ones could be dispensed with, along with my plasticard guard irons (which I was not overly happy with). I drilled an ext
Some news, finally! I'm doing some remedial work on Copley Hill for filming in due course, but in the meantime have fixed 61572 (better known to myself as Stephen) for work - spot the differences between this model, and a standard Hornby one:
The mods are quite simple. Modifying the Hornby bogie, by removing the guard irons, and adding the guard irons (made from shaped plasticard) to the front bufferbeam. I took the opportunity to clean up some of the weathering that I felt I'd ove
Check British Railway Modelling, the August Edition, in the reader's layouts. Copley Hill Mk2 - published for the first time!
The grin hasn't left my face yet!
What's this?! A first look at a new Hornby product?!
A brand new, DCC fitted, Gresley W1 4-6-4. Simply stunning.
Okay, hands in the air - it's not technically a new product, direct from Hornby.
What it is, is a commission build by Graeme King for me, to produce a W1 by extending the Hornby Railroad Mallard as a base.
The great advantage of using 60022 was its DCC fitted chassis - which, straight out of the box, runs perfectly.
Taking this model out of the box and pl
