On Ravensers Bookcase

The Parkside PMV is painted , but awaits transfers. Finding something suitable is a problem as the Modelmasters sheets seem only to cover pre 1965 , or cream , and I'm virtually certain it absolutely has to be white for TOPS era. The same problem arises with the Ratio SR bogie brake which is likely to be next cab off the rank

Meanwhile the 40' dry vans require weathering , and a coat of varish, and there are still a couple of hazchem flashes to go on the first tank container before the gloss cote is applied (the barrels are normally kept quite clean). A second one is well under way , as is the fifth 40'

I've also been fighting a pretty grotty old Mendip Models kit for a 20' open top. The fit of parts was not good, and bits of the door locking bars had broken away. It took quite a bit of nervous cleaning up with files to get a passable fit of the parts and I did what I could to patch the pinholes here and there in the castings. All of this was done outside in the garden, up wind and with some trepidation and all files etc used were cleaned with a file card , and washed , at least twice (In other words I treated any resin dust as like poison) . I still thought I was slightly wheezy for a few days afterwards , though that might be for completely different reasons

I've purchased a second 153, this time in Regional Railways , and this has had a TCS T1 fitted and has been recieving interior detailing (paint the seat backs/add Slaters figures) this week. Now all I have to do is add the Kadees - and do something about the underframe . The plain black plastic on this and the Central 153 increasingly niggles , so I have to touch up the the relevant bits in relevant colours , then weather suitably.

Once that is done, I can think of tackling something fresh over the Bank Holiday weekend . I need to renumber the 57 - transfers have to be ordered but I have the plates - and weather suitably. There are a couple of Hornby TTAs that might be tackled. The two resin POA kits will definitely have to wait until the weather is fine

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Comment posted by jim s-w on Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:53 pm

Hi Rav

White numbers will very quickly go off white as soon as there is any form of weathering. Not all vehicles were renumbered into tops straight away and there were ballast wagons around in the 80's without tops panels, usually with the tops codes painted on. If they were going to re-do the numbers they would just do the tops panels anyway, they wouldn't redo the original markings in white.

You should be fine

Jim

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posted on Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:02 pm

Jim: thanks for the reassurance. An order to Howes for various transfers , including these , has gone in the post tonight

Good progress has been made with the 153s - not only did I finish off the figures for the interior of the RR version, but I've weathered the underframes of both.

In both cases , I used Railmatch track dirt, eased towards a lighter more orange shade with Railmatch brake dust as the main washes (enamel versions in both cases).

However mixing them up as I worked resulted in distinctly different shades. Neither is unprototypical - as the 153 prototype photo thread shows , you get units with a distinctly ochre underframe and some with a more or less off black:

http://www.rmweb.co....p;sk=t&sd=a" >http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=35689&st=0&sk=t&sd=a</a

I've picked out minor details on the underframe in colour - notably the exhaust pipes which seem to be routinely a slightly pinkish shade , and the silencers which are either silver or buff/orange , and given second washes to area which have more brake dir

The net result is that using the same paints at the same time , the units have gone in different directions:

The Central unit towards a heavy coat of yellow/orange dirt

here the silencer is in Humbrol Leather acrylic

The Regional unit towards a much more new into service condition:

This was already much darker and got very much less of a second wash. The silencer has had a wash of Humbrol metallic aluminium enamel .I still have to do the wheels on this though - along with exhaust weathering on the roof and above the gangways, and probably the perspex shields/door windows on the RR unit

The balance of the last batch of mix ended up on the underframe of the PMV

I'm rather pleased with the results actually

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posted on Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:33 pm

In the words of Dick Dastardly...

Drat. Double Drat and Triple Drat.

The order from Howes has arrived. There were two critical elements to this - the transfers for the PMV and the numbers for renumbering the 57- with a few other useful bits tacked on.

What do I find - a credit note because the Fox Freightliner numbers are out of stock despite being listed on the website . And the Modelmasters transfer pack , whilst including transfers for the BG as a GUV, the BY and an "SCV" (not a TOPS code I immediately recognise, and from the number attached not a PMV) - does not cover PMVs

Anyone know a source for post 1965 transfers for a PMV? Even if I try to concoct suitable numbers from what I've got, the dimensions lettering for shorter vehicles quotes 35'6, which is a good bit longer than a PMV...

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posted on Mon May 04, 2009 9:09 pm

I had aspirations for the weekend , but I got boxed in..

The containers have been eating up an awful lot of modelling time over the last 6 months , and I'm still not completely done . We have 2 boxes almost completely finished, 4 more with full transfers applied (several will require weathering), 1 painted with transfers to go on shortly, and one tank nearly built requiring more paint :

Here is the wretched resin opentop and sharp eyes may spot the amount of patching needed on broken door bars , though the pin holes aren't noticable. One end is slightly rhomboid rather than square . These are the sort of castings that have given resin a bad name

And here's the one finished tank. For once the imperfections of photography flatter the result - you can't see my struggles with brushpainting a very recalcitrant gloss white to a decent finish, though it's not obvious at a distance over over 18 inches anyway..

And here's the PMV, awaiting lettering

I've at least managed to start something else - I've begun upgrading two Hornby TTAs , one of which was bought from a model shop in Grimsby many years ago for the princely sum of 50p second hand, and the other was Railroad . I have the bits in stock anyway, so the cost is minimal (Well I thought I had the bits till I found I'd run out of cast clasp brakes. An hours rummage unearthed some Comet etchs which are nil cost at this point but will be significant amounts of work)

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Comment posted by Dan Randall on Mon May 04, 2009 9:33 pm

Ravenser wrote:

"the Modelmasters transfer pack , whilst including transfers for the BG as a GUV, the BY and an "SCV" (not a TOPS code I immediately recognise, and from the number attached not a PMV) - does not cover PMVs

Hi Ravenser

Is this the sort of thing you're after....

I too, struggled to find some PMV transfers in 7mm scale, so I drew up what I wanted in TurboCAD and sent it off to Robert Kosimider at Steam & Things

<a href="http://www.steamandthings.com/" >http://www.steamandthings.com/</a>

He re-drew my requirements using his preferred software and I believe they're now available in both 7mm & 4mm scales. The CCT version should also be available, so it might be worth sending Robert an e-mail. The numbers look a little different and came from a different source. With hindsight, I wish I'd included some of those on the artwork too.

Regards

Dan

Edited for spelling mistake!

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posted on Tue May 05, 2009 4:27 pm

Thanks for this - it's exactly what I'm looking for . I'm going to have a further attempt to see if I can source some from Parkside - failing that, this looks like the way to go .

I may need some custom transfers for another project so this is a useful link anyway

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Comment posted by PMP on Tue May 05, 2009 9:14 pm

I'll have a look on Pressfix Sheet 15, I think they may appear on there or be 'makeable' from the sheet. I've used Blackham Transfers to do rub down lettering before too, very good prices, turnround time and quality too

<a href="http://www.blackhamtransfers.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.blackhamtransfers.com/</a>

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posted on Sun May 10, 2009 8:09 pm

I had the usual hopes of lots of progress and the usual outcome - the containers soaked up time like they were a form of blotting paper and not a lot got done. <br />I had wild visions of starting the SSA kits (thanks to the Fatadder for PNA dimensions) but that proved completely unrealistic - try the Bank Holiday weekend

However the second tank is now finished , and I've managed to weather all the boxes that are going to be weathered. A little discreet drybrushing with a mix of track dirt/brake dust (about 2/3rds brakedust) which seems to be my favourite potion for weathering. This was followed by a very thin wash of a mix nearer 50/50 over the whole box to tone some of them down and add the general coating of traffic muck. I also added a little bit of almost matched patch painting on the P+O box. I'm quite pleased with the results , especially the P+O box which now looks suitably tired and worn - it should be 8-10 years old by the intended period . All they need now is a matt varnish coat tonight (Acknowledgements to gloriousnse's The Humble Box for photo reference )

There's been a bit of progress on the two Hornby TTAs . I got as far as giving the first a spray with emerald green from an old Humbrol aerosol as a first priming coat. Unfortunately it displayed all the problems that someone was complaining about with spraycans recently , and the result was not good - it aloso looked as if I hadn't given a through clean sufficient to remove all traces of sanding dust. As a result I've spent quite a bit of time rubbing it down with a very fine flexigrit sheet and tidying up the filled areas where necessary (which is what primer coats are for...) . I've also gone back and added a little more filler where slight depressions were still showing up

I still have to phone Parkside about PMV transfers - many thanks for all the alternative approach info to date.

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Comment posted by PMP on Sun May 10, 2009 11:18 pm

PC Sheet 15 does contain 'PMV' branding and you can probably cut and paste sections of the sheet to make data as per Dans picture. I wouldn't like to do it though so if theres a sheet ready to use, I'd take that just in terms of time saving.

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posted on Sat May 23, 2009 8:05 pm

Slow but steady progress has been made with the TTAs , and I got as far as a coat of some old Malachite green for one of them last night (I've forgotten where I acquired it, second hand - the brand is "gloy" - long forgotten I suspect) Apparently this is a decent match for BP green

I've also been attempting a Cambrian Walrus kit, and impressions so far are that it is possibly the most awkward plastic wagon kit I've ever built. Mind you I may have led a sheltered existance. The body is built round the hopper , and there's virtually no way of using a trysquare to ensure anything's square. I've built it largely by eye so far, and I had to take it apart twice as it seemed the hopper moulding was a bit too wide. I had to let a scrap of microstrip into the ends to remove gaps (which will need a spot of tidying up seeing that the inside of the wagon is exposed. There is no floor to build round - the bogies are attached on 2 narrow bolsters whith pegs which do not line up with the holes in the sides which must be meant for them , and are too long anyway, so have to be removed. I've tried cleaning up the top surfaces - if the wagon isn't 100% totally square sitting on its top on the mirror this may reflect the top surfaces not the structure

How I get Kadees on it will be interesting. The bogies attach by a basic plastic peg into a moulding with a hole not dead centre.

In fairness to Cambrian-as-now-is, this is an old kit. I got it second hand , from material donated to the club from the estate of a former member - there were a number of similar kits and I'm glad I only bought one (perhaps he built one and left the rest..) The instruction sheet shows Cambrian at an address in Dyfed, and is a small typescript sheet with a few faint drawings , and one sentence of the typescript scribbled out . I wouldn't be surprised if it is 25 years old or more - the actual example I'm building not just the kit. On the credit side it comes with rub-down transfers for the data-panels , and I'm hoping that if the bogies come out ok I can get away with the rest , since on a bogie vehicle , the absolute squareness of the body doesn't determine whether all the wheels are on the deck

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posted on Mon May 25, 2009 11:43 am

Some further progress. As far as the TTAs are concerned, most of this has been further painting and rubbing down to minimise slight imperfections , although I've nearly finished one of the underframes

I seem to have developed a standard recipe for these Hornby TTAs, largely derived from the short photo feature in Ian Rice's Improving RTR Wagons (Irwell - and I think now out of print , so bears repeating):

Dismantle , glue the two halves of the tank barrel together. Apply filler to further disguise the end seam. Remove the plastic walkways , fill holes left . File or pare away the square edges of the base of the tank moulding to feather them to meet the chassis moulding. Fit A1 etched walkways . Remove the buffers , coupling mounts (snip with the Xurons) and moulded brake shoes . Also remove some surplus bits of the underframe piping (this really needs a photo to make sense but its mainly a few horizontal connections) . Correct the dimple on the roller bearings to a bump with a bit of sprue glued in the hole and rounded to shape with a file (You will notice this is not a finescale conversion...) . Drill out and extend with files the open area in the brake lever support bracket. Fit new brass Oleo buffers (A1 Models) and replacement clasp brakes . This will mean opening out the slot around the wheel in the underframe moulding to accomodate . Coupling hooks should also be fitted - I think I've got some somewhere

In the process I've found I've not got quite enough Hornby 3 hole disc wheels left to do the Walrus and 2 x TTA and have hastily robbed a set of Romfords off another TTA lurking in the cupboard awaiting conversion . These are slightly smaller diameter than Hornby wheels : current thinking is that the two TTAs I've done in the past have Romfords, so the black Shell tank gets the Romfords for uniformity and the green tank (likely to be a singleton for use on Blacklade for the fuelling point) will get Hornby wheels. I've also run out of clasp brakes - I've got 2 cast sets and 3 plastic ones in the box - but have turned up 2 packets of Comet etched brake shoes, which can be sandwiched between strips of 20 thou plasticard to make up an equivalent.

I think I've also run out of suitable airtanks , so another packet will need to be sourced.

After careful examination the Walrus is not quite square , and at this stage in proceedings , there's nothing I can do about it, short of throw the thing away and start again with another kit and no guarantee it will be any better . I'm afraid I'm just going to struggle on, on the basis that no-one should suspect anything unless they go looking very closely for a problem. However I'll be sticking to the efforts of Messrs Hornby and Bachmann if I ever want any more ballast hoppers. I've tackled any slight gaps and irregularities with bits of microstrip and have at least got the big end support brackets in place and fitting at all points . The bogies are too wide as they come to take Hornby wheels and retain the axles, and never in a million years am I using the plastic wheels in the packet (I told you it was an old kit). I shall have to melt Romford bearings into place . I'm trusting that the slight play of the bogies from the body and the wheels in the bearings will deal with the fact the body isn't 100% square and the result will run properly

Does anyone know whether Walruses had a centre divider in the hopper? The Sealion and Seacow do - the kit doesn't and I can't help wondering. Its going to be very visible from normal viewing angles if it should be there and isn't

On a happier note I've started on a pair of Cambrian SSAs . These are a rather later kit than the Walrus (1992 to judge by comments in the instructions) and by this time Cambrian were trading from an address in Taunton. Fit of the parts is good, there are places for them to locate, mouldings have very little flash , there are part numbers on them and the instructions are extensive, with a detailed prototype history, and a set of clear well printed detail drawings

One will be built with each type of chassis - leaving me a spare set of chassis mouldings for a Gloucester pedestal chassis 103.5mm long. This is spot on for a couple of the PNAs shown in the recent Burkin book - with different rib patterns and a different length to the Bachmann model. I even appear to have a photo of one myself:

You will note this is a disc braked wagon, meaning no brake lever or clasp brakes to worry about (and no 3 hole discs..) The triangular support plates on the Cambrian solebar will need to be removed and replaced but that ought to be manageable

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posted on Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:00 pm

Despite the silence a bit of progress , although I seem a bit disinclined to get on with stuff at present - my get up and go seems to have got up and gone

The SSAs are sort of finished. That is , they're built except for me sawing up the triangular section supplied for adding the debris fall plates, and sticking them in place. The corners aren't quite 100% perfect and will need slight tidying. I'm rather impressed by the neat design of the fold up wheel units which deliver built in compensation units, although getting them to fold right took 2 goes (I had to tighten the whole lot up with a second application of solvent and elastic bands to get free running) . Beware : once you've snapped those units in place , they wont come out again without damage

The wagons, obviously , aren't painted or fitted with Kadees.

And I'm really rather impressed by the quantity of alternative/spare parts left over , and their usefulness. This has sorted out the shortage of airtanks for the TTAs quite nicely

On the downside, I can well understand the Fatadder's feelings that he can't face more than one EWS rebodied SSA conversion. My own position is that I'm going to need a rake of 6-7 scrap wagon (or at least the club project probably will) - and I don't think you can run these mixed with POA Blackadders. Therefore I suspect I shall take the "easy" way out and buy a 4-pack of Bachmann wagons to bump up the numbers (meaning spill plate conversion work across the lot , but little else) and an extra Cambrian kit for rebodied SSA conversion plus the extra bits for stock. However I suspect this is still , cumulatively, going to be a lot of work , especially on the weathering side. The club project is post privatisation and really a couple of wagons in EWS (plus 1 rebody) is the bare minimum I could credibly get away with so late.

The two TTAs are making decent progress. Painting the green one has been a protracted process : I still have more to do and the quality of finish overall isn't quite as high as I'd hoped but the first transfers are on (and I've realised I need to add solebar plates for the hazchem labels). The fit of top and bottom isn't quite so perfect as it was before I pulled off the top thinking I'd forgotten to refit the weight (I hadn't)

The second one just needs one bit of wire for brake yoke and an air tank then we are into transfers, patch painting and weathering. If you're wondering why I'm bothering with a lot of work on the old Hornby model - total spend to date is - about a fiver. All the wagons/materials/ bits/transfers etc are from stock bar one sheet of Fox tank numbers . And with the first transfers on the green one , its starting to shape up and with weathering should look quite good

The Walrus continues to be a pig , and after various emperiments/bodges with one bogie last night I've concluded that there's no way forward with the bogies as supplied and I'll have to fit the side frames to some A1 H-frame etches I have dug out of the cupboard

I also made a tentative restart on the WD road van the weekend before last as it was fine weather. I'm scared stiff of resin and the heath & safety precautions treat the stuff like a compound of depleted uranium and swine flu virus - only work outside, all castings + files subject to thorough washing /file card and repeat washing before being allowed back injside because of the safety risk from the dust

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posted on Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:50 pm

I managed to make some more progress over the weekend. Most of it was on the TTAs - I'm starting to think that one of the hallmarks of modern state of the art modelling is that it takes the best part of a week and a microscope to apply all the transfers

This has prompted some questions and discussion about prototype subjects , and I'm indebted to Pugsley for pointing me at relevant info in another thread:

<a href="http://www.rmweb.co....f=5&t=46978" >http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=46978</a>

A hasty snap of efforts to date is attached:

This shows the green BP tank I've been working on - it just needs current style warning flashes (which I don't have: I need to make up an order to Fox) then weathering. Oh , and brushing off to remove the dust that seems to have got on it. Behind left is "one I made earlier" which seems to have acquired an SUKO prefix number along the way (the 2 white stars are obscured) , and rear right, the Shell branded ex Railroad TTA . These brandings seem to be fine for the early 90s , and therefore it will be entirely in place as a fuel delivery when Blacklade is operating in 1985-90 mode - whereas the BP tank will suit c2005 mode . And as its circa 1992 , I can use the hazard flashes I've got

I've also made some further progress with the WD road van - I'm finding myself seriously hampered by the fact I'm plain scared of the health implications of working resin and everytime I need to do a bit of filing and fitting - such as you'd do automatically with plastic in a few seconds, it means take everything downstairs , into the garden, thoroughly decontaminate workpiece and tools after filing etc

Thus far I'm still avoiding the Walrus . Two preliminary attempts to assemble the bogies as they come failed , and the only viable way forward seems to be to stick the sideframes to A1 bogie H frame etches and bodge from there. This will give a wb which is about 1mm too long , but frankly its the only way I'm going to get buildable bogies

The PMV has hit a further snag. I finally ordered the transfers from Steam and Things, and they arrived from S. Australia with startling speed on Monday. That was the good news . The bad news is they're way too big. The photo in Dan Randall's posting above matches the photos on Paul Bartlett's site : the transfers sit well within the triangle created by the diagonal. The transfers I've got go the full witdth of that end section and pretty well the full height of the van. I reckon they must be at least 50% too big . They're clearly marked 4mm , but I think they're actually 7mm scale. Having spent ??7-50 I'm not sure where I go now - I can't exactly send 'em back (I asked for 4mm , and it says 4mm on the sheet) , I''m no further forward and still have to source something. I'm not even sure I can off load them on the 7mm mob at the club - not sure if any of them model BR Blue

Transfers and the cost thereof are becoming a sore point and will become a sorer one when I make up the Fox order. I'm up for ??7-35 just to change one digit on a "bargain" Bachmann 57- plus the cost of the plate . I've spent about as much on PMV transfers as on the kit, without result, and sourcing the hazard flashes for the green TTA will cost another ??4-20. Transfers for 2 EWS SSAs another ??10...

Yes I know in theory I can use them for other projects. Its just I don't have or need a Freightliner 47 or 86 (nor can usethem). I'm not buying and repainting a Heljan 86 just to use a bit more of a sheet of transfers....

Oh and there's no source for Railtrack brandings as seen on the PNA (possibly because of the fate of the company) All I can see to do is to cobble something together with dryprint on Fox plain waterslide sheet then weather it savagely (mostly they're almost obscured by rust and muck)

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posted on Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:44 pm

Well - two weeks on and the TTAs don't look to have changed dramatically . They do however now have hazard flashes, airhoses, a full set of other transfers on the SUKO tank, and Kadees (46 long centre ). All they need now is weathering

The order from Fox has duly arrived (minus the Roof Dirt) and my FL 57 has finally been renumbered and acquired its new plates- now all it needs is weathering and we will have a pukka loco. The Fox transfers are a different weight of type (bolder, heavier) than the Bachmann printed numbers, so the whole lot had to come off - one digit produced a distinct unease on the eye, especially as the top of the 1 was formed slightly differently on the transfers and with 57 011 the two versions were side by side. Thanks to a tip from someone else, I used microset and cotton buds to remove the printed numbers

Very little has been done to the Road Van ....

As for the wretched Walrus , there's been other jobs ahead of it and I've gratefully accepted the excuse not to fight the beast, and I really must get round to sorting out the SSAs with their plating so they can advance into painting and couplings come off the bookshelf into traffic

I also acquired a not-strictly-necessary second hand Parkside LNER van at the weekend, which will need stripping for a repaint and slight tweaks

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posted on Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:18 pm

I've finished weathering the TTAs . I'm not entirely sure of the result - I've either done a decent representation of some grubby wagons or a heavy handed misfire and I'm not quite sure which. It seems less satisfactory when the green one is caught in artificial sidelight. I may put some photos up in Weathering& Painting, but as photography will add another layer of distortion it may not really answer the question...

Two and a half months for 2 wagons (admittedly with other things going on round them) . No wonder I don't get much done

Now for handrails on the Road Van and spill plates on the SSAs....

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posted on Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:00 pm

There has actually been a bit of modelling round my way in the last month. The time has certainly gone in- whether much has come out is a moot point

The TTAs are done, fitted with Kadees , and in traffic (assuming one running session counts)

Was it really 5 weeks ago ~I was girding my loins for spill plates on the SSAs? Feels much longer...

Anyway, the triangular plastic sections were cut and installed - I really don't want to do an EWS rebuild from this kit. We'll keep that to one , and do it from a Bachmann wagon...

The SSAs are painted - one in EWS and one in blue/yellow. On reflection I should have painted the straight solebar vehicle EWS to be different from the forthcoming Bachmann release. However, the spill plates are different. Transfers have gone one - well almost. The blue wagon got rubdowns off an old Cambrian sheet that were not good - they tended to come off in bits. Fortunately this wagon was scheduled for heavy weathering - ie overall coat of chocolate brown muck . The EWS wagon has Fox - and making up data panels from individual numbers/letters is desperately slow. I still have the last digit of the tare to add, and Microsol has been invaluable for fixing stuff down so that it doesn't float away when the next digit goes on.

The blue SSA is weathered, and during my holiday one of the few extra things that got donwe was to weather a few wagons - a Sealion bought cheap of DC Kits at Southwold, a Rudd , and my Limby Sealion. The latter required action to cut down the internal partion in the hopper to match the Seacows . The Xurons did most of the work , cleaning up with a file. The Walrus kit doesn't have one......

Individually , I was quite pleased with the results. However put my three weathered ballast hoppers together, and quite sure any of them are right - they don't gel. I think a seperate thread in Weathering may be forthcoming, next time Blacklade goes up and I can take some photos .

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posted on Tue Sep 01, 2009 12:35 pm

Having failed to clear up the "outstanding items" over my holiday period, I was going to tidy up the loose ends and start something new over the Bank Holiday. Did I heck....

I have been lettering up the PMV , which had stood forlorn on the bookcase while I tried to source transfers . I said a couple of months back:

"I finally ordered the transfers from Steam and Things, and they arrived from S. Australia with startling speed on Monday. That was the good news . The bad news is they're way too big. The photo in Dan Randall's posting above matches the photos on Paul Bartlett's site : the transfers sit well within the triangle created by the diagonal. The transfers I've got go the full width of that end section and pretty well the full height of the van. I reckon they must be at least 50% too big . They're clearly marked 4mm , but I think they're actually 7mm"

and I stand by that. They are almost certainly to 7mm , which probably means his 2mm transfers are actually right for 4mm..... . In all the circumstances I've done the best bodge I can. It seems from the Modelmaster CCT/GUV pack that some CCTs were lettered with the dimensions and the description split by the diagonal , using larger lettering. I've done something similar using the dimensions section of the oversize Steam & Things transfers, although it is still a bit of a squeeze, and I had to lose "max speed 70mph" . The bottom lines were taken from the HMRS sheet and actually relate to a BR CCT , so the tare is wrong. I took the letters NOV from the HMRS sheet and then noticed that the photo from Paul Barlett's site is actually headed NQV. Well - if I can read it wrong on a vehicle blown up to 7mm size, then I get away with it (there's no NQV on the sheet). The Railmatch rub down warning flashes are completely useless - I've had hardly any successes - and I eventually resorted to some flashes cut from an ancient Woodhead sheet, laid on a dab of gloss varnish to make them stick, followed up by some microsol. I now need to seal the lettering with satin varnish before weathering - I can't face any of the lettering breaking up under thinned washes

Kadees have been fitted to SSAs and PMV - no 26s , which wipes out 75% of the ones I bought from Charlie Petty at Southwold. I've also added weight (lead sheet) underneath with araldite, and have got the SSAs up to just on 50g and the PMV slightly over. I suspect the PMV requires a bit more as its a long vehicle, but I'd used up all the araldite mixed , and would have needed to find some more scraps of lead in the drawer. A little bit of touching up of packing and screw with frame dirt, and a repair of the truss rod on the PMV - the wretched things keep getting caught and breaking . I also fitted cross rods between the clasp brake shoes with 45 thou handrail wire. On reflection I should have painted the interior (its apt to take a green tinge in sunlight) added weight inside before I fitted the roof - and fitted bars across the glazing. Hence It's going to have to have a heavy coat of dirt - including over the windows

At a recent show I picked up a second hand built kit for ??3 under the delusion it was an LNER van. It isn't =- the underframe is BR clasp and some checking reveals its actually an LMS fish van. I've already built one of those myself... I would describe it as competently built by someone who didn't know what he was doing. That is - it's neatly assembled , and the chassis is perfectly square. He's taken the wrong chassis off the sprue (which contains both BR & LMS clasp underframes), and as bought , the van sides had curious horns at the bottom on the ends - parts of the sprue the builder hadn't realised he should remove...It was painted brown (wrong) with the roof and underframe left in bare black plastic.

I've started a clean up . The horns have gone, as have the tension locks, and the cross shaft and rod from the brake cylinder have been added, along with cross rods to the clasp brake shoes. LMS vac pipes (ABS) have been added. Rainstrips were removed and one ply of tissue stuck over the roof with solvent for canvas effect - rainstrips reinstated with micro rod. The brown livery was rubbed down , two coats of Precision BR maroon applied and lettering from Modelmaster transfers applied (I had the paint and transfers left over from my own model). Bases to apply the S+W couplings have been built up with plasticard. It needs more weight - its turning the scales at about 37g ( my own kit kept derailing until Ifound it was lighter than all the other wagons on the plank and I glued more lead underneath)

I've also made a start on a 40' container from C-Rail (also bought off Charlie at Southwold) . Box is built, a primer coat applied - I just need to spray it.

Minimal progress on the road van - just a few of the handrails have been done. And as I had the soldering iron out to start on the Pacer, I've done the A1 H-frames from the Walrus. That's all I've done on that front.

The Pacer project merits a seperate post - if only as a file note for myself

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posted on Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:10 pm

I should really post some photos of the PMV and fish van , and maybe the 40' box which has most of its transfers in place. Then there's the 29 which is looking like a tough job to DCC , so has been dropped from the list of current jobs...

But I need to set down the parameters of the Pacer

I've started trying to do something about one of the two Hornby 142s I own. They are currently stored unserviceable, as they won't go through the diverging roads of points (wheels are too coarse)and they have no decoders - messy , problematic hardwired installation on 2 motor units

There are two of them , bought second hand: a chocolate & cream "Skipper" and a Provincial Blue unit.The Skippers were exiled to Lincolnshire immediately after their explusion from the West Country in disgrace, and there's a shot of a blue 142 passing Brocklesby in the mid 80s in one recent book.

First survey of the units: both are double motored and need wheels replacing and decoders fitting. The Provincial unit was in worse condition , as it has a non-electrical coupling between the units (so 4 wheel pickup) and a screw had stripped the thread resulting in one motor unit flapping loose.

A first attempt to fit Ultrascale wheels to the Skipper failed when it became clear significant carving would be needed to make them fit- and I carved the rear truck too much in the wrong place

A Branchlines chassis kit has been bought (nearly 2 years ago)

The intention is to give the Provincial Pacer a comprehensive job, with new chassis , and retain the existing mechanism on the Skipper - thus using the set of Ultrascales I bought at great expense

First assessment of the Provincial 142 and work needed.

Rewheeling is covered by the new chassis

DCC installation - should be a lot simpler as only one motor, and therefore only one decoder, needs to be considered .

No lights . As this is a second generation unit, really I should install them , especially given all the other work to be done on the unit. Express Models do a lighting kit , but this means wires between the vehicles . However a short unit like this could be kept perminently coupled and stored/handled as a single train without seperation??

The Branchlines kit provides for pickup on two wheels each side, with chassis live. Not ideal. Adding extra pickups all round may mean another cable between the 2 cars... Or I stick with 6 wheel pickup? (Might there be scope to reuse the old Hornby pickups for the "extra" wheels ????)

The interior needs some tweaking - it seems some of the partitions either don't exist or are in the wrong place. Repaint and add some figures. Hopefully the decoder won't be too obviously visible

The cab front should be 3 deep window recesses in a thick solid front . Hornby model the top and bottom - but not the bits between the windows and it does affect the look . ??? Insert white plasticard??

The warning yellow looks very orange and may need repainting

Replace the moulded cab front handrail - wire melted in?

I'm not going to attempt the handrails by the doors - I don't think I can make a better job.

Since the unit is to be in 1985-90 condition, there's no need to change the 4 piece doors nor does it need roof pods

I think perhaps I really ought to do something about the "black box" on the underframe. Its only a small one, true, but it really shouldn't be there. But then I have to do the same with the other Pacer... The weight is 50g , so I need to stuff that amount of lead flashing either between the solebars, or else possibly under the seating unit between that and the chassis. I don't think it will be prudent to reduce adhesive weight with only one driven axle. But should I lighten what will become the trailer?

Replace the moulded exhaust (so I need to source a casting - on its own?)

Fit decent representation of the gangway. It will help to disguise all the through wires......

Do I attempt to reduce the number of ribs on the roof??? I really do not want to have to repaint the body - I can't possibly do a decent job on the sides , though patchpainting a weathered roof might not be impossible

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posted on Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:10 pm

Do you ever have a model that seems to be cursed? Or at least to be possessed by a cackling gremlin which is determined that no matter how you try this one is going to come out as a wretched failure?

I have. It's a Southern PMV. Readers may recall episodes in this story to date, but now we can see it in its full malevolent perspective. First one of the roof vents pinged into oblivion - I had to improvise representative replacements. Then we had the saga of the transfers, or non-availabilty of same. Then I ordered special transfers from the remotest corners of the earth - only to find they were 7mm

Here is a photo:

Note the large size of the faint lettering (the only bit of the purchased transfers I used ) - and how it spreads across the whole panel . Now compare with Dan Randall's 7mm PMV above...

Also the way the green interior shows up... (I should have painted the inside)

I think I must have broken every one of those wretched plastic rod underframe tie rods at least once, and stuck them back together

I've weathered it . The brown has picked out the planking lines in a lighter colour , which looks wrong... I weathered the windows . In the process two of them, being imperfectly attached, fell inside .

I've tried making a replacement out of clear plasticard, desperately , to stick in with varnish, . When I'd finally got it just to fit , it fell inside . In shaking the van to get it out , the orignial windows started to appear. I managed to manoevre one back roughly in place , and seem to have stuck it there with brushfuls of solvent. In the process the other window seems to have attached to the back of it - I shook it loose and its now probably stuck to the floor somewhere...

I shall now have to attempt to bodge a replacement window (I don't think I can get it properly inset - and the windows on these do not seem to have opened).

Arrghhh

Target condition is now something like this:

Oh by the way the bit of the special transfers I used is now barely visible...

<a href="http://gallery6801.f.../p46201342.html" >http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/p46201342.html</a>

Hopefully a further wash of dark grey with a tinge of dark brown will do the job - and not dislodge any windows

Also the fish van. A much happier tale. Here it is , lurking behind the Sealion I weathered, before work started :

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PMVs, wagons and a Pacer

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