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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/07/12 in all areas

  1. 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 super detail valve gear came from 60073 St Gatien, a badly damaged model I bought to break up for spares. The valve gear was in surprisingly good nick, and along with a brand new set of matching A4 cylinders (for the current super detail A3 and A4 models use the same valve gear with different cylinders), 60700's overall look has been markedly improved, and very cheaply! This would more or less prove how interchangeable the components between the Railroad Hornby Pacifics and the super detail Pacifics are. In fact...you'd be surprised how far back the parts are interchangeable! 60103 Flying Scotsman was bought off eBay a few years back with damaged valve gear. I thought nothing of it at the time, but I used the older tender drive valve gear as a direct replacement. The only change you need to make to this valve gear to fit is to bend it carefully so the bracket fits under the running plate. I don't think it looks different enough from the top version of the valve gear to warrant changing it again, so it will stay like this, albeit weathered at some point in the near future. And to compare further, the "optimum" combination using Sandwich as an example. Hornby's "future proofing" and reuse of standard components between models of the tender drive, and locomotive drive era is rather impressive in my view, and shows what can be done if you are working to a budget. The main chassis block is shared between Super detail A1s, A3s and A4s, and the older Railroad A1 and current Railroad A4 models, and everything else including the flanged or flangeless cartazzi wheels are more or less bolt ons for the overall detail for the model. I am looking to buy the latest Railroad A1 for a more full comparison, but I suspect that shares more in common with the Railroad Tornado model. Until next time!
    2 points
  2. IGNORE THE LAYOUT unfinished and very temporary! Time has been invested in rolling stock, and 'playing trains'! The Triang-era Station buildings and platforms are on the 'to replace' list The aim of these pics is to illustrate how I am attempting to achieve operational characteristics, cameos, and prototypical rolling stock of the preservation era, and how models of preserved railways need not be boring, nor are an excuse to 'run anything' (well not entirely!). Some of these items have been presented in other posts, but brought together here in response to the "why are preserved raiways so unpopular as layout subjects' thread. First up, a converted RBR, stripped for parts for other projects (literally), leaving a bare underframe, on scrap B1 bogies, then roughly repainted in maroon (also practice for repainting other stock), and refitted as a static Buffet/Kitchen behind platform 1. Brick access platform built at end of coach, and also loading ramp for catering deliveries, sympathetically fitted out with Ratio fencing (my angles are a bit off though!). Note the 1959 Driving Motor Northern Line car, also on static duty. Next, the shed yard, haven't finished the concreting of the apron, and need to weather everything. Note the lifting jacks stored outside (they need to be tarpaulined over). 'Restricted Width; signs on the shed entrance. JCB for coaling (will be replaced with a forklift a la Sheffield Park). Sleepers stored by the mainline. Please excuse the 'scare of the original first radius trackbed running across this scene! Line-up of Scammell Scarabs in the station forecourt. Must be a gala,I take them off on occasions! BR Robinson O4 63601 hauling LNER liveried Teaks, followed by Mk1s. Very NYMR/GCR!!! New arrival, Maunsell BCK arrives on a Heanor Low Loader, ready to enter service after a comprehensive overhaul (arrival from model shop!). True to type, there is only one diag. 2401 BCK vehicle preserved (6575 at Bluebell), so only one will feature on the layout (which is why I'd love the Pull-Push flush-sided BCK to be released in its original form!) Stored ex-intercity BG, sheeted over awaiting restoration, and fixing of a corroded roof. Behind it is the last Regional Railways BSK (now preserved at the ELR I believe), completely encased in Tarpaulin in long term storage. Tying all that cotton thread on to the Tarpaulin and then the underframe was frustrating evening! TPO set, with POS on B4 Bogies, a BG similarly shod, and a GUV on commonwealth bogies, presumably restored to near original condition from RES service. Also note the two shipping containers acting as workshop/storage space behind the shed, resting on redundant sleepers. At the top of the picture, an ex-RES super BG sits now acts as storage, sits on an isolated stretch of track (moved there to free up siding space elsewhere) Technically the RES logo should be removed if the vehicle is ex-EWS. The Class 37/4 in the yard is will at some point be repainted when I have the time (to do it) or money (to get someone else to do it) to represent a preserved example. Pullman Car IBIS with Pullman bogie replaced with Gresley bogies as in VSOE service (OK, Hornby dons't represent the correct window layout for Ibis, but we'll overlook that!) Mainline registered Mk1, complete with OHL flashes, cantrail stripes (only applied to coach ends many attempts revealed it was impossible to place a transfer on the guttering) and TOPS data panel (as on EWS/DBS examples). All my mainline Mk1s fitted with Commonwealth bogies. Coupled mainline registered coaches. Unrefurbished RU I checked and there is at least one in mainline service still, I think on the Northern Belle, albeit with a few windows blanked off! Commonwealth bogies fitted, kitchen extended into seating bays and windows whited out (with paper, so reversible), representative of the RU on the SDR. Also featuring Mk1 Pullman Emerald, NRM now on the mainline with WCRC. Also got Eagle which is currently in the works having its underframe changed (don't ask!) Mk2a TSO, 5412, as in the SRPS charter rake (but without branding), repainted by hand from Bachmann NSE TSO. Roof is factory finish masked off. Having gone to all that trouble, the rules are changed once again permiting passenger carrying Mk1s at the rear of trains! GRRR. Well, its in the fleet now, but the change in rules does mean I can operate vac-only Steam locos on railtours prototypically (since the Mk2a is Air only) Given that Bachmann continue not to produce any Mk1 FOs, the only way I could work towards a 9-coach all-maroon railtour set was by adopting the MetCam Pullmans that WCRC have painted Maroon and use as FOs. Again a hand repaint with factory-finished roof. Windows were removed during painting. Transfers are HMRS numbers (slightly off colour) with Fox MetCam Pullman lining. Another example will be similarly treated in the future. 35028 Clan Line being disposed of on the Ash Pit having just returned the railtour stock to the railway. Currently borrowing the NRM support coach until I have cut and shut a Mk1 BFK in Maroon (I'm not going to attempt to replicate the Pullman livery on the Mk2a BFK Clan Line uses today)! Colourful set of restored wagons – I admit freight stock is probably less authentic, although given the often 'representative' rather than 'historical' nature of wagon restoration, I think I can get away with it. I might have a few too many 'end door' opens. I try not to exceed or get near total number of preserved examples of any wagon type. There are only about 3 Presflows in preservation (of the type modelled by Bachmann) so we'll be sticking with one! A majority of the coaches, including the bulk of the 12 mainline Mk1s stored in the sidings between railtour use. Four of the mainline set form the everyday maroon Mk1 set, supplemented by a Mk1 CK, a non ML vehicle, with its original B1 Bogies. Note the Mk1 BSK (2nd car up on extreme left) has had its periscopes blanked off using the blanks from a scrap Bachmann BSK. 5 Car Pullman Rake, going by my 'numbers preserved' rule, it would be theoretically possible to muster such a set of K-type cars! Note also bottom left the 'spur' onto the mainline (i.e. off the baseboard!)
    2 points
  3. Abridged History Several thousand 16 feet long (over headstocks), 3-plank dropside wagons with 9' 6" wheelbase were designed and built by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway through the 1890s. Over the years detail differences emerged such as axleboxes, lubrication, journal size, and this in turn affected the load capacity which ranged from 8 to 10 tons. Wagons to essentially the same design but with further detail differences were built for the Cheshire Lines Committee, but only those built for the MS&LR were originally fitted with either-side brakes. The Great Central Railway passed more than three thousand of these on to the LNER, but in the years immediately prior to WW2 there were only 600 or so 10T and 5 8T wagons left. Just before Nationalisation numbers had again reduced with only 70 10T wagons and a solitary 8T wagon left in service. The commission To build a pair of these wagons as seen in GCR service c1910-12 using the S&T Wagon Works resin bodied kits. These come with whitemetal axleguard/axleboxes, buffer housings, vee hangers, brass buffer heads, etched brass coupling hooks, and steel links. I'll be adding to this 3' 1" split spoke wheels from Slaters, replacement brass cast coupling hooks from the same source, WEP compensation units (resin can be a bit flexible, so I never build such wagons solid), replacement sprung buffers from Haywood, GC goods wagon paint from Precision, and GC transfers from POWsides. The body Very little flash exists on the resin casting, just a little under the curb rail which is easily removed. I'm still (weeks later) waiting for the buffers from Haywoods so I'll not open out the buffer holes in the headstocks quite yet and I'll leave the slot for the hooks for now too. To remove any grease and release agent from the mouldings I gave the bodies a quick scrub with Barkeepers Friend and a vibrating toothbrush. These are often half price in the local supermarkets, and last for ages. Why use a second hand toothbrush to clean your models if they're not in a good enough condition to clean your teeth? Axleguards Or w-irons in modeller's parlance. Only a little flash was present which was quickly removed with a blade and old file kept specifically for whitemetal. The pattern maker really had his brain plugged in for this as he's marked not only the centre line on the underside of the body, but also the position of the axles. Pattern makers take note! This speeds things up no end and leaves no margin for error. Some Araldite Rapid was mixed up and the axleguards fitted and set aside for 24 hours to cure fully. Next...compensation units.
    2 points
  4. ...24 hours later the Araldite is fully cured. Compensation Units With the axle guards securely in place, my attention now turned to the compensation units. A number of types are available, but I find the type with inside bearings supplied by WEP are unobtrusive and go together with a minimum of fuss; simply fold up and a couple of dabs with a hot iron is enough for the solder to work its way into the folds by capillary action. A small engineer's square ensures everything is fixed at 90 degrees. The bearings supplied (just) fit in the etched holes without the latter needing to be opened out, so that's nice and simple. A quick clean to neutralise the flux and the rocking units can be assembled by opening the holes to 0.9mm and pushing the supplied brass wire through, securing it in place by bending the ends to 90 degrees. Bob's your uncle. Preparing the wheels I carefully pull the wheels off the axles, and rub the backs on some 180 grit wet & dry in a circular motion to remove any casting pips and ensure the backs are flat and true. I then give the tyre fronts, treads, backs and axles a rub over with a Garryflex block (grey - medium grade), finally degreasing the wheels and axles with cellulose thinners before chemically blackening them. There's often a lot of hand-wringing about this process, but really it's easier than falling off a log. I should say that chemically blackening is a misnomer - or should be - because that's not what we should be trying to achieve. How many prototype wheel treads are black? Exactly. What we should be aiming for is to tone down the bright shiny chrome steel of the wheels as supplied to a scale sheen appropriate for our models. To do this I dilute Birchwood Casey Super Blue with water to a 1:9 ratio in a container and have some clean water in another container ready on the side. Lay out some paper towel and drop the axles into the solution leaving each one in there for 20 seconds. Then transfer the 'blackened' axle to the clean water and leave that for 20 seconds before fishing it out and drying it thoroughly on the paper. I then repeat the process with the wheels. The combination of chemically and mechanically cleaning the steel, followed by brief immersion in a weak solution will darken the steel perfectly without flaking. If things are a little patchy, it's simply down to that area not being clean or grease-free, so repeat the process! I've recently seen concerns written about inserts theoretically plasticising in the solution, but in 17+ years of blackening wheels like this have encountered no such problems. Incidentally, loco wheels treads can be blacked as the process doesn't interfere with electrical pickup. I give the axles and wheels a quick once-over with a hair dryer then fit a brass mop into the mini drill and buff the wheels and axles until they shine with a scaled down sheen. Some people like to coat them with light oil, but I rarely bother as next the tyre faces and wheel backs need a blast with the black etch primer.
    1 point
  5. Get with the 21st century Ian. You've got photoshop why don't you use it to add some colour to your layout sketches? I like to see other peoples visualisations of their layouts even more so when they pop them in photoshop an give them that added zing with a bit of colour and texture. You know who you are... People who work with Photoshop all day find this task easy I expect and finish the task in a few minutes. Whereas I, with my laptop on my lap learning as I go along find it takes ages. By the time I get good at rendering this layout visualization I will have probably finished the layout anyway. So here's an attempt to add a bit of colour to a sketch in attempt to give it that added zing. Apologies for the crudity of the technique but we all have to start somewhere...
    1 point
  6. Hi Ian, Probably a bit late but I've done some removable loads where the strapping coincides with the 4"x 2" that the load sits on and is glued underneath so the load and the timber lift off together. Like this one; http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicks_trainstuff/7515456218/in/photostream Hope this helps. Nick
    1 point
  7. Many thanks all for your kind comments - I won't respond individually this time due to SQL interference The last time I posted I was on the brink of throwing the towel in and scrapping the whole layout (the sort of childish behaviour I am trying to prevent my kids from having!) but having rediverted my attention and the encouraging comments received I am glad I relented... Thanks all
    1 point
  8. The title of this entry does not allude to any forthcoming trip back to blighty, (oh that it did) but the desire to build an English outline layout. I've been umm-ing an ah-ing about it for a long time. I even joined the Scalefour society in the hopes of being able to start a finescale 4mm English layout. But with no 4mm finescalers in easy reach to talk to the enthusiasm faded. So I periodically find myself being blitzed with the urge to model in English 4mm scale and not being able to do anything about it. People like Chris Nevard and others have shown time and again that finescale fidelity is not needed to build a realistic layout. So perhaps the key is to forget the finescale idea and just get out there and build. My latest research led me to discover Berwig Halt and Vicarage Crossing on the Minera Branch near Wrexham. http://www.disused-s...wig/index.shtml http://www.disused-s...alt/index.shtml I spent a couple of years in the Wrexham area at college there so I had a familiarity with the area. The first picture on the Berwig page was dripping in atmosphere for me. I felt it was the kind of image that would have graced the cover of Great Western Railway Journal. The pictures of Vicarage crossing had a grimy run down feel that I love, so typical of that rundown early 60's era. So I'm thinking of some kind of cross between the two. I have plenty of unused baseboards in storage so today I took a look and doodled on the face keeping the photographs in mind. Why the baseboard is triangular is a long old story that I shan't bore you with. The idea looks interesting and has me in mind to investigate it further. The ground level will rise from below track level at the front, to above track level at the rear. How much, I don't know. That's one of the things that needs investigating. I've got a Ratio Tin Tabernacle" that would fit on the layout nicely. The rest of the structures would have to be scratchbuilt. I have procured plenty of rolling stock over the years that could suit a mid 60's period layout. So at the moment expenditure would be minimal. Most of this is stuff that I bought because I liked it and has no regional consistency to it. So the layout would just be something to show off British trains to punters at US train shows. I'll let the idea brew a bit and see what transpires.
    1 point
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