2996 Victor

Last evening, small cat (Daisy - see above) got onto my work room windowsill, where stood on a length of track several part built wagons......Up to now, the cheeky little thing has only tried to get onto my chair. The only casualty was my GWR V5 Mink, which has sustained enough damage to make it a write-off. The scratchbuilt D307 that was standing naxt to it somehow made it intact from the track on the windowsill across my work table and onto my chair, while my Cambrian wagon bodies were untouched, or at least un-pawed! Thankfully, only on Sunday had I moved all my almost-finished wagons from the windowsill to a separate length of track up on a shelf. Lesson learned the hard way - the door stays shut

Hi, a recent hankering for a dumb-buffered wagon or two and a search of the forum led me to your thread. I'd just like to say that I particularly like this wagon, although all your creations are actually quite inspiring. I realise this is several years on, so I was wondering if you had built any similar wagons recently? With best regards, Mark

Thank you, Stephen! I do try hard to paint the ironwork neatly. Not always successfully..... I use a longish but fine brush lightly loaded with slightly thinned paint, held at about 30 degrees to the model and lightly brushed along the edges of the ironwork, filling in afterwards. Any slips are touched in with base colour. As for lining up with the squares, that's OCD pure and simple!

A few more photographs of the Cambrian Railways wagons currently in build and the vexing issue of the transfers. As subject matter, it's rapidly becoming boring and repetitive, and if it's boring me then, dear reader, I'm certain it's boring you. So these will be the last photos I'll post of these wagons until they're finally completed (whenever that may be - perhaps never): http:// http:// http:// http:// As you can see, the transfers are still not sitting into the plank grooves properly, although the 2-plank dropsides seem better than the 4-plank. The transfers seem to stretch if gently persuaded with a fingernail, but soon return to their default position, so what I really need to do is find the Youngs Modulus of Elasticity for transfer film! On the 4-plank, I stripped off the previous effort and tried yet again, although I'm completely out of "RYS"es. However, I've got the "CAM"s to follow the diagonal strapping quite nicely, I think, but the plank grooves? Nah! I'll be away now for almost a week. However, in some ways I'm relieved to be removed from the temptation to fiddle with these blasted wagons! So as a parting shot, here's one of my Midland 3-plank dropsides, originally intended to be an S&DJR wagon but now transmogrified into a Derby wagon. Please excuse the use of a Slater's transfer wagon plate - it'll be disguised a bit during weathering! http:// Cheers for now.

Hi @Worsdell forever, Many thanks for posting your pic. You've made an excellent job of the 2-plank dropside, if I may say so, I certainly looks very good to me. As you say, the plank grooves are a bit on the deep side, which doesn't help. The 4-plank is worse still! I think I've probably achieved about the same degree of "settle" on my 2-plank dropsides as you have, so I think I'll have to leave it at that before I completely lose the plot! However, I think I'm going to have to strip the 4-plank again, though, as the transfers are wrinkled again. I really do think the adhesive is a big part of the problem as the transfers lift and tear very easily. Best regards, Mark

Hi both, Yes, I always apply transfers to a gloss surface, a hang-over from my aeromodelling days! I've tried using MicroSol both during application and as per the instructions. The MicroSet seems to be the better option, though. I've also used a cotton bud as you describe, Ric, sometimes dampened, and it's quite effective. I don't know whether the depth of the plank grooves are a contributory factor, but I suspect so. Trial and error seems to be the way forward, so I'll keep trying over the weekend to see whether I can find a definitive solution! Cheers for now!

The story of the Cambrian Railways open wagons versus WRRC transfers continues..... 4-plank open: One side had transfers carefully sliced with a scalpel blade along plank grooves and either side of diagonals, and MicroSol applied. The transfers wrinkled but did not settle into grooves etc. The wrinkles smoothed out as the MicroSol dried, but the edges were still not drawn into the details and a small section of the "C" tore off during (gently) pressing down the transfers with a damp paper towel. 2-plank dropside #1: MicroSol was applied to one side without slicing the transfers, which wrinkled much less than on the 4-plank. The transfers settled in to the grooves slightly, but not fully. Pressing down with a damp paper towel as recommended indented the transfer into the plank grooves, but the transfers did not stay fully indented. 2-plank dropside #2: MicroSet was applied to one side, again without slicing the transfers. No wrinkling occurred, and the transfers settled down about as well as with the MicroSol. Again, though, while pressing with a damp paper towel indented the transfers into the plank grooves, they did not stay fully indented. My conclusions thus far are that MicroSol is too strong a solution for these transfers, which become very soft when its applied. MicroSet, being milder, seems to work almost to the same degree, and maybe suitable for applying more than once. The 4-plank opens have more surface detail for the transfers to conform too, with the lettering having to cross the diagonal strapping with its bolt-head detail as well as the plank grooves. I have to say, though, that the adhesive on the transfers doesn't seem at all effective, and I wonder if this is more than part of the problem. I'll treat the other side of the 4-plank with MicroSet, and also the two 2-planks, and see what occurs. Cheers, Mark EDIT At the moment, the use of a blunt finger nail seems every bit as effective as the MicroSol/Set solutions in getting the transfers to follow the plank grooves! I'm still not sure how best to get them to conform to the diagonal strapping/bolt-head detail on the 4-plank open - perhaps a combination of MicroSet and fingernail.....

I cut the transfers on the first Cambrian Railways wagon, when I used vast quantities of MicroSol first to try and get them to settle, but I think I'd caused the problems myself on that occasion. I'll probably slice through these with a new scalpel blade before MicroSol. Incidentally, I never remember which is which! Cheers, Mark

Thanks, Stephen! I'm really not sure what's occurring, as I have also reloaded the photograph in Monday's post that Ric @57xx had trouble with, and it still goes to the PostImages home page *throws hands in the air and shrugs shoulders Gallicly!* Regarding the plank grooves, more years ago than I care to remember, I was reading a review of the then new Matchbox 1:72 scale SAAB Tunnen, and I recall the reviewer's comment regarding the panel lines on the wings and fuselage: "the Matchbox canal-digger has been at work again!" While these aren't that bad in reality, they're certainly quite pronounced, aren't they? I'm still hopeful that MicroSol might improve the finish, or perhaps I should resort to using the Force - I'm hoping Proton Torpedoes won't be necessary..... All the best, Mark

Test post to see which photo upload link works best! https://postimg.cc/PN2c0CPM http:// http:// The photo was uploaded without changing the size as I normally do, and having logged out of PostImages, clicking on the link, the thumbnail and the large image takes me direct to the image in PostImages, which is then enlargeable. Could someone (@57xx @Mikkel @Compound2632) please see what happens when you click on them? I'm in a bit of a quandary as to why the images further up the thread don't behave in the same way, as post-PhotoBucket, I've always used PostImages and never had a problem. Anyway, hopefully, you can see the WRRC transfers on the latest 4-plank. They've gone on quite well, but haven't really comformed to the plank grooves, and there is a bit of silvering where the "CAM" and "RYS" cross the diagonals and in particular the bolt heads - the bottom of the "Y" is especially noticeable. All the best, Mark

Three of the wagons shown just above have had their livery transfers applied, Welsh Railways Research Circle, of course. They still need their numbers, which are on the wagons' ends only. This time, I used only warm water with a drop of washing up liquid, and no decal solution. So far, all is well, and in fact better than all the previous attempts. They haven't fully settled down onto the surface, but I'm going to leave them several days and try one single application of MicroSol on just one of the wagons, and see how it goes! Fingers crossed

For me, too - I'm going to have to add an SER layout to my project list.....

Thanks, Tom - Volume 3 quotes three different shades from contemporary reports, so I wondered what you'd plumped for

Tom's SER Ballast Wagons (SR Diagram 1741) are splendid. Highly recommended!

I'm in agreement with Stephen @Compound2632 - a Diagram 1553 would be perfect. Incidentally, I'm surprised (amazed!) by how widespread the SER's use of Mansell wheels was - I had no idea until my copy of SR Wagons Vol.3 arrived. The description of the wheels' livery is intriguing, too! What red do you use for your SER wagons, by the way? Glad you managed to sort out your printer, too - I'm a bit of a technophobe, so hat's off, Tom! All the best, Mark

Hi Ric, I usually upload at 640x480 (I think!), so it'll be the same resolution - its usually okay but that last pic was from my mobile phone. Not sure why its taking you to PostImages, though, perhaps I used the wrong link option. I'll have a look and see if I work out what I've done..... Cheers, Mark EDIT It seems that most if not all my photographs do the same thing, so I'll need to examine the link options next time I'm uploading photos

Thanks, Mikkel, I do get a bit carried away with the fun bits, then have the fiddly job of several sets of brake gear to do! For me, the WRRC transfers are a bit of a curate's egg: beautifully printed, nice and thin and with a good opacity. I just seem to find them a bit temperamental, but it probably just me being ham-handed! I think I've got the measure of them now, though, so hopefully next time will be much easier!

This weekend's progress: http:// Apologies if the photo is a bit duff - it was taken on my phone rather than with my camera. The 4-plank at the back is the erstwhile wagon that has been vexing me greatly in recent days. I do think the transfers are a bit temperamental but I finally got them to do more-or-less what I wanted. However, and me being me, I couldn't stop myself giving them "just one more" treatment with MicroSol, and afterward they were ever so slightly less well-seated than before. Ergo, they don't like too much decal softening solution. As transfers go, they do seem much more trial-and-error than the other water-slide transfers I've used: for the next attempt I'm only going to use MicroSol after they've dried if they haven't settle properly by themselves. The 3-plank fixed side I've mentioned before, and it's only cropped here again as it's had a coat of external livery grey, along with three 2-plank dropsides and another 4-plank high sided. Two of the 2-plank dropsides have got replacement floors, as the kit items sit a smidgeon high such that the bottom planks are a bit narrow! the 2- and 4-planks all have my usual scratch underframes, and will have MJT axleguards, of course. All this Cambrianism has meant an interruption to the Midland D299s whose floors I made recently, but I'll be back on those before long, with a bit of luck! Cheers, Mark

Thanks - will do! Cheers, Mark

Hi Tom, these are looking fantastic! I've got to ask - are they going to be available as well? Best regards, Mark

Exact scale is impossible. Otherwise we would have 4mm/1ft scale nuts and bolts holding our iron/steel/wood wagons together. Etched brass, white metal and styrene represents all manner of unrelated materials. We can only emulate in miniature. In the vintage car world, cars are said to be "totally original". But what does that mean? As soon as the car has a new set of tyres, it's no longer "original", i.e. as it was manufactured. Vintage MGs are a passion of mine, but you would laugh at the originality of some of the rarer models. Paddy's shovel doesn't come close. Getting close is what we do: making miniature representations of the things that interest us in materials we can work in the home or home workshop. Strive for excellence, not perfection!

Hi John, yes that is a re-location! I dread to think what the postage might be! I may well take up your suggestion as I'm determined not to just recycle them, but I've copied all the info I wanted from them and they're just taking up space, alongside a complete set of Colorado Midland Quarterlies! All the best, Mark

Hi John, Good luck with your relocation! I could always hang on to them for you, if you like Cheers, Mark

Still available, but now can be collected from Barlborough, Derbyshire, three minutes from M1 at Jnc30. Please, somebody, take them away - they're too precious to just dump!

Not sure, to be honest - I bought a fret from Eileen's a couple of months ago so just assumed they were still available! Never assume - it makes etc, etc!