Firecracker

Today’s project, a brace of 12t vans. Both a bit different, first up is a ply sided fitted with one of the clasp braked underframes. So here it is on the surface plate drying true. A close up of the underframe (Solebars and brake gear from the Red Panda kit) And ready for primer. Next up, is one of the diag. 1/212 margarine vans. Inspired by reading Rowland’s book and a sheet of transfers, aparently 3 grounded bodies and 1 intact van (arbeit heavily modified) from this diagram survive, so I decided 1 more was feasible. So it’s a parkside kit, with the unused oleo-fitted bufferbeams from the Red Panda kit used above grafted onto the ends. Finally, the Chivers 21t mineral has gained its transfers and been gently weathered. A few little touch ups and a coat of varnish to go, but a very nice kit to build. Owain

A couple more from this weekend’s visit to Sedbergh (which, if anyone hasn’t realised, is a ‘could have been’ preserved railway) where their pannier was handling one of the passenger trains. Also an amble round the old goods yard. Owain

And to put the tin lid on the customer service, earlier today received an email from Harry, had my parcel arrived, because it was still listed as ‘for delivery’ with Hermes? I replied, confirming it arrival and complimenting him on his excellent customer service. Guess who’s getting an order for some wheels and a kit or two next week. Owain

So, the latest wagons have emerged from hiding. Then, after a need to get to the little mill (blasted customers!) and storing next door’s dishwasher for a week (it makes perfect sense in context, honest!) the layout has been put back up and here’s a few shots, including the latest arrivals. Owain

And a bit more. First up, the Chivers 21t mineral has received its bauxite finish (actually Vallejo’s cavalry brown, airbrushed). Next up, I was after some of the red panda kits BR 10ft clasp braked under frames and google lead me to the website of H&A models. What should have been just two underframes grew a bit and with the excellent service I received I came away very happy (highly recommended, I’ll go back there again). So, first out of the pile was the Cambrian sturgeon. Assembly has been straightforward so far, with the basic wagon weighted upside down on the surface plate, to ensure it dried flat and true. With its bogies fitted, following a filling and sanding session on the deck. The parkside 21t mineral has had Kadees fitted and a start made on the weathering (aiming for a bit more tatty). Finally, on the subject of weathering, I’ve picked a couple of issues of this up. Aimed at the military modeller, there’s the odd railway article and a hell of a lot of inspiration /new techniques. Although published by Mig, it isn’t used solely as a vehicle to advertise their products (just make sure it’s the English edition you’ve got). Owain

To echo what’s been said, further excellent service here. Found them whilst looking for a supplier of Red Panda kits (specifically the BR 10ft clasp brake underframe). This morphed into a larger order when I found how much else they carried. The following day I get a phone call first thing, being a cretin I’d missed the house number off my address. Once rectified I get an email 5 minutes later to say it’s been despatched and under 48 hours later this arrives. Can’t say fairer than that, highly recommended and will definitely use again. Owain

And another wagon has emerged, a second 21t mineral, this time the vac fitted clasp brake version, from the Chivers Finelines kit (sold under the Five79 tag). A new manufacturer for me, I saw the thread on here and based on the good feedback, decided they were worth a pop. Following damned impressive service (delivery in under 24 hours!) and a kit that wasn’t quite at ‘shake the bag and a completed wagon falls out’ (but it certainly wasn’t very far off), with lovely crisp mouldings and superb instructions (Peco, you fancy redoing the parkside instructions to this standard?). I’m very glad I did. Highly recomended, I’m struggling not to justify a third 21 tonner in the rake and I’m watching the range to see what else is released. And in the spray booth, following a coat of grey primer. Plan is finished in early bauxite (the arm is entirely homemade, using 1/2” aluminium bar, steel strip and mouse balls for the pivots) Owain

Just to praise the superb service! Ordered a brace of kits (MDV and Tunny) yesterday at 14:25, got the despatch notification at 16:06 and the two kits (with very nice mouldings indeed) have just popped through the letterbox here. Excellent, you’ll be getting more of my money at this rate! Owain

And a bit more on the wagon fleet! The stuff that was fully transferred has been varnished, as an experiment I’ve got a bottle of Mig’s ‘lucky’ varnish, water based, air brushes on easily and dries Matt first go (so already beating the humbrol I used last time). The results, irritatingly despite decal setting solution the transfers on the CCT (which I already wasn’t very impressed with the printing of) have also silvered, unlike the Fox efforts on the gunpowder van and the ancient Dapol transfers on the presflo, so those are probably being replaced at some point. The 21t (god knows how an early one of these survived into preservation, maybe it’s ex NCB or Workington steelworks?) (having researched, it’s getting a couple of the chivers clasp braked versions to run as a short rake) and the medfit (which is going to end up as a maintenance wagon, carrying a cement mixer and other stuff) have has their transfers (unknown and fox) added. Owain

More clearance, selection of copies of moorsline, 2004-current. Can’t guarantee they’re all there, collect from York before they go in the recycling. Owain

The first stages of a long overdue clear out, a job lot of assorted model engineer (late 70’s-early 80’s), model engineers workshop (2011-2012), old glory (2011-12) and rail express (2011-12). These are unsorted, they’re not complete years and ideally someone takes the lot before they go in the recycling. Collection only, from York. Owain

Never visited the shop but had excellent service by mail order, they’ve become my preferred supplier for kadee couplings due to their competitive pricing and excellent service. One day, I’ll get down there... Owain

Now, the latest challenge, thanks to the shop at the Chasewater railway and my mouth. Fit a DCC decoder into the Bachman wickham trolley. It has to be invisible and having dismantled the offending item, I decided it would be better under the floor of the trolley (saved interfering with the motor on the trailer). I also decided to keep the electrics as original as possible, to save issues. So... First, modify the PCB in the trolley chassis, removing the capacitors and chokes, plus drilling out the holes in the PCB, to make it easier to connect the decoder wires. Next, I attacked the chassis with a burr in the Dremel flexi-drive. The idea was remove enough material to ensure the decoder (Zimo Mx616R) fits with its heat shrink intact and give a bit of room for the wires. Straightforward job, slow and steady sees it done. Like so. Hopefully, having trial fitted the PCB, all that remains is to solder the four wires to the connections on the PCB and reassemble. Stay tuned for part 2, to see if it worked. Owain

A bit more playing with paint colours, following a bit of research, here’s an attempt to match BR unfitted grey and fitted bauxite to Vallejo colours (71.046 Pale Blue Grey and 70.982 Cavalry Brown) The 21t has also had the first stage of the internal rust added. Also, just like the 12”-1’ version, a restoration project. This meat van was built about 25-30 years ago, I’ve decided to sympathetically restore it. So it’ll be keeping the livery and transfers, with the missing doors being replaced with a spare set from a park side kit. Owain

A few from a visit to Sedbergh, on the reopened Lowgill-Ingleton line. Rearranging the yard, with the Ruston and ex. Stratford/Carlisle Currock 08715 Ex. Barry 76080 brings the 11:30 into Sedbergh, with the ‘scratch (ie tatty) rake’ of coaches. The latest public exhibit, titled ‘The fascinating world of rot and corrosion’ Owain

And to continue, they’ve now had their transfers finished on both sides and on the ends (in the case of the gunpowder van). Next, the CCT has been given 3 coats of Vallejo red with the airbrush (the jury is still out on how close a match to BR crimson this is, it’s darker than it looks in the photo, but it still looks a bit pinker than ideal). It’s still got to get a coat of varnish and weathered, so I’ll see how it goes. It’s also had 1 side’s worth of transfers applied, these came with the kit and I’ll admit to being disappointed with them, my memory is modelmaster used to be printed better than this (looking at the CCT marking, for a start). The style and location of the lettering is based on a restored example on the Mid-Hants. Finally, the last of the current batch of wagons, a steel medfit and an unexpected 21t open, which was found in the bottom of the kit drawer. Finished and ready for primer. Owain

And a second very quick update, the gunpowder van has been finished in Vallejo’s Anthracite grey (an eyeballed match for GWR wagon grey) with the airbrush, as a bit more practice and it, along with the presflo have had their transfers (Fox and original Dapol, which considering theyve sat in a packet for 20 years went down perfectly) on one side. Owain

A very quick update, the airbrush was hooked up to the new compressor (very nice!) and the presflo got three coats of Vallejo Deep Yellow. The gunpowder van also got finished and has been blown over with grey primer. Owain

A couple more projects have popped up, first a souvenir from a bank holiday weekend visit to the Chasewater railway (never been before, lovely line with an interesting selection of ex. NCB stuff, modified/rebuilt 16 tonners and tipplers. It was a good price in their ship, so I did another bit of economic stimulation. Lovely little thing, but it needs a chip fitting. So it’s been stripped down, idea is a Zimo MX616R (which according to the net is 8mm square) fitted under the floor of the trolley. Modify/remove the PCB to get the connections and give us a bit of space. Another project is the GWR gunpowder van, being finished in the 1936-48 livery. So it’s half built up, currently sat on the surface plate whilst the sole bars dry. Owain

I’ll maintain a diplomatic silence there. The clothes are actually a joke with a mate, he saw that figure in grey primer as I was doing the flesh tones and asked if it was Dr. Evil. Second from the right’s got a film influence as well. Owain

A bit more progress, another batch of ModelU figures have emerged. The next project has been started, Southern Railway design CCT from the parkside kit. There’s dozens of these survived, so this is going to be a riding van for the crane, in BR crimson. First up, the basic body and chassis are assembled on a surface plate and left with clamps and weight to ensure it all dries square. Some lead is added And finished, in grey primer ready for paint. The roof will be fitted after the sides have been painted and th glazing added. Owain

Monks cross shopping park. Between primark and Poundland. No alifiation at all, just a very happy customer. Don’t worry, they’ll see the light eventually. Mate of mine does missionary work down there. He says they’re really quite nice, once you get over the webbed feet and the three surnames per county. More OT from me too matey! Owain

York’s got a reasonable display of plastic kits, mostly Tamiya, Humbrol and Tamiya paints, glues, Tools, some woodland scenics and some materials (stripwood, balsa). Never seen any railway stuff in there, except at Christmas when they had the Hornby Coca Cola set in. I’m in there fairly regularly,because they’ve got a good stock of other more general stuff (foam core board, paintbrushes, hot melt glue, craft foam, storage boxes (the ‘really usefull’ flat boxes are my preferred rolling stock storage these days) etc. One that’s always worth a look is Boyes, in York they’ve got a good games workshop selection, a regularly changing selection of tools (cheapest source of xcelite/exacto knife blades and razor saws I’ve found) and Vallejo paints. Plus they do decent work boot socks and 5 packs of Trebor XXXX mints cheap. What’s not to like? Owain

That is simply the best idea I’ve seen in this whole thread. Because to me that’s a major step for someone to make in the transition from an oval of track to a fledgling model Railway, a board to mount it onto. With the arrival of laser cutting, surely a flat pack ply kit should be straightforward. Owain

And a bit more! The gronk has now had the other side done, just needs varnish, the weathering touching up and some last touches, like that grab handle straightening. The latest batch of figures (all ModelU) have been painted, just need shading and finishing. Finally,another new toy. Following several discoveries (the effect on the electric bill of running the big compressor, the distant Dubdubdub in the background and that it causes television interference) I decided to splash out on something a bit quieter to drive the airbrush and supply light compressed air needs in the garage. So machine mart obliged and this rolled up. Quieter than a fridge, cheap to run, easily movable and well made. What’s not to like? Owain