Enfys_Rainbow

I knew I should have ordered some Class 08 coupling rods several months ago...my own fault I suppose!

And here is what an evening of sanding accomplishes these days... Phew! One down, on with the next... Matt

To be honest Mike, sanding everything off and then replacing the vents seems like a reasonable idea to be honest!

If there was anything worth watching, that might be an option! The first roof is now completed, aiming for a coat of primer tonight to see what needs further attention...

Thank you for the replies, most informative. Given the (lack of) availability of the later, flush roofed Mk1's and the high cost when they do pop up, I've decided to tackle this the hard way on my own models by sanding them down. Progress can be followed on my workbench topic if anyone is interested. Matt

Hello all, First up, I'm absolutely no expert when it comes to coaching stock. I've barely ever taken any interest in them, prototype or model. Over the years I've accumulated a couple of (4 in total!) Bachmann Mk1's and 2's, although not in any real order - just bought if I found a bargain with no more thought than that. Apart from being taken out of the boxes periodically to look at, they've never even been run. I bought the first in 2010 so you can imagine how little use they've had! Anyway, while doing some very early research for a potential future project, I started looking at them, and prototype coaches, more closely than ever before. In my inexpert opinion these are, and will be, good enough for my needs however I couldn't help noticing a few bits that could potentially be improved without too much effort or, more importantly, expense. The main thing that caught my attention were the prominent ribs moulded onto the roof. The real coaches don't have them, and neither do the later Mk1's released by Bachmann. And the more I looked, the more they bothered me. Having looked around online at pre owned later release blue/grey Mk1's, they're either not available, or worth a small fortune, so I decided to do it myself, the hard way. Thankfully removing the ribs isn't too difficult, but you do have to be careful not to damage the ventilators. It's just really boring. Incidentally, this is an CK - I decided to give this a go with my least favourite coach (how very shallow of me!) however it's very much a case of once you start, you have to see it through! If this goes well, it will hopefully give me the confidence to repeat it. All being well, I'm planning on making a few basic improvements to my coaches - but nothing too involved! Matt

Hi all, First a disclaimer - I know nothing about coaches, prototype or model. I've never paid any attention other than them being somewhere to sit when travelling! I've started looking at the Bachmann models recently, especially the Mk1 and Mk2's. The various models have a letter, eg 39-025A (MK1 SK) as part of the product code with others being labelled B, C, D etc. Do the letters denote different releases or something else? In the case of the SK, the only difference I can spot is the "A" version has visible roof ribs and the "E" version doesn't. Is it just the case of the model being updated with each release? Matt

Don't worry, they've gone to good homes already!

Hi all, Happy new year. To start 2024 off, I've built a 4mm scale wagon scrapyard diorama! Joking aside, I've had a clear out of multiple built wagons from my stash - some have been sold on and some, like these, have been stripped of useful parts and have been consigned to the bin. Why? Simple - I no longer consider them up to standard and I lack the time or inclination to strip and rebuild/repaint them. My goal for 2024 is to build fewer wagons, but instead to build what I do to a higher level where possible. Having said that, I'll probably still do a fair few random projects! Matt

Sorry about that 😬

Two posts in a day... The roof is now complete. The kit contains decorative bargeboards as per the prototype. I just could not get these to fit well enough with my rebuilt roof so cut my losses and replaced them with scratchbuilt, non-decorative, ones. Given my box is not a faithful replica, I'm happy enough with the compromise. The roof has been built as a one-piece item and is still removable to enable me to fit the windows and glazing later. This pretty much wraps up the construction phase and I'll hopefully be able to start some painting at some point later on in the week. Matt

I'm idly starting to think about planning a new layout and I'm very tempted to give these a try! Matt

Hi Steve, Very nice job on the Tope so far - is this the Hornby wagon? If so, the handrails look good - much better [and easier] than forming them from wire as I had to do with my kitbashed one. Sorry for the highjack but it was such an unpleasant experience that I decided to stop after one wagon! Matt

Hi all, I've been continuing my work on the Signal Cabin, but most of what I've done hasn't been very interesting to look at. I'm now approaching the end of the construction phase and have built a new roof, using embossed plastic again - although I wish these Scottish Cabins had slate rooves! You'll also notice a raised base - this serves two purposes: it'll enable me to bed the building into the scenery [obviously if it ever gets used on a layout!] and secondly it's something to hold while I paint it. I've also applied a thin grey wash to the walls, mainly to seal them before "proper" painting commences. Matt

Interesting discussion and in particular the Peco structures by @Vecchio. How did you find them to build? I'm currently constructing the "other" Scottish Signal Cabin by Peco and found it a bit challenging in places. Matt

Thanks for all the interest and comments. Last day off today before going back to work tomorrow so I've made the most of whatever spare time I've had to continue making progress. Not a huge amount to show, but it has taken me the best part of a couple of hours to achieve - I've rebuilt the steps and handrails. Note the blue paint - this is just to check my work rather than a start on any painting. Next up will be the handrails on the stairs. Matt

Wonderful! Are these available for purchase?

Much, much better and far more realistic - I take it it's something over the original moulding? Matt

Interesting - I didn't know Intentio did one. I've not seen that, and it's not listed on their website. Was it based on a prototype cabin? Matt

Hello all, I've got three primary interests area-wise when it comes to railway modelling - North Wales, Cornish China Clay and the Scottish Highlands. I've tried, largely unsuccessfully it has to be said, many times over the years to build a signal cabin suitable for a Scottish theme. My failure's have mainly been due to a lack of time and effort on my part, so it was with interest I noted Peco had brought out a kit, based on the Helmsdale cabin. I picked one up some months ago, but it's been stored in a drawer since then. I decided to open it up the other night as I like to mix up my projects, and I've been working on wagons pretty solidly for a while now. I'd like to share my progress here, because I've not seen too many of these being built - or if they have, I haven't noticed! First up, I don't find laser-cut kits easy to build, I much prefer scratchbuilding structures from card or plastic sheet. The Peco kit has beautifully delicate window frames - probably the best and finest examples of laser-cut window frames I've seen personally - they're often pretty chunky. The surface texture of the planks is also wonderfully subtle and better than anything I could manage from scratch. I found the tolerances of the inner walls to be incredibly tight, so much so I could not assemble them using the tabs as intended. So I deferred from the instructions and trimmed the inner walls to fit - after assembling the outer walls. This is the complete opposite of how Peco intends the kit to be built! As good as the aforementioned surface texture is, I'm not a fan of laser-cut bricks so have substituted embossed plastic for these parts. I've also removed some of the windows to enable me to pose them open later on. Some pics: I'll also be rebuilding the steps separately - simply because I won't be able to assemble the steps given the struggles I've had with the walls - but this is a personal decision and no reflection on the kit itself. Thanks for looking Matt

That looks great!

Without wanting to sound flippant, I'd say you have nothing to worry about - Fox Transfers are the best in the business quality wise in my humble opinion. You've done all the correct prep - the gloss coat will make all the difference. Matt

Track would certainly be recyclable. Not so sure about the buildings because each has been built to a very specific shape to fit over the various parts of the baseboard - attempting to modify would be difficult. The more I think about it, the more tempted I am to just strip it - certainly be a lot easier.

Ignore the stock, but you get the idea! Thanks Stu - I'm still doing stock updates on my workbench thread if you're interested? Sorry - I may ultimately change my mind and work on it, however I do feel I've hit a wall now and can't see myself progressing much further. I am quietly planning something "new" behind the scenes, but what I don't want is multiple unfinished layouts either - been there, done that! Matt

I've reluctantly decided to try selling the layout (or scrapping it as a last resort). Despite putting a lot of effort into each element, I've simply run out of the motivation to develop it further. Sadly nothing is completed, which I'm aware makes it an unattractive proposition. The stock will stay with me, as will the telegraph poles and bufferstops - they'll be reused in a future project. In the unlikely event someone is interested in taking on an unfinished project like this, drop me a PM! Matt