CloggyDog

Another recent scratchbuild has been an Insulfish rebuild of the LNER Diagram 134 Fish Van. Drawings in the LNER wagons book. Core is 40 thou sheet, with Evergreen 4067 for the planked bits. 125 x 60 thou strip solebars and headstocks, bolts either pressed in with a pin or tiny cubes of 10 x 10 thou strip floated in place with Mek. Springs and axleboxed are small 4mm ones from the scrapbox. Decals are DIY on the home lazer printer, weathering based on a David Larkin photo.

Has anyone tried the H0 motor kits available from ARU Model in Japan? https://www.plazajapan.com/2010010000158/ A couple of their wheelbases might be usable (28.5mm and 31mm, a tad either side of a scale 8ft6in) and with 10.5mm (3ft) and 11.5mm (3ft3in-ish) wheels Ok, you have shipping (and likely duty/handling/etc) on top, but they do seem extremely good value at £17-odd a pop. Through a friend, I have 1 (possibly 2) on order via Plaza Japan and will report back in due course.

I like to think I am fairly well disciplined on only buying models with a definite use on a layout, rather than the 'ooooh shiny, must have' - and despite my varied scale/country/era interests* I have been 'good' at resisting most of the promised shiny (Accurascale 16t mins notwithstanding) I'm also happy to spend some time, effort and plasticard in upgrading older, obsolete and cheaper rtr models and building kits, rather than buy the latest all-singing, all-dancing version, partly to keep my spend lowish, but also because I really enjoy the modelling side of the hobby. *No such thing as FOMO when you model British outline H0, btw...

Can't do brass or n/s, but I can certainly do them in 10 thou plasticard, cut on my Silhouette cutter. Attached photos show some H0 BR Mk1s with external frames cut and in place.

Decals decals decals... That's a batch of ČD stock all decalled up and ready for a coat of varnish before weathering (and glazing for the 749 and 831) I did find a pair of built but unpainted Eas in the stock boxes. I have decals for ČD and MAV, so may look at getting those done next week, one in each scheme. The redder MAV livery will make a nice contrast against all the ČD brown and will go with the pair of MAV Es I bought in Budapest earlier this year...

A productive weekend, with another batch of cars painted and ready for decals and weathering, including a pair of the new SDV Model Gbkks 4-wheel vans, a Kbkks low-side, the Tams, Hadgs and some cheap old BTTB Es open which have had their sides extended down to resemble the ČD Es. I've finally found a decent match for ČD freight brown - Coat d'Arms #119 'Rat Brown' (it's a wargaming/fantasy range of acrylics - I picked up a few pots at a local wargaming show some years ago for use on US freight cars, said Rat Brown being good for PRR box cars) The 830 and 749 resin shells have been painted, they are now on the bench for decals, glazing and weathering. Aiming to debut this lot at the Mid-Essex Club's exhibition in Shenfield on the 16th Sept.

There are a couple of existing options for 3D-printed 16t mins: Jonathan Duffett ('IronMink' on Thingiverse) has a couple of variants: https://www.thingiverse.com/ironmink/designs He designs at 1:1 scale, so to get TT120 you'd need to print at 0.0083% Another is Ian Morgan, mostly 2mm scale wagons via Shapeways, but isn't averse to rescaling his designs (I've had some H0 16t mins, buffers, bogies etc., from him): https://www.shapeways.com/shops/siop-y-wageni Use the 'send message' button to ask.

For wheelsets, try some of the Czech companies or retailers (where TT120 has been long established) - I've recently received orders from all these, so can confirm they ship to the UK. SDV Models do 7.7mm and 8.3mm https://www.sdvmodel.cz/en/product-category/meritko-1120/accessories-2/ Modmüller do a large range of TT wheelsets in various wheel diameter and axle lengths, I get mine from the excellent TTModelar: https://ttmodelar.eu/modmueller ESPečky have a small selection: 7mm,7.7mm and 8.3mm :https://1185589887.s1.eshop-rychle.cz/es-pecky/eshop/1-1-Es-Pecky/52-2-Es-TT-odlitky-a-nahradni-dily

Lust for Power - New Model Army

Among the bits in the box was a Tillig 720 Hektor mech, which has been bodged into a chassis for the resin 749 Grumpy shell I got via ebay about 5 years ago when I started my Czech TT project and which has been loitering in my 'to do' box since. I'm thinking to finish this in the well-worn red/yellow livery as carried by 749 100 into the 2010s Next up is a free-rolling chassis to go under the resin 742 shell to make a dummy for double-heading. Etched handrails and buffers for that are on their way from www.TTModelar.eu along with decals for the 830, which will also get the red/yellow livery. Starting to think I maybe need a bigger layout... 🤔

Also available in TT via the old (but still very usable) injection-moulded kit from LPH. Plus an etched detailing kit from Hekttor.

The resin 830 is now a runner, though some additional pick-ups and some weight wouldn't go amiss, something to sort over the weekend.

Many thanks to @warbonnetuk for the box of surplus Czech TT kits and bits he handed to me at LyddRail last weekend. 😁 I'll be making good use of pretty much all of it, indeed the 2 Detail wagon kits (Tams and Zav) are now being finished off ready for paint, the 830 shell has had the windows opened out and a start made on a chassis. The pair of 010 trailers will get added to tge (ever-growing) fleet of 810/010s! I've also dusted off the resin Grumpy shell I got ages ago, as there are some bits in the box that will get that finished off too. A useful resource for completing these older resin kits (and much more besides) can be found here: https://www.mojett.cz/aktualizace (use a browser with auto translate, such as Chrome) Nové Město is next out at the Mid-Essex show in Shenfield on Sat 16 September and I've just accepted the invite to Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow for Feb 2024 ☺️

There were still quite a few around earlier this year (back end of March and early April). Had a ride on one of the rebuilds, but not an original.

Some useful pics here: https://steverabone.com/RailwayPhotographs/ireland_1984.htm And here: https://steverabone.com/RailwayPhotographs/unknown_irish_photographers.htm Having had a few hugely enjoyable bashing trips in the 80s and 90s, there's a very strong temptation to add an Irish micro to the portfolio... If only the range was in H0, so I could use EM track and get a little bit more railway in the space...

One Of The Chosen - New Model Army

I've used this seller on ebay for the 5 or so most recent shows I've organised. Quick turnaround (within a week, usually) and crisply done. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110966966976?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=q4DUlc4eQGO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=RhR16hhlQhK&var=410144018276&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Marlow, Maidenhead & District are running their Summer show next Saturday at Knowl Hill Village Hall. Details on the attached poster and Showguide KH 2023 A4 Poster.pdf MMDMRC 2023 Knowl Hill showguide.pdf

Insul-Fish and a BR Insulated van finished and I've also redone Dounreay's backscene. Correct length this time and applied with more care. The horizon is a few cm lower, giving more sky. And I tracked down a couple of period poster images online and printed them off to help set the timeline. Pretty much ready for DEMU Showcase next weekend in Sutton Coldfield, followed by Maidenhead club's summer exhibition in Knowl Hill the Saturday after. Later in the year Dounreay will be at Bracknell show on Sun 29 Oct and Woolwich on Sun 10 Dec.

Fresh fish from Dounreay. Last knockings of the Far North fish workings, circa 1968 Scratchbuilt Insul-Fish and modified Lima 12t van for the Insulated van H0 scale, 1/87, 3.5mm:ft

Had a few hours of gentle plasticard-wrangling over the weekend to scratchbuild an Insul-Fish conversion of an LNER diagram 134 fish van, a handful of which lasted in fish service to the mid/late-60s, so just creeping into my timeframe. Rather pleased with how it came out, paint, decals* and a coat of grot to add. May well do another in due course. *assuming I can find the safe place I put my clear decal sheets... The 2nd Derby Two has some paint and will be finished as D5114, GSYE, decals from Railtec ordered. I'll be making good use of the test track at the club this evening!

I had BRT-branded 075 and 187 to Skegvegas at least once, albeit in their earlier blue livery. Circa 1991, I think. I have a feeling I had them in the later livery on a railtour a year or two later.

Tales of the Road - Justin Sullivan

Before I Get Old - New Model Army