[GWR horse-drawn station bus]

Do you think this could be adapted and made in to more of a stage coach?  It's an ABS kit, ex-Varney.

http://www.kwtrams.co.uk/productdisplay/r152-mail-coach

[GWR horse-drawn station bus]

Mikkel.  Your work has often been described as 'inspirational' and for once, I have been inspired actually to do something.  I have had this omnibus part-made for some time but your post here has got me going.

 

The kit is very similar to yours but I am not sure of it's origin as there are differences.  The roof is cast in the checked pattern which I filed down and filled the holes with some paint to reduce the chunky look.  The two mouldings around the waist are cast on my kit.  I can't remember the corner joints as I had already made and painted the model.  

 

However, I have aded the railings around the top and added a couple of small rollers of brass micro-tube at the top of the luggage hoist; there is a rail around the driver's seat; I have painted a faint gold lining on the mouldings and added 'Great Western Railway'.  The latter I culled from a photo of a cast sign, bumped the resolution up to 300dpi then reduced it to 1mm tall and printed it on ivory coloured paper.  I have coloured the tyres with an HB pencil, a tip I was given recently and to get the silver in to the lamps I used a very small burr.

 

The horse is temporary, just for the photos.

 

I apologise for the photos.  I just cannot take a decent one at the moment, whatever I do.  Perhaps it is the poor winter light but I am more inclined to my ineptitude.

 

Thank you, Mikkel.

 

[GWR horse-drawn station bus]

5 hours ago, MikeOxon said:

Incidentally I read that the raised box 'seat' for the driver is usual, with a lower seat sometimes provided for a passenger to ride alongside - this appears to be the correct configuration for the horse bus.

The driver's seat is often raised and wedge-shaped, tilting forwards.  One adopts a position which is more upright, more like perching on a bar stool.  It enables you to put more pressure on your feet which helps controlling the horse(s).  I did a bit of driving some years ago.  If I had the space I would do it again.

[Powsides/Slaters Private Owner wagons]

You mentioned nuts.  I did a test build of a DD3 tank wagon in 4mm for Taff Vale Models and made one or two additions including nuts on the end of the diagonal braces.  I used 16BA nuts.  I have attached a picture and leave you to judge their suitability.  The diagonal brace is 0.5mm nickel silver rod so the nut slips easily over th end, held with a minute dab of glue.  There should be two but my supply of nuts is low so I economised.  The second, lock nut, would have been thinner, so just file it down.

 

Unfortunately, 16BA nuts are like hens' teeth at the moment but when they become available again, would someone please let me know??  

 

[A pictorial record of horse manure]

Thanks, Mikkel.  It's the small things that bring scenes to life but all too often overlooked.  Impressive research!

 

You suggested droppings might be collected in rural areas.  Indeed they were, valued for vegetable plots (anyone remember the competition there used to be in rural shows?) and for roses.  Manure was also appreciated in some more built up areas.  My mother grew up in the Rhondda valley and she remembered droppings being competed for.  When a delivery vehicle or someone like the rag and bone man (there were no personal conveyances for their like) came along the street, the children were sent out with dustpan or shovel and brush to garner the sought after harvest.

 

Even today, I prefer a load of horse dung to cattle manure for my garden.

[A Pair of Bulleids]

On 30/10/2020 at 22:43, NHY 581 said:

Green and black. 

That's chocolate.  Any particular flavour?

 

Mick - roof dirt and frame dirt??

[Backdating the Oxford Rail Dean Goods (2)]

8 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Thanks David, my soldering skills are very basic so I haven't really considered resistance soldering yet. I've seen it as something more advanced, but maybe that's a misunderstanding/myth. I see Raymond Walley has a page on it here: http://www.raymondwalley.com/misc/tools/rsu.html

 

Not so much an advanced skill as an additional one.  In many ways it is simpler than conventional soldering which it compliments - one does not replace the other in spite of Mr Walley's view.  If you tin the parts first, attaching them with the RSU is quick, easy and above all, very clean because you do not add any more solder.

 

It is like so many other skills, getting over the fear of the unknown to get going.  I have introduced a number of modellers to the technique and they now use it regularly alongside conventional soldering.

[Backdating the Oxford Rail Dean Goods (2)]

Wonderful work, Mikkel, and inspirational.

 

You said you were worried about soldering the coal rails and used epoxy instead.  I can understand your concern if you had used conventional soldering but resistance soldering would have been ideal for this type of job.

[Missenden Abbey]

You might not have achieved your own objective - it is very common to over-estimate what you can achieve in the time -  but you did achieve an awful lot.  Taking things more slowly should lead to a more thorough job and fewer mistakes.  From our (the Missenden organisers') point of view you achieved our objectives of a) learning and improving techniques, b) knowing what you are going to do next when you get home, c) enjoying yourself and d) making new friends (I hope).  

 

Other feedback has included a line, 'Missenden provides not only the knowledge, but gives me the confidence to use it.'  It sounds to me that you have achieved that in spades!  Well done.  We look forward to seeing you again.