The Fatadder

I can remember being told that on some stock they operate on both sides and on others they only light up on the platform side. From memory I think it was second gen DMUs that did the former and coaches did the latter, but I could be wrong... I have all my CDLs that I have installed so far to light up on both sides, I find it useful to be able to see them lit on the non platform side as a reminder that Ive switched them on (it does of course help that my planned platform only has a single operating side, so the public will never see the lights lit on the wrong side

Had a delivery today with another B7 and a double slip for the Wheal Imogen extension, wont have the basaeboard until at least next month but getting tempted to make a start work on the kits. Question to anyone who's built the slip, what did you do for painting the moulded checkrails? Not something I have had to do before, so looking to ensure that it doesnt stand out next to the rest of the point in real rail.

Interesting on those wartime tank repaints, I have a Bachmann tank in a pre war National livery sat in my wagons WIP box thats been awaiting a more suitable livery for 47, I think that gives me an answer as to how I should finish it.

I had come to the same conclusion on the Oxford Rail tender, frustratingly I just missed on on ebay the other week but will get one eventually.... When I do manage it I guess I will have to find another Bulldog that can reuse the existing Dukedog tender (or maybe an Aberdare...)

Cattle wagon hasn't progressed much further, a series of colds making soldering feel rather unappealing! Instead last night I managed to find some handrail knobs and finally crack on with finishing off the Bulldog, I had the email confirming the artwork for the Light Railway Stores etched plates last week so hopefully it wont be too much longer until it is completely finished. Plan is to pick up a pack of ModelU figures for it at Bristol, along with fitting some printed lamp irons to finish it off. It will also need the usual treatments adding coal to the tender and a set of Dinghams to fully put it into service both as an assisting engine and under its own power. Eventually it will be sorted out with the correct tender…

I was just thinking the same, one of those small things you don’t notice but once you do it really bugs you

Have sent a pm, would be perfect for my 153/ half a 150 pair given the latter is powered

I’m hoping they list the body eventually, for an auto coach conversion

finally got my new display case on the wall (all be it missing its door which needs regluing before it can be reattached) nice to get a lot of the stock that’s either not dcc fitted (steam) or not period correct for Wheal Imogen.

The current state of 37057 after a fair bit of time yesterday evening applying transfers for the OHLE stripe, bottom yellow stripe and the OHLE flashes. Once the new transfers arrive for the numbers / EW&S logos it will be finished off in the week and can be reassembled.

Probably the same reason they lack the ability to actually design anything to a decent standard of accuracy, they just lack the skills for the job....

Yet more rework on 37057 this evening, followed by a coat of satin varnish to successfully blend it all together. I am finding the EWS red is very easy to scratch (I’m assuming either I got the paint mix wrong or it’s too old paint). Either way it’s looking good now. This was followed by fitting the nameplates (Extreme Etchings removed from the old body), picking out the handrails in silver and the windscreen grommets in black. I have now ordered the transfers for the numbers/ logos with the usual Railtec custom offering. Thanks to @railtec-models for spotting the typo in my requested loco and letting me know so I didn’t end up with 37056! I already have the Railtec OHLE and lower reflective stripe. Next up work moved to the ends, the previous model was (too) heavily weathered to hide the mistake with the lower reflective stripe. So the noses needed the majority of the weathering removing. A cotton bud in IPA did the job nicely, leaving a little dirt around the detail. For 1999 the roof and chassis were dirty but the side / ends were pretty clean. the final job this evening was to paint the black bars on the cab side windows in EWS red. I have cheated a little here and used Vallejo burnt red, it’s pretty close to EWS red after a coat of clear and avoids the risk of damaging the glass (as the acrylic paint will just rub off the glazing)

with some buffers fitted and some more black paint on the underframe, there’s not a lot more to do on the car carrier until the transfers are ready. makes a bit of a contrast between a green 47 and intercity mk2s

A little update on 37057, I managed to get out between the showers and spray the EWS red on the model over lunch today, annoyingly the Tamiya masking tape has been a bit of a failure leaving an imperfect edge. So yesterday evening I set to work trying to save it, touching up a couple of the impacted areas by hand to deal with the bigger marks. This was followed by taking a length of Tamiya tape and cutting along the centre line with a fresh scalpel blade, masking the damaged areas of the stripe and again cutting in with a 0000 brush. Looking at the end result I think its done the job, (or at least based on past performance I think it will have once it has been given a coat of varnish to blend everything together.) But before I can do that I need to order some transfers from Railtec

roof/ends sprayed last night, will sort out the underframe painting later and reattach the bogies and buffers at which point it can go back in the stock box until the transfers are ready

a little rework on the car carrier this evening, cutting in the corners of the white band along with minor repairs where I was unhappy with the masking. It’s now ready for masking up and spraying the black roof / ends.

Depends on your definition of easy, it will have 4 holes in the body for the light to pass through. Not the most difficult job, but does take some effort to get a flush finish. I haven’t removed the CDLs (I’ve been adding them to batch 1 intercity bodies), but I have filled windows on some that I’ve converted to 2ds and it takes a lot of time to get it fully flush

Looks like the earlier version of the tank that Rainbow released (running on leaf springs)

Some successful spraying this afternoon, with 37057 now in ews gold and the GWT motorail van resprayed in a different (more accurate) shade of blue. the latter needs a bit of cleaning up along masking lines before I move on to the ends / roof masking. I also need to touch in the curved corners to the white panel by hand. A job I’d be doing now if I hadn’t left the paint in the garage!

Is the match truck based on a revenue earning wagon or a specific (or worse generic) build for the crane? mine will be redundant once I convert the crane into the GW version, but if there is something useful it could be converted into that would be a bonus

Next some work on the other side of the building, the raised area for the two tanks has been removed (the joint with the building had bowed upwards) and won’t be refitted until the building is in situ on the layout. windows have been added along with another door, I decided to reduce the number of windows vs the original build as one was located pretty much where I wanted the ladder to go. This was replaced using leftover evergreen sheet from the original build 16 years ago! more leftover sheet was used for a repair where the original middle platform had broken off and for the end (where there was a big gap due to the lower second building). a new platform and I beam support was added from plasticard, which of course still needs ladders and barriers adding (after painting). The final job for now was to scribe on the panel lines in advance of painting and detailing. As with the other building I want to rebuild the roof with a contrasting material (more rounded), though I still need to find something suitable. its a big and imposing structure, the aim is to have quite a contrast between this and the more rural scene the other side do the tracks. moving onto a new loco project, earlier in the week @Southwich directed me towards a cheap 2022 Kernow 37 body missing its ends. Annoyingly it was a split box (given I have spares for a centre box) but I put in an opportunistic best offer and moments later owned another 37 project… the intention is to use parts from my current 37057 to build an upgraded model. Given the price I paid I’m not too worried about recovery of the old body which will be providing the nrn pod, plates, along with windscreens and roof grill for 902. the model was stripped last night and rebuilt this morning. Work included fitting the roof pod, plating over the boiler port (I used some half etched stainless from my scrap box and my rivet press to add the detail). On my original 057 I had to fill a bodyside cutaway step on one sides tumblehome, on this one I needed to do the opposite and cut out the step on the other side! it’s now primed and drying ready for a coat of EWS gold tomorrow weather permitting

Latest Bachmann 37 body left in 99% IPA for about 3 hours soak glazing was left in place while it was soaked, the removed (without damage) as part of the clean up.

After a bit of work this evening here is the left hand half of the building. Window frames added, shortened the height of the metal sheeting in the right half, new shorter grill, window sills added, first weathering coat distressing the rendered finish, sliding door shifted to the end and a new exit door added to the front. it still needs gutters adding and a new roof. it will also need the windows weathering with a ton of clay dust Moving on, I’ve started repairing the main structure of the other part of the building with the first two joints currently drying.

The other option for improving the buffers on these (along with improving the rest of the underframe) is to mount the old Triang tanks onto a Bachmann TTA chassis. It is many years since I did the conversion (and ive since sold them on), but from memory once you cut off the Triang fixing clips it was pretty much a direct fit glued onto the Bachmann chassis.

After shortening the left hand half of the building by 35mm, I think this gives a better proportion between the two halves. I don’t know what the max single span ladder height would be under 1990s H&S rules, but comparing a CDA with the photo of the real thing along side a real CDA I think it’s getting there. I may need to take maybe 10mm off the bottom of this side, but I’m half tempted to wait until I can see it on a baseboard before making the cut. At any rate something needs adjusting on the RH half as it’s not sitting flat anymore!