MrSimon

These look great, can’t wait!

Hello everybody! On the homeward stretch for this building… bit of hidden detail I can’t remember what my thinking was, but it seems to come from the taller building and out. I even remembered having the platform thing in a drawer, just needs painting… Lots to do! Simon

Hi Simon Love that you’re doing this livery - top of my wish list! Really impressive bit of masking there, can wait to see it completed Keep up the good work! Simon

Hello everybody! I put this aside a few days while I got on with some other bits, I’ve just got the door and some weeds to do then that’s a building complete, the bit that goes in the sunken area can follow but doesn’t affect this bit until it’s time to fit it: Painted the fence green because this doesn’t feel like a grey fence kinda place The barbed wire makes it feel really inviting for the staff having a cheeky fag And there we are, only 5 years to finish! Lots to do Simon

Hi Nigel, Thanks for the tip - I’m going to go with the muff method to keep the front driver in line (but I’ve made a note for my next chassis about not smoothing the bearings until I know where the valve gear is going…) Would the cast cross head Simon’s mentioned work on the Ivatt? Also, I can’t find motion pins in the association shop, so these come from somewhere else these days? Many thanks Simon

Thanks Simon! I’ve gone onto the members area and found the article - impressive and simultaneously terrifying modelling there!! I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to it! It’ll be interesting to see if I can swap out the front bearings for ones not filed flush without breaking the chassis apart, as that was the first thing I read in the article where I’ve done different (and having seen the pictures in the article I can see why leaving the front bearing not-flush with the frame is a good idea) Is this the crosshead? I need to turn down the bits of rod before I get as far as the cross head… Thanks again Simon

Hello everybody! Despite having a week on the scenery I seem to have done a lot of soldering… First, I fitted the brakes to the Jinty chassis. Once the solder hardened (I don’t know if that’s a thing but I always let it set) I cut the wires joining the halves of the chassis, and it still runs! The chassis is now complete except for the paint, which is next. This year I decided to start a new 2mm loco every time I finish a chassis, so I started this following the completion of the 4F: It’s a Nigel Hunt Dapol 262 tank chassis. Here’s the outside of the frames cleaned up The inside, which always looks messy. The PCBs are strange shapes to clear the bearings and the brake holes The basic chassis in one piece. Three chassis ago this was a really scary process getting a chassis this far - this time wasn’t daunting, but having read the instructions this is going to be a learning curve!! While I had the soldering iron out I made a wagon chassis: This Farish fish van had seen service on an exhibition layout or two, but has now been retired (mostly due to its agricultural couplings…) So it received an etched chassis, fitted with wooden solebars. I’ve just noticed I need to wrap the arm around the vac cylinder, and the prototype pics I’ve seen show I need to put some sort of backing behind the louvres to give a sort of double layer… There’s another wagon chassis waiting for all the parts I forgot to order, I’ll show you next time Lots to do! Simon

The finish on the coaches is incredible - love the worn wood on the guards door! Do you have a secret recipe for painting the teak? Thanks for sharing! Simon

I love that! My favourite one always used to be on the train from Wigan to Liverpool and on a massive block wall someone had coloured in the blocks to read PIES. It warmed my heart every time I went past

Hello everybody, Bit of work this morning, I built the slope in front of the graffiti: Then once the glue set I painted it, grassed it, and fitted the first part of the railway fence. At least Bren will always know it was there hahahaha. I’ve deliberately not fitted the rest of the fence as that will need to join up with the fence on the other baseboard so it can wait until the next blockade… I’ll paint these two panels though. News just in: I’ve glued down the second building and added some details to the yard. I was going for more bushes but these ones are a little rubbish!! Feels a little cheesy leaving out a penny for scale Next up is painting the metal fences, matt varnishing all the glue marks, and making a door for the hole… still plenty to do but this is looking more and more finished Lots to do Simon

Hello everybody! I was off today so had a field trip to 4D in London, I got the last of the trees for the woods and some plastruct ready made handrail - it felt like cheating! The new handrail, I had to lay some of the grass yesterday as that’s going to be a tricky bit to get into. The handrail painted and the concrete fence posts had a second coat. I need to work out how the chain link fence joins the palisade fence along the trackside, but I found pictures a few pages back of the landform on the track side of this building. Unfortunately: a) I need to peel up a bit of this grass to finish the bank to match the other board, and b) Bren and all her friends were reminded that her Deano couldn’t do Ns every time they took the train to Sheffield… Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! Another long standing job started - the bit of industry at the end of the fuel road, on the end board by the bridge. Snappy title. I didn’t think I’d been putting it off for long, but I took this picture in 2016 so I’d know what to trim… I’ve also had this kit on my desk for years, it’s going up on a corner of the baseboard so I might still swap out all the posts - but I made two new posts in brass for the ones right on the edge. I trimmed the top layer and made/fitted coping stones. The wall was also altered to sit higher. It all just needs painting now. I’ll make a choice on the other 8 posts when I see how different they look painted up. This is mostly done except for the detailing and sticking in a few fences… Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody, Bit of a tick over the weekend - I love more or less finished the replacement building to hide the scenic break: (The new one is the one on the left) The older one was made two days before the layouts 2012 exhibition debut and I never liked it. The new one needs some details adding but aside from trimming the roof to fit the space it’s done. Today I painted all the base colours, they need some more work but it’s pretty much complete. Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! I had a few new arrivals over the last month, so instead of doing any modelling I had a session on the floor with the unitrack. It’s split over two sessions so there are a few continuity issues… Also, I gave the newly detailed tanker a run (because paint needs test running) and realised I had 16 tankers… it was a surprise! There are two left to weather (but I think I’ve got detailing bits and bogies for one more…) One of the new arrivals - ideal for Gresby! Lots to do! Simon

I decided to go with a closed door, and 45 minutes later some evergreen strip was turned into this: Once the cement has set I’ll smooth the surface and paint it… holes only been there 8-9 years Lots to do! Simon