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RedgateModels

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  1. RedgateModels
    Those who made it to the Member's Day will have seen the 2-8-2 quietly simmering away on Summat Colliery.
     
    For those who didn't here's a couple of shots showing off Roomey's "2 weeks into service" weathering that sets it off perfectly 🙂
     

     

     
    Now, must get that article finished for Model Rail .....
  2. RedgateModels
    Big thanks to Paul Chetter, a parcel arrived this morning with a Zimo sound chip and a selection of speakers to try to see which sounds best in the Hymek. Liking the look of the big round one to go under the fan 🙂
     

     
    Also cab roofs are getting there, vents are in place, just need the airhorns then I can get them painted
     

     
    EDIT: Cab roofs fitted out and painted, couldn't resist adding the pipework to the horns ....
     

  4. RedgateModels
    As most people (me included) will spend their time looking down on the Hymek I thought that the roof deserved more attention than say the underframe. Sadly this is the weakest part of the Triang model, apart from the roof section joins everything else is either wrong or missing!
     
    So first to the fan grille, which should be offset by quite a margin. Existing grille filled and flattened and then a card template made with a 38mm hole fixed in place to mark out the new hole
     

     
    I have bought a DJ Parkins diesel detailing kit which includes amongst a host of detailing parts a suitable grille, this was carefully cut out and fixed in place with a very thin evergreen plastic strip behind to support it. The kit also included a fan although it had 12 blades so every other one was removed....
     
    Undermeath I formed a 42mm diameter tube from plastikard and shaped it to fit under the grille. This is to take the speaker for the sound chip later. A cross bar was added to fit the fan to.
     

     

     
    The main exhaust holes whilst in the right place were far too small, so they were drilled out 6mm and the rectangular preheater exhaust marked out (3 x 5mm) from the prototype dimensions and drilled and filed
     

     
    Finally the engine roof roof vents were fabricated from 1mm plastikard 3 x 5mm each and glued in place. A pin proved to be the perfect spacer to get the gap between them
     

     

     
    How did I get all these dimensions? - a chap who works for us volunteers at the WSR and is busy feeding me info every weekend LOL
     
    Just need to paint the edges body green and fix the fan in place and it will be ready for varnish
  5. RedgateModels
    Thought it was time for an update.
     
    I've lowered the loco on it's bogies by removing material from the bogie pivot - the thickness of two washers, so about 1.5 to 2mm. These washers sit inside under the shoulder screw to compensate.
     
    JLTRT couplings have been assembled, just need to chemically blacken them and get them fitted
     

     
    Green stripe has been airbrushed on using Humbrol 36 and electrical tape for a nice clean masked edge - a trick #1 son picked up from his Nerf gun modding
     

     

     
    The Paul Chetter sound chip is fitted with a nice big 42mm speaker under the fan. I went to town with the wiring, deciding to make a little pcb with screw terminals for the bogie and speaker wires and the two 4700uF stay alive capacitors
     

     
    That's about all for now, once I have the marker lights from Peter Lloyd (your are a star!) I'll get them fitted with 2mm tower LEDS and then I can get the warning panel painted. I have plates etc from Severn Mill to add too.
     
    EDIT:
     
    Here's the modified bogie pivots with the two washers used to take up the slack under the shoulder of the screws
     

  6. RedgateModels
    The Hymek took a turn on Fourgig East at the Mansfield show and after a few initial hiccups performed well. I quickly learned that due to the large overhang the loco could not shunt wagons in the goods sidings - buffer lock was the order of the day. So one of the shunters took over these duties whilst the Hymek simmered next to the camping coach.
     
    Traction was also an issue, ok on the straights but couldn't get more than two wagons and the brake van into the goods loop. It was happier on passenger duties ans settled into this for most of the weekend. Ivor hardly got to pull the pretty GWR coaches LOL.
     
    I've been working since them to convert the undriven bogie to a driven one using spares kindly donated by Lord Flasheart. Successful running tests last night mean that I now need to sort out the lead ballast more evenly over both bogies and that issue will be put to bed 🙂
     
    Cab details and handrails left to do along with the wiring up of the LEDs too.
     
    here's a couple of snaps from the Mansfield Show
     

     

  7. RedgateModels

    Getting to the Point

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Following a shopping trip at Wycrail 10 a Peco SL-E191 short radius point and a pack of PL-9 mounting bases hit the workbench.
     
    So last night whilst watching TV I prepped the point before fitting it to the layout (a bit of a first). The pic below shows what I do to all electrofrogs, nothing new, it's all in the accompanying leaflet, apart from the hacking off of the solenoid mounting points!
     

     
    I've also fitted the solenoid (an old PL10 with extension pin, bought way before they did a PL10E) to it's mounting base and sorted out a microswitch and mounting block to do the frog switching.
     
    So, next job is to spray the point matt black before digging up the cinders ballast ready to lay it in place.
  8. RedgateModels
    got the lettering done on the other side this lunchtime, so 'tis done
     

     
    Going to leave it for a few weeks for the transfers to "set" then I will start the weathering. I'm going to use a combination of the techniques described by David Spencer in Hornby Mag Issue 6 and bounce spraying the underframe. I'll take it slowly as this little wagon has took a lot of time so don't want to mess it up in the weathering stage 😃
  9. RedgateModels

    Refresh?

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Wow, last update was a long time ago LOL
     
    Summat will be dusted off again for the 10th Anniversary Mansfield Show in March next year and I'm thinking about giving it a bit of a refresh. I've always had a plan to add another turnout with a stub siding up to the loco coal staithe to hold the colliery loco coal wagon
     

     
    The siding is even in the track plan on the flyers that I give out to folks
     

     
    Seeing as I have all the bits and there is a spare output on the MERG accessory decoder it seems churlish not to at least get this done.
     
    But where to stop? static grass? new backscene? re-engineer the ends to make them permanently fitted like Fourgig East (means new end protectors fabricating)?
     
    Thing is, if I do "bring it up to standard" will this take away it's charm, should I "preserve" it as my first layout and leave it basically as it is ..........
  10. RedgateModels

    Yellow Peril for Summat?

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Ahead of Summat's date with the public in March I've started fettling the RMweb Austerity.
     
    First off couplings. Off to with the front pocket and the hook removed from the rear tension lock. Home made 3 links held in place on the DJM hooks with a spot of Cyano. Done 🙂
     
    Real coal added to the bunker and it looks like the crew have been careless with cleaning out the smokebox....
     
    I've also filled the buffer beam holes as I won't be fitting vacuum pipes. A touch of Tamiya Matt red and they're gone.
     
    Finally a steady hand with black acrylic along the edges of the footsteps make them look much more presentable 🙂
     

     

     
    That funny steam pipe from dome to cab next
  11. RedgateModels
    Quick photo following fitting of handrails and a quick coat of Carplan grey primer, looks quite nice 😁
     

     
    note top of drive unit poking through the hole in the coal space. The shell is not quite sitting down as well as it should, need to take a wee bit more off the top of the tender weight then it will be fine.
     
    Will start fettling the loco body over the weekend, first issue is that the casting has the blower duct/tunnel on the left hand side of the boiler that was only fitted to the rebuilt versions, this will have to be carefully scraped off and made good. Shame this was not a separate part as it's going to add a couple of days at least to the build time - hey ho!
  12. RedgateModels
    I'm currently doing a Crosti 9F for someone and thought it would be good to blog the build. It's my first go with a resin kit too.
     
    Firstly thanks to Chris at Golden Arrow for his persitance getting a kit to me through the Royal Mail, hope you can use the second kit sent (received broken - thanks postie!) somehow ....
     
    I thought I'd start with the tender to easy myself in. Castings cleaned up easily, one or two air bubbles to fill with Humbrol Model Filler but nothing too onerous. For those unfamiliar with the kit there is a one piece tender moulding and two sprues with various components to make the various versions (BR1B/C/D/E/K). Parts are identified as follows:
     

     
    A = Coal Seperator
    B = Coal Pusher
    C = Coal Pusher operating mech
    D = BR Briquette water softening cover
    E = TIA water softening tank top
    F = tender chassis blanking plate
    G = Fall Plate
     
    As I'm just doing a BR1B parts A and G were added, holes drilled for the Hornby rear ladder from the donor loco gives me
     

     
    Note large hole in the coal space, this is because I'm using a MkI "silver seal" tender drive that is higher than the later plastic fantastic version. I'll cling film the hole when it comes to time for coaling up. Only other modification needed is the large tender weight from this drive had to be trimmed down, presumably the resin body is thicker on top than the Hornby one as I did not have this problem with the Crosti that runs on Summat Colliery.
  13. RedgateModels
    HMRS transfers arrived in usual speedy fashion so here's the wagon nearly finished in it's pristine Summat Colliery PO livery
     

     
     
    There's a bit more black painting to do then it's going to have a nice photshoot before I attack it with a fibreglass pencil 😏
     
     
    It's number 88 - a nod towards the days when I was involved with a motorcycle race team and club, we always used #88 whenever possible (two fat ladies .....)
     
     
  14. RedgateModels
    One can (well, not all of it!) of Halfords Ford radiant red later and we have this:
     

     
    The intention is to do a "Summat Colliery" version of this little wagon from my childhood home town
     

     
    Must get an order off to HMRS for some black shaded lettering etc, it's starting to be quite a pricey wagon 🤑
  15. RedgateModels
    Basic construction is done on the Parkside wagon. I've fitted the Bachmann NEM pocket mounts - took more fiddling than I expected to get the height right. I ended up carving off the vertical projections off the mounts and then cutting back the underframe bracing until the correct height was achieved - silly me for expecting that they would just fit 😏
     
    Here's a pic of the underframe prior to priming
     

     
    and here's it resplendent in red oxide primer
     

     
    I might keep it this colour as it's going to be well weathered anyway. Nice kit to build, but you do need something like EMA Plastic Weld to stick the black ABS bits, luckily that's what I bought last and it is better than the Modelmaster stuff I used previously 😁
     
    Now, I'm going to need some white lettering transfers, I've already posted a question here for advice on what is best to use. Anyone got a couple of Bachmann NEM pockets spare?
  16. RedgateModels
    Picked this kit up at Wycrail along with some Bachmann NEM pocket coupling mounts. The wagon will hopefully end up as a severely distressed wagon on Summat Colliery used to ferry loco coal from the screens to the coaling stage.
     
    Anyway, following half an hour's work this lunchtime we have this
     

     
    buffers and couplings yet to fit, will rob a couple of NEM pocket couplings off Summat's 16 tonners to position the pocket mounts. I want to use the NEM pocket couplings to standardise as much as possible on Summat, otherwise I'd use the supplied Bachmann MKII long bar mounts supplied with the kit.
     
    Will cut a sheet of lead to add to the floor before a layer of coal is added, handy knowing a roofer you know 😁
     
    Now for the article on weathering plank wagons, I think it was Hornby Mag #6 ......
  17. RedgateModels

    What a Day!

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    What can I say, Wycrail on Saturday went really well. The journey down on Friday was fine, a bit sticky round Birmingham/Solihull on the M42, clearly the bods in charge of the variable speed limit were bored and were playing silly beggars (40, national speed limit, 50, 60, 50 ......) but despite this I got down to High Wycombe from Robin Hood country in 2 1/2 hours and safely tucked up in the digs by 5pm. Shame it was raining.
     
    Pootled down to the venue for about 6pm and got Summat set up (still in the rain). First priority was a test of Dynamis .... a signal - hooray! 😁 Set-up finished by 7pm then helped out/got in the way generally until about 9pm when Graham Muz kindly followed me back to the digs and took me to a pub for a spot of food and beer 🙂 Got back to the digs on the stroke of 11pm just before the bolts went on 😴
     

     
    Saturday morning dawned sunny and following the obligatory Full English I got to the venue before 9am and finished fiddling with Summat (ok I played with the signal for a bit and put the locos on the track)
     
    The doors opened at 10 and all too soon it was 12:30 and time for lunch. I left Summat in the hands of a Steward and headed for the Sixth Form Common Room (that takes me back!) for repast. A bit of shopping later (Parkside 5 planker and some NEM mounts) and I returned for the afternoon shift.
     
     
    Summat Colliery performed brilliantly, hardly a stall all day, Harry and #49 (Sally?) crawled along without hestitation shunting trucks and the big engines came and went. The Standard Eight got a lot of requests so did more duties than others. I only ran one loco off the catch point (SPAD form filled in and RAIB informed 😆 ) due to trying to run 3 locos at once. Bring and buy corner did well too, all my excess tut that I took with me sold off cheaply, only a couple of boxes of Prieser figures unsold. I have some more bits and bobs that will appear in classifieds soon.
     
     
    I was delighted to be told that I'd come second in show behind Cement Quay (well, it's not like I was going to beat that one was I?) and went home all the way with a big grin on my face.
     
     
    A big thanks to all at the High Wycome MRS for inviting me, putting me up and looking after me so well. Also to all the punters (especially RMwebbers) at the show who showed great interest in my efforts and made it all worthwhile. Summat is going to be packed away now for a bit while I get on with some other modelling, so watch out for new stuff added to my other blog .......
     
     
     
     
  18. RedgateModels

    More Lighting

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Added some lighting to the main screen building last night, again the long leaded 6v miniature bulbs bought at the Derby Show masking taped to the roofs in strategic places to get a fairly even spread of light. Only 4 bulbs for the whole building which ends up brighter lit than the "bus garage" on the other board.
     
     

     
     
    Next step is to get some kind of connector for the power as this building is removeable for transport etc - a trip to Mapins this afternoon methinks 😀
     
     
  19. RedgateModels

    Flower Power

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Spent an hour last night playing with some miniNatur flowers from International Models and the fibres from a domestic sweeping brush that I found lying around somewhere.
     

     

     
    In the photo above there are also some home made purple topped flowers (Hollyhocks?) made by dipping bristles from a wallpaper paste brush into PVA then green flock, wait 5 minutes dip the tip in PVA again then into the purple flock, tedious but cheap (Thanks Mr Nevard for the tip 😁 )
     
    Got some ivy too to add, but that's for the explosives store on the other board.
  20. RedgateModels

    All wired up ....

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    Another evening session sees the bulbs wired up permanently and as night fell over Summat Colliery, the night shift huddled round the brazier for warmth .....
     

     
    sorry about the quality of the photo, but as I said, my cameraphone is not up to publishing standards 🤣
     
     
    next job is some more vegitation, got some flowers and ivy from International Models, I'd also like to do something with the roadways, make them a bit rutted etc .....
     
     
  21. RedgateModels
    Those of you that followed my Summat Colliery thread in the old place will know that I had an "incident" with the MSE signal before the Elizabethan show early this month.
     
     
    Time to come clean .........
     
     
    I have known for a while that my close vision has been deteriorating, but like most blokes steadfastly refused to accept the fact! The carefully crafted signal kit from MSE had been planted for a photo shoot with Mike Wild of Hornby Mag but I hadn't got round to fitting the back blinder or operating wires. here it is in situ at the Elizabethan
     

     
    So, armed with said back blinder and my rubbish eyesight, signal still on layout on kitchen floor I approached the signal with some cyano. Of course I locked it solid 🤣 I laugh now, but at the time I was distraught at the damage and my own stupidity/shortcomings.
     
     
    I now know that I need reading glasses and 3 pairs were purchased off eBay for ??5.85 delivered. The signal was removed from the layout and sitting at my proper workbench, with good light, good eyes and some low melt solder the said back blinder was soldered in place. 😁  It's all painted up now and the operating wire is on too. I still have to reattach the (now to be) dummy operating lever, but hey.
     
     
    Now, next step is a Servo driver kit (again from MSE) that will drive the signal with a realistic motion - should bounce when dropping to the "danger" aspect. Ive tested the kit works and drilled a nice 0.5mm hole close to the centre of the bit that rotates on the servo to ensure maximum movement of the servo for the small movement needed to operate the signal.
     
     
    I've also bought a point rodding starter kit from MSE with the intention of having a rodding run from the catch travelling into the tunnel to an imaginary 'box off the layout. Looks fiddly, maybe I should have bought some more powerful spec's 😉
  22. RedgateModels

    Power to the Servo

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    First problem I had with wiring up the MSE servo unit to drive the signal was that of power supply. My Accessory power bus on Summat Colliery is driven by a laptop psu and whacks out 18v DC, great for supplying CDU units but likely to fry the controller box that needs 12v DC.
     
    Now, the MERG pulsed accessory decoder boards I use also have an option of an on-board 12v regulated supply to drive small steady state devices. These parts are optional in the build, but thankfully I saw fit to fit them "just in case". 5 minutes probing with a multimeter told me that I had 12v across the small capacitor next to the voltage regulator so two wires were soldered to either end of said cap and threaded through to the controller box
     

     
    The controller box was screwed to the underside of the baseboard and wires were run from it to a switch on the Peco point solenoid (controlled by the MERG decoder) and power applied
     

     
    Dynamis connected up and hey presto, fire the catch point and the servo does it's thing 😁 - now to fix the servo and connect it to the signal
  23. RedgateModels

    Fiddly, very Fiddly

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    And so to the steam pipe to the cab from the dome for Yellow Peril.
    After studying two photos it is clear that there is some form of steam cock with a handwheel connected to lagged piping coming from the dome.
     

     
    So 1mm wire, drilled 0.4mm on the end with 0.3mm wire soldered in, then the smallest hand wheel from an 00 mse point rodding set sweated on. The handwheel is a 4 spoke not three like the real thing but hopefully I will be forgiven that ....
     

     
    Optivisor to the max lol
     
    Next is to file a flat in the side of the 1mm wire and drill a 0.5mm hole to take the 0.45mm rodding to the cab. A bit of shaping and it should be ready to fit 🙂
  24. RedgateModels

    Setbacks and Progress

    By RedgateModels,


    General
    OK, safe to say my first attempt at the steam pipework for Yellow Peril didn't go to plan last night!
     
    drilled the 0.5mm hole (only one broken drill) and soldered the 0.45mm wire in place. Started forming the copper wire to shape and the thing snapped where the 0.5mm hole was drilled 🙁
     
    I've started again this time shaping the 1mm wire first but didn't have the heart to start fitting a new handwheel to the end.
     
    So, I cut back the side ladder instead and glued the ends to the handrail with Glue N Glaze
     

     
    Holes need filling and then mix up some yellow to match, doesn't have to be perfect as it's going to be weathered when finished
     
    I'll update when I can draw up the strength to fit the new handwheel etc
  25. RedgateModels
    George's train set whilst operational had it's issues. The main one was the need for the S bends on the centre board.
     

     
    This was because the layout was originally just two 4 x 2 ft boards with an oval across the corners to maximise the run length. When the centre board was added by Santa it had to have the curves to make everything join up.
     

     
    All those curves meant that my APT-E would not run and even the baseboard joints on curves gave the occasional derailment. So ahead of this years Mansfield Show (March 2nd and 3rd 2019 :Shameless Plug: ) I decided to strip it and start again.
     
    A new plan was drawn up, still with the 2 or 3 board concept. Traditional roundy roundy to keep kids happy at the show and a nice bit if shunting in the station/shed area as requested by George.
     

     
    So over Christmas the track was lifted and baseboards painted a nice flat green. I had already bought the track needed at Warley and Wycrail. Track-Shack supplied the Gaugemaster underlay.
     
    First the two outer boards were laid and wired up
     

     
    Didn't take him long to move in LOL
     
    I'm now working on the centre board, slow progress but if I do a bit each evening it will be done soon
     

     
    Track ends at the joints are soldered to brass screws - lesson learnt from the first version where I used PCB - the centre board is not perfectly aligned in height, so the ability to fine tune the rail height with the screws has worked well so far 🙂
     

     
    Wiring is DCC with the track feeds passed from one board to the next using the toggle clamps - just like Fourgig East
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