Sylvian Tennant

Gas turbine, I know a bloke at my club who would help greatly!

Hi there Mike. I'm affriaf my 9F is very much finish as far as I'm concerned. Hpwever, if you're still willing to I would very much be interested if you wouldn't mind (for future possible projects!)

Oh I hadn't even started weathering the bodies here. Unfortunatly, my matt cote hadn't provided the protected it needed to on one of my palvans so when I came to applying the wash it went all funny so I might come back to that one but I'm now down one palvan which left me very irritated. Anway I went over the kit wagons in humbrol matt varnish. I'm severely hoping that this doesn't let me down (I had used it on the 13 tonners for the tanker train to good effect!)

Well yet again, I'm busy modelling, amonsgt others things (working and writing) but I've now managed to complete my brake van and van kits, all are currnetly in the process of being weathered now which you shall see the finite product once complete, but whilst you wait... take a look at them "sort of" done! the brake van if can recall was an old mainline/Bachmann wagon Please do tell me what you think so far?

Nice recovery!

I think clean joint may have been one problem but the brass/high temp solder won't take to my soldering iron (variable temp). The 70 degree stuff is fine that will happily take and appkie itself but the 145 degree stuff just runs away and if I can get it on, just blobs everywhere. I'll get a picture of the current state of it to show you mate.

Cheers chaps. I think next up is a rake of box vans and I'm going to try and re-work my esso tankers from before to try and get them exhibitionable!

Thank you kindly guys. I was priming it and all went well first, then about 10 minutes later (beleive it to be 15) picked it up to check it out, once I had realised I had my thumb print on it I tried to repray over it but was a little too close and had the paint running down the sides. So in a little fit I threw it on the table. So now the coal rails are a little bit wobbly and I need some new new hand rails. It's also been stripoped back for a re-try later on. I hate it when accidents are my fault. Hopfully it won't look too bad though. I know, I'll keep being told off about you guys for using those coupling but I do think once painted and weathered they won't look so bad. Yeah, it was the gauge master stuff I used (Bit of a first timer here so I have no clue how good/bad it is!) the corner were simple just filed back with some old needle files. I'm having a bit of an issue with brass soldering at the moment though.

I thought I should show you what I have been up to recently. Next on the workbench have seen a rake of box vans plus an old Bachmann(mainline) Brake Van which was a good little miodel but very much lacking by todays standard. so some under frame details have been added along with lamp brackets and brass handrails. I've also been extending some kit built wagons to add a bit of veriaty to the brood. There are some parkie Palvans as well as a parkie shock wagon andtheir 12t NE van. Finally I've had a devle into soldering and whitemetal (terrifying beyond all belief!) and this was the initial outcome until a rather daft mishapo with white primer forced a stress rant and a current rebuild Please let me know what you think chaps

Oh and thanks for the info scanman

Thabnks you very much guys. I can't say it was heavenly to update. It's been a bit of a nightmare and was a minor cause of a few personal issue but it's done now and I'm relatively happy with the outcome!

Well it's all done now. Totally updated Hornby Railroad 9F. Practically complete. Only a couple of touch ups needed where I've glued things after I've painted. Weathering is the same as the Ivatt, including Red frames. As I plan to try and give a bit of individual character to all my locomotive stock. I'm going to try and have the crew doing different things. This time the fireman is enjoying the the wind in his face whilst the driver calls him over. There's a pipe hanging from the firemans side, I reckon a hose, as to why I don't know, but I've seen alot of this happening in photos but not in model form. The tender bulkhead has been given a taillmap ready for light engine use, copper made fire irons in the hole and a sparsely used scratchbuilt brush. Coal as been strategically place around and in the tender to give the work a day nature of this engine. So there it is, what next, well I genuiely don't know! But feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very mjuch guys, it's a real inspiration to recieve good feedback from people I truly look up to

So here I am again… writing a new blog, thinking of things to say about what I’ve done. At the moment I totally shattered from work. But I felt as though I should share with you that I’ve finished two of the train I’m planning to exhibit on our club layout “Hartburn Junctionâ€. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the full rakes… d’oh! Anyway I’ll start with the coal train. As you may remember they were made up of a variety of models both RTR and kits. I’ve finally added coal and given them a brake van. First off I’ll mention the fitted one. I’ve added brass tie bars to some of them and guitar strings to represent piping. These two were pretty much straight out of the box Bachmann save the aforementioned improvements. Followed by some weathering. Next I bought some unboxed Bachmann “MCOâ€s from the digital starter set. Removing all of the lettering and repainting with Halfords primer and humbrol “bauxite†type paints. I wanted a tatty rake of wagons so I bought some seven plankers both PO and BR. Some unfitted Bachmann 16 tonners again straight from the box pretty much save the obligatory weathering and coal. This was another standard Bachmann wagon but was stripped of all writing, repainted and weathered. These wagons are Parkside Dundas models. Finally a Dapol kit, I’m not too happy with the end result but running with the other it doesn’t look too bad. Finally the brake van I tend to run them with. A standard Wachy Bachy model weathered and one coupling removed from one side along with tail lamps. Next up is the bolster rake I have used again a mixture of kits and Bachmann models. These two are your pretty standard Bachmann bolsters. Weathered. These were again Bachmann but I wanted to add something different so I turned them into BR made example with higher bolsters and BR brake gear (A nightmare to maintain!) These two littlums are parkside dundas 21t bolsters. General built straight out of the box save for the brake loops built from staples. I have also built two NER quads. Most had probably been scrapped by the period we’ve aimed for but they give a nice uniform individuality. I must thank Wordsell Forever for supplying new bogie after I had got into a bit of a radge and broke the original two. At first I didn’t think they would fit but they work a treat and again add a slightly unique flavour to these models. Finally a BR(M) brake van. This was a Hornby model. With brass hand rails, a ballast box added to the underframes and a full repaint. The same coupling & lamps treatment as before. Oh, and before I go, there is a couple of new members to the Area 51 family. I’m going to really p*** the collectors off updating her (where ever possible) and weathering her. I have no name for her yet but I am going to base her on a Stockton WD, 90155 heads the ideas list. Here she is with 43073. Cya all later folks. For more information on our club exhibition layout currently bring worked upon, hopefully to be complete in 2013/14, please visit http://www.stocktonmrc.co.uk/

Thank you Al, btw I am most impressed by your N gauge W1. It's been something I wish I could have done myself

Actually barry, your 9F inspired me! Tbh they're just plastikard (5mm strip I believe) I'll take a photos of them and show you how I made then, basically just 5mm strip then a rod section cut just wider than the wheel flanges and stuck onto the strip keeping the wheels together. Thanks you anyway

Cheers hon, my friend was really pleased with it. I wouldn't mind a 57xx chassi, I have a 94xx body which I wouldn't mind looking at doing in the near future!

So here is is, the basic almost completed model, there is still a little way to go before I would consider her finished. I in the end decided to number her 92087. I slight in-joke I have taken a little bit of infantile humour in. 92087 was the first 9f built at Swindon, my club isn't a big GWR fan. I know, you had to be there to appreicate it. I cut back the 92221 number with whitespirit. Anyway, I broke out a can of Halfords red primer spray all the necessary parts. then Halford Matt black. I had by mistake picked up a can of satin black but that's another humourous tale that can be forgotten. Transfers are all HMRS which I find, when I've gotten used to them, to be really good and incidently universal. Any discrepincies and detail errors taht I have made with tis will hopefully dissapear once the engine is weathered. After testing it at the club I have taken some photos. The cab doors have been put on with blu-tack as I need to do some work on the cab before I can block it in. You may have also noticed I ahve kept the original "pantsy" coupling hook from Dapol. This is for two main reasons, the first is, it's a working model to be seen from a slight distance and when weather I don't think they'll be much to notice and secondly, I wasn't in much of a mood to chopping and changing things. Also i knows there alot of discrepencies with her at this moment hopefully they will dissapear when she is weathered. As well at that I have been working on my brake van. Painted humbrol 64 with a wooden floor board, the roof need another go over though. Thanks all folks

Danke Kelly. I have a new blog to write up as we speak. Alots happened since then.

Im sorry to hear about you health. I had an ex who suffered from fibro and it was painful for both of us. Her to have and me to watch. Please do get well soon Good luck with your layouts and keep us updated if you can :-)