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Cwmhir - The camera never lies


Darwinian
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Yes, compensation usually helps both electrical pick-up and haulage ability, as well as being a bit more forgiving of any track, erm, 'irregularities'?  Which reminds me; have you had to rebuilt that double slip which was originally causing you hassle?  With its long wheelbase and tender I guess the Aberdare will either kill or cure that issue ! 

 

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So far a little careful tweaking of the double slip has rendered it reasonably reliable (good enough for home use) so long as I make the moves that were planned and don't try to shunt long runs of wagons in daft directions. The Aberdare + tender goes round all the bits of  the layout that it should but not the very tight turnout to the short spur next to the good shed.

 

If I was planning to exhibit (which I'm not) I would rebuild the first turnout at the station throat and the double slip as a single unit. They were the first pointwork I built and have a few rookie errors. They also have a very short joining length between them which doesn't help in keeping everything straight and level.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Last jobs on the Aberdare today. I had to wait until after my week away to order some short handrail knobs from Alan Gibson Workshop. Only now do I appreciate how different suppliers produce different knob lengths but call them the same. So here I’ve used 2x AGW short on the firebox. 1x Eileen’s Emporium Medium on the cone. 2x supplied with kit Medium on the smokebox (look to be same length as AGW Medium). Obviously the same both sides and an Eileen’s Medium for the smokebox front.

A2C727DA-143A-42ED-A46E-38AD4475148E.jpeg.8f2075fbcdbadd66b14d10b3f318ce54.jpegI formed the front handrail curves around a small screwdriver shaft and a pen body. Best one I’ve ever done I think. Not perfect radius perhaps but at least it’s even and symmetrical.

8739CF6A-8789-43EB-9B80-1FBF53F8364B.jpeg.07e4a82048efb00e2343da889af1a22c.jpeg

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While I wait for the primer to harden I’ve started a refurbishment. I built this M & L GWR county tank  30+ years ago. The drive set up never really worked well and pickups were unreliable. I know they never got near S. Wales valleys but I like them so am keeping it for old times sake.

The early Alan Gibson wheels could not be pulled off so the axles has to be sawn through.

The large Marshima motor was held in by bath sealant which had leached down into one flexi-chas bearing so that wheelset had to go to so I could clean it up.

Replacement High level “road runner+” and Mitsumi cheap motor. New AGW driving wheels.

Here are the main bits before starting. Old wheels/ gearbox on the left.

56BB65DB-19BA-4A17-BBB7-518377FFEE12.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Painting of the Aberdare is underway. I’m using Vallejo Air acrylics and mixing my own match. For 1906-24 GWR green I have use Cam. Green and Black in a 5:2 ratio. 

Here is the result in daylight with a tinlet  of Phoenix precision for comparison. 

1FC8C12E-314D-4754-B2CC-FF65D836B186.jpeg.f5f4332ea1ad52646720868b7313d59a.jpeg

 

 

Needs another coat but looks good enough to me. Finish is a bit grainy, that was the Halfords etch primer for some reason.

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Pit props...

A bit of bodging to try out an idea. Wooden kebab skewers for the logs, easily cut by rolling under a sharp blade. Cereal card box for the bulk. Just a test build so only one side/end done.

Too tall here, the uprights are out of gauge.

CCFDB94D-2A0C-44F8-9561-4E5E6F7E5A35.jpeg.f3288ae1dd79056155fcdb96e4ddf9a5.jpegC654C31B-FE94-4182-AA41-690362A0AFB6.jpeg.7e0a4beb156d4800adc866aee78d86d7.jpeg

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Aberdare getting there. Annoyingly the Vallejo satin varnish when sprayed has produced a grey/blue cast. 

I think this is my iffy spraying technique, probably got the pressure too high or overloaded the surfaces.

Anyway, the weathering should take care of it as I was planning on making this one well work stained.

Vab glazing next though.

B3F94EBC-D19B-42D3-9BBD-A80FBC56BA80.jpeg.00b27890d0201780d4aee1cbd3b3ec97.jpeg40B2818F-43CD-4097-A9EA-905D101D7C95.jpeg.f3d7d29b05c05632c681e90caa9fa652.jpeg

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  • 1 month later...

More pit props. This is also on the pit props thread in modelling questions... but I’ll put it here too to continue the earlier experiments.

Double stack smaller pit props made from cocktail sticks and envelope back card.

They probably need painting!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Aberdare all assembled apart from rods.

A77D50AC-86EE-432F-A5C2-A5693ADC4BFB.jpeg.183f9d4931c90d951e470940a9d58d23.jpeg

 

Now I have hit a problem. Setting the body the last mm down onto the chassis stops the mechanism. The unpowered wheels are free but I’m mystified.  With footplate 1mm above chassis drive train is fine. Fully home and there is no movement. All very frustrating as it’s all so tight in there I can’t see the problem. 

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It could perhaps be a live component making contact with the brass body and sending current back to earth, creating a dead short?

 

All the more frustrating no doubt, considering how good the finished locomotive looks.

 

 

Edited by MrWolf
Stupid autocorrect
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I have put insulation tape over the contacts on the motor so it shouldn't be a short but I'll double check. I suspect that the motor/gearbox is hitting the body somewhere and creating pressure on the mechanics causing them to jam.  I ran out of patience yesterday so it's sat on one side while I ponder.

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Ha, fixed it. It was a bind somewhere. I broke the solder holding the drive stretcher bit of the gearbox which allowed the main part to sit a bit further forward and dropped the motor height a smidgen. Had to file away the ends of the brake mounts to provide clearance. All a bit tight between 00 frames. No real damage done elsewhere = Result

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Aberdare is all done, except that I've noticed that one of the brake standards on the tender has come adrift. Quick dab of cyano should fix that. Oh and I need to make some fire irons for the tender rack.

 

Here is the official photo.

 

523986752_Loco16b.JPG.817db2ccc47c29aa894982e1c4fb7961.JPG

 

Just for comparison here are three variants of GWR green on my models (The weathering is a bit different on each too).

R to L. 57xx Precision post 1928 green, light weathering, 52xx Precision pre 1927 green, moderate weathering, 26xx Vallejo mix Pre 1927 green, heavier  weathering.

 

514136888_Locogreencomparison.JPG.b64b65f109d072a71f375c26d8708665.JPG

 

The more blue/grey colour of the Aberdare comes from a combination of the increased grime and the overdone Vallejo satin varnish. In future I'd use a satin/gloss mix to get a glossier and make it easier to see where I had applied varnish whilst spraying.

 

Photos taken on Pentax K-x DSLR, stock lens, Aperture priority and +1 stop. Natural daylight on an overcast day.

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On 17/11/2020 at 17:58, Penrhos1920 said:

What’s your Vallejo mix for GWR Green?

I used 5:2 Cam. Green 71.022 : Black for a match to precision enamel 1908-28 GWR green.

It looked very close under daylight and cool white LEDs - until I varnished it too heavily.

Not got the hang of spraying Vallejo acrylic varnishes yet.

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1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

Very nice job Indeed. Have you made the brass hinges yourself?

Yes. 0.3mm strip. One end squeezed around a 1mm drill bit for the hinge end, then cut to length and filed to a rounded end. Aligned with 0.7mm wire and glued in place with superglue.

There will be boltheads (Achers river transfers) once undercoated. Not sure whether to put bolt heads/flitch plates  on the outside too.

The bottom doors are for the road access and will be suspended sliding doors.

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A bit of quick stock upgrade while under coats on the shed doors dries.

Hornby 57’ Collett corridor bow end composite being detailed mostly following MRJ 247 article by Gerry Beale.

I removed the red “no smoking” triangles from the glazing with IPA but couldn’t shift the printed corridor handrails so they will have to do.

Likewise I don’t have any t-cut and the cutting polish I have would not shift the lower lining. Will have to try glass fibre burnishing brush.

BF5BAED1-F454-43AB-898F-FD33F9C6B278.jpeg.be5b732f308c958a7f1d399e0b6e0e45.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...

While working on the goods shed I’ve been mulling over how to arrange the terraced cottages at the front of the layout. There will be unmade road in front, gardens behind with privies, chickens, pigeon lofts etc. 

However that still leaves space to the side. I was thinking of building a laundry block but don’t know if that would be likely in the valleys in the late 20s. Although the cottages are assumed to be older, pre dating the railway.

Any thoughts?

 

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