Tetbury

[Chris Chewter]

A quick visit with a brush and some Matt cote seems to have calmed things down.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Another two coaches weathered last night.

 

 

I may have been a bit too subtle with the weathering on this pair.

 

 

I’m still undecided on varnish.  To test whether it helps the effect, I have my last Railroad coach waiting experimentation. However first I need to let the Maskol dry to protect the glazing.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Last Railroad Mk1 weathered and satin varnish applied. With on the right, and without on the left.

 

[Chris Chewter]

The driver of 6417 is ready to head out of the yard, but can’t get hold of the guard to check the handbrakes off.

 

 

Looks like the guards busy trying to pick a derby winner.

 

[Nick Gough]

46 minutes ago, Chris Chewter said:

The driver of 6417 is ready to head out of the yard, but can’t get hold of the guard to check the handbrakes off.

 

 

Looks like the guards busy trying to pick a derby winner.

 

 

Surely he's just catching up on the Divisional Notices?

[Chris Chewter]

One of the little jobs I’ve wanted to do was put people in some of the coach sets. A couple of passenger packs were purchased from Modelu and painted up.

 

No crammed holiday expresses with every seat taken, just the odd couple here and there.

 

Like this couple of ladies heading to Swindon for the day. Forecast for rain so they’re prepared with their macs. Let’s hope they make the change at Kemble!

[Chris Chewter]

I was taking a few photos of new loco 6417 yesterday, but when reviewing the images, I wasn’t happy with the weathering.

 

 

It looks too grey. No problems, I applied a light brush of Humbrol black powder to darken it down.

 

 

 

As usual, Modelu lamps and crew fitted. Just waiting for the fire irons to be delivered.

[Chris Chewter]

Auto coach weathered up and ready again for service.

 

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

Whilst weathering the Hawksworth brake, I had the clever idea to remove the weathering using cotton wool balls. As you can expect with one of Hornby excellent coaches, disaster ensued and a fragile ventilator was lost to the carpet monster.

 

 

So where do you get spare ventilators from. Well I found some on the Dart Castings website. Not being able to find the croissant roof vent description, I chose these on the left.

 

 

After painting, I found they aren’t a precise match, but hopefully look like some of the coach ventilators have been replaced in the coaches history.

 

 

I think that’ll do. (And don’t try weathering coaches with cotton wool balls)

Edited November 17, 2020 by Chris Chewter
Grammar

[The Fatadder]

5 hours ago, Chris Chewter said:

 

After painting, I found they aren’t a precise match, but hopefully look like some of the coach ventilators have been replaced at some point.

 

 

I think that’ll do. (And don’t try weathering coaches with cotton wool balls)

 

The end effect looks good at least, and at first glance (in a photo at least) its not immediately apparent which was replaced.  I tend to use the cotton bud removal method quite a lot in my weathering, although not so much for coach roofs which I tend to brush paint with a weathered mix.  I now have an empty draw under my workbench, with the specific intention of catching bits like that roof vent before they vanish onto the floor.  It has turned out to be most useful!

[Chris Chewter]

I thought the thread was looking a little maroon, so let’s redress the balance with a bit of dirty black.

 

 

6417 heading past the shed to collect the service train for the day.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Decided to weather some horse boxes last night. 6412 shunts them into the cattle dock.

 

 

Too much or about right?

 

[Mikkel]

This layout just keeps getting better.

 

I like the 'boxes. I'm no weathering expert for sure, but perhaps they're a little too dark/too much contrast? Still, it may be just the camera.

[Chris Chewter]

How about a Friday snap of 6417 with a couple of wagons.

 

[Chris Chewter]

I was clearing out the pile of assorted railway magazines when I came across a July 2008 Model Rail article where a modeller had made his own fire irons, so I decided to give it a go.

 

On the left is a loco fitted with Springside irons, and my attempt made out of twisted brass wire on the central and right hand locos.

 

 

The pricker isn’t quite right as the end should be flat.

 

 

And one of the locos in the platform to see if it’s effective. I think that works.

Edited November 23, 2020 by Chris Chewter

[MrWolf]

Honestly I think that your version is both finer in scale and more crisp in detail.

How did you make the head of the ash shovel?

[Chris Chewter]

They’re 3d printed shovels from Hardies Hobbies, chopped off at the base of the handle, and glued onto the wire.

[Regularity]

3 hours ago, Chris Chewter said:

The pricker isn’t quite right as the end should be flat.

Squeeze it in a vice, if necessary, heat it first.

[Chris Chewter]

As the fire irons are already glued into position, I might try various ways of flattening the pricker next time. It seemed more visible on the smaller pannier, so I decided to disguise it with a bucket!

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve been attending to the point rodding again. The double run was all over the place and I decided to sort out the length by the engine shed. To line up the rods, a bit of clear plastic has been glued underneath to support the join. The two lengths have been lifted and relayed and look a lot tidier.

 

 

And the section by the engine shed

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Just needs a little added grease by the rollers (stools) and the pins and pivots on the cranks. 

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

At least with the point rodding in a better condition, I can now take photos like this without cropping them to get rid of the dodgy bits.

 

 

Although that kink will annoy me after a while. However I know if I touch it, disaster will ensue!

 

Still trying to decide how to paint the rodding. Not sure at the moment. I might need to experiment with a few ideas over the weekend.

[Robert Shrives]

Point rodding had really fierce galvanzing  on the bits in 1:1 I have used on the Ffestiniog railway - we got loads back in the 1960s - thanks to a Doctor.  And even today the remaining lengths are still clean of rust. - a mid grey would be mute enough. The cast cranks might have been painted black to impress the boss but in the field soon had a lovely rust finish, but every rod eye with a grease nipple had  a lovely blackish satin finish. Rod stools seemed to get sporadic treatment with oil or grease - I guess fault finding from binding...but the rods still "shone" through- a fine brush load of a greasy soot mix on the ends of the stool will keep you amused for hours - stiff beverage afterwards ! 

Robert         

[RailWest]

Apologies if I've missed something along the way, but.....

 

The GF at the Kemble end may well have been only 2 levers, but they would have worked the crossover from the main line to the run-round loop and the FPL on the point in the main line (which you appear not to have catered for). The point into the engine shed road itself was surely just a hand-point and not worked from the GF at all. 

[Chris Chewter]

I removed the lever because of this video still below. The photo shows just two levers and nothing serving the point into the engine shed.  Whilst I agree that it would be logical the point would be hand worked, I don't understand why its not in the image below.