Tetbury

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve been under the weather again ( see what I did there) and have finished off some more wagons and coaches.

 

Wagons are fairly straight forward. However for some reason, you pay through the nose for BR grey wagons. I managed to get some Oxford Rail private owner wagons at the exhibition at Milton Keynes for less than a tenner each.

 

Firstly these were attacked with a glass fibre brush before spraying to remove the owners text.

 

They were then masked and sprayed with Railmatch BR grey from a rattle can.

 

 

Some Modelmaster BR private owner wagon decals were purchased and applied. This was after I realised the decals I applied were for 20t minerals. I’m not sure anyone would notice but the ones in the photo below were changed for the correct P numbers.

 

 

Because the wagons had been sprayed and decals applied, they were weathered very gently using the same technique above.

 

And hey presto, some BR grey planked wagons and a BR departmental black spoil wagon.

 

 

I love how the glass fibre brush has distressed the planks!

 

[Chris Chewter]

I had forgotten what a pain coaches were to weather. The thing is, they were always much cleaner than wagons. It’s easy to weather coaches and find you’ve made them too dirty!

 

First up, some BR suburban mk1s. These have already received factory weathering, but it doesn't pick up the black in the panel lines.

 

I used the same t-cut technique as before.  A cotton bud is dipped in t-cut and dipped in black weathering powder. It’s then applied across the coach surface.

 

This is then rubbed off as much as possible with cotton buds.

 

 

You then end up with a coach like the one on the top. The original factory weathered one is the grey coach it’s sat on.

 

 

However it seems a little bit too dirty.
 

Wasn’t coaching stock cleaner than that?

 

It’s best to judge with some photos to check. My first attempt was obviously a smidge too black.

 

So a t-cut cotton bud was swabbed over the coach sides and removed some excess black.
 

 

Rub carefully as it’s easy with neat t-cut to remove numbers and linings. Not so bad with Bachmann coaches but a real pain with Hornby ones (ask me how I know!)

 

 

That looks better. The grey weathering is a little odd but that’s the Bachmann weathering for you.

 

 

I could have put a bit of brown around the bogies and under frame, but I was feeling lazy!

 

Roofs are Matt varnish and smoke grey powder wafted after to stick on the varnish.

 

I did try weathering some CCTs using some thinned down black.  However I just couldn’t control the removal of the black as well as the t-cut method.

 

 

 

I think they should be a bit cleaner, but they’ll do the job and ready for use on Carterton.

Edited November 12, 2022 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

To show the challenges of using the t-cut method with Hornby coaches, I managed to just about stop the lining completely pulling off the collett corridor on the left!

 

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve tried a different weathering technique for coaches this afternoon. I had heard about Flory washes after one of the model railway club members used them as part of some of the schools work we do.

 

 

I picked up a bottle of black in the hope it would save some of the scrubbing when you use the t-cut method which leads to damaged handles and lining.

 

I had a rake of Collett Suburbans to do. So the sides and roof were painted with the wash and set aside to cure.

 

 

Once dried, out came the cotton buds to work back and remove the black from

 the coach sides.

 

 

However that roof looks very blotchy!  In the end, I had to work it over with a damp cotton bud and move the black wash around into streaks with a dry cotton bud.

 

 

Now we have a coach ready for some powder.

Sides were masked. The frames were wafted with Humbrol dark earth powder. Then Matt varnish applied to the roof and the under frame.

 

 

Then onto the roof. It still looked too shiny even with Matt varnish on it, so some Humbrol smoke grey was brushed into it.

 

 

That looks better than out of the box!

 

 

I might give them a light application of black to tone it down. It worked for the other pair of collett corridors I’ve got.

 

 

I’m now out of Matt varnish, so looks like that’s it until the postman makes a visit. Those locos will also have to stay shiny for a bit longer!

[Chris Chewter]

I took some stock to run on another club members layout, and was a little embarrassed to pull six unweathered coaches out of the box. I’m not sure whether it was the lack of weathering or the fact I had totally forgotten about them that led to the embarrassment. However, with my wife at a conference on Saturday, and two pre-teen kids glued to various devices, it gave me a reason to get on with some modelling at the dining table. Loads of blue paper was laid down and the weathering could commence!

 

 

I used the Flory black wash technique again which seemed to come out well.

 

 

The roofs were sprayed with Matt varnish, then smoke grey weathering powder over and a final coat of black weathering powder over that. They were then resprayed with Matt varnish which seems to work fairly well.

 

 

I do like the restaurant car pair so how about another shot of the restaurant cars being shunted by the good shed for good measure!

 

 

I seem to be getting a slight reputation in the model railway club as the person to weather coaches that owners aren’t brave enough to attempt (I suppose there are worse reputations to have!) I ended up with a Bachmann autocoach thrust at me with a request to weather it down from its owner.  Seeing as I had the Flory washes open, it seemed rude not to!  
 

The only change with this one was the roof. It seemed to be rivited, plus I couldn’t be sure how it was going to be handled, so I concluded that powders on the roof might not work well, so it was toned down with the Flory washes only.  Some dark earth powder to the ends and under frame give it that slightly worn effect.

 

 

 

Hopefully it’s owner will be pleased to see it returned in its slightly grubby state!

Edited November 27, 2022 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Walked into Howes Models for some Matt varnish and thought I had found a right bargain. A load of Hornby R6665 Brookes Limited 4 Plank Wagons for £6! Two were purchased to be resprayed. However disappointingly they are a bit crude with chunky running gear and massive D couplings. 🤦‍♂️

 

Theres nowt I going to do about the running gear, life’s too short. However the couplings had to go! I want NEM sockets so I can swap the couplings out to kadees if I wish in the future, so some 3d printed adapters were acquired, the D couplings unscrewed and binned, and the adapters fitted on the old coupling pins.

 

 

Now we can respray, decal and weather these up.

 

In theory, 4 planks were very rare by the 1960s, so these will look fairly battered and abused.

 

 

I’ve also done another 7 plank to go into the set.

 

 

Ive got two more planked open wagons to go and then I should probably stop, otherwise the place will be over run by them. However I do enjoy a cheap wagon respray!

[Mike Buckner]

On 11/12/2022 at 20:57, Chris Chewter said:

I want NEM sockets ...

so some 3d printed adapters were acquired, the D couplings unscrewed and binned, and the adapters fitted on the old coupling pins.

 

 

Hi Chris,

I'll be grateful if you could say where the 3d printed adapters can be acquired.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Chris Chewter]

The adapters were acquired from eBay:  https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/mattymay05 However he's out of stock of the "Bachmann/Mainline/Parkside/Cambrian, NEM Coupling converters."

[Chris Chewter]

I know quite a few posts have been for stock destined for Carterton, however I looked at the 16t minerals on the layout, and I wasn’t satisfied with the factory weathering. They’re just too clean!  
 

So with a simple waft of black powder and hey presto!

 

They now look a little dark now, but never mind! 
 

I also picked up a Modelu Awdry figure. I thought he could keep the station master company!

 

I need to sort that cracked bit of platform. Good job I’m on holiday!

Edited December 20, 2022 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

With not much to do today, except wait for the railway clubs laser cutter to finish, I thought I'd splice together a video of Tetbury for people to enjoy.

 

 

[MrWolf]

Beautifully put together film, such a shame that the real thing is gone.

[Chris Chewter]

Those of a nervous disposition look away now! I haven’t posted recently on Tetbury as it’s been undergoing a bit of an upgrade. The thing is, the layout became nothing more than a glorified test track and was getting a bit dull. Whilst running a friends layout fitted with kadees and uncoupling magnets, I decided to do the same and upgrade Tetbury. However…

 

Neodynium magnets are ok but a bit hit and miss. I’ve tried the Kadee over the tie couplings but they’re a bit ugly, and again hit and miss!

 

 

I did feel adventurous, and fitted a magnetic uncoupler at the far end, and that works like a dream. 
 

 

However to fit them involves taking up track work.

 

 

Never mind. It’s had its magazine showing and been on the telly, now to make some improvements. But hacking up track is a little painful.

 

Also, wiring is not very photogenic. These are the relays for the uncouplers. Now it’s tested, it needs bell clipping back.

 

I mights start working for British Telecom soon!

[Chris Chewter]

No obligations today, so I can fit the remaining electromagnetic uncouplers on Tetbury, although that means the painful experience of taking up some of the coal yard. Hopefully it’ll be worth it to make operating the layout more enjoyable,. I keep telling myself that!

 

 

I also managed to do the uncoupler by the unloading dock.

 

 

Although some fettling is required to make sure it’s well tested with no uneven track.

 

 

Hopefully I’ll get a bit of time tomorrow to relay the coal yard track and wire up the uncouplers.

[MrWolf]

That must have taken some nerve Chris, top job, I'm sure that it's going to be like having a new layout with the changes you're making.

[Chris Chewter]

Track back in on the coal yard.
 

Now to give everything a thorough test before ballasting and sorting out the scenery.

 

 

Amazingly, that shunter figure has remained undisturbed throughout the whole upheaval!

[Chris Chewter]

Track ballasted over the weekend. This evening with the ballast dry, it can be weathered down with aerosols.

 

 

Its a bit patchy and grey in places post weathering so I’ll need to crack out the weathering powers or another mist of black.

 

 

The goods yard runs better than before. I changed the point by the pannier as everything ran over it fairly roughly previously.

 

The loading dock has also been ballasted and weathered.

 

And the uncouplers fitted along the platform have been attended to.

 

 

You may notice the red fire buckets dotted around to mark where the uncouplers are. More for visiting operators, or for when I’ve forgotten where they are.

Sadly the shunter didn’t escape unharmed. He lost the hook on the end of his pole!

Now for a thorough clean!

Edited October 9, 2023 by Chris Chewter

[MrWolf]

That all looks to have gone very smoothly and reminds me that I need to finish installing several isolated sections on my layout 🙄 

Did you ever find any more information on the advert hoarding that stood halfway up the driveway? Although IIRC it was demolished around 1962 or 63?

[BroadLeaves]

1 hour ago, Chris Chewter said:

 

You may notice the red fire buckets dotted around to mark where the uncouplers are. More for visiting operators, or for when I’ve forgotten where they are.

It's a credit to your work that the buckets are needed at all and there's no indication in the replaced ballasting. All very neatly done. If you hadn't posted all the "work in progress" pictures, we'd never have known!

[Chris Chewter]

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Did you ever find any more information on the advert hoarding that stood halfway up the driveway? Although IIRC it was demolished around 1962 or 63?

 

Sadly I've found no drawings or details to date.  It just needs building from photos.  It's one of those things that I've just not got around to.  It would fit 3D printing really well, but that's outside of my skills, so I'll probably cut the components, assemble and apply some very thin plastistruct beading for the details.

[MrWolf]

I was reminded of the conversation we had about it some time ago as I was reading through a copy of The Tetbury Branch by Stephen Randolph. There's a decent detail photo on p48, but nothing square on to accurately figure out the length of it, although a close guess would work given that there's probably no records surviving.

It's an impressive piece of period joinery nevertheless.

[Chris Chewter]

I tried to enter the Hornby Model Shot of the Year.  Sadly I wasn't shortlisted, so I can release them onto the forum. 

 

 

 

I don't run many Hornby locos on the layout, preferring their coaching stock.  However, I had detailed a Hornby 14xx, so used this as a subject for my entry.  Anyway, Hornby's loss is our gain.  I hope you enjoy.

[MrWolf]

Those are great photos, it's a pity Hornby didn't use them to show how realistic their models can be made to look, even those whose origins go back to somewhere around 1977.

[Chris Chewter]

Really pleased with the electro-magnetic uncouplers. They really do change the operation of the layout. Had a member of the model railway club visit on Saturday, which turned into a Tetbury operating session.

 

 

Spurred on, it’s made me think about the things that need to be done on the layout. Other than tidying up the electrics, I’ve been thinking about the workshop above the station.

 

Ive never had any clear photos other that a couple from Randolph’s book.  The clearest is this one showing the building in question.

 

 

I’ve always bodged it with a resin barn.

To be honest, comparing the two, it’s not a bad compromise.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Well Tetbury is heading towards some significant work. Some of the wiring underneath leaves a bit to be desired. So the plan is to split it into its three boards, turn it onto its side, and to tidy it up. By doing so, it might open up the layout to travel. At the moment, there’s too much vulnerable wiring for the layout to go anywhere!

 

Despite this, it still runs really well and provides a lot of enjoyment for operating sessions, especially with the electromagnetic uncouplers fitted.

 

My recent acquisition is intended to raise a smile during exhibitions.

 

 

“I told you bishop, it’s Left for Titfield, not Tetbury!”

[Chris Chewter]

Have a great Easter everyone!