Inspired by Brent June 1947

[The Fatadder]

A successful evenings work, with a bit of ballast weathering, the start of the white edge on the platform and the slip finally completed.  
 

the platform was a bit of a pain, I didn’t paint the edging stones when I did the rest of the platform as the plan was to paint them fully white (I did do the ramps though).    I then checked the prototype and saw the white line was actually fairly thin.  It’s now a toss up between painting them engineers brick blue like the real thing (but without the groves between the bricks) or paint them stone to match the platform.   At least I know for the down platform to paint everything and then add the white stripe. 

 

I was right with the short, it was being caused by a wheel bridging the gap between check and rail. Isolating the check rail solved it.  After widening the switch rail gap the slip

appears to be working (for now at least). So I touched up the paint to tidy it up.  There is still one electrical fault, it appears one of the micro switches on a tortoise has failed.  The red wire works but not the black.  Touching an ohmmeter to the outputs shows no connection between common and black wires when switched.  Need to solder wires onto the other switch and hope that solves it.  (Yay, more under board soldering!)

 

finally the goods shed l is getting closer to an appearance on the layout , with some drawings received from Intentio for review.  These were printed on card and assembled into a rough mock-up to test sight lines etc.    Cannot wait to replace this card mock up  with the real thing, it’s really going to change the feel of the front of the layout. 

[KingEdwardII]

56 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Yay, more under board soldering!

I hope that goes OK for you - but this is one of the reasons I much prefer the MTB MP1 point motors, since they have mini screw terminal connections for the wiring. I try to avoid under-board soldering like the plague.

 

Yours, Mike.

[The Fatadder]

7 minutes ago, KingEdwardII said:

I hope that goes OK for you - but this is one of the reasons I much prefer the MTB MP1 point motors, since they have mini screw terminal connections for the wiring. I try to avoid under-board soldering like the plague.

 

Yours, Mike.

 

To be honest I find using screw terminals under the board every bit as bad as soldering under there, its the lack of access and working at funny angles that gets me.  Made worse in that I pulled something in my shoulder back in January and it still hasnt healed (not helped by constantly tweaking it when doing bits under the layout...)    This would have been very funny had it been captured on video, I needed to move our old sofa to the curb for collection by the council.  Unfortunately thanks to Covid it had been sat outside for a month at this point and was soaking wet & half frozen.  Pulling it along the drive the part I was pulling sheered off, sending me flying backwards onto my back and pulling something in my shoulder in the process!

 

This is the first time that I have experienced a failure on a Tortoise circuit board.  Hopefully the switch on the other side will be working fine or I guess I will be needing to try out their lifetime warranty...  

 

Just realised that I forgot to take photos of the goods shed prototype yesterday, so will go and get some pics of the slightly revised version this morning once the dog has been walked...

[KingEdwardII]

Sorry to hear about your shoulder - no fun at all having a problem with that. When I work under the baseboard, I use large bean bags, both for comfort and for raising me close to the work - I just need to be careful not to snooze off, which would not impress the wife. 

 

The odd dropped screwdriver under there is just a nuisance, but being sprayed from above with hot flux and solder is something else - and I know that my soldering skills pretty well guarantee this would happen.

 

Your sofa story reminded me of the time when I had to clear my dad's house after he died a couple of year's back - I ended up sawing his sofa in half in the driveway since we couldn't get it to fit into the van we were using. It kept the neighbours entertained, at least.

 

On a different topic, I have been using the printed Scalescenes platform edging flagstones, which have the white line painted on them. Once I got used to the right way to glue them on and get the edge in the right place, I've found them quite effective, even on curved platforms. They also have the alternative of cross-hatched blue engineers bricks in the same pack.

 

Yours, Mike.

[Stephen Freeman]

2 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

 

To be honest I find using screw terminals under the board every bit as bad as soldering under there, its the lack of access and working at funny angles that gets me.  Made worse in that I pulled something in my shoulder back in January and it still hasnt healed (not helped by constantly tweaking it when doing bits under the layout...)    This would have been very funny had it been captured on video, I needed to move our old sofa to the curb for collection by the council.  Unfortunately thanks to Covid it had been sat outside for a month at this point and was soaking wet & half frozen.  Pulling it along the drive the part I was pulling sheered off, sending me flying backwards onto my back and pulling something in my shoulder in the process!

 

This is the first time that I have experienced a failure on a Tortoise circuit board.  Hopefully the switch on the other side will be working fine or I guess I will be needing to try out their lifetime warranty...  

 

Just realised that I forgot to take photos of the goods shed prototype yesterday, so will go and get some pics of the slightly revised version this morning once the dog has been walked...

If you use a Tortoise connector (See Coastal DCC) you can eliminate the necessity for soldering the wires directly. Apparently they come with shims to prevent them sliding out of alignment (used to cause no end of problems).

[The Fatadder]

Here is the 2nd prototype mock-up of the goods shed in place on the layout.  It is very crude (sellotape joints visible, corners are not exactly square), but serves its purpose.  The main reason was to check clearances on the entrances, and to see how it fits in the space.   Really happy with what Intentio have done here, the building has come a very long way from my original CAD back in 2016). 

 

[The Fatadder]

Quite a lot of time this evening for not a lot of visible progress.  With the first 50 posts for the boundary fence cut and painted in a mix of grey brown.  These can now be installed in the left hand two fields tomorrow evening.  The plan is to glue them in place and immediately add a blast of long static grass to get the grass growing around the post.     I am not planing to worry about adding the  wires.

 

Next up was finishing the painting for the up platform (almost, there are a couple of bits on the white line that need touching in).  The plan is to add the remaining surface tomorrow, so a decision is needed between the ash and sandpaper options.  At the moment I’m erring towards the former.

 

 

Last nights ballast weathering, the K18 bogies are proving problematic due to the lack of frames on the rear side meaning the frames move apart easily freeing a wheel set.  I think they need beefing up on the rear (or a set of side frames...)

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

The past few days have been too cold to think about gluing scenic materials, which coupled with some late nights at work means not a lot of work accomplished.

 

tonight however I have managed a few tasked off the list.

 

first up the fence posts which were painted on Sunday have now been drilled and temporarily fitted.  These will be glued into the final position (along with long static grass around the bases) soon.

4855 comes into view with an up freight, I rather like this view (though it would be better without the corner of baseboard edge showing in the foreground 

There will be some bushes added to the rear here, annoyingly I hit the back scene with the drill while adding the fence, a tree will hide this eventually (while the signal hides it in the previous shot)  

 

 

next up some track repairs, there was a bit of a step between the the track on the lifting section and the fiddleyard.  This was sorted with a thin shim fitted under the track.  The paper template had lifted from the wood making this a bit easier (but it does now need regluing)  

this area was planned to be modelled as a cutting leading into a tunnel.  Now I’m not so sure as to how well it will hold up with the lifting section so the layout may end at the start of the gap.

 

The next bag of ash has now been sived and is ready for application in the platform

 

finally after knocking my Powercab on the floor last week, I ordered a 3D printed holder for it from eBay, which has now been fitted next to the control panel.

Edited March 3, 2021 by The Fatadder

[St Enodoc]

19 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

annoyingly I hit the back scene with the drill

I've done that too. Now, if I need to drill near the wall, I slip a piece of card in between.

[The Fatadder]

14 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I've done that too. Now, if I need to drill near the wall, I slip a piece of card in between.

I think I will do the same now, I do have a lot of repairs to make where it started lifting from the wall as well

Edited March 3, 2021 by The Fatadder

[Siberian Snooper]

Could you make the scenery on lifting flap a removable module?

 

 

[The Fatadder]

11 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Could you make the scenery on lifting flap a removable module?

 

 

that’s a possibility I will have to look in to.  I suspect despite my current intentions in the long run it will get the  scenic just because it’s there and I tend to get more enjoyment out of building than running 

 (much like I have some thoughts around turning the branch fiddleyard into a pseudo Kingsbridge)

[The Fatadder]

Another parts arrival today, I recently asked on the GWR Modellers Facebook group about photos / drawings of the electric points machine I need for the point into the loop.  As well as an offer of a drawing, a very kind member drew it up and 3D printed the part (including the cranks and linkages for the FPL as well), which arrived in this mornings post.

 

it will need a little work on the layout to prepare (as I didn’t include the long sleepers onto which the motor should sit).  My plan is to remove some ballast and then add extensions cut from a spare sleeper, before fitting the parts.

 

 

 

[The Fatadder]

After managing to loose the FPL part somewhere on the garage floor, I knocked up the cover plate (which would have mostly obscured it all anyway.)

 

the extended sleepers were added followed by the 3D print of the point machine and two of the brackets. I wasn’t able to add a linkage to the FPL as the gap is fully ballasted (I am glad for the rest of the layout I’ve used the sandpaper trick to get more depth for the rods.) I’m rather pleased with the end result, now I guess I need to do it all again for the trap point.

it still needs repairs to the ballasting, and a touch of filler in the gap between the original and extension on the nearest sleeper.

not entirely sure what these are for.

 

the photo of the powercab holder I forgot to add the other day.

 

I am a bit worried about 4526, potential signs of a Mazac issue (I have another 4500 which started like this and now most metal areas are showing signs of damage (lost paint and rough feeling metal) there is no presence on the handrails / handrail knobs here yet.

 

I also took some time to photograph the current state of the rest of Brents fleet for future stock updates

King Henry VIII speeds over the Avon with the down Riviera

The Southern’s Tavistock follows shortly after with an M Set from Exeter bound for Plymouth

A lucky passer by walking down by the river witnesses Spitfire speeding by towards the west 

A rare sight of a Dukedog heading East with a Bristol bound freight.  The engines primary task for the moment is to pretend that it’s a bulldog, but while they were very rare visitors to the south west I do have a 1940s photo of one in Devon on a west bound freight 

[St Enodoc]

8 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

the photo of the powercab holder I forgot to add the other day.

I like that Rich. I've got some proprietary ones but they're designed to hold the narrow part of the throttle, so it all sticks up way too far. I modified them by cutting them in half and moving the bits apart to hold the wide part, as do yours.

[The Fatadder]

6 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I like that Rich. I've got some proprietary ones but they're designed to hold the narrow part of the throttle, so it all sticks up way too far. I modified them by cutting them in half and moving the bits apart to hold the wide part, as do yours.

That was how I was expecting it to be, so it was a pleasant surprise that the controller sat so low in the cradle.   Probably should have bought another one to fit on the rear of the layout for when I finally get round tk

adding another controller.

[Neal Ball]

15 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

That was how I was expecting it to be, so it was a pleasant surprise that the controller sat so low in the cradle.   Probably should have bought another one to fit on the rear of the layout for when I finally get round tk

adding another controller.

 

I too have had a similar issue with the controller - solved by using a holder bought from LeRoy Merlin (B & Q equivalent) for shower gels etc. That way not only can it take the controller, but also the iPhone for when I operate the WiFi controller.

[The Fatadder]

While going through photographing  the stock for Brent earlier in the week I pulled out a couple of projects which needed more work.

 

first off 4526 with the bare metal patches on the footplate.  This has been sanded back to smooth the metal, before repainting in a weathered mix.  It will now need taking apart to remove the porthole windows on the cab front and modify the bunker for adding coal, along with Dingham fitting

 

The other loco is 5698, the Bachmann loco is pretty basic is it comes.  So the focus of my work has been adding some of the missing details including: RT models sandbox linkages, a set of Finney lamp irons, and a Hardy’s Hobbies crew (the latter was purely added because I had the body off).  It was then weathered with the usual mix of paint and powders.   it looks like Dinghams won’t be too hard to fit once I get another batch soldered up, as there is a plastic footplate and it was easy to remove material from the chassis block to clear the shaft.

 

 

Looks like temperatures are due to start earning up again so hopefully I will soon be able to get back to gluing.

 

[The Fatadder]

I just spotted that my 74xx didn’t have any coal, so that has been rectified 

 

 

this loco doesn’t have a decoder so will likely stay inside for quite a while now as I don’t plan on spending on decoders until the layout is complete.  Interesting to see the differences between the two panniers side by side.

 

I am a little concerned with the route indicator dot on the 57xx, this was a Bachmann release in G W R livery and I completely missed the high dot. Going to be hard to fix now it’s weathered...  I haven’t got a photo of the prototype so will probably leave it until it is confirmed wrong.

[Siberian Snooper]

The 57xx should have a blue spot for the route availability.  Sorry to be picky.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

1 hour ago, Siberian Snooper said:

The 57xx should have a blue spot for the route availability.  Sorry to be picky.

 

 

That is very true, so it clearly is Bachmann being rubbish with the details on the source model.   Will have a look later and see how I can remove it with minimal damage...

 

edit: now done, much better looking 

Edited March 6, 2021 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

This morning I have been spraying Eynsham Hall into GWR black having removed the lining last night.  Unfortunately the paint has reacted badly around the firebox, I’m now wondering if I had previously varnished the model and the paint is reacting.   Will have a play this afternoon to see if it’s saveable with a partial respray and some weathering or if it needs a full strip back and start again. 

[The Fatadder]

I think the issue with Eynsham Hall most be down to the temperature and it being too cold to spray.  I added a second coat to the tender today and had the same problem, likewise when respraying the damaged area on the firebox.  So it’s been sanded back again and touched in with Vallejo mat black (something of a contrast to the rest in satin, but not a major issue given the next step was a coat of Dullcote). I also painted the smoke box in grey black as a start of the weathering process, added transfers and reduced the ModelMasters plates.

 

it can now be reunited with its chassis and await its turn for couplings and, coal and a crew.

[The Fatadder]

Now reunited with its chassis, awaiting couplings  before returning to the layout 

[The Fatadder]

@Coach bogie pointed out on Tony Wright’s thread that 4925 was sporting the wrong bogie.  Which just goes to show even when buying a second hand loco from a known source you should be careful to check the details.   
 

Fortunately I had a spare Comet  Churchward bogie left over from the chassis which is now under my County.  I was going to use it on my Saint, but needs must.  I am expecting the Saint’s perseverance chassis should have a bogie anyway...

 

A Dingham has been fitted to the rear, so it can now go back to the layout awaiting a slot on the bench for coal and weathering.