RNAS Glencruitten - Relocating Lenabo

[sem34090]

What an utterly fantastic video showing what I regard as possibly the most forgotten form of British Military Aircraft! Everyone remembers the planes of the RAF, and before that the RFC, but it seems few remember that the RNAS even existed.

[Argos]

very interesting have you worked out what the vent from the propeller leading up is for ?

 

Nick

Hi Nick,

It keeps the envelope inflated using draft from the propeller. The hydrogen is held in two ballonets within the envelope, on fore, one aft of the control car. These are actually quite small. The remainder of the envelope is just inflated with air.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Argos

[Argos]

Diagram to illustrate the post above:-

 

[Northroader]

I suppose they must have a very good reason why there’s a much larger airbag to the relatively smaller hydrogen bags. Last inght I had a very happy time googling up on these airships, really fascinating story, particularly compared to usual doom filled WW1 reports.

[Argos]

Hi Northroader.

 

Most airships, even the large rigid ones, had the Hydrogen in smaller ballonets.

There are pictures of the crew wandering around inside the main skin.

The dangerous point was at the top near the skin as any escaped hydrogen would gather there.

There are reports of crew members in the larger ships falling unconscious in these spots, if they were lucky they had a soft landing on the gas bags below.

 

Having the hydrogen contained in ballonets enabled the airship to trimmed for pitch.

 

One of the puzzles of the story is why we didn't continue with the development of the deridgables, we were leaders in the technology at the end of the war.

I guess the rush to build the large rigid ships and the resultant disasters tarred all lighter than air craft. 

[Argos]

I'm busy ballasting, painting and detailing track at the moment, which is not the most photogenic or interesting of operations.
Once I'm done I'll post up the fruits of my labour.
 
In the meantime I've just received a copy of the Imperial War Museums reprint of the S.S type airship hand book.
I've put off buying this as it appeared pricey at £18 for a 66 page booklet, however, I was mistaken.
 
Lots of detail is included drawings, cross sections, operating procedures.
I only wish I'd coughed up earlier!
 
Also available online in part and as an ebook if you're interested:-
 
 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Zhm-BAAAQBAJ&pg=PR2&lpg=PR2&dq=iwm+ss+airship&source=bl&ots=jYdLNVxslr&sig=n3r0zwYrkv_GmzrWb6K_7JKsb44&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHu6L75dPaAhXPjqQKHZMsBz4Q6AEIazAM#v=onepage&q=iwm%20ss%20airship&f=false

[Argos]

The track painting and ballasting is nearing an end, another couple of sessions should see it complete.

The change in appearance is quite satisfying, the whole layout feels lifted.

 

 

I've also fitted some cosmetic point levers which add the finishing touch.

I am concerned about how long the tiny levers will last when building the rest of the layout.

 

 

Whilst riading my wife's artist supples I discovered some "Modge Podge", a water based sealer.

I've read about this product being used to create water by some modellers so I've tried it on the foam forming the airship gas bag.

Initial results are promising, hopefully another coat and it will be ready for final prep and detailing.

 

Whilst the various glues were dying I've also turned my attention back to the 439 tank.

I really need to get some appropriate motive power sorted.

 

The body is coming along well.

I am especially chuffed with the handrail on the tank top.

 

 

The chassis is also taking shape.

Although all ran well conecting power directly to the motor, once the motor was connected to the chassis and placed on the track not a lot happened.

The motor stuttered a bit so some current was getting through.

 

 

A session on the rolling road is called for.

[Caley Jim]

Although all ran well conecting power directly to the motor, once the motor was connected to the chassis and placed on the track not a lot happened.

The motor stuttered a bit so some current was getting through.

I would suggest that your problem is lack of weight to provide sufficiently firm contact with the track.  Try fixing a bit of lead between the driving wheels with some Blu-tac.   You could also try sitting the body on top.   How does it run if you hold it upside down and hold leads to the wheel treads?

 

Jim

[Regularity]

Also, how well does it run if you apply power to the motor, either directly or via the frames?

 

The mechanism should turn over smoothly before you put it on a rolling road: all that does is help bed things down, and if it isn’t running smoothly in the first place, you need to sort things out, otherwise you might make things worse.

[Argos]

Thanks Gents.

The chassis works well with the power connected directly to the motor so I suspect it is a mixture of lack of weight and wheels that need a polish to get rid of construction muck (I have cleaned them but they still look grimy).

[Argos]

Relegated to page two again! Must try harder.

 

Last week's good weather enticed me out to attack the garden so not much work was done on the layout.

I'm now playing catch up.

 

The track has been repaired (two broken tie bars reconnected and strengthened), improved (a crossing clearances tightened up to avoid wheel drop) and a broken dropper wire re-soldered.

All the track is now painted and awaiting a couple of small areas to be ballasted.

 

I've also been playing around with the grass applicator.

 

 

 

 

 

It is the first time I've used one and I'm impressed, there is still some way to go but the first layer of 1mm flock gives a nice coverage, I'm glad I left the ground texture lumpy though otherwise the result would too even.

 

The colour is too bright green, I need to add some ling tufts and tone it all down, still, I'm happy with the initial result.

 

I've also got round to installing some wooden buffers at the ends of the siding.

 

With limited time until the 2mm supermeet at Chelford nxt weekend, I'm trying to concentrate on small areas now.

 

I've added some detail to the boiler house

 

 

Which is coming along nicely now, adding the etched windows really make a difference.

 

I've also been playing around weathering some of the R-T-R rolling stock being used.

I'm uncomfortable just opening a box (re-wheeling and adding a different coupling) and presenting this as modelling.

 

 

 

It is also my first real attempt at weathering.

I am happy with the initial result here as well.

I started with a black wash, then dry brushed a brown-black mixture over the top.

The underframes need a little more attention with a rusty/metallic sheen shade.

The interiors also need re-working, as supplied they are far too dark for un-treated wood.

[Edwardian]

Very good effect on those weathered wagons.  The track work looks superb and that boiler house complex is very impressive.

[Argos]

Well, I should be all ready for the main event tomorrow, which every knows is the 2mmm Scale Association's Supermeet & Skills day in Chelford, Cheshire and not the competing events in the south, something to do with an inflated pig's bladder and a ring I believe?

 

However I've hit a logistical snag.

 

The layout was designed to fit in my wife's van which is currently off the road for alterations, so I have hired a van.

The hire company have given me an alternate of similar payload (as permitted in their Ts&Cs  ), however it is shorter than the one I ordered by a few inches so the layout won't fit.

I've tried to remove the bulkhead to give a bit more length but there is one bolt-head that obviously needs a special tool to remove and try as I might I cannot get it out without damage.

What is doubly annoying is that the van is also slightly taller so won't be able to do the tip run that I was planning to do on Sunday due to a height restrictor at the tip. 

If I try and swap the van tomorrow I am unlikely to get to the hall before 11AM.

 

All in all I'm £100 out of pocket and I can't do either thing I hired the van for.   

I guess I should have focused just on getting the layout to the event and got a bigger van.

Still Bl##dy annoying though.

Edited May 18, 2018 by Argos

[nick_bastable]

Well, I should be all ready for the main event tomorrow, which every knows is the 2mmm Scale Association's Supermeet & Skills day in Chelford, Cheshire and not the competing events in the south, something to do with an inflated pig's bladder and a ring I believe?

 

However I've hit a logistical snag.

 

The layout was designed to fit in my wife's van which is currently off the road for alterations, so I have hired a van.

The hire company have given me an alternate of similar payload (as permitted in their Ts&Cs  ), however it is shorter than the one I ordered by a few inches so the layout won't fit.

I've tried to remove the bulkhead to give a bit more length but there is one bolt-head that obviously needs a special tool to remove and try as I might I cannot get it out without damage.

What is doubly annoying is that the van is also slightly taller so won't be able to do the tip run that I was planning to do on Sunday due to a height restrictor at the tip. 

If I try and swap the van tomorrow I am unlikely to get to the hall before 11AM.

 

All in all I'm £100 out of pocket and I can't do either thing I hired the van for.   

I guess I should have focused just on getting the layout to the event and got a bigger van.

Still Bl##dy annoying though.

i think it rhymes with rudder  

 

Nick

[Caley Jim]

i think it rhymes with rudder  

 

Nick

Don't you mean 'rugger'?

 

Jim

[Argos]

With 11 months to go until the Cameo competition ends I thought I'd take the opportunity to take stock of progress.

 

On the whole it feels like I'm getting there, recent weeks have seen the initial grass covering go down which make a big difference.

Although there have also been backwards steps as I've decided to remove the sky. 

This had been a proprietary backscene which was over-painted by my wife, unfortunately in the process of over-painting the backscene had wrinkled and I couldn't get this back flat.

In the end I just had to rip it off as I couldn't live with it any more.

My wife been quite understanding as she wasn't happy with her artistry anyway.

She described it as too "Thomas the Tank cartoon summer sky" in appearance.

 

so a view of the layout:-

 

 

As can be seen the main buildings are coming along and I'm reasonably please with the grass.

There is still a bit of detail work to do on the grass though.

 

 

A staith for the coal stockpile needs to be added on the brown patch in the foreground.

 

I've also started to finish some of the rolling stock.

 

 

One area I've yet to start is the gas plant ( on the brown area below).

I've too many other things on the go at the moment though. I need to finish a few off before attacking this.

 

 

Finally the river area is taking shape.

I need to add some rocks along the line of the river and then some water.

I'm planning some gorse bushes to hide the sharp angle change currently visible a top of the embankment.

 

 

I also need to colour the rock outcrops to match the cutting at the top end.

 

Operationally it is coming together also.

I'm still getting derailments, but I'm slowly ironing these out.

 

The other potential change are the couplings.

Whilst I'm happy with the Micro-trains couplers for more morden stock, I don't think I can live with them for Pre-grouping steam.

 

Chatting with Mick Simpson and Chelford gave me the impetus to give the Electra coupling a try.

A jig has been duly purchased along with the requisite wire, tube and weights.

 

I just need to find time to experiment.....

 

 

[Argos]

I've been outside enjoying the fine weather so little work has been done at the workbench.

 

What time I've had has been dedicated to finishing off some projects (much needed too, I've too many on the go).

 

The fruits of my labour are shown below with a couple of completed wagons.

 

The CR open is one of Caley Jim's Buchanan kits, and a very nice kit it is too.

I've almost finished constructing another of his kits, a Diagram 6 Brake van, just the final fiddly hand rails and lamp irons and it will ready for the paint shop.

 

The LNWR 15'6 Diagram 2 is a 3d print from Chris Higgs's shapeway shop. It is fitted with a 2mm association underframe and Dave Eveleigh's etched solebars. 

 

The Covered van has made an appearance before but I made the mistake of not sealing the decals with a varnish so managed to destroy most of them while handling the van.

In the process of reapplying the decals I've also added the end number, I wasn't going to bother but seeing Adrian's vans on his Holywell Town layout at Chelford made me appreciate ti was worth the effort.

 

 

And with a penny for scale:-

 

 

The jury is still out on the Microtrains couplings, I've a pile of materials and jigs to try out Electras so these may change in the near future.

[Argos]

Thanks to Andy Y disaster has been averted.....

 

Whilst on my phone last night I managed to delete this topic!   

 

Fortunately a PM to Mr Y got it restored this morning.    

 

Thanks again Andy!

[Argos]

Carrying on the finishing stuff theme, I've now completed the build work on one of Caley Jim's Brake van kits

 

 

It looks a bit scruffy in the raw brass state but hopefully once cleaned and painted it will be fine.

 

I did start to question my sanity when cutting out and fixing the complex hand rails and lamp irons.

Fortunately Jim incorporates ingenious etched handles into his kits that aided the soldering of the lamp irons.

 

Posed in a rake:-

 

 

Off to the paint shop next.......

Edited June 20, 2018 by Argos

[queensquare]

I've been outside enjoying the fine weather so little work has been done at the workbench.

 

What time I've had has been dedicated to finishing off some projects (much needed too, I've too many on the go).

 

The fruits of my labour are shown below with a couple of completed wagons.

 

The CR open is one of Caley Jim's Buchanan kits, and a very nice kit it is too.

I've almost finished constructing another of his kits, a Diagram 6 Brake van, just the final fiddly hand rails and lamp irons and it will ready for the paint shop.

 

The LNWR 15'6 Diagram 2 is a 3d print from Chris Higgs's shapeway shop. It is fitted with a 2mm association underframe and Dave Eveleigh's etched solebars. 

 

The Covered van has made an appearance before but I made the mistake of not sealing the decals with a varnish so managed to destroy most of them while handling the van.

In the process of reapplying the decals I've also added the end number, I wasn't going to bother but seeing Adrian's vans on his Holywell Town layout at Chelford made me appreciate ti was worth the effort.

 

Wagon 8.jpg

 

And with a penny for scale:-

 

Wagon 9.jpg

 

The jury is still out on the Microtrains couplings, I've a pile of materials and jigs to try out Electras so these may change in the near future.

 

Some lovely pre-group wagons. Regarding the couplings, I think the Microtrains ones are horrible and only marginally better than Rapidos. Im not a fan of Electras much prefering DGs but either would be much preferable to the microtrains. 

 

Jerry

[Argos]

Thanks Jerry,

 

With regards to couplings, I think in 2mm we are very much choosing the least worst option, until we can get a 2mm man with a shunter's pole to attend to scale 3-link and screw couplings that is!

 

I did try DGs (and Sprat and Winkles) but found them a bit of a faff and not much less intrusive than the microtrains couplers to my eyes.

From the layouts I've seen with them the DGs do operate well though, definitely a point in their favour.

 

What I like about the Electra is the slimness of them, especially if the wires can be coloured black.

I'll have a play soon and see.

 

Angus

[Caley Jim]

Thanks Jerry,

 

With regards to couplings, I think in 2mm we are very much choosing the least worst option, until we can get a 2mm man with a shunter's pole to attend to scale 3-link and screw couplings that is!

 

I did try DGs (and Sprat and Winkles) but found them a bit of a faff and not much less intrusive than the microtrains couplers to my eyes.

From the layouts I've seen with them the DGs do operate well though, definitely a point in their favour.

 

What I like about the Electra is the slimness of them, especially if the wires can be coloured black.

I'll have a play soon and see.

 

Angus

My objection to the Electra is the fact that you have to do a 'soft-shoe-shuffle' over the magnet to disengage them.

 

With AJ's you just activate the magnet as the vehicles are propelled over it.  Also, being made from p/b wire, they tarnish to a dark brown which is almost invisible!  

 

Jim

[Argos]

Hi Jim,

 

What put me off AJ's was the received wisdom that they were finicky and sensitive to being knocked.

 

Also I couldn't find any jigs to construct 2mm scale ones all that seemed to be available were for 4mm.

 

Did you build your own jigs?

 

Thanks

 

Angus

[Caley Jim]

The only jogs I made were for getting the lengths of the hook and tail correct, one for winding the coils and one for setting them the correct distance from the headstock. To get the angles correct I simply have a piece of paper with the angles drawn on it.

 

I'm up in Perth this weekend, but I'll post the references to the articles in the 2MM Magazine when I'm home.

 

They do need to be set up accurately but the coil sprung version are fairly robust and I find rarely need adjusting. There is a fairly steep learning curve for them, though.

 

Jim

[Argos]

Thanks Jim,

 

That's what I heard.

I'll experiment with the electras, as I have a jig I should be able to maintain constancy better.

 

I'm also concious that the photos of your jewel like brake van kit in tarnished brass posted above didn't do it an favours.

 

It looks better in primer (albeit the lamp irons and a couple of the handrails need tweaking straight).

 

 

For others looking in please bear in mind this about 4x actual size!