Signaller69's projects

[Signaller69]

18 hours ago, jessy1692 said:

It looks pretty dam good to me, i think shawplan do an etch for peak lifting points/bearing plate ends, cant recall what they are technically but they could finish it off nicely. I dont recall seeing them on a model, have you come across them?

Im tempted but not sure if they would be usable on a 'working' model..

I am aware of these parts from photos but have not attempted them for the reason you mention, ie movement, and space to mount them is limited. I hadn't realised there were parts available to replicate them though. Maybe something to look at further on a rainy day.

 

Martyn.

[jessy1692]

34 minutes ago, Signaller69 said:

I am aware of these parts from photos but have not attempted them for the reason you mention, ie movement, and space to mount them is limited. I hadn't realised there were parts available to replicate them though. Maybe something to look at further on a rainy day.

 

Martyn.

I keep toying with the idea of them, when i clear the bench a bit and get round to re doing one of mine ill give it a go.

[Signaller69]

October was another unproductive month by and large. A Parkside Tube wagon build being the only rolling stock job, and even that is unfinished currently. I did add compensation at one end, using leftover bits of a Cambrian compensation unit, suitably modified.

 

For anyone interested, I have done a few small jobs on my small stabling point layout and have started a thread:

Further periods of lockdown may or may not enhance productivity....!

 

Stay safe all.

 

Martyn.

[Signaller69]

I have been after these for a good while, they were a chance find on a Model Railway sales page, about ten minutes after I joined! Thankfully not quite in the Ebay price bracket....

[john new]

Thanks for the tip about the supplement, I have a copy of the book but hadn't known about the supplement.

[Signaller69]

15 minutes ago, john new said:

Thanks for the tip about the supplement, I have a copy of the book but hadn't known about the supplement.

Hi John,

I'd seen the supplement at shows in the fairly recent past but didn't bother buying it as I didn't have the main volume. Happily these came up for sale together, this book is the 2006 revised reprint (the first issue was in 1995 - I remember it coming out, but didn't realise it was 25 years ago!).

[ISW]

1 hour ago, Signaller69 said:

 

Martyn,

 

I have the 1999 second reprinting version in hardback. The book was published in 1991 with a first reprint in 1994. I too didn't know about the 'supplement'. Out of interest, 'roughly' what does it contain?

 

Do you also have the Mark 2 Coaches book?

 

Ian

 

[Signaller69]

31 minutes ago, ISW said:

Martyn,

 

I have the 1999 second reprinting version in hardback. The book was published in 1991 with a first reprint in 1994. I too didn't know about the 'supplement'. Out of interest, 'roughly' what does it contain?

 

Do you also have the Mark 2 Coaches book?

 

Ian

 

Quite right Ian regarding publishing dates, I misread them! The Supplement (also published 2006 it appears) runs to 88 pages plus covers, I've not studied either book in great detail yet but it mainly adds further info to the book which wasn't available earlier I think, including extracts from the "Carriage Standards Committee" minutes, route restrictions and other letter and type codes, initial allocations, Lot numbers, sketches and dimensioned underframe and roof drawings (including 4mm scale drawings), train formations and livery examples. Excellent detail photos too eg different roof vents, brake arrangements and just about every underframe detail you can think of. There appears a lot more minutiae in the supplement than the main volume too.

The Mk.2 book I wasn't aware of to be honest.

[MJI]

I have both Mark 1, and the Mark 2 book.

 

I have too many coach books.

[ColinK]

I see there is a new version including both the Mk1 & Mk2 coming out next year, its on the Creacy website.

[John Tomlinson]

15 hours ago, Signaller69 said:

I have been after these for a good while, they were a chance find on a Model Railway sales page, about ten minutes after I joined! Thankfully not quite in the Ebay price bracket....

A great find. Both indispenable in my view, though like all similar volumes once you start researching you realise there's an awful lot you still don't know that isn't there!

 

The Mark 2 book is good also, but probably of less use to you, as it also is to me.

 

John.

[ISW]

1 hour ago, ColinK said:

I see there is a new version including both the Mk1 & Mk2 coming out next year, its on the Creacy website.

Colin,

 

Thanks for that. Looks like a good read ...

 

Ian

[26power]

Just checked that I had the supplement.  
 

Still available new, at a reduced price it seems.  (My copy has a £9.95 price label on the rear but I do not recall if I got it new or secondhand):

https://hmrs.org.uk/publications/books/books-in-print/british-railways-mark-1-coaches-supplement.html

[john new]

17 minutes ago, 26power said:

Just checked that I had the supplement.  
 

Still available new, at a reduced price it seems.  (My copy has a £9.95 price label on the rear but I do not recall if I got it new or secondhand):

https://hmrs.org.uk/publications/books/books-in-print/british-railways-mark-1-coaches-supplement.html

Thanks for the tip, one less copy now available!

[D6775]

On 03/11/2020 at 14:43, john new said:

Thanks for the tip, one less copy now available!

 

And another one gone!!

[Signaller69]

I have been thinking of having a go at a Mk.1 TPO vehicle for a while, based on yet another Triang coach (or possibly 2!). I was thinking Plasticard sides but remembered I had a badly repainted Sleeping car in my junk box so decided to see if the sides could be pressed into use. 

 

A strip of plasticard was glued along each side behind the windows, with Miliput used to fill in everything else which looked like this after sanding:

 

And after a thin coat of primer:

 

I'm not 100% sure which diagram I'm going for yet; the idea is to cut & shut doors etc into place in the "blank" sides. Ideally one of the 3 Scottish allocated Sorting vehicles (c.1971) would be good (Dia.720), but as Bachmann make the correct vehicle for that diagram, I'm thinking perhaps something different, possibly a Midland allocated Dia.724 Stowage Van, or possibly even one of the Dia.723 Stowage Van's with Brake Compartment (though these were Western Region), again different to the Bachmann Stowage Van (Dia.732).

 

More research beckons.....

Edited November 16, 2020 by Signaller69
Add dia. Nos.

[Signaller69]

In the end I decided to do a Dia.729 Sorting van as a first TPO project. These were late builds by Mk.1 standards, appearing in 1969 in Blue/grey livery; only half were fitted with nets and arms (which fell out of use completely by 1971 in any case). They were fitted with B5 bogies, with examples allocated to Eastern and Midland Regions.

 

Alterations to the bodysides are ongoing, with new plasticard sections built up as required, replacing areas of bodysides:

In hindsight I wish I hadn't grafted spare double doors from a BSK into  the plain side; it would have been far less work to just scribe door lines into place, but hey ho!

Being a later van, only a few smaller sized windows were fitted compared to early builds (one of the attractions). These will be drilled and filed out once the cutting & shutting is complete..

I have Replica underframe detailing parts and B5 bogies for this coach but need to sort some suitable disc wheels for them.

 

[Signaller69]

Working from photos and drawings in the Parkin Mk.1 book, further bodyside filling and sanding carried out, along with drilling out the small "pillbox" type windows, which now need frames adding, which might prove a fiddly job. Further work around the lower edge of the sliding doors was also necessary.

The roof has had all detail sanded away too. It's not a pretty picture at the moment!

I have also adjusted the bogie centres and fitted the Replica B5 bogie kits, along with their underframe details (ie extra battery boxes, vac cylinders, dynamo).

 

All quite enjoyable, and it kept me away from the pub this evening too.

[cheesysmith]

Would they have been vac brakes with the B5s? I know they were air only at the end, but would they have been dual with these bogies? The vac brakes stock appears to use mainly BR1 bogies, and the change of bogies later on normally came with change of brakes.

[Signaller69]

42 minutes ago, cheesysmith said:

Would they have been vac brakes with the B5s? I know they were air only at the end, but would they have been dual with these bogies? The vac brakes stock appears to use mainly BR1 bogies, and the change of bogies later on normally came with change of brakes.

Hi, Diagram 728 was built with B5's, dual brakes and dual heating in 1969 according to the Mk.1 book, the same year as the Dia 729 I am doing (my era being 1969-72ish). Photos show Dia 729's with B5's and vac equipment still in place though, including 80337 in new Royal Mail Red livery in 1988, classed as an NSX, indicating the Vac brakes were still in use at this point. 

[Signaller69]

The issue of making the c. 9mm x 3mm window frames was resolved quite easily in the end. Thin plasticard blanks were fixed in place over the window cut outs, with Mekpak, which was was then further liberally applied from behind.

 

After leaving to cure for several hours, a sharp scalpel was pushed through the blanks allowing excess material to be cut away, followed by a file to further profile the shape and a gentle sanding.

The recesses either side of the doors have been built up a little more for better relief and the sides just need a few small handrails (and door hinges etc on the plain side) adding, before another coat of primer is applied.

 

A rainstrip has been added around the roof cut out, and roof vents etc will be added next. 

 

I need to start thinking about transfers for the "late posting first class" letter boxes these vehicles carried. I have the white Royal Mail branding etc for blue/grey livery from the HMRS sheet which is a start; I might try to make my own letterboxes as with other projects.

[Signaller69]

The sides have been primed again, this showed one window frame had deformed due to too much solvent, so it was scraped off and a replacement blank fitted as can be seen, which now needs opening out before being sprayed again. Roof vents have also been added.

 

Some more ballasting has been undertaken on the layout too!

[Legend]

Your filling is superb . I'm still trying to master it . Is there anything in particular you use to get such a smooth finish?

 

Inspirational as always!

[37114]

The TPO coach is looking great and neat idea re the window frames.

[37114]

On 24/11/2020 at 07:35, Signaller69 said:

The issue of making the c. 9mm x 3mm window frames was resolved quite easily in the end. Thin plasticard blanks were fixed in place over the window cut outs, with Mekpak, which was was then further liberally applied from behind.

 

After leaving to cure for several hours, a sharp scalpel was pushed through the blanks allowing excess material to be cut away, followed by a file to further profile the shape and a gentle sanding.

The recesses either side of the doors have been built up a little more for better relief and the sides just need a few small handrails (and door hinges etc on the plain side) adding, before another coat of primer is applied.

 

A rainstrip has been added around the roof cut out, and roof vents etc will be added next. 

 

I need to start thinking about transfers for the "late posting first class" letter boxes these vehicles carried. I have the white Royal Mail branding etc for blue/grey livery from the HMRS sheet which is a start; I might try to make my own letterboxes as with other projects.

I will have a look in my transfer stash, I have built a few southern pride TPO's and I think I have some spare late posting box transfers you can have.