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Millerhillboys N gauge workbench


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I'm going to start a thread here, which might not seem as much a workbench as more a finished project, or semi-finished project placeholder. I am actively working on stuff so I should be able to add stuff as it goes along but I'm going to start with some projects that are either finished or nearly so.

 

My area of interest is the Waverley route, but predominately the Edinburgh end and traffic known to be used in that area. I am trying to find time to start a layout based on the outskirts of Edinburgh but it will be a small double track roundy and not much more as place to exercise the fleet, which to date has lay in boxes (other than test track outings) for about 4 years now since we scrapped our niddrie area based layout.

 

First up a Chivers long wheel base LNER CCT. A lovely kit and easy to make.... I still need to find a number decal, all other decals in place and obviously needs some grot applied particularly on the roof area..

 

 

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Edited by millerhillboy
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Next up I came across a cheap but tragically weathered black 5 on my travels and instead of fighting with the existing weathering I decided to redo her in austerity black without lining, and gave her a new Carlisle Kingmoor identity.

She's been detailed, crewed, real coal (which need pushed down I can see) and still needs cab doors I'd say.

 

As I say she was cheap and I'm happy with the outcome...

 

Even managed to get a legible Carlisle buffer beam decal in place

 

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Next up a pair of parkside grampus wagons which are a real joy when finished although doing the decals is fiddly but worthwhile IMO. I've got a N gauge society shark plough which would work great with these but I really need a small rake of them, that jogs my memory to order more and get them on the workbench.

 

Even managed to fiddle about with decals to get a Scottish allocated pair to go with my Scottish Shark.

 

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Edited by millerhillboy
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A while ago I did a short rake of lowfit wagons.....based on the peco kit. Cheap and easy although I think retrospectively it perhaps shouldn't have the bolster on it if its a lowfit??? Not quite sure. I think I may have done some of the rake as 'twin bolster' but I'd need to dig them out to prove that.

 

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and to prove I did a rake :-) here's a picture of the no longer owned Farish 60100 Spearmint hauling the rake on our now defunct layout.

 

March11011.jpg

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A couple of my rake of Dapol dogfish. Sadly I can't claim these to be my work, these were done for me many years ago but stand up well IMO.

 

dogfish060509005.jpg

 

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and in use as a rake many moons ago behind a no longer owned Farish 33->27 conversion. I have got a much longer rake in practice, about 10 wagons I think.

 

various230509018.jpg

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Finally a bit of fun to keep my 4 year old twins happy, and to keep them away from the real models ;-)..... I did buy them an OO gauge Thomas, but they just weren't being palmed off with that!!

 

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A couple of locos which were detailed and renumbered by me by weathered by Alba weathering, and a fine job they were too.

 

An interloper up from Gateshead, but I think done with a Bathgate car train headcode 3M45 if I recall

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and a couple of Waverley route locos with appropriate headcodes

 

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

70018 nears completion,

 

This is an interesting conversion using western region deflectors from peedie models, makes for a nice change from the standard model.

 

Nameplates came from the N gauge society and tested my eyesight to change the backs from black to red.

 

Still needs crew, proper coal and some road dirt,

 

20170203_221600_zpshcbp5xyv.jpg

Edited by millerhillboy
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Hi there,

Love the guy in the brake van. What paint did you use?

Cheers

Ben A.

Thanks Ben,

 

I just used thinned enamels, initially applied with a brush but when it got down to the nitty gritty, like his hat, hands and shirt I think it was done with the sharp end of a track pin.

I usually dust over with MIG smoke powder as well to take the edge of the paint.

 

The modelu figures are great and even at this scale they have plenty of 3D definition such that thinned paint will flow into the right places.

 

I've ordered more for the britannia cabside so we'll see how we get on a second time.

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  • 1 month later...

A wee bit more work done to 70018 and now awaits weathering including another modelu 3d printed driver, which I thought looked good but the photo showed he's a fraction lopsided.

I hacked out the plastic coal load but there wasn't a huge amount of room for maneuvere but I managed to drop the level of the coal a fraction and build a new load out of real coal. A small change but worth doing.

 

20170311_100942_zps9trwkajl.jpg

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Still on the workbench is 70011 which I think to be prototypical needs to be in unlined Austerity green. So that'll take a bit of doing in terms of masking off.

 

Meanwhile 60535 Hornets Beauty nears completion, requiring plates and weathering.

Is it just me or do the farish draincocks look horribly oversized.

 

She was bought from Modelrail scotland as ex-display but a runner. It was keenly priced so no complaints but the tender needed stripping and cleaned heavily, it was covered in waxy honey like gloop and ran like a dog.

A few hours with screwdrivers, tweezers, IPA and new lubricant and it's now spot on. Lovely jubbly, a cheap A2!!

 

IMG_2380_zpshf9mcdy5_edit_1489228807146_

Edited by millerhillboy
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More work done to 60535, smoke box number and replace the horrid lump of farish coal but unfortunately the pictures didn't come out great,

 

I also got round to trying the 2mm headlamps I bought from modelu 3d a while back, having enjoyed the 3d printed figures these seemed a good bet as well. The only offering I've seen to date in N gauge is on the crude side to say the least.

 

These took careful painting, the biggest enemy being clogging the lamp handle with excess paint, once over that hurdle I also dabbed a hint of yellowy white for the lamp lense.

 

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I then toned them down using black weathering powder but it's incredibly hard to be accurate with powders at this scale so I might go back and clean the lamps up a bit again,

Edited by millerhillboy
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Just catching up with this thread, incredible work on the Dogfish interior surfaces.... I'm not sure I could emulate it so I have filled mine with ballast! (but the close up images are giving me further inspiration).

 

PS.. my similarly aged son is keen to see your Sodor fleet develop! Those engines have plenty of troublesome trucks to trouble them.

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