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Southern Railway Modelling - Miscellaneous Project work


Jack P
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3 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

Thanks Jack

 

I think the main things that are putting me off are the re-painting job (so I will see how you get on!), plus the fact that I have "several" of these and once one is done it will just show up all of the rest!

 

Tony

HUMBROL acrylic malachite green is as close to spot on as you can get. It's what I've used when re-numbering my locos and you'd be hard pushed to see where the original colour ends and the new starts. 

 

Brian 

Edited by BSW01
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Humm.... Located a US located supplier for the HUMBROL acrylic malachite green. May add this project back to the English modeling project list.  Both my SR WC's are on the disabled list at moment with stripped drivers caused by hung main rods.  Add to the list for Peter's Spares. 

Edited by autocoach
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Regarding repainting, I have sometimes fully repainted, usually if I have also amended deflectors, or otherwise  I mask the main loco and spray just the new cab with Railmatch Malachite from a rattle can.
Once dry it initially doesn’t look a match for the Hornby finish but after the yellow lining is applied from Pressfix 10a lining I spray, again just the new cab, with Railmatch satin varnish, and this then gives a good final match to both colour and finish. 

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22 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

Thanks Jack

 

I think the main things that are putting me off are the re-painting job (so I will see how you get on!), plus the fact that I have "several" of these and once one is done it will just show up all of the rest!

 

Tony

 

I'm just glad that there are effectively just 12 lines (loco and tender), compared to all the wiggly curves on the Bachman H2. Will keep you updated with how I get on.

 

19 hours ago, BSW01 said:

HUMBROL acrylic malachite green is as close to spot on as you can get. It's what I've used when re-numbering my locos and you'd be hard pushed to see where the original colour ends and the new starts. 

 

Brian 

 

Thanks Brian, I've got some here. What base colour do you use, and do you happen to have any photos of stuff you've painted with it?

 

14 hours ago, Graham_Muz said:

Regarding repainting, I have sometimes fully repainted, usually if I have also amended deflectors, or otherwise  I mask the main loco and spray just the new cab with Railmatch Malachite from a rattle can.
Once dry it initially doesn’t look a match for the Hornby finish but after the yellow lining is applied from Pressfix 10a lining I spray, again just the new cab, with Railmatch satin varnish, and this then gives a good final match to both colour and finish. 

 

That's excellent Graham, thank you - do you have any photos of the colour match?

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Doesn't look like much, but progress has been made.

 

50307325938_802f57e56b_h.jpg

 

The cab is now fixed in place, the Hornby pipework was added back in and the backhead was glued in place. I added the brake linkages to both the loco and tender. The cab shifted while the araldite was setting, so on the other side its not in exactly the right position. Frustrating, but hopefully some weathering will hide my sins!

 

I also managed to hardwire the chassis with a DCC chip. My first time doing so, but a quick google explained exactly what needed doing. 

 

 

I've got some of the humbrol Acrylic Malachite, so if I can patch paint the cab it will save me a bunch of time. I'm not overly fussed if It does necessitate a full repaint though. Good experience. 

 

Edited by Jack P
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Hi Jack

 

As I was painting directly on the Hornby body, it was either the factory finished paintwork, or the bare (black) plastic where the paint had come off with the numbers etc. As I was only doing small areas I used a brush, a size 1 sable, the areas I painted are around the crest, around name plate, the cab sides and tender sides. This loco was originally ‘92 Squadron’ in BR malachite green, so the BR cab-side number and tender lettering (British Railways) had to be removed. Also as the original name was longer than the new one, there were holes that I had to fill in on the body and then repaint the area. I used the cladding panel lines for the area around the name plate and crest as my start and finish points, and the whole side between the yellow lines on the cab side and tender. I used low tack masking tape to protect the areas I wasn’t painting.

 

Like yours, mine also wasn’t DCC ready, but I modified the chassis block and fitted an 8 pin socket. I then fitted a Hornby merchant navy sound chip with a cut down speaker housing. 

 

I’ve managed to find one photo, but I’m afraid the quality isn’t great, (the lighting was very poor) but it does gives you a bit of an idea of the colour match. All my loco's are in storage at the moment, but I’ll try and dig out tomorrow and take some fresh photos. 

 

962548C9-C15E-4C61-A72B-32F630CA8DB2.jpeg.a9a4e859d1c68fb80fe592e0c4a2e4bf.jpeg

 

Brian. 

Edited by BSW01
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Jack

 

I've just taken a few more photos, the lighting is a bit better on these. I've concentrated on the areas that I've worked on. 

 

IMG_20200906_123614.jpg.547702f09035e45a1e072caedfba3b06.jpgIMG_20200906_123559.jpg.b72bd30977758328689e0838e8406c94.jpgIMG_20200906_123401.jpg.dc40ac06a5dd636dd9fcd2de595e7313.jpg

 

I do need to touch up the pipework under the cab, I'll add that to my to do list.

 

Hope they help

 

Brian

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8 hours ago, BSW01 said:

I do need to touch up the pipework under the cab

 

The flexible plastic they're made of is a nightmare. Paint flakes off as soon as you look at them.

 

That does look really fantastic though, Thanks so much for posting photos! As John said, I can't even see where you've needed to touch up! I got my container of humbrol Malachite out, but it's super gritty, no amount of stirring can seem to get it smooth.. 

 

I'll have a go putting it through the airbrush , but I've resigned myself to probably needing to give it a full repaint.

 

  

21 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Like yours, mine also wasn’t DCC ready, but I modified the chassis block and fitted an 8 pin socket. I then fitted a Hornby merchant navy sound chip with a cut down speaker housing. 

 

I did the same thing on 21C159, I just used some blu-tack and stuck the Hornby speaker under the chimney. The TTS chips are a cost effective way of adding sound - I just wish the actual chips were slightly better. I guess you get what you pay for though!

 


I

Edited by Jack P
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She's ready to go into primer. I may still mask up the black bits, it seems like more work to repaint them when I don't need to. 

 

I thought i'd share a quick trick I used to enhance the appearance of the coupling rods;

 

50313958357_6e07431fdb_h.jpg

 

I used spare washers from Markits Clack valves to try and disguise the hex nut end on the crankpins. Try as I might, I couldn't get one onto the front nut, the clearances when the axle has taken up all the sideplay allocated is just too tight.

 

I'm still not sure which loco this will end up as. Mr Muz has helped me out with 1947 allocations 21c122 - 21c132: Ramsgate and 21c133 - 21c140: Stewarts Lane. I was hoping to do one of the class that had atleast been named by then, but it seems that much of the naming happened later.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Jack P said:

I did the same thing on 21C159, I just used some blu-tack and stuck the Hornby speaker under the chimney. The TTS chips are a cost effective way of adding sound - I just wish the actual chips were slightly better. I guess you get what you pay for though!

 

 

 

 

The sound isn't too bad, Bulleids had  a very feeble effeminate beat, but the sound is running at half speed, its a three cylinder loco so as he cylinders are double acting that's 6 beats per revolution not 3.   Until we get chuff generators to synch the sound to the wheels we won't get realistic sounds esp for Bulleids as they seem incapable of starting without slipping.

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1 hour ago, DavidCBroad said:

Until we get chuff generators to synch the sound to the wheels we won't get realistic sounds esp for Bulleids as they seem incapable of starting without slipping.

 

I think that's the biggest bug-bear, the loco has 4-5 speed settings for the sound, so it's difficult to get it looking realistic. As a cheap adventure into sound it's not too bad though. 

 

 

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21 hours ago, BSW01 said:

Jack

 

I've just taken a few more photos, the lighting is a bit better on these. I've concentrated on the areas that I've worked on. 

 

IMG_20200906_123401.jpg.dc40ac06a5dd636dd9fcd2de595e7313.jpg

 

 

You might want to think about that speedo drive cable. Hurricane only received a speedo in the last few weeks of 1960.

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Progress:

 

 

Left side looks a little wonky in the video (tender to loco straightness), but it's because I didn't have the body properly seated.

 

50315787342_646a6b5d39_h.jpg

 

There are a few little bits of lining left to go. It's not entirely perfect, but getting 12 perfectly horizontal lines isn't as easy as it might sound. Some weathering should hide the worst of it (as per usual). I think i've decided this will end up as 21C122 'Exmoor' as it received its nameplates in August of 1947.

Edited by Jack P
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Jack,

 

The original cab looks good and having had a go myself (and given up; decorating to do!) I appreciate how much effort you have put into it.

I did find one particularly good photo of the original cab in close up on the Wadebridge (34007) loco group's site: http://www.34007wadebridge.uk/

go to Photograph Gallery and see the pic of 's21C107'; unfortunately it doesn't show too much roof detail but does show how the yellow lines are tight to the cab window frame. Together with the other photos of Wadebridge in malachite in SR/early BR days, very useful.

 

I always wondered if drilling a small hole in the hexagon bolts on the Hornby motion would improve the appearance although something else I haven't been brave enough to do myself.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Glenn

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14 hours ago, mattingleycustom said:

Jack,

 

The original cab looks good and having had a go myself (and given up; decorating to do!) I appreciate how much effort you have put into it.

I did find one particularly good photo of the original cab in close up on the Wadebridge (34007) loco group's site: http://www.34007wadebridge.uk/

go to Photograph Gallery and see the pic of 's21C107'; unfortunately it doesn't show too much roof detail but does show how the yellow lines are tight to the cab window frame. Together with the other photos of Wadebridge in malachite in SR/early BR days, very useful.

 

I always wondered if drilling a small hole in the hexagon bolts on the Hornby motion would improve the appearance although something else I haven't been brave enough to do myself.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Glenn

 

Thanks for your kind words Glenn!

 

That Webpage is extremely handy, thank you for sharing!

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Very nice!  Less weathering perhaps than this poor old thing near the end of its days:

P9080580_sm.jpg.b4fcd691b6d81c584232881a35f0a15b.jpg

 

A Wills kit (obviously) with (less obviously) Alan Gibson milled frames, Sharman wheels and obligatory at the time Escap.  Suspended on Flexichas principles in EM Gauge with rear drivers fixed and the trailing wheel set sprung on a sort of pivoty thing.  This was the very first loco I built over 30 years ago; the body kit was a wedding present from the club because I was 'Southern', and it is likely to remain my only Brighton loco!  Very reliable on open days as long as the long lever between the front drivers and bogie doesn't get too depressed.  Holds the road very well, but nevertheless convinced me that twin beams was the future of compensation.

Steve

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49 minutes ago, Steve Smith said:

Very nice!  Less weathering perhaps than this poor old thing near the end of its days:

 

A Wills kit (obviously) with (less obviously) Alan Gibson milled frames, Sharman wheels and obligatory at the time Escap.  Suspended on Flexichas principles in EM Gauge with rear drivers fixed and the trailing wheel set sprung on a sort of pivoty thing.  This was the very first loco I built over 30 years ago; the body kit was a wedding present from the club because I was 'Southern', and it is likely to remain my only Brighton loco!  Very reliable on open days as long as the long lever between the front drivers and bogie doesn't get too depressed.  Holds the road very well, but nevertheless convinced me that twin beams was the future of compensation.

Steve

 

Thanks for sharing Steve. That looks fantastic, The flat top cab (and heavy weathering) changes the appearance drastically! The current SEF N/S chassis is certainly a big improvement over the Wills one. 

 

Here are two more gratuitous shots. I took these before realising the clacks weren't painted (as they are in the video)

 

50320325273_b9eac93c09_h.jpg

 

50320325083_e59b5aa87b_h.jpg

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The West Country finally has an identity

 

50338451401_de572be8ec_h.jpg

 

50337765683_3c6b5e7b13_h.jpg

 

50338451411_a4b41c986d_h.jpg

 

Smokebox ring and 'EXMOOR' Nameplate on their way.

 

I decided it was time to tackle the final bits of a long standing project. When I completed the initial work on 748 'Vivien' as part of her oil burning conversion I wasn't confident enough to do the rear of the tender, which involved ladders and an electric lighting setup. Her name plates finally arrived and so I thought I should crack on and try to get this finished. 

 

50337765908_0b8bf8a1d0_h.jpg

 

50338607742_0e9e89ab78_h.jpg

 

The ladders were built from 0.5mm brass wire and done by eye. The lighting arrangement was much the same, 0.5mm wire and plasticard blocks with spare brass etch cut to size for the lamp irons. Not 100% perfect, but I think it looks ok. 

 

I also got around to fitting a chip to PP-fitted M7 No. 28 and giving her a good run for an hour or so on the rollers. There are a few more LSWR locos that are on the workbench for finishing off, so hopefully I can sort them in the coming days.

 

 

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1 minute ago, Northroader said:

The longer smoke deflectors became standard from 21C158, so is that a good choice of number?

 

I have it on good authority (Mr Graham Muz's) that  21c122, 21c129 and 21c140 received standard length smoke deflectors in early 1947, there are a few others, but photo reference is mandatory. 

 

Which is excellent, as that fits nicely into my timeline - I did pick up some RT short deflectors too, just incase.

 

 

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As a knock on from the last post on oil burning, here's the finished tender attached to the loco. 

 

50344673786_ba3203a56d_h.jpg

 

It's been over 2 years since any progress was made on this, and i'm now tempted to revisit the front end detail, possibly re-do the tender tank. Maybe.

 

As part of some 'horse trading' with a friend, I managed to acquire a Beattie well tank (quite how i'm justifying this appearing somewhere on the central/eastern I don't know), which he had purchased without realising it was missing a few detail bits.

 

50350534167_330771923d_h.jpg

 

50349677138_68438edae4_h.jpg

 

50349677153_28d0aafa22_h.jpg

 

She'll get a waft of primer and then a coat of black. 

 

I also managed to get around to a project I've been meaning to have a crack at for ages now - Schools bogie splashers. I picked up a Mazak rot damaged 925 'Cheltenham', and a friend of mine had a spare schools chassis from a damaged 30915 'Brighton'. I swapped the driving wheels out and made sure all was running nicely. Dave from SEF was more than happy for me to order a few sets of the splashers he provides with his kit as separate items.

 

50349686428_b8db397f7d_h.jpg

 

I also added the draincock linage while I was at it, this is supposed to be a flat bar, but 1. I didn't have any,  2. I wasn't sure about forming the bends, and 3. i'm not sure how noticeable it is anyway. Should I swap it out?

 

I decided to limit the swing of the bogie and stop it interfering with the valve gear, I just bent some brass rod into an approximate shape and glued it in place. The pegs sit behind the rear axle and it means that at full swing the splashers don't interfere with anything else. Excuse how messy everything looks, it was just a trial run. Once properly araldited in place and painted over it's much tidier and can't be seen.

 

50350690891_c7eb8c83da_h.jpg

 

Having spare bogie wheels meant that I could have a play with these ones. I put the axle in the drill and filed down the rather large Hornby flange, this prevents it from contacting the splasher, although because the bogie is plastic and the splashers aren't connected, this is really only to aid free running and not to prevent shorts. I wonder if some Gibson replacements would be better? To further limit sideplay, I added washers on the rear axle, there is now virtually no movement. I thought about building a replacement bogie from the comet etch, or seeing if PDK could supply theirs. The jury is still out.

 

In another vein - on the suggestion of @chris25 I picked up these

 

50344829737_1f0ac2b7f1_h.jpg

 

They are utterly fantastic, and I would recommend them to anyone that's even vaguely interested in kit-building or scratch-building. 

Edited by Jack P
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