Southern Railway Modelling - Miscellaneous Project work

[NHY 581]

Morning Jack. Sorry to hear of the theft of your car.Not good. It's not only the loss of the car but the subsequent faffing about with insurance companies. It all takes time to sort out.

 

However, there's always model trains to think about instead.

 

 

Nice job on the West Country. Just right.

 

Given your current focus on locos, how about a small engine shed cameo layout to photograph them on. Nothing elaborate, just a small two road engine shed and coaling stage jobbie would do the job. Say, 120cm x 30cm?

 

Just a thought.

 

 

 

 

Rob.

Edited July 31, 2018 by NHY 581

[Jack P]

Morning Jack. Sorry to hear of the theft of your car.Not good. It's not only the loss of the car but the subsequent faffing about with insurance companies. It all takes time to sort out.

 

However, there's always model trains to think about instead.

 

 

Nice job on the West Country. Just right.

 

Given your current focus on locos, how about a small engine shed cameo layout to photograph them on. Nothing elaborate, just a small two road engine shed and coaling stage jobbie would do the job. Say, 120cm x 30cm?

 

Just a thought.

 

 

 

 

Rob.

 

 

Hey Rob, i appreciate that, i'm sure it will be an alright outcome, it's just a pain and a worry until then. Luckily I can still get to work with the runabout!

 

Too right, thank you for your comments on the WC, the one I was trying to represent was pretty fresh out of overhaul. It's also funny you mention the shed cameo, I'm currently in the middle of sketching some things out.  Very similar to what you're suggesting, i'll definitely keep you updated. Thank you for the good suggestion though - great minds  

[NHY 581]

Hi Jack.

 

Here's a photo of Branksome shed.

Edited July 31, 2018 by NHY 581

[chris45lsw]

Hey Rob, i appreciate that, i'm sure it will be an alright outcome, it's just a pain and a worry until then. Luckily I can still get to work with the runabout!

 

Too right, thank you for your comments on the WC, the one I was trying to represent was pretty fresh out of overhaul. It's also funny you mention the shed cameo, I'm currently in the middle of sketching some things out.  Very similar to what you're suggesting, i'll definitely keep you updated. Thank you for the good suggestion though - great minds  

Hi Jack

 

I've been off-line (Broadband probs) so only just caught up with your thread.  Sorry to hear of the car theft.

 

Great modelling on your part as usual!

 

ChrisKT

[mattingleycustom]

Thank you so much guys! I've actually really impressed myself with how it's turning out - I expected a mess of castings and bits not on straight. Taking my time and assessing all my options before moving forward has been critical. DLT has also been key in providing very helpful advice - as well as all of the readers of this thread! Thank you for your likes and comments, your support has been immensely helpful!

 

Surely I can't be the only one that confuses the 'Thank you' and the 'Craftsmanship/Clever' icons though!

 

Been an interesting few days since I posted last, I had one of my cars stolen sometime between Sunday morning and Monday night, which isn't ideal. Police are on it, it's just a huge inconvenience. 

 

I did come home to mail from Fox transfers though, It's the lining for the tender, and hopefully the rest should line the cab/footplate. It also came with an etched smokebox plate for a WC/BOB with 1946 stamped on the bottom.

 

 

I also started work on fabricating the various pipework runs under the cab, and footplate, there is still lots to do, but i'm happy to make a start! It's not the worlds best photo, but it shows off where the pipe will end up. I need to get my hands on some fuse wire to replicate the lubricating pipes that run along the front of the boiler.

 

 

I decided to take my mind off things, and take a quick break from the N15x and weather up the WC the ring was destined to go on, I worked from a colour photo of another class member, there is still a few little bits that stick out that I need to do, but it's very nearly there, the bottom of the firebox/ash pan really sticks out to me here though, maybe i'll need to look at making a plastikard front for it. 

 

 

After weathering it, you can barely see the darn ring!

 

Then I had a play in Snapseed to see if I could make it look a little bit more like the photo I was working off, how much better would it look against a proper background!

 

 

As much as I dislike weathering anything pre-BR, I do like what you have done with 21C159. The top photo is best, the Hornby rendition of the malachite green is pretty good, it wasn't nearly as garish as many of the colour photos of the time would have us believe.

 

One thing I have noticed with photos of the Bulleid Pacifics is that the cowl usually has a gloss finish unlike the rest of the engine 'roof' which is nearly always dull. When I used to weather these things I used to mask the cowl (at least for the first pass of the airbrush) to retain this feature.

 

Glenn

[Jack P]

Hi Jack

 

I've been off-line (Broadband probs) so only just caught up with your thread.  Sorry to hear of the car theft.

 

Great modelling on your part as usual!

 

ChrisKT

 

I'll live, i'm sure, thank you for your sympathies!

 

You're too kind Chris! (If you spot any inaccuracies, please sing out!)

 

As much as I dislike weathering anything pre-BR, I do like what you have done with 21C159. The top photo is best, the Hornby rendition of the malachite green is pretty good, it wasn't nearly as garish as many of the colour photos of the time would have us believe.

 

One thing I have noticed with photos of the Bulleid Pacifics is that the cowl usually has a gloss finish unlike the rest of the engine 'roof' which is nearly always dull. When I used to weather these things I used to mask the cowl (at least for the first pass of the airbrush) to retain this feature.

 

Glenn

 

Hey Glen, 

 

Thank you! I think Hornby's Malachite green is very good, I've found that a lot of other renditions simply aren't blue enough!

 

I see what you mean about the cowl, i'll see if I can have a play around with cotton-buds. 

 

-

 

I invited a friend who knows more about cameras than I do, to come and take some photos on the club layout, Here are a few samples of his work!

 

 

 

 

And here's a snap of my own doing, showing some 5amp fuse wire I added the pipes than run along the boiler of the N15x

 

 

No huge progress, which seems to be my motto recently, But I'm working on another kit to keep myself busy!

[Jack P]

Still no massive progress, Gearbox/motor and Markits wheels should arrive soon and then it will be making sure the chassis is running smoothly, and fitting pickups. 

 

 

I spent last night soldering the lamp irons to the smokebox door, and in the process, breaking the smokebox dart - good thing there's another coming in my Markits order. I still need to figure out what i'm going to use for the top lamp iron. I then used some alraldite to fix the door to the smokebox front - although I still need to solder to it, so that might not have been the best idea. It's starting to come together though, which is exciting!

 

 

I've also attached the first of the pipes that run below the footplate, I still need to figure out what i'm going to do for the ones directly below the cab, I might try and base it off the Schools pipework. There's still some cleaning up to do, but it's not too bad.

 

Finally, here are two gratuitous shots of the Fox Transfers 'Third' lettering, to finish my gate stock set off. They are very, very crisp, and once again, I am super impressed!

 

 

[Jack P]

Little bits and pieces slowly getting done

 

 

These are a little bit of a fiddle, but with some careful attention and a good amount of flux they go together nicely. This one has a lot of excess solder, the one in the next photo is a lot better! - of course i've just realized that the correct SR ones actually have a rounded lower portion and are not square. Sigh.

 

 

Getting the clacks and the associated piping sorted is a bit of a job - they need to be removable for painting but also need to sit squarely. I think I'll glue them in place once the body is painted.

 

 

 

These rather cruel close ups show the pipework under the cab is finished (for now) it's not 100% accurate, but I would much rather have something there than nothing, I may well re-address it later on though. 

 

I had a bit of a mishap with the tender -  due to some fumbling on my part the wet paint ended up with a great big wipe mark across it. After a bath in simple green it was back to the bare shell - sadly this meant that everything i'd added so far (Plastikard details etc) had either come off or come apart. Which means that I need to start again. I'm sorely tempted by the PDK Tender kit - But hopefully once everything is back on, and i've figured out how to mount the steps, it should look the part!

 

Oh, and somehow I've ended up with another kit.. 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Jack P

[John Tomlinson]

The pipework looks great, and won't end up in bits like the RTR stuff!

 

John.

[Jack P]

The pipework looks great, and won't end up in bits like the RTR stuff!

 

John.

 

It's funny you say that, I pulled one of my Schools out to have a look at the pipework on that, and guess what had come loose? On the schools it's actually the whole step + pipework. I did chuckle when I read this though. 

 

 

 

Did some weathering over the weekend, the camera actually softens the weathering a little. I thought the H was quite grubby but looking at it here, it actually looks like it's just been cleaned. Still waiting on a few things before I can finish these two off. I've been playing around with using a soft pencil on the cab handrails, smokebox dart and the coupling hook, trying to represent worn metal, as you move around the model it shows up much better in the light.

 

Thoughts?

 

Edit: Just noticed that the H's whistle has taken a knock - will need to sort that.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Jack P

[Brocp]

It's funny you say that, I pulled one of my Schools out to have a look at the pipework on that, and guess what had come loose? On the schools it's actually the whole step + pipework. I did chuckle when I read this though.

 

 

 

Did some weathering over the weekend, the camera actually softens the weathering a little. I thought the H was quite grubby but looking at it here, it actually looks like it's just been cleaned. Still waiting on a few things before I can finish these two off. I've been playing around with using a soft pencil on the cab handrails, smokebox dart and the coupling hook, trying to represent worn metal, as you move around the model it shows up much better in the light.

 

Thoughts?

 

Edit: Just noticed that the H's whistle has taken a knock - will need to sort that.

Gunmetal metalcote painted on a rubbed at while dry i feel looks best for that shiny metal look on areas handled often.

[Jack P]

Gunmetal metalcote painted on a rubbed at while dry i feel looks best for that shiny metal look on areas handled often.

 

Thanks mate, I might just give it a go. I just wanted the effect to be subtle - you can probably see it best on the coupling hook of the H. That Metalcote Gunmetal is such a good colour!

[Brocp]

Thanks mate, I might just give it a go. I just wanted the effect to be subtle - you can probably see it best on the coupling hook of the H. That Metalcote Gunmetal is such a good colour!

Try dry brushing it on mate, the effect can be as light or heavy as you want.

[Jack P]

Things have been a little quiet as of late, but I have not been idle.

 

I received my High-Level Gearbox and 1428 motor. The gearbox was actually really simple to build, the most fiddly part is getting it into the chassis, I also finished off the brake rigging, just in time for my Markits order and the correct wheels to arrive. All i'm really waiting on now, is trying to find a replacement set of valve gear. As I want it to be removable, i've got the rest of the chassis to a stage that i'm happy with.

 

I also painted the other set of wheels, for another project i've been working on, while I was airbrushing the chassis.

 

 

 

Nervous anticipation when I connected up power to the motor for the first time, thankfully it all runs as it should! I will use Alan Gibson coupling rods too I think.  I'll need to be very careful of bushing etc, as I tried to bush the current rods with the Markits threaded crankpins and it didn't go too well. Hopefully that's my error and nothing to do with the wheels being crooked on the axles.

 

The body is very nearly ready for painting too, and with some corrective surgery, the tender is also one step away.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Jack P

[Jack P]

Sorry for the lack of updates recently,

 

I haven't been idle - well, I've done more than nothing. Firstly I took a bit of a gamble on an H2 on eBay, it was advertised as being both in stock, and for sale at a price far below RRP, prior to the release of the H2 to anyone other than those lucky enough to obtain a review sample. It was advertised Sans box - but as I have my own storage for my locos/stock it didn't phase me, It also arrived minus the detail pack, but I have been assured by the seller that one is in the mail - of course I learnt that the detail pack comes with etched plates after I ordered my own - ah well.

 

Here's the backdated Beachy head as she sits at the moment, still a wee bit to do to finish her off.

 

 

Next the N15x recieved a coat of etch primer, I still need to sort the motion out, (which is the scary bit) but I thought I'd press on with the body regardless. No photos of it in etch primer, It did feel like a bit of a shame covering up the nice metalwork, but the etch primer went down nice and flat. There were a few areas that could've used a bit more cleaning up, but for the most part it looked pretty good. Once that had dried I added some Archers Rivets around the smokebox, as I had to file off the ones that came on the kit. 

 

Once I was happy, I gave the body a few coats of malachite green. Once that was dry I hand painted in the black areas, and started on the lining. This is where i'm at so far:

 

 

The edges of the black lining look a bit rough, but the yellow lining really cleans it up. It certainly takes a fair amount of time, and lots of patience, the cab side is 9 individual pieces. It's certainly not perfect, but it's a start - only my second attempt at lining something out. I have noticed the chip in the running plate - its already been painted over in preparation for the lining.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Jack P

[Tony Teague]

Jack

Great work, and nice to have you back!

Tony

[DLT]

Looks terrific Jack, great work.  

Don't be too daunted by the motion, you've done the brakegear and I usually find that far more fiddly.  You have one big advantage with this loco; the crosshead and slidebars are nowhere near the front crankpin.  On many locos they line up and that causes clearance problems.

Just do it a bit at a time, and make sure each bit works before you move on to the next bit

Best of luck!

Dave.

[Jack P]

Thanks guys! 

 

The motion shouldn't be too hard, as you say, the location makes it a bit easier than other locos. Luckily all of the locos I have lined up next have very simple outside motion - and by the time I've done all of those, I should have built up the confidence to tackle the PDK W class that arrived recently.

[Tony Teague]

Whassup Jack?

You OK?

Missing your updates!

Tony

[Jack P]

Whassup Jack?

You OK?

Missing your updates!

Tony

 

 

Heya Tony, 

 

I'm A-OK just been hell-for-leather with work, coupled with a project car that's been taking up most of my weekends and weeknights, it's hard to find time for modelling - or even thinking about modelling!

I appreciate you checking up on me nonetheless, sadly I don't really have many updates - perhaps this will serve as one?

 

 

I've been plodding away at getting the lining finished, I lined out all of the wheels too, will just need a spot of black paint on the axle ends when it all goes together for the last time. I did have to crack out the soldering iron, take some paint off the chassis and add a permanent bogie mount (I don't know why I didn't think about that earlier?). No doubt it will probably foul on the valve gear - whenever it is I manage to get around to starting it! I also need to address the tender, and finish the H2!

 

Whats new with you guys?

Edited November 25, 2018 by Jack P

[Tony Teague]

That's looking nice Jack and good to know you are OK !

 

I am making progress but my priorities are constantly changing, from weathering locos, to building scenery, to finishing loco projects, to starting new carriage or rolling stock projects - and so on!

 

There is just not enough time in the day!

 

I spent today at the Warley Exhibition (about the UK's biggest), met up with old friends and found some solutions to current problems - so a great day but no actual modelling done.

 

I'll post an update on my thread tomorrow, when I expect to have all but finished the scenic work around my quarry.

 

Hope to hear more of your progress soon.

 

Tony

[Gilwell Park]

Hi  A lovely model of an interesting prototype. I always feel it is a shame that the SR did not replicate the front reverse curves under the cab and continue a typical Brighton feature.  Roger.

[Jack P]

That's looking nice Jack and good to know you are OK !

 

I am making progress but my priorities are constantly changing, from weathering locos, to building scenery, to finishing loco projects, to starting new carriage or rolling stock projects - and so on!

 

There is just not enough time in the day!

 

I spent today at the Warley Exhibition (about the UK's biggest), met up with old friends and found some solutions to current problems - so a great day but no actual modelling done.

 

I'll post an update on my thread tomorrow, when I expect to have all but finished the scenic work around my quarry.

 

Hope to hear more of your progress soon.

 

Tony

 

Thanks Tony!

 

I feel that, at least I don't have any trouble sleeping!

 

I am keen to go to Warley at some point in the future - I was recently advised that one of my uncles used to be development manager of the NEC. I was also told that the bluebell is doing a massive southern railway gala in 2020 and plans to have a large display of SR layouts - something i'll definitely need to go to.

 

Always interested in seeing your progress, I think the weathering is really adding that final touch to the stock and locos.

 

Hi  A lovely model of an interesting prototype. I always feel it is a shame that the SR did not replicate the front reverse curves under the cab and continue a typical Brighton feature.  Roger.

 

Thank you! There is plenty on this loco that I do think could've been done differently when it was redesigned - regardless I do think it is a handsome one, and is well proportioned!

 

 

 

 

Without much to report on, I thought I'd post these:

 

 

Just a fancy shot of my 2 KA's showing the differences between the oil burning, and non oil burning version 

 

 

This was a renumbering exercise I was asked if I would do by the club chairman, which of course I did!

Edited December 3, 2018 by Jack P

[Jack P]

I realise for some reason none of what I wrote is present in the above post - i'll go back and amend that soon (read: at work)

 

I spent some of the weekend trying to make progress on the Maunsell Restaurant Car. It just needs numbers now - but before I do that I wanted to check, what do people think of the positioning of the lettering? It's a bit of a mix and mash between what Hornby did with the olive, and what the BR version looks like

 

 

Hopefully I'll have more updates soon!

Edited December 2, 2018 by Jack P

[Jack P]

I managed to get out to the club last night, and despite the sweltering temperatures, I pressed on and managed to get a few photos, and even run some things.

 

First up is the Restaurant Car and Open Third:

 

 

 

Still not 100% sure about the lettering layout, something doesn't seem right, but for now it will do, need to get it numbered appropriately too

 

 

Here's a recently acquired Hornby cattle wagon, with screw link couplings added and some light weathering

 

 

And here's a shot of an S15 simmering in a siding, this has been a bit of a mix and match of weathering styles, and will probably receive a repaint and renumber quite soon

 

 

And the recently finished H class sitting in the same siding looking a little grubby

 

 

Finally the H2 setting off - this will be finished soon, when the replacement detail bag arrives from Bachmann

Edited December 4, 2018 by Jack P