The Bigbee Line Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 Not too much today, broke out the decals.... Not sure what to do with the other side, go earlier or later... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 Good morning Just finding my way around the new RM Web... Now the shock open is almost finished I thought I'd sort my various Kits to choose the next victim. A Parkside GW van fitted the bill. Assembled easily and I have a picture of an example seen during a 1980's visit to Three Bridges. It is a GW V21 Lot 999 114080 Seen here with a base coat of Humbrol 19 Gloss Red..... Recommended by Steve Farmer, so I'm giving it a go. Steve is no fool when it comes to modelling, so his advice is appreciated... Detail of the ironwork that wraps under the body and the goes down to join the solebar. Detail of the brake slide, no pin and holes.. just a set of teeth.... Buffers, Screw couplings and vacuum pipe detail. Detail of the metal angle that forms the end of the roof... 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf315 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 That’s right Ern. Blame me if it goes wrong. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 I won’t blame you Steve.... I’ve given the body various washes. Today a light brown wash in a Matt finish. Then a couple of darker patches as the base for the lettering. Tonight I’ll mask these off and give the whole thing a satin brown wash..... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 The crate and shock has also had a bit more weathering. I need some longer screws to reach the crate. Then it can stay in. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 This is an eBay ‘badly built’. In the shop to come out as a ‘Chas. Roberts’ 10’ WB. Wooden framed unfitted. It will have a 2 block Morton Brake. Should really have the “Doncaster strapping” on the bottom corners. First coat of the black patches, again to be masked off for the bodies next wash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 A Dapol BR Brake that has been rust washed and is now getting the grey dry brushed back in layers..,, 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 Finally a Lionheart Mineral that gets a brush when the paint brush gets cleaned with thinners. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf315 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Looking good Ern like the brake van. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 I’ve another brake van to do. I think I’ll do an all over this rust wash, then dry brush with the grey. I’m looking for a colour picture to use for the step boards. I might change the rain strips on the second one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 The GW 12 ton box has received another wash, and the body colour is almost there. The roof has been painted with body colour on the underside and cemented to the body. The vents are open at the bottom, so the fumes should dissipate OK. I have added a number on one side. I have various decal sheets, but have a big gripe with most UK ones... I can't see the lettering, it is white on white backing paper. I have tried the trick of using a dark felt tip on the back of the sheet as a contrast, but is a pain... The lettering used here is Microscale, the actual sheet is a Norfolk Southern Diesel sheet in N scale. The backing sheet has a bluish tinge so the lettering is visible....... For me the font looks right. Although this will be a fitted van I have a couple of pictures where a patch of body colour has been applied as a background to the lettering. Just need the 12 T now.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 Another van lettered. Again the Microscale sheet has been used. I have seen the BIG E used, but think I may replace with the same size.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf315 Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 (edited) Know what you mean about the colour of backing paper. I use a magnifying glass and get in good light by a window to see what’s what. Wagons are looking good Ernie leave the E as it is as it adds interest to the number. Let’s say the apprentice painter was allowed to number the wagon. Thanks Steve. Edited February 10, 2019 by sf315 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 44 minutes ago, sf315 said: Know what you mean about the colour of backing paper. I use a magnifying glass and get in good light by a window to see what’s what. Wagons are looking good Ernie leave the E as it is as it adds interest to the number. Let’s say the apprentice painter was allowed to number the wagon. Thanks Steve. It's only when I look at my pictures can I actually see what's going on......... Must get the magnifier out.... The Big E has gone,,,,, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 (edited) The GW van with roof. Seems to be getting there. Roof needs rain strips etc and painting. Edited February 10, 2019 by The Bigbee Line Added more text Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 The Chas. Roberts van. Not sure if the tare is as shown. Maybe the Roberts vans were light weights. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 10, 2019 Author Share Posted February 10, 2019 Here’s my crap weathering on the Dapol Brake. I looked at pictures of step boards to pick the colour. The ironwork needs an even overcoat of grime. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 Good evening Life and work have inhibited modelling this week. I did make a purchase of some buffer shanks from ebay, I got 24 which will be useful as some of my purchased spares and repair items are without buffers. I am not a fan of the spring that goes in the shank.. So I thought of mounting them without the spring and screwing them into a block of some kind. A quick search found a bit of round sprue, roughly cut to length and a hole in the end... The buffer will tap its own thread, then mounted on the wagon.. So on the left it is fully compressed, on the right extended... Not sure what to spring it with yet... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 24, 2019 Author Share Posted February 24, 2019 Yesterday was a sorting out day. found some floor under the junk. I fought the carpet monster and retrieved a couple of buffers and axle bearings..... I also found a piece of Evergreen Tube, from an assortment pack. The hole was the right size to take the threaded end of a buffer. Just need to see what it is sold as and get a pack. I also found a biro spring. Might be able to use some. At the Churnet Valley today so it will be Tuesday before the next instalment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 It's buffers and couplings on the G W van. My plan for a central spring won't work on this one as the brakework is in the way. So I used the as purchased spring, but really struggled to get the nuts on. In the end I resorted to a strip of 'post it' and a coffee stirrer.... Little bleeders did not want to go on. If I had to go under the table I must have gone down at least a dozen times to retrieve bits......... I then checked the size of a fitted buffer, using my conversion chart a 1'8.1/2" buffer scales out at 11.96mm. the nuts were screwed on to achieve this projection. I opened the headstock to take some Dapol Screw Couplings. I wanted to have these hanging from their 'rest hooks' so roughed one up from a small piece of wire. Because the tommy bar is fixed, I had to reverse the coupling in the drawhook. To aid this I filed a gedges flat on the coupling (quite crudly I'm afraid...) Here the flat is lined up with the slot and the coupling removed, flopped over and re-fitted.. Here is the finished product, I'm quite pleased with the effect and the ease that the rest hook can be fitted. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 Big trains have occupied my time plus a trip to the office (in Paris), no fun when French Customs were working to rule, a 3 hour wait..... Never mind have been having a monster sort, but did look at my conversion program on Big Train Minfits... I was thinking about the buffers and wondered if there's any mileage in using the existing shanks...right On the left 'as it comes', On the right 'drilled out and metal head inserted' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 Good morning, Before my head gets filled with the many things I need to do today. I was thinking about wagons, specifically the number that I have in an incomplete state and the number of projects that I have in my head. When I think about this it can all get a bit jumbled and I think to myself will I get them all finished... So I had an idea to give me some control. The principles will be: The wagons quickly get to the stage where the structure is complete; wheels, buffers and couplings are fitted and it is weighted to enable it to run. It may be, the buffers, wheels and couplings can be exchanged if required. My current themes are..... A number of LNER Vans, generically the same but will have 9' or 10' wheelbase, wooden or steel under frames, be fitted or unfitted, plus the odd fruit vans Minerals. I have a number of Big Train / Lima models that get a basic cut and shut (Shorten, wider door, raised in height), they are a tad narrow, but I'm ignoring that. I have various options for under frames, but bearing in mind the accuracy, or lack of it, with the body, I am quite forgiving, as long as the wheelbase is correct and they look OK from a viewing distance of 24". With the under frames a brake handle of brass bent to the correct shape goes a long way to improving the general appearance. I have one of the 10' wheel base re-bodied versions, actually a bit late for my period, but I have a picture of one that I detached from a Betteshanger coal train in Tonbridge West Yard so it has a kind of sentimental value. The first conversion took ages, I cut the body into 5 sections, Ending up with ; End, part of door, filler section, part of door, end. All requiring lots of filling as my cutting is normally slightly on the wonk. Now it is either 2 parts to create the correct body length and a replacement door. I an working to recycle the door sections that are removed to create wide door from the same parts. The second option will be to do as stage 1, but splice in a re-manufactured door. In the picture below are some examples: Left to right, Conversion No.1 - shortened body with new middle door section, sitting on an under frame made from Parkside under frame, Conversion No.2 - this was the convoluted 5 part job, sitting of a cooper craft under frame, finally Conversion No.4 - An as yet un chopped body sitting on a Cooper Craft under frame (This was from a partially completed GW 4 plank that I'm not sure will get finished..) The DC bits on the end will go. A plus point with the minerals is that most only have 2 brake blocks, so that is another economy... In my 'Like to do' list are the following: Southern Railway Ballast Hoppers. A couple are being hauled by a Terrier on the KESR, seen in the excellent book Steam in the Sussex Landscape", this has lots of inspirational stuff in the backgrounds of the pictures. I have cast metal underfames and diamond framed bogies earmarked for the project. In the same book is a picture of an Engineers train with 2 wagons, the first looks like a conversion of a coach under frame and the second wagon is a track relaying crane based on a Warwell wagon. Just need a cheap Warwell now... The aim is to avoid where possible any purchases, just to use what is on hand. So I go to shows, look and hope to return without new stock, quite pleased when it all works out... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sf315 Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Hello Ernie Myhead gets jumbled with rolling stock I would like to model but I’ve got my head round get the layout done first and worry about the rolling stock later. So I’ve not particularly done much rolling stock wise recently. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D602bulldog Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 On 28/08/2017 at 11:13, The Bigbee Line said: BUFFERS Good morning. During non modelling periods I quite often find myself thinking through various things.... One of these is buffers, the thoughts are: Sprung buffers often have the mechanism gummed up or rusty The coil springs are very fine and prone to jamming. The shortness allows them droop, which I think looks naff. I had a thought about making the heads and shafts myself so looked for a low tech method. Last night I put one theory into practice using M2 bolts with the heads filed down and a thin brass washer soldered on.... Three variants: Close ups: Comparison with a Coopecraft head: Head comparison with a Parkside whitemetal RCH: Hi can you show me what sort of bolts you use and the washers sounds like good idea to me 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 I’ll dig out some bolts and take pictures. In in the meantime I’m fitting couplings. Here’s one with a rigid mount. Odd bits of coffee stirrer glued round the shank. The plate is for function only. This one uses the spring, but will get fixed solid when the front is filled around the drawbar to stop it flopping about. I have a Parkside Slope Sider. At the door end there is not a lot of room above the hook. Need to check some pictures. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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