Kingsbridge - workshop

[NoelG]

2nd hand Bachmann BCK for £16 arrived from Hattons today as a donor for another GSV conversion, this time RPSI 3173 in maroon.  I am tempted to spray the current Lima BSK GSV conversion in the RPSI blue livery planned for 3185 when its overhauled is completed.

 

Current Lima BSK project on top.  Planned Bachmann BSK below, with option for cut'n'shut plastic mods or optionally brass sides from Bill Bedford (Mousa Models) seen below.  The brass sides looks rather flat, whereas the Bachmann plastic has a lot of relief detail as well as flush glaze windows.  

 

 

 

Now concentrating on the roof, vents, overflow, exhaust and air intake all to come.  More file'n'sand and re-prime cycles.

 

Edited November 20, 2017 by NoelG

[NoelG]

Lima GSV conversion update.  A few more cycles of fill, sand, prime, etc.  Roof more or less finished except for exhaust.  I tried as much was possible with my limited skillset to mimic the roof of the GSV in SSM's photo (inset below).  Added vent brackets, lifting rings, air intake, boiler overflow, etc.

 

Louver vents and water intakes framed 

 

 

 

Primed once more after sand'n'rub down, almost ready for buffers and gangways, etc.  I've decided not to attempt flush windows as this old style Lima body is quite thick.  May attempt flush glazing with the Bachmann donor for the BCK GSV which will start as soon as this is ready for spraying.  B5 bogie couplings will be changed to Kadee's in the future.  Pondering some sort of internal lighting and tail lamps, but might leave that for 3173 which will be on RPSI duty with the MM Blue Cravens.

 

 

 

[Glover]

Noel, can I suggest fitting South East Finecast flush glazing to your Lima conversion?

Given the amount of work you have put into this, I think it would finish the job on a high note.

Cost is £2.50 per coach plus postage. Web address is www.sefinecast.co.uk

 

A good many years ago, I converted a couple of Lima Mk2s into Cravens (shortened,widened etc) and fitted flush glaze windows. As you say, the Lima plastic is quite thick; I think these windows improved the look. Note that all of this was pre the Murphy Models Cravens!

 

Cheers,

Glover

[NoelG]

Thanks Glover.  That's really helpful.  I was going to leave this one and have flush glazing from the Bachmann donor for the BCK variation of the next GSV, but this could work well on the lima.

[NoelG]

Next project are some 20ft skeletal container wagon kits for my C-Rail 20ft Bell containers. 3D bogies with some white metal detailing bits. Surfaces being 3D a little 'toothpaste' but judicious primer will help that and you won't even notice when they are under the Bell's

 

 

The 3D bodies have NEM coupling pockets at the correct height. Bodies are dead square and flat with no warping. I added two small vertical container pins to each wagon to keep the containers in place. I have four standard holes in the base of my C-Rail containers so they can be mounted on the wagon in either direction and I will have the option to run with or without the containers.

 

Primed in new'ish spray booth as it's too cold and damp to air brush outside in the shed this time of year. Will spray these bauxite later. The kits were supplied by IFM and I'm very happy with them, quick and easy to assemble with minimal fettling, filing or tidy up needed. The kits came with wheels, couplings and transfers.

Edited December 12, 2017 by NoelG

[NoelG]

Securing pins to hold containers on wagon and prevent movement.  Holes drilled in floor of C-Rail 20ft containers to match and facilities mounting containers in either direction as well as running containers empty.

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by NoelG

[NoelG]

Work continues on the 20ft skeletal container wagon rake (3D prints).  Four more for bauxite paint (railmatch acrylic 235).  These are awkward to air brush and waste a lot of paint due to the need cover all the shaded angles of the skeletal chassis.

 

 

Four more ready for decals and weathering. These will be used to haul C-Rail 20ft Bell containers in mixed goods traffic formations.

 

[NoelG]

I used to absolutely hate applying waterslide transfers/decals. Fiddle/faddle, shakey hands, impossible eyesight, folded transfers, argggh. But through trial and error these past few months I'm just beginning to learn to cope with them. Despite what they say about using products like 'decalfix' to assist on matt surfaces, transfers are so much easier to apply and blend the edges on gloss finish and later matt varnish to seal. Finally finished the chassis numbers on the 20ft skeletal container wagons.  Just a light weathering with RailMatch acrylics tomorrow and they will be ready to run under Bell containers.

 

 

[kirley]

I hate doing decals, especially when you have to make up numbers or names from individual transfers.  You seemed to got your spot on. 

[NoelG]

Finished the 20ft Bell container wagons. Coat of frame dirt for the wheels.

 

 

 

Then a bit of light weathering for the wagons and springs.

 

 

 

 

They look better dulled down with a bit of light frame dust

 

 

 

 

Drilled the bases of the C-Rail Bell containers with four holes and tested each containers mounting holes aligned with every wagon.

 

 

 

 

A fun and very simple kit to put together. Happy the way they turned out.  Will post a video of the full rake in traffic at some stage.

 

 

 

The Bell's themselves are now due a visit to the paint shop for a very light dusting to get rid of the clean 'toy' look.

[NoelG]

Next up - work continues on some 3D single beat wagons to be paired with weighted RTR Dapol chassis. A few tweaks and weathering and they should pass the 'duck test'.

 

Edited January 9, 2018 by NoelG

[NoelG]

Next up on the workbench will be some Silverfox resin kits I've collected over past year or two.

• A class B&T livery (rebuilt stepped orange band) - 071 donor chassis
• C class flying snail green Eau-de-nil livery - 141 donor chassis
• Sulzer 101 class flying snail green Eau-de-nil livery - Bachmann donor chassis (BR cl 24 sound project)
• Dutch GSV - RPSI green to run with their mk2 rake

These may take some time. Will start by doing some of the common work on all four in parallel to save time. Then its cut'n'shut time for some centre drive donor chassis.

 

Silverfox A + C class kits

 

Silverfox Dutch GSV kit + B101 class Sulzer kit due for 'eau-de-Nil' flying snail green livery

 

That'll keep me busy for a while

 

Four started. Spent a few hours removing flash and preparing these before first stage prime using Halford plastic grey primer in the spray booth. A few hours filing and sanding, but the resin bodies were in pretty good shape, mainly work to tidy up around the windows and buffer beams.

 

 

The SF B101 sulzer will be first to get attention as next before any more painting there is the matter for fitting a cut'n'shut 071 donor chassis and figuring out how I can transfer the lighting from the 071. The chassis will need two cuts to shorten it each side of the motor so the cardan shafts will still be long enough to allow both bogies move freely when she goes around bends and over points.

 

 

This is when it starts to get exciting . . .

[NoelG]

While waiting for some bits for the locos did a little work on the 3D beat wagons. They are not 100% by any means but they will look much better than BR mineral wagons on my mixed CIE good train formations.  Quick and easy to assemble with no resin fettling needed.

 

 

 

3D beat bodies mounted on €7 Dapol RTR chassis

 

 

Some bits to add then weathering, etc.  Also damming evidence since I was sentenced to "rot in the the bogie of eternal stench" by cutting up 141s for two C class chassis.

[NoelG]

Just about finished.

 

[NoelG]

Transplant donors being prepared for the ritual sacrifice. This risks me being expelled from 'rotting in the bogie of eternal stench' such is the imminent destruction of such sacred cows, however cheaply bought into slavery from eBay.

 

 

There was careful consideration and research about using these two MM chassis as donors, and the decision was not taken lightly or without considering alternates.  In case anybody thinks I'm being wasteful, I waited patiently over the past two years to acquire both of these donors at very low cost, both costing less than alternate Bachmann BR donor chassis on eBay.  I ruled out using Hornby railroad style chassis as often recommended with SF kits because they do not run anywhere near as precisely as Bachmann/MM centre drive chassis, and also ruled out spud drives like Tenshodo with 15:1 gear ratio because of their running quality. Hollywood Iron foundry was another option but are more expensive than these donors, they don't even have PCBs, and not DCC ready.

 

C class: Ironically the MM 141 is the ideal chassis for a C class in terms of length, bogie wheel spacing, lights, speaker space, easy of replacing bogie sides, NEM pocket heights to clear buffer beams, etc, and requires minimal work to fit the SF C class resin body, just cut a few mm of the both ends of the chassis using a mini drill disc cutter. You end up with a top class centre drive double flywheel runner AWD, AWP, lights, etc.

 

Sulzer: The 071 bogie axle spacings are a perfect match for the SF B101 Sulzer, but the chassis requires to be shortened by way of two cut and joins each side of the centre drive motor, including shortening both carden shafts. The reason for two cuts is so the shafts are still long enough to allow both bogies pivot freely when the shortened chassis is reassembled. The MM chassis has all the lighting on the PCB as well as the snap fit bogie covers that are easy to change sides while retain the NEM pockets.  

 

Other considerations were that I am already familiar with these Bachman/MM style chassis, they are 21pin DCC and sound ready, both with speaker cradles, both with lighting PCBs, and most importantly of all both run as smoothly and reliable as a Swiss clock.

[Hunslet 102]

OUCH!

[NoelG]

Doodling with a few odd bits today.  CIE Brake parcels van conversion from LMS, and a pair of ex-GSWR brake vans getting a sort of CIE conversion.  These are not designed to be exact, more end up looking similar to their CIE counterparts.

 

Enlarged windows on LMS parcels coach filled in one, cut out windows on ex-GSWR brake vans (Tri-ang Hornby GWR toads) and inserted window frames.  Cut out veranda door at one end, due to add vertical post due and move chimney. As an experiment with filling I used 'Mr Surfacer 500' liquid filer to fill one of the small windows (i.e. fill around plastic card window panel) on one side of the coach, and traditional model filler on the other side.  Just to compare how they apply and sand.

 

 

Bachmann LMS bogie parcel van after holes drilled for new window sizes.

 

Tri-ang GWR toads getting a pseudo conversion to a pair of ex-GSWR brake vans (well sort of).   Drill, file and cut out side windows.  Added window frames later.

 

Relaxing afternoon and it passes the time nicely.  Plan to add DCC lights to the brake vans.  

[kirley]

Some interesting conversions on your bench Noel.

[NoelG]

A little progress this morning. The six nations is getting in the way of work today. First prime coat done, some more filling, vertical stanchions and tweaks needed.

 

 

[NoelG]

Started painting the brake parcel van tonight. Got both the white and tan on in one session ready for reverse masking tomorrow.

 

Then black on sides, ends and roof, fit Keen systems LMS suspended gangways, glazing, fit new NEM coupling pockets so she can be used with TL or Kadee couplings, paint chassis and bogies, paint new wheel sides, then gloss varnish, decals, weathering powders, weathering overspray, and finally matt varnish. It passes the time nicely.

 

 

[NoelG]

Just pulled the masking tape off the CIE Brake Parcel van conversion (ex Bachmann LMS parcel).

 

Tonight was spraying black over the reverse mask covering the orange and white. Next up the chassis, glazing, new corridor connectors, etc. The painting took longer than expected because when I test sprayed my usual airbrush it was not allowing paint to flow smoothly despite a deep clean last time it was used. Luckily I had the spare airbrush.

 

 

Not as straight forward masking job as previous resprays due protruding vents over the doors half into the white stripe.

 

 

Will give it 24hr before gloss varnish in prep for decals and weathering powders, finishing with matt varnish.

 

Better pic more in focus

Edited March 13, 2018 by NoelG

[kirley]

An excellent job Noel, no spray sneaking under the masking tape.

[NoelG]

An excellent job Noel, no spray sneaking under the masking tape.

 

 

Thanks Kieran.  It was a bit tricky this time because there were so many raised relief items on the body sides close to the edge of the masking tape. It was not possible to do my usual air sealing of the tape using the wooden toothpick around some of these relief items, so instead of the usual airbrush distance and angle, I turned up the paint flow and sprayed exactly perpendicularly from a greater distance so no air pressure to blow paint under the bits of masking tape that were not flush with the sides. Vallejo paint made this easier, Tamiya may have started to dry a bit between the nozzle and hitting the sides of the coach due the longer distance the paint had to travel through air.

[NoelG]

Time to do the glazing.  As the windows are now larger using a replacement strip of clear plastic with painted grey window bars. There was a lot of masking before spraying halfords grey plastic primer which I hope will grip the flexible clear plastic sheeting better than other paints.

 

 

Previous and replacement glazing strips after painting the window bars on

 

 

Today I also painted and fettled the fittings for the replacement suspended corridors connectors, painted the chassis and bogies. Just a few more bits to do and she will be finished and then its weathering.

[NoelG]

First step of weathering done. Some wet powders to accentuate doors, hinges, run off water, etc. Water mix with decalfix allows re-wetting if needed to adjust anything. Next step will be a dusting of frame dirt and roof dirt with air brush. Keen systems suspended corridor connectors added.

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by NoelG