Coulsdon Works

[jwealleans]

Terry, you old sweetie, you.

[thegreenhowards]

My latest project is a Gresley D.227 65’ Sleeper First. This is a vehicle I’ve fancied making for a while but could never work out how to do the windows on the berth side which are very different from the D.157. I’ve previously produced the D.157 by cut ‘n’ shutting 61’ SLF Kirk sides.

 

However, Jonathan W of this parish kindly put me in touch with Roy Mears and he drew and laser cut some sides from plastic for me. What a great hobby this is with people prepared to share their skills.

 

To my shame, I lost the sides over the Summer and only found them again when tidying up Gresley Jn for my recent running. Once found, I cracked on with them while I was self isolating with Covid, and this us the state of play.

 

I have put one if my D.157’s behind to show the difference in window arrangements. The corridor side is identical as shown below.

 

 

The ends are from 247 and the roof is MJT. I struggled to get the coach together as the sides were quite floppy and the epoxy leaked a bit so I will need to do some touching up

 

I haven’t started on the chassis yet, but I expect that will be copper clad with MJT bits.

 

 

[John Tomlinson]

I thought I would add a little note here, as the thread has a lot of Pullman modelling contained, including some very interesting conversions.

 

After at least two years of searching, I have finally completed my set of five Pullman Profiles by Antony Ford. Four of them are easy, however volume 2 which covers the "K" type cars (but not the All Steel ones), is hard to come by to put it mildly. Maybe this is because it's one that really matters to ER modellers!

 

I've done regular Google and Ebay searches in that time, and up until now the only one that's appeared has been for over £100 and with shipping on top from the USA. However one turned up in Hay on Wye last week, via Abe Books, in perfect condition and for just over forty quid. So I'm extremely delighted.

 

So if there is anyone out there, looking for this item, don't give up hope!

 

John.

[thegreenhowards]

7 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

I thought I would add a little note here, as the thread has a lot of Pullman modelling contained, including some very interesting conversions.

 

After at least two years of searching, I have finally completed my set of five Pullman Profiles by Antony Ford. Four of them are easy, however volume 2 which covers the "K" type cars (but not the All Steel ones), is hard to come by to put it mildly. Maybe this is because it's one that really matters to ER modellers!

 

I've done regular Google and Ebay searches in that time, and up until now the only one that's appeared has been for over £100 and with shipping on top from the USA. However one turned up in Hay on Wye last week, via Abe Books, in perfect condition and for just over forty quid. So I'm extremely delighted.

 

So if there is anyone out there, looking for this item, don't give up hope!

 

John.

They are excellent books. I only have vols 2 &3 as they are the relevant ones for the ECML in the ‘50s and I bought mine when they came out from the Bluebell shop. 
 

Enjoy yours. Vol 2 is very complex and it takes a while to get your head around what worked where and when and in what form it was finished at that stage. I have copious notes on a piece of paper attached to mine!

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

I had a winter walking trip to Scotland the weekend before last. But storm force winds and blizzards stopped us getting up many mountains. The on we did summit, Cruach Ardrain near Crianlarich, was c.-25C wind chill on the summit so we didn’t linger long! Even when the sun came out briefly on the way down it was pretty arctic - I’m on the right.

 

 

Why are you boring me with this I hear you say! Well the upshot was that I didn’t venture out at all on day 2 and got back early having given up at 700M on day 3, so I had plenty of time to tackle the two Parkside kits which I took…just in case.

 

These were two O gauge LNER D.94 vans both bought off ebay as ‘complete unstarted’ kits. I should have noticed the word ‘solebars’ written on the side of one when I bought them. But luckily I did notice it while packing for Scotland and on checking found that the solebars were missing. So I put in some plasticard off cuts to see what I could knock up. Anyway, I completed the first kit on the Saturday and started the one without solebars. I managed to finish that on the Sunday, just leaving paint and transfers for when I got home. They are now complete (until one of you tells me I’ve got something wrong!).

 

 

The darker one is the one which had no solebars. I ended up using some left over bits of plasticard from Kirk coach kits to make them and adding rivet detail with PVA on a pin. It’s not as good as the other one, but I can’t believe anyone will notice when running in a layout. I tried two different painting techniques. The darker one is Humbrol 133 over Halfords red oxide primer. The other is unpainted and I just weathered the Parkside plastic. I think they both look OK and add some variety in shades but I’d be interested in any comments.

 

O gauge Parkside kits have much more complex brake detail than in OO and I struggle to work out what goes where, so I hope I’ve got it right. This part takes more than half the total build time.

 

Andy

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by thegreenhowards

[John Tomlinson]

The vans look great to me Andy, and I think the slight difference in colours is very realistic. When I first read the text I missed the bit about weathering only on the lighter one. it looks very convincing to my eye and I like the way the door is a bit different ot the rest of the body, suggesting a part repair or replacement at some point.

 

I've always thought it strange that the LNER persevered with wooden solebars on wagons for a much longer time than the other Big 4. Even the express fish vans had them IIRC.

 

John.

[John Tomlinson]

Writing the last note reminded me that it appears Bill Bedford/ Mousa is now offering a greater range of etched sides for coaches, and I wondered if you, and indeed other readers of this thread had seen them. These are in addition to his main lists per his note.

 

I'm not sure what a D.157 Sleeper twin is under LNER, as your D.157's are the single long coaches.

 

John.

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

Those of you who follow Gresley Jn will remember that I ‘found’ a Bachmann Meg Merillies awaiting commissioning a month or so ago. Well I’ve done some further investigation and I now remember more about it. I cannibalised it when I broke some of the valve gear on my Graeme King A2/3 conversion. This has left it with a hanging rod (the radius rod?) as below.

 

 

i have looked on the Bachmann spares website but they only seem to sell the complete valve gear assembly at £20 which seems a little excessive. I’m wondering about soldering a small washer onto the crank but I’m not sure one can solder onto the metal (Mazak?) used for the crank. 
 

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

 

Andy

[thegreenhowards]

17 minutes ago, John Tomlinson said:

Writing the last note reminded me that it appears Bill Bedford/ Mousa is now offering a greater range of etched sides for coaches, and I wondered if you, and indeed other readers of this thread had seen them. These are in addition to his main lists per his note.

 

I'm not sure what a D.157 Sleeper twin is under LNER, as your D.157's are the single long coaches.

 

John.

 

 

 

That’s a good spot John. I’m now going to retire from modelling to a comfy armchair with my diagram books to dream!

 

I imagine the D.157 twin is a typo as he also lists the single D.157 SLF. Probably the twin SLF which I built earlier in this thread from a Mousa etch. 

 

[jwealleans]

Graeme used to offer a valve gear etch for the Thompson conversion kits he supplied - would that be any use?

[thegreenhowards]

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

Graeme used to offer a valve gear etch for the Thompson conversion kits he supplied - would that be any use?

I don’t think so. I had that etch for building my A2/3 but in using it I snapped the eccentric crank (?) as above. I think a small length of brass with a coupling of holes in it might do the job although it wouldn’t bear close inspection.

[John Tomlinson]

2 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Those of you who follow Gresley Jn will remember that I ‘found’ a Bachmann Meg Merillies awaiting commissioning a month or so ago. Well I’ve done some further investigation and I now remember more about it. I cannibalised it when I broke some of the valve gear on my Graeme King A2/3 conversion. This has left it with a hanging rod (the radius rod?) as below.

 

 

i have looked on the Bachmann spares website but they only seem to sell the complete valve gear assembly at £20 which seems a little excessive. I’m wondering about soldering a small washer onto the crank but I’m not sure one can solder onto the metal (Mazak?) used for the crank. 
 

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

 

Andy

 

If the crank won't solder, you might try making a piece out of thin sheet, pre-drilled for the hole for the eccentric rod, and superglueing it as an overlay to the damaged crank.

 

You'd need to get the part of the damaged crank that is to be glued flat beforehand. Then use a small nut and bolt to attach the eccentric to the overlay.

 

I managed to break one of the connecting rods on a Bachmann 9F some years ago, and rather than buy an expensive new motion set, glued a piece of spare etch from a nameplate set behind to span the join. Surprisingly perhaps it did grip and hold, and has done so far.

 

John.

[thegreenhowards]

I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon with the Mousa lists which John highlighted. I’ve identified 8 pairs of sides I want - six for the royal train and a Thompson SLF and Gresley D.275 buffet. I have spoken to Bill about all of these before so I’m rather sceptical about whether they’ll happen but he will be getting an email shortly!

 

 And I wasn’t completely idle! I made some progress on my Gresley D.227 SLF. The chassis is now largely complete.

 

 

 

 

It’s a mix of MJT bits and scratch built with Kirk bogies for now (as I’ve run out of MJT heavy duty). I’m sure I’ve missed some bits as I’m working off photos where the underframe is rather dark so if anyone wants to suggest some additions, I’ll listen.

 

I’ll be moving onto the roof furniture next. Harris shows these vehicles as PV but they seem to have torpedo ventilators rather than the square boxes at either end which the Elizabethan PV stock has. Can anyone shed any light on this? 
 

Andy

 

[thegreenhowards]

Good news. Meg merillies lives again. It did prove possible to solder onto the Bachmann crank after I filed off the blackening covering which Is applied in the factory. However, having fixed the crank it pinged across the room while I tried to fit it and I can’t find it! So I ended up creating a second crank from scrap brass as can be seen below.

This is soldered onto the boss on the centre driver and does the job very well. It doesn’t look too good in the photo above, but I’ve since ,filed it smoother and blackened the brass. It now blends in and bears inspection from normal viewing distances.

Edited February 22, 2022 by thegreenhowards

[thegreenhowards]

Well RMWeb being down did result in some modelling but probably not as much as it should have done.

 

I’ve finished off five LMS wagons which I bought in a job lot off ebay for £50. They were described as needing work or similar but in practice they were just unpainted and had rusted up on the wheels and buffers which seems to be the norm for Slaters wheels. I gave them a spin with a brass wire brush in a dremel and then some oil and they’re all now fine - even the buffers spring nicely. I then painted one in bauxite and did decals for them all and gave them a good weathering. 
 

Here they can be seen on my garden railway (which I spent a good deal of time fettling/ playing with during the warm weather last week). All in all, excellent value at £10 a wagon!

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

My next project will be finishing off this D&S O gauge 6 wheeler.
 

I bought it in this condition for a bargain £40 at the Guildford O Gauge group open day. I believe that it’s a Diagram 407 Lav Third like the OO equivalent shown here.

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/s-models-ds116e-ger-lner-wheel-third-275303419

 

But I don’t have any details or drawings with it. So before I wade in, I wonder if I can pose a couple of questions. I can see it needs some rain strips on the roof and probably some grab rails. Are there any other details which are obviously missing?

 

The other question concerns livery. It will run on our club O gauge which is set loosely between the wars. I believe that these were unlined  teak originally and then lined GER red. But how would they have been finished in early LNER days? I’d like to go for teak livery so they could fit in with the similiar coaches which @wokois building for our layout in GER livery. But I’d also like it to fit with my other LNER stock - hence the slightly later livery. I fear that they would have been painted in coach brown in LNER days which is rather dull, but is it likely that some lasted in teak through to the grouping and then were finished in varnished teak LNER livery?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Andy

[jwealleans]

There are some surviving GER 6 wheel bodies (Mangapps?) which show that they were scumbled and lined in early LNER days.  The paint has worn through and is clearly visible.   There were some pictures on here (courtesy of Edwardian, I believe) but they may have gone.

 

Edit - here's one.

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by jwealleans

[Bucoops]

Mangapps do indeed have an amazingly well preserved scumbled body. Excuse the finger!

[thegreenhowards]

Many thanks both for those photos - very useful.

 

I think that confirms that I can get away with painting it in teak livery. There’s no real difference between real teak and scumbled teak from my POV.

 

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

Here are a couple of photos of my latest weathering job - 3 x 7mm Dapol Turbots. One was pre weathered rather crudely but had the doors distressed quite effectively. So I’ve toned that down a bit but left it as the dirtiest of the three. The others are relatively clean befitting fairly new vehicles in the early ‘80s.

 

 

One has some loose 4mm Legacy steam era shed ballast. I think this looks convincing as 1980s 7mm spent ballast but I’d welcome other people’s views.

 

Andy

Edited June 30, 2022 by thegreenhowards

[thegreenhowards]

I’m on family holiday at the moment but that doesn’t mean all modelling has to stop…I’ve been doing an hour every day during siesta time. However, my workbench has got smaller and neater and with a better view!

 

 

I brought a small selection of tools with me - soldering iron, snips, files, small drills etc. - just enough to build a D&S etched kit for a 7mm GC milk van (DS73).

 

I’ve more or less finished the chassis. 

 

 

 

 

However, the instructions on the brake rigging and white metal bits range between less than clear and non existent, so if anyone can spot any errors please point them out.

 

In particular:

1. the springs shown below are the last thing it mentions to attach but I cant fit them behind the foot boards. Any suggestions on how to fit them?

2. The other bit of white metal with the springs is not mentioned. I imagine the spring mounts onto this and then the whole assembly fits behind the solebar. Any confirmation or alternative suggestions appreciated.

3. I’m not sure which way the axle box goes on. Have I got them upside down? (They’re only resting in place!)

 

 

Thanks 

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

I have a picture of one of these somewhere.  I'll post it when I remember.   Edit - there are a few on Steve Banks' website.

 

Axleboxes are the right way up as far as I remember - the little tit goes to the bottom.

 

You're right about the spring hangers and springs - I imagine they're in two parts so you can make one rock.   Can't help about how they fit around the footboards, though, unless those stand off the body a little more.

Edited July 7, 2022 by jwealleans

[thegreenhowards]

Jonathan to the rescue again! Many thanks.

 

I was cursing myself about not looking up some reference material before I came away. But Steve Banks’ site is very helpful. Sadly the prototype photos don’t show enough underframe detail, but his model photos are very good. They seem to show the axle boxes the other way up from mine. I know one should ‘never base a model on a model’…but this is Steve Banks and I don’t have any easy alternatives, so I’ll go with his take on it.

 

In the meantime, I started work on the body. Photos in a couple of days - family duties permitting!

 

Andy

 

 

[jwealleans]

Does this help?   Laundry van of slightly older vintage, I think.   You're right about the axleboxes - it's the next version which has the tit at the bottom.

 

[jwealleans]

You might be able to do something with this as well - it's the closest to that vehicle I've found which might have some useful detail if you crank the brightness right up...