Shirebrook - N Gauge 1980's era layout.

[Duncan.]

22 minutes ago, Timmy84 said:

Enjoying the updates. Out of interest what masking tape do you use? Tim.

Thanks Timmy,

I use cellulose lithographic tape made by sellotape (although it is increasingly hard to find). Being made from cellulose it is more flexible than most tapes, disadvantage is it needs to be stored in an airtight container to stop degradation by humidity and water.

Cheers

Stay Safe

Duncan

[Duncan.]

Slow progress on the 58's

Evening fellow modellers. Yes I'm locked down too, I continue to work from home, busier still so modelling time is limited at least the longer evenings are helping.

Pictured below is a classic before and after shot! I carefully hand painted the silencers/exhausts on both class 58's with polished steel  Humbrol Metalcote last evening. A superb product, I allowed it to dry thoroughly and this evening I have buffed up one with a tissue. Yes it is the same as the untouched one. I hope you agree that it gives a great metallic finish. The silencers will need to be weathered with dirt and soot so still much work to do.

Stay Safe

Cheers

Duncan

Edited April 7, 2020 by Duncan.
typo

[Carl. H.]

5 hours ago, Duncan. said:

Slow progress on the 58's

Evening fellow modellers. Yes I'm locked down too, I continue to work from home, busier still so modelling time is limited at least the longer evenings are helping.

Pictured below is a classic before and after shot! I carefully hand painted the silencers/exhausts on both class 58's with polished steel  Humbrol Metalcote last evening. A superb product, I allowed it to dry thoroughly and this evening I have buffed up one with a tissue. Yes it is the same as the untouched one. I hope you agree that it gives a great metallic finish. The silencers will need to be weathered with dirt and soot so still much work to do.

Stay Safe

Cheers

Duncan

wow, looks like its made from metal!  The sheen once buffed is amazing , much better than I would have thought. 

[ianwales]

Hi Duncan

 

As already confirmed the white brake pipes were one side only of the brake vans, they were there to take the brake pipe routing via the inside of the van where the guard had a valve/lever to apply the brakes if required in an emergency.

 

Ian

Edited April 8, 2020 by ianwales

[Duncan.]

14 minutes ago, ianwales said:

Hi Duncan

 

As already confirmed the white brake pipes were one side only of the brake vans, they were there to take the brake pipe routing via the inside of the van where the guard had a valve/lever to apply the brakes if required in an emergency.

 

Ian

Hi Ian,

I thought that may be the case. Thanks so much for confirming. However, I won't be modelling the interior in N scale!!

Cheers

Duncan

[Duncan.]

Back to the BR 20T Brakevans.

Hi Everyone I hope you are all well. 

I was a little disappointed that the transfers ordered didn't include all the lettering I need for the Brake Vans, ok I knew that when I placed the order...

I used all the elements i could but I had to resort to a TOPS lettering set to complete the 'CAR' tops codes and the 'AIR PIPED' logos a letter at a time, now that was difficult. I stopped breathing for most of the 3 hours it took to complete, and I think a dram of my favourite single malt may be in order to finish the day off! The brake vans will need the transfers sealing over with a little varnish then I can begin the weathering, here are  couple of photos so you can see my progress

Stay Safe.

Cheers

Duncan

[Duncan.]

Hi,

In between jobs on my other projects and waiting for glue/paint/transfers to dry I thought I'd have a go at a couple of these, PFB Warwells. These are the N Gauge Society Kits. I have detailed the bogies and added etched brake wheels to properly represent the air braked version.

I can't take these any further until I acquire some Humbrol 102 Army Green (any one able to help!). These will remain in ex works livery on Shirebrook (a rare occurrence) the pretext that they've been modified to  the air braked versions at W.H. Davis wagon works.

Cheers

Duncan

Edited April 11, 2020 by Duncan.
typo

[Duncan.]

Completed Brake Vans

Hi Everybody,

I have completed the brake vans, well one of the 'Air Piped' logos got damaged during weathering so will need replacing, lamps and figures still to add, otherwise complete. I think they are a good improvement over the Minitrix originals, here's a couple of vies of them posed on the layout.

[Duncan.]

Here's a photo of one of the brakevans with the modified shunter now in it's new guise of 08255. 

[Duncan.]

Your Chance to Number a Class 58 Locomotive for Shirebrook.

I invite you to suggest a number for for one of my 2 class 58 repaints. One will be 58040 Cottam Power Station, the other will be ?

Please tell me what number you would like it to be and why. Was it the last loco you wanted to see when trainspotting, or was it just a loco that turned up at a special moment for you or with a special working?

Sorry there are no prizes, just the satisfaction of seeing your loco on a MGR turn passing Shirebrook!

Tell me the reason  why you prefer a particular number...

Some numbers are not permitted as we already have them on Shirebrook these being 58004, 012, 017 ,015, 019, 023, 034, 038, 040, 044 and 050. I will choose one with an interesting story connected to it.

Cheers

Stay Safe

Duncan  

[DavidMcKenzie]

Hi Duncan, 

 

I am sure there will be better offers than this, but 58005 takes it for me, I am a sucker for any of the diesels that lead Intercity drags and 58005 was in action on the WCML doing exactly that. 

 

 

My only other interesting link to a 58 and Shirebrook is void because 58044 is already on the roster, but 58044 was sitting at Shirebrook and photographed on the day I was born. 

 

 

Great modeling as always. 

Thanks for all the interesting posts. It's keeping us all sane during the lockdown. 

 

All the best,

Dave

[The Pilotman]

One day in the 1980s, a few mates and I were at our usual spotting location of the old cattle pens sidings just west of Reading station. A class 58 appeared in the distance from the Didcot direction and ran down into the diesel depot. None of us had seen one at Reading (although they were becoming common on the Didcot Power station trains) so we headed off to the depot on our bikes by which time the 58 had been parked in a siding next to the shed. We asked if we could take a look at it and the depot supervisor was very accommodating. He allowed us in the cab and before we left, he used one of our cameras to take a photo of us all sitting on the loco side by the BR symbol. It was 58014.

[millerhillboy]

Can I throw my hat in the ring, I remember attending the haymarket open day in 1985 and seeing 58016, it was like an alien landing as far as myself and other 12-13 year old spotting mates were concerned. 

Never seen anything like it that far north at that point, the 56s were a long way short of arriving and apparently it was the first ever 58 north of the border.

 

http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+58

 

[millerhillboy]

Brake vans have really merged in superbly and really look top notch.  You wouldn't think they were an old model.

[Duncan.]

3 minutes ago, millerhillboy said:

Can I throw my hat in the ring, I remember attending the haymarket open day in 1985 and seeing 58016, it was like an alien landing as far as myself and other 12-13 year old spotting mates were concerned. 

Never seen anything like it that far north at that point, the 56s were a long way short of arriving and apparently it was the first ever 58 north of the border.

 

http://www.scot-rail.co.uk/page/Class+58

 

 

2 minutes ago, millerhillboy said:

Brake vans have really merged in superbly and really look top notch.  You wouldn't think they were an old model.

Hi Craig,

Thanks for your inspirational photo of your brake van with the 3D figure ours have been ordered. Your entry into the 58 numbering 'competition' is very welcome thanks for your story.

[millerhillboy]

Can't wait to see you start using the modelu figures, I hope you find them as good as I do and I think they'll fit in superbly on such a high quality detailed layout.

[Duncan.]

2 minutes ago, millerhillboy said:

Can't wait to see you start using the modelu figures, I hope you find them as good as I do and I think they'll fit in superbly on such a high quality detailed layout.

Janet's earmarked to paint them when they arrive as part of her lockdown therapy!

Cheers

Duncan

[millerhillboy]

Just now, Duncan. said:

Janet's earmarked to paint them when they arrive as part of her lockdown therapy!

Cheers

Duncan

 

Ooft, rewarding as they are I found them difficult to paint with only brushes. The legs and body yes but things like hands, faces and hats for example are all done by little blobs of slightly thinned paints which i apply with something like a 0.3mm drill bit!!!

I'm sure there must be better techniques but I get there in the end.

 

Looking forward to seeing yours.

 

[Duncan.]

2 hours ago, Duncan. said:

Your Chance to Number a Class 58 Locomotive for Shirebrook.

I invite you to suggest a number for for one of my 2 class 58 repaints. One will be 58040 Cottam Power Station, the other will be ?

Please tell me what number you would like it to be and why. Was it the last loco you wanted to see when trainspotting, or was it just a loco that turned up at a special moment for you or with a special working?

Sorry there are no prizes, just the satisfaction of seeing your loco on a MGR turn passing Shirebrook!

Tell me the reason  why you prefer a particular number...

Some numbers are not permitted as we already have them on Shirebrook these being 58004, 012, 017 ,015, 019, 023, 034, 038, 040, 044 and 050. I will choose one with an interesting story connected to it.

Cheers

Stay Safe

Duncan  

I am just reposting my request as I would like as many of you to be involved and make my choice really difficult! Please see original posting for photos....I'm looking forward to reading your memories you post. Thanks to those of you who have already posted your thoughts... all have been very interesting

Cheers

Duncan

[Duncan.]

Hi Everyone,

When I weathered my brake vans the airbrush lifted the 'p and i' in 'piped' on one side of one of the brake vans, even after I sealed with a light spray of varnish... perhaps it was just too light! Here  are before and after photos of that fail and the re-transfer.

Cheers

[Steven B]

001 or 005 would allow some test train running:

http://www.traintesting.com/Class_58.htm

 

Steven B

[Northmoor]

13 hours ago, Duncan. said:

I am just reposting my request as I would like as many of you to be involved and make my choice really difficult! Please see original posting for photos....I'm looking forward to reading your memories you post. Thanks to those of you who have already posted your thoughts... all have been very interesting

Cheers

Duncan

 

I hardly ever saw 58s for the first decade of their lives, not generally visiting parts of the country where they were common.  I lived in Worksop for a year in the early 90s and arrived there having probably only seen about half a dozen.  By nine months in I'd seen them all (many running past the window where I worked).  Don't think I can make a specific number request; I seem to remember cycling into work one morning and diverting into Tesco's car park to look over the fence and there was 58044 which was my last "cop" and you've already got that one.  Going out at weekends to photograph them at points between West Burton/Cottam Power Stations and Mansfield, fortunately I got a decent photographic record of them and the 56s on the MGRs but wish I'd done so much more.  Several of the local pits had closed only a year later.

[Duncan.]

13 minutes ago, Steven B said:

001 or 005 would allow some test train running:

http://www.traintesting.com/Class_58.htm

 

Steven B

Interesting Steven, 005 at Sutton Colliery with the test car and (do you know the ID of the other 58?) would make an interesting working! Good Shout.

[Duncan.]

8 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

 

I hardly ever saw 58s for the first decade of their lives, not generally visiting parts of the country where they were common.  I lived in Worksop for a year in the early 90s and arrived there having probably only seen about half a dozen.  By nine months in I'd seen them all (many running past the window where I worked).  Don't think I can make a specific number request; I seem to remember cycling into work one morning and diverting into Tesco's car park to look over the fence and there was 58044 which was my last "cop" and you've already got that one.  Going out at weekends to photograph them at points between West Burton/Cottam Power Stations and Mansfield, fortunately I got a decent photographic record of them and the 56s on the MGRs but wish I'd done so much more.  Several of the local pits had closed only a year later.

 Hi,

Dave Mckenzie also mentioned 044... I only have that in 3t Grey livery... so it could just go into the hat! Thanks for your memories.

Cheers

[Stuart A]

13 hours ago, Duncan. said:

I am just reposting my request as I would like as many of you to be involved and make my choice really difficult! Please see original posting for photos....I'm looking forward to reading your memories you post. Thanks to those of you who have already posted your thoughts... all have been very interesting

Cheers

Duncan

I don't have any interesting stories about 58's but I'll suggest 3 candidates.

58002, appears to be the first 58 I ever spotted on the 12th May 1986, at Acton Bridge, or 58030 or 58039 - the 2 remaining 58's I needed to spot when I stopped spotting in 1993.  I can't remember what the blue tick signifies next to 039 though.