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Fenwick Pit: a North East Colliery in 2mm


Geordie Exile
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Hi Richard. THose P4s Look grand .I have used railtecs decals on a few items myself and they are good. I think the artform for the 15tonners look really fine lets hope that the etches come out better. I am lookinf forwards to seeing a complete wagon in the future .As i said in my past blog im looking for about 10 wagons, some will have the old BACKWORTH logos and I would like to to acouple in dark blue a the rest in red oxide NCB .

Best regards.   RAY.

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Well, gosh. Two B6 turnouts, both of which (appear to) work perfectly. I confess I've been holding off laying actual track on an actual layout as my first two attempts were less than perfect, to the point (!) that I thought I just didn't have the knack for track. 

 

I may try and scavenge the bases and crossings from my unsuccessful attempts and do them again. Except they're PVA'd to a test plank, so any suggestions as to how to un-PVA them gratefully received.

 

If at first you don't succeed...

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
17 hours ago, Geordie Exile said:

Is there something inherently nuts in what we do for 'enjoyment'? 

Of course there is!   We're all in our own wee world, but it's OK, they know us there! 

 

Jim 

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It's arrived. My first (how many of my posts contain those two words?!) wagon etch. It doesn't look as though I've left anything important in the post-etching soup.  I'm busy on another batch of Fencehouse P4s at the moment, so it'll have to wait until at least, erm, the weekend :D

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Hi Richard. Thats simply magic. The first etch kits for RCH 16 ton special order wagons for Backworth colleries.

I wondered why youve been quiet for a while, youve been bashing away at god knows how many old P4 kits.  

Are tou going to have the old BR 21tonners on your layout .?

Just to keep you up dated , Ian Smiths layout Modbury 2 mm f/s has just appeared on u tube worth a look, Hes done a very fine job. No doubt you  will be having an attempt to assemble your new wagons in the next few days ,look forwards to seein them .

regards. Ray

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The anchors are for my missus who crafts - I had spaces to fill.  I like the idea of a pub, but I'd call it The Windin' Hoose!

I've got a dozen of the 21tonners to do.  I started another 4 P4s to keep me going until the Backworth hoppers arrived - just the brake levers, stanchions and handrails to do, then I'll hold off painting them while I make a start on the lovely shiny new stuff!

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Hi Rchard, The only pub I can remember out Fenwick way was the Bee Hive a very popular pub on a sunday for lunches.

That was over br Earsden if my memory serves me correct. Aw well well just have to crack on they say up north.

The weather is starting to look a bit btighter here now and hoping it will warm up as well so I can get into my shed and start on my

latest arrivals  ww11 vehicles another transport project of mine in 2mm .Regards for now Ray.

 

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Richard,

Congratulations on your first kit. It’s really quite satisfying to produce something that not only goes together (albeit with a few relatively minor issues) but also produces a useable model.  The only full kits I’ve done are my 6 wheeled coaches and they too have minor glitches.  Hopefully when I finally finish off my next artwork of permanent way wagons I’ll be as successful as you have been.

Ian

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Great job, Richard.  I know exactly how you feel and you have every right to be pleased with yourself.  :good:Trial etches are all about finding out the mistakes in the artwork and getting them sorted for the 'production' run.  It took two sets of trial etches to get the fish van underframes I did for @Graham R and Simon before I got it right, though part of that was down to the fact that I was unfamiliar with the prototype.

 

Jim

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Hi Richard , Thats a very nice model . At least you can say that you are the first to build a 2mm model of the RCH wagon for Backworth colleries even if you did have a few design problems. (no doubt RCH had the same faults when they built them.)If you are worried about the gaps in the hopper floor put some  coal in it on a plasticard base it will make it look a 100% better.

Best regards Ray.

 

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@Geordie Exile A valiant effort on a challenging prototype for a first go. I still forget 'features' and even complete components after several attempts at etching over the past 10 years. Very well done. I once worked with a collegue that told me that everything should be done twice because you only know what to do once you have already done it, and then it can be done properly. I think that definitely carries through with etch design.

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As part of the hopper test etch, I added some sheaves and walkways to enhance (I hoped) the heapstead.  The previous sheaves were 3D-printed from Shapeways which were certainly finer than anything I could manage, but the etched versions are much more delicate again. The spindle needs a lick of paint, and I'll add some spacers between the sheaves:

image.png.837fcf5dfd1b57317b5cdb36d4abe93c.png

 

I also etched some safety rails for the steps up to the sheaves, and a ladder and roof walkway to access those steps.  Possible the most delicate thing I've ever had to solder, and I'm now terrified that I'll squish them, but they've come out quite nicely:

image.png.6e11115bf4edf206a7aec6e24d1a5af1.png

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...and once again the close-up shows the worst as well as the best!  A squirt of matt varnish should take the shine off that rendered wall.

 

Richard

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Great stuff, Richard.  that pit head gear really looks the part.  Only comment - those etched railings really show up the ones round the top!  ;)

 

The wagons too look the business.  I can see a bulk order going to PPD!  :)  The thing will be to work out the most economical way to do it depending on the best way to fit them on a sheet to get the most economical number on and then get multiple sheets.  Calculating on the basis of one set of films and then multiple sheets from them, I generally find that for 2 sheets from the one set of films the cost per etched kit is about 60% of one sheet.  For 3 sheets it drops to around 50% and after that there's much less of a difference as the initial tooling cost is a much lower proportion of the overall cost.

 

Jim

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1 hour ago, Caley Jim said:

Only comment - those etched railings really show up the ones round the top!  ;)

Yeah, yeah, I know! I'll correct (well, amend!) the hopper artwork and resubmit, so some replacement railings may well be added! The washery has similar railings which I might replace too. Mick's after some sheaves, so they'll be on the next one as well. Oh, and there's no access from ground level to the first set of ladders on the headstock... I'm going to end up with an A3 sheet just full of stuff to improve what I've already built. :D

 

As for the origami, I'm pretty happy with how tightly one hopper's squeezed now, so working out the final (ha!) production run is just a question of tesselating rectangles. 

 

R

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58 minutes ago, Geordie Exile said:

As for the origami, I'm pretty happy with how tightly one hopper's squeezed now, so working out the final (ha!) production run is just a question of tesselating rectangles. 

I was thinking more in terms of how many you put on a sheet and then how many sheets you get done from these films.  For example if you want 30, will it be cheaper to get 3 sheets of 10, or two sheets of 15 done?  As far as I can tell, the repeat cost for etching from the same films is the much same whatever the size (within limits).

 

Jim

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Morning Richard. You have been busy this week,Yes they do look great I think you may have got something there.

Can i have a set of sheaves as well as about 10 wagons when you go into production. If the hand rails come on the etch that 

will be a bonus.I hadnt realised that you  were going into a fell production run ,i thought it was supposed to be just  a tesr run.

I also like what Caley Jim said .Ray.

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