Chippenham - The Work Bench

[Bluemonkey presents....]

21 minutes ago, 57xx said:

Will you be building a Crocodile L to move the AT-AT around?

 

I do have a couple of Crocodile H kits to build  and a number of Rectanks may come in useful  

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Well Folks there has been plenty of bitty modelling going on. New pre-printed wagon made up with removable coal load from the branch, the warflats are finally complete. All hooks, chain links and tensioners in place to secure the loads. Only took 4 days to the get the chains made up! Now for the sleeper wagon chains  Snaffled some more pre-printed wagons from the bay, these are Cambrian ones. The last kit was a Slaters one with odd opaque type plastic for the underframe and that seemed very brittle compared to the rest, almost 3-D printed like in appearance but obviously not. I have decided to have these new 3 kits as a diversion from the sleeper chains to keep me sane. Once I am done with them it  will either be finishing the siphon C and cattle wagons as I am waiting the transfers or to start the two loco kits I have selected.

[57xx]

On 14/03/2021 at 18:53, Bluemonkey presents.... said:

Snaffled some more pre-printed wagons from the bay, these are Cambrian ones. The last kit was a Slaters one with odd opaque type plastic for the underframe and that seemed very brittle compared to the rest

 

It is nasty stuff, isn't it. It's put me right off their kits.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

On 23/03/2021 at 22:23, 57xx said:

 

It is nasty stuff, isn't it. It's put me right off their kits.

 

The Cambrian one I was working on seemed even more brittle. To the point where I had to completely replace both the brake parts, luckily I had some spares in the 'spares' box. Even the floor in places is opaque!

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Made a start to one of the three Cambrian pre-printed sides kits and instantly wish I had not bothered. I appreciate these are old kits but the packet did have a sticker stating, new and improved chassis easier fixing. Well hate to have had a go with it's predecessor. None of the parts fit and needed considerable adjustment whilst the brake gear disintegrated on attempting to clear flash, not even the V hangers and axle boxes aligned from side to side. The wagon body mitre joins were too angled and the floor piece short. The lettering is not that brilliant either but expected on the older prints.

 

Overall very disappointed. I my eyes a kit, especially one with pre-printed wagon sides, should be an exercise is construction the pieces as designed to make a decent representation of a wagon, coach etc. Should the builder wish to add or enhance construction/fixing/parts that is their personal choice but not one that should be imposed by the quality. Basic kit construction should be something of pleasure rather than frustration.

 

That said I have finished the wagon as best as I can; filling as required the wagon mitre joints, replacing the floor with plasticard, adjusting the solebars to align the axle boxes and extending as required, shaving the buffer shanks so they are somewhere close to fitting the associated body, reworking the recess for the bearings to sit, repositioning the V hangers to align with each other and having to replace the brake gearing completely from the spares box.

One excellent feature though Smiths 3-link coupling hooks fit the buffer beam without any further drilling or opening of the hole.

 

I think the other two can wait for another week, month, year, possibly decade! Shame though as the other two have a better quality of transfer print.

 

Onwards and outwards.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Here's the offending object. Has a real coal load (removable) as will all my other open coal wagons. It is unfortunate about the floor as the internal side detail is rather decent especially as black. The other, pre-coloured one is not painted on the inside which is typical if not again disappointing.

 

 

As the sharp eyed will have spotted I am yet to finish off those loaded sleeper wagons. The securing chains, loops and tensioners are next on the hit list, especially as the flats are now done I have run out of real excuses.

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Fiddly, frustrating and tedious are the polite words I can muster for the conclusion of a build which must have been started about two and a half years ago! Still need completing and then a little paint/wash and transfers but here's a taster;

 

    Probably worth it in the long run, at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....
spelling

[MrWolf]

Had to keep going back and look at those old sleepers again, top bit of paintwork!

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Many thanks. I can not take much credit though as the sleepers are laser but wood and only received ink washes from me with a hint of gunmetal drybrushing.

 

[Mikkel]

Looks very neat, Matt.

 

I spy some nice looking couplings in the first photo. I can't recognize the packaging, can I ask where you got them?

 

 

 

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

2 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Looks very neat, Matt.

 

I spy some nice looking couplings in the first photo. I can't recognize the packaging, can I ask where you got them?

 

 

 

 

 

Those are the etched shackles and hooks from Ambis Engineering that I used for the chains on these wagons and the warflats. But you are right they do look rather like couplings.

[Mikkel]

Oh, sorry. I thought they were instanter couplings and hooks 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

12 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Oh, sorry. I thought they were instanter couplings and hooks 

It is a shame as they are nicely detailed and very fine etches not sure if they can be extended. Ambis do make larger ones though.

 

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Wow over a month since my last posting. Little  modelling done and the modelling has been of the pre-printed side kits. I have been lucky enough to win some on eBay recently but I think people have been reading my previous posts as the batches have been rocketing in price since and now I am priced out of acquiring any more it seems £25+ for plastic open wagon kits are above me really. One maybe if really desired but 9 I was interested in went well above this week and previous weeks. Good for the seller though.

 

My recent build for those interested;

 

 

Not quite finished. As you will have noticed there are eight square marks on the wagon floor. This is where some moulded securing rings where. My intention is to replace these with metal ones with chains. Possibly some Bath stone as well to go with the GWR red 1 planker. Originally this wagon started life as an LNER one but being Bath and Corsham this does not make sense really as I believe the original owner also thought as a new set of brakes were included. So I used the said brakes and changed the brake gear with spares from previous Gloucester Wagon Company kits. The axle boxes are incorrect but I have come o the conclusion that sometimes one can be a little too picky. I have far too many lovely kits to build and not enough time to make all 100% accurate, especially general use wagons, besides this is an LNER wagon at heart! That will leave me more time and energy for serious detailing on more specialised and focal wagons like siphons and milk tanks  I have another two chassis' built waiting the wagon tops of the pre-printed variety along with a decent order from PowSides, my china clay division has, in part, arrived.

 

Additionally I have received some wonderful looking transfers from Mark from Facebook Group; GWR Modellers. I spent a long time researching correct running numbers and specific livery type for W1/5 cattle wagons. Generally all the same but there are some finer differences and a couple with vary different styles. Mark has expertly been able to transform my research into a 4mm transfer for each of those Cooper Craft wagons I waiting for them 16 in total plus to specials. I really was hoping to attack them this weekend but sadly unable. More to follow on these.

 

 

Anyway I have news!!!!!!

[Bluemonkey presents....]

The news is that I have (I think this is new but maybe someone else has already posted this) discovered a massive WIN WIN!!!!!  

 

For her (in my house);

 

 

For him (in my house);

 

 

Sorry for the monster pictures.

The cake is available from a store start with A and ends in ldi. The clear plastic is the former round the side of the cake and once cleaned up removing the chocolate and associated grease is very useful it seems for all types of glazing. A nice thickness but not overly thick, a decent amount of length (ohh Matron) and is a free by-product of making others very happy.  

 

Everyone is a winner in my house!  There are those made up chassis' for the two further wagon kits  

 

 

The cake is also rather good in my opinion. 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....
Muppetry

[Mikkel]

Hi Matt, good to see you posting again.

 

That does look like good glazing material. As you say, it needs to be just "so" to work well. As for the cake, maybe there's a marketing trick hidden in there for the manufacturers. "Here's the cake I ordered for you darling. Oh look, there happens to be a wagon kit attached to it."

[Bluemonkey presents....]

My latest addition. This will be for the train room. Although not Chippenham it (for me) is the next best thing. I am not aware of any paintings of Chippenham Station and was very lucky to find this one of Calne. A lovely picture with some really nice details around the station and yard area.

 

   Original painted by Robin Pinnock

[Bluemonkey presents....]

The past few weeks I have been working through a bundle of excellent transfers for the W1/W5 cattle wagons I have lined up. All Cooper Craft kits. The transfers are produced by Mark on the Facebook site GWR Modellers group. These are truly excellent and he has done an excellent job to make my ok builds look fantastic in livery, especially as the smaller details can be captured. All are genuinely numbered wagons (although I have lost some of my reference material ). I believe he sells these and can produce numbers to suit your requirements or can run with his library. Please dont overload request though I have plenty on my wish list  He is also responsible for producing the siphon C transfers for me and currently working out some siphon F livery samples as well.

[MrWolf]

I will be looking out for pictures of those as they develop, I have quite a few for the sheep traffic on Aston. A GWR cattle wagon kit is high up on my wishlist for Parkside or Cambrian et al to produce.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

On 13/06/2021 at 21:30, MrWolf said:

I will be looking out for pictures of those as they develop, I have quite a few for the sheep traffic on Aston. A GWR cattle wagon kit is high up on my wishlist for Parkside or Cambrian et al to produce.

Here's a few examples of the differing types of livery from the sets of transfers; (38353 end transfers look odd in the picture but I think this is due to the view finder angle, sorry)

 

       

 

       

 

       

 

All Cooper Craft W1/5 kits, all numbers are authentic. Rooves are not attached, nor wheels etc but I plan to weather and detail each wagon individually as per picture reference sourced. So some will be lime washed and others clean. There is a mixture of diagrams in lime wash use as well. This will take time as I have lost some of my original research picture references hence the early pictures of uncompleted models. Hope they provide food for thought. I am learning a lot researching all these different sorts of wagons to commission bespoke transfers  I have a few with 'not common user' and one lined up for a complete tarp over the roof for horses. I have a special one but not the livery yet so that is still in the paint shop. I need to find a couple more kits to complete my line up tough. Then onto the metal kits for the differing diagrams.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Will require a matt varnish as well, once finished and this will remove any transfer evidence as per the siphon Cs. Honestly these transfers are the best I have ever worked with and I am super picky! 

[MrWolf]

Thanks, that is really thought provoking. I think that it would be a good idea to batch build mine now that I have wheels and couplings. Leaving the rooves off is a good idea and I am tempted to replace the window bars with brass wire. It's a lot better to modify them now than trying to repair the damage when I inevitably break one!

I've been tempted once or twice by well built, painted and weathered secondhand examples until I noticed that the interior was unpainted!

Besides, the ones in the box of doom have lain gathering dust for thirty years. Judging by the steady flow of old CC wagons appearing on eBay, I'm probably not the only offender.

Edited June 15, 2021 by MrWolf

[Bluemonkey presents....]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Thanks, that is really thought provoking. I think that it would be a good idea to batch build mine now that I have wheels and couplings. Leaving the rooves off is a good idea and I am tempted to replace the window bars with brass wire. It's a lot better to modify them now than trying to repair the damage when I inevitably break one!

I've been tempted once or twice by well built, painted and weathered secondhand examples until I noticed that the interior was unpainted!

 

Total agree about the prebuilt ones, maybe the same ones we looked at.

Definitely change the window bars with brass and tie bar as well whilst/pre building, must easier from experience.

[MrWolf]

Am I right in thinking that the tiebar was only on the vacuum fitted version? 

I keep seeing etched tiebars but only ever for 9' and 10' WB wagons.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Not sure really. I think it really comes down to what wagon at what time of life. I have some picture of a mixed W5 and W1 rake which appears to have only one W5 with a tie bar but it is very fuzzy. I have another picture of 13865 with lime wash and seemingly no vac but has a tie bar. 

Rule 1, possibly on that detail unless specific pictures modeled. I must admit I have gone for full tie bars an all.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Bluemonkey presents....