Sixoh8sixoh (Mike)'s workbench - currently fitting Kadee couplers to a modern Hornby HST

[sixoh8sixoh]

Way back on the last version of the forum, I started a workbench topic: Mike's |old| workbench topic. I started making a Townstreet stone goods shed but due to lack of time, a baby arriving, lack of motivation and slight frustration with getting the roof to fit together, I put it to one side.

 

I've had a week off and spent much of yesterday and today listening to the cricket and painting the goods shed. It still needs windows, roof trusses, grain of wheat bulbs and canopy supports (plus detailing) to be fitted before it's ready, plus some further work on painting the roof, I think. The roof is just sitting in position at the moment. Once the light bulbs and roof trusses are in place, I've still to seal the roof in place and hide the gaps, probably either with DAS modelling clay or with Miliput.

 

Anyway, here's a couple of the photos from the progress of the model, and the two most up to date shots from tonight.

 

The basic castings as supplied.

 

Trial run.

 

Different angle of the trial run. All held in place by gravity!

 

Making the roof trusses.

 

Tonight view 1 - that gap looks awful between the roof and the gutter but will be filled.

 

Tonight view 2.

[coachmann]

Very natural finish there. And its a lovely building.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Quick update with 3 photos. This week I've spent some time getting the lighting installed, the windows in place, odds and ends with a paintbrush, fitting the rafters...

 

Sorry, you'll need to turn your heads upside down as they seem to have ended up the wrong way up when transferring from my computer! Now how did that happen...?! Mobile phone photos only tonight so apologies for poor quality.

 

 

 

[Jamie]

Very nice Mike, always liked these on the stand at the SECC year after year.

 

Good to see you back at the workbench.

Jamie.

[BoD]

It's looking good Mike.

 

What happened to the plans for the river bridge? If I remember correctly you had etchings made up for the girder work.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Thanks, all! I'm waiting for an order of Slater's plasticard that I placed a while back. The plan is to make the piers in the Dave Shakespeare / Tetley Mills method described on here and in the new (July) issue of Model Rail, but I wanted to get this goods shed finished before I make a start on the bridge too.

 

I've a few things left to do to the goods shed (including planting it on its "drop-in" baseboard and adding some foliage around it) before I declare it finished. Last night the roof went on permanently... Heaven help me if either of the light bulbs blow...

[sixoh8sixoh]

On the workbench tonight... (gosh, it's been a long time, but the mojo is starting to return...)

 

I've been extremely brave (for me) and followed the instructions Blackpool_Tower (on the previous version of the forum) gave for removing the horrible coupling arm from a new tooling Hornby HST: link to old RMweb thread on Hornby HSTs. I've done the dummy car this evening as an experiment, and as I've been surprised at how well it went, I'll give the power car the same treatment tomorrow night. Pictures to follow tomorrow.

[sixoh8sixoh]

I promised some photos of the Hornby HST. Here's a before and after style shot, with the dummy car with kadee fitted on the left, and the power car in its original state on the right. Apologies for it being slightly out of focus!

 

 

And after a little work this evening, the power car has been fitted, as has a Hornby Mk3 (unfortunately the Hornby Mk3 coaches aren't as simple to do as they might be - no drop in NEM pockets, sadly, but they're not too complicated). So here's the after, showing the power car and dummy coupled together. Much nicer I think!

 

 

The tanks on the power car (right) aren't in their final position, these were moved up a little after the photo was taken, before the glue set!

[DonBradley]

Mike, I remmber following your start of the Townstreet Goods shed.

Congrats of your colouraton of the stone work and canopy roof. They are excellent!

Sorry to hear yout news Gordon. though I suspect that you are already in hospital so won't see our messages until you are back home. Nevertheless we are all thinking of you and wishing you a speedy return to ERs.

Wonderful news Stewart on your managing without crutches.

Have a Good one everybody and an enjoyable weekend.