SRman's Current Layout - Newton Broadway

[SRman]

I have just redone the concrete wall beside the London Transport branch line on Newton Broadway. The previous version printed with a pink hue, but this is rather better in colour. I also reinforced the joint a bit. There is much that is still temporary in the scenery on this area, including the brick wall on the left, which is Hornby Skaledale and can't be curved. The tunnel mouths are Peco but recycled from my old layout, so really need to be replaced with better items too. Still, I am happy with the progress, slow as it is.


P_20191011_170759_vHDR_Updated by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

In a fit of impulsiveness, I bought a Silver Fox class 123 DMU conversion kit from their eBay store. I have always had an interest in the DMUs as an aside to the usual London and Southern-influenced stock, and have done quite a few conversions over the years. I had a class 121 'bubble car' long before Lima brought one out. I have class 104s converted from Hornby 110s, a class 120 converted from class 117 components with Craftsman brass etched overlays, and have done several conversions of Lima's class 117 to provide DMS cars rather than having two DMBS cars in a set.

With this list of previous conversions in mind, plus future class 119 and 129 conversions still in their boxes, I have now set up the class 123 Swindon Intercity unit to be done. This will accept several compromises, not the least of which is that the 123 units did not really have marK 1 side profiles, but had a flatter upper section and shallower windows. However, the layouts of the internals and external windows and doors was very, very close to those of the equivalent mark 1 coaches. The set will be a 4-car unit with this formation: DMBSO + CK + SO + DMSK. I used mainly bargain bin coaches from Bachmann, but was only able to get a CK and SK in blue and grey (saving repainting of the centre coaches). You may notice that one of these needs to be an SO rather than a corridor SK. I dismantled one of the maroon SOs that I had bought, and swapped the roofs and interiors (the roof vent layout is different between SO and SK), and fitted B4 bogies while I was at it.

The driving motors should have B5 bogies, but I will accept the B4s for now, but when I next order something from Replica Railways, I'll pick up some B5 side frames. I forgot to do this when I ordered a motorised chassis (64' with 12mm wheels), plus some other unrelated bits and pieces for use in other projects.

One minor irritation is that the maroon SOs, as bought, came from earlier Bachmann moulds and had prominent transverse ridges on their roofs, while the blue and grey corridor pair (as bought) have smooth roofs. 

No further work has been done on the conversion other than that described above and the fitting of B4 bogies to the remaining two coaches.

Here is what I have for now. There were extra conversion bits to be used in the Silver Fox box not shown here.


P_20191026_092955_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

P_20191026_092934_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


While I have collected all of the components, it may still be a while before I complete this conversion. There is a bit of cutting and shutting of sides involved for the DMBSO and the DMSK.

[SRman]

A tiny bit more preparatory work on the class 123 DMU: I have removed all of the weights from the Bachmann coaches (it really isn't needed as they have more than enough weight in their construction) and removed the end handrails and corridor connections from the outer ends of what will be the driving coaches. The driving ends are actually going to be completely replaced by the resin components, but removing the connections will make it easier to cut off the coach end while retaining the headstocks and buffers intact.

What is going to be the DMSK (Driving Motor Second Corridor) has had its underframe trusses removed and the battery boxes shifted, then the resin engine/transmission and fuel tank components glued on. I forgot to mark the position of the centre screw on the coach underframe, so had to guess where to drill an access hole in the resin base - I missed twice, but no real harm done. This particular coach has one body fixing screw at what will be the cab end that won't budge. I have stripped the head of it in trying, but will end up drilling it out completely when the time comes to dismantle the coach for the side modifications. For the DMSK, I have to remove one window bay on each side to the rear of the centre door, then shift the forward portion back to join it, then add the resin cab moulding, so the side ends up with the cab bit, four windows, door, then three windows, a door and a toilet window. 


P_20191027_174838_vHDR_Cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


The DMBSO (Driving Motor Brake Second Open) is going to require a lot more work to incorporate the motorised chassis. 

Thinking out loud here (so to speak!): I intend to use one of the Replica Railways motorised chassis (they refer to them as RPCs), but as an alternative, I do have a Hornby class 121 I intended for conversions, possibly to power the intended class 119 unit. If the RPC has sufficient power and traction, I may even be able to use a half-chassis with only one motor, thus hiding it in the van section and still allowing full seating for the open saloon section. That would free up the other half of the RPC to power my currently unpowered class 456 EMU. 

[BMacdermott]

Hello Jeff

 

I agree that Bachmann coaches don't need weights. They are very difficult to remove from Mk1s. Hornby are a lot easier!

 

Brian

[SRman]

I did consider the Hornby coaches, but there was no real price advantage, and the Bachmann ones have the close-coupling arrangement. As seen in the photos, I have actually coupled them using Hornby's close-couplers, somewhat ironically. These bring the gangways in contact on straights, but separate them nicely on curves. The incorrect height of the Bachmann coupling pockets doesn't matter here in a self-contained DMU formation.

[John Tomlinson]

2 hours ago, BMacdermott said:

Hello Jeff

 

I agree that Bachmann coaches don't need weights. They are very difficult to remove from Mk1s. Hornby are a lot easier!

 

Brian

Seconded. The weights are completely unnecessary, unless you want to do a scale 200mph around 12" curves. They're also a real detriment if you have a layout with gradients.

 

I have found that some are very well glued in, and consequently difficult to remove without fear of breaking the chassis.Others have almost no glue at all. I've never tried the trick of putting something you wish to unglue in a 'fridge overnight, to weaken the bond, but it might be worth a try.

 

Fascinated by this project, and looking forward to seeing it develop.

 

John.

[SRman]

I was lucky, only one weight was glued in, and that came out with only a little persuasion from a stout flat-bladed screwdriver. The others just fell out when I opened the coaches. Even the one with the frozen screw was able to be opened enough to let the weight fall out when tipped over.

[SRman]

Some further work on the class 123 DMSK, which will not be motorised. I have cut the side sections and butted them up, trimmed the roof (although a tiny bit more may need to be removed, cut a section out of the seat unit, removed the coach end at the cab end, and posed the resin cab at that end. Nothing has been glued and filled at this stage, there is still a small amount of fettling to do. The parts are shown just after cutting, and assembled loosely in a way that gives an idea of how it will look once completed.


P_20191029_180336_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

 

P_20191029_183951_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

Another small step in creating the class 123 DMU. This is the first fitting for the DMBS casting. A little trimming is still required, and the underframe will have to be drastically altered to allow the motor chassis to be fitted.


P_20191112_220609_vHDR_Cropped by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

I have just picked up yet another class 33 diesel! I offered $100 (Aus) and that was accepted, so I am now the proud owner of a Heljan class 33/2, 33 207 Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in Railfreight Construction livery. It had most of the extra bits in the box, but I had to fit my own couplings (I use Bachmann straight ones in preference to Heljans cranked ones anyway), and was missing the light guides and a bogie step at one end only. I have some Heljan spare sprues of 33 bits somewhere, so may even have replacements for these if I am lucky. It tested fine on DC, so now has a Zimo MX600 decoder fitted and runs fine on DCC as well. I really didn't need another 33, but at that price I couldn't resist.


P_20191201_194503_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

Slight update on the 33/2: I found the sprue of glazing bits, including the light guides, so those have now been installed, but I couldn't find any bogie steps, so I may have to resort to scratchbuilding a set, using the existing ones as a pattern.

I must source a nice set of etched plates to go on this model too.

[P.C.M]

4 hours ago, SRman said:

Slight update on the 33/2: I found the sprue of glazing bits, including the light guides, so those have now been installed, but I couldn't find any bogie steps, so I may have to resort to scratchbuilding a set, using the existing ones as a pattern.

I must source a nice set of etched plates to go on this model too.

I think I have some spare steps somewhere Jeff. I will let you know. Left or right side?

 

Cheers Peter. 

[SRman]

11 minutes ago, P.C.M said:

I think I have some spare steps somewhere Jeff. I will let you know. Left or right side?

 

Cheers Peter. 

 

Hi Peter. That would be great if you do have a spare. 

I am at work at present, so will get back to you this evening as to which side is missing (I think it was a LH one, but I need to check). When I bought the model the bogie side frames were on the wrong sides too, so the steps were all facing the wrong way (or at the wrong ends of the bogies, if you prefer!). At least that is a very easy fix on the Heljan models.

[SRman]

Confirming that, Peter, it is a left-hand one. 

 

[SRman]

... and I have just ordered he Earl Mountbatten of Burma etched plates and crests from Fox Transfers.

[P.C.M]

4 hours ago, SRman said:

Confirming that, Peter, it is a left-hand one. 

 

No worries Jeff, I will have a look in the old spares box.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

This one will cost you it's pro weathered. Lol

[SRman]

Perfect Peter!
 

Now the price ... is that one beer or two?

[P.C.M]

17 hours ago, SRman said:

Perfect Peter!
 

Now the price ... is that one beer or two? 

Well I do like a beer. But this you can have I will pop it in the post for you if you want.

 

[SRman]

There's no urgency for this. I am happy to wait until we see you next (probably January at the Gheringhap meeting. Thanks heaps though, Peter. 

[P.C.M]

On 06/12/2019 at 15:17, SRman said:

There's no urgency for this. I am happy to wait until we see you next (probably January at the Gheringhap meeting. Thanks heaps though, Peter. 

No worries. 

[SRman]

A little bit of work for the layout, rather than on the layout: I have finally returned to the farm scene for the back corner. I have been gluing the hedges and fences on now that I am happy with the overall look. The front retaining wall will adjoin the railway and I am thinking of using a concrete texture for that. The small white patches are wet glue that "escaped"!


P_20191208_104924_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20191208_104936_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20191208_104944_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

The etched name plates and shields for 33 207 arrived from Fox Transfers. I forgot to order the depot plates as well, so those will have to await another order (I usually try to buy more than one item to share the postal costs a bit).

I found that the etched plates were slightly shorter than the printed ones, so had to scrape off a little from the ends of the printed plates, which also removed a few small chips of paint. I found that a Humbrol grey #64 from the standard paint range was a very close match to the light grey, but unfortunately glossy against the satin finish, so had to matt varnish the touched up patches afterwards. I will eventually do a little light weathering on this locomotive too, so that will hide any very slight mismatches.


P_20191210_171648_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20191210_171728_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr

[SRman]

On the industrial front, I have numbered and named the B2 Peckett 0-6-0ST, after removing the NCB lettering using T-cut. Unfortunately, the T-cut also removed some of the blue paint, but I will be weathering this locomotive in due course, and its new name plates hide some of the black areas, so the effect will not be too obvious. She is now No. 18, Amarantha.
 
The new No. 19 has also just arrived, a Hornby Ruston DS48 diesel, which will not be named for the present. I want to repaint the Army green to a blue livery but retain the wasp strips on the ends, hence my choice of this model (it saves me having to paint the wasp stripes in the first place!). Installing a Bachmann (Zimo) 36-568 6-pin decoder was a breeze (after noting any areas of concern referred to in the model rail forums) and works perfectly.


P_20200103_143232_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20200103_143308_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20200103_143240_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


Note that the Leyland Atlantean bus in the background does not belong in the goods yard. I have been rearranging some of my storage for both trains and road vehicles, and this was placed there temporarily.
 

Edited January 3, 2020 by SRman

[SRman]

A quick dab of thinned Network South East darker (later) blue, then a thin wash of black over the blue patches has given this result. Once weathered lightly, I think it will all blend in nicely.

The black wash is still wet in the photos.


P_20200104_143037_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr


P_20200104_143056_vHDR_On by Jeffrey Lynn, on Flickr