GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!

[john dew]

22 minutes ago, CCGWR said:

I realise this is a rather late question John, are those particular Railtec transfers under the 'Custom' Text transfer product. Hoping to change my set from Birmingham to London Division

 

Connor

 

Hi Connor

 

 I am afraid I cant remember how I ordered them .Best to send Steve at Railtec an email .......I have found him to be super helpful. I think he supplied them to a few people when the coaches were first released

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

 

 

[Mikkel]

12 hours ago, john dew said:

I started working on the Bachmann Warflat wagon

 

John, I know nothing about this stuff but I agree with M.I.B., the result looks excellent. It's not at all easy to get chain looking like that. Impressive work.

[john dew]

Hi Mikkel

 

Thanks Mikkel thats very kind of you and much appreciated.

 

Until Robin (ANTB) tempted me to buy the Warwell I knew very little about tanks and even less about their transport. Many years ago I did  serve in the British Army but it was in the Infantry.......the only thing I learned then about tanks was they had the luxury of a built in electric kettle......can you imagine the envy if you are stuck in a slit trench eating cold beans!

 

MIB on the other hand is a genuine expert and has been very helpful and I have spent rather a lot of time on Google.

 

Best wishes

 

John

[M.I.B]

6 hours ago, john dew said:

.....the only thing I learned then about tanks was they had the luxury of a built in electric kettle.....

 

Tank Transporters had them too.

 

If you wanted to heat up a tin of beans and make a couple of cups of tea at the same time, you put a dent in the beans tin and sat it on top of the exhaust stack, and used the BV (Boiling Vessel) for making a brew.  When the dent popped out or when you couldn't touch the can with bare hands, you knew it was time to eat - as long as you opened the tin carefully (think of tomato sauce at 300C and 400 psi.............)

[gwrrob]

On 25/11/2019 at 20:15, M.I.B said:

Outstanding work John, not only on the tank weathering, and the WARFLAT, but the shackles and loading are perfect.

 

That is the standard and pattern which perfectionists  should aim for.

 

Apart from your buildings, which I am always envious of, this is in my opinion your best piece of modelling.

 

Were the chains left in place on a warflat/well when not loaded I wonder Tinker.

[john dew]

14 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

Were the chains left in place on a warflat/well when not loaded I wonder Tinker.

 

In case Tinker doesnt see this.......Based on one of his comments about drivers taking short cuts when releasing them....I am inclined to think that they were

 

Cheers

 

John

[M.I.B]

There don't seem to be any chain pockets Robin, but they are a hefty item to be dragging on and off repeatedly.

 

CONFLATs have very obvious chain pockets/lockers, and their chains are not so chunky as those needed for a 40-50 ton tank.  So the pockets would not be small if there were any.

 

They wouldn't have travelled in the armoured vehicles.

 

So I can only say that they stayed in place.

 

Happy to be corrected if someone knows there was a locker underneath - but given the size of chains i doubt that.

[john dew]

Thanks for all the ticks guys. I hadnt expected tanks and chains to be so popular!

 

This post concludes the tank project......but I have also, for the first time, taken advantage of my gold status and not re sized the photos .....the difference is pretty amazing.

I also took the opportunity to do some experimenting with focus stacking. I ditched Photoshop Elements about a year ago and switched to Affinity. I am still just scratching at the surface. Generally I just crop and fiddle with the auto buttons ......so this was a bit of an adventure.....not perfect but quite promising
 

Back to the tanks.....the first task was to paint and weather the chains securing the Cromwell tanks to the Warflats. 

Next job was to secure the Comet to the Warwell........not before time.....its been on the to do list since September 2017!

 

This is a resized shot from a previous post
 

Unlike the Cromwells which came with the Bachmann Warflats, I had to buy a suitable load for Hattons Warwell. I finally settled for a Comet kit from Millicast. The kit wasnt super easy to assemble but the resultant model has much better detail than the Cromwell. It is also more appropriate for my era.Comets first saw service just after D Day and were in action during the Korean War eight years later.     





I used the same securing system described in the previous post except the chains were attached to pieces of rod inserted in the buffer beam rather than the side




The shot above shows the front of the tank with the turret reversed for transport and only the casing remaining on the Machine gun. .




Now the reverse view ......the kit had a cosmetic barrel/support lock molded on the deck. I built one in the transport position from plastic girder.

 

 

To stop all the ash and cinder etc entering the gun barrel, not only was the turret reversed but the muzzle was covered in a canvas cap. I tried overlaying some tissue paper but it looked too clumsy. The barrel already had a bulb shaped blast deflector so I built up layers of PVA and painted it dirty sand. There is still a bit of a dent but otherwise it works ok

One bit of molded detail I could have done without were the the tools entrenching (pick and shovel to non squaddies) seen on the left hand side. I should have filed them down but it was too much faff and nobody would have noticed anyway ........if I hadnt pointed it out!
 

 

 

Two Warflats and one Warwell  coupled up ready to go




I delayed buying the Warwell and when I finally made up my mind the GWR version had sold out so I had to settle for the LMS version hence the Fowler 4F 0-6-0

 

I may well have used the 4F anyway. It is one of my most reliable and powerful locos and the three wagons with loads are surprisingly heavy. I have to admit that ascending the slope to Granby Viaduct is quite a challenge for my Collet and Dean Goods

 

The next three shots complete the story:
 

 

Regards from a damp Vancouver

John

[gwrrob]

Treat yourself to another John https://www.hattons.co.uk/386099/hattons_originals_h4_ww_001a_warwell_wagon_50t_with_diamond_frame_bogies_ms_3_in_wd_livery_gwr_/stockdetail.aspx

 

You deserve it after all that superb chain work.

[M.I.B]

Brilliant work John.

 

I wouldn't worry about "Tools Entrenching" - I have seen them removed and also left fitted.

 

A great piece of work and no shame in  using the Fowler.

 

You have set the standard with that rake and loads for certain.

[john dew]

A change of pace last week.

I finally started to work on completing the street scene in front of the station.




The GPO van and taxi have been parked there literally fo years. A constant reminder that I need to build a General Post Office and Hotel and then devise a credible link with the back of the Warehouse at Richard's Wharf.

I keep procrastinating for all manner of reasons........not least because it is the perfect place to park my cup of coffee while I perform gymnastics to duck under the canal and viaduct:

 

 

Another reason for delay is the awkward shape of the site.

 

 

The new buildings have to be at right angles to the station to make an open square. At the rear they will back on to a 36" radius curve where the main line exits the station and crosses the viaduct.


Carpe diem......nothing like a challenge......I am going to start with the Post Office

The plan is to use elements from Scalescenes Low Relief High Street Kit. This clip from their site shows the varied frontages




The Barclays Bank facade makes a good start point. However it is only 4 1/4" wide which is too narrow for my purposes.

I need to almost double the width of the building by adding 1 1/2" extensions on either side. To further complicate matters the brickwork used on the upper storeys is not available in sheet form. On the plus side, I think the dressed stone, shown below, will produce a more cohesive design 
 

 

For those who have not used them...Scalescenes Scratchbuilders packs are brilliant....for 2.50 you get a PDF file that you print out as required. There is a vast array of finishes to select from. 

(Incidentally, the colour isnt as harsh as this and actually matches the lower facade quite well).

The big asset for this project are the quoins which will be used to finish the many corners rather than the drain pipes used in the design.

I dont intend to do a cut by cut account but am happy to answer any questions. If any one else is similarly inspired the process I have followed may be of help 

When kitbashing I build the exterior walls first and then strengthen them later, which is the reverse of the normal Scalescene sequence.

Here are the sub assemblies from the kit to be glued to the extended front base. The central upper storey brickwork has already been clad in dressed stone with lintels and sills added from the builders pack.



Only the top and side windows on the base will be seen, they will also be clad in dressed stone. The centre window openings are rough cut so as not show through. 

I want the finished building to be moveable so I can access the track at the rear. Here is the base layer cut out to fit snugly alongside the station wing.




The cut out on the left side allows for street access to a loading bay that will be built into the side wall


Frontage complete .....loosely propped in place
 

 

This took rather longer to complete than I expected.....not too many trains ran last week!

I am pretty happy with the result though. I think the dressed stone has not only matched well with that from the kit but also complements the adjacent station building

 Now I have to get the sides and roof worked out!


But first some well earned refreshment from the new beverage parking spot





I just have to remember to move the board when the Birkenhead-Paddington Express roars through!

Regards from Vancouver

John

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, john dew said:

A change of pace last week.

I finally started to work on completing the street scene in front of the station.




The GPO van and taxi have been parked there literally fo years. A constant reminder that I need to build a General Post Office and Hotel and then devise a credible link with the back of the Warehouse at Richard's Wharf.

I keep procrastinating for all manner of reasons........not least because it is the perfect place to park my cup of coffee while I perform gymnastics to duck under the canal and viaduct:

 

 

Another reason for delay is the awkward shape of the site.

 

 

The new buildings have to be at right angles to the station to make an open square. At the rear they will back on to a 36" radius curve where the main line exits the station and crosses the viaduct.


Carpe diem......nothing like a challenge......I am going to start with the Post Office

The plan is to use elements from Scalescenes Low Relief High Street Kit. This clip from their site shows the varied frontages




The Barclays Bank facade makes a good start point. However it is only 4 1/4" wide which is too narrow for my purposes.

I need to almost double the width of the building by adding 1 1/2" extensions on either side. To further complicate matters the brickwork used on the upper storeys is not available in sheet form. On the plus side, I think the dressed stone, shown below, will produce a more cohesive design 
 

 

For those who have not used them...Scalescenes Scratchbuilders packs are brilliant....for 2.50 you get a PDF file that you print out as required. There is a vast array of finishes to select from. 

(Incidentally, the colour isnt as harsh as this and actually matches the lower facade quite well).

The big asset for this project are the quoins which will be used to finish the many corners rather than the drain pipes used in the design.

I dont intend to do a cut by cut account but am happy to answer any questions. If any one else is similarly inspired the process I have followed may be of help 

When kitbashing I build the exterior walls first and then strengthen them later, which is the reverse of the normal Scalescene sequence.

Here are the sub assemblies from the kit to be glued to the extended front base. The central upper storey brickwork has already been clad in dressed stone with lintels and sills added from the builders pack.



Only the top and side windows on the base will be seen, they will also be clad in dressed stone. The centre window openings are rough cut so as not show through. 

I want the finished building to be moveable so I can access the track at the rear. Here is the base layer cut out to fit snugly alongside the station wing.




The cut out on the left side allows for street access to a loading bay that will be built into the side wall


Frontage complete .....loosely propped in place
 

 

This took rather longer to complete than I expected.....not too many trains ran last week!

I am pretty happy with the result though. I think the dressed stone has not only matched well with that from the kit but also complements the adjacent station building

 Now I have to get the sides and roof worked out!


But first some well earned refreshment from the new beverage parking spot





I just have to remember to move the board when the Birkenhead-Paddington Express roars through!

Regards from Vancouver

John

Very nice John, although I'm not convinced at the moment by the extra row of windows at the top...

[john dew]

Thanks John.

 

The top row of windows are not actually extra.....they are part of John Wiffen’s design....see the Scalescenes photo.

 

I guess I will just have to convince you!  I admit to being equally doubtful. They are so close to the top they were a pain to cut out.....I am going to construct a flat roof rather than the curved gables shown in the kit picture......if they continue to look odd I may cover them over with a decorative support ledge.

 

Cheers

 

John

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

Thanks John.

 

The top row of windows are not actually extra.....they are part of John Wiffen’s design....see the Scalescenes photo.

 

I guess I will just have to convince you!  I admit to being equally doubtful. They are so close to the top they were a pain to cut out.....I am going to construct a flat roof rather than the curved gables shown in the kit picture......if they continue to look odd I may cover them over with a decorative support ledge.

 

Cheers

 

John

Not sure of the correct architectural term but if the "frieze"above the centre section went right across it would look better - and also perhaps set the top windows back by one thickness of card?

[M.I.B]

I'm still very jealous of your building construction skills..  That looks great.  Thanks for explaining rather than saying "look what I made" with a finished version.

[Neal Ball]

I think I might make that new square a little higher..... and name it Chardonnay Gardens.

 

Over here in Spain it might be Rioja Row :-)

 

Great work, keep it up.

[john dew]

15 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Not sure of the correct architectural term but if the "frieze"above the centre section went right across it would look better - and also perhaps set the top windows back by one thickness of card?

 

I cant set the top windows back now without compromising the side and back structures that I am cutting out

 

Extending the “frieze”  (pediment ?) is a great idea.....thank you....I should have thought of that!

 

I will print out another sheet and give it a whirl

 

Best wishes

 

John

[john dew]

9 hours ago, M.I.B said:

I'm still very jealous of your building construction skills..  That looks great.  Thanks for explaining rather than saying "look what I made" with a finished version.

 

Thanks Tinker

 

Glad you enjoyed the background description. One never knows how interested readers will be in shots of cardboard with holes cut out!

 

I hope you approve of the finished version.

 

Best wishes

 

John

[john dew]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

I think I might make that new square a little higher..... and name it Chardonnay Gardens.

 

Over here in Spain it might be Rioja Row :-)

 

Great work, keep it up.

 

I am struggling to come up with a suitable name for the square....”Station Square” sounds so banal.....on the other hand Sauvigon Square is a bit too exotic for North Wales in 1948

 

Not sure if you were joking about making the buildings higher.......you havent seen the hotel yet ....straight from the kit it is enormous......265 mm high. I am trying to work out how to eliminate a floor in addition to converting it from low relief 

 

Hope your 12” to the foot building is going well. Kitchen construction can be a right pain

 

Best Wishes

 

John

 

 

[FoxUnpopuli]

3 hours ago, john dew said:

I am struggling to come up with a suitable name for the square....”Station Square” sounds so banal.....on the other hand Sauvigon Square is a bit too exotic for North Wales in 1948

 

Sgwâr Gwinllan?

 

[rovex]

Victoria Square and get a statue of QV to go in the middle.

Or invent a local aristocrat and name it after them

How about Glendower Square

[Neal Ball]

14 hours ago, john dew said:

 

I am struggling to come up with a suitable name for the square....”Station Square” sounds so banal.....on the other hand Sauvigon Square is a bit too exotic for North Wales in 1948

 

Not sure if you were joking about making the buildings higher.......you havent seen the hotel yet ....straight from the kit it is enormous......265 mm high. I am trying to work out how to eliminate a floor in addition to converting it from low relief 

 

Hope your 12” to the foot building is going well. Kitchen construction can be a right pain

 

Best Wishes

 

John

 

 

 

I was talking about raising the height of the wood your wine glass is sat on!

 

The builders are making progress today and we aim to move back in tomorrow - no doubt to spend the weekend cleaning :-(

 

Thanks, Neal.

[gwrrob]

For the attention of @john dew and @M.I.B regarding chaining vehicles on the warflat. I'm planning two vehicles so would the two be chained together in the middle or each chained separately to the warflat at four points ?

[john dew]

21 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

For the attention of @john dew and @M.I.B regarding chaining vehicles on the warflat. I'm planning two vehicles so would the two be chained together in the middle or each chained separately to the warflat at four points ?

 

I am flattered you are asking me Robin.

 

Tinker will have the definitive answer but he has flu........I would think they would be chained individually ie separately

 

Best wishes

 

John

[M.I.B]

Robin, John,

 

Correct - chained individually.  same rules apply:  cross the chains, attach low on the carrier and mid height on the load.

 

"Double loading" was the job that nobody wanted:  much more difficult to chain down.  More crawling around with heavy oily chains in the rain......

 

back to the  Cold-n-Flu and tissues.