Adam's EM Workbench: Farewell for now

[Adam]

Prior to putting the hoods on the centre bay it was time to add a but more detail (not much, the hood will cover most of it...), but I've added representations of the angle iron bracing between bays since they will affect the 'hang' of the sheets.

 

 

Time to put the pair to one side so the solvent has time to harden.

Adam

[Adam]

There hasn't been much time for modelling over the last week or so - I'm in the throes of completing work on a book (not remotely railway related) and this has eaten all my spare time. Still, I've managed to get the sheets over the centre of the three bays completed and have made a start on the hoods over the end bays with the sheet rails. These have been tacked onto the plastic formers with cyano and then more firmly secured with 5 minute epoxy. Both wagons have now reached the same stage but I've only photographed the one. The nice thing about this point is that for the first time there's a sense of what the completed wagon will look like. There is a long, long way to go, however.

 

 

I admit that this picture looks a complete mess, but under a coat of paint, all should be well. I hope.

 

 

 

Lots of brackets and struts next.

 

Adam

Edited May 13, 2015 by Adam

[ullypug]

Gordon - the drawing shows more than I would expect of a weight diagram - where the brake rigging goes, for example - hence my description. As for original drawings, goodness knows - some were built by Met Camm so there may be something among their archival material held in a variety of places (I think that the principal repositories are Birmingham and possibly Staffordshire Archives, details to explore here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=metropolitan+cammell

 

Anyhow, back to the wagon. Lettering is, something that, if you want to do it right, is always a challenge. We have a mixture here, from left, Cambridge Custom Transfers used more or less as supplied, the 'empty to' branding is cobbled together from leftover lettering from a Covhop, also from CCT, the 'Stoneycombe' branding (multiple return brandings seem to have been very common on P22s - the 'Herring' branding seems rare on pictures before 1970 so I've left it off) was pieced together from bits of a KB Scale sheet intended for 7mm. It is sufficiently tiny that the subterfuge with the spelling is all but invisible - there were no 'B's on the sheet... The maintenance panel is from Railtec. The bits you can't see are overhead warning flashes from Modelmaster. Hard work all this.

 

Herring_19.gif

 

Compared to dad's Hornby Trout, we can see that this is small..

 

Herring_20.gif

 

Adam

And here are a couple of photos taken last weekend. Rather nice. So nice I went and bought another herring from Cambrian before the show closed on Sunday!

[Adam]

Cheers Andrew - I'm sure that the gen on the scenery will prove useful someday. I thought about that, having had a nice chat with Geoff Kent about it, but decided on a Catfish instead. Interestingly, this wagon was much bigger but carried a ton less payload than the Herring. Contrary to my memory of building a Dogfish in my teens (I really knew how to pick wagon kits as a beginner: mk 1 Pakside Grampus, Cambrian Walrus, Cambrian Dogfish. If you can build these you'll manage most things). They weren't really creatures of either the southern or western regions, but the SR had a few on loan in the late '60s and early '70s and two factors steer me towards one of these. First is that Dave Larkin photographed them and Cambrian designed transfers based on those images so I have the lettering in hand although some of it is the wrong colour and should be yellow. I think I have a way round this but that's a little way off. Meanwhile, it has actually gone together rather well, strengthened here and there with some slivers of 10 thou'.

 

 

I've added a couple more bits to the Coils too but there's more to come yet. One delay is caused by failing to buy any more 0.5 drills at Expo. Oops.

 

 

Adam

Edited May 18, 2015 by Adam

[Jamiel]

I will be really interested to see your Cambrian Catfish, they are a fairly difficult build (well for those of us who don't have your skills anyway). I am sure you will make something quite wonderful with them.

Such an inspirational thread.

Jamie
 

[Colin parks]

Hi Adam,

 

That Herring has turned out very well indeed.  The inside of the hopper has a nice paint job - very convincing.

 

I shall be watching the Catfish build with interest as it was me who made the moulds for it many years ago!  I confess it is not the easiest of things to build, but at least the hopper is a one-piece component.  Fitting wire handrails at the operating end, changing the buffers (Lanarkshire?) and hand wheels should give you a decent model.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Adam]

Thank you Jamie and to all the button clickers. It means a lot.

 

Hi Adam,

 

That Herring has turned out very well indeed.  The inside of the hopper has a nice paint job - very convincing.

 

I shall be watching the Catfish build with interest as it was me who made the moulds for it many years ago!  I confess it is not the easiest of things to build, but at least the hopper is a one-piece component.  Fitting wire handrails at the operating end, changing the buffers (Lanarkshire?) and hand wheels should give you a decent model.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

 

Thanks Colin, high praise from someone with your talents though I should point out that the hopper interior isn't finished; the paint doesn't go all the way round yet! EDIT: the buffers are actually from 51L/Wizard Models. There's not a lot wrong with the moulded ones but replacement was quicker than fettling.

 

Your brother reckoned the Catfish was tooled up over thirty years ago now and you'd not know really. It's a difficult prototype but does what I like about Cambrian kits because it includes almost all the detail one could wish for. I have the etched handwheels but, unfortunately, my last 0.5mm drill has gone 'ping'. More on order. The other thing I've had is an envelope from Railtec containing some specially-commissioned transfers for Coil Js and they're now part of their range so anyone else interested in modelling these has an easier job. I'm well pleased but as you can see, it'll be a little while before I get around to applying them.

 

 

That's waiting on the drills, too.

 

Adam

Edited May 25, 2015 by Adam

[Fat Controller]

So it was you that commissioned those transfers, Adam.. Thanks; I must order some for the half-dozen or so wagons I've got.

[jonhall]

 

I shall be watching the Catfish build with interest as it was me who made the moulds for it many years ago!

 

Colin, perhaps a subject for a new thread, but I bet I'm not the only one who would like to hear about how a mould for a wagon is made/designed.

 

Jon

[Adam]

A bit of a hiatus in coverage owing to a camera failure. Still, now that's sorted, this is where the Catfish has got to:

 

 

There's nothing too much to show from this angle, barring the handrails and brakeshoes, but from here:

 

 

You can see that I've overlaid the end platforms with 5 thou' sheet and pushed the handrails out a bit having drilled new holes, of course. Pretty much all that's left to do is detailing, the main wagon is all there.

 

Adam

[Adam]

And now - so soon - the Catfish is almost finished. It does go to show how good a kit this is, in terms of detail and mostly, in terms of fit as well, that the additions made are so few. Well done Colin. I need to sort some handwheels out for it.

 

 

Also on the bench is yet another Coil J which has moved on in its own small way. This is one of the batch of iron ore tipplers that had the full 8 shoe brake gear, the fittings for vac' cylinders but not the cylinders themselves; most were retro-fitted for the Mendip stone workings but some found themselves chopped about. I must do one in its original form someday. Brake levers are the next bits I think.

 

 

Adam

[Sparrow_Hawk]

Adam, I found your thread a month or so back, and have watched with great interest. You have put some incredible work into your wagons, and it has inspired me to get back into kit building. I look foward to seeing progress on the Coil R's and your current wagons, I didn't even realize they dated back to the steam era until now. What was the livery for these during your era? 

 

Also, great job with the Herring, what was the source of the brake gear etches? I might be after some for the two Herring kits I purchased this week. Regards. 

[Adam]

Adam, I found your thread a month or so back, and have watched with great interest. You have put some incredible work into your wagons, and it has inspired me to get back into kit building. I look foward to seeing progress on the Coil R's and your current wagons, I didn't even realize they dated back to the steam era until now. What was the livery for these during your era?

 

Also, great job with the Herring, what was the source of the brake gear etches? I might be after some for the two Herring kits I purchased this week. Regards.

Thank you.

 

The Coil Rs are an indulgence on my part since they were definitely post-steam, but I'm not quite sure by how much. That said my modelling period goes about as far as 1970 so that isn't really a problem. The livery seems to have been Freight Brown.

 

The vees for the Herring - apart from the outer pair I made myself from scratch - were from a Mainly Trains etch for 10' wheelbase Morton brakes. The levers and lever guides were from Masokits (hosted on the Scalefour Society pages, but ordering is by post and cheque only). For what it's worth, however, I was talking to Geoff Kent at Expo EM and he simply finessed the bits in the packet. So, if they're good enough for him, they'll do: I got a bit carried away...

 

Adam

Edited June 10, 2015 by Adam

[jimbo]

Thank you.

 

The Coil Rs are an indulgence on my part since they were definitely post-steam, but im not quite sure by how much. That said my modelling period goes about as far as 1970 so that isn't really a problem. The livery seems to have been Freight Brown.

 

The vees for the Herring - apart from the outer pair I made myself from scratch - were from a Mainly Trains etch for 10' wheelbase Morton brakes. The levers and lever guides were from Masokits (hosted on the Scalefour Society pages, but ordering is by post and cheque only). For what it's worth, however, I was talking to Geoff Kent at Expo EM and he simply finessed the bits in the packet. So, if they're good enough for him, they'll do: I got a bit carried away...

 

Adam

Great work..

Just thought wouldn't it be fab if Hornby took the plunge and made EM RTR....

 

ciao.

 

Jim

[Adam]

Great work...

Just thought wouldn't it be fab if Hornby took the plunge and made EM RTR...

 

ciao.

 

Jim

 

I can't say that would bother me either way Jim; I think we're long stuck with 00 for good or ill but it isn't really an issue I worry about. In the meantime, another packet from Raitec has arrived for a wagon that I have actually got ready for lettering [the build starts here for those that are interested: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/37002-adams-em-workbench-railtec-delivers/?p=1230476]. The Rumney Models strip coil has been lurking in a painted but unlettered condition for quite some time, but no longer.

 

 

Applied to a full gloss surface and now under a waft of Dullcote they provide an excellent result. Thank you to Steve at Railtec for taking the commission; the transfers are now part of the general range: http://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=1874

 

 

It is now time for weathering.

 

Adam

Edited June 3, 2015 by Adam

[Arthur]

 

Very nice, Adam, lovely work.

[Adam]

Both Catfish and Coil J have reached the stage where the only additions are paint. The physical changes from the last update are brake actuation bits; wheels in the case of the Catfish (from Colin Craig) and levers (spares from Rumney Models chassis kits) for the Coil. All very nice components.

 

The Catfish wears Gulf Red - in fact, Humbrol #73, matt wine, subject to several coats of Klear to provide a gloss surface for transfers - with #98, matt chocolate, underframe.

 

 

The Coil is only in the first stage of painting wit a bit of matt chocolate applied to the underframe. The quality of the brake lever etches are shown to good effect.

 

 

Adam

[Adam]

Anyhow, I've been tidying up some loose ends last night and this morning so here we are. First, the fully lettered Catfish - the yellow stencilled lettering is prototypical as this Paul Bartlett shot shows: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brcatfishzev/h7792c18#h7792c18 - and the Dave Larkin picture this wagon is based on makes the difference between white (which shows up well) and yellow (which doesn't) nicely. The Modelmaster transfers, however, were all white so I spent a little time overpainting the white with yellow. It might look a little ragged here but in reality it is quite tidy and any raggedness will vanish under weathering.

 

 

Here it is with the Herring, which has had a first pass of weathering. Note that the Herring is the wagon with the higher capacity and I'm now in the throes of refitting my second ever wagon kit, a Cambrian Dogfish to accompany them.* I could probably do with building a few more...

 

 

Meanwhile, here's another thing, a Rumney Models chassis, much like that under the Shocvan featured earlier. This will go under something a little different but you'll have to wait and see.

 

 

 

Adam

 

* The very first, a mk 1 Parkside Grampus was done a while ago and the results can be found here and here.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Adam

[Adam]

After a certain amount of thrashing about with paint brushes, several wagons have inched further towards completion. The strip coil may have almost got there but the interior might benefit from some powders?

 

 

 

The Chas Roberts mineral still waits on lettering, but the paint finish is otherwise just about right.

 

 

Adam

[Adam]

The latest project is a refit of what was - I think* - my second ever plastic wagon kit, a Cambrian Dogfish. I've had a go at a refit before, but this time, it's received roller bearings, OLEO buffers, reinforced and properly located hopper and made more durable by discreet reinforcement. Some nice Colin Craig handwheels complete the job. Much of this happened after the picture was taken and the wagon is now gradually turning olive green...

 

 

Adam

 

* It was nearly twenty years ago now - that's an alarming thought.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Adam

[Colin parks]

Hi Adam,

 

You are glutton for punishment!  The Dogfish does look all the better for the modifications you have made to the basic kit. (Must get some of those Colin Craig etched hand wheels for my fleet of nine or ten Dogfish.) 

 

I note that you have fitted the wagon with the Southern type of flared chute to discharge the ballast clear of the third rail (although the LMR might have had some of these too).  Another interesting version of the Dogfish, as you probably know, is the 'Slag Ballast' type: those of which were fitted with narrow extension plates welded to the top edges of the hopper to increase the capacity.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Adam]

Thanks Colin, this was effectively a complete rebuild and there were points when I wondered whether starting again with a new kit would have been a better idea. You can blame my teenage self for this; I should have made a better effort at cleaning up the chassis parts. The Colin Craig hand wheels are a really significant improvement but it's otherwise a good kit, if you take your time and add some reinforcement to some key joints.

You're right to note that this is a southern version - if Paul Bartlett's galleries are indicative, these wider chutes were relatively unusual and seemingly confined to later builds. This one is going to be painted with reference to a Dave Larkin picture, with olive green hopper and black solebar (later olive green repaints had green solebars) and lightish weathering as it would have been a recent repaint in my period. If/when I build some more they'll have to be black; a red catfish, green dogfish and a herring in the same train is probably already pushing my luck!

Despite the slag ballast conversions being - I think - an eastern or north eastern region thing, there are pictures of them on the southern - indeed, this one for example shows DB993110 allocated to the region in 1974: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brdogfish/h15c7866e#h15c7866e - though the SR seems to have been adept at borrowing everyone's hoppers from the mid-60s onwards if Dave Larkin's usual haunts at Hoo Junction are anything to go by, I guess this was part of SR modernisation works at that time.

Adam

Edited June 17, 2015 by Adam

[Adam]

Here we go, one repainted Dogfish, awaiting weathering. Like the Catfish, the transfers are the old Cambrian sheet produced by Modelmaster (data panels from Railtec), the handwheels are Colin Craig and the now venerable moulding scrubs up very well.

 

 

Adam

[Colin parks]

Hi Adam,

 

The Dogfish does look very nice. Those hand wheels make a lot of difference to the wagon.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Adam]

Another little project - a rare impulse purchase - was this Hornby shunter's truck. First, some added detail:

 

 

Then paint (Halford's matt black):

 

 

Then lettering (Cambridge Custom Transfers - very much early BR style of re-lettering) and first pass of weathering.

 

 

Next will be some lamps, brake sticks and maybe a touch more weathering.

 

Adam

Edited June 21, 2015 by Adam