Mr Simon's N and 2mm Workbench - pg29> N V1 2-6-2, 2mm L&Y class 23, assorted wagons and stuff

[MrSimon]

It just came in one of those microbox HSS twist drills about 8 years ago, and it seems to be the only one left between 0.3 and 0.7...

[millerhillboy]

It just came in one of those microbox HSS twist drills about 8 years ago, and it seems to be the only one left between 0.3 and 0.7...

 

Yeah, I've had umpteen boxes of these now and I never see to get much use out them other than the larger sizes, the smaller ones seem to snap just by looking at them half the time.

 

All I can say is look after the good 'un.

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

I've had a bit of a lazy week this week, but I moved back onto the diningroom table last night and made all the filling bits for the boiler; and then filled in the big gaps around the smokebox - but all the bits and bobs from N Brass came this morning, so I can crack on getting it into one piece and painted:

 

There's also some bits come for the O1, so that might make its way back on to the workbench too

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

I've had a bit more of a session with the A5, mostly filing down the front bogie so the body will sit level. This morning I stopped stalling and made a start detailing the front end - the trusty staple-lamp iron for the smokebox door, and an hour or two fettling the holes for the handrail knobs. When I've found my pack of lamp-irons I'll finish the bufferbeam and then I can move on to the rear of the engine:

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

Today's post has mainly been brought to you by the word "knobs". Handrail knobs actually, although the language used at some of them hasn't been far off... First up, the front:


I'm not overly happy with the rounded handrail on the front, but its not too bad, and should look better in black. Also, I managed to hide my N Brass lamp irons - I'm sure they'll turn up but to get this bad boy off my workbench I had to raid the stapler. Theres some more pipes to add coming out the bottom of the buffer beam, but I'll wait until I've finished fitting the chassis before takling them.

The picture I've been working to showed a big pipe running from the front of the cab to the smokebox, so I've added one:


I'm not sure if I've got it low enough, but the tank fillers were in the way.


I also added the handrails, buffers and pipe-things to the back. Theres some steps to make below the bufferbeam and I need to put the coupling back on (but it needs to go on higher than it was before now that the body sits lower than it did) and then theres just the little matter of building the cab and I can get painting. I'll see about pushing that handrail in a bit furher.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[justin1985]

Looking very good! You seem to be doing a good job of the old silk purse from sow's ear!

[MrSimon]

Thanks Justin! Trust me though, the way I do mixed traffic lining there'll be plently of sow on show

 

Simon

[Kris]

What have you used for the wire in the hand rail Simon?

[MrSimon]

Its the N Brass handrail wire, with N Brass knobs

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody! The cab is built and I've got the chassis running in the body without shorting (hurray!) but I can't tell if its level (boooo) its also about a millimeter too high, but I might leave it at that (or make the buffers lower hehe)

It might be slightly up at the front (ignore the cab roof, its not stuck down yet) but theres a bit I could maybe skim off the top of the chassis at the front


It looks OK from normal viewing angle (but I'd like to take a bit more off the front bogie)


Its sort of OK from the back, but the bottom of the bufferbeam seems to slant but the top doesn't.


From the front its not the best. It seems to be bent in the middle, but only when its sat on the chassis, on the jig thing its fine... all very strange. I'll see if I can somehow fix the cab roof on so it doesn't make the rest of the engine look crooked. It does slant slightly to one side, but I think I can sort that with some plasticard brackets at the front.

Also, I did a test on it going round corners (because apparently going backwards and forwards on straight track and looking pretty in pictures isn't what N Gauge steam engines are for) and going one way the front bogie does a sort of sideways wheelie - the wheels on the outside of the curve stay on the track, but the ones on the inside lift up. I'll see if a bit of filing will do anything for it, but I'm pretty much stumped.

Lots to do!
Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

I've not done any work on the chassis, I've been waiting for the paint to dry:


The black makes slight wheelie a bit more pronounced, but looks much better than the silver. I don't think it will be in full Mixed Traffic lining in time for Braunstone Show tomorrow, but it might make a trip or two on the layout...

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!

Gosh I didn't realise it had been so long since I last updated this thread... due to the arrival of my extra baseboards I've done pretty much nothing to any of my stock since bonfire night. The A5 still isn't finished, but it did run in its unfinished state at Braunstone show, light engine (no couplings) and its been sat on a shelf ever since

I didn't do any stock-ish stuff until last weekend and I've finally taken some pictures:

 

More clams and PFAs. I've got 10 PFAs and containers to transfer and finish off (Hate doing transfers) and loads of clams/rudds/grampusses to weather...


I wouldn't normally put up pictures of transferred containers but this is my first ever success with a C Rail bulktainer - they have deeper ribs than normal containers so the transfers are harder to apply and I've had three goes at transferring them over the last 7 or 8 years and this is the first one thats worked! I'll do a few more now I seem to have nearly cracked it

I've also got a repaint on the go but am waiting for a detailing kit from the NGS shop, but here's a taster:


Before (only been gettng round to repaint it for 4 years)


Painted as much as I can without the details (I'd started painting before I realised I only had a class 47 pack in my box)

There's plenty of other stock to sort out over the next 16 weeks...

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!

For some reason I've been forgetting to take photo's of the little bits and bobs of stock I've been doing - which hasn't been many while I've been working on my layout I'll dig out the bits from the last post and see about getting some pictures up of the progress made (the 37 hasn't changed at all and is back in its box) but in the meantime, here's a class 60 to wet your whistle:


I accidentally bought it before christmas, because it was in the 2nd hand cabinet and I'm easily led. Even though it was second hand I decided to give it a good run in so I could find 'the front' which I finally found the other day. Off came the coupling and out came the detailing kit... then out came some better pipes and a TPM coupling:


The man wasn't always a train driver, I cut off his legs and quickly retrained him, but he looks OK - and is an effective driver too:



Just like in the summer when I 'discovered' frame dirt flavoured paint, this morning I discovered 'brake dust'... I need to work out the best way to use it, but these cruel close-ups show how it just might become my favourite thing ever:

 

I'm doing the 60 from the bottom up, but the bottom looks OK so far - I've got an older one to repaint before my first exhibition so I'm keeping a note of everything that works this time!

I did get some transferring done in the end, I didn't enjoy it but its done:


The PFAs have since gained coal loads too - I'm going to experiment with refitting the original couplings to them due to some running problems I'm experiencing.

I've also dug a steel train out of the stock box and I'm trying to refurbish it before the exhibition:


They were all in a weird livery - 18 year old MrSimon wasn't very good with prototypical liveries - but I've kept the loadhaul orange on one wagon (what did we do before WOTW and RMWeb?) They're getting new stanchions and wheels and having the details sorted out


A wagon was designated to be the rear (this one) and had a new pair of buffers and a TPM coupling put on.


After looking up the BDAs on WOTW I saw some of these in the train with the bolsters carrying big pipes, so thats exactly what I'm having!

Ooh and Stamford East is at Nottingham exhibition this month, so I'd better get that A5 finished...

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[Trelvis_Gresley]

the 37 will be used to top and tail so will need to run just as well being pushed and pulled.

 

Just need to paint the chassis and I can get detailing the buffer beam

 

Hi there

 

I just wondered where you picked up the dummy DRS 37 from? I have a DRS 57 and thought it might be fun to run this with a dummy DRS 37 on a FNA train as a double header but as I am running DC didn't want to burn up the 57.

 

Thanks

 

Trevor

[MrSimon]

Hi Trevor,

The DRS 37 dummy is a repaint (I'm just doing the powered 37 to go with it now) - I bought a spare body shell from the Farish stand and Ian Stoate Models sell dummy chassis which with a bit of work make very reliable free-wheeling dummy engines. I used a TPM detailing kit, this one had Fencehouses front window frames but the new Taylor detailing kit has window frames included, the snow ploughs and couplings are also TPM. The paints are by phoenix and the transfers are from Lancaster City Models for the (DRS logos) and Fox for the (lining and numbers). Its a really easy livery to paint I prefer to run dummies rather than double head with two powered ones.

Here's a picture of the dummy chassis:


Somewhere in this thread or in my layout thread there are some more pictures of the dummy chassis from when it warped slightly and I had to straighten it out/build a replacement)

Hope that helps!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!

I can't believe its a month since I updated this, and two months to go until my layouts first exhibition. As well as making buildings and wiring I have had some time to work on my stock. First up is some pictures to date of progress on repainting my other TPM class 60... I painted it in Loadhaul livery nine or ten years ago, but didn't paint it very well - Farish bought out their Loadhaul 60 in the same livery, which was much better applied than my effort so I made the decision to give it a new identity.


With a bit of advice from Mr Taylor, I stripped off as much of the etchings as I could and used some model strip on it:

 

Nine years ago thick paint was the only paint for me, so it took two applications of model strip. After a light spray of primer its gone into the Gresby paint-shop:


I've got the paint, the transfers and some new etches.


A pack of goodies came on Friday so I could restart work on my DRS class 37 (post #112) - DRS noses and a detailing kit, so rather than build more buildings today I made a start on the 37...


The detailing kit reccommends cutting away the side grills and putting in verticle planking, I was a bit dubious of this - especially as the grills I had taken out were horizontal, so I checked the pictures of the DRS 37s I'd collected and they should be verticle! I'd never noticed this before! The hole in the roof is for the extreme etchings 37 radiator fan kit which I picked up at Nottingham show (only went to their stand for nameplates, which I forgot to buy haha) I decided to fit the fan and the grills before any of the rest of the kit incase it didn't turn out well and I had to start again on a fresh body!

 

The fan and grill came out well - fiddly but well worth it (might have to do the roof thing to all my other 37s) I'm not putting the fan mesh thing on until I've painted the fan and the hole. Tomorrow I'll put the rest of the detailing kit on, and get cracking with everything else.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[millerhillboy]

The fan is a nice touch....would it be prototypical to paint it red and then weather it. I think I done that on one of mines and it does draw subtle attention to the fan area.

[MrSimon]

Thanks Millerhillboy I wasn't sure whether it should be red or yellow - but now its red!


I'll see about adding the rest of the kit this evening, hoping to get it back into the paintshop soon


The class 60 is nearly ready for its main livery application now - quite sad to be so excited about it haha

Must get on with the layout... Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[Steadfast]

Nice work there Simon, interesting new 37 bits from TPM. I wonder if they'd fit the new model too....I beleive red is correct for DRS 37 fans by the way. I must get round to fitting mine really.

What livery will the 60 be emerging in?

 

jo

[MrSimon]

Thanks Jo!

I'm not sure if they'd fit the new model, I've not got one so not really looked - but there might be a kit for them...?


The new kit is much more intricate than the old one and builds up really well - so hats off to Mr Taylor for another brilliant kit Now must paint it Do I need to fill the 'red boredered sanding filler hole thing' on the body now that the nose has one?

The 60 will be emerging in red - first coat this afternoon

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[BernardTPM]

Do I need to fill the 'red boredered sanding filler hole thing' on the body now that the nose has one?

No - that was the fire suppression 'break glass' cover added during refurbishment, so leave it in place. Nice to see that, just like the real one, it doesn't quite line up with the sandbox filler recess - see http://www.flickr.co...N02/5763842057/

Edited April 5, 2012 by BernardTPM

[MrSimon]

Thanks Bernard - I'd spent so long looking at the rest of the engine I'd not looked at the noses!

Both engines are in the paintshop, disposable takeaway containers - flat card lid for holding the engines and the container as a handy dust cover


I forgot the class 60 doors, so I'll give them a quick first coat of red and glue them on before the next coat. The 37 needs a few more coats of blue on the doors but is ready for the black.

I've not forgotten the BDA/SPAs, today I gave the loads another coat:


Some time this weekend I'll be adding all the stanchions to the BBAs and weathering the SPAs, then they should be ready to load.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon

[Steadfast]

Oooh what a colour for a 60! Nice progress on the 37 too. I do like the etched doors with integral handrails - it was these and the windscreens I was thinking of for the newer model 37. Hmmm too much else to get done before 37038 comes out again...or is there?

 

jo

[Trelvis_Gresley]

Hi Trevor,

 

The DRS 37 dummy is a repaint (I'm just doing the powered 37 to go with it now) - I bought a spare body shell from the Farish stand and Ian Stoate Models sell dummy chassis which with a bit of work make very reliable free-wheeling dummy engines. I used a TPM detailing kit, this one had Fencehouses front window frames but the new Taylor detailing kit has window frames included, the snow ploughs and couplings are also TPM. The paints are by phoenix and the transfers are from Lancaster City Models for the (DRS logos) and Fox for the (lining and numbers). Its a really easy livery to paint I prefer to run dummies rather than double head with two powered ones.

 

Here's a picture of the dummy chassis:

 

Somewhere in this thread or in my layout thread there are some more pictures of the dummy chassis from when it warped slightly and I had to straighten it out/build a replacement)

 

Hope that helps!

 

Simon

 

Thanks Simon - most helpful - i'll give it a go.

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!
 

Hmmm too much else to get done before 37038 comes out again...or is there?

jo

Hehe there's always time to do a sneeky bit of loco detailing!

This afternoon I skived off the buildings and aside from painting the 37 and 60 doors I skived the locos too... and had a quick session doing the BBAs, and its made quite a difference:

 

Most of the stanchions I had attached when I built the wagons had come off, so I spent the afternoon fitting new ones. I had a look around and found that most BBAs seem to have bent stanchions, so thats what I gave them, and I'm quite pleased with how they turned out


I've got a spot of painting left to do on the loads, but they look good now the wagons are complete. Plenty of work in the paintshop!

Lots to do!

Simon

 

Edited August 7, 2018 by MrSimon