Knottingley WRD

[Richard_S]

Another club day at Foel View reulted in improvements to two of the shunter fleet;

08661 is sound equipped but ran jerkily and without much sound. The speaker turned out to be faulty and was replaced, all the pick ups were redone and then the loco thoroughly cleaned with lighter fuel. Result; a loco which will now run smoothly and slowly.

09005 has new decals applied. It still needs the wheels painting before some weathering is applied.

[d winpenny]

Looking good

 

David

[richierich]

A fine pair of 08 / 09s

[Richard_S]

I have just returned from a weekend away at Missenden Abbey in Buckinghamshire where under the guidance of Tim Shackleton I learnt some of the basics of weathering with an airbrush. Over 3 days my confidence in using the tool, how to keep it clean and ensure an even distribution of paint at all times allowed to weather a few items of stock that will grace the layout.

First up we tackled wagons;

Then moved onto coaches and locomotives;

These aren't necessarily completed and will have other detailing added to them. I have posted them to show how with some expert assistance anyone can have a go at this.

 

I can't recommend this experience enough. There were 42 modelers with about a quarter attending for the first time and we were made to feel extremely welcome. Details of the 3 events planned for 2014 available at;

http://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/index.html

[richierich]

I like weathering on 56 032, has that feel of being a MGR diagram and in need of servicing at Knottingley.

 

I've being looking at getting a compressor and spray booth to move into this arena of airbrushing.

[Richard_S]

After my trip to Missenden I'm on a bit of a roll. Off the production line last night came 56101 Mutual Improvement;

 

Weathered the underframes of a couple more HAAs on Saturday and thought that renumbering ought to precede weathering the bodies so 10 of these are waiting on a second run through the paint shop. 

 

In addition had a clear out of all sorts of rubbish allowing me to reorganise the paint booth putting all the useful stuff more easily to hand. My old compressor disintegrated on Monday -  the metal piping leading to the output plugs sprang a leak then crumbled into pieces. So in its place there is a small Iwata Smart Jet Pro machine, as used on last weekend's course.

[Grimleygrid]

Very nice Richard, I look forward to seeing more of your weathered stock. Always nice to see some Grids and HAAs......

[d winpenny]

Looking good

 

David

[richierich]

Another nice 56.

 

Did you work from R2647 or a R2781? To remove the numbers did you use thinners or T-cut and a cotton bud. Looking at some re-numbering / re-naming work on 56s myself.

[Steaky]

Great progress - Interesting to compare it to my own layout which is a scale version of the depot (nearly 160" long!!!) in my attic.

 

Interesting to see how my home depot used to be years ago with the pictures posted before I started there

[bigdaveadams1]

Here are a few more photos to show progress on the stock.

 

First up is a btter picture of one of the TTAs;

KY-23_April008web.jpg

 

Next 2 views of a HEA, this still requires re-numbering and effective weathering. In particular the rather garish ladders should look less obtrusive once toned down;

KY-23_April011web.jpg

KY-23_April012web.jpg

 

In the cupboard awaiting conversion is a pair of Railfreight VDAs. There is less room here for a P4 axle so I will use some Bill Bedford W Irons and use the plastic ones as covers;

KY-23_April013web.jpg

KY-23_April014web.jpg

KY-23_April015web.jpg

 

Finally here is the Hornby HAA I am planning to employ;

 

KY-23_April016web.jpg

 

As can be seen there really isn't a lot of room underneath but I'm optimistic we can find a way round the problem.

 

Bye for now.

Can I ask which type of coupling you've used on those TTA wagons please?

[Richard_S]

Thanks for the comments and questions;

 

R2647 was the base model for the re-numbering (originally 56 128 West Burton Power Station). T Cut and I don't get on at all; I rapidly go from no apparent progress on the decals to a hole in the paint finish. I prefer a metal cleaning brush and gentle rubbing over the numbers and nameplates. New numbers are from Fox Transfers and were applied using Micro Sol and Micro Set. The nameplates are from Extreme Etchings - I once bought a job lot on Ebay from someone changing gauge.

 

The couplings are Smiths and the type is an Instanter; we have used these very successfully on a range of stock in OO and P4, they look good and work extremely well. The final link hanging down is steel and allows a small magnet mounted in a fine tube to uncouple stock.

 

The HAA wagons will be reworked next year. As a group we are planning to build some full rakes to run on this and other projects and a list of components required is in the process of being drawn up. We will use our milling machine to create the room required for the back to back dimensions needed. This is likely to be into 2014. 

[Richard_S]

Managed to find enough time to work 2 consecutive afternoons in the workshop - luxury!

3 brake vans have been re-wheeled and fitted with 3 link couplings.

4 brake vans were then weathered using techniques learned at the Missenden weekend.

Couplings fitted to a TTA Water tank

Finally and slightly off topic a Bachmann 108 previously re-wheeled with Branchlines P4 wheels went through the spray booth to a recipe outlined in Tim Shackleton's new book on Weathering Rolling Stock.

 

Further updates will appear here and on our new blog space;

 

http://wfrm.wordpress.com/

 

Bye for now.

 

[87023Velocity]

Hi Richard,

 

The weathering looks very good! Any more progress on Knottingley WRD?

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Richard_S]

Hi Simon

 

In the last few weeks I have only had time to do some stock, details above. I have also had yet another clear out of rubbish: stuff that 'might be useful one day' clearly wasn't so the work area is much neater.  Just come through the busiest week of the year at work and hope to pick up progress in the run up to Xmas.

 

Thanks for the continued interest.

[Richard_S]

Produced using Google Sketchup 8 in a template designed by fellow club member Phil Eaton, this is the first attempt at making new buildings for the Knottingley layout. They will eventually be converted to a dxf file to be exported to the club laser printer and a new version of the generator building will exist.

 

Thereafter it is intended to rebuild all the structures in the TMD and Wagon Repair facilities using MDF as the material.

[Grimly Feendish]

Richard,

 

I've just spent a while catching up on your progress, it looks very impressive.

 

A quick question about ballasting with Klear. Do you paint it on between the sleepers and put the ballast on top, or do you put the ballast on first and then soak with Klear?

 

Are you happy with the result? Does it set concrete hard like PVA, or is there a little flexibility?

 

Thanks,

 

John.

[Richard_S]

Hi John

 

Ballast first, brush into place, spray with a water and IPA mix (roughly 50:50) and then dribble on the Klear. Sets very firm overnight; and has a floor polish smell too!

 

It really is very easy to do and gives better results than PVA for less effort.

[Mike T]

Hi John

 

Ballast first, brush into place, spray with a water and IPA mix (roughly 50:50) and then dribble on the Klear. Sets very firm overnight; and has a floor polish smell too!

 

It really is very easy to do and gives better results than PVA for less effort.

Hi Rich

 

Klear is so thin you don't need to spray with water/IPA, just drop it next to the edge of the ballast and it wicks in.

 

Regards

 

Mike

[Grimly Feendish]

Hi John

 

Ballast first, brush into place, spray with a water and IPA mix (roughly 50:50) and then dribble on the Klear. Sets very firm overnight; and has a floor polish smell too!

 

It really is very easy to do and gives better results than PVA for less effort.

Thanks Richard, I may well give this a try next time I have to do some ballasting.

 

John.

[Richard_S]

That is interesting; I tried it with and without spraying prior and judged the Klear to penetrate deeper into the ballast material. Less brushed off at the end of the drying process; though there wasn't an enormous difference.

[Richard_S]

More progress on drawing the replacement buildings. This is the front of the long wagon repair shop;

 

 

 

Drawn in Google Sketch Up, a freeware program using a template set in millimeters.

 

While I am on holiday from college I hope to make some further progress. The target is to complete the drawings for the 2 TMD buildings and then look at carrying out some test burning to produce structures for evaluation.

 

The only possible musical accompaniment to this task was on the stereo: Pink Floyd The Wall!

[Mike T]

That is interesting; I tried it with and without spraying prior and judged the Klear to penetrate deeper into the ballast material. Less brushed off at the end of the drying process; though there wasn't an enormous difference.

What deeper with or without spraying your not clear (no pun intended)?

 

Mike

[Richard_S]

What deeper with or without spraying your not clear (no pun intended)?

 

Mike

Pre-wetting with IPA allowed the Klear to soak in more quickly and through the ballast. Brushing and vacuuming afterwards lifted less ballast when pre-soaking had been carried out.

[Richard_S]