Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[Chris Higgs]

On 17/11/2020 at 12:34, keitharmes said:

I've been having a go at improving the Dapol Hall by replacing the boiler unit with one from the Dapol 28XX. The original boiler unit is a stretched version of the Dapol Manor, so it is undersized, as you can see in the first picture. I had to shorten the 28xx boiler by a small amount, cutting the boiler away from the firebox with a junior hacksaw removed enough material for me to just glue the two parts together again. Using the 28xx steam pipes also improves the look.

 

Reading this again, has led me to ask the question - does the 28XX firebox also differ from the Hall? I think I would have glued the 28XX boiler to the Hall firebox if the latter is correctly sized. I assume needing to shorten the boiler is another of Dapol's inaccuracies as a Swindon No1 boiler should be identical on both locos.

 

Chris

 

 

[keitharmes]

2 hours ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

Reading this again, has led me to ask the question - does the 28XX firebox also differ from the Hall? I think I would have glued the 28XX boiler to the Hall firebox if the latter is correctly sized. I assume needing to shorten the boiler is another of Dapol's inaccuracies as a Swindon No1 boiler should be identical on both locos.

 

Chris

 

 

Just had a measure up and the 28xx boiler/firebox is the right length. It's the Hall frames that are 1mm too short. The whole of the Hall smokebox/boiler/firebox is under-nourished so you can't join the 28xx boiler to a Hall firebox. Fortunately, because the firebox sits higher on the 28xx, there is enough material on the sides of the firebox to remove the 2-8-0 wheel arches and form the 4-6-0 ones.

Not that the 28xx as a whole is perfect, I might have already mentioned that the 28xx smokebox saddle is 1mm too high, resulting in the smokebox sitting too high and the boiler having a taper top and bottom instead of all on the top. Easily fixed by reducing the height of the saddle.

 

Keith

[John57sharp]

Just had a go with this, it’s a copycat of David Eveleigh’s Orion, but I used a simple bamboo box from somewhere like Wilco, sawed and skrawked a chunk out (reused for the side fence) and added a clamp from 3 lolly sticks. Junior hacksaw slots to accommodate the buffer beams if required. Reversed peg clamp, half peg clamp and my chassis building stand, basically 2 cocktail sticks mounted on a bamboo plank to align with the holes in the chassis. Reduces handling no end. Not visible, this bit drops into a plasticard cradle which houses a 9v battery for electrical testing and running in. 
Incidentally, the 08 is on it’s second etch... this one seems to be working, the wheels turn both ways, coupled, and I’ve been running it in on the stand. You can hear it getting smoother. Next job is the brakes, I’ve got the rigging made up from the 1st etch, but I think it may be too warped to use. Perseverance,patience and small improvements have been very much boosted by the right tools and jigs, and the encouragement and inspiration found on here and other related sites, the 2mm Assoc mag etc.

 

cheers all

 

John

 

[TomE]

Passing briefly over my workbench before heading somewhere very safe until I finish the CAD for the 3D printed body shells are these sublime Griddle and BFK etches produced for me by @Pixie of this parish: 

 

 

Whilst the original plan was a completely 3D printed body, I couldn’t quite get the sides thin enough around the window recess to give a decent flush glazed effect, so a hybrid etch over 3D printed shell approach is being tried. 
 

Massively grateful to Steve for his help with these! 
 

Tom. 

[Pixie]

Anytime Tom. Indeed, thank you for the rather excellent 3D printing of the 123 cabs. Good ol’ fashioned bartering at its best.
 

My own Griddle is nearly complete too - looking forward to seeing your green one!

 

 

Cheers,

Steve

[Kylestrome]

8 minutes ago, Pixie said:

My own Griddle is nearly complete too

 

Excellent stuff Steve, but I'm surprised you don't call yourself 'Cavalier Models'! 

 

David

[Pixie]

50 minutes ago, Kylestrome said:

 

Excellent stuff Steve, but I'm surprised you don't call yourself 'Cavalier Models'! 

 

David

Cheers David. Funnily enough, some of my 1/43rd car detail etches are branded as such!  I think Greyhound sums up my approach to modelling pretty well; a big burst of energy followed by a lot of lying on the sofa...

 

Another test build is almost finished; this time the Doncaster Prototype Mk.1 W3083, as preserved at the SVR. It’s currently in desperate need of some 2mm wheels, weathering and varnish.
 

 

I must get around to a proper workbench update and the Greyhound Models listings.

 

Steve

[1965Nick]

Wow these look amazing. As a 2mm scale modeller who’s starting out with a Mk1 BG, I’ll be looking for more Mk1 coaching stock to build. Will I be able tobuy some etches?

Edited December 8, 2020 by 1965Nick

[Ian Morgan]

I have the surveyors in at Freshwater. The coal yards' area of Freshwater is only seen in the blurry edges or backgrounds of photos of trains, yet there are some major features, coal merchants' platforms, coal staithes, paraffin tanks, telegraph poles and an electric pylon with transformer. I am trying to triangulate their positions from the various photos I have found so that I can fill in this area of the goods yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pixie]

On 08/12/2020 at 21:08, 1965Nick said:

Wow these look amazing. As a 2mm scale modeller who’s starting out with a Mk1 BG, I’ll be looking for more Mk1 coaching stock to build. Will I be able tobuy some etches?

 Thanks Nick. 
 

In short, yes. The plan is to offer them in the not-too-distant future on a relatively informal basis; a listing should appear here and perhaps something in the Association newsletter. I do now have stocks of most etches and a few have trickled out to others to test build also so I’m nearly there. Sadly I don’t think Class 14 chassis’ and oddity Mk.1 sides will ever generate enough money to quit the day job but in hope they’ll help out others. 
 

Watch this space.
 

Cheers,

Steve

 

PS - a little something from the workbench tonight. 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Pixie

[1965Nick]

Love the Derby lightweight. 
just a question about your the Mk1 sides are they designed to work with the association Mk1 body carcass and under frame? 

[1965Nick]

I know that good commercial models exist for the BR GUV and CCT but will the Masterclass kits that the 2mm SA sold become available again? 
Are their kits for the BR Commenwealth and B4 bogies? 
I’ve rediscovered my enjoyment of putting together etches. 

[PaulCheffus]

21 minutes ago, 1965Nick said:

Are their kits for the BR Commenwealth and B4 bogies? 

Hi

 

There used to be etches for the B4 bogie but I think they have now been discontinued which is a pity as I could do with some more for various projects.

 

cheers

 

paul

[Yorkshire Square]

The various coaching stock etches are being discontinued as they (very, very slowly) sell out. It would be worth posting something in the gloat box thread here and maybe sending a letter in to be published in the Newsletter - there are nowhere near as many completed models as there were etches sold. 

 

Chris Higgs did mention another run of the MkIV bogies and I said we would stock some in the Association shop. I've not heard anything on that for a while. If you're interested, it might be worth contacting Chris direct to express your interest. 

[Nig H]

Here are some pics of a London and North Western Railway 19" Goods I've been working on over a number of years. Its made from one of the Brassmasters shot down etches. It has been a swine of a kit to put together in some ways, and the instructions need careful interpretation for the 2mm version. The Whale tender is almost complete, but I've still a lot of detailing to do on the loco body.

 

 

 

 

Nig H

[queensquare]

2 hours ago, Yorkshire Square said:

The various coaching stock etches are being discontinued as they (very, very slowly) sell out. It would be worth posting something in the gloat box thread here and maybe sending a letter in to be published in the Newsletter - there are nowhere near as many completed models as there were etches sold. 

 

Chris Higgs did mention another run of the MkIV bogies and I said we would stock some in the Association shop. I've not heard anything on that for a while. If you're interested, it might be worth contacting Chris direct to express your interest. 

 

Tony, could you clarify what coach etches are being discontinued please. I haven't made any of the complete kits but the various etched  bogies are really useful - I've made lots of them and intend putting another pair together this evening.

 

Jerry

[richbrummitt]

18 minutes ago, queensquare said:

 

Tony, could you clarify what coach etches are being discontinued please. I haven't made any of the complete kits but the various etched  bogies are really useful - I've made lots of them and intend putting another pair together this evening.

 

Jerry

Hopefully just the sides and body etches.

 

Bogies are as essential as wagon under frames, for those wishing to model railways that had passengers. 

[Chris Higgs]

45 minutes ago, richbrummitt said:

Hopefully just the sides and body etches.

 

Bogies are as essential as wagon under frames, for those wishing to model railways that had passengers. 

 

All the bogies will be continuing and I expect to do the BR4 again in due course. Not that it was the ideal candidate for etching. Commonwealth bogies are not in a plan, their cast construction really would not etch well and I use the TPM plastic ones.

 

The Association chose to discontinue the GUV and CCT due to lack of sales (because of the Bachmann ones I expect) but I still have etches and roofs for both.

 

Chris

 

 

[1965Nick]

I’m definitely up for some Br4 bogies!

definitely interested in a GUV etch & roof. 
Not that any of these will suit for the layout I’m building for the Jubilee+1 competition thing. 

[Yorkshire Square]

4 hours ago, queensquare said:

 

Tony, could you clarify what coach etches are being discontinued please. I haven't made any of the complete kits but the various etched  bogies are really useful - I've made lots of them and intend putting another pair together this evening.

 

Jerry

 

As Chris says, the bogies will continue to be stocked so long as he is willing to supply them. On the other hand, the Mk1 complete coaches will be delisted as they sell out. We've had one or two of most variants for several years with no sales to speak of. Farish's offerings in this area did for all but the most dedicated kit builders. 

[Nick Mitchell]

On 12/12/2020 at 14:16, Yorkshire Square said:

The various coaching stock etches are being discontinued as they (very, very slowly) sell out. It would be worth posting something in the gloat box thread here and maybe sending a letter in to be published in the Newsletter - there are nowhere near as many completed models as there were etches sold. 

 

This is a shame, but I understand the reasoning.

I could convince myself that a rake of Mk Is were justified to keep all the Masterclass LMS coach kits company in my gloat box.

Trouble is, the ones that have sold out are the common early varieties that it would be odd to not have.

I appreciate the Farish ones are an attractive proposition, but given infinite time, skill and resource, I would far sooner have a rake of 1:152 kit-built coaches.

The idea that everything sold by the shop is sooner or later a limited edition must surely account for the disappearance of stock into gloat boxes the world over, in a triumph of optimism over realism!

[Yorkshire Square]

2 hours ago, Nick Mitchell said:

The idea that everything sold by the shop is sooner or later a limited edition must surely account for the disappearance of stock into gloat boxes the world over, in a triumph of optimism over realism!

 

That would be a false premise Nick. If something sells in adequate numbers and can be sourced without too much hassle, then we will stock it. Hence the chassis etch 2-330, which was Bill Blackburn's very first etch to the standards established in the mid 90's, was redrawn under commission by Andy Hanson when we lost control of the original artwork following Bill's death. Conversely Bill's excellent but fiddly track etches were delisted recently, having not sold a single unit for over two years - no-one batted an eyelid. 

 

There are no de facto limited editions - demand and availability will determine what we stock. 

 

If you'd like a bulk discount on the Mk1s still in stock, I'd be happy to talk turkey! 

[Pixie]

On 12/12/2020 at 11:51, 1965Nick said:

Love the Derby lightweight. 
just a question about your the Mk1 sides are they designed to work with the association Mk1 body carcass and under frame? 

Hi Nick, 

 

For my own uses I have mostly standardised on Farish Blue Ribband Mk.1s, primarily as I don’t have to do the thin white lining on blue/grey myself. Therefore the etches are designed to match the new Farish 1:148 coaches to blend in as much as possible. However, to get simple flush glazing and to give the coaches a solid structure, I’ve been using upturned Poole-designed bodies with the roof, ends and chassis from the China-design Mk.1s grafted on. 
 

It’s worth noting that the genuine Poole produced Mk.1s have a tendency to bow so the early China produced ones tend to be better donors. 
 

If it’s any help to your ‘bogie-quest’, I have done etched inners for the B4s, both with and without the cut out for the close coupling mechanism but I can’t help with the side frames. 
 

Cheers,

Steve

[Nick Mitchell]

1 hour ago, Yorkshire Square said:

Conversely Bill's excellent but fiddly track etches were delisted recently, having not sold a single unit for over two years - no-one batted an eyelid.

 

Actually, I think this is the same situation as the coaches, in that the most popular/useful part of the range had gone out of stock many years ago. Wasn't what was left and not selling the various pointwork etches? I batted my eyelids several times when the plain line etches became unavailable soon after I'd invested in the jigs and decided that this was the track system I was going to use... but other, easier, systems have come along since - just like the Farish coaches came along.

  

1 hour ago, Yorkshire Square said:

If you'd like a bulk discount on the Mk1s still in stock, I'd be happy to talk turkey! 

 

A tempting offer... I'll have to see how much turkey is left over after Christmas...

[Chris Higgs]

13 hours ago, Pixie said:

Hi Nick, 

 

For my own uses I have mostly standardised on Farish Blue Ribband Mk.1s, primarily as I don’t have to do the thin white lining on blue/grey myself. Therefore the etches are designed to match the new Farish 1:148 coaches to blend in as much as possible. However, to get simple flush glazing and to give the coaches a solid structure, I’ve been using upturned Poole-designed bodies with the roof, ends and chassis from the China-design Mk.1s grafted on. 
 

It’s worth noting that the genuine Poole produced Mk.1s have a tendency to bow so the early China produced ones tend to be better donors. 
 

If it’s any help to your ‘bogie-quest’, I have done etched inners for the B4s, both with and without the cut out for the close coupling mechanism but I can’t help with the side frames. 
 

Cheers,

Steve

 

Steve,

 

Do you find it easy to clean off the printed side painting that the earlier Farish Mk1s come with? Or did you manage to get hold of some unpainted versions?

 

Chris