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Simons Ffestiniog workbench 7mm narrow gauge ( Penryhn goods shed ) Finally started


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Slowly but surely i am collecting models to build a Ffestiniog layout in 7mm.

Having built a few of the Port Wynnstay range i am slowly but surely getting used to making them. When i built one of Phil's wagon kits it was my first foray into resin kit building. Having never built anything in resin i wasn't sure what to expect & it takes a bit of getting used to.

I've now built a curly roof brake van, gunpowder wagon & a bug box which are all in the half painted stage. This kit is going to be built as coach 19 as it was in the late 1880's although my timescale & livery period will be stretched :D

Today i decided to start the project & get this model underway but after going through the contents of the kit & my tool box i noticed i have lost all my small drill bits so work stopped as soon as it started. To add to this i cannot find my camera cable to show what i have done this morning so i shall give a brief description.

After i built the curly roof brake kit i learnt a lot about these kits & might i add that i would not recommend one of these kits to a beginner. The resin castings do need to be checked against everything & all the parts need checking against each other to make sure you get a good fit. You'll need to file & shave down parts to get a good close fit so it is worth spending a good hour going over everything. I've made plenty of kits from brass & white metal & although they have there own problems there not as hard to do in my opinion as these.

But.......

with this being my forth Port Wynnstay kit i have to say that i really do like making these models. There very challenging & they do build into a very nice rare prototype. The bugbox which is currently 90% painted looks fantastic & the curly roof brake once finished will look the bizz too.

This is what you get in the kit.

post-8269-0-76227100-1366653796_thumb.jpg


This morning i have been over all the parts & identified what needs to be filed down or modified to make it fit & checked all the contents against the parts list to make sure i have everything before i start.

I'm happy i have everything there & so i started to clean up flash & make the windows on the bodysides look uniform. The other thing i managed to do was tap the floor so that the bogie fixing screw would fit. I did this by first opening out the hole with an undersized drill & then run a little oil into the hole & then screwed the screw in with a screwdriver.

One of the things i really like about working in resin is that it is very easy to shave & carve so a good sandpaper is all that is needed to get a fit. I use a very bit rough file to do the heavier work, i know that sounds a bit heavy handed but i get a really good finish from it.

This afternoon i am taking the bike for a service but on the way home i am going to nip into the tool shop & pick up some drill bits so i can get cracking with the construction of the model.

I'm going to be painting this model like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FR_Carriage19.jpg

But i am going to be painting the upper panels with white like a LNWR coach. I've already painted the bugbox in this livery using precision paints lnwr coach plum.

More to follow soon.

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So following on from my first post,

Firstly call the police i've been robbed ...... Robbed by the local tool store.

 

A 0.8mm & a 2.2mm drill bit cost nearly £3 i felt my pants around my ankles & actually let out a swear in the shop. Ebay next time & i will have to wait i am not paying that again. 

Anyway to the build,

I started this afternoon following the instructions page by page & doing the kit as the paperwork says. The instructions are very well written & easy to follow & i have been surprised at how well it has gone together so far. The coach ends had warped thought & were not straight which i am guessing occurred when the resin set in the mould. But apart from that the kit has been a breeze so far.

This afternoon i started off by drilling out all the 0.8mm holes in the floors & then turned to the body for the grab rails & door handles.

 

post-8269-0-48764400-1366654482_thumb.jpg

Once i had done both body sides i then had to fit some pieces of plasticard cut to size so the floor units would sit level under the body as per instructions.

post-8269-0-41340200-1366654555_thumb.jpg

Following this it was time to build up the floor & then add the 2 ends & sides together to form the body. The resin castings for the ends firstly need notching so you can fit the ends inside the bodysides which is a simple enough job. Once this had been done it was a case of fitting the 2  floor units that will hold the bogies. The floor comes in 3 pieces & they do need shaving a bit so you can get them to fit which i overlooked & had to do once the parts were fitted each to a side.

After fettling the floor units i glued everything together to form the basic body & it is nearly as far as i want to go at this stage before painting.

post-8269-0-18030800-1366654783_thumb.jpg

I'm going to finish off the ends with the grab rails & then it will be ready for painting. I'm going to paint the body & fit the glazing before the seating units are fitted. The seating is painted in 3 different colours with regards to classes & i would prefer to do these before they are fitted because i think it is going to be easier to do. 

The seating is currently on the table looking like this

 

post-8269-0-88368200-1366654922_thumb.jpg

I'm going to finish off tonight with the shaving of the sides of all the seating so i get a nice snug fit inside the body. Once this is all done i am going to mark it all down so it is a 1 side fit only. It's sods law that it will fit one end but not the other & i'll have already glued one set of seats in.

Thats all for now.

Simon

 

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This morning i've spent some more time on the coach & got the bogies built & fitted & i've now made a start on the handrails at the end. I'm really enjoying this kit now it is coming together exceptionally well & it really does look the part. 

This evening i am going to get the brass strip fitted for the grab rail on the ends & also fit the trussing underneath the coach so it is ready for painting. I've given precision a ring this afternoon & ordered a rattle can of LNWR coach plum which looks superb on these coaches. From what i have read on this forum & others people don't favor the rattle can over an airbrush i don't know why because they give an excellent finish.

 

I've got to find the crests i have tucked away in a box to decide how many transfers i need to order for the coach. I am hoping it is only 4 that i need although another few spares won't go i miss i suppose for future items. 

I'll add some progress photos this evening once i am done.

Thats all for now

Simon

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Time for an update.....

After my last modeling session i was left a little peeved with the super glue i was using. Basically because of the medium tack of the glue it would not grip hold of the phosphor bronze strip i used to create the 1 piece railing on the end of the coach. 

Yesterday i had a day spare to do some modeling & had a quick nip down to Pendle Models to get a thin super glue which was just the item i needed to finish off the handrails. Once i had fitted the railings & cut them down i felt i needed to just have a read of where i was up to in the instructions. 

Having read the instructions i was at the stage where i needed to craft the vac pipes. The kit doesn't cover how to build these & there are no castings etc in the kit for this so it was down to me to craft some myself. Time to stick the boiler on & have a sup of the Yorkshire stuff to try work out how to make these vac pipes.

After a quick brew i decided i would use the various grades of wire that come with the kit to build the piping. At this stage it was very experimental & i was not sure it would work but thought what the hell worth a shot. 

Firstly i filed a small flat notch in the end of some 1.0mm brass wire, then i annealed some 0.4mm wire on the hob. My idea was to solder a piece of 0.4mm at 90 degrees to the 1.0mm & then turn it on onto the wire somehow.

 

post-8269-0-69697500-1367060293_thumb.jpg

 

Once i had done this & soldered the wire i just used a file to make sure the end was clean & no sharp bits to cut my finger when i started to turn the part.

Using a small pair of pliers & my thumb & forefinger i used the pliers as a ratchett & started to turn the wire. Incredibly it worked first time & after stopping to check once or twice it was still tight i cut the wire & soldered the base so it stayed in place.

 

post-8269-0-81312900-1367060344_thumb.jpg

 

Once it was done it was a case of repeat & then start bending the 1.0mm wire to represent each end of the coach.


Firstly the Porthmadog end

 

post-8269-0-07183900-1367060406_thumb.jpg

post-8269-0-67849300-1367060441_thumb.jpg

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Secondly the Blaenau end

 

post-8269-0-27808700-1367060507_thumb.jpg

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post-8269-0-32503900-1367060577_thumb.jpg

I'm now underway with the paintjob which i will show later.

Thats all for now.

Simon

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The paint arrived for this kit on friday & i thought it was time to get the primer on & get cracking with the paint job on the body. I've become used to using rattle cans & after doing the J19/2 kit i did last year i knew i could get the same result once again.... Or some i thought !

I ordered a aerosol from precision paints of LNWR coach plum & after giving it a vigorous shake for 5 minutes i decided to get a coat on the coach. I've used precision paints plenty of times but only there tinlets but didn't think the rattle can would be any different how wrong was i.

The paint just seemed to have more thinners in it than anything else & it ran & mattered on the bodysides & made a real mess which really started to grind my gears. I was distraught after all the work i had put into this kit. Even our Emma who doesn't poke her nose in to my modeling much felt sorry for me because of all the work i had put into this coach. 

Anyway i slept on it & decided to have a look in the morning at what state the paintwork was in. As it happens it made a right mess but was still smooth so i decided to get the paint brush out & hand paint it like i did with the bugbox. After 3 coats of paint i am happy to say it looks ok, the finish isn't the best but as it is a dark colour i think i have got away with it & the imperfections are hidden. 

 

The coach is going to be a bit of a fantasy paint job as i can find no evidence of the livery it is going to wear. I'm not going to line the coach out at this stage because i cannot line for toffee. Its my train set though & it looks good enough for me so i am happy at that. My plan tomorrow is to start painting the white panels on the upper half of the body. I'm also going to finish off doing the curly roof brake & the bugbox. 

I'll upload some images once i am underway. It's pointless at this stage because the coach is dark plum so you won't see much but it is getting there. I've just painted the end steps & the vacs & the handrails so it is starting to look the part.

 

Simon

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The coach is going to be a bit of a fantasy paint job as i can find no evidence of the livery it is going to wear. I'm not going to line the coach out at this stage because i cannot line for toffee. Its my train set though & it looks good enough for me so i am happy at that. My plan tomorrow is to start painting the white panels on the upper half of the body. I'm also going to finish off doing the curly roof brake & the bugbox. 

 

 

Simon

Better get a weave on Simon , your next two bugbox kits go in the post in an hours time!!

 

Phil T.

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The paint arrived for this kit on friday & i thought it was time to get the primer on & get cracking with the paint job on the body. I've become used to using rattle cans & after doing the J19/2 kit i did last year i knew i could get the same result once again.... Or some i thought !

 

I ordered a aerosol from precision paints of LNWR coach plum & after giving it a vigorous shake for 5 minutes i decided to get a coat on the coach. I've used precision paints plenty of times but only there tinlets but didn't think the rattle can would be any different how wrong was i.

 

The paint just seemed to have more thinners in it than anything else & it ran & mattered on the bodysides & made a real mess which really started to grind my gears. I was distraught after all the work i had put into this kit. Even our Emma who doesn't poke her nose in to my modeling much felt sorry for me because of all the work i had put into this coach. 

 

Anyway i slept on it & decided to have a look in the morning at what state the paintwork was in. As it happens it made a right mess but was still smooth so i decided to get the paint brush out & hand paint it like i did with the bugbox. After 3 coats of paint i am happy to say it looks ok, the finish isn't the best but as it is a dark colour i think i have got away with it & the imperfections are hidden. 

 

The coach is going to be a bit of a fantasy paint job as i can find no evidence of the livery it is going to wear. I'm not going to line the coach out at this stage because i cannot line for toffee. Its my train set though & it looks good enough for me so i am happy at that. My plan tomorrow is to start painting the white panels on the upper half of the body. I'm also going to finish off doing the curly roof brake & the bugbox. 

 

I'll upload some images once i am underway. It's pointless at this stage because the coach is dark plum so you won't see much but it is getting there. I've just painted the end steps & the vacs & the handrails so it is starting to look the part.

 

Simon

 

 

Simon

 

Before I got an airbrush I used these cans and had the same problem. (my theory which is only my thoughts is that they use very thin paint with slow drying thinners) I used to have to spray stock at least 3 or more times to get a decent coverage.

 

Go out and buy one of those cheap airbrush/compressor kits off Ebay, you then can mix the paint to a decent consistancy and use quick drying thinners. Not only are tins of paint much cheaper than cans, you can use the airbrush for so many other jobs. They pay for themselves in no time

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Simon

 

Before I got an airbrush I used these cans and had the same problem. (my theory which is only my thoughts is that they use very thin paint with slow drying thinners) I used to have to spray stock at least 3 or more times to get a decent coverage.

 

Go out and buy one of those cheap airbrush/compressor kits off Ebay, you then can mix the paint to a decent consistancy and use quick drying thinners. Not only are tins of paint much cheaper than cans, you can use the airbrush for so many other jobs. They pay for themselves in no time

 

John

 

I actually have one of the airbrush sets which i got with a compressor & have used it regularly for weathering with acrylics. I've not been keen to use it with enamels as i buggered an airbrush up doing this. Maybe it is time to give it another whirl with the next kits i am going to do.

 

So after a couple of days grafting away on this kit's paintjob i am now at this stage. Everything has been hand painted & i've done the best i can. No doubt some will cringe at the model but i think it is coming along nicely & i really have enjoyed building it so far. The photos don't do it justice & it does look better in the flesh & i am certainly happy with my work.

 

I've started to paint the seating & i've fitted one side of the glazing to the carriage. I've still to paint all the white panels on the other side & the window frames.

 

post-8269-0-41679400-1367242356_thumb.jpg

 

I put it next to my first class bug box which is also in a semi finished state. Now i am nearing completion of the bogie coach i am going to start doing them both together. 

 

post-8269-0-02505700-1367242483_thumb.jpg

 

I'd like to get both of these finished & get the panels in the curly roof brake done so there all at the same stage before i start my next 2 bug boxes.

 

Simon

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John i found that the spray you can buy for cleaning airbrushes works very well. I just find my local model shop sells out rapidly, i must stock up on them next time i am in :P

I've taken delivery today of 2 more kits from Phil T & the transfers have arrived from Paul at EDM. Tomorrow i am having a full day of modeling & hopefully i can get the bogie coach finished off & transfers on. I'm also going to get my first bug box finished off & maybe even make a start on the other 2 kits that arrived today. 

I've been told that red oxide is a close paint colour to what the third class bugbox would have been painted in. I'm going to do a test on it later because i want to see what it will look like once it is varnished. Hopefully it'll be spot on & save me money on buying more paint. 

Simon

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Simon

I have been following this with interest as I would like to make one also. I have not seen the undercarriage parts, have you any pictures of what is underneath please?

Thanks

Ian

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Ian is there any kit in particular that you have interest in ??

The bogie coach although built will be having its bogies taken off this evening for painting so i can give you a snap of those & the contents of the bug boxes are easy enough as i have 2 unbuilt ones on the workbench as we speak ;)

 

Simon

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I have not seen the undercarriage parts, have you any pictures of what is underneath please?

 

Apart from the bogies and bogie pivots you don't really need any underside detail. You can't see it on the real thing even if you get down on your hands and knees. I have spent too much time crawling about under them at the trackside dealing with sticking brakes and the like

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Hi Paul, Hi Simon

I see, not a lot to see anyway!

I was just interested in how this was finished.

I am still trying to work out what sort of loading gauge I will work to, and have a Port Wynnstay Sliding door van, an alphagraphix donegal and a MRD Darjeeling van. They are all very different! I personally am looking at the Beira Railway stock and am trying to get to see as much of the current narrow gauge provision as I can. I have joined the 7mmNGA and hope to get to Burton for this as well. Looking forward to the Darjeeling B class and also wondering whether to have a real  mix with this new Fairlie as well?

Will hopefully have made up my mind by June!

Cheers

Ian in Blackpool

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Hi Paul, Hi Simon

I see, not a lot to see anyway!

I was just interested in how this was finished.

I am still trying to work out what sort of loading gauge I will work to, and have a Port Wynnstay Sliding door van, an alphagraphix donegal and a MRD Darjeeling van. They are all very different! I personally am looking at the Beira Railway stock and am trying to get to see as much of the current narrow gauge provision as I can. I have joined the 7mmNGA and hope to get to Burton for this as well. Looking forward to the Darjeeling B class and also wondering whether to have a real  mix with this new Fairlie as well?

Will hopefully have made up my mind by June!

Cheers

Ian in Blackpool

If you make it to Burton you can see most of my Port Wynnstay range as built up samples on the stand, so long as you ask first they are there to be picked up and studied from above or below.

 

Phil T.

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Just stopped for my dinner break but thought I'd give a little update to what's going on.....

 

Yesterday I took delivery of 2 small Birminghams. 1 is a zoo car & the other is a third which are both built & in the advanced painting stage.

 

Perfect kits in my opinion, they've not got loads of parts & go together reasonably well without issue. Both the kits are finished in Hycote red primer which is a close colour to brick red which is mentioned in Boyds book.

 

The zoo car is now varnished which has been done with upol spray paint which is nice & glossy & the coach looks the part. I've just to fit the handle on the door & paint the roof then it's job done.

 

I'll give a detailed account this evening of what's been done with plenty of photos.

 

That's all for now

 

Simon

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Yesterday once i had finished i was truly pooped so i decided to wait until today to do an update.

On wednesday these turned up 

post-8269-0-63332400-1367579326_thumb.jpg

 

I was going to wait to build them but with a couple of days spare & no family in the house it was a perfect time to get cracking. After a quick read in Boyd's book for details i decided to get weaving & start work on one. I've documented the build of most of one of the kits so you can see what is involved in making a small Birmingham.

This is what you get in the kit before i start...

post-8269-0-41323500-1367579474_thumb.jpg

So having made one of these before i know how they go together & are a great little kit which i must admit i enjoy making & the end result is superb.

So starting with the chassis block i glued in 2 bearings & filed out the other bear carriers on the opposite side of the chassis so the bearings could slip in to position with the wheels.

As you can see below are each stage of the wheels being fitted to the chassis.

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Once the basic chassis was rolling freely it was time to make provision for couplings. When i built my first Birmingham it was a bit of a test as to how to fit kadees which are my chosen coupling. What i needed to do was a bit of surgery on the chassis block so there was space to fit the kadee. 

What i do is cut the chassis with a slitting disk so there is plenty of room to fit the coupling & then carry on building the basic coach.

post-8269-0-60796200-1367580031_thumb.jpg

Once this was done i fitted the seating which is a single casting & the chassis is done.

 

post-8269-0-18936400-1367580372_thumb.jpg

 

The body is 4 castings which fit with ease. 1 of the kits did have a slight over curvature but this was cured with some hot & cold water bending. I didnt take any pictures of this part as i was too busy building & singing badly to Stereophonics ;)

 

post-8269-0-03254500-1367580340_thumb.jpg

 

So above you can see the kit in primer which is also the main colour of the kit. Paul Martin at Ng Trains told me that red oxide was a close colour to the real thing so i'll take Pauls word as gospel.

Once i had got the basic body painted i left it to cure for a while. Hycote red primer is a really good paint which goes off rapidly so it is good to paint after an hour or so. After a couple of coats of paint it was time for varnish. 

I'm a big fan of rattle cans & i can get some excellent results from them so out with some more car shop specials. I used a clear coat called Upol which is brilliant gloss spray & gives a fantastic finish once sprayed on.

Once the varnish had set it was a perfect base for the transfers to be fitted. Now i am unsure if the coaches i made should be wearing a Ffestiniog emblem but i think they needed a little something & i think they really do look the part now.

post-8269-0-04422600-1367581055_thumb.jpg

 

After i had fitted the transfers i gave it one last blast of upol to seal the transfers in & then it was a case of fit the kadee & the door handles & job done. 2 Birminghams built in one day.

My first complete train set is almost completed now as you can see below with Welsh Pony at the helm. I'm really looking forward to getting my grubby mitts on a couple of edm's double fairlies so i shall be up early on the day they are released.

post-8269-0-35368800-1367581331_thumb.jpg

 

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After i finish my dinner i am going to be giving Paul a ring to get some more transfers to finish the bogie coach.

Simon

 



 





 

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After i finish my dinner i am going to be giving Paul a ring to get some more transfers to finish the bogie coach.

 

Sorry Simon,

wont do you any good phoning as were closed until the 12th as I am currently sat in No1 Boston Lodge watching the beginning of the FR 150 weekend, doing Porthmadog Show tomorrow and then driving the odd train for a week (call it prototype research!)

 

Roster.png

 

And to be honest it will be a few day after we re-open before I have more transfers packed and ready for sale as I need a clean dry space well lit space to cut and pack them and my workshop is in the middle of a rebuild. I can't even get to the transfers at the moment

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Sorry Simon,

wont do you any good phoning as were closed until the 12th as I am currently sat in No1 Boston Lodge watching the beginning of the FR 150 weekend, doing Porthmadog Show tomorrow and then driving the odd train for a week (call it prototype research!)

 

Roster.png

 

And to be honest it will be a few day after we re-open before I have more transfers packed and ready for sale as I need a clean dry space well lit space to cut and pack them and my workshop is in the middle of a rebuild. I can't even get to the transfers at the moment

 

Just out of curiosity, what gauge track do those model Double Fairlie's run on?  Are they true scale 2' gauge (14 mm), or do they run on HO track (i.e. - On30)?  (or can the kits be made either way?)

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Mike,

 

I have copied the information below from an announcement Paul made on the 'Narrow Gauge Railway Modelling Online Forum

 

 

 

The kit specification is: -

 

  • All etch parts in nickel Silver (except a detail fret of Brass nameplates, window surrounds and the like)
  • Assembly jig included to ensure cab assembles squarely (and thus keeps the rest of it square)
  • All detail castings in brass or nickel silver (there is no whitemetal)
  • Includes name, patent and works plates
  • Cab upper section is designed to be added (carefully) after the cab interior is detailed and painted
  • Supplied with motors, correct pattern wheels and gears
  • Can be built for 16,5 or 14mm gauges

 

I'm sure there'll be a more formal announcement on here once the kits are ready for sale

 

Another Mike

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