Porth Dinllaen in 0

[Simond]

Last couple of weeks has been mainly business trips - managed to do the painting on the backhead, but woe is me, somehow lost the cast fire hole door levers, as mildly modified, visible and described above. Searched the house, x-rayed the cat, interrogated MrsD, all the usual suspects, but it's gone... And of course having painted the bits today was the day for backhead assembly, so it rather spoiled the morning.

 

The two pipes one on top of the other had given me apoplexy on Friday evening, but they were sorted to a degree of satisfaction, and along with the other pipe from the fountain down to the footplate (live steam injector, top right?), had been installed with judicious use of runny superglue.

 

So nothing for it, make one. There is an etched version in the kit - this was used as a guide, and was finally sacrificed to provide a few details. Quite pleased with it, and quite full of admiration for those stalwarts who create the bits and pieces on which we so frequently rely.

 

 

And apart from some graduations & needles on the gauges, herewith the completed backhead. I'm not going to go mad trying to model pipes lists than an inch and a bit diameter, so wysiwyg!

 

 

Warren sent the brake bits, so I could start on finishing the chassis, but I've also been quietly painting a length of gummed paper tape in gloss green, so the day of the lining pen draws near.

 

I've also been at the Templot again... Watch this space!

 

Best

Simon

[2ManySpams]

I trust now you've made a replacement that the originals will turn up.

[Simond]

thanks for positive comments

 

the humbrol metalcote with which I painted the backhead looks very thick in the above photo - I will reconsider.

 

S

[Simond]

Had a change this weekend. My siphon F had been gracing the Greater Windowledge in unpainted brass for too long, and although seasonably damp, the weather wasn't too cold, so I scrubbed it with Shiny Sinks, primed it with Halfords rattle can grey, and then attempted to finish it in acrylics.

 

 

Honestly, I'm not happy, neither with the finish which is somehow glossy, despite the paint being let down with Matt medium, nor the colour, which is a slightly redder brown than the 6-wheelers, which from memory were Prototype enamels. The roof is also "too" black. (See Chris' Agenoria pannier thread for "in service" black).

 

I'm tempted to have the lot off again, and repaint in enamels, even if it means putting a heater on in the garage for a few hours, as I don't want to spray enamels in the house due to the smell. Grumble mutter complain. I've started a thread on acrylic paints, comments & suggestions welcome.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92956-acrylics-help/

 

More positively, the 1366 pannier now has a full black "face" (the tank fronts were green, which I have subsequently learned was incorrect), and it now has buffer beam numbers, front and rear. Drain cocks will be purchased at Reading, Zimo sound chip to follow.

 

 

And I've started the lining on the King tender, and whilst the Bob Moore pen was out, I've lined the parcel tape that I painted green last weekend. Hopefully enough for my Castle too. I now need to cut PK templates for the cab side lining. Photos next week, if progress continues.

 

Best

Simon

Edited November 23, 2014 by Simond

[81A Oldoak]

Had a change this weekend. My siphon F had been gracing the Greater Windowledge in unpainted brass for too long, and although seasonably damp, the weather wasn't too cold, so I scrubbed it with Shiny Sinks, primed it with Halfords rattle can grey, and then attempted to finish it in acrylics.

 

image.jpg

 

Honestly, I'm not happy, neither with the finish which is somehow glossy, despite the paint being let down with Matt medium, nor the colour, which is a slightly redder brown than the 6-wheelers, which from memory were Prototype enamels. The roof is also "too" black. (See Chris' Agenoria pannier thread for "in service" black).

 

I'm tempted to have the lot off again, and repaint in enamels, even if it means putting a heater on in the garage for a few hours, as I don't want to spray enamels in the house due to the smell. Grumble mutter complain. I've started a thread on acrylic paints, comments & suggestions welcome.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92956-acrylics-help/

 

More positively, the 1366 pannier now has a full black "face" (the tank fronts were green, which I have subsequently learned was incorrect), and it now has buffer beam numbers, front and rear. Drain cocks will be purchased at Reading, Zimo sound chip to follow.

 

image.jpg

 

And I've started the lining on the King tender, and whilst the Bob Moore pen was out, I've lined the parcel tape that I painted green last weekend. Hopefully enough for my Castle too. I now need to cut PK templates for the cab side lining. Photos next week, if progress continues.

 

Best

Simon

I really do not get on well with acrylic paints other than for scenery and some weathering. I prefer enamels for rolling stock.

[Simond]

Chris,

I struggle with them for weathering. The Clyde Puffer came out quite well, as have several wm figures, and some scenic items, but I find enamels so much easier to wash, very diluted, or to drybrush quite the opposite. Acrylics seem quite digital by comparison. But in particular, the ability to spray indoors is very appealing (MrsD is rather patient, the modelling bench is in the lounge, which makes for a talking point when we have visitors..). I fear being gassed with solvents and thinners whilst watching TV might not be very welcome!

 

So I'm inclined to persevere, but it is frustrating.

 

I've had some helpful comments on the Acrylics-Help! forum

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

This weekend's progress - painted hanging bars on the king, not much to show, and repainted the siphon. Quite pleased with it.

 

Spray mounted tissue on the roof in overlapping panels 6 scale feet wide, and painted it with off white acrylic, weathered with lots of soot. I remained unhappy with the colour of the acrylic brown I'd used, and simply oversprayed the brown with Precision, and applied transfers when it dried. It will need a gentle dusting of grot & grime to bring it all together, and maybe some further drybrushing to highlight the bogie detail.

 

 

 

 

Reading next week! .

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Reading was great fun. Met a few old ones and a few new acquaintances, spent far too much, looked at the Lionheart mogul (and decided I really do want one), and had an easy drive both ways. Thanks to the Guildford crowd for another cracker.

 

When I bought the siphon, at last year's Reading show, I also got a Metal Models K3 PBV. It looked well made, but the brown area under the waist looked like it might have been put on over a layer of artex. I tried in vain to polish it out with T-cut, but in the end it had to come off. I've tried to keep the cream & panelling, and the window glass (plastic) that appears to be sandwiched into the body work. In the end, it was down to the fibreglass scratch brush, Shiny Sinks and elbow grease. Just had the first wash, a few little corners to clean up, then I'll mask up, spay & see how it looks.

 

 

The bogies are cast w/m, and appeared to be screwed together, and details added with Durofix. This was good news, as they came to bits very easily, allowing me to swap out the wheels, the originals were aluminium! If anyone has a use for them, PM me, free to a good home for the price of the postage!

 

 

Did a bit more lining on the King on Friday evening, not sure that it's ever going to be good enough. No photos yet!

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Latest news from the Virtual Lleyn Peninsula...

 

When not rebuilding the K3 PBV, and failing to line the King, I've been working on Templot and Turbocad, and have come up with the trackplan attached - it is intended to 1) fit in my lounge, and keep me entertained until the railway shed gets built, 2) be transferrable directly into the "master plan" layout, as and when that materialises, and 3) provide a photo backdrop for locos and other stock.  There is storage etc space under it, so it's a bit higher than the Greater Windowledge Railway.

 

porth dinllaen shed.PDF

 

 

It's very tight.  this is a result of the intentions of 1) and 2) above.  I have managed to maintain all the track radii to be 1800 or more, to allow the tender locos access everywhere, except possibly the front-most road of the shed, and the coal stage, which are rather less.

 

Operation is from the lower side, as shown, and there will be a temporary "sky" background from the lower right corner, around to the upper left  -  eventually, this will be replaced by the double track main line on a 9' radius (dream on, Simon) when the shed gets built...  It's a bit of a reach over the boards, but with the access in the corner, should be manageable.

 

The things I don't like;  turnout inside the shed to get onto the kick-back which seems an improbable arrangement, but provides siding space, and possibly the programming track (depends if tender locos can get in there...).  I am also painfully aware that the coaling road and the parallel one to it are very short, and there is no siding for the ash wagons.  The road up to the coalstage is 1150mm long, curved, and needs to rise by about 80mm, giving a horrendous gradient to push the coal wagons up, and I will test this with actual locos and wagons when I clear enough space on the workbench. 

 

Space for the sand drying furnace, bothy, etc, is also a bit tight, but I think this can be managed. 

 

I note earlier comments (Steve Fay?) about having straight edged baseboards with parallel tracks, but there is an excuse, the front of the baseboard is supposed to be a sea-wall, and will be decorated, possibly a bit like the Cob at Porthmadog.

 

I would be grateful for comments and suggestions, before the GWR gets ripped to shreds, and the woodwork starts...

 

thanks

Simon

 

 

[81A Oldoak]

Based on the dimensions given, the gradient up to coal-stage is at least 1:14 and probably steeper allowing for lead-in and lead-out. The ruling gradient on the colliery branch on my emerging Cwm Bach layout is 1:22. I have attached a few shots to show what it looks like. the usual load is five or six mineral wagons built from plastic kits and none of my locos have difficulties with them.

 

Have you considered a mechanical loader? Although rare on the GWR, there was a small one at Worcester Shrub Hill because of the confined site.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Simond]

Chris,

 

Thanks for your thoughts. There's a very good reason for the "classic" coal stage, apart from the efforts I made to get the "look" with turntable, shed & stage counter poised - which I think I will achieve: the reason is...

 

 

I did think about it, obviously after I bought & built the stage (which is great apart from the absurdly over scale steps which will be rebuilt in plastruct) but I do like it, so somehow, it needs to be wangled in!

 

If I built the layout on a billiard table, it would be 90mm climb - I think I can lose between 10 & 20mm by setting the entrance point a little higher than the coaling position.

 

Best

Simon

[Donw]

This one works ok on Bracks layout. I hope you can see enough detail

 

 

The coaling stage is at the edge of the shed the loco road is behind the stage. Locos are turned on the triangle

 

Alan's workmanship is as good as his painting.

 

Don

[Simond]

Further to the gradient, if the horizontal distance and vertical offset are fixed, the gradient depends upon the radius of the vertical curve, smaller the curve radius, less the gradient which is tangent to the curves.

 

A bit of work with Excel gets me to approximately 1 in 12 with a radius of around 400mm.

 

Might play with the numbers a bit, but this sort of radius smells about right, but I remain concerned that the gradient is too much - even if the locos can manage it, I fear it will look silly.

 

Ho hum...

 

Simon

[Simond]

Good Morning & Merry Chrismas!

 

Simon

[Simond]

Happy Christmas to me!!!!

 

 

Lionheart Pannier

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all

Simon

[two tone green]

They are rather nice.

[asa]

Merry Christmas Simon.

[2ManySpams]

Happy Christmas to me!!!!

image.jpg

Lionheart Pannier

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all

Simon

I like the look of the chimney...

[Simond]

I'll measure it for you....

 

[Derbys65]

Ive got one and the Autocoach too both with sound ☺

[Simond]

Hi

 

I built an Autocoach from a kit many years back.

 

The loco has sound - I'm looking forward to hearing it, as there's no track to run it on at my mum's...!

 

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Back home

 

Pannier sounds great!

 

Now in the right environment!

 

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Crew now installed (and cab floor painted "wood" rather than green)

Simon

[Simond]

Progress on the K3. Day off so apart from some shopping and doing the Dad's taxi service, did a bit more modelling.

 

Stripped all the paint off in the end, used acetone, which "crackled" the paint quite quickly, and then it just scraped off. Finished with the hated fibreglass brush (new refills required...) and then, after some remedial soldering, and addition of lamp irons, scrubbed thoroughly with Shiny Sinks, and an old toothbrush, and lots of hot water. I also took off the footboards off, as the bogie had no hangers, and I think they'd look better with them. I have the original cross beams with the spring pots, so I'll have to see how to make it look right.

 

This morning, I masked the windows with Blu Tack, primed in Halfords red oxide, overcoated in Precision dull GW Coach Brown, and finally, masked up, and overlaid with Precision dull GW Coach Cream. It's currently hardening off in a cabinet, near a radiator. Interestingly, the BluTack pulled off the paint on the window drop lights, and appears to have softened the plastic window glazing, which surprised me - worst case, I will simply replace the glazing, and I was going to repaint the drop lights anyway.

 

 

I replaced the wheels last week - bogies back together, with new transoms soldered onto the cast side frames.

 

 

I also "canvassed" the roof with a single layer of something Labrador puppies are allegedly fond of, stuck on with spray-mount, and then overpainted with white acrylic. It seems to have wrinkled a bit, which has added to the canvas texture, perhaps when I started to spray some very thin black/brown (enamel) weathering mix over it. Certainly needs a bit more to darken it some more.

 

 

Best

Simon

[Simond]

Further to the gradient, if the horizontal distance and vertical offset are fixed, the gradient depends upon the radius of the vertical curve, smaller the curve radius, less the gradient which is tangent to the curves.

A bit of work with Excel gets me to approximately 1 in 12 with a radius of around 400mm.

Might play with the numbers a bit, but this sort of radius smells about right, but I remain concerned that the gradient is too much - even if the locos can manage it, I fear it will look silly.

Ho hum...

Simon

Mmm, 400 radius us not enough - this would require something over 2 mm of relative axle displacement for my 1366, which might be possible but seems too much. 1000 radius would require less than 1mm of relative axle movement, and gives a gradient nearer to 1 in 11, which I have simulated here:

 

 

The Lionheart pannier will push these three wagons (one of which is carrying a quite heavy "stone cast" load) from a standing start. The 1366 will lift them, but struggles to start them, so it looks like this is the limit.

 

I don't think it looks ridiculous - the beer is presumably level in the glass, by way of reference....

 

Thoughts, comments & suggestions very welcome

Best

Simon

Edited December 29, 2014 by Simond