Corbs' Cobbling - Is it electric?

[Corbs]

aaaaand here's another one! 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by Corbs

[SR71]

18 hours ago, Corbs said:

A little experiment - swapped some W4 wheelsets (3ft 1in) for the B2 ones (3ft 7in) on the blue one.

I was wondering if this would be a good swap at beginning of last week. Now I know and without even having to get the tools out!

 

Thanks Corbs

 

...I now also know where the wheels I was watching on eBay went!

[Corbs]

Progress has been somewhat glacial these past few months for various reasons. 

Something I hadn't quite factored in until I changed it was that after having moved my desk to be nearer the window (where the layout used to be), the side I work on was in shadow all the time. All my lights tended to point up, or I had a desk magnifier lamp, but it had such harsh blue-white LEDs that it just tended to cast more shadows and wasn't a pleasant light to work in.

 

I've replaced it with a dimmable, colour changeable strip lamp that provides a much nicer ambient light on the desk.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BHJ8VP7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

It's much nicer to model with! Speaking of modelling....

 

Two shunters, both alike in dignity.

 

One 100hp sentinel from Hardys Hobbies, destined to work in Slugworth's chocolate factory, Tidmouth (just like its sister engine who worked in Fry's, Keynsham).

 

 

 

Handily I happen to know the designer which made drawing up some custom decals a lot easier. These were done on the laser printer so the white is good but the colours do have the 'dithering' effect and aren't so crisp, but I can live with that.

 

 

RC-ing it was another matter.

First the rather tricky and brutal matter of cutting through the cab bulkhead, the tank and the boiler to make room for a battery. This is part way through the butchery.

 

 

The receiver (Deltang Rx41) was fitted where the DCC plug was and taped over with masking tape, which was painted black.

The wires for the charging cable come up through the cab floor and were also painted black.

The switch (which goes between 'on' and 'off/charge' so that you can't charge it and run it at the same time) is behind the false frames in a little notch which was carved out to make the chassis sit flush again. Both the switch and charging socket are fixed in with Araldite.

 

 

The battery is a tiny 40mah one from eBay. For my first charge-up I always do it on the hob in case of thermal runaway or something. Yes, I know it needs cleaning....

 

 

A crew member is glued in to hide the wires.

 

 

It runs like this...

 

On a full charge, wide open throttle, it ran for 42 minutes non stop and took 20 minutes to charge, not bad for such a small capacity, the newer motors don't use much juice.

 

 

 

The second loco is another one of Tom's designs, a Borrows type loco based on Windle with a stretched cab to fit the Pug chassis.

 

 

Tom's also prototyping this motor conversion, I think this is a 3-6v motor. Was a few pounds on eBay.

 

 

I removed the pickups and put the receiver in the space after carving away the excess plastic.

 

 

I went for a brown colour on the loco, with custom lining (naturally) provided by the laser printer once again.

 

 

West Sodor Power & Gas' loco with one of their wagons (decals printed on the.... you get it)

 

The clack valves are (I think) from Markits and the whistle is an old Tri-ang one bent 90 degrees.

 

 

This motor is much faster! So much so that you can pop sweet wheelies!

 

 

There was barely any low speed throttle control so I added one diode in each direction on the motor terminals, this has made it much nicer.

 

More to come once I install the battery and wiring circuit....

Edited March 2, 2023 by Corbs

[Lacathedrale]

Corbs, we spoke a little about RC conversions before, and I'm in the process of speccing up something for a scratchbuild. I was wondering if you might be able to summarise your thoughts on selecting LiPo batteries at this point? i.e. assuming the largest 3.7v you can find, with a booster? Is it possible to put one battery in each side tank of a loco for a higher capacity, or is that asking for trouble?

 

Have you exhibited with your dead-rail/RC locos? At home I'm not worried about an hour's driving limit but may end up a problem if half the fleet is recharging whilst the other is operating!

Edited December 24, 2020 by Lacathedrale

[Corbs]

So with me it mainly comes down to laziness

 

I can't be bothered with balance charging and all that stuff, I just want to keep operation simple, so I have one kind of charger, one kind of plug, all single cell 3.7v batteries used singly. I tend to tape or black tack the batteries into the loco body so they can be changed if faulty or desired.

 

A booster is only necessary if you want more speed/power from an RTR or similar motor.

If you are using a 12v motor, then your top speed/power on a 3.7v battery is just shy of a quarter. Great for a shunting loco, not so great for bigger stuff, so I tend to use a booster.

 

For the Borrows loco above, I used a 3-6v motor, which goes like a scalded cat with no booster, with the result that I installed 2 diodes in parallel/opposite directions to bring the max. power down a little and make it more controllable, so it was the opposite issue. If you are scratch or kit building you have more of a choice in the motor spec.

 

I've not done a lot of exhibiting but I have 3 chargers, charge time so far seems to be about a third of total run time. The battery I installed in my E2, running a Bachmann 1F chassis with no booster, ran for about 2 hours. I use USB power bricks to charge rather than a mains port so if it all goes Pete Tong it can be removed/contained/booted out the door rather than having a tethered fire.

[PenrithBeacon]

KISS always works 

[Corbs]

Any followers of this thread can observe I am very much a 'scatterbrain' and like to focus on different eras and areas, darting around in phases. I do have a nagging sensation that some of these need to be 'finished', or at least in a state where I would be happy to run or display it. Here's what I've been up to.

 

The gasworks loco's wiring is finished, the switch and charging socket are located under the cab. You can see the diodes (one in each direction, wired in parallel) on top of the motor.

 

 

This makes it more controllable.

 

It's since acquired a crew member holding a lever reverser (salvaged from a broken Railway Mania print), just about visible here, along with some oil cans and a bucket for the footplate.

 

 

A jack is carried on the other side. The glazing is just glue 'n glaze.

 

 

Christmas Eve saw the arrival of my Narrow Planet order of name and number plates, which meant the second E2 could get an identity. 

It's.... uh.... also Thomas.

 

 

Thomas Edward Brown, much like Thomas Allen, was a Manx writer and so fits my 'local heroes' naming convention.

 

The idea is that the stories in the books are based on those experienced by both the 'real' engines, it being quite unlikely that so many incidents would happen to just one loco

 

300 uses a Bachmann Jinty chassis whereas 301 is still on the Hornby one. 300 needs a better wiring circuit to include a switch and battery charging socket, which is another task on the list.

 

The enlarged bunker on 300 is evident.

 

 

Back to industrials, the NP order also meant my Tidmouth Docks Authority fleet could get some names. At the same time I weathered some of them a bit to make the more work worn, unfortunately still getting issues with wrinkling transfers but ah well.

 

These are a mix, depending on the era the loco was introduced.

 

The earlier locos are named after destinations served by the steamers operating from Tidmouth, like 'Dublin'.

 

 

Later on we see some more general names, like 'Atlantic' here, named after the ocean most of the merchantmen and liners cross when on their way to or from Tidmouth.

 

 

 

Tidmouth was a major handling port for convoys in WW2. With the entry of the USA into the war in 1941 and more men and material arriving from the States, the locos were named to honour new comrades, like 'Liberty' and her sister 'Unity'.

 

 

Post-war and the cost is counted, like the large number of Tidmouth-based sailors lost when HMS Compass Rose sank, commemorated by one of the ex-USATC shunters.

 

 

Whilst others commemorated individuals who showed great bravery, perhaps during the Tidmouth blitz.

 

 

One yet to join the TDA fleet is this Kitson 0-6-0T

Maybe this will become 'Douglas' or perhaps even 'Tidmouth'?

 

It's a TS Design body on a Dapol/Hornby Terrier chassis.

 

 

 

Moving back in time now, with more of an independent flavour, we come to the Tidmouth, Knapford and Ffarquhar Railway, absorbed into the NWR in 1923.

 

Previously I had made two Kitson 2-6-0Ts for this but I grew to dislike the wheel arrangement and overly large cylinders, so both of them have been cut down to 0-6-0Ts making them much better proportioned as small standard gauge locos.

The original Electrotren cylinders are reinstated and built up.

 

 

Goo added, then all sanded back.

 

 

I like the look of the trio now they are all 0-6-0Ts

 

 

The TK&F uses air brakes so I've also been added air pipes to the bufferbeams.

 

Finally we come to the Sharp Stewart, No.102 'Edward Faragher' (another Manx author).

 

Originally I had bought the 'Phoenix' superheated version with the chimney right at the front of the long smokebox, but as these were unsuccessful in real life and removed after a couple of years, I felt that I wanted to represent a different superheated conversion.

Basing this on the superheated NSWGR 'Standard Goods' locos where the extended smokebox kept the chimney further back and allowed room for the lamp in front, I took the razor saw to the loco, hacked the chimney out, turned it around, and fixed it back in place with Araldite. FUD seems to not like cyanoacrylate much but the 2 part Araldite does the trick.

 

 

Much blending followed, I think I have finally found a decent replacement for Squadron Green Putty (no longer available it seems) - Humbrol Model Filler. So far it has been great.

 

 

The bufferbeam had snapped off again so I made a new one with better spacing for the buffers. Seen here alongside the TK&F locos with part painted air pipes.

 

 

A screw link coupling has been fitted.

I cut away the bogie splashers (as they were removed from the real locos it seems, and they impede movement), opened out the slot in the bogie, and screwed it to the BSF frames. Springing is courtesy of a snipped spring from a dismantled pen, mounted in the middle of two small washers in between the bogie and the body. Hopefully this should allow the adding of weight into the smokebox whilst not tipping the drivers forward. The RC gear will be in the tender so only the motor need be in the body.

 

 

 

 

I'll also need to fit the vac bag, lamp irons and ejector pipe, as well as the name and number plates. I think this one will need weathering to hide the dozens of paint patches.... Poor old thing.

 

Next (maybe) I need to motorise it!

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Corbs

[Mikkel]

A tsunami of locos, and each one unique.

 

I really like the gas works loco, livery and all, a little gem. It even has something to pull! 

[Sharky]

8 hours ago, Corbs said:

... I think this one will need weathering to hide the dozens of paint patches.... Poor old thing.

 

 

Just like the Original NWR no.2 before the 'Old Iron' chase.

 

'Just a lot of old scrap iron!'

[Quarry-Steam65]

Now those Industrial Tanks are the best I’ve seen!
Love the name “Compass Rose”, the Cruel Sea has to be one of my favourite Naval films.

Keep up the good work.

[AlfaZagato]

I might have to get one of your gasworks for myself.   Is that a Pug chassis?

[RedGemAlchemist]

Excellent work as always my friend. Love the unexpected cinematic reference on your incarnation of Rosie, definitely a welcome surprise. Also, is Edward having the Fowler tender from the books or the original Furness one? 

Edited January 11, 2021 by RedGemAlchemist

[scots region]

@CorbsRE: Kitson. You say its a TS design, could you provide a link or is it your own work? 

[Corbs]

1 hour ago, RedGemAlchemist said:

Excellent work as always my friend. Love the unexpected cinematic reference on your incarnation of Rosie, definitely a welcome surprise. Also, is Edward having the Fowler tender from the books or the original Furness one? 

 

Thank you  Probably more similar to the Furness style as I'm not terribly fond of the LMS type.

 

57 minutes ago, scots region said:

@CorbsRE: Kitson. You say its a TS design, could you provide a link or is it your own work? 

 

It's Tom's handiwork, I think it may appear on sale at some point from another shop but this is technically a failed print as it has a fault around the bufferbeam and steps so I was able to purchase it. Keep an eye out  

 

[Barclay]

The TDA fleet looks superb - never thought I'd see a model of one of those Kitsons.

[Sandhole]

On 10/01/2021 at 23:50, Corbs said:

Any followers of this thread can observe I am very much a 'scatterbrain' and like to focus on different eras and areas, darting around in phases. I do have a nagging sensation that some of these need to be 'finished', or at least in a state where I would be happy to run or display it. Here's what I've been up to.

 

The gasworks loco's wiring is finished, the switch and charging socket are located under the cab. You can see the diodes (one in each direction, wired in parallel) on top of the motor.

 

This makes it more controllable.

 

It's since acquired a crew member holding a lever reverser (salvaged from a broken Railway Mania print), just about visible here, along with some oil cans and a bucket for the footplate.

 

 

A jack is carried on the other side. The glazing is just glue 'n glaze.

 

Christmas Eve saw the arrival of my Narrow Planet order of name and number plates, which meant the second E2 could get an identity. 

It's.... uh.... also Thomas.

 

 

Thomas Edward Brown, much like Thomas Allen, was a Manx writer and so fits my 'local heroes' naming convention.

 

The idea is that the stories in the books are based on those experienced by both the 'real' engines, it being quite unlikely that so many incidents would happen to just one loco

 

300 uses a Bachmann Jinty chassis whereas 301 is still on the Hornby one. 300 needs a better wiring circuit to include a switch and battery charging socket, which is another task on the list.

 

The enlarged bunker on 300 is evident.

 

 

Back to industrials, the NP order also meant my Tidmouth Docks Authority fleet could get some names. At the same time I weathered some of them a bit to make the more work worn, unfortunately still getting issues with wrinkling transfers but ah well.

 

These are a mix, depending on the era the loco was introduced.

 

The earlier locos are named after destinations served by the steamers operating from Tidmouth, like 'Dublin'.

 

 

Later on we see some more general names, like 'Atlantic' here, named after the ocean most of the merchantmen and liners cross when on their way to or from Tidmouth.

 

Tidmouth was a major handling port for convoys in WW2. With the entry of the USA into the war in 1941 and more men and material arriving from the States, the locos were named to honour new comrades, like 'Liberty' and her sister 'Unity'.

 

 

 

Post-war and the cost is counted, like the large number of Tidmouth-based sailors lost when HMS Compass Rose sank, commemorated by one of the ex-USATC shunters.

 

 

Whilst others commemorated individuals who showed great bravery, perhaps during the Tidmouth blitz.

 

 

One yet to join the TDA fleet is this Kitson 0-6-0T

Maybe this will become 'Douglas' or perhaps even 'Tidmouth'?

 

It's a TS Design body on a Dapol/Hornby Terrier chassis.

 

 

 

 

Moving back in time now, with more of an independent flavour, we come to the Tidmouth, Knapford and Ffarquhar Railway, absorbed into the NWR in 1923.

 

Previously I had made two Kitson 2-6-0Ts for this but I grew to dislike the wheel arrangement and overly large cylinders, so both of them have been cut down to 0-6-0Ts making them much better proportioned as small standard gauge locos.

The original Electrotren cylinders are reinstated and built up.

 

Goo added, then all sanded back.

 

 

I like the look of the trio now they are all 0-6-0Ts

 

 

The TK&F uses air brakes so I've also been added air pipes to the bufferbeams.

 

Finally we come to the Sharp Stewart, No.102 'Edward Faragher' (another Manx author).

 

Originally I had bought the 'Phoenix' superheated version with the chimney right at the front of the long smokebox, but as these were unsuccessful in real life and removed after a couple of years, I felt that I wanted to represent a different superheated conversion.

Basing this on the superheated NSWGR 'Standard Goods' locos where the extended smokebox kept the chimney further back and allowed room for the lamp in front, I took the razor saw to the loco, hacked the chimney out, turned it around, and fixed it back in place with Araldite. FUD seems to not like cyanoacrylate much but the 2 part Araldite does the trick.

 

 

Much blending followed, I think I have finally found a decent replacement for Squadron Green Putty (no longer available it seems) - Humbrol Model Filler. So far it has been great.

 

 

The bufferbeam had snapped off again so I made a new one with better spacing for the buffers. Seen here alongside the TK&F locos with part painted air pipes.

 

 

A screw link coupling has been fitted.

I cut away the bogie splashers (as they were removed from the real locos it seems, and they impede movement), opened out the slot in the bogie, and screwed it to the BSF frames. Springing is courtesy of a snipped spring from a dismantled pen, mounted in the middle of two small washers in between the bogie and the body. Hopefully this should allow the adding of weight into the smokebox whilst not tipping the drivers forward. The RC gear will be in the tender so only the motor need be in the body.

 

 

I'll also need to fit the vac bag, lamp irons and ejector pipe, as well as the name and number plates. I think this one will need weathering to hide the dozens of paint patches.... Poor old thing.

 

 

Next (maybe) I need to motorise it!

 

That Kitson is a missing link in my collection of Ship Canal Railway locos.
If it is released, I'll buy one.

 

[Corbs]

I've been doing quite a bit of modelling again recently which has been nice.

Some time ago I got No.102 to work, yay!

 

After having faffed around with the 3D printed chassis I went back to my butchered 'Smokey Joe' one as at least I could guarantee the coupling rods matched the wheelbase, and that the axles were perpendicular to the frames so the wheels didn't twist around.

 

I took the Black 5 wheels off and substituted Scale Link wheels 1mm smaller in diameter to aid clearance and ride height.

 

A standard Hornby 'square' motor sits in a cradle and is glued in place where the gears mesh.

This photo shows the bodgetastic arrangement with the RC receiver hardwired on for testing.

 

 

Huzzah! It works! note there is no tender so the battery is in the boiler, once I sort out the tender wheels I can put the weight in the front permanently. This is why one of the bogie wheels is airborne. The jerkiness will hopefully be better when there is more weight in it too, as it's barely anything currently.

 

 

 

Here is a pic of the springing arrangement at the front with the cut-down pen spring and washer.

 

Another thing that had been hanging around for too long was a repaint of the ex-West Sodor Railway 'Terrier' No.104.

 

Printing white/black/white lining on the laser transfer printer is tricky as black needs to be a mix of CMY, so it uses dithering to achieve that. I did some tests with different line thicknesses and found a minimum that worked and looked ok. Using measurements of the model and Hornby's classic side-on shot, I was able to draw a lining set in Illustrator to fit the lines of the Terrier body, and the NWR lettering on the tank sides.

 

The first test was with a plain white line.

 

 

 

I'm so happy I changed it to white/black/white though. Name and numberplates to follow, and I need to work out how on earth I am going to RC it....

 

 

Three ex-Brighton locos, reunited* thanks to the ROD and the WSR...

 

 

*actually united for the first time as 104 is ex-LBSC 'Wandle', in real life scrapped in 1902 but given a new life in fiction, whereas the E2s were not built until several years later.

 

More to follow....

 

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by Corbs

[Compound2632]

I've said this before but I'll say it again: railway photographs - why is there always some locomotive right in the middle of the picture blocking the view of the interesting stuff? In this case, wagons declaring "YOUR NAME HERE" - transfer test I presume. Are you printing white, or applying a black transfer to a white surface?

[Corbs]

They are demonstrators for the PO wagon decal service on the website. I traced some images of PO wagons to get an appropriate signwritten alphabet (rather than a 'font' which never looks quite right). User types in what they want, I lay up the decals, check they are happy with the artwork, print them off and post them. The options are either white, white shaded black, or white shaded red.

 

I've done two templates so far (to try and avoid the lettering going on the ironwork or bending around hinges in a weird way).

https://www.railwaymania.net/shop/custom-private-owner-wagon-decals

 

[Corbs]

A d... d.... d.... DIESEL?!

 

Something that's been on my 'to do' list ever since I picked up a Dapol plastic 04 kit for under a tenner at a show, in a bundle with a Knightwing shunter, is Ffarquhar Quarry Co.'s Drewry shunter 'Mavis'.

 

This is broadly similar to the one in the books but is not a direct copy of the BR/W&U type. It has the same rectangular front windows and straight exhaust, but the rear of the cab has lamp irons rather than marker lights, and the front steps have a cut-out for the shunter to ride in when traversing the yard.

 

The front windows of the cab were cut out, then filleted with scraps of styrene and fillered-over, as were the side windows. The corners were adjusted with shaped jewellers files.

 

 

There are a lot of moulded handrails on the kit, most of which were cut off and replaced with wire ones.

 

 

First attempts at painting the wasp stripes with masking tape were not great. The yellow was too glossy and black acrylic was a bad choice. It all peeled off badly.

 

I took it all off, designed some wasp stripes to fit using Illustrator and printed them on the decal printer.

 

The nose was done with a plain wasp stripe print cut into two parts to make the curve easier. The joins were touched in with a brush.

 

The chassis is a Tenshodo SPUD motor bogie I've had for ages. I wanted it to be accessible and easy to remove, so it's mounted in a cut-out in the frames using two pairs of Neodymium magnets. I'll wire a plug onto the SPUD terminals so an RC receiver and battery can be plugged in and taken out easily, so I can use it on other locos too.

 

 

Skirts were made using styrene sheet cut to fit, I used the kit steps and filled the backs in to enclose them.

 

The axle covers were made from a clear plastic lid and some styrene strip, the larger lids being just scribed in to the styrene.

 

 

The exhaust is a bit of brass tube.

 

 

 

Crewman is from Hardys Hobbies I think, painted by Ania Sakowicz.

FQC decals are from my own range, mounted lower down just to be a bit different.

Cow catchers are the spares from my Rapido J70.

Proper 3-links fitted. Buffers are RT Models ones.

 

Like a FOOL I glued the roof on before glazing which means the glue 'n glaze is a bit shoddy but I'll have to redo it another time.

 

Not a completely faithful copy but I'm really pleased and for a cheap project it's been great!

 

 

[Ben B]

1 hour ago, Corbs said:

A d... d.... d.... DIESEL?!

 

Something that's been on my 'to do' list ever since I picked up a Dapol plastic 04 kit for under a tenner at a show, in a bundle with a Knightwing shunter, is Ffarquhar Quarry Co.'s Drewry shunter 'Mavis'.

 

This is broadly similar to the one in the books but is not a direct copy of the BR/W&U type. It has the same rectangular front windows and straight exhaust, but the rear of the cab has lamp irons rather than marker lights, and the front steps have a cut-out for the shunter to ride in when traversing the yard.

 

The front windows of the cab were cut out, then filleted with scraps of styrene and fillered-over, as were the side windows. The corners were adjusted with shaped jewellers files.

 

 

There are a lot of moulded handrails on the kit, most of which were cut off and replaced with wire ones.

 

 

First attempts at painting the wasp stripes with masking tape were not great. The yellow was too glossy and black acrylic was a bad choice. It all peeled off badly.

 

I took it all off, designed some wasp stripes to fit using Illustrator and printed them on the decal printer.

 

The nose was done with a plain wasp stripe print cut into two parts to make the curve easier. The joins were touched in with a brush.

 

The chassis is a Tenshodo SPUD motor bogie I've had for ages. I wanted it to be accessible and easy to remove, so it's mounted in a cut-out in the frames using two pairs of Neodymium magnets. I'll wire a plug onto the SPUD terminals so an RC receiver and battery can be plugged in and taken out easily, so I can use it on other locos too.

 

 

Skirts were made using styrene sheet cut to fit, I used the kit steps and filled the backs in to enclose them.

 

The axle covers were made from a clear plastic lid and some styrene strip, the larger lids being just scribed in to the styrene.

 

 

The exhaust is a bit of brass tube.

 

 

 

Crewman is from Hardys Hobbies I think, painted by Ania Sakowicz.

FQC decals are from my own range, mounted lower down just to be a bit different.

Cow catchers are the spares from my Rapido J70.

Proper 3-links fitted. Buffers are RT Models ones.

 

Like a FOOL I glued the roof on before glazing which means the glue 'n glaze is a bit shoddy but I'll have to redo it another time.

 

Not a completely faithful copy but I'm really pleased and for a cheap project it's been great!

 

 

 

Brilliant, been waiting for you to get round to Mavis, she was my favourite loco from the books   I'm working on a version at the moment in G, bashed around a Playmobil diesel shunter as I got bored of waiting for Bachmann to get around to her for the Large Scale range.  Your model is great, and I think it's probably the quality of the livery and the crispness of the wasp-stripes.  Also, a nice budget alternative to the Bachmann 04, with some relatively simple but interesting model-making to be done to the Dapol kit.

[Corbs]

Narrow Gauge, Yes. Narrow Minded, Hopefully Not.

 

Now that I've become the new custodian of The Rotten Row, I'm looking to expand upon the OO9 stock as well.

 

Whilst the layout will represent Arlesburgh and the Western end of the Mid-Sodor Railway, I could not resist having a few of 'my' Skarloey items too, which can come to visit.

 

This includes the 3D printed Lancaster coach, the Penrhyn style quarrymens coaches, and of course my battery powered, radio controlled Bachmann Skarloey, which unfortunately has developed the limp that is the bane of the first batch.

 

A lot of partially built stock came with the layout, including plenty of V-skips, some ex-WW1 goods vehicles, and mineral and flat wagons.

 

Also in Pat's boxes of bits were a multitude of static Atlas tram car models. It feels a bit like archaeology to try and work out what Pat had in mind. I believe he wanted to use them to create NG passenger stock, so that's what I'm doing.

The electrical gear, headlamps, control desks and internal doors were all cut away.

The windows were removed for painting, apart from the corner ones which are to be painted over to represent panelling (with some extra filler).

Doors are made from styrene and the oil lamp vents are from Dart Castings.

When you have a decal printer you tend to find reasons to use it so I added some MSR crests (designed by Luke Ryan) and THIRD CLASS lettering.

Paint was done using Halfords Rattle Cans. The handrails are the originals, refitted.

 

 

Also in the box was a nearly completed Eisteddfod coach, which would do nicely as a turn of the century MSR coach.

 

 

Some rudimentary seating made up and passengers added. Custom decals, natch.

 

 

Back to the tram-style coaches, making up some suggestions of undergubbins drawing inspiration from Ted Polet and the Clyre Valley Railway.

 

 

The second tram style coach was to be a brake/first.

I did this by cutting one set of windows and half the door frame off, swapping from side to side, and bonding back in.

One bulkhead was reused to form the partition between the passenger compartment and the guard's.

 

 

Of course nothing is safe from being lined out when there is a transfer printer about.

 

They''re all mounted on those wonderful Peco archbar bogies that clip together. All of them are now a bit grimy of course. I think the third tram-style car may have a balcony end (for the views on the mountain road).

 

 

This WW1 bogie van was mostly complete so just got a lick of paint and some decals.

 

 

 

I'll post about motive power developments separately...

 

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by Corbs

[Corbs]

OO9 Locos

So I have Skarloey already and many moons ago bought a Bachmann 'Rheneas' to tart up. I gradually became keener on deviating away from the SR in the books having an (almost) identical loco fleet to the real-life Talyllyn, so thoughts turned to Rheneas.

This is my interpretation of it as the 'missing link' between the identical Talyllyn/Skarloey and Dolgoch, built 2 years later. The idea is this Rheneas is built in 1865 not 1866 as with its Welsh brother. Therefore it shares the wheel and eccentric arrangement of Dolgoch but without the well and back tank, instead having the saddle tank and boiler of Talyllyn.

This was possible as I had a spare Skarloey body from the Bachmann parts store.

 

The smokeboxes were sawn off and swapped around to enable easier running board fitment. The nasty chimney was removed and replaced with a printed one.

Linny suggested building out the sandboxes Terrier-style to clear the saddle tank, which was done with styrene strip and filler.

 

Handrails added, a coat of Ford Venetian Red, and of course some decals.

Next I am waiting for some appropriate batteries and a new receiver to plumb in the RC. The motor actually forms the bottom part of the boiler.

 

 

Thanks to Alex I now have this delightful Kerr Stuart 'Wren' to build into a quayside shunter, which fits on a teeny tiny Japanese chassis. This chassis is for 4v so should be perfect for my 3.7v RC system. Now I just need to work out how to cram it all in....

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by Corbs

[BernardTPM]

Oooh, spooky co-incidence! I created this little old loco idea from Talyllyn back in 2006 for a small layout that never got built:

and later rebuilt a GEM Dolgoch to a saddle tank arrangement:

 

 

Must get that one painted sometime. It will have the painted name "BRATHAY".

The Atlas trams are a good source of open type coaches, here's one of a pair under construction from the Stubaitalbahn TW1 tram:

 

 

End railings will be from Scale Link etches.

 

[Player of trains]

I have to say I'm really very very fond of this take on Rheneas, using it as a missing link is quite inspired though its the coach conversions for the MSR I particularly like, you've gotten me trawling Ebay for some similar items to bash about. I don't think Rotten Row could have gone to a better person. 

 

Apologies if this comes off as intrusive or rude but do you take commissions for transfers Corbs? You've gotten great results making your own and I'm after a stock of custom lining for several planned locos.