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When you say the 'early Belgian vans', Jon, do you mean the ones you cast or the ex-ROD ones? The latter had offset W irons as I discovered when I found a large scale drawing at the NRM. I'd not noticed them before then.

 

I did hack a set together from some MJT ones, but then Arthur Kimber kindly offered to draw me some up and include them on an etch he was having done. I have some left if you need any.

 

As far as I could see from photos (mainly the HMRS ones which I think you have) some of those peak-roofed vans were changed to plate W irons at some point by the 1950s, hence the mix on the ones I made up.

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I've been trying to clear down a few ongoing bits and bobs as there's a project coming up as well as a couple of visits to other layouts. There was some stock to weather for Thurston's next trip out (which is Ely show in May next year).

 

I've done some more to my L1 (still don't know how to get into the cab, though).

 

l1_weathered_zps79abd27f.jpg

 

There's a bit too much gunmetal and not enough black on the wheels and rods. I'll tone those down a bit and perhaps try some photos outside at the weekend, if there's any sunshine.

 

I also have a set of Hornby Thompsons, courtesy of a club colleague.

 

thom_bt.jpg

 

thom_cl.jpg

 

thom_t.jpg

 

These still need the wheels painting a rusty brown colour. When I was editing the photos I thought the streaks on the sides were a bit overdone, but looking at them again I'm not so unhappy with them.

 

The Grano is ready for lettering, but (as anyone who's used the HMRS BR pre-TOPS wagon sheet will understand) I'm putting that off as long as possible.

 

grano_2_zps7e63546f.jpg

 

GE brake van did turn out to be a D & S (106) and I even found a set of instructions for one. I think one of these must have been the donor vehicle for the weedkilling train spray van as it has extra notes from Danny on it. This just needs a rinse over and it's ready for primer.

 

ge_10t_zpsa9d9554d.jpg

 

Finally, at Folkestone I took back the GC 6 wheel brake van seen a few pages ago and intended for Wickham Market. It's had the verandah sides thickened up a bit with plastikard and is also ready for finishing.

 

gc_15t_zps168df606.jpg

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The Grano is ready for lettering, but (as anyone who's used the HMRS BR pre-TOPS wagon sheet will understand) I'm putting that off as long as possible.

 

grano_2_zps7e63546f.jpg

 

 

 

 

Heavens yes! Although the type brandings are useful the sheet is only really suitable for lettering very plain individual vehicles; very few of the specialist vehicles you get the brandings for can be done properly since there are no instructions (as you might find for conflats, lowfits, hump shunting, etc.), return to markings - which are on the other sheet in fairness (but not reflecting the idiosyncrasies of the real thing as the old Woodhead sheets did so well)

 

The general problems are that there are not enough numbers, no made up sequences and hardly any tare numbers; that they vanish into the background of the backing sheet cannot really be avoided but it simply adds to the frustration of attempting to use the thing. Better than nothing, but, given what else is available, only just. Nice work Jonathan.

 

Adam

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Heavens yes! Although the type brandings are useful the sheet is only really suitable for lettering very plain individual vehicles; very few of the specialist vehicles you get the brandings for can be done properly since there are no instructions (as you might find for conflats, lowfits, hump shunting, etc.), return to markings - which are on the other sheet in fairness (but not reflecting the idiosyncrasies of the real thing as the old Woodhead sheets did so well)

 

The general problems are that there are not enough numbers, no made up sequences and hardly any tare numbers; that they vanish into the background of the backing sheet cannot really be avoided but it simply adds to the frustration of attempting to use the thing. Better than nothing, but, given what else is available, only just. Nice work Jonathan.

 

Adam

It might be worth seeing if Cambridge Custom Transfers have any plans for issuing a set of assorted 'Grain' transfers; John's done many more eclectic types, and given Bachmann are soon going to be issuing a model, he might have something on his drawing board.

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I've no real need for grain wagons or transfers - and CCT's do fill a number of gaps - it's simply frustrating that the HMRS which has done such great service to those interested in wagons down the years produce what is arguably their worst sheet for what should be the most useful.

Adam

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More news from CCT late in the week, with any luck. Today was a long day at the bench mainly servicing locos and cleaning stock wheels, but I did do a few other things to alleviate the boredom. Decks are being cleared, I was in that sort of mood.

 

I've cut back the weathering on the Thompsons somewhat. If we'd had any sunshine today I'd have taken them outside but we didn't. The yellow is still exaggerating the effect but you can now see that they are empty (must ask Michael about getting some passengers). An examination in daylight is needed and then they may have some more taken off.

 

cleaner_t.jpg

 

cleaner_bt.jpg

 

I forgot these last time I posted pictures - these are being upgraded slightly (home made details replaced with MJT parts, extra roof details and Bill's couplings fitted) in advance of a sojourn on Grantham later in the year.

 

616_btk.jpg

 

52_tk.jpg

 

Some of the wagons from a couple of pages back are now weathered and ready for service:

 

g2_ge_vans_zps975192a2.jpg

 

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colopen_zps0a117083.jpg

 

I want those Ratio opens to look 'tired', but one of those buffers is taking the effect a bit too far.

 

A pair of (Rob's phrase) 'shelf queens' which I started I shudder to think how long ago - suddenly I had the urge and they're almost ready for paint. Then I need to make the transfers, but that is underway.

 

rungens_zps2239a6d6.jpg

 

Lastly, just to make myself feel productive, a teaser for the next build. I'll take wild guesses as to what it will be but Robert the Devil is not allowed to answer.

 

mjt_bogie.jpg

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It is a bogie, it will be a Gresley when properly dressed and I can confidently predict another will be along before too long. More than that I cannot tell for the moment.

 

Lfbls... blimey, I stop well short of RIV codes. These will be finished in prewar guise, unless I manage to find a picture of one after the war (did any remain in service after the war?) good enough to draw up lettering from. They are a hellish complex thing when you get into the detail of them.

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It is a bogie, it will be a Gresley when properly dressed and I can confidently predict another will be along before too long. More than that I cannot tell for the moment.<br /><br />Lfbls... blimey, I stop well short of RIV codes. These will be finished in prewar guise, unless I manage to find a picture of one after the war (did any remain in service after the war?) good enough to draw up lettering from. They are a hellish complex thing when you get into the detail of them.

I'm pretty confident these did go on post war, but I can only find a poor photocopy of the right volume of the Stephan Carstans book, not the book itself.

 

Jon

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This is what's up next, following a visit to Dart Castings stand at Folkestone.  It's an MJT D10C Restaurant First. If you want a proper job of one of these you need to look at the 'Dave's C & W' thread on the LNER forum from earlier in the year.  Mine won't go into quite that level of detail.

 

d10c_sides.jpg

 

The accompanying TO will be coming along with it.  If I have time tonight I shall be cracking on, although Mike T might want to avert his eyes as this is the around the point at which I shall be diverging from the instructions.

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So here we go, blithely invalidating the warranty.... As regular readers will know, I like my coaches to come apart at the solebar. Mainly because it's easier to hide the join and I'm never going to be good enough to get the invisible roofline seam which Larry can knock out in half an hour. Mike's coaches, for those who haven't built one, are a single piece body and underframe and a roof which is stuck or clipped on. I built the D50 I made in that way and the roof join is still the thing I'm most unhappy with about it. So this one will return to my usual approach.

 

First of all I snapped the ends off the floorpan, tidied the break up and stuck them and the sides together to form the basic bodyshell. Then I stuck captive nuts to two pieces of brass strip and soldered them into the ends of the shell.

 

inside.jpg

 

The floorpan sides fold up and these now need to be shortened by the width of the brass strip at each end.

 

floor.jpg

 

I've already made the holes above, but use the nuts to guide you then drill out the holes to allow a certain amount of clearance. Number sides and ends so you remember which is which although unless you're far more fastidious and accurate than me, they'll only fit one way round from here on in.

 

Once you've done this, you can fasten the two parts together. You did make sure to leave room for the solebars, didn't you?

 

securing.jpg

 

After a short delay while some fool worked out he'd put the presstuds on the wrong way round, we had a rolling body, just three evenings (and one of those cut very short) after starting. It's nice to feel you're getting somewhere.

 

rolling.jpg

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Back to the script now, adding solebars and droplights.  I couldn't resist posing it for the photo:

 

d10c_2.jpg

 

The buffer beams are spot on the right height, but clearance between solebars and bogies is minimal to non-existent.  I may have to file both back a bit to get smooth running.  I've also added an extra hole and captive nut at this end to take my preferred Bill Bedford coach coupling.

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Saturday was spent putting most of the underframe parts on - and there are a lot - but I was out playing trains on Sunday so no photographs. I also found I'd run out of dynamos and had to scrabble around last night pinching them from other kits. I had gaps around the ends when they were stuck on so those have been filled and the next step will be to fettle and fit the roof ends. I also took the bogie mounts off and put a shim under each (scrap fret) to give just a little more clearance under the solebar edges for the bogies to pivot.

 

10c_3.jpg

 

I've started the accompanying TO last night - just a pair of rolling bogies up to now.

 

I should also have mentioned the excellent service from Cambridge Custom Transfers for the lettering for this:

 

grano_2_zpsadead1a2.jpg

 

This is a new sheet he's done in anticipation of the Bachmann release sparking interest in grain wagons. This one also covers the Parkside LNER wagon in the BR era - among numerous others - and there's a separate sheet for the wagons covered by the new Bachmann model.

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The open 3rd is much simpler then the RF so it's catching up quite quickly. RF has had the roof fitted and making good the joint has begun.

 

D10c_5.jpg

 

D27a_3.jpg

 

Having said that about bits fitting, today I had a couple which didn't. I was running the D27 underframe backwards and forwards and the bogies were fouling on curves. I'd already added some fret under the mounts to keep the height consistent with the RF, so I was a bit puzzled. Then I realised that the sides were sitting high. On investigation, the holes are out of register with the bearings in the bogies - they were already too far apart, which I'd dealt with when I fitted them, but they were too low as well, making the top of the bogie frame catch the solebar. I drilled the holes out to 3mm and reglued the sides and that seems to have sorted it.

 

I also got onto steps tonight. The underframe etch supplies a full length step - I assume the idea is to cut it down to length if required. The instructions don't mention them. I found it impossible to solder the short steps I need to the solebars securely. Given that these will be exhibition models and may get rough handling, anything attached need to be as permanent as it can be. So this is what I resorted to:

 

d10c_steps.jpg

 

A length of .7mm wire soldered to the underside of the step, bent through 90 degrees and taken through a hole in the solebar. Soldered from the inside of the solebar with a short stub left in case it ever needs resoldering. That was fine except for the left hand door above, where the mass of underframe equipment made it too risky to try to insert a soldering iron. Here I just placed a length of wire along the bottom flange of the solebar and soldered the step from the underside. I'm fairly confident it won't be conspicuous when painted.

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OK, first thing, a bit of backtracking on some advice I gave a few posts back. I mentioned No. 10 presstuds. If this should happen to you:

 

BG_bogie.jpg

 

... what you need are these:

 

presstuds_zps870e009a.jpg

 

7mm presstuds - No. 10 seems to have been some sort of predecimal classification which has been superceded. Or maybe they were bought in Europe. Anyway, the 'male' part of one of these is quite a slack fit in the other half from the kit, hence removing the need to do the filing which seems to have caused the problem in the first place. Maybe a mix and match is the way forward. Problem solved.

 

The roofs have had a coat of filler primer which has made it all but impossible to see any detail in the photos:

 

restpair.jpg

 

What I also did was superglued some 10 x 20 thou Evergreen along the cornices where there was a step, then gently filed it back to give a smooth continuous edge. I've had to do some very small further patches of filling, but given that I generally do roofs with a thickish mix of paint and talc these are probably as good as they need to be.

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There was some debate about the external vacuum pipe on the RF this week as I couldn't locate a photo showing which side it ran and neither could most of my LNER forum colleagues. Well, thanks to 4479 - and thanks as well to Dave and 2512silverfox for their efforts on my behalf - the pipe has been spotted and located. I spent most of Sunday fiddling on with roof details as I hope you can see. Soldering should now be complete and further details will be glued, unless anything major comes adrift. There are even more roof pipes to go on, but these come down over the end and so won't be added until the ends are painted.

 

D10c_5.jpg

 

D10c_6.jpg

 

I was kindly sent drawings for the roof details (which changed after 1928) and I've leaned heavily on this thread for the way Dave did the vents and other bits. If you're thinking of building one of these, it's essential reading.

 

D27a_3.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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Taken a break from the dining pair tonight - something to do with a short attention span, but also the intention is to go back with fresh eyes after a couple of days and maybe spot something I missed earlier.

 

I've been tasked with producing a complete train, something I had been casting my mind to anyway. I have a collection of second hand Kirks gathered up over a few years with the intention of 'doing something with them'. Well, something seems to have arrived. I won't bore you with all of them now, but this evening's subject is a 61'6" Passenger Brake - we all have one, they're everywhere and if treated to a few better components than the basic kit supplies, they scrub up very well.

 

bg_1.jpg

 

bg_2.jpg

 

And for those who like to peer underneath, a motley collection of bits and bobs. I'm waiting for a package from Dart Castings and scraping parts of the barrel in the meantime. No dynamo - I've run out completely.

 

bg_3.jpg

 

The Kirk trussing survived the paint stripping, so I've left it in place. The rest is a mix of Comet, MJT and Mainly Trains.

Edited by jwealleans
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