West End Workbench

[jwealleans]

Well, while the rest of you were sharpening your elbows at Warley, I've been a bit busy. I went once and that was enough.

 

Interiors for the diners were the first order of the day, a nice 'on a tea tray in front of the fire' project on a filthy wet Friday night. These are nothing terribly clever: 40 thou plastikard and Southern Pride seats. What colour were the seats in 3rd class by the way? I know first were green in diners.

 

 

 

Today I started on another of the Kirks, a D 1 all first I bought as a loose body at Ipswich show probably more than 10 years ago. I remember buying it as I thought it was a 3rd and was a bit cross with myself when I realised. Still, it's coming in useful now. When I fitted the MJT bogies it looked a bit leggy and the bolsters showed under the solebar, so I stripped off the Kirk ones and replaced them with 1/8" Evergreen channel.

 

 

By the end of the day it's had the underpinnings (mainly MJT - the packet from Dart Castings arrived today), the interior knocked up from 20 and 40 thou plastikard, the roof cut in half and shortened and the holes drilled for the vents.

 

 

 

I'll get a set of seats primed tomorrow and start applying some paint.

 

The BG has had a dynamo and other odd bits done and also had a waft of primer while I was about it.

 

Edited September 27, 2018 by jwealleans

[PGC]

 

Most of the new wagons ended up in this train as well; the Conflat and 'A' type

 

 

Jonathan

 

In earlier posts you mentioned the etched Roxey Mouldings shackles and I've bought these along with the etched hooks. What I'm struggling with, now, is how to get the rings that the chains fit to on the wagon body. Also, you have what looks like a representation of a spring between the shackles and the wagon body.

 

Is there a chance that you could create a posting on how you make these fixings? I have a Weltrol on which I have placed a Bachmann boiler as a load (not dis-similar to this http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brweltrolmc/h2fff024c#h2fff024c) and I obviously need to tie it down so I've got some chain from Langley Models but it's how to put it all together that's baffling me at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PGC]

Hi Jonathan

 

Having taken another look at the Roxey Mouldings fret, I realise I've had a senior moment - there are etched loops on there that attach the chain to the wagon body. What I'd really like to know, however, is what is the thing that looks like a spring between the shackle and the body? and how did you make it?

 

Phil

[jwealleans]

Looking down the fixing from the container, Phil, I remove the moulded corner piece and drill a hole to fix the Roxey eye. The ring is .45 wire wrapped round a 1mm drill and cut; the shackle you have; the shock absorber is 1mm Evergreen rod 3mm long and drilled .5mm at each end. I solder a stub of wire to the shackle and also to the fixing hook and then superglue each into the holes in the rod. The fixing hook on the wagon is a loop of copper wire (I stripped the insulation off some multistrand mains cable) glued into a hole drilled where the moulded loop was carved away. You can bend this up to fit the whole thing and hook it on and then bend down again to give some tension. They look terrible when they're floppy.

Edited December 6, 2013 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

This week I have mostly been painting teak. These are due out for a spin tomorrow so I've assembled them. Unpainted bogies are down to my buying three aerosols of black this week (2 Games Workshop, 1 Halfords) and all 3 being faulty. It is a conspiracy, you know....

 

From the locomotive end (as I envisaged it): full brake

 

 

All First:

 

 

Restaurant First:

 

 

Open Third (diner)

 

 

All third (end vestibule)

 

 

Compartment third - this needs work on the roof ends, I overdid the shortening:

 

 

Brake third - lowered on the bogies and a bolster arrangement added to prevent it rocking

 

 

All still very much 'in progress' but hopefully the end is at least visible on the map now. The whole thing has been a bit overtaken by more accurate consist research, but most of them will be able to be deployed in a set somewhere.

Edited September 27, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

"What have you been doing up there all day?" I was asked earlier. Well, after a bit of train fatigue following what felt afterwards like a very intensive operating session last weekend, I was back in the swing of it today. I'll let the pictures do the talking, mainly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sharp eyed will notice few missing '1's and a complete absence of 'LNER's. I seem to have used them all from the 3 part sheets I have, so an order goes off to Dave Cleal tonight. I went with the HMRS lettering for the RF although it's too large - wrong size looks less wrong than none at all. I did make enquiries about a 3mm sheet, but wasn't favoured with a reply. The short TK hasn't made it to the final show roster, but it will go through works anyway.

 

These people will expect somewhere to sit as well, I suppose.

 

 

 

The antimacassars haven't been an unqualified success, so I shall be trying a different approach. The Coopercraft tables are also a bit narrow so I'll be widening those with a paper tablecloth. I've run out, so I'll have to make some for the third class.

 

Finally a bit of variety from all these coaches - some months ago (Nottingham show?) Graeme King of this and other parishes generously presented me with one of his GC loco coal wagons. It sat in the 'pending' drawer for a while, then most of the work on it was done one evening a few months ago. However I had no spoked 10.5mm wheels, so I've been scouring shows ever since to no avail. Finally I did what I probably should have done first up and ordered them from Mainly Trains. they came on Saturday morning, so today it was fitted up and painted.

 

 

I had to do some carving to get it to go round corners, even sitting slightly high, but once painted I don't think it'll be too evident. I may yet have to spring those buffers as well, but we can test that in due course. There's remarkably little work to get it to this stage.

Edited September 27, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

About time I updated, I think. I'm almost there but I am getting coach fatigue, so I think these need to be left aside for a few days so I can go over them with fresh eyes and see the little finishing touches. They're basically ready for the travelling public who will be added as soon as I locate the motivation.

 

 

This needs lining where I added a piece of beading in place of the ducket. This diagram had no ducket.

 

 

 

 

 

I still have one set of tables to fit to the RTO.

 

 

TK still needs the corridor handrails and 'Smoking' labels - orders should go off this week for the necessary materials.

 

 

The Klear has darkened the teaking nicely and I'm pleased with the shade it's taken on.

 

We will be needing things other than A4s to pull stock and so a few locos are having a quick tidy and makeover so as to be ready and appropriate.

 

 

J39 renumbered to 1273 of Lincoln and Q2 to 3416, one of the last two in traffic. Both these will have tyres and coupling rods darkened for the show.

 

 

C1 4412, built by the late Phil Giffen from the WSM kit. We can't really have too many C1s.

 

 

J39 2696 of Colwick and A2 2403. The A2 will just have a quick tidy - there isn't time for the full repaint and line she really needs. She will also run with the Gresley tender which she did tow for the last 18 months or so.

 

 

B16 will become 925. The paint of this one is too far gone and a strip and repaint is imminent.

 

 

O4 now 5001, renumbered from 63601. There's some more detail to take off this: on the LNER forum, Mick Bennett produced a handy list of changes required for LNER condition on his thread. We can't have enough O4s either and I will be taking 3. There is also a J3 which is currently in paint stripper and another C1 which will come along if I get the new motor/gearbox fitted in time.

Edited September 29, 2018 by jwealleans

[Guest 2750]

Those teaks are stunningly beautiful. I have a lot to learn!

[LNER4479]

Great work on the stock Jonathan and what a lovely collection of locos to offset the monotony (ha!) of all those A4s. Loving 3416 especially. Fingers crossed for an early resolution to the motivation location!

[Class O]

About time I updated, I think. I'm almost there but I am getting coach fatigue, so I think these need to be left aside for a few days so I can go over them with fresh eyes and see the little finishing touches. They're basically ready for the travelling public who will be added as soon as I locate the motivation.

 

 

This needs lining where I added a piece of beading in place of the ducket. This diagram had no ducket.

 

 

 

 

 

I still have one set of tables to fit to the RTO.

 

 

TK still needs the corridor handrails and 'Smoking' labels - orders should go off this week for the necessary materials.

 

 

The Klear has darkened the teaking nicely and I'm pleased with the shade it's taken on.

 

We will be needing things other than A4s to pull stock and so a few locos are having a quick tidy and makeover so as to be ready and appropriate.

 

 

J39 renumbered to 1273 of Lincoln and Q2 to 3416, one of the last two in traffic. Both these will have tyres and coupling rods darkened for the show.

 

 

C1 4412, built by the late Phil Giffen from the WSM kit. We can't really have too many C1s.

 

 

J39 2696 of Colwick and A2 2403. The A2 will just have a quick tidy - there isn't time for the full repaint and line she really needs. She will also run with the Gresley tender which she did tow for the last 18 months or so.

 

 

B16 will become 925. The paint of this one is too far gone and a strip and repaint is imminent.

 

 

O4 now 5001, renumbered from 63601. There's some more detail to take off this: on the LNER forum, Mick Bennett produced a handy list of changes required for LNER condition on his thread. We can't have enough O4s either and I will be taking 3. There is also a J3 which is currently in paint stripper and another C1 which will come along if I get the new motor/gearbox fitted in time.

I was wondering about the cab interior colours on black engines, I was always told/led to believe it was Indian red/ red oxide in LNER days.Changing to buff/cream in BR days ( like LMS) Also I have been told the buffer beams were originally a bright vermilion red changing to the darker cherry/pillar box red (LMS colours) in BR days.This was confirmed by a lot of old enginemen, sadly long gone. Was this just a Darlington practice, never seen an official reference to it ??

[jwealleans]

Now it's funny you should say that, Owen - I bought a number of kit built locos from a chap last year and they all had red cab interiors. Not Indian Red, I don't think, but red. I usually leave them black unless I know they were another colour. You can see traces of the red in the image below.

 

Bit of an unwelcome complication this morning. I had a feeling the B16 had largely been assembled with glue and so I kept it well away from the Nitromors and soaked it in Caustic Soda instead. The paint was very resistant (all the locos I bought from the chap have been like this) but some of the glue was clearly past its best as well and a soft toothbrush was too much for it. Not sure if it was Araldite or Evostick or something else of that kind but there was plenty of it.

 

 

Nothing broken, though and after a good clean round the soldering iron was employed to return things to the desired state of assembly.

 

 

It has now been in the paint shop and acquired that attractive yellow primer from Halfords. I don't know if it's me, the kit or the way it's been built but it looks much too tall - when it gets a proper rebuild I'll have to do some measuring.

 

 

I mentioned back upthread that we can't have too many C1s - well this one has been awaiting a remotor for a long time and the motivation of a deadline has brought it to pass. I relied heavily on de Selby's thread on RMWeb for the setup to use and I'm pleased to say she runs nicely even before running in and without a flywheel fitted.

 

 

This loco has been on the thread before - one of a pair which were almost the first things I ever bought on Ebay. I collected them in a car park in Bishops Stortford one lunchtime. Turned out they were EM, with K's wheels and motors. The other is still in as bought condition but the motor in this one blew up under test so it's been regauged and now remotored again after the open frame motor I initially fitted gave up. It's entirely the wrong green but the paint job is so well done and has so much character that I can't bring myself to strip it off. I'd love to know who the builder was.

 

I also made up a load for this and it will go into the next weathering batch.

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by jwealleans

[Worsdell forever]

That's interesting about the red cab interiors, I've always painted them cream above window cills (LNER and BR) I'll have to do the current Y7 in red to see what it looks like. 

 

The B16 does look a bit tall, is it a DJH kit? The one I have was scratchbuilt probably years before that kit was available, it looks lower, the drawing I have (probably the one the model was built from) measures from rail to cab roof 53mm, rail to running board/footplate 20mm. 

[jwealleans]

I'll check that when I get it back onto its chassis Paul, thanks. It seemed to tower above all the other locos on the bench which was how I noticed it. It may be sitting too high on the chassis, there was some packing underneath when I dismantled it.

[Guest 2750]

This is mine Jonathan, built from the PDK kit (by PDK themselves).

I thought it might help for reference.

 

[jwealleans]

That looks to me to confirm what I thought, Tom, which is that the arc of the cab roof is too high and makes the whole thing look higher than it ought to be. Can you bring it next time we're up there?

 

One thing this last few weeks has been is very good for my half-started projects drawer. You know the kind of thing, the half built oddments you pick up at shows or from friends. This one has been in there for a number of years, so long I can't even remember how I came by it. Anyway, it only took an hour and a half or so yesterday and it's rolling into the paintshop.

 

 

I'm not sure if it's D & S or 51L - perhaps Mr Scott will comment if he passes - but all it really needed was undergubbins, some missing brake shoes and levers and a roof. The other one which I seem to have acquired with it needed a lot more work and so stays in the drawer.

 

I have fitted in some odd jobs as well this week - wagons weathered for Ormesby, a V3 repaired where the plastic axle muff had split - and this, which came back for some chips and scrapes to be repaired and some errant Modelmaster lining which had flaked off to be put back. I've done one side and as you see there is a small length left to reinstate here.

 

 

One other job which needed doing was to mark up all my goods stock. With a number of us taking stock it's easy to miss or overlook items but a simple mark removes any confusion - I know 4479 and I have a few of the same D & S GN vehicles, for example - and also allows anyone not familiar with the stock to know whose is whose, which helps when we come to pack it up.

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by jwealleans

[Class O]

That looks to me to confirm what I thought, Tom, which is that the arc of the cab roof is too high and makes the whole thing look higher than it ought to be. Can you bring it next time we're up there?

 

One thing this last few weeks has been is very good for my half-started projects drawer. You know the kind of thing, the half built oddments you pick up at shows or from friends. This one has been in there for a number of years, so long I can't even remember how I came by it. Anyway, it only took an hour and a half or so yesterday and it's rolling into the paintshop.

 

 

I'm not sure if it's D & S or 51L - perhaps Mr Scott will comment if he passes - but all it really needed was undergubbins, some missing brake shoes and levers and a roof. The other one which I seem to have acquired with it needed a lot more work and so stays in the drawer.

 

I have fitted in some odd jobs as well this week - wagons weathered for Ormesby, a V3 repaired where the plastic axle muff had split - and this, which came back for some chips and scrapes to be repaired and some errant Modelmaster lining which had flaked off to be put back. I've done one side and as you see there is a small length left to reinstate here.

 

 

One other job which needed doing was to mark up all my goods stock. With a number of us taking stock it's easy to miss or overlook items but a simple mark removes any confusion - I know 4479 and I have a few of the same D & S GN vehicles, for example - and also allows anyone not familiar with the stock to know whose is whose, which helps when we come to pack it up.

 

Pretty sure the van is D&S Johnathan....:0)

[PGC]

Hi Jonathan

 

That stock marking idea is a great one that I've also used - personally, my stock is all marked with bright purple lipstick (it's the cheapest bottle I could find in Boots), which explains the bottle that sits in my toolbox (and no, it's nothing to do with my proclivities!  )

 

Phil

[jwealleans]

Lipstick... no, the hobby has a bad enough name in some quarters anyway.  Although I suspect a surprising number of exhibition attendees might be able to identify the shade....

 

Owen, thanks for that: I expect you'd be the other man who'd be able to tell, possibly even better than David?

[Worsdell forever]

Just dug out my LNER Perishables van and underneath (actually on the underside of the roof, there's no floor) I've written on '51L kit'. Also says I built it in 2000!

 

Edit - it also seems it's been used to transport a spider at some time! Now clean.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Worsdell forever

[jwealleans]

I see Mr Scott has confirmed on the LNER forum that that van is D & S as his (now with Wizard Models) is the NER version.

 

After all the time spent titivating it the B16 failed at Grantham at the weekend, so some remedial surgery has been undertaken.

 

 

The liberal use of glue on this loco extended to the chassis as well and the motor had almost been built in. It took quite a bit of separating, but we're there now. I've made up the new drivetrain tonight as you can see top left. It's the same 1428/Highflier 54:1 combination as is in the C1 and was destined for the other C1. It will do in here for now and may then be replaced as I think I have room for a larger (longer) motor in the B16.

 

My parcel from Mainly Trains arrived commendably quickly as usual so I've been able to add the final handrail to the teak TK.

 

 

I meant to post a picture of the FK alongside it last time I updated: there's quite a contrast between the clean lines of the end vestibuled coach and the older one with many more doors.

 

 

That last picture also shows up the smoking/no smoking markings very well. These are available from Precision Decals - I've mentioned them before and thought everyone knew about them, but learned this week that some people didn't. They're very good, if a bit fragile. I need to have a session adding the missing ones before these coaches are complete.

 

In the same spirit of 'not everyone's thought of/knows about that', here's how I've made up coal loads for tenders for those locos which are missing them.

 

 

The O4s, for example, have had the cast load removed and a lead weight planted inside the tender. I've then cut a plastikard rectangle to fit the coal space and moulded the shape of the intended heap on top with polyfilla. This is them sprayed black and crushed coal applied in the usual way with PVA.

 

 

Whoever gets that middle one will wonder how he upset the shedmaster as it's a right heap of nutty slack, but it still looks better than the moulded one. A spot of blutak will keep them in place.

Edited September 29, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

A bit of stock testing this evening. The refurbished B16 failed before the camera came out - nothing too serious, a failed solder joint, but a works rather than field repair. Fortunately we were able to call on a capable substitute.

 

 

This train or something similar may well be seen at or near Grantham in due course.

[Guest 2750]

Shame about the B16 Jonathan.

What do you think the problem was?

[jwealleans]

Easy enough to spot, Tom - the negative contact to the motor is a piece of rigid wire from the chassis to one contact, which also serves as a stay to prevent the motor trying to move. It had come unsoldered from the chassis. Those girder chassis can be a pain to solder to as they are basically an enormous heatsink. What I'll do is drill a hole through the frame and hook the wire through that, then apply solder, so it is mechanically secured as well as held by the solder. Up to then it was performing quite well so we should be in good shape for the end of the month.

[jwealleans]

More fighting back from the B16 last night, but as we all know, Resistance is Futile....

 

I removed the wheels in order to drill the chassis and secure the motor. That done, the coupling rods started to lock when it was reassembled. The act of dis-/reassembly had clearly disturbed something just enough to allow the massive amount of slop to put them out of quarter at one point in the revolution. Still, just as well it happened on the bench and not at speed under load somewhere.

 

So plan B came into play early - a washer soldered behind the rod at the leading end each side and then carefully reamed out to allow smooth rotation. I had to fettle the slidebars a little as well, the crossheads were sticking at the extreme forward end of travel, but it seems to be working nicely now even without the benefit of any lubrication.

 

 

Above you can see the motor securing arm, now engaged in a hole in the chassis and also a replacement crankpin on the nearest wheel where I had to get brutal with the old one.

Edited October 17, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

B16 now reassembled and in the queue for testing next week.

 

 

Over the weekend I happened on a likely piece of foam packing from some Christmas present or other which, it struck me, would fit very nicely into a wagon. I chopped it up into some more interesting shapes, stuck sheets over it and hey presto, loaded wagons.

 

 

Sheets are Smiths - I'm sure we're all familiar with them - and the plain ones are tissue paper sprayed black. The foam holds the load in the wagon but is easily removed if need be. Ropes would be nice, but removable is the key word here.

 

I also sprung the buffers on the loco coal wagon - it wouldn't even couple to some wagons with the cast ones in place.

 

Edited September 29, 2018 by jwealleans