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Odd jobs and fiddling about last night - this has been painted but unlettered for years and I thought might stand well in the yard at Grantham over the BH weekend:

 

gastank_zps69932e7a.jpg

 

I have another in the process of being rebuilt but can't find a picture of the prototype. There's a similar one in the old brown Tatlow, so I took a number close to that.

 

I stuck the roof on the cabriolet GE brake van you may have noticed in the video above and repaired the roof on a GC van at the same time. That GC van kit is now with ABS and 'unavailable' last time I asked him.

 

roofs_zps51723bb1.jpg

 

Shame as it's a very nice vehicle when built. Jidenco do a kit for what I think is the same van, but I haven't built one so I can't comment on how good it might be.

Edited by jwealleans
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I like the trick for gluing the roofs on Jonathan - I would never have though of cocktail sticks despite using them for lots of other things on the modelling bench.

 

The gas tank brings back memories too, I have a 7mm NBR version in the stash for when I get around to it.

Edited by Rob Pulham
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Fantastic work on everything, I'm now dedicated to looking though all of the pages of this thread, your standard of work is just superb, and the weathering is brilliant, well done, I'll definitely look forward to your next projects in the future.

 

Ps: sorry if you get 20 notifications all of which is me pressing the "like" button, I can't help it :)

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Why thank you, Nelson, that's very kind.  Don't worry about notifications - even if I were graceless enough not to appreciate something of mine being liked, RMWeb hasn't notified me about anything for years.

 

I hope you find something in the scratchbuilds to help you.

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Some final preparation and finishing today ready for the running weekend which is almost upon us.

 

Basic weathering on a few wagons which had eluded it up to now:

 

wagweath1_zpsa3bc6507.jpg

 

wagweath2_zpsa622f071.jpg

 

I made up a few more loads using the last of that very handy lump of foam. I wonder where it came from? I also added chains to the Cambrian Quint I built some time ago.

 

bogbol_zpsfa4b46be.jpg

 

A couple of other items I was keen to see make the cut so we can have them available:

 

gn_plb_zps1698fcaf.jpg

 

GN Luggage Brake. This is D & S and came to me in return for building some stock. It needed some underframe detail adding, buffers and painting. They're very elegant vehicles - IMHO this 58' GN stock was some of the most handsome ever built in this country.

 

Finally a little side project. I haven't bought any of the Hornby Gresley teak coaches as I have plenty of kits and they're just as expensive. Over Christmas, though, I saw some maroon BGs advertised for £18. That had to be worth a go, so I acquired a couple. Starting from this:

 

hornby_bg_before_zps977385c7.jpg

 

We came eventually to this:

 

hornby_bg_1_zps6f2d2240.jpg

 

hornby_bg_2_zpsdc1bd791.jpg

 

The two sides were done differently to see which was the better approach. In Photo 1 the glazing was removed before the shell was repainted. It's a royal PITA to get out and you risk creasing the side panels and breaking glazing bars. You can see a missing bar towards the left hand end.

 

Side 2 was left in and masked. That would have been OK, but I managed to get overspray from the primer on the back of it and being masked I didn't see until today. I'll have to weather those windows quite heavily as short of scraping it isn't coming off. Photo 1 has also had all the moulded handles removed and replaced with MJT. On side 2 the longer, right hand handle on the loading doors has been left on and painted gold. That remains a matter of personal choice.

 

For the second one I will try to remove the glazing - missing bars are easy enough to reinstate - but it's very much dependent on how much glue the LCL has used when assembling it. The paint resisted all attempts to remove it and it probably isn't even worth trying. I've also noticed that there's no alarm gear - I thought this was present on the other teaks Hornby have done?

Edited by jwealleans
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Started something else this week after getting everything ready for this weekend.  In fact, this would be fine on Grantham as well, but it's been sitting near the top of the 'to do' pile for quite some time and I finally got round to starting it yesterday.

 

GNR_D303_zpsde2654a6.jpg

 

Bill Bedford GNR diagram 303 Passenger Brake Van.  This diagram was 29' long as opposed to the 32' version which D & S have done.  Bill's kits are always a bit of an adventure, but so far it's going together well.  It runs beautifully on the sprung suspension which is designed in.  No castings, as is usual - I'll see what I can round up and ask Dan Pinnock if he'll supply the rest.

Edited by jwealleans
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  • 2 weeks later...

Some progress on the PBV but no photos - I'll do one tonight after I've fitted the roof.

 

I've been busy with last minute preparations for BH - including this (poor photo on a phone).

 

c1_corfe_small_zps1f403222.jpg

 

Running trials for the C1 which, it transpired, had had a gearbox problem. One of the intermediate shafts in the HighFlyer box had moved out of its locating hole at one side and was running at an angle. It has to be said that it didn't affect running forwards at all and we only found it when running backwards through pointwork. I thought I must have forgotten to Loctite it, but the spacing washer was very thoroughly attached to the shaft, so it had either failed or not run into the right places. It needed a thorough test in reverse, therefore, once sorted, but having removed the rear coupling in order to fit a Kadee, reverse running was the only available option. Here it's also testing some parcels vans with recently sprung buffers round 3' curves.

Edited by jwealleans
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Well, here we go.  Nothing else to do this week except pack the thermals and thermos.  This has gone about as far as it will until I receive buffers and axleboxes although I may have found someone with a drawing in case I've missed anything major.

 

d303_pbv_zps31dfe144.jpg

 

It's a nice little kit to build, but knowing at least one reader has one for future work, here are my thoughts on it after building.  The one piece hinges Bill puts in (which also give you a tumblehome profile) are a great idea, but in this kit they were too long.  I don't think they'd allowed for the overlap of the two part sides.  No great issue, just cut them in two.  Put the buffer beam overlay onto the end before you build up the body or the little folded tab on the end of the sides will interfere with getting it seated properly.  Possibly as a result of that, I had to file back the ends of the chassis so it would fit behind the buffer beams and allow the body to sit down.

 

The sides and solebars are all etched together and slide down over the chassis which is another very good idea.  I was looking at putting some sort of securing bolts in there, but the screw couplings I will fit will hold the two parts together.  There's a roof, which I wasn't expecting but which is very useful as it has etched holes for positioning the roof fittings.  The torpedo vents, incidentally are from Exactoscale.

 

I ended up with a hole at the bottom of the ducket when I fixed it.  I'm going to try one of Graeme's resin ones on the other side.

 

There are a few extra handrails and lamp irons to fit and it will be done.  

 

Left on the etch are two discs with the central holes which I think are gas tank ends.  There's also an etched oval plate with an 'A' which I guess should go on the solebar somewhere but I can't see on drawings of this or any similar vehicles.  Does anyone know where that should go?

Edited by jwealleans
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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I was so pleased with that Howlden 6 wheeler that I picked up the next vehicle on the pile and thought I'd have a go at that as well.  This is also a Howlden and also by Bill, a D 129 Composite.  

 

d129_1.jpg

 

I've just about applied all the bits you get in the kit here and spent a couple of evenings making the roof.  There's a cornice on these so I shall apply a piece of Evergreen strip which will hide the small gaps and inaccuracies.  After that it's detailing bits and an interior.  

 

I put some of the underframe equipment onto the PBV and here it is posed with the slightly larger diagram which D & S did.

 

howlden_pbvs_zps9618b7f5.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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I rolled it to get the main arc and then formed the eaves by holding it along a piece of bullnose skirting in a vice and rolling it with a piece of 15mm copper pipe. To get the very last part of the bend I used a bit of 1/4" brass rod and fingers. It's not easy, but then I haven't done many of these. Worst part was filing back the excess I had left at the cornice line, missing with the file and slicing my finger end open. It makes typing more uncomfortable than it ought to be.

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I had quite bit of time at the bench this weekend and got on with a few jobs.

 

I've been repairing one or two wagons from the Thurston shunting stock which had been damaged either at shows or (more likely) in transport. These grain vans had the Geoff Kent treatment some few years ago including the riveted strip at each end of the roof. This was done using an etched strip from (I think) Alan Gibson and it had lifted and caught on something. Now I'd use Evergreen strip and Archer transfers.

 

grainwags_zps895a23e0.jpg

 

With care building and the extra detail Geoff recommends these make a nice model. They are both compensated as the short wheelbase makes them very prone to derailing when shunted if they're rigid. The detailing is mainly handrails, bits around the roof doors, better buffers and hopper operating gear. I see we have a handwheel missing on the left hand wagon as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the Bachmann BR hoppers after years of resisting invitations to lengthen a Dapol one or two.

 

d129_4.jpg

 

The Howlden has had undergear and trussing and is now awaiting roof adornment. I don't have enough vents or lamps and so I've ordered some from the ever-helpful Dave at Roxey Mouldings. These need to be the high, pregrouping torpedo vents rather than the lower profile ones the LNER used. Both this and the 6 wheeler have also had buffers fitted. I use the Wizard Models L & Y sprung buffers (LYRC025) - the stock is too long for GNR, but the shape is similar and they come with the oval buffer head which is required.

 

ec3rd.jpg

 

This Kirk conversion to ECJS has been seen before on here, but that nice Mr King provided me with some clerestory castings instead of the rather unsatisfactory arrangement which I had before. Here I've grafted two together to make a long enough roof (see where the vent spacings become irregular) and stuck one side section back on. It's curing before the second one is applied. The side sections look to me to be cut from Triang Thompson roofs. Who said they're useless?

 

d87van_zpsdfbd669b.jpg

 

Finally, I'm seeing the owner of this next weekend and thought it might be nice to have something to bring with me. This is from one of the most recent batches of D & S kits, a D 87 Milk Van. Went together very nicely, doors are a bit fiddly, roof fit is awful. That's this week's job. It's now drying off before the last bits are glued on.

Edited by jwealleans
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This week, while waiting for bits, I have mostly been building a pig-ugly coach.

 

d111_1.jpg

 

I like these NER matchboard vehicles, they're so awful they're really eyecatching. This is a D 111 Lavatory 3rd. A number of these were transferred to East Anglia in the 1930s and this one will run on Thurston and Wickham Market. I have a couple more ex-NER coaches to make up so we have a choice of non-corridor stock to run.

Edited by jwealleans
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Jonathan

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think that these are quite handsome coaches. I have two of these a third and brake third with another two lurking somewhere as yet unbuilt.

 

The biggest problem with the D&S kit is that there is insufficient depth relief to the sides. All the panelling should be recessed. That includes all the matchboarding. The sides would have been better etched in two layers to provide more depth but more area means more cost. I took the bull by the horns and separated the panelling from the framing then recessed the panelling with the result shown in the photos.

 

post-6751-0-33262800-1393792680_thumb.jpg

 

post-6751-0-89424600-1393792688_thumb.jpg

 

ArthurK

 

Edited by ArthurK
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I'll have to have another look at my photo, Arthur. I wonder if a bit of judicious shading would give at least some of the effect?

 

d111_2.jpg

 

Still needs the roof fittings and vac pipes but essentially complete.

 

The fittings arrived from Dave Hammersley for the Howlden - 4A6 gas lamp tops, 4A7 torpedo vents, in case anyone else is looking for any - and those have also been fitted.

 

d129_4.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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  • 3 weeks later...

It seems a while but there's been a fair bit of watching paint dry. I've also been preparing some transfers for the latest ferry van build which John Peck turned round with commendable rapidity - far more rapidity than I've found for applying them, so you'll just have to hang on to the edge of your collective seats for those.

 

One of the other things I ordered from John at the same time were some of the small data blocks for NPCCS which he made for me a few years ago. That was all this GN horsebox had been waiting for:

 

gnr_hb_zpsebc20e70.jpg

 

The D 303 brake awaits axlebox/springs from D & S, but the body can be finished:

 

gnr_d303_3_zpsabfb882e.jpg

 

I'm also waiting to make up an order to Dart Castings which will include the bogie sides for the D129 Composite. Again, though, the body can be finished and the interior is well on as well.

 

d129_4.jpg

 

This D183 BC came to me by way of payment for some stock I built. I never tire of saying that these are the best looking coaches to run in this country.

 

d183_1.jpg

 

Lastly the Ian Kirk conversion we looked at a few pages back. Having the Graeme King roof sections has spurred me into action with this and it will be complete before too long. The way it was built means it will have to be a sealed unit - not the way I like to do it but I'd have had to indulge in wholesale destruction of the original to do otherwise. There will need to be a bit of fettling of the roof ends to get the profiles to match, but you can see what the basic effect is going to be.

 

ecjs_3rd.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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Great work as always. I've dusted down my part-complete BB D.129 composite but I've got some way to go to catch up with you. Thanks for explanation of how you formed the roof - and I hope the finger is getting better (ouch!)

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I had quite  bit of time at the bench this weekend and got on with a few jobs.

 

I've been repairing one or two wagons from the Thurston shunting stock which had been damaged either at shows or (more likely) in transport.  These grain vans had the Geoff Kent treatment some few years ago including the riveted strip at each end of the roof.  This was done using an etched strip from (I think) Alan Gibson and it had lifted and caught on something.  Now I'd use Evergreen strip and Archer transfers.

 

grainwags_zps895a23e0.jpg

 

With care building and the extra detail Geoff recommends these make a nice model.  They are both compensated as the short wheelbase makes them very prone to derailing when shunted if they're rigid.  The detailing is mainly handrails, bits around the roof doors, better buffers and hopper operating gear.   I see we have a handwheel missing on the left hand wagon as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Bachmann BR hoppers after years of resisting invitations to lengthen a Dapol one or two.

 

d129_4_zpsab9bbde1.jpg

 

The Howlden has had undergear and trussing and is now awaiting roof adornment.  I don't have enough vents or lamps and so I've ordered some from the ever-helpful Dave at Roxey Mouldings.  These need to be the high, pregrouping torpedo vents rather than the lower profile ones the LNER used.  Both this and the 6 wheeler have also had buffers fitted.  I use the Wizard Models L & Y sprung buffers (LYRC025) - the stock is too long for GNR, but the shape is similar and they come with the oval buffer head which is required.  

 

ec3rd_zpse31aa968.jpg

 

This Kirk conversion to ECJS has been seen before on here, but that nice Mr King provided me with some clerestory castings instead of the rather unsatisfactory arrangement which I had before.  Here I've grafted two together to make a long enough roof (see where the vent spacings become irregular) and stuck one side section back on.  It's curing before the second one is applied.  The side sections look to me to be cut from Triang Thompson roofs.  Who said they're useless?

 

d87van_zpsdfbd669b.jpg

 

Finally, I'm seeing the owner of this next weekend and thought it might be nice to have something to bring with me.  This is from one of the most recent batches of D & S kits, a D 87 Milk Van.  Went together very nicely, doors are a bit fiddly, roof fit is awful.  That's this week's job.  It's now drying off before the last bits are glued on.

I picked up a S/H one of these. It needs a roof. I tried a bit of Comet roof section - way out so I would like to know how you sort this please.

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