West End Workbench

[jwealleans]

Bits of fiddling about with this and that; the N8 still awaits those grilles from Mainly Trains, but I did have a thorough read of the RCTS book and discovered that the coal rails were all plated over well before my chosen era. They have therefore been discarded and a new set made up in plastikard.

 

The Sentinel is making some progress in that I have it fully wheeled and (hopefully) it will move under its own power tonight for the first time.

 

 

It is high at the unpowered end because that's the end I've so far checked and packed to the correct height. I will do the same to the Ant the next time it comes out.

 

 

Closer shot of the driving end. The motor is very unobtrusive and with ~1mm of packing to add will be even less so when completed. Those plastic pieces on the sides of the BullAnt are also ideally placed to receive the cosmetic sides from the kit.

 

 

This is what holds it together. When it's complete I'll replace these bolts with the 1/4" ones from Eileen's. The retaining plates for the BullAnt are Araldited to the top of the floor; the unit mount sits underneath, so it can drop out if required. I will see how it runs before deciding whether I want the other bogie to pick up. You can also see where I had to extend the slot sideways to allow the bogie to turn without the gear tower fouling. The body securing mount was easier to make than I thought; it was quite easy to introduce a slight bend into the brass angle, which is soldered to the inside of the front and then bolted up into the captive nuts from underneath.

 

I may put a further body fixing at the end of the passenger compartment, near the middle of the vehicle. Two reasons for this - firstly the sides have a tendency to bow out and this will pull them back together; secondly there are a lot of whitemetal undergubbins to fix to the cobex and I don't want it to sag. Putting a cross piece between the doors will not interfere with the separate interior for the passenger compartment.

Edited September 21, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Posts from me have been a bit rare lately but I haven't been completely idle; the N8 went back into service last week and here she is entering and leaving Pilmoor station.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by jwealleans

[micklner]

Looks a lot better !!

 

Red Coupling rods ??? never seen them on a LNER Loco??

It maybe the photo angle ? the rear truck looks very close to the rear driver and a large gap to the rear buffer beam ??

 

Mick

[jwealleans]

Hi Mick,

 

Red coupling rods - well, that's what the original builder had done so I just tidied them up. There is a picture of an A7 with them in 'LNER Locomotives in Colour' and another of the GE Coffee Pot in 'The Big Four in Colour'. I don't think it was an unusual feature, though I'm not sure whether it was a works or a shed thing.

 

I think the angle does exaggerate that distance at the rear, if you compare to some of the other photos back upthread. It's a proprietary chassis anyway so it may be that it was already incorrect. I certainly haven't altered it.

[micklner]

Hi Mick,

 

Red coupling rods - well, that's what the original builder had done so I just tidied them up. There is a picture of an A7 with them in 'LNER Locomotives in Colour' and another of the GE Coffee Pot in 'The Big Four in Colour'. I don't think it was an unusual feature, though I'm not sure whether it was a works or a shed thing.

 

I think the angle does exaggerate that distance at the rear, if you compare to some of the other photos back upthread. It's a proprietary chassis anyway so it may be that it was already incorrect. I certainly haven't altered it.

 

I forgot I had that book , just had a look and are they red or very rusty on the A7 ??? especially as its a goods engine

I know the GER painted their rods Red so I can understand the Coffee pot connection .

Sorry I forgot the origins of the chassis on the N8

 

well done

 

Mick

[Worsdell forever]

Hi Jonathan, Looks good, the pony does look slightly odd but as you say it could be a combination of the angle and the chassis. I've looked at a drawing in NE Record V3 and the rear driver/pony wheelbase should be 24.5mm.

[jwealleans]

It's on a proprietary chassis, Paul, so I wouldn't swear to it being spot on. I didn't do anything mechanical to it at all, just reassembled and repainted the body.

 

Tonight has seen some progress on a few other projects before I start something new. The Sentinel is in white primer before I apply the cream. I've filled in a few of the gaps around the roof as well. Steps have been added - they've already taken a thump or two by the look of it - and the floor painted. I think clearances around 3' curves may be tight but it'll be a couple of weeks before I get down to the club again to try it out.

 

 

Also for Ormesby, this LSWR all 1st which I've had to replace some of the glazing which had fogged due to the effect of whatever glue had been used. I believe this is a Roxey embossed plastikard kit. We've replaced the whitemetal bogies with MJT units, reusing the sides cosmetically, and are standardising on Bill Bedford couplings. I've replaced some of the brake gear which had fallen off. I still need to fit the lavatory windows with the etched crests and the roof. The roof was a bit of a sod to get off and will need repairing once it's refitted.

 

 

Just to show I listen - someone PM'd tactfully to point out that I'd put the brake levers on this back to front. Well, not any more.

 

 

Finally something about which I know nothing; I built this kit from a job lot just as it came and with impeccable timing there was an article about improving one in the next MRJ. I acquired a book at Hartlepool with some pictures in it so between that and the model I've added a certain amount of extra bits. The buffers are still wrong but I can live with that until/unless I see the right ones at a show. It does make up nicely, I have to say.

 

Edited September 24, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Something of a diversion now... some time ago (last February, in fact) I built a Ratio SR ferry van to go with the continental rake I was building. I built it straight from the box to a show deadline, but a short while later Adam pointed out that both wheelbase and brake gear were wrong. I filed it for future action and then found a query on another forum about making the same change to the kit. That prompted me into action so I obtained a drawing and the Mike Clark bits and it's been on the bench for about a fortnight. I thought it would make more sense as one update.

 

First thing to say is that you'd be much better off doing this before you've built it - I had trouble thinning the solebars without making holes in them and getting the floor flat. I'd probably replace the floor altogether and space the solebars slightly further out. Anyway, this is what I've done to it:

 

 

Undergubbins removed and Bill Bedford sprung W iron units assembled and ready to go in.

 

 

Ride height being checked against a BB buffer height jig. You can see the minor variation in height between the W irons caused by the uneven floor. There's quite a lot to grind off under there.

 

 

As the glue dried on the W iron assemblies I started to have a look at the etched parts. It's quite complex when you first look at it.

 

 

Once the wheels were firmly attached the components were folded up and attached. Mike Clark's book of diagrams is useful here, but remember that he shows them the right way up and your wagon is upside down. I had to do most of the next steps twice because I am not capable of remembering that.

 

The complicating factor here (in addition to the fiddly nature of the Masokits etch) is that the components are made for a 10' wheelbase and this wagon is only 9'. So, as evident above, I attached the bits which didn't need altering in the places they needed to go, then folded up the pushrods and cut them down to length. The shoes and v hangers give you a datum point to work to while doing this. You lose some of the details, but I'm afraid they're probably beyond me anyway. Apologies to Mike Clark if he ever reads this. Instead of remaking the holes in the pushrod ends and folding them round the shoes as you should I just put them behind the shoes and soldered them on.

 

 

Here it is with shortened pushrods and most of the rest of the gear in place. It's so crowded under there that I don't think the missing details will show.

 

 

Finally with new axleboxes and springs - I was going to try to reuse the Ratio ones until I realised they were RCH standard and so had some MJT ones to hand. A quick rinse and scrub and some black paint and grime and it'll be back in service.

Edited September 21, 2018 by jwealleans

[Adam]

That's certainly a bit more like it, though it does seem to be listing to starboard in that bottom photo. You're right about the detail - with all those push-rods and so on you'd have a job seeing what's behind them.

 

Adam

[jwealleans]

Glad it meets your approval. It's certainly more visually interesting than the Ratio components. Before anyone gets the diagram out to check, I have since added the safety loops.

 

it does seem to be listing to starboard in that bottom photo

 

Quirk of either the camera or the tripod - I can't put my finger on which. A number of photos back upthread are the same although apparently level when taken. Or my house is on a slope. It isn't quite level, as you can see by the amount of W iron visible over the bottom of the solebar at each end, but to the naked eye it's not apparent.

[jwealleans]

Since the last post I've been travelling quite a bit which always means plastic kits. The Sentinel has not been completely neglected, though: it's now painted and has acquired an identity.

 

 

Cheers to Mick B for the transfers for the name. The HRMS 4mm letters are too big, so they're the 3mm ones. I think it was Mr Ripley who put us onto that dodge. Anyway she now awaits glazing; the interior is on hold while I see what's available to make these reversible tram seats. I also need to consider the drivers' steps; I think they need to go onto the motor bogie as it won't go round corners otherwise. The cosmetic sides mask the BullAnt fixing screws, so they will also have to be removable. None of this is impossible to overcome, but I need a clear evening to sit down and do it.

 

I have been mainly spending time on a project which PMP did some months ago - GWR horseboxes. Someone had told me that if you scribed planks into the ends of the Parkside horsebox, it made the previous diagram. PMP then showed that with the Lima body and Parkside chassis you could make a very nice model of the next diagram. So that was that - I had to have a Lima horsebox. Before I found one I was offered a Triang one which a friend had started to convert some years ago and never finished. So then there were 3 - although I didn't want the Triang one in the end, he'd been kind enough to offer it so I thought I'd complete the conversion before I returned it. It's taken me a couple of weeks in hotels to get them this far:

 

 

 

Top two are the Parkside (left) and Lima (right). I missed a little trick on not packing the solebars up under the Lima one so it's a fraction low. I'll finish that one as a 'tired' vehicle. The one which has surprised me is the Triang - although it's 2mm overlength it doesn't look too grossly out of shape and the two major flaws - the raised beading instead of grooved planking and the roof - were very easy to overcome. I drew a knife along the raised lines and then dug out a groove with a scrawker. There is a small gap to fill in on the upper sides where two doors are shown instead of one. You can see the slightly lighter plastic. The roofline was files down until the Parkside roof fitted and it's now the right height.

 

All three have had steps fitted and are now ready for paint.

 

Finally a couple of kits I picked up at Redcar at the weekend and decided to try to get done for Thurston's next trip out to Taunton:

 

 

 

Top is a Roger Chivers LMS Twin Bolster - like all his kits it took less than 20 minutes put together. If only they all fitted like these. Below a BR Lowfit, but with LNER brake gear as per the first batch of 1951. Red Panda, an impulse buy from Mike's stand mainly because I had the tractor and wanted something to put it on. I pinched the underframe from an LNER Conflat.

 

The Fergie 35 - lovely machines, I was driving one last weekend - I bought in East Kent Models while I was away. It needs a chimney but is not bad apart from that. I've given it a wash of a darker grey to bring out some of the detail. There's a lovely picture on Paul Bartlett's site here which I had in mind when I bought it. I also know how to rope it on as well, now.

 

One thing that did bother me was the very clumsy steering wheel; a trawl through Adam's WB on the old forum reminded me what he'd done to his road vehicles, so here it is later with the remains of a Bill Bedford handwheel and a lace pin instead.

 

 

The seat is still a bit crude but I may put a sheet or bag over it.

Edited September 21, 2018 by jwealleans

[Red Devil]

You probably know about these, but if not, 4mm etched reversible tram seats are available from CCtramworks other than those I can't think of anything else readily available.

 

http://home.btconnect.com/cctramworks/accessories.htm

 

 

[jwealleans]

Someone did direct me to those, thanks - I can't see it back upthread so it may have been on a separate one I started about interior colours for the railcars. I need 3 + 2 seating so I may go back to these and adapt them once I've seen what else is out there.

[Pete Harvey]

Jonathan

 

Is that Phoenix Precision etching primer you have used on those models?

 

 

Pete

[jwealleans]

Hi Pete,

 

It's actually a yellowish car primer I picked up in France. I do have some of the Phoenix stuff but I only use it on brass.

[jwealleans]

Last update from me before some more travelling; in between showers (perhaps in between dry weather which has forced me to work outside?) I've managed to get a few things closer to finished:

 

 

I'm pleased with this. It was a bit of a spur of the moment idea but went together quite quickly. Rereading the instructions it shouldn't have quite so many side panels but I'd started lettering it by then.

 

 

Looking at the photos I can see this needs the wheels painting and some of the copper wire I used to attach the chains darkening. The chain came from a stand at Hartlepool - I really can't recall what they were called - and is the finest I've ever seen available commercially. It's American (of course). There was no name on my packet but if I see it at a show again I'll make a point of remembering it. The same stand was at Doncaster this year - my apologies to them for forgetting the name if they happen to be reading. The pipes used to be attached to a flag which one of my kids brought home - from the Tall Ships, IIRC.

 

 

This was a buy at Hartlepool as well. The ABS flat I've had for a while but the load is Duha which Durham Trains were doing at a knockdown show price. The Duha stuff, for those not familiar with it, is hugely impressive, quite expensive and in the main too modern looking for me. I thought I could get away with this one.

 

Horseboxes are pretty much there as well. John Isherwood's transfers for these as far as possible; the brown one is supposed to have a GWR roundel showing through the brown paint. That needs a bit more work; I may just end up patch painting over it if I can't get it to look convincing.

 

 

Finally the main focus of attention in preparation for Thurston's next trip out in October; a GE Restaurant Car from Dan Pinnock's new production. I've made a start on this a bit blind as I'm struggling to find pictures, if anyone can point me to any. The only one I keep finding is E669E which was different to all the others. Anyway, this will be on hold while I'm away so I can do some trawling and ask a few knowledgeable people.

 

 

It's gone together nicely up to now - I do like the way he's doing his bogie fixing in these coaches - but we've reached the point where I'm going to have to depart from his instructions to make it fit together in my preferred manner.

Edited September 10, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Busy week and weekend so there was only limited progress. I took the RFK with me on my travels intending to build the interior while I was away. Bit of a mistake as despite my packaging and care it seem to have been either impacted or crushed while I was on the move. I had to repair the coupling and the tank filler pipes when I got home and I've also tried to re-emphasise the tumblehome a little as well - it seemed to have become very slab sided, presumably at the same time as the other damage. Rob P very kindly lent me his rolling bars to make up a brass roof, but after several attempts I was unable to get anything which was as good a fit as the plastic roof Danny supplied. There's a small amount of squadron green visible where it didn't quite fit.

 

 

 

It still has the Fox bogies - I'll keep those until the D431 is built then swap them over. The photograph also showed up some twisting to the steps and that cosmetic coupling, which I've sorted. It just needs a final clean over and then it can go into primer.

 

While that was in the airing cupboard and bored with the other odds and sods on the WB I decided to have a look at something else - young Mr. Chivers kit for the GC 4 wheel fish van (RC118). I have one to build for Ormesby and one for myself. It's largely fold up from a single large component, like many of his kits. Looking at it, I thought it probably wouldn't take much time to make up, so the iron went back on....

 

This is what you get in the box:

 

 

... and an hour later I had this.

 

 

Very encouraging to see a kit go together this quickly and because it's all folds you can't really go wrong. I gather from discussion on the GC forum that some work may be needed to make 14mm wheels fit. I also note that there's no plastic for the roof in the picture - either I missed it in the box or it wasn't there at all. I shall check.

Edited September 24, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

I delivered the Triang GW horsebox I refurbished tonight, so here it is along with the other two parked on Corfe:

 

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

If Metropolitan ever got hold of one of these he'd have it built before the rest of us had taken it out of the box. Had another hour or so at it at lunchtime today. I think I'm through most of the fiddly stuff with overlays now.

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Another couple of hours and we're just about there. This has been when some of the shortcomings of the kit have become apparent. They're mainly around the rocking W iron unit. It is too small for 14mm wheels, so you need to butcher two holes in the top to allow them to engage in the bearings and turn without causing a short. The rocking unit is also a bit bigger than it needs to be and I had to chop two of the V hangers off to allow it to rock. The whitemetal spring units went down the backs of the solebars and left enough room, but the axleboxes are hard up against the springs and will need some metal removing from the top.

 

 

 

It's a reminder of how much more we expect from kits now; the brake levers are very plain (I'll replace them on the next one I do) and there are no diagrams or pictures in the instructions. As a result I'm left with some bits of strapping and the brake gear to attach when a friend comes up with the relevant volume of the HMRS Journal. Comparing the piece of paper you get with the sheet from one of Roger's recent plastic kits, they're a world apart. The castings are noticeably more flashed (? flashy?) than those from the more recent kits as well, showing the age of the moulds I suppose. They clean up well enough. It can dry off for a few days now until I receive the recommended reading.

Edited October 5, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Further to the above, does anyone have RM from March 1997 they might be able to lend me? I'm told there was an article by Steve Banks on building this kit. It's also mentioned in an article about stock from Rockingham 1929 in April 2007, which I have.

[jwealleans]

Thanks to some very helpful people on this and other forums I have now been able to complete this and here it is in primer.

 

 

A nice little kit to build; with better instructions and a drawing it would be very easy. Take out the need to cut the holes in the rocking unit and it would be a doddle. My earlier brake lever comment was slightly unfair; looking at the extra undocumented bits on the etch there was an overlay for the lever guide. As per some offline discussions and examination of photographs the brake levers and steps are now in the right places relative to the doors. I've rolled a roof and added some scrap etch to the top of the ends to Evostick it in place. The vac pipe is intentionally offset from centre; anyone who's tried to couple 3/screw link vehicles in 4mm can tell you why.

 

I found myself with some welcome spare time last night and on a whim got this out of the drawer.... I was only going to have a look at what modifications would be needed to fit the BullAnt unit to it, but I ended up switching the iron on again... anyway, by 9 pm I was looking at this:

 

 

I was determined to build it before the Dapol one comes out and it went together quite quickly. Despite the generally good reputation Crownline (and now PDK) have this kit isn't quite right; either the footplate is too wide or the bufferbeam too short, as it doesn't project at each end as it should. It's also very thin and given that I use 3 link couplings it needs to be more robust. I'll make up a new one and remake the rivet details with those Archer transfers. The brass is very thin and easily distorted; I don't know what the camera has done to the top of the cab door opening but it doesn't look like that to the naked eye. I did have to do some adjustment to line the panels up but I don't remember doing any after the photograph was taken. The bottom of the cab door shows how it didn't quite fit and still needs some tidying up.

Edited September 22, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Not much from me, what with working and covering for holidays. I did get some time this weekend, though and managed this:

 

Chivers van all but ready for the layout. I see I've photographed the side with the wobbly paintwork; must remember to make sure it's the other way round. I'll bring it back and weather it once the season's over (which it may be already, thinking about it).

 

 

It's next to this Mogo which I built some time ago and have finally got round to painting and lettering (someone from Swindon will probably tell me it's got the wrong brakes or something now).

 

 

I've also started this which was a swap with John (Hayfield). It's a K's GWR Grano. I've been idly looking for one for Thurston for years just to vary the grain van fleet a little more. It's been built and dismantled and I'm afraid I've had a hack at it as well, but a bit of filler will no doubt hide many evils. The roof is a truly awful fit and I sense a battle ahead.

 

 

The Sentinel is also complete and now in its 'stealth' livery of that hideous yellow filler primer from Halfords. It took some packing to get to the right height and then to get the axlebox castings to fit to the wheels. They duly fell apart and had to be bodged together from the back with bits of wire and solder. The sandboxes aren't great either, but some of these had canvas covers over them so I'll probably do that to hide the missing filler caps. Other than that and the very thin brass it didn't go together badly. The instructions weren't great and I have a few bits left over which I can't see on any photos, but they may be for the LMS version. All in all I'm pleased to have it built before the Model Rail one hits the shops as I expect I'll be having one of those.

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Forgot to photograph this at Taunton, so here it is on the lopsided workbench. The interior still needs some work, but externally it's complete (apart from the corridor connector which has fallen off).

 

 

Edited September 22, 2018 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

I spent last night playing with resin spots, returning some of the rivet detail to the replacement buffer beams on the Sentinel. I did this after priming partly to see them better and partly because I think they stick better- they do have a habit of falling off if you don't prime over them fairly smartly.

 

 

Here it's broken down ready for a coat of Halfords Grey which is now curing in the airing cupboard. In the harsh eye of the camera that roof vent stands out. It's at an angle across the body (higher at one side than the other), which I thought initially was just poor etching but then on studying photos decided might be how they were. It looks like poor modelling, though. I'm not convinced the ends should be open like that either: back to Yeadon this weekend and the filler may have to come out.

Edited September 22, 2018 by jwealleans