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The solebars on both the PBVs are Humbrol 62, straight out of the tin. I agree it looks lighter than the lid (or than I expected), but I've been using it since Mike recommended it as well and it looks fine to the eye. Both solebar and cornice are on a black undercoat as well, so it can't be that making it look lighter. The tin's almost empty so I'll see what the new one brings when I open it.

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Mine is a deeper orange colour than in your photos. I havent checked yet to see if similar to the Hornby solebar colour.

 

For your info I have just started on the R&E Models GCR Horsebox. Bit like a posh Jidenco in some ways !!

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Some finishing off this lunchtime. Firstly some wagons also destined for Thurston and beyond. As we move back towards 1947, we're out of 16 tonner territory and into ex-PO wagons. Since only about 30% of those were to the 1923 RCH standard (I forget the exact figure), these two Cambrian kits I picked up at Wheels of Steel when I was there earlier in the year seemed ideal.

 

coalwag2_zps3eb81fa5.jpg

 

I'm quite pleased with the way these have come out. The fragments of lettering were done using some Powsides transfers which I wrecked a number of years ago.

 

coalwag1_zpsea10d78c.jpg

 

This ex-GE van was an Ebay buy (in bits). The lowfit is Parkside and the 3 post augurs seemed appropriate as regular readers may recall 3 Ferguson TE20s also on Lowfits which I made up last year.

 

gewag_zpsacb02d9d.jpg

 

augurs_zps703b8865.jpg

 

Lastly, very excited about this as I've wanted one for ages.

 

a2_zps5a95cb1b.jpg

 

It'll need a repaint and a bit of tidying up but runs pretty well. As and when Arthur releases it I'll replace that tender with the original design. I foresee an extended running session at Ormesby next week for this one.

 

Mick - look forward to seeing that on the bench. Was that article useful?

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Cheers, Alan, that's very good of you.

 

A couple of fairly quick projects just to clear out some of the 'in progress' drawers now. This first one is an LSWR 31' 6 wheel open. This one will be finished as a sleeper wagon and run down at Ormesby in what I suppose you'd call the 'infrastructure train' on Corfe.

 

lswsleeper_zpseb90892f.jpg

 

It's a resin cast by Graham Baker (Gramodels), who does a small but increasing range of LSWR wagon prototypes and a great deal of resin casting. I'm sorry I didn't photograph it in primer now as some of the detail of the casting has been lost in the colour. It is very fine. When Ron Rising donated the layout to the National Trust he was generous enough to donate all his spares and scratchbuilding materials, so I was well supplied with D & S W irons, axleboxes and springs (EMGS) and brake gear. It will probably take longer to paint and fit the sleeper load than it has to put it together and paint it as you see above.

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The other fairly straightforward project I've finally got round to is this Roger Chivers low roof CCT. This came to me in a job lot of parcels stock some years ago and after dealing with the high roof version a few pages back this one is finally getting the treatment.

 

The prototype is the LNER version of an NER design, drawings on about page 114 of Nck Campling's Historical Carriage Drawings Vol 1 (the yellow one). The kit is still available from Matt Chivers, Roger's son, although I see he's moving house at the moment and so not taking new orders. It dates from the late 1970s or early 1980s.

 

The alterations required are detailed in MRJ No. 102 by Peter Tatlow. Essentially the brake gear has been mirror imaged from one side to the other, which is incorrect. A brake lever needs moving, one or two bits need making and adding and other components are shuffled about. I did the same thing to a pair of the high roof NER versions last year and Mick also did one way back in his thread.

 

lowcct1_zps445a29e4.jpg

 

Here the altered vehicle with roof vents and lamp tops added and the extra body brackets also visible along the solebar.

 

lowcct2_zps987fe23b.jpg

 

Here the alterations needed to the brake gear shown. Matt will supply the castings as a a separate pack and I see my replacement bolster has slipped while the glue dried.

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Bit of painting and decorating tonight.

 

CCT now lettered - according to Nick Campling's book this one didn't have the dimensions panel on the right hand end corner, or any running restrictions.

 

cct_zpsb01e033a.jpg

 

The nature of these Chivers kits means I'll have to varnish and glaze before I can fix the roof on, which isn't my preferred approach.

 

lswropen_zpsddc04e9b.jpg

 

LSWR open also lettered - much to my surprise I managed to use the Roxey dry transfers without screwing them up hopelessly which is the usual result. There is a bit of blobbing round the number where I had a battle with an HMRS transfer; that came off with a spot of white spirit.

 

A couple of other refurbishment jobs: Parkside NE Bogie Bolster getting a repaint and lettering backdated to the early style. The handbrake wheels have come adrift at some point as well.

 

bobol_zpsa65358d0.jpg

 

ABS NB Gunpowder van; the roof was in a right state so it was scrapped and a new one made up.

 

powderd_zps6b90ec2b.jpg

 

Evergreen strip for the ribs and when it's gone off it will get a few rivet transfers as well. The photo makes the bend in the roof look far worse than it is.

 

powderd2_zps1a4082ca.jpg

 

While we're on Gunpowder vans, I picked this up for a quid from a bargain bin at a show.

 

mink_zps8b4a10a5.jpg

 

There are a lot of GPVs which follow the lines and dimensions of the iron Mink. I was going to make this up as a GE one, but theirs had angled corners instead of curved, so this one will be a GN example.

 

mink2_zps278fc79e.jpg

 

Doors need to be flush and the vents have been removed from the ends. We'll address axleboxes and buffers in due course.

 

Finally, in a corner of the yard something else is preparing....

 

b1_zpsd676414d.jpg

 

This was one of the cheap B1s which popped up a few months ago. Of course, after we bought a couple for Thurston thinking the price would never be repeated, everyone did them at that price, including an early crest BR one which would have been ideal... but there you go. I shall be collecting another at Telford this weekend and they will then become 61058 and 61059 of Ipswich shed. I've seen a picture of one or other of the pair with the full 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' on the tender and possibly the curly numerals as well which will make a bit of variety if I can track it down. Watch this space.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I seem to have been quite busy what with one thing and another and of course the weekend at Telford having my eyes opened to what O gauge modellers get up to. However I brought one or two things back which will appear on here in due course and I have made some progress with what I have on the bench at the moment.

 

quad_zps2b105ffd.jpg

 

Quad is lettered (they don't seem to have had 'quad' on them unless anyone's seen a photo I haven't) and had the brake wheels added. A bit of tweaking of the chains and load and it'll go back in the box.

 

sleeper_zpsa82d1405.jpg

 

I knew the load on this would take longer to do that the wagon itself, but two piles of sleepers have been created and will be roped on once I've weathered the rest of the inside of the wagon.

 

gunpow_zps7ac11c16.jpg

 

I had to repaint the NB gunpowder van as I managed to spray some of the sides as well as the roof after I riveted it. The sides and doors on the GN one are done but I have run out of MJT W irons so it's probably stuck until I find some more. Buffers are a North Eastern pattern - perhaps a bit long but they look like the originals. Axleboxes will also be North Eastern - I have a pack from 51L which if turned upside down look just like the ones on my photo.

 

cctroof_zps79d6c048.jpg

 

CCT glazed and roofed. The roof was a pretty poor fit - I'm afraid they often are on these kits - so what I've tried this time is soldering a longitudinal brass strip from end to end and loading that with Araldite as well as the edges, to see whether that holds it down against the body properly..cc

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wagons just about done and ready for the weathering queue;

 

quad_zps3b256521.jpg

 

cct_zpsee1fa4e1.jpg

 

They can await the next outbreak of weathering on the bench. The slightly blotchy paintwork on the CCT was accidental, on the gunpowder van less so. Once weathered over it adds a bit of extra variety to the finished vehicle so I'm happy to let it go at this stage.

 

The sleeper wagon will be delivered to the club this evening.

 

sleepwag_zps2cea2cb5.jpg

 

It was nice to get the soldering iron out again last night; this was last on the bench last October having in the interim been down to Ely to have the Sprat and Winkle couplings fitted. Not altogether successful as the fitting then interfered with the body/solebar separation and so the coupling had to come off again last night. However we know they work and I have a model to copy to reinstate it so all is not lost.

 

gebrake.jpg

 

I started by fitting the internal partitions just to get back into the swing of it. I've been quite busy for a few days, but I have managed to move the coach on a bit. I found a bit of a problem with this in that my mate who fitted the S & W couplings had used plastic packing, which was never going to survive the rest of the soldering and had also positioned the paddle over the top of the body fixing screws so I couldn't get it apart. So off they had to come.

 

While I contemplated that little problem, I cracked on with the bogies and underframe, which is about where we are now.

 

gebrake.jpg

 

Then I had a good look at the coupling and worked out how to do it. The goalpost is easy and just solders through the buffer beam. For the paddle, I made a shallow U shaped bracket which locates under the body fixing screws. The paddle swings on two brass lace pins which are soldered into the bracket. It all has to be close enough to the floor to clear the bogie - there isn't a lot of room there. However it does seem to work, thankfully.

 

sandw.jpg

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Not many updates this week as I left the camera at the club on Monday and i always think they're a bit pointless without pictures. However there has been some progress and it can now be brought to you.

 

Firstly, the sleeper wagon has entered service at Ormesby:

 

slepwag_zps7a34118a.jpg

 

This was finished off this week; LMS 1 plank (a fairly recent Cambrian kit). These were used for containers by the LMS and in earlier BR days. The roping was taken from a photo - I think in one of Bob Essery's books, but of course when I went to find it I couldn't. I hope my memory has not led me too far astray. The wagon takes all of 10 minutes to build, it's a really simple piece of work.

 

lmsflat_zps8d90ff23.jpg

 

Finally the coach, which is almost there. I had hoped to get it to primer tonight, but there wasn't enough time. I messed up a roof vent hole, so that's to do, there are corridor connectors to make - curiously, they're not in the kit - and on this vehicle I need to make the pneumatic steps which allowed passengers to alight at the ground level halts the parsimonious GER provided.

 

grbrk.jpg

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I was working away this week so didn't get any time on the coach until last night. Steps were the main aim and they are now fitted. They could be a bit finer, but they're a bit vulnerable and so I went for robustness over finesse. Ultimately these are club models and so may not always get the care in handling and operating that my own do.

 

btksteps1.jpg

 

btksteps2.jpg

 

Thanks to 'Owd Sweedy' for the drawing on the LNER forum which was my blueprint. Dimensions were worked out by eye from that and photos. The edges of the thicker strips used for the sides are chamfered down to lose some of the thickness. The handrail runs up through a slot in the footboard and is just plugged into the hole beside the door. This has to be removed before the body comes off - I wonder how long before I forget and irretrievably bend or snap one of them?

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Coaches, coaches... I've got the brake 3rd painted and it will now dry for a few days while I catch the other one up to it. The body colour I use (Precision Track Dirt, after a recommendation by Larry Goddard) is a pleasing shade of brown, but I have had reactions between it and the Games Workshop varnish I use. This time I intend to let it cure a while before bringing them together to see if that helps.

 

gebtk.jpg

 

geck.jpg

 

As you can see I haven't managed to pull the handrails off those steps as yet... The Composite which makes up the other of the pair has had the interior partitions attached to the floor and suitably reprofiled so the body can be taken off and on.

 

One or two parcels arrived this week so I have been able to finish off some stalled projects. GN gunpowder van is now about ready for painting (when the buffers have been straightened). MJT rocking W iron and some home made brake gear from the bits box have sorted it out.

 

gngun.jpg

 

In the same packet some LMS coach buffers also from Mr. T were all that was needed for this Lima GUV.

 

lms42cct.jpg

 

The idea came from Larry's thread and he can explain what was done much better than me. There are a few of these to be seen in the Ian C Allen photos of the former GE. This one will run on Thurston initially but ultimately will end up in the milk train planned for Wickham Market. It's a very easy job and the basic bodies can be picked up at shows for not very much.

 

Finally these came from Scotland yesterday:

 

B1s.jpg

 

There's not too much you can do to improve the Hornby B1 but Dave Bradwell's dome and chimney do make a difference; I refer you again to Larry's thread here. I've had mine to bits to strip out all the DCC gubbins: call me old fashioned but I like my locos to run without having to find and plug in the tender when I'm fiddling with them. It seems to have survived that OK. The future 61059 which has arrived from its owner can be seen trembling in the background.

 

Finally while I was travelling last week I put together this MAJ kit for an L & Y van. Not something I know anything about or have any reference material on, so built very much to the instructions. I do like outside framed vans, though and this is something just a little different. They're very easy to put together, these kits and it's a shame they aren't more readily available.

 

lyvan_zpsd06a3702.jpg

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The colour I use (Precision Track Dirt, after a recommendation by Larry Goddard) is a pleasing shade of brown,

 

Where did you use it? On the underframe? All I can see is black from your photo. No criticism intended, only asking for clarities sake. I would never argue with the 'paint father'...bless 'im.

 

Mike

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Mike; it's the brown bits - the body. I've edited my post to make it clearer. It wouldn't have occurred to me either.

 

WoM - yes, you're right, they are raised.. I have no idea whether that's prototypical or just the way they've tooled it. The other one i built earlier in the year was the same.

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The L&Y van is tooled like that, every example I've seen is the same. A pity really because it's otherwise a nice model. I think they were done this way because it was easier to tool - many '60s aircraft kits and, for that matter, [edit: the interiors] early Cambrian PO wagons (to cite one example) were like that - it's one of those things that is very difficult to rectify on a van with outside framing so not worth the hassle. Probably... I do like the GER coaches, lovely panelling.

 

Adam

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Hi Jonathan,

Like the ex-GER coaches but I am pretty sure that guard operated steps were only fitted on one side of the coach. I believe where they were used the halts were all on the same side of the track and the coach was turned to match. Mind you, you can't see both sides of the coach at the same time so you may opt to leave alone.

ATB

Bob

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Hi Bob,

 

Nice to hear from you. I wish you'd happened by when I asked that question a few months ago.... I looked at as many photos as I could and didn't find conclusive evidence either way. In the end I decided that making two wasn't twice as hard as making one and that way no fool could put it onto the layout the wrong way round and hide my hard work.

 

Did you ever finish that luggage Compo you were building?

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Hi Bob,

 

Nice to hear from you. I wish you'd happened by when I asked that question a few months ago.... I looked at as many photos as I could and didn't find conclusive evidence either way. In the end I decided that making two wasn't twice as hard as making one and that way no fool could put it onto the layout the wrong way round and hide my hard work.

 

Did you ever finish that luggage Compo you were building?

Hi Jonathan,

I do follow your thread so I can't understand how I missed you enquiry. Sorry to arrive too late.

The source of my info is Journal 33 of the GERS which contains an article on Conductor Guard workings. It states one set of steps were provided in the original 6 wheel stock in a centrally placed guards van and the halts arranged on one side of the line. When these vans were replaced by bogie stock they were built to match. My copy of the GERS journal disc is sadly 2000 miles away so I can't revisit the article just now.

Like you I spent ages poring over photos of GE country trains in the hope of finding a picture of both sides of the same coach or a view of the same line with step fitted stock captured from both sides. No luck and concluded the article was probably the best evidence.

Regarding my own snail like progress, yes I have (nearly) finished the Compo, my problem is distraction. I now have a surfeit of locomotives both running and waiting to build, loads of stock but no track to run on. That's this winter's task when I get back to sunny Cyprus next week.

Cheers,

Bob

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I've been put to shame by Mr 'Metropolitan' Worsdell, churning out locos almost as fast as Stratford used to, so it's time I got my finger out and finished these coaches. Had a couple of good nights at the bench and got almost all the soldering complete on the composite. Bit of tweaking and tidying and she's off to the paintshop. The roof is only placed for the photograph - that will be the next job, this evening I expect.

 

gecomp2.jpg

 

gecomp1.jpg

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Coaches now painted and drying. I went cautiously with the Games Workshop varnish and haven't had any disasters as yet. The composite is almost at the same stage as the brake; I'll finish them off in parallel after a few days' drying time.

 

gecompo.jpg

 

While those were drying I made a start on the B1s. One has had a total repaint and lining - I spent much of my extra hour (and the rest of Sunday) cursing Mr Fox and all his earthly works. I wish I'd known the early BR version was going to be flogged off cheap when I bought this one. The camera doesn't show it up as badly as I expected. This is the worse side.

 

61059_1_zps432399de.jpg

 

I've started the Klear treatment on this one and it is beginning to acquire a nice shine.

 

For 61058 I studied the picture in LNER 4-6-0s at Work and concluded that it had been relettered but not repainted. The LNER style lining is visible, most conclusively on the buffer beam. I've also copied Tim's idea for making the curly 6.

 

61058_1_zps42bb801e.jpg

 

We're moving into a loco phase AM as I have an Ivatt 2 on the way to renumber for Thurston. As I'm in that sort of mode I thought I'd have a go at a K3 I was going to convert for Pilmoor. It seems Tony Wright has done a similar conversion in BRM this month although I haven't read that article yet. What gave me the idea was reading that some of the K3s with Darlington cabs were not converted until after 1939. These seem to have included Nos 52 and 53, both York engines. For those who don't know, the second batch of K3s built at Darlington in 1924 had an NER type cab with very low side windows. I can't find a picture now I want one, of course. Crews in other regions complained about the window height and so they were altered by Doncaster, twice in fact, until the pattern which the Bachmann model carries was arrived at. The SEF kit contains etches for all the different patterns and I intend to build it with the GN cab, so this was effectively spare.

 

The K3 strips down very readily into it's component parts:

 

k3_bits_zpsd786bd8d.jpg

 

The SEF etch with the selected parts removed. I have misplaced the kit instructions so we're proceeding by common sense and photographs from here on in.

 

sefetch_zps482f5f40.jpg

 

The cab loosely positioned on the body. The side sheets are about 1mm shorter than the Bachmann cab but the curve is wrongly shaped and puts the cab too far forward.

 

k3cab_zps060d366a.jpg

 

I've lined it up with the back of the footplate which I think is where it ought to go. I'll have to make up a small boiler extension piece. I expect I ought to shorten the backhead as well but we'll see when I go to refit it. A thin layer of filler at the bottom of the side sheets will also be needed.

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Not much from me as I have failed to shake off my cold this week. I have been doing a bit, though, while the drugs lasted:

 

Coach interiors. Humbrol 186 and gloss varnish so you get a bit of a shine visible through the windows.

 

interiors.jpg

 

interiors2.jpg

 

Seats are from Coopercraft. On the compo each alternate partition has to be made up from plastikard so there's still a bit of painting to do. Dan supplies some black plastikard in the kits so I've made up floors as well, to avoid unwanted light showing up from below. Today's homework is a scan through the GE Society Journal CD to see if I can find an interior photo of one of these compartments.

 

k3_zps4863e092.jpg

 

K3 has had the boiler extended and it now needs cutting back to the right length. As you can see it raises the cab slightly as it is. Then I can get on with the other bits of RHD conversion, new buffers and the like. I have no short handrail knobs so unless I can get hold of some at Newcastle next weekend it'll be an order to the AG workshop.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been quite busy just recently, mainly work but I did have a fun weekend at Newcastle as can be seen elsewhere. I was also able to pick up the handrail knobs I required (Nairnshire Modelling Supplies - worth a look at a show or online, they do all sorts) and a flared coping tender top from Dave Alexander.

 

So last night I took to the K3 again and this lunchtime I put the tender together (really - it took about half an hour).

 

k3_2_zps62f6628e.jpg

 

k3_1_zpsdc99b10b.jpg

 

I've put the backhead in - as Graeme forecast it projects a bit too far into the cab but not so far I can't live with it. Nothing is glued down yet - there's packing under the cab floor and also down the sides where the brass is much thinner than the Bachmann plastic. The tender also needs levelling and a buffer beam adding at the back - I bought the version intended to go onto the Hornby tender drive as it was always my intention to reuse the chassis. Dave's kit also had the rear coal plate over the water scoop dome. Mine needs to be further forward so I've made a filler piece for that.

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