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Well, I had almost a full day at the bench today and did all sorts. To continue from my previous post, the K3:

 

k3_1.jpg

 

I stuck body onto tender and added rear buffer beams of Friday evening. There was some pitting on one tender side so that had a few coats of filler primer. The photos are showing the cab tilted back - that must have been a side effect of fitting the boiler after the cab, which was probably a mistake. I hadn't noticed it on the model but it will have to be attended to. I made all the holes to make it RHD, then read that this batch were all converted back to LHD by 1937 so I had to open out all the original holes and fill in the new ones. I will have to fit a new steam pipe anyway as I've moved the cab back about 2mm and it's no longer long enough. I've also mislaid the Spencer buffers I know I have somewhere - does anyone know who might stock them? They're Kean Maygib and I can't find them listed anywhere.

 

k3_2.jpg

 

A coat of paint brings it all together very nicely. As you can see, I've added the cabside step I forgot about as well.

 

While we're on locos I started weathering the two B1s today as well. They've had a dirty wash over which has then been cut back and some powder applied to the tenders. The wheels have also been painted but the motion is awaiting some more Humbrol 53, my last tin having inconsiderately dried out.

 

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Also on the bench today this rather pretty little Ivatt 2 which will run on Thurston. As per the owner's instructions, I've added the cab doors, vac pipes, screw links and lamp irons. Front steps have also been put on although I give them about 5 minutes, there's no real firm mounting point for them. I was considering tender pickups, but I failed to get the body off, not wanting to apply the amount of brute force apparently required to a loco which isn't mine. As this isn't a DCC ready model there's no existing loco-tender connection I could use. As you can see I'd already renumbered to Cambridge's 46467.

 

ivatt2.jpg

 

The coaches are coming along having been stuck for 'E' transfers for a week or so. I didn't find any interior shots so I went with two pictures and a mirror which is my default setting. The shells can now be glazed and the whole things reassembled.

 

coachint.jpg

 

I can't go a week without making a wagon and a few have crossed the bench lately: I was given some Ks kits which had been donated to Ormesby Hall and asked if we could use any of them. These two are clearly in period for Pilmoor.

 

ksvan.jpg

 

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I think they've scrubbed up rather well, as long as no-one asks what an odd banana van is doing wandering the LNER.

 

The ex-Ratio Gunpowder van and an MAJ L & Y van both lettered up and awaiting weathering after some more varnish and a bit of curing time.

 

gpvan.jpg

 

lmsvan.jpg

 

Best until last and the sort of thing the forum would benefit from more of; one of a number of kits I have to build for Scottiedog, all D & S and which I'm looking forward to working my way through.

 

gnfish.jpg

 

I started it Friday night and finished off the detail this morning although it awaits the arrival of its' vac pipes. Wheels are also a query - Dan says 14mm Mansell but all the photographs I have show spoked wheels and the buffers are the right height with the 12mm wheels I've fitted. I'll have to revisit that.

Edited by jwealleans
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Give Branchlines a try for the Keen-Maygib buffers - I've definitely bought some Maygib buffers off Branchlines in the last couple of years, but I can't remember if they stock the whole range or just the Southern ones. Gone are the days when things like this came from Mainly Trains in a couple of days :-(

 

I'm not a fan of the LNER, but those B1s do look nice.

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There are photographs and a composite drawing of the exGN Clerestory 18' long Fruit/Milk/Fish Vans on pages 54 and 55 of Vol 1 of Peter Tatlows Illustrated History of LNER Wagons. The composite drawing shows Mansell Wheels - size not annotated but they look 3'6" or thereabouts- whereas, as you, state the photographs have plain spoke wheels - again they look 3'6" or thereabouts There again the table on page 55 states the fish van had 4 end posts whereas the photograph of 415436 has 2 end posts. Confused! So am I! I do appreciate that there were changes over the years but for the sake of historical accuracy, would one of our GNR experts kindly clarify. Period modelled is early/mid 1930s.

 

Nice to see such quick progress! Incidentally well on with the Cambrian LMS Meat Van and Fish Van kits. I have also rattled off the Cambrian LNER Opens I got at Newcastle, now got 8 of them to paint, letter and number. More for you to shunt on Stainsby!!!!!

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Here it is with 14mm wheels shoehorned in and up against the buffer height gauge. Even given the slightly jaunty angle of one of the buffers it's slightly high, but not so far out as to be ridiculous. We won't be shunting this one either, I suppose. If it were mine I'd go for 14mm spoked wheels.

 

gnfish.jpg

 

Fancied a change this lunchtime after I had to fill the cabsides on that K3 again (I know where those cracking noises were from now) so I spent about 45 minutes putting this together. It's another resin casting from Graham Baker, this one for an LSWR Lowmac. I had to source buffers and axleboxes, which I got from the stores at Ormesby as this will run on Corfe when complete. You also need to make up the buffer protector plates, which I have done and add brake levers which aren't in the kit. I expect it'll be easier to see once I've primed it.

 

lswrlowmac.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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Another one rolls off the bench... nice straightforward build, this. The roof isn't attached or detailed as it will need to be stuck on after painting and glazing.

 

ballast_brake.jpg

 

D & S NER Ballast Brake (DS 230). Does anyone have any sort of idea how the brake rigging should go? I have two bits and some wire and not much else to go on.

Edited by jwealleans
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Well, still in the dark about the brakes, so a few suggestive bits of wire will have to do. In the meantime, while keeping my head above water, been doing bits and bobs to locos this week. First of all I can confirm that Branchlines can supply these:

 

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Two sets is a pair. They are very nice when assembled, I've used them before on another K3. Progress on the intended recipient as well, delayed a bit as I had a paint reaction on the cab edges (only? bizarre) and had to strip and repaint it.

 

k3.jpg

 

The two B1s are all but done, coaled and crewed and awaiting final inspection in daylight and maybe a touch more weathering here and there:

 

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Lastly I've had a first go at the Ivatt - again a look in daylight is required and then a bit more here and there. I'm finding it hard to fit a crew into that cab.

 

46467.jpg

 

Finally, the Gramodels resin wagons; I'm not sure whether the 1 plank stone wagon has been on here before, but both are now lettered up and need final painting and weathering.

 

lswwags.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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Long day today, but a bit of relaxing fiddling at the bench to wind down at the end of it.... this is starting to come together now.

 

k32.jpg

 

It started showing that reaction again along the bottom of the cab front this afternoon, but then when I took it up into the damper, colder attic it disappeared again. It's going to be weathered over and left well alone after that, I suspect.

 

I can't go more than a few days without building something... this is the next of the kits for Scottiedog.

 

v41.jpg

 

D & S V4 brake van. Another one of Dan's older kits and it shows.. a bit of a fiddle, plastic floor to fit and then more bits to solder on afterwards... still, it all fits together and it looks like what it's supposed to be. You can't ask for much more.

Edited by jwealleans
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  • 2 weeks later...

Christmas and work notwithstanding we have been doing a bit from time to time. I've got half way through this box of kits and had the spray cans out:

 

gnfish-1.jpg

 

v4brake.jpg

 

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Roofs aren't attached to the brake vans as otherwise they'll be almost impossible to glaze after final painting.

 

The next in the pile is the Tool Van. This has beading round all the sides. The instructions do say that it's a bit tedious to apply and they aren't wrong. Still, it looks OK once it's cleaned up and washed.

 

toolvan.jpg

 

It is a 6 wheeler; there's an interesting affair with bits of tube for the centre axle which I may have a crack at tomorrow if my brain feels up to it. After that I think it's just castings for this one.

Edited by jwealleans
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Bits of tube and castings suitably attached and it was all a lot quicker than I was expecting. I did have to reinforce the stepboards with some hefty wire as they were starting to feel a bit fragile.

 

toolvan-1.jpg

 

I think Dan must have had a 'moment' when he packed the roofs with these, though. I've now started the Riding Van - even more beading but equally tedious.

Edited by jwealleans
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Beading, beading, beading.... droplights, droplights... hinges.....ventilators....

 

.. and that about sums up my evening.

 

ridingvan.jpg

 

Fortunately I have found the missing ventilator on the bench, having thought it had gone down the plughole or pinged into oblivion while I was washing it down.

Edited by jwealleans
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Cheers, Rob, I'll do my best. I had a couple of productive days while the rain beat down outside. Scottiedog's horsebox is now finished.

 

gnhb2.jpg

 

Now a bit of a departure, something I wasn't expecting to make. In the post two days ago was a large envelope which turned out to be for me, from Bill Bedford. Now as those who order from him know Bill makes things to order so there can be a bit of an interval between ordering and delivery. In this case I had forgotten what it was I'd ordered. Turned out to be a Great Eastern Milk Van. I had a look at the etches and the 3D printed axleboxes and buffers and then put it all back in the packet.

 

But later... well, the packet wouldn't go into the box I keep NPCCS kits in and so it was there just in my line of sight, looking at me... and I have never been good at resisting the blandishments of a tasty bit of NPCCS... and so:

 

gemilk.jpg

 

It hasn't been in the house 72 hours yet. I can't remember the last kit I built this quickly. It is nice, though. One buffer has made a bid for freedom and despite the best efforts of the highly trained Search Children and copious offers of a bribe to the winner remains at liberty on the WB floor. I expect it'll turn up just after I source a replacement. The axlebox/spring/J hanger assembly is all printed as well as the buffer housings.

 

Flushed with that, well, Christmas is a time for opening things, isn't it? I bought this about two years ago, started. I'm not usually keen on other people's half-started efforts but I was told that this chap knew what he was about and to be fair he did. It's a Crownline J19. The loco chassis was built and is free running and square. The footplate had also been built - all I've done this evening is add brakes and guard irons. There's a 1424 and multibox with it - not necessarily what I'd have chosen but I think I can see how he intended to mount it and I don't really want to undo all that good chassis work to move spacers. We'll see how it goes.

 

j19_1.jpg

Edited by jwealleans
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But later... well, the packet wouldn't go into the box I keep NPCCS kits in and so it was there just in my line of sight, looking at me... and I have never been good at resisting the blandishments of a tasty bit of NPCCS... and so:

 

gemilk.jpg

 

 

 

 

Is this some new compensation method that Bill has been experimenting with?  :jester:   J

Edited by jonhall
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Good progress this evening - one of the advantages of following where someone else has already cleared the path.  Disadvantages include lost parts (nothing serious, fortunately, so far) and not quite understanding why some of the preparatory work has been done, or what else might be necessary.  I think the boiler has a very slight taper, or perhaps the firebox sides aren't quite even.  I'll get to that tomorrow.

 

j19_2.jpg

 

Tonight the cab and centre sandboxes have been fitted and the smokebox wrappers added to the boiler.  They still need cleaning up.  I see from the photo that some of the handrail holes may be in the wrong place now as well.  I'll have to check that tomorrow.  Once that's cleaned up and the boiler is on the footplate I'll start the tender and also assemble the motor/gearbox.  I don't want to detail the body any further until I see how that fits and whether anything needs to be cut back to allow it to fit.

Edited by jwealleans
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Wasn't in a gearbox frame of mind so I started the tender.  The original builder either pinched a load of bits from this for something else or didn't like it as most of what I've put together tonight were scratch parts.  He also didn't finish as I have some parts missing from the front of the tender.  Fortunately I have an Isinglass so I can work out what I need to make.  

 

j193.jpg

 

It's starting to look the part, though.  Quite chunky locos, these.

 

A very merry Christmas and prosperous (and productive) New Year to all my readers and friends on the forum.

Edited by jwealleans
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