West End Workbench

[cctransuk]

4 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Multiple packages arrived this week so we were able to progress on multiple fronts.

 

]

 

J5 now all but done and ready for final filling and fettling before paint.  The balance weights are to add and I need to make a handbrake upstand for the tender.   Tonight I reassembled the frames ready for pickups to be fitted and there'll be a few days of test running now i have the facility.  The mech has had a few hours on the rolling road this evening.

 

 

I fitted the corridor connectors to the RTO and added the little gallows brackets which are visible in the photo I have.  Incidentally, does anyone know why this still had gas cylinders even after conversion to electric light?  There was no pantry, so was it a supplementary supply to the kitchen car?

 

 

The first D23 also detailed and primed.  I've added roof vents and fillers, rain deflectors, buffers, the vac pipe along the solebar, jumper cables and bogie steps.  This will be ready for paint soon, so I'll have to see what spray cans I have which still work.   What are people using for BR cream these days?  I gather Vauxhall Gazelle Beige is not easily available.

 

If you have the spec. code for VGB, there are plenty of online outlets that will fill a rattle can for you.

 

John Isherwood.

[31A]

8 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

What are people using for BR cream these days? 

 

I use Railmatch BR Cream from their aerosol; has worked OK for me for several coaches, and then brush paint the crimson (also Railmatch) over it on the lower panels.

 

[St Enodoc]

On 10/11/2021 at 00:04, Bucoops said:

What is the best method of attaching a MJT aluminium roof (with whitemetal ends for vestibuled coaches) to brass bodies?

 

I've tried a couple of times to get things like gorilla glue to adhere to the aluminium but failed

There don't seem to have been many replies to this so I'll pitch in. Different context but same materials - when fixing BSL/Phoenix or Westdale aluminium sides to cast ends I use Evo-Stik and, later, reinforce it with a fillet of epoxy.

[St Enodoc]

49 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

I use Railmatch BR Cream from their aerosol; has worked OK for me for several coaches, and then brush paint the crimson (also Railmatch) over it on the lower panels.

 

With the caveat that I haven't lived in the UK for 20 years, so it might not be available any longer either, my first choice was Ford Sahara Beige from a rattle can.

[Barry O]

I use Rover Primula Yellow.. I also used a Land Rover colour but that seems to have disappeared from sale.

 

Baz

[jwealleans]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

 

John - that's the final option, but as I painted the last few blood and custard Gresleys I did (over 10 years ago!) with it, I thought a different shade might be in order.

 

Steve - I have a very poor record with Railmatch aerosols.  No matter how closely I follow the instructions they end up clogging and becoming useless. 

 

John - I might have a can of Sahara Beige from the kits I did for Tom Foster.  That would solve the problem.   If not it's down to Halfords for that or Barry's primula yellow.

 

 

Had a good long session today so I tackled the longest job - cut out, formed and fitted the roof to the RTO.  Always a fiddly slow job but worth it in the end as you get a really solid structure out of the body.

 

 

I put brass angle along the top of the sides to have something to solder to (and to hide any raggy edges).   The brass sheet is then cut, annealed, rolled and attached.  Vent holes have been drilled, end handrails, alarm gear, solebar vac pipe, trussing, battery boxes, buffer stocks and V hangers attached.   Soldering is about done on this now so I can make a start on the plastic bits.

[jwealleans]

I have a number of dismantled and part painted carriages lying around the workshop now, but none really in a state to be worth photographing.   We also await a delivery of paint.

 

Being a tidy minded individual, I have gone back to the front of the train and made a start on the first vehicle, a 52'6" BTK.  For this I've used the RDEB kit rather than the Kirk as it's readily available.

 

 

 

These are a basic kit and in this one there isn't even a floor.  By the time it's completed it'll be a real bitsa - RDEB sides and ends, Comet floor, MJT roof and underframe bits, Pendleton bogies, Bill Bedford coupling.  It must be one of Rupert's older kits - the etches are dated 1995 - and although it had hinge holes, there are none for door handles and grab rails.  The instructions cover it all adequately, though and do make it clear what you need to add.

 

For now the body soldering is complete, just the roof to mark, drill and fix and then the underframe to populate.

Edited November 21, 2021 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

In case anyone thinks I've forgotten about it, the J5 took its first run round a layout tonight after having pickups fitted.

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Getting on with a few things in parallel just at the moment.  J5 is now lettered up and will be back on the test track during the week.  It's not assembled here, just resting on the frames for the photograph.

 

 

Brake van has also been lettered for a little while and was awaiting a batch of roof mix.   It now just needs that handrail sorting out and a covering of matt varnish before weathering.

 

 

The main focus is still on the Easterling set.  It's worked out that I have all the Yarmouth portion bar one, so that is coming together quite quickly.  Here it is posed behind an appropriate B17 (I have more pictures of it B17 hauled than B1, although i was told it was a B1 working).

 

 

From the front, we can see progress up to now.  

 

 

BTK is painted and clearly the masking came unstuck.   I've cleaned that back and it's now drying and awaits a respray.  TK had a bit of a reaction to the Halfords varnish and I've had to touch in the crimson, but it's not really apparent in this shot.   Once weathered I think I'll probably get away with that.

 

 

The second TK has just been started.  I've done all the alterations and it'll be painted through the week.  The CK will be the next to be stripped down.

 

 

Right at the rear, the RF which was where the idea came from and now the RTO still in teak and awaiting glazing and an interior.  The cosmetic bogie sides have also not yet arrived.

 

Also now declared finished and awaiting transportation, D & S NER BT.

 

[jwealleans]

With four well-on-but-nowhere-near-complete carriages on the workbench, together with the usual number of odd jobs, repairs, wagon kits and other fill 10 minute jobs (as well as the Ormesby Hall locomotives to service), what does the sensible modeller do?

 

 

Start a new kit, of course.

 

I've had this for a few months - spotted it on Ebay and as I've not seen one before (I didn't know they'd done it) I bagged it and have been accumulating other parts for it ever since.  Peter K kits are body only, so it was an unexpected bonus when this one included a roof.  I'm going to try to use it as there are always more modern options if I decide it doesn't cut the mustard.

 

 

RDEB do the right length floorpan and the other bits will be a mixture of MJT, 51L and scratchbuilt.   I've had an absorbing hour or two working out the underframe arrangement this afternoon so that'll probably be the next step.

[jwealleans]

Gosh, hasn't it been a while?  Modelling has taken a little bit of a back seat recently what with one thing and another, but I am still beavering away from time to time.  One project which I absolutely had to complete this summer was a replacement steel 5 set for Grantham, to cover for the one formerly supplied by Mr. King.   These days we don't have to go to the extreme efforts he did to produce his silk purse from the BSL sow's ear, thanks to a number of different suppliers who offer the etches.

 

I ended up with a choice and the final set as shown below is RDEB for the BT-T twin and Southern Pride for the Composite.  Bill also produces the Composite and that may make an appearance in the future.   The Southern Pride one, despite their advertising, is the D190 52' vehicle, not the D305 61'6" version built for the GC Area.  I have advised him of the fact.

There was nothing terribly exciting or innovative about the build, so here is the completed set running on Dave Scott's Ingleby last Sunday.   For use on Grantham there's a BG permanently coupled to this set and this will be the Kemilway vehicle I was working on late last year.

 

 

 

 

 

Test running is always worth the investment of time and in this case some tight back-to-backs were rectified and the presence of a fat b****** in the First Class end of the Compo will be dealt with by strategic insertion of a piece of etch.  So to speak.

 

Here, with heritage motive power provided by Mr. Scott, are some moving pictures:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USr5Eeroq80

 

In April I was delighted and very privileged to take custody of a couple of locos from Hitchin.   The layout has been broken up and the stock sold off, so I was able to bid on a couple of the locos and secure them.   On reading through the KXMS thread on here, I find that both, were scratchbuilt in King's Cross Models by a chap called Mike Shepard (his initials are in the frames).

 

 

 

Neither is dated, sadly, but I'm assuming they're from the 1970s with the remote possibility they're older.  Both run very well although they were suffering from extreme wear on the driving wheels.  On the C1 these had gone right through the nickel-silver tyre, which I've never seen before and neither had Mr. Markits.  One set of wheels on each had already been replaced so I am now working on replacing the others and gently cleaning what I believe are Alan Brackenborough paint jobs.

 

I should also mention that at the end of this month I will be demonstrating weathering at the Thirsk Show on the 31st.   Usual venue and in support of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, so a fine cause to be supporting.   I'm not sure who else will be in attendance other than Mr and Mrs Pulham of this parish, but I hope to see plenty of you there.

 

http://www.expo-thirsk.co.uk/blog/

Edited July 5, 2022 by jwealleans

[Worsdell forever]

 

Links not working Jonathan.

 

http://www.expo-thirsk.co.uk/blog/

 

[jwealleans]

Cheers, Paul.   Now corrected.   No idea why they didn't work the first time.

[Barry O]

Typical!

 

I am busy that day so can't come and visit.. pah!

 

Hope it all goes well.

Baz

Edited July 1, 2022 by Barry O

[jwealleans]

Well, I'm spoiling you.   Two updates in less than a week.  This one has a bit of a story to it.   As some of you may have gathered if you read this thread regularly, a few of us convene over Skype from time to time to chat with Jesse's mum and look at photographs.   On this occasion the subject was a B15 with an up working north of Newcastle in the later 1920s.  We'd covered the obvious stuff and it was Jesse himself who asked what the third vehicle behind the tender was.

 

 

Clearly a Doncaster design of the Howlden era; I thought it might be an M&GN luggage brake, but Steve White pinned it down as a Hound Van to GN D339.  He also mentioned that Crispy Dave (Chris P Bacon) might have done some etches....

 

Well, he had.  They were forthcoming and with the addition of some scratchbuilt bits and Mike Trice's 3D printed components for GN 6 wheelers, it is now waiting for me to get my finger out and prepare lettering so it can be finished off.

 

 

 

 

Another characterful vehicle which might well be seen hanging around on Grantham once it's in a fully presentable state.

 

The very sharp eyed might note more vents in the initial photograph - there are annotations all over the diagram book about various amendments to individual vans, so I've gone with the roof furniture as shown in the clearest photo I have. That van is also in goods livery with the original sliding door. They were teak when built and are illustrated as such in Nick Campling's book, so I've gone with that for my example. The LNER also replaced the sliding doors with a hinged pair.  Dave covers both options on the etch.

Edited July 3, 2022 by jwealleans

[Keith Turbutt]

On 01/07/2022 at 06:29, jwealleans said:

 

I ended up with a choice and the final set as shown below is RDEB for the BT-T twin and Southern Pride for the Composite.  Bill also produces the Composite and that may make an appearance in the future.   The Southern Pride one, despite their advertising, is the D190 52' vehicle, not the D304 61'6" version built for the GC Area.  

Hi Jonathan,

 

I'm enjoying reading your thread and am looking forward to seeing further progress on your Easterling project.

 

Just a small point in your earlier post quoted above. Southern Pride list their Composite, incorrectly as you state, but as D305.  D304 is the Artic Set which I ordered and have now received. You had me a little confused for a while.

 

I am going to use these sides with the original Artic Corridor D307 roofs which Andrew at Isinglass incorrectly produced, based on the 'official' diagram book, with domed ends as it seemed a shame to waste them. Andrew has now reissued the kit with the correct roofs and also changed the sides and ends which are now designed to fit inside the sides instead of on the ends of the sides. This is a much better arrangement and is per the prototype. I believe his current kits are now made this way. Andrew kindly provided me with replacement body and roofs from the revised kit when I spoke to him at ExpoEM. 

 

Keith 

[jwealleans]

Thanks, Keith.   I have corrected my initial post.

 

I'm afraid the Easterling set has been rather neglected since the turn of the year as I've concentrated on these steel vehicles and one or two locos.   I have the kits for the remaining vehicles and it's now a matter of when they reach the front of the queue.   If I think on I'll get the vehicles I have finished out and photograph them.

Edited July 5, 2022 by jwealleans

[jwealleans]

Heavens, it's been a while.   I wish I knew what I'd done with all the time since July.

 

In case anyone missed them on the Grantham thread, couple of things I did do for our trip to Fareham:

 

 

J21 from an LRM kit.  Built by Ron Goult of Little Engines and I acquired it from Tony Wright.  It had OO wheels but EM frame spacers, so no sideplay.   New chassis and drivetrain (High Level) and it went very well at the weekend.

 

 

This was a lockdown Ebay buy - DJH kit, built but scruffy, about £80 with a Portescap in it - and after a brief tussle between a platform and an out of gauge step, it proved a handy puller.   Both these will be back on the bench for coal and crews in due course.   For anyone interested, here's a video of it hauling the Flying Scotsman set on Grantham, after a clip of the ex-Hitchin 3255 on the Queen of Scots set.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTFKbS_5Jqo

 

The two Hitchin Atlantics had mixed fortunes; 3255 ran well although it will need extra pickups to deal with the shed.  3272 wouldn't repond at all to the Gaugemaster controllers and probably needs a new mechanism.

 

After a couple of  days not wanting to look at another train it was back to the workbench and to start with some post-show repairs.

 

 

The Chivers CCT had some trailing brake rigging which was catching in pointwork.  The SR open had had a wheelset pop out and the bearing go walkabout, a ten second fix once back home.   The fruit van had no couplings and I hadn't noticed when I packed it.   This van was one of half a dozen very kindly given to me by notascoobie of this parish, from an acquaintance of his who wanted them to go to an LNER modeller.  Well, they did.  This van decorated the front of Grantham for the weekend at Fareham, a twin ran in the Scotch Goods all weekend and for the record I've also painted and weathered the others:

 

 

There's a brake van too but I haven't remade the steps for that as yet.

 

I've seen one or two of the Oxford GE vans pass through different workbenches over the summer.  Nice model, I have to say and the obligatory cockup isn't too noticeable or difficult to correct.

 

 

I do have a fitted one as well, adapted from a banana van, but that went into the Grantham Scotch Goods box and it's too much of a faff to dig it out now.

 

I've gone back to the Easterling set, for anyone waiting patiently for that (Keith) and will put some pictures of the vehicles up in due course.

[Chas Levin]

5 hours ago, jwealleans said:

I've seen one or two of the Oxford GE vans pass through different workbenches over the summer.  Nice model, I have to say and the obligatory cockup isn't too noticeable or difficult to correct.

 

Hello Jonathan, may I please ask what the 'obligatory cockup' is on this van? I have one as yet still boxed, so it'd be nice in due course to combine unboxing with correcting.

[drmditch]

4 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Hello Jonathan, may I please ask what the 'obligatory cockup' is on this van? I have one as yet still boxed, so it'd be nice in due course to combine unboxing with correcting.

Me to please. I haven't purchased one yet, and I  haven't yet dredged through the posts.

[jwealleans]

Of course.  Apart from the shade of grey (much too light IMO), you'll find a Morton clutch on both sides.

 

Of course, as m'learned colleague El Jobbo the Merciful commented on the LNER forum, you can't see both sides at once, but just knowing it was wrong would have irked.

[Compound2632]

20 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Of course.  Apart from the shade of grey (much too light IMO), you'll find a Morton clutch on both sides.

 

Of course, as m'learned colleague El Jobbo the Merciful commented on the LNER forum, you can't see both sides at once, but just knowing it was wrong would have irked.

 

On one side, the tumbler and push rods will be in the wrong orientation.

 

I thought I had gathered that the other variant of this van came with the plain lever on both sides, so if you have one of each it is straightforward to sort out the dog's dinner the factory made of putting them together.

[jwealleans]

Quote

I had gathered that the other variant of this van came with the plain lever on both sides..

 

That may be so, but they weren't on the workbench at the same time and both were unexpected purchases.   The more organised and forward thinking may be able to do exactly what you suggest, Stephen.

 

The Easterling set was duly recovered from its storage tray yesterday.   It has been so long since I worked on these that I'd completely forgotten what stage I'd reached with any of it.  I had painted, lettered and lined the first three vehicles and then, by the look of it, balked at the glazing.  These all have the interiors built into the body which makes painting and glazing really awkward and is usually anathema to me.    There's another the same yet to paint, so it's not over yet.

 

Anyway, the most complete is the RTO, which just needs handles, buffers and couplings by the look of it.

 

 

This has the GE panelling which is wrong for this vehicle after the mid-1930s.  I believe Bill has now drawn the sides as rebuilt by the LNER.

 

 

 

I bit the bullet and glazed the BTK, which I think I recall is a D 40.   The joy of the corridor handrails awaits.  This is an early RDEB kit and for me the droplights look a bit small.

 

Lastly, I picked up a handful of wagon kits when Dave Scott was having a clearout earlier in the year.   This one was a major hole in the fleet, the very common LNWR D88.   The kit went to David Geen and is not currently available, sadly.  It was largely built, only the roof, brake levers and a missing buffer being required to complete.

 

 

[jwealleans]

It's hard to show progress when you're glazing, but it is being made.   The D40 is now completely done and I've moved on to adding other details.  I have given the roof another coat of dark grey as the undercoat was showing through in a few places.

 

 

In its wake I've started on one of the D23 TKs (and have made a start on the other one this evening).  I've also adjusted the height slightly on this one, it looked low against the D40.  I think the RDEB sides are slightly too deep which accentuates the effect.

 

 

I was rereading my comments almost a year ago when I started these about how hard it was going to be to glaze and fit handrails and it turned out every bit as trying as I expected.

 

For some context, here's the set as built so far:

 

 

Once these first 3 carriages are complete, there's a Diagram 7 Composite to build, which will be vehicle 4 in the set, then the two Lowestoft vehicles.

 

What is pleasing, although not obvious through the lens, is that when I painted the first 3 carriages I used different coloured undercoats on them, knowing the topcoats are fairly transparent colours and all 3 do show as slightly different shades of both read and cream as I hoped.

[EHertsGER]

Maybe I missed previous posts, but this brings me to glazing materials. My preference is for - as espoused by the venerable Jim Whittaker - slide cover glass slips. I welcome your thoughts and experiences…

Edited October 15, 2022 by EHertsGER