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Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00


St Enodoc
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One of the best things about rmweb is getting to see a layout as it's being built. The level of planning here is very high, and promises great things for the future. Good luck, and sign me up for the ride!

 

(It's alright. I'll sign myself up.)

 

Alan

Thanks Alan and welcome aboard. I hope the reality lives up to the expectation!

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Just been catching up and its all looking very good, I don't know whether to go for an 02 or not yet, I have other priorities at the moment, how about some pics of it in action.

Thanks Andy. Like you the O2 isn't a priority at the moment, as the Southern connection will be the last part of the layout to be built, but the work needed on 30200 is fairly minor (couplings, decoder, renumbering) so it might get done sooner rather than later. As and when it does I'll post a picture or two.

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Thanks Andy. Like you the O2 isn't a priority at the moment, as the Southern connection will be the last part of the layout to be built, but the work needed on 30200 is fairly minor (couplings, decoder, renumbering) so it might get done sooner rather than later. As and when it does I'll post a picture or two.

Sorry, I actually meant the S15, but do like the 02 as well, I really need / want them all.

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Sorry, I actually meant the S15, but do like the 02 as well, I really need / want them all.

I know the feeling. Considering that this is essentially a WR layout, I already have one more SR loco than I "need", but never mind - who's counting?

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I know the feeling. Considering that this is essentially a WR layout, I already have one more SR loco than I "need", but never mind - who's counting?

Just in case anybody IS counting:

 

O2 30200 will work the Padstow/Pentowan ordinary passenger.

T9 30710 will work the Okehampton/Pentowan ordinary passenger.

N 31849 will work the Wadebridge/Pentowan class K goods.

WC 34016 will work the Pentowan portion of the Atlantic Coast Express.

Ivatt class 2 41297 was going to work the Padstow but is now spare. It might share the goods work with 31849.

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I know the feeling. Considering that this is essentially a WR layout, I already have one more SR loco than I "need", but never mind - who's counting?

 

There is no such thing as having too many SR locos for a "WR" layout.  As my latest photos suggest ;)  

 

Not only does SR steam make forays into the far south-west but so do diesel types with a class 33 having its headcode set to G2 for Brighton - Plymouth (and points beyond) in the 1965 - 71 period.

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I connected up more bus wire, feeders and droppers yesterday while listening to the day-night Test from Adelaide. I didn't get quite as much done as I had hoped, as the board carrying the main power feeds was a bit tight for access and so took a little longer than expected, but I am now more than halfway round the main lines. A quick coin test confirmed that even with the remaining track only connected by its fishplates the EB1s tripped, so I can carry on with confidence.

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There are some things that you have to be in the mood for, like filing point blades, and the mood comes but rarely so when it does you have to seize the moment. Another is making up smokebox number plates using Slaters 1.5 mm numbers. I know these are overscale and some of the shapes are wrong, but I’ve been using them for about 40 years now and for consistency all my locos, old or new, have them. One day I might change them all for something like Ian Wilson’s Pacific Models printed products, but there are many other jobs to be done first.

 

Anyway, having made up the smokebox plate for the Kernow O2 30200 and put it aside for the paint to dry overnight before I clean up the faces of the numbers, trim the plate to size and fit it tomorrow, I thought I might as well change the bunker-side numbers as well. So it was out with the T-Cut and away we went. I use a cocktail stick with one end trimmed into a chisel shape rather than the often-recommended cotton bud, as I find it easier to see what I am doing and also keep the T-Cut where I want it.

 

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After 10 minutes or so on each side the last two digits were gone. I cleaned off the T-Cut and applied the new numbers using Pressfix transfers.

 

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As it turns out, the Pressfix transfers are marginally bigger than the Kernow originals and are also a slightly paler shade of cream (not a whiter shade of pale). For the time being though, I will leave them as they are but if I find I can’t live with them it will be an easy enough job to remove the remaining Kernow numbers and use Pressfix for all five digits on each side.

 

I was on a roll now so I also fitted a TCS EUN651 decoder and programmed it in my standard way, using a SPROG 2 and DecoderPro 3. It took longer to set the Sprog and the programming track up than it did to complete the programming.

 

Apart from fitting DG couplings and detailing, 30200 is now complete and I will take it along to the joint North Shore Railway Modellers’ Association/British Railway Modellers of Australia Sydney Group meeting tomorrow for a show-and-tell.

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The paint on the smokebox plates had dried overnight, so I cleaned off the front faces with a fine file.

 

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As well as 30200 I made a plate for County of Montgomery.

 

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The removable smokebox door made fitting the number plate much easier than usual.

 

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I only just noticed the shed plate. I will have to change that to 72F.

 

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A view of the opposite side of the loco from those I posted last night.

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Suggest changing all of the numbers John - the smaller yellower ones just don't look right somehow?

 

Now using etched smokebox plates from a fellow member of Leeds MRS... ran out of Slaters numbers!

 

Baz

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Suggest changing all of the numbers John - the smaller yellower ones just don't look right somehow?

 

Now using etched smokebox plates from a fellow member of Leeds MRS... ran out of Slaters numbers!

 

Baz

Baz, I think you are probably right but I'll leave it for a while before I decide. It's not a difficult job - about 20 minutes per side to get the old ones off then the same again to apply the transfers.

 

I never liked etched smokebox plates as the numbers were always shiny metal rather than white paint. That's why I started using Slaters numbers. They don't make that size any more but I reckon I've got enough to see me out... They do pop up on eBay from time to time.

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It takes a  bit longer but worth changing all the numbers. I think the factory ons are a touch too small after studying various photos

Ian, see my reply to Barry O above. I think you are right but I will leave it for a little while until I am in the mood again.

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I now paint the plates black and can still see to do the numbers in white with a very fine brush.

 

It's OK for you WR and SR modellers but 4Fs had numbers with lots of 4s in them.

 

Baz

Edited by Barry O
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Did not notice a height issue when I altered 30225 to 30229 with Pressfix transfers. If you have a good stationary shop nearby a ultra fine permanent marker of an appropriate shade can be run over the transfers to tone them down. My 9 turned out a bit too toned down but a bit of work on the other numbers with the marker along some weathering should balance them out. See picture on page 44 of the Kernow 02 thread.

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Did not notice a height issue when I altered 30225 to 30229 with Pressfix transfers. If you have a good stationary shop nearby a ultra fine permanent marker of an appropriate shade can be run over the transfers to tone them down. My 9 turned out a bit too toned down but a bit of work on the other numbers with the marker along some weathering should balance them out. See picture on page 44 of the Kernow 02 thread.

Sorry, I couldn't find the photo in question. Would it be possible to put up a link to the exact post please?

 

Thanks.

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Sorry page 43 posting no.1056 - picture of the model disassembled.

Got it, thanks. Yes, your 9 doesn't look as bad as my two 0s. As I say, I'll leave it as it is for a while before deciding whether to change the other numbers.

 

Thanks.

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Baz, I think you are probably right but I'll leave it for a while before I decide. It's not a difficult job - about 20 minutes per side to get the old ones off then the same again to apply the transfers.

 

I never liked etched smokebox plates as the numbers were always shiny metal rather than white paint. That's why I started using Slaters numbers. They don't make that size any more but I reckon I've got enough to see me out... They do pop up on eBay from time to time.

There is a way round that - the opposite to Baz's method.  Spray or paint the front of the plate with white gloss paint and let it harden (that bit is very important).  Once the white paint has hardened paint the background with black (matt or gloss but Humbrol matt used to be the best for the job) and carefully wipe the excess/overflow off the white numerals.  I found this far simpler that effin' about with a tiny brush trying to paint the numbers white and invariably ending up with white filling the middle of any digit with a hole in it such as '6' etc.

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There is a way round that - the opposite to Baz's method.  Spray or paint the front of the plate with white gloss paint and let it harden (that bit is very important).  Once the white paint has hardened paint the background with black (matt or gloss but Humbrol matt used to be the best for the job) and carefully wipe the excess/overflow off the white numerals.  I found this far simpler that effin' about with a tiny brush trying to paint the numbers white and invariably ending up with white filling the middle of any digit with a hole in it such as '6' etc.

Thanks Mike. I did something very similar with the St Enodoc station nameboards.

 

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I painted the whole lot cream then "floated" the brown on afterwards, just cleaning up the letters as necessary. I haven't tried it on something as small as a smokebox number plate yet though.

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The paint on the smokebox plates had dried overnight, so I cleaned off the front faces with a fine file.

 

attachicon.gif20151205 001 smokebox plates.JPG

As well as 30200 I made a plate for County of Montgomery.

 

attachicon.gif20151205 002 30200 smokebox door.JPG

The removable smokebox door made fitting the number plate much easier than usual.

 

attachicon.gif20151205 003 30200 front three-quarter view.JPG

I only just noticed the shed plate. I will have to change that to 72F.

 

attachicon.gif20151205 004 30200 side view.JPG

A view of the opposite side of the loco from those I posted last night.

 

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Here is 30200 in action, rather a long way from home. The layout is the North Shore club's model of Dungog on the NSW North Coast Line. The photo was taken by Bill Cooper, who apologises for the average quality - it is a scan of a print as Bill's computer was playing up last weekend. If he manages to get me an original digital file I'll replace the image.

 

30200 in 4 mm scale was a very close match in size for the 3.5 mm scale NSW models on the layout.

 

Bus/feeder/dropper wires are now in place right round to the Down end of Penzance, with only Paddington to go. I probably won't get much more done before Christmas, but the two-week break should see installation complete on both main lines and with luck a start on point building for the Paddington Down throat.

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