North Cranford

[Neal Ball]

On 15/01/2024 at 12:11, M.I.B said:

Gas tanks as discussed a post or two back:  in short:

 

Stick the tank ends on - centre ones first

 

Drop in the cylinders....

 

If the tank ends for outers meet up with a Queen post, mark and file a very shallow groove - paint and grot will hide this later....

 

and so forth. 

To finish, file any moulding that protrudes beyond the framing (as seen above on the end tank and the mould flash on the underside of the tank end sections.....

 

 

 

After the photos were taken, some minor movement and manipulation was done to make sure all of the tanks were positioned correctly and cylinders snug on the ends.  Please make sure that you have a big spoon of patience at this stage.  I used UHU type glue for this to allow for "adjustment" meaning that for every nudge, an equal and opposite nudge will occur elsewhere  (Newton's First law of Kitbuilds).  So apply decreasingly firm nudges until everything is in place.

 

Later today I will add roof vents to the J12.

 

On this mid January day (soon be February!!) I hope that you are happy and healthy.

 

I found making up a bank of gas cylinders very frustrating - so resorted making them up with a base of plasticard on the top and bottom, which once they are painted can't be seen.

[M.I.B]

On 01/02/2024 at 14:45, The Fatadder said:

2921 I find particularly interesting in that despite only lasting a couple of years after it’s repaint it is listed in GWRJ no7 as having gained wartime black livery but running with a green 3500gl tender that still had the full Great Western lettering 

I think that wasn't uncommon Rich.  The un-named Impney Hall was the same.   

 

If logic is applied to the un-named batch of Halls built during the War, they would have all been black and some may have had a green tender if one came out of the works having only had light repair and not been repainted.  Not every new engine got a new tender.

 

I posed a question about Saints elsewhere and a lovely picture of St Helena with an aged 4000 gallon tender has appeared - both look so dirty that no logos not lining nor colour can be discerned.

Edited February 2 by M.I.B

[The Fatadder]

8 minutes ago, M.I.B said:

I think that wasn't uncommon Rich.  The un-named Impney Hall was the same.   

 

If logic is applied to the un-named batch of Halls built during the War, they would have all been black and some may have had a green tender if one came out of the works having only had light repair and not been repainted.  Not every new engine got a new tender.

 

I posed a question about Saints elsewhere and a lovely picture of St Helena with an aged 4000 gallon tender has appeared - both look so dirty that no logos not lining nor colour can be discerned.

What seemed strange to me was that it gained a tender with the old full Great Western lettering (which I'd have thought by 42/43 would have been pretty rare being two logos behind the current identity), and that a loco that was scrapped in 45 would be getting a new coat of paint just a couple of years earlier. 

[M.I.B]

On 01/02/2024 at 14:45, The Fatadder said:

2921 .... having gained wartime black livery but running with a green 3500gl tender that still had the full Great Western lettering 

 

Withdrawn Oct 45 and scrapped in Dec 45, so only has a tiny window of operation for me.  As a visitor as it was Banbury based.

 

But if the "six balls" align, having a black Saint with an extremely aged green "Great Western" tender would be tempting.   It would be  scruffy  - as you say it somehow avoided "shirtbutton" logos and subsequent "GWR" repaints.

Edited February 5 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Not much to report - I have been busy building/decorating two en-suites.     

 

Managed to do another stock review, which was the first step in a re-plan of the fiddle yards:  how many "long" trains will be a factor.    I realised that "Express 3" is a carriage short of my 7 carriage limit, as is the Hawksworth rake.  That has been remedied via Ebay and I have a Hawksworth brake third and a Mainline Centenary compo already updated/re-logo'd etc in the Cabinet. 

 

That makes express coaching/NPCCS rakes 7 long not including power, or an addition like the Bullion Car.  I also have a few long non-brown stock trains such as the breakdown train, a long van train idea for a 47XX, and some long coal stock hauled by something like an Austerity, an 8F, a ROD, a 28XX.....

 

I do follow a couple of the larger layouts on YouTube and have picked up some good tips  One that has made a huge change to NC is making the fiddle yards at "ground level" and not under the main baseboards.  So the scenic sections will be on the inside of a rectangle, and on the other side of the backscene will be the fiddle yards - which are therefore "Buffalo Girls"*

 

To get the length of fiddle yard siding (double ended)  plus a turntable for each yard ( Up and Down), and two cross-overs, I have gone beyond the length of the scenic portion, so the entrances and exits, and some of the siding will end up being round a curve and possibly the short side of the layout will house the turntables, points and cross overs.

 

Laid straight is looks like this at the exit end of both yards:

 

 

I'm still going for Code 100, and "standard" points.  I know you can get more roads in with Y points and Peco 3 ways, but it would be nice to be able to get the giant pink shunting cranes down between the rows of stock if I need to.

 

I know I can use Templot etc, but I'm enjoying my old school methodology.   Unanswered questions include:

 

1.  Where and how to transition into and out of the fiddle yards into the scenic section?

2.  How and from where are the yards controlled?   I made the jump from DC to DCC - am I ready for automation???????

3.  How do I fill the other "long side" of the scenic section?  (That was going to be the yard on NC Mk 1).   I could make the brewery and furniture depository become the (now empty) long side. and use the free'd up short side for warehousing, simple through lines and create the entrances and exits for the fiddle yards......

 

The shed where NC is to be built is emptying nicely because the workshop is progressing well.  I need to wait until outside temperatures are 10C night and day for 2 days, and then I can epoxy the workshop floor, and fully move back in permanently.  That will fully free up the NC shed which isn't small.

 

NC's scenic size is therefor dictated by the equation SSL=LSFL-OpW-FYW  (do you remember Open University and bearded men in brown safari suits with pens in their top pockets and a white-board......):

 

Size of the NC shed floor  (SFL by SFW) minus room to operate the FY (OpW), minus FY board width (FYW) is the maximum size of the scenic section (SSL or SSW).  

 

I have a balancing act - make the short sides of the FY less deep = long sides of the FY get longer.  How close can I put the FY edge to the wall?    More thinking required.

 

Meanwhile:   I have decided to add two K22s from the future Dapol offering to replace 2 Hawksworth full brakes.  They are on an auction site..........

 

I'm staying away from single ladies tomorrow..................Hope you are happy and healthy.

 

* "Buffalo Girls go round the outside, round the outside...."   Malcom McLaren "Buffalo Girls"

Edited February 28 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

A bit of track planning stimulated the grey cells, and that in turn resulted in a revise  of the shed space/size  allocation - (aka reduction is the portion of the building used as a "shed" and an increase in "railway room" size.)

 

I also had another track-lay play this weekend and tried to fit as much non storage parts of the fiddle yard onto the short fat side of the layout.  I have managed to do it - with a shared turntable, crossovers and through lines.  Two sets of point fans with all the functions in the middle.  This means both long sides can be used for stock storage without losing room to the fan.

 

Turntable is in the centre as is the crossover functionality - it's not obvious to see.

 

Some of the track required will need set-track pieces shortening, which is why you can see a couple of pieces overlapping in the pictures.  I'm not ready to chop up track until it's time to fit.

 

I can move a complete train from the Up to the Down Yard.

I can drop a loco off, run it around, then turn it, and then attach it to a rake intended to run in the opposite direction - or head on scene to the shed.

I can run two trains straight through simultaneously either in the same direction or in opposite directions.

 

It isn't pretty, and it's not mean to be, but it works, is narrow and maximises storage space on the long sides.

 

Budget Day tomorrow - I've never had a budget win - hope you do.

[M.I.B]

Early Easter greetings to you.

 

Centenary full brake and the Worsley Works sided K22 have completed "second filler" and are back in the cabinet.   Tonight may be the turn of the K38.   "First filler" used Humbrol pre-mixed and "second" is U-Pol car body filler.  Much harder and takes longer to shape.

 

Not a lot happening because I'm busy at work.  After Easter I'm off for two weeks work with a NATO air-force.  Can't say where but I am going to fulfill a bucket list wish with a ride on the Bullet Train......

 

I have had a 6 coach order in with a "box shifter" for quite some time - measurable in years.    The wrong end of 3 tons in crinkle* .  The order was "auto-refunded" and the next year it was re-ordered and again auto-refunded.    Still no sign of these things so I made an enquiry by phone.    I got such bad service and a rude bad attitude that I cancelled the order outright.  I was my most polite, not at all sarcastic, and not flippant - unlike the assistant on the other end of the phone who was all of the above.   

 

Their loss - I have placed an order in Sheffield instead.........

 

I hope you enjoy Easter.  Don't eat too much chocolate, and stay safe.

 

On the week where the British Army waved goodbye and thanks to Apache (Longbow) {which came to my aid in a former life once or twice.....} I hope that you are happy and healthy.

 

 

*Flash Harry - St Trinians

[M.I.B]

Another project which has leapfrogged the NPCCS was the updating of three Airfix GMR "long" tank wagons.  I like these models compaired to the usual "shorties" but Airfix/GMR only produced them in black BP/Shell livery or the 1930s beige/sand livery.

After some research, I discovered that during WW2, many tank wagons were painted or repainted a dark grey with minimal black logos so as to make them more discrete.  I bought three sandy/beige  ones and it was out with the dark grey rattle can primer (usually used for some coach roofs).  Then onto the Powsides website to order some logos......

After a wait and three unanswered emails, I have had to revert to a refund on the card......

 

Fox seem to have got a good selection as do Robbies, so I will order when I get home.

 

I hope that you are happy and healthy.

[The Fatadder]

Interesting on those wartime tank repaints, I have a Bachmann tank in a pre war National livery sat in my wagons WIP box thats been awaiting a more suitable livery for 47, I think that gives me an answer as to how I should finish it.

[M.I.B]

On 10/04/2024 at 16:44, The Fatadder said:

Interesting on those wartime tank repaints, I have a Bachmann tank in a pre war National livery ....., I think that gives me an answer as to how I should finish it.

 

I struggled to find the post war black ones, so finding this info was good news as the pre war beige ones abound on Ebay in comparison.

 

I'm going for black logos and writing.   It's only an assumption but it's a bit pointless "going dull" and adding white lettering.

 

I will be heavily weathering these.     Love to see your versions.

[The Fatadder]

Tank wagons are an area I’ve really struggled to find many decent photos to work from, so feel your pain there.

 

i have a fair few Bachmann models awaiting work, all of which are no doubt in the wrong liveries (dating back to when the new blue ribbon version was released).  Will be a good winter project I think 

[M.I.B]

It seems that PowSides are alive and well after all - it's just that their website mailing system doesn't seem to work at the moment.

[M.I.B]

The tlain of Pratfom One is about to go weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Super efficient, clean, fast and comfortable.   British rail operators could learn a thing or two......

 

All seats are "facing", and comfortable.