North Cranford

[380John]

Really like the Hornby van

 

I did a similar tarp but used an old Marks and Sparks bag over a tender on a loco "set aside for preservation".

 

John

[The Great Bear]

Some interesting modelling in thread, nice to see someone having a go. The tarpaulin over the van roof is a nice touch, as is the wartime Collett - I think I may try the same, but start with one of the old Hornby ones first!

 

All the best

 

Jon

[The Great Bear]

Another project from the weekend/last week was the WD Austerity.  This is a brand new engine bought very cheaply via Ebay - shop clearance item. 

 

Firstly the BR logos and numbers were removed by gentle rubbing with a Scotchbrite pad.  Then a mask and a light coat of Halford's matt black was added to the previously logo'd areas.

049.JPG

 

Hi there, I was wondering in renumbering the Austerity did you have to remove a smokebox number plate? If so, how did you go about it, any tips - have one to do at some stage.

 

By the way, thanks for bring Narrow Planet to my attention - looks a good way of getting number plates especially for those not available off the shelf from other suppliers - something I'll follow up I'm sure when I've worked out my timetable and locos required.

 

Thanks, Jon

Edited March 29, 2016 by The Great Bear

[M.I.B]

Narrow Planet was a good "find" care of someone else recommending them on Robin's Brent thread.    Great for those obscure "numbers only" plates.  I still prefer Modelmaster Jackson Evans for the name plates.

 

I don't remember a smokebox door plate on my Austerity.  If there was one,I would have treated it like the BR ones on Castles and Halls - line up a square file along the line of the upper hanger and file away the plate until it becomes an extension of the hinge.  Then trim and file the height of the remainder down to form the full length of a top hinge.  Hope that makes sense.

[M.I.B]

....... good luck with your gas tanks.

 

Been away in Edinburgh for the week so no modelling.  Rather sad to be saying farewell to older relatives nowadays, but great when I get to be with my many many lovely cousins who I only see at "matches, hatches ands dispaches".

 

Gas tanks are too long (wide?) for the Hornby H33 chassis so they will require a trim, and the flanges at the top and bottom of the end pieces are probably perfect for a true-to-scale Comet underframe, but are not hidden when used on the Hornby model.

 

Bit if it were all too easy, we wouldn't get the satisfaction of completing the challenge.

[M.I.B]

A quick trip to John Dutfields round the back of Chelmsford Prison yesterday - what a little treasure trove, and everything in stock I could wish for at the moment...(no connection etc). Plus lots of scratchbuilding ingredients which I will require reflls of in the near future.

 

I came home with one or two cans of aerosol Precision Paint which were on my shopping list, a can which wasn't, and a brace of Collett brakes from Hornby.   I had already decided to support my "local" (ish) model shop and it was a real treat to find out that the coaches and paint were cheaper than I had priced up elsewhere online last week.

 

Lesson learnt - Ebay and the box shifters aren't always the cheapest.....I have 2 locos on back order elsewhere (47XX and Saint), but from now on, my first port of call will be local.

 

Back to the Colletts, I had a quick session this morning before departing for the the stables:

 

One with plain Precision "Roof Dirt" and the other got a coat of Precision "BR Diesel Roof grey", whch looked like a good shade for carriage roofs. 

As my first coat was the usual light "tack coat" I saw immediately that the colour is 4 shades too light for a carriage roof.  So I beefed the colour up with a light long distance coat or two of "Roof Dirt" and finished off with a long distance coat of Halford's matt black.

It has come out slightly speckled and mottled, which looks great in the flesh, and oddly, it dried a little glossy.  This I sorted out with some Testors Dullcote.

 

 

Once I have attacked the washing up, I will correct the small areas on the ends where grey crept under the mask tape -  you can't mask around the handrails and a small bit creeps in.  Easy fix with a brush and some matt black.

 

I have some time to myself at the end of this week  before a "duty visit" down Brent way next week.  Perhaps I will get some modelling done.  H33 gas tanks are first on the list.

 

As this will see my count going over 7000 views, I thank you all for visiting, and promise to improve, and perhaps get "Shed 2" build under way soon.   I hope you are happy and healthy.

Edited April 4, 2016 by M.I.B

[County of Yorkshire]

...I have 2 locos on back order elsewhere (47XX and Saint)

 

I'm loving the roof work on those Colletts, however, pray tell of the above?

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

[M.I.B]

I'm loving the roof work on those Colletts, however, pray tell of the above?

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

 

Lesson #3 - don't go on RMWeb under the infulence, and after a tiring day in the saddle......

 

Well spotted Sir - I have a "Saint" on order indeed, but it is of the Star class. Appologies for that.  My "Saint" is Hornby's St Pat, which has been pushed back from ths summer to nearly Christmas.

 

Gas tanks are coming along meanwhile......

[M.I.B]

An early afternoon post from me, which is most unusual, but I am at the desk and about to go down to the workshop to prioritise the modelling jobs.  I have a growing pile to sort, weather etc to go on Ebay, and with a possible trip away looming, I need to get these done before I go.

 

A few new loco boxes have been ordered and come recommended via ANTB.  I prefer to get a recommendation than buy a bargain and find out that it's awful.  Also ordered a couple of short boxes for tenders (6944 has a second tender as described earlier) and I have a spare large Collett tender which may get interchanged.  2844's box is pretty poor, and the new Hall and new Star are both unboxed.  "New Star" is on it's way in the shape of the Troop Train pack from Hornby, which gives me an un piped, unlined Star , to become "British Monarch" visiting from Oxford.  She is only just un-piped in my era.

 

The three clerestories from the Troop Train pack will be kept.  The "all 3rds" have 2 different running numbers to those previously sold by Hornby, Two of my current ones with the same numbers  will go to Ebay.  The new pair will get grey roofs and a weather, as well as running board removal and re-logo, in due course.  The brake clerestory will get a coat of all over Stock Brown, and removed running boards.

 

Right .....hi-ho, hi-ho..off to the workshop I go...

 

On the day of the Grand National, I hope you are happy and healthy, and that you end the day better than the bookies.....

Edited April 9, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

(Was a duplicate post - sorry)

Edited April 10, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Not sure which Neddy won the National, but I'm £20 better off......

 

The big sort out has happened and back on with some modelling. The three H33s were attacked with a scalpel to remove detailing which was fouling on the new gas tanks.  Here is a before and after, side-by-side.

The tanks had one end glued in place during the last session, so I was able to trial fit them today. I confirmed that the flanges on the ends were not hidden by the framing, so I trimmed them off both end panels.

 

The tanks are moulded with a section missing along the length,

which means that they can be fitted in 2 positions, which affect their hieght, and how they appear amongst the underfaming

I am going for the open section in the "down" position.

This leaves only one task to do - file each tank centre section to length to fit inside the RTR framing when the second end caps are fitted.

Edited April 13, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Very odd - the photos on the above post disappeared when I deleted the previous duplicated post.  Will try and dig them out from the laptop and re-load them.

 

13 Apr- photos re-attached.

Edited April 13, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Photos have been re-attached - no idea where they went.

 

I am down near the real Brent, sadly no Granges and 72XXs here any more.   I did drive past North Cranford on Monday, but the sound of jumbo jets was too much to hear any sounds of steam from the shed..........

 

The good news is that I soon to be back off to sandier places, on a longer and better paid contract.  Not good for the short term modelling, but this pays for the new home for North Cranford in the longer term. 

 

H33 tanks were finished and painted, but not weathered.  I will try to post a photo when I get back on Friday.

Edited April 13, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Off a littler sooner than thought, (8 days time) so had to squeeze a quick trip to Sheff and back today after coming up A30/M5/M4/The Big Car Park/ M11 from Oke yesterday.  Done nearly 2000 miles in 3 weeks.

 

Promise I will get the H33 photos up before I leave and hopefully do a little more in between shopping for vitamins, insoles, gum, as well as an early MOT.

 

Boris talked sense today, regardless of where you sit on BREXIT - how can Mr Obama, the man who leads a country which refuses to sign up to anything, beg UK to remain signed up to the EU?  I won't miss the "debating".

 

I hope you are happy and healthy.

[Edwardian]

Great work.  Not to get political, but, as I suspect Boris well knows, to a great extent the much vaunted 'Special Relationship' between the UK and the US depends upon the US perception that we can influence Europe, without which, the US would feel it had much less need to be pally.  I suspect, therefore, Obama is trying to find a polite way of saying, from the US point of view, 'please don't do anything stupid', rather like we try to suggest, as politely as possible, 'please don't elect that Xenophobic nutcase (Trump, I mean, not Farage, in case you were wondering).  Rather like Boris, though, deliberately to behave dumber than he is. Bless.

[M.I.B]

Photos of one of the H33s as promised.  Humbrol matt black has come out a little shiny on all 3 of them. 

That will disappear when the "grot" comes out of the airbrush.

 

Storage boxes from Cheltenham Model Centre have arrived and they are fantastic - other box sellers may be available, but I recommend these, just as Robin recommended them to me.

 

Modelmaster have provided a plate set for "British Monarch" to change "Princess Alice".

 

Departure prep is going well, so I may get a few hours in the workshop before I depart.

[M.I.B]

A quick look at some work in progress, apt for today.

 

Princess Alice, from the Troop Train Pack, has had a rename, and re-logo to become an unlined late 1940s 4021, up from Oxford to Town for the day.  Soon about to go to Swindon to get external steam pipes, a larger tender and a lined repaint.

I have completed the coaling, and the paintbrush is due out later, for wheels and a couple of other places ( behind the front buffer beam etc). 

 

The "1" on the buffer beam will hopefully attach on the third attempt.  This just leaves crew to fit (already painted).   Weathering will have to wait until July-ish.

 

On the day of Her Majesty's 90th Birthday, here is my "British Monarch"

 

On this happy day, and the sad day when we lost Prince, I hope you are all happy and healthy.

Edited April 21, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Right - I'm off again.

 

Took some photos of the finished British Monarch, and a tired looking clerestory brake third in dull brown. 

 

I will post the pictures and write a word when I get the chance.

 

Not as much done as I would have liked, but I leave hankering to do more, which is bettr than over-doing it and "losing one's mojo":

 

a tarp'd van,

a dull scrufy clerestory brake third,

Princess Alice to British Monarch in a later livery,

grey'd the rooves on 3 of the new Hornby Colletts,

Turned a new Hornby Collett into Austerity livery,

had a sort out and clearance sale on Ebay.

 

And so many untouched projects to get stuck into this summer.

 

I hope you are happy and healthy.

Edited April 24, 2016 by M.I.B

[380John]

Seems you have been back a very short time!

 

Safe trip and I look forward to seeing more of this thread on your return!

 

John

[M.I.B]

Thanks John.

[M.I.B]

Well I have arrived and set up and finally got 5 minutes to visit RM Web.  Just seen John Dew's dairy on Granby.   If NC's buildings turn out half as good as his Scalescenes work, I will be chuffed.

 

Among the emails was some bad news - Hornby's star "Knight of St Pat" will now be released in Jul 17.   Was due to be here now when originally advertised.  Postponed twice.

 

I hope you are all happy and healthy.

Edited April 30, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Wow.

 

Time flies.

 

Been here a week and away nearly two.  About 10 more to go until I can pick up where I left off.    I took and compressed these at Chateaux M.I.B before I left.

Although these are not prototypical, their painted on panels work a treat as a later clerestory. 

By this time there had been a lot of steel panelling done on these old warhorses. 

Clerestories saw out two world wars and a change of company.

 

These are the new stock boxes for some of the homeless locos.  I fold up bubble wrap, apply spray glue ( sparingly) and line the box with it and put some under the top panel of the lid.  Then locos get wrapped in acid free tissue paper and lie in that in the box. 

BUT once glue is applied and bubble wrap inserted, leave box to vent somewhere warm for a day or two.  Drive this "light ends" of glue and spirit away before putting a precious bit of painted plastic in there and sealing them together for a while....

 

[M.I.B]

And here is what goes in this particular box - the almost finished British Monarch.

Coal, name change from Princess Alice ( Modelmaster jackson Evans) new beam number, grotty rods and wheels, change of tender branding / logo change, coal and crew.

 

Not to be confused with The Hornby RTR British Monarch which is in the post steam pipe fitting condition with the larger tender.

Just needs a fairly heavy dose of weathering, as this major Works visit wasn't far off in my timeframe.

but not as much as say the Austerity or the ROD or perhaps the 28Xs will get.

Not sure of the origins of the crew - they came from the Hall currently awaiting work. 

I hope you are all happy and healthy.

Edited May 6, 2016 by M.I.B

[john dew]

Hi MIB

 

glad the trip is going well

 

The Celestory looks really good.....remind me is that a bog standard Hornby repainted and reliveried?

 

Best wishes

 

John

[M.I.B]

Thanks John - crazy to think it's Saturday morning here, but Friday tea-time there - it still amazes me - even at my age!

 

Yes, this is the standard Hornby "Long Clerestory"  They come in Garter logo.  I think they were also released in a Railroad version too.  As I said the sides are smooth apart from the top vents.  Panelling is painted on.

Edited May 8, 2016 by M.I.B