RMweb Gold Popular Post NeilHB Posted June 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted June 25, 2020 ETCo No.1 has now gained a roof! And it’s actually removable (which is a big achievement for me!) by the simple method of having the corner posts inserting into plastic tubing in each corner: Simple, if a bit fiddly! 17 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 10 hours ago, NeilHB said: ETCo No.1 has now gained a roof! And it’s actually removable (which is a big achievement for me!) by the simple method of having the corner posts inserting into plastic tubing in each corner: Simple, if a bit fiddly! That looks excellent. Plasticard is an easy and forgiving medium that can look very convincing when carefully finished. Chris K 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post NeilHB Posted June 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2020 Slight change to the rolling stock front! The 3D printed tramcars have been decommissioned, as I wasn’t happy with how they looked with the tram locos. I’ve now gone back to using the previous models based around the Testors San Francisco cable car kits: The All Third was pretty much finished, but has had new bufferbeams as the old ones were looking decidedly tatty. The First/Third composite has now gained steps and bufferbeams, so is ready to head into the paintshop soon. I’ll be retaining the brown/cream livery, but probably repainting the cream white instead. Rather than waste the chassis’ from the 3D printed tramcars, I started to scratchbuild the first of a pair of luggage vans last night: The joys of working from home meant that before work this morning I was able to scribe the plank lines on the sides/ends, and then before dinner tonight I added the framing. Bufferbeams next and then I can think about the second one... They do make a nice little train together! What do you think folks? 22 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34006 Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Now that's something else Neil.Proper job. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesperus Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Thats really looking good Neil. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted July 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 8, 2020 Love how it's coming together! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 11, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2020 More progress to report on the tramcars and the luggage van. Each one has now been lettered and numbered, using HMRS North Eastern Railway 4mm transfers: First/Third Composite No.3 All Third No.1 Luggage Van No.7 The next task is to finish off painting the underframes etc., and then I can start on building another couple of tramcars. However, I need to source some more of the below to do so: These are the enclosed saloon sections from the Testors 1/48th San Francisco Cable Car kit - does anyone have some that they no longer want please? 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 14, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2020 Progress report on the ETCo tram engines tonight. No.1 has now been painted, though some touching up is required in a couple of places. I’ve also attempted some rudimentary valve gear for the cylinders as the gap beneath them was very noticeable: Once it’s painted black it’ll blend in and fill the gap nicely (I hope). Both tram engines have gained their fleet numbers on the bufferbeams, and I couldn’t resist posing the pair together: No.3 is in the process of having its roof made so is still work in progress. What do you think folks? 17 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 18, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 18, 2020 Tram locos are now lined out: In other news a new item of motive power arrived today - treated myself to a little post-birthday present thanks to Dapol’s members day sale... Shades of Titfield?! 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir douglas Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 (edited) just be careful of any Sid James look-alikes with traction engines Edited July 18, 2020 by sir douglas 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 22, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2020 On 18/07/2020 at 21:49, sir douglas said: just be careful of any Sid James look-alikes with traction engines Actually I think the poor loco should have been more worried by the mad bloke wielding a scalpel...poor thing never saw it coming: Definitely invalidated the warranty now! Next step is to cut off the cab side sheets above the tank/bunker and sort out a new cab which will be narrower than the current one. I’ve been inspired by what @Edwardian has done over on his Castle Aching thread with a 4mm Dapol 14xx to turn that into a model of Colne Valley & Halstead Railway No.1. In the end this is probably going to end up slightly more freelance than his, as I fancy a few other changes to make mine a typical Victorian tank engine. It is destined to become Wellsworth & Suddery Railway “Rognvald”. Slightly less drastic has been today’s project, in my lunch hour I made a start on Slaters (ex. Coopercraft) kit for a Great Western 4-plank open, and finished off the main work tonight. A nice little kit which has gone together in less than 2hours in total: I need to source some suitable sprung buffers to replace those supplied by Slaters (they are an awful design with a clip to hold the spring on which I find never works). Any suitable recommendations please folks? 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted July 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 22, 2020 Very excited to see the metamorphosis of the 14xx! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 25, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2020 No.3 now has a proper roof: Whilst the paint was drying I started to add the additional transfers to both No.1 and No.3. No.1: ETCo crest on the front and upper body side panels, plus the running number too. No.3: ETCo crest on front and rear body panels, plus running number on the front panel. The ETCo crests are actually 4mm NER crests, which are from the HMRS sheet, as are the running numbers and the lettering on the tramcars. I’m still mulling over a naming convention for locos on the tramway, so the side panels will remain blank for the moment. I’ve also managed to acquire another Testors/Hawk San Francisco Cable Car kit, so another tramcar should be joining the fleet in the future. 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted July 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2020 I am not sure what buffers Slaters supply with there ex-Coopercraft kits but PECO turned buffers are suitable. If you need any, I have a few in stock. PM me if want some. Mike 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 27, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 27, 2020 Thanks Mike. I think I have some Peco ones in a box somewhere. In tonight’s report, it would be appear that the Ulfstead Mining Company opens have been breeding in the confines of the stock box... There are now five of the UMC opens, three dumb buffered, and two dropsides. The lettering for each one is slightly different, mainly as I was starting to run out of suitable letters on my HMRS PO Wagon Lettering sheet. I quite like it though as it adds some variety to the fleet. Nos. 6 and 21 have featured on these pages before, but the other three (Nos. 5, 3 and 12) were all lettered tonight. These just need their interiors painting (and under frame detail completing on No.12) then they are good to go. Rather pleased with how they’ve turned out ETCo No.3 does look good with them now that it’s roof has been completed and painted. 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knuckles Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 (edited) Love! Really do look the part and seeing UMC and Toryreck on them really helps everything seem so much mire believable. Is why I love slapping NW on most my stock. Great result. Do you think the UMC wagons would always be red or do you think they'd end up generic wood n crud colour as illustrated showing a time many years later? Edited July 27, 2020 by Knuckles 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 28, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thanks Gavin For the next lot I'm definitely designing my own and getting them printed - that lot sent me doolally last night applying the letters individually! Must get round to lettering up my early NW stock as well. I think my models of the UMC wagons will always be red, though they'll end up fairly heavily weathered eventually. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted July 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 30, 2020 The ETCo fleet has now grown: A Minerva K class Manning Wardle. Part-way through the repaint and modifications stage still. The sandboxes have been removed and positioned next to the smokebox (you can see their original position between the front and middle splashers). I’m also partway through converting the smokebox to one with a lift up door. The two tram engines have now been christened: ETCo No.1 “Odin” ETCo No.3 “Thor” The HMRS sheet of NER transfers is proving very useful! No.5’s name is yet to be determined. 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 2, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 2, 2020 ETCo No.5 has now been christened as “Godred”: Still plenty of work to do including the fun task of painting the wheels... In non-model railway related news, I’m pleased to report that the allotment has been giving us plenty of produce over the last few weeks, including a very good crop of yellow globe courgettes which just keep going and going and going! At this rate I shall look like one 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 8, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 8, 2020 (edited) This week I’ve been repainting the Wellsworth & Suddery Railways ex-Brighton Terrier “Edric”, going for a more ornate, Victorian/Edwardian style livery as befits a layout set in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Still work in progress at the moment, but I’m rather pleased with how it’s coming along: I’ve also been mulling over ideas for a bogie tramcar, so have begun by doing a bit of a cut and shut Jon on a pair of Ian Kirk Fox bogies to reduce them down to a 6’(ish) wheelbase: I quite fancy something like this from the Stoomtram Hoorn Medemblik: https://flic.kr/p/Qjh7sJ Edited August 8, 2020 by NeilHB 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 14, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2020 A brief update this week on the workbench occupants. Ive built two chassis’ for the new bogie tramcars out of styrene sheet and strip: Next step is to draw out the bodywork design and then I can start cutting it all out. Parts for two more wagons then arrived courtesy of the Broad Gauge Society - a pair of Great Western Diagram 01 4-wheel Siphons: They need a scratchbuilt chassis and roof, which will be fairly easy. One will then be finished in ETCo livery, and the second will be finished in North Western Railway coaching stock brown as per the illustrations in RWS No.18 ‘Branchline Engines’. I’ve spent the last few days scratchbuilding a dumb buffered 2-plank dropside for a friends layout. This has been a fun little project and it’s got me enthused for scratchbuilding the next batch of goods stock for Elsbridge. Rather pleased with how it’s turned out: 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted August 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2020 Neil, I feel like in the past few months (and having freed yourself from the shackles of canon to forge your own path) you have been motoring along with this, and I'm absolutely loving every minute of it. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 15, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2020 20 hours ago, Corbs said: Neil, I feel like in the past few months (and having freed yourself from the shackles of canon to forge your own path) you have been motoring along with this, and I'm absolutely loving every minute of it. Thanks Corbs, I must admit that having decided to go off-canon its all started to feel more fun again. Your darker take on the NWR and it’s predecessors has certainly been an influence on some of my ideas, so thanks to you for that. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 21, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 21, 2020 Over the last couple of days I’ve been busy applying transfers. Some of the ETCo goods stock has now been lettered. I then had a productive evening last night lettering up the wagon I’ve been scratchbuilding for a friend - once completed it’s off to live on the Melyn Valley Railway: Tonight I’ve made an attempt to start lettering up some of my NWR goods stock. I must admit I really don’t like methfix transfers, as I just can’t get them to stay put using the meths/water mix recommended by the HMRS. Thanks to a suggestion from a friend tonight’s batch has been affixed using neat gin...hic! So far so good, the gin method appears to have worked quite well. 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted August 22, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2020 Thanks Jim, that’s much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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