Elsbridge Tramway Company: Elsbridge Town - NeilHB's layout

[NeilHB]

1 minute ago, Furness Wagon said:

I have looked at these kits before would you recommend one?

Marc

It’s a good kit, the instructions are clear and understandable. The only issue I’ve had so far was trying to solder the floor to the sides/ends - but then again that might be me not having thought things through properly, after all this is only my second brass kit since I started soldering again last week, and probably only the fifth brass kit that I’ve assembled in the last 10+ years. 

I did look at their website the other day but it doesn’t appear that they are selling the kits anymore? 

[NeilHB]

Modelling mojo has definitely been absent the last couple of weeks (work has been utterly horrendous and somewhat stressful - urgh), but tonight I made a determined effort to do some modelling, which has helped.

 

Not much to report, but it’s at least some progress on the HMST Tramcar:

 

Inner bufferbeams soldered on to the chassis.

 

All the seats cut out and folded - just in place temporarily for the moment until they get glued in permanently. 
 

 

[hartleymartin]

After several months of absence, it is nice to come back and find that you've kept up your projects. All of mine are on indefinite hold whilst I set myself up as a local handyman. On the up-side, all my tools are now tax deductibles and I have a caddy van which can transport a layout to exhibitions in future!

 

Keep making your models. It keeps me inspired to get back into it when things settle down again.

[DLT]

On 20/09/2020 at 21:50, NeilHB said:

What do you think folks?

 

I think its all absolutely brilliant!

[NeilHB]

A little bit of modelling to report on today.

 

ETCo has had a new roof, as the previous one had gone decidedly banana shaped. The new one has a lot more bracing and is made from thicker plasticard, so hopefully that won’t happen again:

 

 

I also took the opportunity to alter the roof profile slightly, and I think it looks better now.

 

Whilst No.1 was on the workbench, I also took the opportunity to sort out a method of securing the chassis to the body.
 

Sometimes the simplest methods are the best, so the chassis is now held in place with four pieces of plastic strip:

 

 

The chassis slots between these and is held is place quite snugly by them. 

 

[NeilHB]

I’ll just leave this here...

 

 

A new addition to the fleet courtesy of the final offers from Dapol’s Collectors Club  
 

She’ll get a full repaint into ETCo colours in due course, and I need to decide on a suitable name too. 

Edited November 5, 2020 by NeilHB

[NeilHB]

Some modelling to report this week, having now started to add the transfers to the next three Furness Railway wagons:

 

 

 

 

And a couple of short videos, first up is ‘Isebrook’ on test:

Such a slow, smooth runner. Next step is to dismantle completely and repaint into ETCo livery. 
 

And No.1 ‘Odin’ on test as well, having spent a couple of days tweaking the pickups this is now a lovely runner:

Just a few more jobs to do, and then No.1 is off to a friend to see if it can be fitted with DCC and Sound. 
 

What do you think folks? 

[sir douglas]

very quiet motors

Edited November 14, 2020 by sir douglas

[NeilHB]

The four Furness wagons seen previously are now finished bar numberplates for the solebars and a dose of weathering:

 

Tonight’s workbench sessions has seen progress made on two of the milk vans which will feature regularly on the layout taking traffic to and from St Pedrocs Dairy.

 

First up is the North Western Railway example, modellers of the GWR should look away now please...

Broad Gauge Society resin sides and ends (GWR Diagram 01), and the rest cobbled together from spares and plastic sheet/strip.  Next stop is the paint shop for a coat of NWR coaching stock brown. 
 

Wellsworth & Suddery Railway milk van (Gladiator kit for a North Staffs 4-wheeler) - just brake pipes and sticking the roof down to go and then it’s actually complete.

 

The two of them look good together. 
 

Lastly, the two tram locos have had a little bit of work done this evening to add a lamp iron to each end - they looked a little bare without them I think:

 

What do you think folks? 

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

All looking very good. Nice work Neil.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[NeilHB]

This weekend has been very productive on the modelling front.

 

Firstly, the Dapol Sentinel has now been repainted into ETCo colours:

 

Which meant that I could take a photo of the current ETCo fleet:

From L-R: No.1 ‘Odin’, No.3 ‘Thor’, No.5 ‘Godred’, and introducing No.8 ‘Ulf’. 
 

The 4-wheel Siphon has had the first coat of NWR coaching stock brown (the roof is just loose at the moment hence the crooked angle it’s sat at):

AKA GWR Stock Brown (Topham Hatt was apprenticed at Swindon after all).

 

And I’ve started to descend further into madness applying each of these letters individually...

It does look nice though! Still got the other side to do, but that can wait till tomorrow evening. 
 

What do you think folks? 

[NeilHB]

Elsbridge Tramway Company No.8 ‘Ulf’ has now been completed:

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think folks? 

[NeilHB]

Some LNWR wagons on the workbench at the moment, all from ABS kits. 
 

First up is a Diagram 3 two-plank dropside:

Different livery each side as it means I get two wagons for one effectively. I just need to finish off the lettering for this one (tonnage and number) and then it’s done. 
 

Next up is Diagram 44 4-plank open:

This one just needs a suitable number adding and then I need to paint the interior. 
 

Both of them were lettered during last nights virtual pub meeting of the Trent Valley Area Group of the 7mmNGA. 
 

A recent eBay win then arrived this morning, so that will probably be next up on the workbench which is an LNWR Gunpowder Van:

 

The instructions tell me that the LNWR painted them vermillion - can anyone recommend a suitable colour match in the Humbrol or RailMatch ranges please? 

 

 

[MarcD]

Stop! the colour is time dependent. post 1914 they were painted red pre 1914 they were grey. also its about 5-7 year between paint jobs. So a van built in 1905 might get repainted in 1912 (grey) so might not get the red paint job until 1918.

 

Marc 

[NeilHB]

Thanks Marc, I’ve dug out my copy of LNWR Wagons Volume 2 for a read this afternoon so will check what that says as well. 

[NeilHB]

Ulfstead Mining Company No.23/12 has now gained axleboxes and brake gear. In order to give the impression of more UMC wagons than there actually are, all of them carry a different number and lettering style on either side (which also varies from wagon to wagon):

 

Now the brakegear and axleboxes are sorted, it can return to the paint shop for the last bits to be completed.

The main project tonight has been the 43two1 Models LNWR Gunpowder Van kit:

I really do find the 43two1 kits so quick and easy to put together - this one has taken just over a couple of hours this evening. Hopefully whoever has acquired the range will start to reintroduce them soon. I thought I had a set of sprung LNWR wagon buffers in the gloat box, but I think I’ve already used them so will need to order some more before this one goes any further.

What do you think please folks?

[NeilHB]

A nice quick project tonight with the creation of a second W&S 5-plank open, using a Slaters Midland 5-plank kit as the basis:

 

 

 

[NeilHB]

Whilst looking through my copy of Midland Railway Carriages Volume 1 (Lacy and Dow) the other week, I spied a drawing for a delightful early pattern Midland horse box, with a central short compartment capable of holding three horses, and shallow harness/dog boxes at either end. There were nothing drawn below the solebar, though the drawing indicated that it had a 9ft W/B, and 15’6” length over headstocks. Based on other horse box drawings in the same book, I assumed it was fitted with 3’7” wheels.

Whilst working on the W&S vans the other day, I had a little brain wave and realised that the chassis from the Midland brake van would do nicely. A quick phone call to Slaters saw the necessary parts winging their way to me, and I made a start during the Trent Valley Groups virtual pub last night. 

As usual, the bodywork is constructed from my preferred medium of plasticard. I deviated slightly from the drawing with regards to the roof profile, having a spare brake van roof to hand so it’s been made slightly deeper to make use of that. As it will be finished off in W&S NCPS Green I think I get away with that nicely. 


 

Not too bad progress for a couple of hours work whilst nattering over zoom and consuming a Gin.

Next steps will be to construct the harness/dog boxes at either end and finish detailing the bodywork.

What do you think please folks?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Nice job!

[DLT]

On 25/11/2020 at 22:34, NeilHB said:

What do you think folks? 

Brilliant!

[NeilHB]

Thanks Ade and David.

 

A bit more progress to report on the horse box. Basic construction is now complete, and I’ve started to add a few details:

 

 

 

Next step is to sort out the doors for the harness/dog boxes at either end, and add lots of simulated bolt heads to all of the body side strapping.

 

It also probably needs an open carriage truck plus load to accompany it! 

[NeilHB]

Last night and today I added the bolts to all of the strapping - a small hole was drilled for each one, a length of plastic rod inserted and then snipped off. Having completed a row, they were glued in place before being allowed to harden off. Once they’d hardened off, I ran a file over them to ensure a consistent height for all of them:

I’ve also completed the brake gear underneath (scratchbuilt from plastic strip), and added the doors to the harness/dog boxes at either end. 

 

 

The model is now complete and will enter the paint shop at some point during the Christmas break.

 

[NeilHB]

A good day at the workbench today.

 

The W&S Horsebox has been painted:

 

The NWR Milk Van is nearing the finish line:

 

And I’ve made some good progress on painting the W&S 6-wheel Brake Third:

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

[NeilHB]

A little bit of modelling accomplished today, just testing out my new Posca Paint Pens which were a Christmas present. 

 

I’ve relined ETCo No.3, changing it from white to straw yellow:

 

I think it looks much better now with the yellow lining. 

 

I then had a go at lining at the First/Third composite tramcar:

Not too sure about the lining around the windows, but I can always paint over it if needs be.

 

Then the fun started and I lined out the W&S Brake Third - the lining makes a big difference and I really like how this looks:

I need to touch the white up in a couple of places where the pen slipped, but that will be easy to sort.

 

What do you think folks? 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very good!

 

Cheers, Ade.