Cwmhir - The camera never lies

[Darwinian]

Goods shed now done. Here's an illumination shot of the forecourt area to show the different light levels achieved by using a single LED in the goods office and one in a light tube in the main part of the shed. Also the variation in lighting from the station building lighting tube.

 

 

 

[KingEdwardII]

How have you done the lights in your lanterns? I ask since I'm contemplating some of those on my stations.

 

Mike.

[Darwinian]

The lanterns are the gaugemaster “oil lamps” turned down as far as I could get them.

 

[Darwinian]

This is what it looks like with the layout lighting on.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the "oil lamps" are really still too bright (and too tall for most situations) but are better looking than any othrer ready made alternatives I could find.

[Darwinian]

Finally got a bit more progress to show on the C19 (2nd downgraded to all 3rd).

These aren't the easiest of kits and the instructions are minimal. There are no instructions for making the train alarm gear at the non step end but luckily there are some photos in Russel and on Penrhos site.

So here is my attempt. The central box is a short length of 1mm square tube. The "Ears" some 1.5mm square bras rod filed to the correct (?) profile and then sliced off with a piercing saw. A slot cut in the back using the piercing saw and opened up to fit over 0.45 mm wire with fine wet and dry paper. Lamp irons are from the kit etches although the waist ones were all the same handed so I had to adapt a couple that were etched without a fold line at the base. A step at this end is from a scrap of 1mm x 2mm brass angle. Vac pipe from 0.7mm brass wire and a scrap of etch waste for the fixing bracket. I've not fully decided how to couple this to the next coach in the set but it will have an appearance of connected pipes.

 

 

The brake rigging is just intended to look OK. There is no fixing hole for the cylinder casting so I had to guestimate its position and tweak it once all the pull rods etc. were tried. The pull rods were soldered to their cranks with a high melt point solder (plumbers) and then then everything soldered to the operating rod with 145 C solder. I put the "ears" that connect to the cylinder the wrong way up the first time and had to disassemble and repeat.

 

 

The white metal gas tank (on the far side) came with a large fixing lug in the centre that looked awful and didn't line up with anything solid to fix it to.  I filed it off and put a scrap of brass strip about 5mm wide across the top of the V hanger plate and then soldered the gas tank supports to that.

 

There should be a turnbuckle in the middle of the truss rod but I forgot it and I,m not going to take them off again now!

I'm also stuck for buffers. The kit comes with some nice turned buffers but the heads are too large and the bases are round instead of rectangular. Dart/MJT do the right type but they are out of stock. I might just use their wagon version instead.

[Siberian Snooper]

Does Dave Franks at LMS have anything suitable?

 

 

[Darwinian]

7 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Does Dave Franks at LMS have anything suitable?

 

 

Couldn’t find anything. He doesn’t do many coach buffers. Might be a wagon buffer that would suit but I’ve not spotted one.

[The Johnster]

On 02/02/2021 at 20:18, Darwinian said:

This is what it looks like with the layout lighting on.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the "oil lamps" are really still too bright (and too tall for most situations) but are better looking than any othrer ready made alternatives I could find.

You can further reduce the brightness by painting the shades with dilute acrylic white or light cream, building up coats until you're happy with the look.  LEDs, especially ones you have already turned down as much as possible, do not give off much heat, so this is not a worry. 

[Penrhos1920]

15 hours ago, Darwinian said:

 

I'm also stuck for buffers. The kit comes with some nice turned buffers but the heads are too large and the bases are round instead of rectangular. Dart/MJT do the right type but they are out of stock. I might just use their wagon version instead.

 

Try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Slaters-4913-4mm-Scale-GWR-Square-Shanks-Coach-Buffer-Set-1St-Class-Post/121213961091?epid=1781736923&hash=item1c38ea4383:g:t4gAAOxyGBtSgo9C

 

They’re Sprung but expensive it you’ve got to do a whole rake.

[Darwinian]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

You can further reduce the brightness by painting the shades with dilute acrylic white or light cream, building up coats until you're happy with the look.  LEDs, especially ones you have already turned down as much as possible, do not give off much heat, so this is not a worry. 

Thanks for the suggestion Johnster. I think these are actually grain of wheat filament type. I will live with it for now, higher priorities.

[Darwinian]

7 minutes ago, Penrhos1920 said:

 

Try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Slaters-4913-4mm-Scale-GWR-Square-Shanks-Coach-Buffer-Set-1St-Class-Post/121213961091?epid=1781736923&hash=item1c38ea4383:g:t4gAAOxyGBtSgo9C

 

They’re Sprung but expensive it you’ve got to do a whole rake.

Thanks Penrhos but clerestories had Dean round/tapered body buffers. Russel vol 1 states that the post 1906 builds had 1’10” buffers and these were often fitted as replacements. The earlier buffers were 2’0” which is only just over 1mm in 4mm scale.

Lanarkshire Models do a 1’8” unribbed, fitted freight wagon GWR buffer that will pass muster for 1’10”

[Penrhos1920]

57 minutes ago, Darwinian said:

Thanks Penrhos but clerestories had Dean round/tapered body buffers. Russel vol 1 states that the post 1906 builds had 1’10” buffers and these were often fitted as replacements. The earlier buffers were 2’0” which is only just over 1mm in 4mm scale.

Lanarkshire Models do a 1’8” unribbed, fitted freight wagon GWR buffer that will pass muster for 1’10”

 

I thought that was the buffer that Slaters supply in their clerestory kits.  But they actually supply the correct round body buffer but don't sell it separately.

[Darwinian]

On 06/02/2021 at 12:23, Penrhos1920 said:

 

I thought that was the buffer that Slaters supply in their clerestory kits.  But they actually supply the correct round body buffer but don't sell it separately.

Yes I'd wondered if the Slaters one was the right one so your link was useful in confirming that it was the later type, possibly from the toplight kits. Odd that they do this one but not the earlier Dean type.

Anyway I've ordered 4 sets of Dave Franks (LMSupplies) B021 1' 81/2" 13" head GWR fitted wagon buffers with rounded corners on base. 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Darwinian
Removed erroneous text about buffers.

[Penrhos1920]

I've had these on Shapeways for a while but not got around to printing them yet as shipping would double the cost.

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/47ZDW8EA3/gwr-round-body-coach-sprung-buffers-4mm-scale?optionId=199187623&li=shops

 

[Darwinian]

Lower roof today. 1mm Plasticard flat ceiling, shaped end pieces that also located between the sides and lengthways ribs. The vac formed roof material cut to size. 

To hold the roof on I’m trying 2mm diameter 1mm thick magnets, these are superglued into the ceiling below the small blocks visible here. I have cut some flat pieces of steel tin can to attach to the coach body.

[The Fatadder]

Love the idea with the magnets, I think I might have to give that a try with the roof on my K18 build.  I never like the idea of having no access to the insides.

[Darwinian]

The main roof structure is complete, I just need to add the gas lighting supply pipes.

The magnets set up like this hold the roof in position but are not quite strong enough to hold it on when the coach is turned upside down. This is quite a heavy roof with the etched clerestory deck.

I'm not sure but suspect that putting the pieces of steel under the top flange of the sides reduces the magnetic field strength enough for the magnets not to hold on (a combination of shielding and distance). Solutions may be:  4 magnets along each side, magnets in place of the bits of tin can (but their polarity would have to match, which could be used to make sure the roof is attached the correct way around) or maybe just mounting the steel strip into the top flange so it is not covered/spaced away by the brass. I'm going to try the last option first having got this far.

 

[Darwinian]

A break from clerestory pictures. Here is 56xx 6676 arriving up the valley to Cwmhir with a load of pit props.

Bachmann 56xx with bunker modified to original flat back (not that you can see it). I really should carve off the cab side shutters too as they are really a 1930s feature.

The 1st wagon is a Slaters pre-printed  (or might be POWsides). The rest are Bachmann.

 

[MrWolf]

Very nice job all round. Did the 56xx originally have a canvas weather screen, or more likely nothing at all?

[Darwinian]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Very nice job all round. Did the 56xx originally have a canvas weather screen, or more likely nothing at all?

So far as I am aware they had nothing at all. Whether the crew might rig up some form of screen inside the cab opening I don't know. 

The cab opening looks slightly wrong  (Not high enough) on the Bachmann model but I've not plucked up the courage to attack it. Many years ago at a show the chap on the Bachmann stand told me they were going to re-tool the cabs but it didn't happen and I gave up waiting.

[Darwinian]

Having dropped off the pit prop train in the sidings the loco picked up the loaded coal brought down from the pits earlier and then headed off back towards Cardiff docks. These are kit built wagons with POWsides lettering except the Cory Bro's which are Bachmann with coke rails removed.

 

 

 

The signals here are just place holders I built many years ago (1980s) from Ratio Kits and Mallard models arms. I keep putting off building the necessary R.R. somersault signals for this layout, although I have most of the bits I need.

[Darwinian]

Completed goods shed. It just needs a little weathering and the ground in front bringing up to the correct level.

 

[Darwinian]

The revised magnet attracting pads have worked. Now that the magnets make contact with the tin can pads I can turn the carriage upside down and gently shake it without the roof coming off or even moving.  Given how inexpensive these little magnets are I think this is going to be my go-to roof fixing method from now on.

Here is a picture of the set up. The pieces of tin are folded up to double thickness and superglued to a scrap of etched fret that has been soldered on across the gap in the side angle.

 

 

 

The small holes in the roof ceiling piece are to allow any solvent vapour to escape from the enclosed space, hopefully reducing any inclination for the roof to warp.

[MrWolf]

That goods shed looks very convincing, the material you have chosen definitely gives it a sense of place. Very neatly made and painted too.

[Darwinian]

Last shot of the Peckett working the exchange sidings as it propels the wagons of pit props up the incline towards the colliery.