Jaggzuk Posted November 9, 2016 Author Share Posted November 9, 2016 (edited) After the opening of his birthday present, a Hornby Virgin HST MK3 Restaurant coach, my eldest reminded me that his HST power cars were in fact still in bits. "Ah, um", I say "well er I still need to chip them.". Oops did not think that one through! So a slight deviation from scenic work has found me stretching myself into rolling stock detailing. The second-hand Hornby (ex. Lima) Virgin 2 coach HST set we got a while back needed to be chipped, this was always going to be the easy bit, like for any Ringfield motored loco, but I knew that the original grain of wheat lights were just not going to do. So I decided they need to be upgraded to directional red and white lights for DCC. Hence they stayed in bits. The classic multiple OMWB projects! After lots of web researching (which I always seem to do), I decided on the Black Cat Technology lighting PCB units. They looked simple to install and very well priced. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-HST-LED-Lighting-Upgrade-Kit-New-Version-Updated-Design-/251999154032 OK, I know that they do not quite offer prototypical lighting of, 2 red and 3 white lights, but then this is not a high spec detailed model. Also, the HST cabs only have two lights per end in the form of perspex light transmitters. These are integral to the light housing glazing. The Black Cat light PCB design is supposed to work by having each white and red LED either side of the perspex light transmitter. But on test, the illumination was quite poor and I wanted brighter independent lights. So I decided that I would try an fit new light transmitters for each side. However, upon closer inspection and after trying to push the light clusters out I discovered that the previous owner had superglued the perspex in place. So out came the drill. Cab as found when bouigh second hand, glued in perspex and black out paint. I drilled four new holes for the lights and inserted plastic polymer fibre optic to act as light transiting conduit. These were cut to length so that they touched the LEDs and fitted flush with the front of the light housing. I used this stuff for the fibre optic http://www.microminiatures.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=optical%20fibre&PN=Optical_Fibre%2ehtml#aU0_2d100_2d106 Its then that things started to get a bit carried away. I realised that the light housing looked wrong from the various pictures I had seen https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4036/4470883616_53fc1c26e3_z.jpg, The light housing needed to be painted black as did the horn grill, the edge of the light clusters also needed to be edged with silver. Original left, my painted version right Then I added Black Cat Technology PCB and SMD light wired up. I also went for full cab detail so painted up the seats, controls and inner cab to stop light blead. This then lead me to provide a cab light to it could all be seen. I am waiting for delivery of the driver to add that final touch. And somre cab lighting, with a a white SMD to illuminate it all The result is I now have much brighter and independent lights. But I drew the line at trying to add the outer white high intensity light that HST have! When I have gained some better skills I will weather them, but for now the cab detail and lighting I think is a great improvement. Sorry for the long one, but I hope you enjoy the journey. Edited September 8, 2022 by Jaggzuk 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted November 10, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 10, 2016 That's a brilliant (sorry for the pun) job on the lighting, and your painting makes such a difference to the look of the front, too. Nice one, Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan product fan Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Great work mate Hst looks smart with the lights you have done and the paint you have added great work and thanks for the links will come in very useful Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 (edited) Project HST has been completed, well sort of. Cab lights, seats & console detail and driving lights all finished and really pleased with the results. I am still waiting for a postal delivery of drivers from Pete Goss Railway Modelling to add that final touch. Both HST power cars are now chipped and all DCC elements work well; power, cab light and directional lighting, phew. However, and this is the really annoying bit, the motor is just life expired; traction tyres are loose and slipping, there is too much play with the plastic gears and they keep disengaging from the axles and the bushes are well worn. The 3 pole motor itself is fine and runs well, but it just fails to pull more than one coach on my gradients now. When bought it was OKish, but I guess after too much handling and taking to bits during DCC conversion and service, it just does not work any more. And here's the rub, the parts I need for it are like the proverbial hens teeth. A couple of the spares suppliers have some of the parts, but I am not sure what to do? Parts or whole new drive bogie, and if new (secondhand) what should I go for? Edited September 8, 2022 by Jaggzuk 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 HST looks great. keep meaning to sort the lights out on mine, one of many things on the to do list Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Module00 Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) The retaining walls are very nice and realistic. Great work !!! Edited November 22, 2016 by Module00 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powerhaul 70 Pey Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 How do the inclines perform on your layout? I am considering some but I am worried that they will be troublesome. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) After seeing the scenic efforts of acg_mr on his Grindleford Station Hope Valley Line 1960s BR layout (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112086-grindleford-station-hope-valley-line-1960s-br-flockage-and-trees/page-24), I decided to have a dabble with hanging basket liner for my lineside grassed areas. Well, I am no expert on this but the first result from last nights trial are very pleasing indeed. Maybe I just got lucky with the particular liner I bought, but it is full of subtle colour variation and just looks perfect for the typical railway embankment and cutting grassed areas; that green/brown tufted clump look. The liner I bought has two sides, the hairy side and a side with a green polypropylene backing for moisture retention. I stuck the hairy side down on quite thick neat PVA. Once the glue was dried I pealed off the green backing and then with a sharp point scraped away quite a lot of the loose liner fibers. I then trimmed it quite short, to about 3-4mm long. I then patted bits flat but kept a lot of the tufts. I can see that with a bit of added paint (probably airbrush) and some static grass, the whole look could be significant enhanced. On top I would add materiel to look like brambles and other linesside foliage and bushes. The great aspect is that it was so quick and simple to do, I am seriously converted to this product. One other notable feature is that it appears to be very tough wearing and so will be a lot better for small hands "playing with and around it". A nice post summer/autumn clumpy look Close up view showing just how much colour variation there is with this particular liner, even some reds, purples and dark greens. The liner is made by https://products.sgpuk.com/our-products/hanging-gardening/liners-smart/ and was one of the round basket ones, sold in a House & Home shop in York. But I think it is similar to the "Gardman Hanging Basket easy liner" version as the description matches. (edit - liner make) Edited September 8, 2022 by Jaggzuk 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted November 29, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2016 That looks great! It looks like you picked the right sort to use - some of them have very thick jute fibres which don't work anything like as well - but that looks like the stuff I use. A word of caution, if you use an airbrush for colouring it, just use a light misting, or it will just turn into a mushy mess... ask me how I know The best thing to do for static grassing is buy some hairspray and use that to make it sticky, rather than using PVA glue, obviously for thicker brambles and undergrowth it doesn't matter so much. Nice one mate, look forward to seeing it on the layout. Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 That was a question I was going to ask you Al regarding the use of hair spray. How sticky and permanent is it? I see all these TV ads about firm hold and keep that salon look. Yet they all seem to say easy to brush out. So is hair spray only good if the senery is not touched. How robust is it for using a vacuum near like when de-dusting the track area? I take your point on use of an airbrush. I did try using a paint brush on a sample with WS green earth colour and indeed it just matted it all together, a mess! My next trial is to use less PVA and to leave bare patched to see how that looks when the liner is scraped back. I sort of want to try and creat patches where bare soil or ballast shows through. I can then dab glue in these areas and use staic grass as a variation of texture and look. I am just so pleased to have found an easy way to go grass that I am really happy with Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted November 29, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2016 Hi mate, so far, for me, there hasn't been an issue with the hairspray, once dried it's pretty robust for flock and static grass. I take your point you made earlier about your kids resting on it and rubbing it, which is not a problem I have - too grown up now! - but I have been leaning over the layout working on it and rubbing my fat belly on the scenery without ill effect! For bare patches, or just to get a different look, buy yourself some Artists Acrylic in Burnt Umber, you should be able to pick up a 200Ml tube, which will last for ages, for about £3.00. Use this instead of PVA to glue the static grass with, apply it neat in a reasonably thick layer and it acts just like PVA glue, but dries to a nice earthy muddy colour which shows through thinly applied static grass and looks really good. This is what I used on the farm diorama on Bakewell, and it works well: Cheers, Al. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 How do the inclines perform on your layout? I am considering some but I am worried that they will be troublesome. I found the incline kits very flexible and easy to install. I was initially a bit hesitant due to both cost and never having used such a system. I had first thought of using MDF inclines, but very quickly realised that all my inclines were going to be curved and the use of MDF/ply just seemed too hardwork; lots of curve cutting, no thanks. The other reason to use the kits was that my baseboard was solid so the risers could be easily glued down to a solid foundation. I think if I was building a bigger layout with an open frame I might try timber risers and wooden track bed as well. I have not had any post installation trouble with the inclines. They have remained fixed and are very robust. I used no nails (PinkGrip) to glue them together. It did slightly melt the polystyrene but set pretty quick which was good as it meant the curved bits bid not pink back to being straight. I also used bamboo skewers to stake the various levels together during gluing. It was recommended by a local model shop to used grey cardboard on top of the polystyrene as a ground formation and then to top this off with rubberised cork track bed. However, I would not use cardboard again as it buckled when being stuck down with PVA. I would use something a bit stiffer perhaps cork tiles cut to shape with the rubberised cork trackbed on top of that. The key thing is to ensure that you have covered all the zig-zag gaps in the polystyrene risers. Otherwise when you come to ballasting you have lots of gaps the ballast falls down. The other element to get right is the transition from level areas to inclines. I did not have enough space to create good transitions, so it is a bit harsh. Also, keep the gradients as shallow as possible, I went for 2% kits. Anything greater and older locos will struggle to haul anything up the slope. If you want to create two levels where one track crosses another, you will need quite a long incline to do this at 2%. But a trick I was told here early on in my planning was to create a split level layout. Such that ground zero is actually say 40mm high. You can then rise one line by 50mm and fall the other by 40mm giving you a combined clearance of 90mm but in half the incline distance. See here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/104302-a-new-family-8x4-layout/?p=2064466 Would I use it again, yes and I really liked how quick the inclines were created. Hope this helps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) A few more trials with hanging basket liner. Really enjoy this, a very nice martial to work with. This time selective use of PVA so that I get localised clumps and areas where bare ballast shows through. Trying to give the impression the grass has grown up through areas of ballast. Might risk doing some on the layout next.... Edited September 8, 2022 by Jaggzuk 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I've followed this over from Al's thread and I have to say, I'm going to be getting myself some hanging basket liner sometime soon - nice work mate! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Well, I've just speed-read this thread and you're doing an excellent, and much-to-be-admired job! I started building something similar for my five year-old and it just grew into something bigger. Only trouble is, he's 9 now and there still aren't any trains running, let alone scenery... There's an impressive 4 track scratch-built viaduct, goods shed and station building though... Keep up the excellent work. You're really putting me to shame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrel Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Poundland sometimes have hanging basket liner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted December 7, 2016 Author Share Posted December 7, 2016 I was not going to post this until I had finished it, but I think a quick update is in order. I have never really been happy with the stone underbridge for the main road under the flyover line. In the main this is because it was a hash of a double track tunnel portal from our very first toy layout. So I have decided to rebuild a new bridge. The new effort is a plate girder superstructure on red brick substructure. The girders are built up from the Wills SS57 Vari-girder plate girder panel kit with a scratch built deck. The substructure is built from the Scalescenes R015 bridge abutment print kit. The deck cross girders are made from trimmed sprues from the Wills kit glued to thick plasticard. The whole deck is now very stiff and robust, which I am really pleased with. The bearings are just more sprue off-cuts A little way to go, I need to add gas tube handrails to the top of the girders. The whole deck needs painting and rusting up. The substructure is not far off either, need to trim the wingwalls to suit the approach abutments and add capstones. Overall I am much happier with the look. The kits were easy too build and this was my first serious effort using a Scalescenes kit, a bit of a preamble practice before I tackle the medium sized station kit I have bought! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted December 7, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2016 That looks really good mate, you've made a nice job of both the bridge and the wing walls. Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 Was nicely impressed with the Wills kit, Might get a few more linside bits from them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Respite Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 I just love the track plan! Looks great fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) Oops almost a month with no updates! Well here's a bit of a catch up... Christmas happened! So the boys got some new railway stuff; the youngest got his Flying Scotsman plus three SR green coaches we had in the "bottom draw". I know its wrong but he loves the colour green! The eldest got a Strathclyde Class 156 DMU, yes I know, but he loves orange! Anyway it all makes for a very colourful layout, I think we now cover about 70 years era wise - LNER, Southern, SR, BR Maroon, BR Blue, 70s, 80s, 90s, sectorisation and 00s+ etc. Nothing has been done on the modelling front, the only thing that got done was all the chipping to all the new stock ready for the big unwrap! Oh yes I also finally added a driver to the HST power car. These came from Peter Goss unpainted http://www.petegossrailwaymodelling.co.uk/p873168196/h2f1242ba#h2f1242ba. Very nice white metal castings and really tested my fine painting skills! Looks the part now with head lights, cab lights and going in the right direction. Christmas also brought two other diversions from the boys Gran, a RC micro helicopter and a 9m Carrera Go racing set! So Daddy's happy!! Whats next to do on the layout? Well, there's lots of work fronts really: track weathering, ballasting, grassing, kit buildings.... One final thing, a day out with eldest to York (NRM and Monk Bar) on his inset day ended up with me buying a few kits for us to make together but I succumbed to buying one of the Dapol HIA hopper wagons, in white. Wow, what a beast weight wise as so much of the wagon is cast metal! Not sure how many my locos will be able to haul up the gradients but the model is really nice looking though. I really like the fact that Dapol have gone for subtle moulded detail rather than lots of separately fitted fine detail parts that both B & H are adding to their wagons these days. The wagon has a real robust feel about it . I guess this is why Dapol's offering has a much more affordable price tag. I shall hopefully get a few more as the bank balance allows. One side affect of the wagons weight and very smooth running wheel set is that is does not stay still in any of the sidings. It shows up the fact that the baseboard/sidings track in not level and just rolls around, most amusing; need some working brakes? Anyway hope to bring you some modelling updates soon. Edited September 8, 2022 by Jaggzuk 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted January 5, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 5, 2017 Hi mate, Happy New Year to you all. Yeah, I bought a rake of those Dapol HIAs and I couldn't believe how heavy they are, either. Properly robust model, and I like that you get a set of pipes and a rear light with each one, so I've ended up with some modern strobe taillights I can use elsewhere. Cheers, Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaggzuk Posted January 5, 2017 Author Share Posted January 5, 2017 Cheers Al and yes, Happy New year to everyone and thanks for following and all the great comments. I hope for some speedy progress during the remaining winter months before spring distracts my efforts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongRail Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Re the wagon running away what about making up some wheel scotches http://www.rrtoolsnsolutions.com/images/wheelchock1.jpg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris64B Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Happy New Year! Just catching up, looks like good progress! The HST looks good with it's new lighting and detail paint, makes quite a difference. Cheers, Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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