nor here

[iak]

Ones "inane bletherings" are mighty fine tae many mon...

This L&Y beastie is awsome B)

[Guest stuartp]

It's been mentioned before that Jamie has a knack of turning up one or two interesting photos off Flickr and the like, well he's done it again. Ignore the loco cluttering up the foreground, look to the right :

 

http://www.prorail.c.../AED_M_2002.jpg

 

Thank you sir !

[jwealleans]

Really nice, Stuart. I'm getting itchy fingers again watching you do this.

[iak]

Gorgeous mon... Simply gorgeous B)

[31A]

Lettering's come out very nicely there Stuart - I never find it easy chopping up waterslide transfers to make up numbers, let alone wording like that; you must have more patience & better eyesight than me!

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks Steve. The hardest bit was cutting the letters out - even with a fine scalpel there's not much room. I either cut too close or leave a bit of the previous letter on (not helped by yellow decals being printed on very pale paper). I have to be in the right mood too, and resist the temptation to fiddle once I've got them lined up. I did the other side last night whilst watching telly, it took an hour and a quarter to do 'MOTIVE POWER TOOL VAN', most of which was waiting for things to dry. Once they're down and dry I dribble some softener on and leave them overnight. I'll do the number and 'HURLFORD' tonight then put it on one side again. Anyway, you all saw my attempt at hand lettering on the Gannet !

 

I actually found this easier than cabside numbers (which I hate), I think because there are more verticals to get a visual cue from. The other vehicles should be easier as apart from one running number I don't have a clue what the wording on them was, I'll just use the generic phrases on the sheet !

[iak]

Now that is a veritable corker B)

TOP stuff

[Jamie]

The CK/BSK pairing seems to have been a Port Road and Kirkcudbright branch feature, although not always porthole stock.

 

Nice work on both the Barleith van and these Staniers Stuart.

 

I think signature really is the word for a twin-set of BSK-CK or SK-BCK in late LMS stock (ie mix of both pre- and post-war Stanier patterns). Whack a couple of vans on the rear for the mainline particularly... lovely. I've much the same lined up for my own WB in Oct/Nov, though I can't recall what vehicles they are!

[Guest Max Stafford]

Another pair coming here too (with interchangeable bogies too Jamie!).

Stuart, I am loving that tool van! Top class work!

 

Dave.

[Scottish Modeller]

Hi Stuart,

 

Ref to:-

 

'The yellow roof is Halfords filler primer, I forget the logic behind using this but the sides were primed with Halfords grey so there must have been a reason once upon a time. They were pretty much to the instructions apart from MJT gangways and buffers in leiu of the rather chunky whitemetal Comet parts.'

 

I've used Halfords Yellow primer as it has a better filler ability that the Grey primer. It also takes to aluminium much better!

 

I remember I wiped the aluminium roof with celulose thinners first and then the yellow stuff as soon as the thinner had evaporated off.

 

The yellow stuff also fills in better when brass overlays are added to the coach sides.

 

A tip I had when the Comet overlays were first introduced was to score upwards into the underside of the cantrail/gutter moulding as this then hides the top edge of the overlay.

 

Thanks

[Scottish Modeller]

"Always spray in warm, dry conditions." Well that's great advice if you live somewhere warm, or have indoor painting facilities, but this is Yorkshire in October, and my 'painting facilities' consist of an aerosol can and the back step or an unheated garage. I can airbrush acryllics in the kitchen but rattle cans are far too noxious. Predictably, the first coat of maroon (Rover Damask Red) was a bit blotchy.

 

So after rubbing them down I had another go tonight, but first I popped the coaches in the oven on a low heat for a few minutes first. No, seriously, 5 minutes at about 50 degrees, warm enough but not so warm that the whitemetal or styrene bits melted ! Second coat:

 

It's a bit 'dusty' (possibly a bit too long in the oven, maybe a hair dryer would have been better) but T-cut will take care of that. I'm not messing about with another coat anyway. There's a blemish on the BSK where the filler hasn't been feathered in perfectly but it didn't show in primer so I'm hoping it won't under semi-matt varnish either.

 

Hi Stuart,

 

I used to have a similar problem with painting conditions for spraying things.

 

I used the hair dryer a lot - then realised the oven gave a better overall heat instead of the hit and miss heat of the hairdryer.

 

I used to put the spray can in the oven as well as the model.

 

Then everything is at about the same temperature and produces a better finish.

 

I also put the sprayed model in the graudualy cooling air back in the oven and left it till dry.

 

Fan ovens are bad for this use as they produce a draft which can waft small particles around in the air and onto the model.

 

Thanks

Phil Holman

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks Phil, not such a daft idea then !

 

I used to put the spray can in the oven as well as the model.

 

...although I'm not sure about that bit ! (I put the can in some warm water). It's much easier once the heating is on, I just stand them on the radiator for a bit but it's not quite that cold yet !

[Jamie]

Re. ovens.

 

Tried this once, never again:

[Guest stuartp]

I dunno. Be careful if you try this at home kids ! (especially if it's not your oven !)

[Jamie]

Stuart: you're way over-critical, they look excellent - if mine come anywhere close I'll be over the moon.

[coachmann]

and my laboriously applied extension to the lower bodyside is in the wrong place - turns out the extra height was at the cantrail rather than at the bottom. .

Glad you mentioned it Stuart and not me. You are correct, the extra strip of metal should be on the cantrail. Not an easy proposition and one I chickenned out of when using Porthole brake third sides.

 

This has been a very interesting thread and has given me some food for thought. The GER coach from Bill Bedford parts for one as I need a GER corridor brake third for the layout having seen a shot of several passing through Diggle in the early 1950s.The brakedown bogie van is great. You have captured the profile of the 'Porthole' composite to a tee.

[Blue Max]

Coach,

 

There is a D&S Models 50' Corridor Brake Third on ebay at the moment, auction is due to end tomorrow afternoon, not sure if this is of interest.

[jwealleans]

Be interesting to see someone else's articulated stock, Stuart. Most people don't think past Gresley when the word comes out. I shall enjoy your cutting and shutting as well, having done some myself.

 

Larry - Danny Pinnock has recently reissued all his GE coach kits in 4mm and may still have some if you give him a ring. I'm just finishing a Restaurant Car.

[iak]

An intriguing project mon - bravo...

[Flying Pig]

Even with the door gubbins moulded, you're a brave man, Stuart! My old E&J doesn't include the drawing (isn't it a repro of the LMS diagram, which would explain its not being exactly to scale?) but a couple of features jump out at me:

 

- it looks like the inner ends of the vehicles are bowed. This is obvious with the roofs, but seems to be the case with the actual ends; on the sides the panel outboard of the last quarterlight appears to have been narrowed in proportion. A photo in my E&J of the articulated end of one of the unfinished underframes seems to show that the headstock was shaped to match.

 

- are the middle bogies standard ones, or the extended double bolster types? (My E&J has a photo of this bogie under articulated vestibule stock.)

 

Bad time to raise these points I guess, as you were going on so well

[coachmann]

Either the drawing is not strictly to scale or these sets had 5' guards van doors as they come out at a shade under 20mm on the blown up drawing. The Airfix ones are 4' (16mm) as are all the non-corridor ones on those drawings in Essery & Jenkinson reproduced at 4mm scale.

It is worth remembering the Airfix non-corridor coaches represent Period II vehicles and had all doors of 2 foot width. Stanier increased the width of luggage doors in Period III stock, and amongst the first recipients were the 6-wheel passenger brake vans, known latterly as 'Stove R' vans. Therefore the artics built circa 1938 had the wider luggage doors.

 

I am interested to see how your conversion works out.

 

Larry

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks gents, glad it's of interest and I'm always happy to have things pointed out. I miss quite obvious things sometimes whilst fretting over very minor details.

 

Simon - the ends are indeed bowed, I'd spotted that but not that the end panels are narrower as a consequence so thank you. The drawing shows 2mm whereas the Airfix ones are 3mm. As for the bogies, I haven't a clue ! The drawing says 9'0", that's as much information as I've got. The photo of the complete set in E&J is indistinct and the two 'in service' ones referenced at the beginning are worse.

 

Larry - thanks, I thought something was up.

 

Whether I correct all this is undecided at the moment. The narrow end panels should be easy enough, a big file will take care of it when I come to shape the ends. I may leave the bogies alone until I know more rather than alter them and then discover they were right all along. As for the brakevan doors I don't know. The correction to the wonky side in the last post means all the hinge detail has to be reinstated on that particular pair, if I damage anything else along the way I might well fill and rescribe the lot. I'm tempted to just leave well alone but the moulded grab rails are bugging me as well (although the moulded commode handles I can live with).

 

Given that I'm re-using the original glazing, strange prismatic effects and all, these are going to be a bit impressionistic whatever I do. However, they'll be operating on their own as a fixed rake so the moulded detail and dodgy windows won't jar with adjacent vehicles. Getting them to negotiate 3rd radius curves might be interesting though ...

[davefrk]

Hi Stuart, interesting work your doing, I hadn't thought of making an artic set, but I've been on for ages building some two and three coach sets for 'Wharfeside', I might have built kits but I saw what someone had done with the Airfix ones using Comet sides and details so I used some of the ten Airfix ones I'd bought 25 years ago in a sale, £1.85 each wasn't bad. It's true about the mix of period, the compartment layout and roof was P1 & P2. The steel sides, ends and window shape were P3, a dogs breakfast someone once described them as. However, once various brass sides and underframe details are on then they are good to go... The roof being a smooth P2 with a rainstrip lend's itself to being altered, you can smooth the rainstrip and put ribs on for P3 or leave it smooth for the late built ones, Beware though they changed the roof profile on LMS coaches at the end but I don't know if that applies to these, I'll need to check the carriage book.

I cut and shut like you have done then put the already detailed brass sides on, I'll post a piccy for those interested if you like.

 

All the best,

Dave Franks

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks Dave. The next couple will be a 6-compartment BT and a C or T to act as an occasional strengthener - both will probably be brass sides on plastic underpinnings, so yes please, I'd be interested in seeing those.

 

The bodies came without roofs from Modelspares, but I also have a big box of cheap swapmeet/Ebay Airfix coaches so I've robbed some P3 roofs from there. The ribs were all in the wrong place though so I finished up sanding them smooth anyway ! I must admit I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to roof profiles (even when the differences are pointed out to me) but I am trying not to use generic Comet BR roofs on any more of these after my tussle with the BSK and CK earlier in the thread !

[davefrk]

Thanks Dave. The next couple will be a 6-compartment BT and a C or T to act as an occasional strengthener - both will probably be brass sides on plastic underpinnings, so yes please, I'd be interested in seeing those.

 

The bodies came without roofs from Modelspares, but I also have a big box of cheap swapmeet/Ebay Airfix coaches so I've robbed some P3 roofs from there. The ribs were all in the wrong place though so I finished up sanding them smooth anyway ! I must admit I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to roof profiles (even when the differences are pointed out to me) but I am trying not to use generic Comet BR roofs on any more of these after my tussle with the BSK and CK earlier in the thread !

 

Hi Stuart, as requested, a picture, you said you were going to do a 6 comp Brake third so here's mine. Still a lot of work to do but the basics are there, as I said before these were supposed to be quickies but I can't resist adding more details and improvements, even the bogies have had brass bearings fitted but maybe later the bogies will be changed for Bill Bedfords 'Welded' sprung ones.

The other picture shows the difference in the door widths as Coachmann pointed out.

 

Hope that helps your deliberations.

Dave F.