James Harrison Posted May 23, 2019 Author Share Posted May 23, 2019 Thank you! I might take you up on that when I get around to my 2-4-2s. All eight empty GCR coal wagons now finished. I can't really start the others yet as I'm lacking transfers for the present. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 1, 2019 Author Share Posted June 1, 2019 Transfers have arrived so I could crack on with the next rake of coal wagons. Unfortunately the weekend before last I made a start on one of my other projects- a kitbash of HMS Dreadnought (1906) into HMS Temeraire (1909) so that's my priority at the moment. A few weeks, a month or so perhaps.... I'm planning to visit the GCR Model Event in a few weeks time and I'm anticipating I'll be making a few purchases there too... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 And- lift off, we have lift off...of the house hunt to find a home for RLS. So, one day, hopefully in the near future, I'll be able to tell you all that I have somewhere to build a little slice in 1919-22. 3 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 48 minutes ago, James Harrison said: And- lift off, we have lift off...of the house hunt to find a home for RLS. So, one day, hopefully in the near future, I'll be able to tell you all that I have somewhere to build a little slice in 1919-22. That is great news. Ten years after buying a house at the top end of our budget I am still in conversation with the management about how and where I am going to get my 18-20ft of space to allow dettingen to be completed. Good luck richard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share Posted June 16, 2019 Right, yesterday I made my way to the Great Central Railway for their model event. Saw the bullhead slips and medium radius points on the Peco stand. Slips, I was told, will be released this autumn. Medium radius points around the New Year. Curved points to follow in 2020. So, no need to rush the house hunt as the pointwork I need won't be available in full for at least the next year or so. Meanwhile, start saving for the slips as they'll be around double the cost of the usual Peco flatbottom matchstick-sleepered offering. If anybody wants to argue the toss over what I've been told, please take it elsewhere as here is not the place for it; I'm merely telling you what Peco told me. In other news, things got bought. For the first time in several years I went to an exhibition with a shopping list. From Petite Properties I bought three low-relief kits; the backs to Station Terrace and Station Road number 2 and 10. Then I found most of the parts for a YMRV pair of Victorian cottages. I know what I've said previously about not wanting to go down that route again as the goods offices were such a saga but the bits were £9 and for that price I thought they were worth a punt. I've got the walls and roofs so now need to build or buy windows, doors, chimneys etc. Plenty of time for that. I've recently also bought a copy of John H Ahern's "Model Building Construction". Lots to ponder there for disguising where the baseboard meets the backscene. What I'm ideally aiming for is something akin to 'Poshington on Twee' as seen in the May 2017 Railway Modeller. Complicated in my case by the fact I'm not planning to set the layout in a proscenium arch with dictated views. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Holiday time! I'm off to Porthmadog in a little while for the weekend and when I return on Monday I'll be looking at finishing the current project- HMS Temeraire (1909)- and then onto sorting out the number for my second 9H, and then there's a pair of 9Js and a rake of coal wagons to attend to. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 Home again (technically I was 'home again' on Monday morning) after a pleasant weekend in Porthmadog. The famous Welsh 'wet sunshine' even held off doing its thing until late on the Sunday afternoon. Highlights of the weekend, well there have to be two really. Porthmadog to Beddgelert on the Saturday morning behind 'Prince' and 'Russell', through the Aberglaslyn tunnels with the carriage lights turned off. Which rather put me in mind of the paddle boat scene in 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', especially when I turned my head toward the engines to be presented with what can only be described as a scene from Dante, smoke and steam enveloping the carriage and illuminated a brilliant white against the darkness. Then Boston Lodge to Pen-y-Mount in a bug box, which I can only describe as desperately uncomfortable but that's now something I can cross off the to-do list (and prevents my deciding to ride fro Porthmadog to Blenau Ffestiniog in one). Right, coal wagon time I think. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 Progress so far on the loaded rake. - 4 wagons built, 3 of which are structurally complete and painted and the fourth ditto except needing couplings. - 3 wagons waiting to be begun. - All wagons still need transfers, weathering and coal loads. A small job; 9H #818 had its numberplates removed and replaced with transfer numbers, so is now complete. The YMMV cottages I bought at the GCR a few weeks ago, I bought the missing bits via Ebay and have now fitted those. So I think my next building project might be to detail those up. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 After yesterday's confusion and thinking I had more couplings than I did, work on the wagons has- not so much stopped as- slowed down a bit. Four wagons built, painted and weathered but only three of them have couplings. Casting about for something to do, I brought out my quartet of BEC J11s and found that one of them is already fitted with 3-links. This naturally marked it out as being the first to be repainted into GC livery. The base colour is easy enough- a nice new coat of matt black- but when it comes to the lining I think I want to at least have a go at decking one out. The boiler bands I reckon should be easy enough- LNER white-black-white onto a base of red paint, the splashers I think I could probably get away with just the brass edging, it's the cabsheets where it starts to fall down as it should technically be black-white-red. I've not the patience to cut tiny pieces of lining transfer to get around that compound curve on the cab cut-out, maybe if I just go for the red element and use a paint pen? Looking at the tender I think I could use the paint pen around the outside edge and the white-black-white lining for the central panel with 'GREAT [crest] CENTRAL' in it. A bit of a halfway job but once weathered I think it should look acceptable, we'll see I guess. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 First of my 9J's breaks cover.... this is #1009. I've also plates for #218, then I'm casting around in (I think it's) Johnstone volume 2 for two more of the class that were working in the Lincoln/ Tuxford/ Nottingham area as of December 1922. The white-black-white has yet go on. The red paintpen was too thick, so I resorted to a brush and signal red acrylic paint. As I'll be weathering over this I think the undulations won't matter too much, but I do have an 'easi liner' in my toolbox which hasn't exactly given brilliant results previously on locos but might be worth a second/third/fourth chance on further models. It struggles with complex lining but I think the simplified one colour only approach might be within its (by which I mean my) limited capability. I think so far I've reason to be pleased with this. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 Couplings arrived this week, so in theory I should be able to proceed with the loaded rake of coal wagons. Unfortunately there was a mishap this morning that resulted in two tins full of completed wagons taking a tumble. I keep my completed rolling stock in those flattish shotbread niscuit tins that appear in shops around Christmastime. The butchers bill isn't as bad as it might have been but still stands at a couple of broken W-irons and buffers, which are likely to be ticklish little repairs, one side broken clean off a coal wagon and a ballast plough broken off the ballast brake. Not a complete disaster then but still I now have to spend time fixings things that shouldn't have gotten damaged in the first place. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Repairs completed, I just hope now that things liked the snapped W-iron aren't natural weakpoints for the next break. That done, I've turned my attention to completing the last rake of coal wagons. Four finished, three begun- painting today I think. And, if time allows, I'll crack on with the 9J too. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 (edited) Beg leave report all seven wagons of the final rake finished and loaded. No more coal wagons for the foreseeable! Onwards- with locos. Edited July 7, 2019 by James Harrison 6 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardian Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 On 07/07/2019 at 18:29, James Harrison said: Beg leave report all seven wagons of the final rake finished and loaded. No more coal wagons for the foreseeable! Onwards- with locos. Very handsome rake, James. The coal load have come out really well and you have a nice level of coal muck and weathering. Can you remind those of us with failing memories, what kits and transfers did you use? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 These are the Cambrian kits private owner wagons, specifically (in this rake) kits C51 and C62. Transfers are new-old stock from Quainton Road Models obtained via Ebay. As the GC hired in coal wagons I guess there are a variety of kits that might reasonably be used to represent such vehicles; any of the 5, 6 1/2 or 7 plank fixed end wagons in the Cambrian range (1907 type) would suit I think. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 12, 2019 Author Share Posted July 12, 2019 Weekend plans. I've got a half-lined-out 9J that will get (I hope) finished off. After that? Making no promises, but I also have a whitemetal GCR 3-plank wagon to build (dare I risk having a go at- gasp- soldering whitemetal?) and a D&S steam crane that needs restoring, and of course that huge backlog of locomotives to be looking at and the ongoing carriage repaints and.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard i Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 White metal needs two things. To be clean and do not dwell with the iron, or better yet use a temperature controlled one. I prefer it to brass as there are less pieces to go together. richard 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 My soldering set-up is rudimentary in the extreme; a cheap non-temperature-controlled iron and some flux-cored 60:40 solder. It might work; it might not. I think I'll leave the whitemetal alone a while and buy the right stuff for it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted July 13, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 13, 2019 I spent a long time being nervous of soldering whitemetal but eventually bit the bullet. As Richard says, cleanliness is vital - I scrub all parts all over with Cif and an old toothbrush and polish up the areas where contact will be made between parts. I use an Antex 50 W iron with temperature control - set to just below the whitemetal melting point. This cost me about £50 a few years ago; I bought it at ExpoEM; I think it may have been from the C&L stand when they had Carr's products in their range. Those have now gone to Phoenix Precision who don't list any irons, so I might be mis-remembering. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 I think, with my current soldering setup, I might keep the whitemetal kits for another day, when I have a temperature-controlled iron and some low melt solder in my aresenal. I brought out my D&S 15-ton steam crane, with seized axles at funny angles meaning it neither rolls easily nor stays on the track. And knotted chains... and a job that has worked loose... and a very ropey paint job. I've no idea how on earth I can put that right, at least to get it working. I'd settle for something I can run on RLS, even as a non-working crane. First step would be, I reckon, to at least get all eight wheels on the track and rolling, which possibly means new frames and bogie. I'm hamstring here by not having any instructions for it, having bought it pre-built. Meanwhile work proceeds on the first of the 9Js. Lining and lettering done, varnish drying, then it just needs weathering. Naturally thoughts turn to the remaining three. One I want to model in workworn WWI condition, heavily weathered and unlined. One I want to fit with kadees for use on parcels and local passenger traffic. As I need to buy numberplates for two of the quartet I think this one might be one of those mentioned in John Quick's book as having been overhauled at Tuxford and put into (presumably late period) LDECR style lining, with red coupling rods. So that would be -one lined and lightly weathered; -one unlined and heavily weathered; -one lined, ex-works; - one ? Well, that's the plan. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 13, 2019 Author Share Posted July 13, 2019 One 9J finished! (Except for weathering). So; that is.... - Brass paint to the beading on the splashers; -Red paint to the boiler bands and the cab sheets; -White paint pen to the cab sheets; -Home made white-black-white boiler bands (literally, black biro on paper); -White and red paint pens to the tender sides. I think overall it looks remarkably effective and it would almost be a shame to weather it.... just a light dusting, perhaps.... 4 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted July 14, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2019 16 hours ago, James Harrison said: I think, with my current soldering setup, I might keep the whitemetal kits for another day, when I have a temperature-controlled iron and some low melt solder in my aresenal. Don't procrastinate - buy the equipment. It opens up possibilities - not least with etched brass kits that have whitemetal components. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 14, 2019 Author Share Posted July 14, 2019 1 hour ago, Compound2632 said: Don't procrastinate - buy the equipment. It opens up possibilities - not least with etched brass kits that have whitemetal components. Quite right- the equipment is pencilled in for my next round of discretionary spending (end of the month). Better (?) photo of the newly-completed 9J, after weathering yesterday. The second of the quartet is now also in GCR livery and- all things being equal- will be weathered to within an inch of its life later today. After that, attention will be directed upon the ROD and the 8A. 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted July 14, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 14, 2019 Be careful to buy a temperature controlled iron and not a current limited iron. I switched about 9 months ago and the difference is dramatic. I would personally recommend CSI units. https://www.circuitspecialists.com/csi-premier-75w-Soldering-Station.html Delivered to France in 47 hours! Very quick heat up - which the old current limited iron failed significantly on. {The new iron comes up to 200C in around 15 seconds and hold the temperature no matter what I have done to suck heat out. The old unit took several minutes to heat up and very quickly lost temperature in use, taking significant time to re-heat.] Can also be used on heavy brass section using the full 75W power. It is probably worth getting a couple of different bits because the one supplied is not the optimum shape for soldering long straight sections - like two sides together for example. It was recommended on here on another thread about choosing an iron and I have no regrets following the recommendation. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted July 14, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 14, 2019 What did you do about the input voltage? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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