ECC Wheal Imogen / Rosevean Station: the expansion

[Steadfast]

On 17/05/2023 at 22:24, The Fatadder said:

@Steadfast I have finally gotten round to fixing the issue you pointed on my Class 66 at Calne and got rid of the balanced maintenance stickers.   I think that now has it fully accurate for 1999

Looks spot on mate, you'd never know they were there. Looking forward to seeing the layout again at Showcase 

 

10 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

 

The other issue is the size, it "could" be printed at an angle and fit inside the build area.  however Chitubox is estimating a 24 hour print, given the usual error margin this is almost certainly a minimum of 36 hours, maybe even pushing 2 days!   A power cut (or my wife or children unplugging the printer) could ruin the whole thing.   The alternative is to print in two halves, but getting a perfect joint doesnt sound fun...   I really need to get a bigger printer.....

Or just start modelling in a more sensible scale! N stuff fits printers lovely, I hear.

 

Jo

[The Fatadder]

7 minutes ago, Steadfast said:

Looks spot on mate, you'd never know they were there. Looking forward to seeing the layout again at Showcase 

 

Or just start modelling in a more sensible scale! N stuff fits printers lovely, I hear.

 

Jo

come and have a drive on the layout 
 

The TCA is getting there, just need to add a few brackets to the central spine and draw up the buffers and end walkways 

[The Fatadder]

Ready for a test print at the weekend

 

Hopefully the supports will be up to the job.  If I set it going on Friday night I am hoping to have a print sometime on Sunday...  While I cant see any way to get this finished in time (seeing as I wont order the parts for the walkway until I know that I have got a working print).  It will definitely be ready for Wheal Imogen's next show, just need to get some more invites for the layout so that I actually have a next show...

[The Fatadder]

Looking forward to a couple of new releases from Railtec.  I’ve been waiting for a long time to rebrand my 15x units from Regional Railways to Wales and West, now both the standard and Alphaline versions are available.   Photos will follow once they arrive, not sure if I will have the whees for the 158 by Showcase, but the 153 and 150

will both be renumbered and rebranded ready to go. 

[The Fatadder]

Had a delivery from @railtec-models this morning, so naturally at lunch had to get the transfers fitted.

So now the DMU fleet for Wheal Imogen are all rebranded into Wales and West livery (along with suitable numbers).  Both the 150 and 153 had previously been renumbered, however both had lost transfers in the last ten years of storage so it made sense to redo with Railtec’s included numbers.  Only thing left is to update the 158 to post 98 OHLE flashes (and get some wheels fitted).

 

 

in each case the Regional Railways logo was removed first to avoid it showing through the transfer.   On the 158 the stripes also had to be removed.

I was a little nervous with the small Wales & West lettering on the 158 given the age of the model.  Thankfully it looks like Bachmann got it right all those years ago so the transfer fits nicely 

 

Eventually I want to model one of the 153/150 hybrid units, for which I have plenty of left over transfers.

 

[The Fatadder]

A couple of projects progressing nicely ready for Showcase, first up 37671 which has now been fitted with laserglaze, there are still a couple of tasks remaining as it will need OO wheels and a 3d printed fuel tank.  I think I am swapping its current P4 wheels for some OO ones at Showcase so I will probably remove the wheels from 37057 for the moment and fit them in the transrail loco.  The fuel tank cant be printed until later in the week as the printer is still running on the TCA.  I will also try and get some new brake cylinders fitted while Im at it. 

 

The printer is currently 14 hours into a 36 hour print of the prototype TCA tank, assuming this works I have the bogies ready to go so it should be possible to get it up and running in time for Showcase (assuming Will has the walkway etch in stock).

 

 

Edited June 3, 2023 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

Fresh off the printer, now to set about tidying it up.

 

I will need to make some refinements to the drawing (the plates extending out from chassis above the bogies need the detail removing to simplify the supports). Some of the supports along the chsssis beams also need modifying to move in from the edge and avoid damage on removal.   Will see how painful it is adding the walkways before deciding if I will make the changes and print a second (giving the one branded TBA as well as one of the TCA)

[The Fatadder]

After filling the damaged areas and a first sand the model is now just drying before a first coat of primer 

[The Fatadder]

Now starting to look a bit better,  just realised I’ve not given much thought to the end platform though….

 

lots of filling and sanding still needed (including the barrel) 

it’s a little high on its bogies, the spacers need thinning a little.  If I do print some more I will probably modify the drawing to include the spacer as part of the body.   Bogies are from Cambrian on Jon Hall sub frames.

 

This was the solution to bogie mounts, there is a hole below it for the bolt to fit into.  The nut is glued into a recess that perfectly matches its size.  
 

I am starting to think that as with the tta the best way to paint will be doing the browns first, then airbrushing blue over the top for the small areas where it  shows through

[The Fatadder]

Last one for now with some underframe detail added.  I think I have a way forward for the end platform now, although it will still be a pain.  Thinking I should have included the supports for it as part of the print…

No filler cap yet, it appears to be different to to TTAs, more akin to the type on the Rainbow TUA so a new cad is needed. The Stenson parts for the walkway have been ordered, but I will probably paint the wagon then add the walkway.

 

I’ve also found another tank to do, a TU001b, there’s a good chance they were stored out of service in 1998 (certainly the photo of 70083 that sparked my interest was at Nanpian with a lot of other 2 axle tanks) but I may just use modellers licence to keep it a year or two longer.   It will be another 3d print this time designed to include most of the chassis (just adding separate Gloucester suspension).   Then there is still the blue RIV vee tanks if I can find a drawing…..

[The Fatadder]

 

a little more finished before work today, adding the end walkway.  This was built from two plasticard ends glued to the model (which should have been part of the print.  Onto this was fitted another length of Stenson walkway to which I soldered the handrails.  It’s currently just placed in position (as I want to paint under it before gluing in place, plus fit the coupling).

 

this model will be finished as 78804 simply because that particular wagon  was fitted with a replacement or repaired lifting eye at the walkway end which was angled rather than square.  Much easier to reprofile the damaged part on my print than restore it to the original dimensions!

 

This evening I will probably start painting the body, although final finishing will have to wait until my Wills Workbench order arrives.

[The Fatadder]

A start  weathering the TCA, with a random mix of browns painted on.  There will be a couple more applications, before adding the painted out logos and white streaks. 

 

As ever I mixed up far too much paint, so did a little more weathering on a couple of S Kits clay tigers built by Shane for me in the late 2000s.  I wanted to add more browns to the weathering to get a similar effect to that used on my Kernow tigers.   I didn’t want to completely loose Shane’s weathering, so found a couple of photos of wagons with clay stained blue sides and a dirty brown top.

Edited June 6, 2023 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

A new arrival today, all be it one far more suited for my other layout.

 

After research identifying that the RFD 47s only really ran into Cornwall when substituting for Virgin XC, I was planning to respray one of my RFD 47s into Intercity.   However at the weekend I managed to buy a new Bachmann 47 in Intercity livery for the bargain price of £130. The idea being that I would sell one of the RFD locos at Showcase to pay off a good chunk of the price.  The loco in question arrived today, and on the whole is very impressive.   
 

I do have a couple of criticisms around the headlight size/spacing, and the fact that on a loco with a retail price north of £200 so many detail parts are not fitted (the ETH bits and the bogie details were all pre fitted on the old gen model).

 

the model had marks on the side from the tape that had fixed nameplates in position and was easily cleaned up.  It now just needs a windscreen wiper sourcing to be in perfect condition.

The only slight issue I have now is finding a loco to model.  My first choice was North Star (not being able to resist a loco with a proper Great Western name), however this has full with grills on the cab roof rather than the model’s narrow ones. (It’s typical after the number of these I’ve had to convert from full width to narrow that the first loco I get with the narrow grill out the box needs the full width one!). 
 

The next choice was 47816 a GWT loco rather than Virgin, and somewhat more appropriate for my Laira inspired layout.  But that needs a flush end, as does my next choice of 47841.  So for now it will stay as 828 (all be it with the addition of some post 98 warning flashes.  While I decide on its eventual identity.   I do still like the idea of the flush end conversion so there’s a god chance that will be the eventual solution.  Of course if 816 does end up being chosen it will also need all the window frames painting.

 

I like the idea of replicating a photo of 816 towing a pair of powercars.

 

While on the subject of new Bachmann locos I also have a 37 project on the way in the form of a damaged large logo blue body again via eBay.   This one is set to be stripped of paint, have both sets of nose grills chopped out and replaced with my 3d prints, a set of Bachmann flush front ends and a respray into EWS.  It will be fitted to one of my lowered/detailed chassis with the upgraded fuel tanks etc, which should give me most of the new model at a fraction of the price.   A large order from Railtec has been placed to sort me out with the required transfers (along with those for the TCA)

 

Finally I’ve got some lighting on order for the 158. 
As for that RFD 47, I am now wondering if rather than selling why not repaint into GWT to join the 813/830/846.  It leaves 815 and 811, the latter needing a flush end.   How many GWT 47s is too many I wonder…. 

Edited June 6, 2023 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

Why is it that no matter how long you have to prepare for a show, everything has to be done in the final fortnight?  Relative to the Calne show there is not a huge amount that needed doing (I think this is the cause of the problem), not to mention as the weather warms up there is always less modelling done.  However looking back at my improvements list post Calne it hasnt changed much at all, while modelling output over the past couple of months has focused around more stock building.....  At least the 15x units are all finished now and we will have spare 37s in case of failures.

 

That said, at least one of the major jobs has predominantly been sorted with I think all stock bar the Class 60s now fitted with independent tail light control.  I think the 60s will go up for sale with the plan being to replace on a 1 for 2 basis.....

 

Back to the task list:

• Black curtain for frontage > I keep looking at ordering but not getting round to pulling the trigger.  Will be done today
• Additional track for fiddleyard (inc programming track) > Track has been purchased, worst case can be laid at the show.  Aim is to get laid at the weekend, however things could get in the way of that...
• Lighting > ordered awaiting delivery
• Grass upgrade > this is the tricky one, I have a better colour of grass (and a can of WWS layering spray), however the difficult part will be applying it without getting grass fibres over the fence posts / bushes.  Will give some thought...
•  Protective barriers on the ends of the fiddleyard > will hopefully cobble something together when adding the extra track.  If not will have to risk it....

Stock:

• TCA > needs walkways, handrails and transfers adding.  Waiting on the etch for the walkways to arrive along with the transfers (fingers crossed will be today).  Couple of hours work to finish.  The transfers order will also include the right tops panel for the last of my TT072F ttas so will correct that at the same time (it currently has duplicate numbers using the spares Railtec provide).
• 37671 - Currently lacking bufferbeam detail and wheels, I am thinking this loco is more critical than 37057 so I will probably swap over the wheels between them for now.  (it will probably get its bufferbeam pipework from Westhill at the show....)
• 37521 - Again this loco has no wheels (unless fitting the body to a mk1 37 chassis), it is probably a bit of a push to get a new style Bachmann body stripped, chop out all the nose grills and paint in EWS within a week.  It certainly wont be weathered as there will not be enough time for the varnish to fully cure.  That said if I can get this loco finished and running before the show I really want to have it on the layout.

 

Some of the fiddleyard stuff could well be a Friday morning job, I dont think I need to be at Sutton until 4pm and its only going to take a couple of hours max.  With the whole day off there should be some tinkering time before loading the car.... 

 

On top of all of this I need to sort out a box of surplus stuff to put on the second hand stand.....

[Siberian Snooper]

Have you got a length of square plastic tube that would fit over the fence posts, cut a slot down one side to allow for the fence wires, this would act as a mask.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

1 hour ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Have you got a length of square plastic tube that would fit over the fence posts, cut a slot down one side to allow for the fence wires, this would act as a mask.

 

 

I like that idea, at the moment the fence posts still dont have any wire attached so it should be even easier on that front.  edit: looks like I have found some suitable drinking straws, so will get that grass upgrade sorted ASAP...

 

A little more work achieved over lunch today, with the walkway and handrails for the TCA soldered up (an absolute swine of a job).  This has been primed and will be painted / installed on the model this evening (along with the end ladder which was prepared previously.)   After which it can go back on hold pending the arrival of the transfers from Railtec.  

 

I also seem to have acquired another project from ebay in the form of a pre production sample of Kernow Models cargowaggon twin.   It will need a fair bit of work (drawing and printing the end ribs, and buffers that are missing from the model) before painting and finishing with another set of Railtec's transfers.  Will be interesting to see how it compares with my Jon Hall kit with which it will eventually be running.   The aim will be to complete this along with the second single van I started at Swindon, later in the year. 

Edited June 8, 2023 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

Straws have been added to the fence ready for more grass work once I’m back from circuits.

 

the walkway has been added to the TCA, I think it’s too tall and will need about 2mm removing from the higher section.  This may have to wait until after showcase unfortunately 

 

finally the 158 (previously modified with proper light clusters behind glass) now has working lights using a special version of a set intended for a 156 by “stickswipe” on eBay.   This needs connecting to a decoder (I’m using 2 of the original 2 pin plugs as an inter unit connector, the forth pin saved for the door open lights).

 

 

[The Fatadder]

I couldn’t live with one of the layouts unique wagons looking so wrong for such an important show, so the handrail has been shortened and the wagon painted,  one the transfers arrive from Railtec I will finish the weathering with a final cost of brown to blend everything in, before adding the clay streaks.
 

project 37521 should start at lunch with the body going in paint stripper (royal  mail dependant)  along with wiring up the 158 so it’s ready to go as soon as I get hold of the wheels 

 

I think I will hold fire on the grass until Thursday night with the logic being that I can have the layout on the kitchen floor making it easier to collect the excess fibres then the office/workshop carpet…

[The Fatadder]

Not going to bother with any photos seeing as there are plenty already elsewhere on the forum, but my "damaged" new Bachmann 37 body arrived at lunchtime from Kernow Models.  First impressions are that it more than lives up to expectations (unlike a certain other 37).  The only damage to the model was a slightly poorly fitting nose end (not a split as described on ebay) which will make my life a lot easier.   

 

I have long since decided that the only way to model 37521 was going to be using the new Bachmann tooling, given that Shawplan never produced the 37 windscreens with the hybrid version of a reinforced centre window but as built outers.  Using the Bachmann model means I can carefully carve off the centre frame and glue on a Shawplan etch (thats currently fitted to my original 37521).

 

it will need 4 of my 3d printed nose grills fitting to convert them to the one piece version, horns removing from the roof (and the holes filling in) and the roof radio pod relocating further forward.   It will eventually get a new Extreme Etchings roof grill, however given the EE etch currently includes two versions of the ring to fit to the mesh I am trying a hybrid approach.  Replacing the Bachmann ring with the spare Shawplan etch, the grill I was planning to use being needed to replace the damaged etch on 37671.  Will be interesting to see how it looks as the etched part of the Bachmann grill does look very nice (its just the plastic part thats glued to it that looks a bit crude).

 

Finally there is the end details, Bachmann have changed the lug design between the old and new 37 (they have also got rid of the awful wiper contact between nose lighting boards and the chassis that has caused me so many issues with the old 37).  Thankfully the old ends are the right shape, with the flush front version by far the best of the bunch.  So its a simple case of cutting off the location lugs and gluing in place once the body is painted.

 

So in order to get enough time for glue and filler to cure, all of the above changes need to be completed once I get back from the childrens Cricket tonight if I have a chance of keeping to my planning timeline.  I also need the weather to hold out over the weekend so I have a chance to spray...

[The Fatadder]

The first steps on project 37:  first up the horn recesses were filled with lengths of Evergreen strip.  Once fully dry they will be cut and sanded to shape. I tried o remove the radio pod in one piece , but no luck so a replacement will be filed from plastic.

This was followed by carefully removing the centre window frames.  The replacement etch will be added after painting is complete.

 

 

Then onto the time consuming task, cutting away the side to accept the grill.  This one took over an hour and is still not quite there.  3 more to go….  This is the third loco I’ve used this method on, and the first that has required all 4 grills changing.  I’ve said it before, but this time will certainly be the last!

[The Fatadder]

Still on track…

 

roof repairs have been profiled and skimmed with filler, along with adding the radio pods 

 

nose grills have all been cut and fitted

 

a spare Extreme Etchings etched ring has been added to the roof grill

 

and the body has been tested on the chassis.   Alas Bachmann have not made things easy, with all of the fixing points moved Relative to the original model (including those in the ends).   I had hoped it would be a simple case of cutting off the additional mounts but it’s going to take a lot more thinking to determine a solution.   This can wait until after I’ve finished the body.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

This morning has required 6 applications of filler, sanding down then re-priming to get the 37 body ready for spraying EWS gold.  Previously this would also be used to represent the reflective stripe along the lower edge of the body, this time instead I will be using @railtec-modelstransfers to make the job a lot easier.   I will also be using their OHLE stripes and custom numbers for 37521, meaning this is a simple two colour paint job (any more and my chances of completion this weekend would have been minimal.)  

 

 

I’ve also done some work on the cab interior.  The bulkheads supplied with the new model are a massive step up on the old one.  However given the different chassis design (and deeper cab interior) it’s too big to fit to the old chassis.  A little cutting later and it’s now tested in position.

[The Fatadder]

 

next step done, roll on the EWS maroon tomorrow.  Hopefully I will remember to spray the FAA flat at the same time. 

[The Fatadder]

Some more painting this morning, completing 37521  I now await a custom order from @railtec-models which includes the 37’s numbers, OHLE stripe and reflective lower stripe.  Hopefully will all arrive in time to get it transferred up in time for Friday and heading up to Sutton Coldfield for DEMU Showcase.

In the meantime once dry I will start adding their OHLE flashes and yellow 3 besties along with refitting the ends, nameplates and centre windscreen.   Of course there already also a few areas where the paint needs touching up.

 

Seeing as I was spraying EWS red it made sense to also paint my Genesis FAA.  This heavily rebuilt model was started on the DEMU stand at the Bristol show circa 2005, my first ever white metal wagon kit.  The buffers, pipe work and buffer beams are all scratch built, and the bogies are on modified etched inners. I have some of the required transfers, but this will need to wait for my next Railtec order to get its tops panels printed.    I could do with a couple more of these wagons, but have no real

desire to build another Genesis kit….

[railtec-models]

@The Fatadder hopefully you received the email notification to say they went out on Friday?