Zach's 7mm Workbench - Going Great Western, Back to Swindon

[nsl714]

It's been a while, but lots has been happening on my bench. First of all, the WEP Fruit C and Mica B have both been completed, with weathering to follow.

 

 

 

Also starting on the bench is a Slaters D14 Brake 3rd. The bogies were done up a few months ago amidst soldering on the two WEP vans.

 

 

And the body has started to take shape now. The interior is "done" as suggested by the instructions. The only improvement I may make is to add netting to the luggage racks if I encounter a suitable material.

 

 

 

Finally, I have in hand a Scorpio Star. Once a few extra details arrive, and I finish the Brake 3rd, I'll eagerly dig into that. It's going to be quite the project!

 

More soon,
-Zach

 

[brossard]

Lovely work Zach.  I like the fully detailed bogies, a rare thing in my experience.

 

For the compartment detailing I got some very nice etchings from CPL:

 

 

https://www.cplproducts.net/partition-overlays.html

 

There is etched luggage rack netting in the pack.

 

Slaters kits are great although I haven't tackled a coach.  I did build a Kirk LNER 52' BG which came out nicely.

 

John

 

Edit:  just for reference, here's how Lionheart did it on their Mk1's:

 

 

You can see the Heljan Gresley behind,  the two models are like chalk and cheese.  Same price but Heljan couldn't be bothered to make an effort on the interior.

Edited December 10, 2021 by brossard

[nsl714]

Thanks John, that's some good stuff there. I'll have to remember CPL next time I go to build a coach. It's a tad bit late for this brake 3rd, though I'm confident I can find something for the netting. I also have some leftover passengers from the tram that I'll probably throw in here. This coach is destined to be the brake for a milk train, so I don't know how many hardy souls would care to ride!

 

Those Lionheart coaches are quite nice too! Shows what's really possible with RTR these days.

 

-Zach

Edited December 10, 2021 by nsl714

[brossard]

1 hour ago, nsl714 said:

 

Those Lionheart coaches are quite nice too! Shows what's really possible with RTR these days.

 

 

 

Yes, they are very good value.  The underframe and bogie detail could do with improving.  I have some pics to guide me with that somewhere.  The coach also comes with lighting which works direct off track power (or you can install a decoder).  Heljan, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered...again.  I installed a lighting kit from layouts4u:  https://www.layouts4u.net/coach-lighting-tail-lights/battery-coach-lighting-kits-and-tail-lights

 

John

[Hal Nail]

20 minutes ago, brossard said:

Heljan, on the other hand, couldn't be bothered...again.  

At risk of hijacking the thread, Heljan would have done what they were asked for, Hattons commissioned them. It's simple economics really: LNER is never going to sell in the same volumes so you sell at a premium or cut costs.

[brossard]

4 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

At risk of hijacking the thread, Heljan would have done what they were asked for, Hattons commissioned them. It's simple economics really: LNER is never going to sell in the same volumes so you sell at a premium or cut costs.

 

You probably have a point Hal.  Wonder if the non-commissioned models, like the Heljan Mk 1, are at a similar design point to the Lionheart Mk 1.

 

John

[Hal Nail]

3 hours ago, brossard said:

 

You probably have a point Hal.  Wonder if the non-commissioned models, like the Heljan Mk 1, are at a similar design point to the Lionheart Mk 1.

 

John

Ha. Good point, well made!

 

Anyway back to the Slaters coach, wonder what livery you are planning Zach? I did read a thread somewhere on here describing flooding the panels with cream after painting the chocolate lining when doing the more elaborate styles. 

Edited December 11, 2021 by Hal Nail

[Ian Smith]

8 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

Ha. Good point, well made!

 

Anyway back to the Slaters coach, wonder what livery you are planning Zach? I did read a thread somewhere on here describing flooding the panels with cream after painting the chocolate lining when doing the more elaborate styles. 

That can work, but the mouldings should be black not chocolate. In 7mm it shouldn’t be too difficult to do the mouldings, I manage it in 2FS 

Ian

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, Ian Smith said:

That can work, but the mouldings should be black not chocolate. In 7mm it shouldn’t be too difficult to do the mouldings, I manage it in 2FS 

Ian

I actually edited that post but it didn't save. Here's the link I tried to add earlier (the flooding idea must have been something else I read):

 

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by Hal Nail

[nsl714]

On 11/12/2021 at 02:50, Hal Nail said:

Anyway back to the Slaters coach, wonder what livery you are planning Zach? I did read a thread somewhere on here describing flooding the panels with cream after painting the chocolate lining when doing the more elaborate styles. 

 

The current plan is to do it up in late 1920's-early 1930's Chocolate and Cream with a Twin Cities crest, so it'll be a slightly work worn vehicle that hasn't quite been demoted to the all over brown paint yet. Mercifully this saves me from attempting the full gambit of panel lining, but I will probably be brave enough to try what lining is needed with the bowpen. As mentioned above, it's intended to be the brake vehicle on a milk train, so it's not going to be perfectly clean.

 

-Zach

[nsl714]

Over the Christmas break, I managed to finish up the Slaters Brake 3rd. I'm particularly happy with the roof gas lines and brake equipment, which went on very well I think.

 

 

 

It's interesting to see personally how far my modeling confidence has come from the earliest Parkside wagons. Without hesitation I threw together extra pieces here and there for the coach, such as an extra step below the guard's door as found on many of these brake 3rds after they lost the lower footboards, or some lowered drop sash windows. It was painted and lined in late 20's/early 30's Chocolate and Cream, and finished as 2954. One small error I found after the fact was the incorrect placement of the number on the luggage end of the car. It should be centered in the panel, but I'll correct that before weathering.

 

 

 

Completing the coach let me get on with the much anticipated Scorpio Star. After a few nights work I have a free rolling compensated chassis, and I'm now to adding all the details to it. There's been some fun times going through the many castings to reconcile what they are or what they do ("Oh, THAT is a pressure relief valve" or "Is this a cylinder cock?" , etc.). So far it's going together without much complaint.

 

 

 

More soon,

-Zach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by nsl714
Reinstating Photos

[nsl714]

It's been a while. In the intervening almost 6 months, I've mostly completed the Scorpio Star. Major construction was completed around the beginning of April.

 

 

Then after a bit of a lull, I got on with painting. The green is Railmatch Acrylic GWR Green, and the black is Testors Matte black.

 

 

This past week I've gotten on with the lining. A suggestion popped up elsewhere to use 1-shot lettering enamel for lining, so I picked up some orange 1-shot. This was advantageous as I cannot easily get Precision Paints' GWR lining orange enamel, and I was not looking forward to having to mix  Testors colors to get something similar. I think it's alright. All has been done with a bowpen.

 

 

 

I don't think I've noted it yet, but the engine shall be finished as 4019 'Knight Templar' in late 30's condition. Plates have been acquired from Severn Mill for this purpose.

 

More soon,

-Zach

 

 

 

[nsl714]

Major lining, transfers, and plates are now complete on 4019. It's been an interesting experience doing all the lining, and I'm quite emboldened to see what else I  can try now. Only the cab details, coal, lamps, and crew (eventually) remain.

 

 

 

[brossard]

Lovely job there Zach.  I'll add my 2 cents and recommend ModelU figures.  A bit dear but IMO the best.

 

John

[nsl714]

Hi John, ModelU is definitely on my radar for some figures on multiple engines. I want to get some of their lamps too, but as you point out the costs add up fast.

 

The Star is now "done" for the time being, with glazing, cab detail, and lamps, so I posed it for formal "ex-works" photos. As noted above, crew, coal, and weathering shall follow at a later time.

 

 

 

 

 

-Zach

[brossard]

Cracking work Zach.  I have yet to get to grips with a loco - afraid it will suck all my time and energy and I have the layout to get on with.  Taking it to an exhibition at the local museum so a ton of things to do.

 

ModelU lamps are also great.  Some have slots that fit over lamp irons.  This makes them removable.

 

Cheers

 

John

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, nsl714 said:

The Star is now "done" for the time being

-Zach

That is a lovely bit of work.

 

As someone said to Churchward, if I'm being slightly picky, a slightly larger boiler, steampipes, window cab and a 4000g tender would look even better but its not a bad first attempt!

[nsl714]

Thanks guys!

 

John, That's the hope for the ModelU ones, particularly a selection of side lamps for my now 3 toads. Being able to move and adjust the lamps is an important detail to me. These lamps on the Star are Springside with the bottoms drilled out so they can be set on the irons with some blue tack.

 

Ian, practice does make perfect! As it happens, I purchased a cache of Severn Mills Nameplates last year (about 10, enough for that many years worth of engine building probably). One does bear the name of a fortified structure in Warwickshire...

 

Thanks,
Zach

[Hal Nail]

10 hours ago, nsl714 said:

particularly a selection of side lamps for my now 3 toads. Being able to move and adjust the lamps is an important detail to me.

Ive got a BR brake van and a GWR toad and realised I'd need 4 different sets of lamps which was getting towards a small mortgage! Slaters do some plastic moulded side lamps and both Modelu and some eBay sellers sell lenses separately which might be an option.

[nsl714]

What's new in the midwestern US outpost of the GWR? Quite a bit actually. There was a lull this fall after major completion of the Star, but suddenly there's a large backlog of projects for the winter (some premeditated, and others spur of the moment!) First on the planned list are a half dozen Parkside kits, first of which is this NE van.

 

 

Other planned items include a David Andrews Bulldog and an Ian Kirk Siphon G, both of which are in hand now and awaiting their turn to be built. But first, something rather unexpected came up. This Malcolm Mitchell Castle came up on the American eBay earlier this month at a price I couldn't say no to, so here it is.

 

 

As seen here, it was mostly complete and painted as 5041 "Tiverton Castle", with the engine chassis being the largest item to complete. There was a lot of fitting and grinding/filing to do to the boiler and frame to get the wheels to roll freely without shorting against itself, but a week later it now runs with the rods on, if anything a bit noisy (are Portescap motor/gearboxes normally loud?) Other work items completed to this point are filling a nasty dent around the chimney, adjusting how the bogie attaches to the frame, and adding injectors. Items to complete yet are sanders and cylinder drains, painting the chassis, adding cab detail, gluing any other wayward detail that's fallen off, changing the buffers for a more appropriate style, and lining the cab front and footplate. All in all it's been a great project to add a Castle to the roster for much less than I expected, and it'll be a fine model when complete.

 

 

One more surprise project was that the seller had a pair of Blacksmith Toplight kits for an equally bargain price, so those have been added to the queue as well. Much to do now!

 

-Zach

 

 

[nsl714]

Now in the new year, 5041 'Tiverton Castle' has been completed. As noted above, the body was done to a good quality, but the Chassis was only started. I've now completed it, with various ailments corrected, including filling the smokebox dent, adjusting the ride height of the tender, and changing out the buffers for the correct types. The frames were luckily pretty square, so they didn't need much adjustment and it runs relatively well. The painting already completed was pretty good, so I just finished the frames and lined out the footplate and cab front. Overall a very nice project for what I paid for it.

 

 

 

-Zach

 

[nsl714]

The latest project is now complete, an Ian Kirk Siphon G. This one was lots of fun for all the scratchbuilding and detailing that was desired and needed to reach an appropriate level of detail.

 

 

First, here is the basic construction of the body as supplied.

 

 

Next, the detailing of the underbody with (what I hope is) appropriate brake gear.

 

 

Third, cutting the roof extrusion and fitting rainstrips and gas lighting.

 

 

Then the fitting of a myriad of brass, whitemetal, and styrene to represent the various fittings.

 

 

 

And finally, the painted and lettered van. As I do weathering in batches (and have yet been brave enough to attack carriages as well as NPCCS with it), it shall be weathered at a future time.

 

Thanks,

Zach

 

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very nice indeed 👍