East Barnet Joint Stock - a workbench

[Bucoops]

Outstanding :)

[Chas Levin]

7 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

Outstanding :)

Thanks Rich - I was pleased with these two jobs, they both went very smoothly and quickly, especially after the log-jam of the previous dark green areas! 😅

[Chas Levin]

A quick session on the Slaters NER Birdcage Brake, including the happy realisation that when we need a piece of plate glass to stand a short wheelbase vehicle on to check that all the wheels touch the ground, most of us are carrying a very suitable one round with us in our pockets already: our phone:

 

[Bucoops]

Ooh, a real world use for an iphone - clever :D

[Chas Levin]

With the addition of the black lining along the lower edges of the valances and the beading along the cab door tops (both painted with a 10/0 brush), all the painting's now finished on the GNR C2 - well, bar a few tiny touching-in spots - which I'm very pleased about and pleased with the results, too:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usual disclaimer in defense of my use of enlarged close-up views: it looks much smarter at normal life-size and viewing distances! 🙂

 

Not too much left to do now - buffers, couplings, varnish, transfers, coal, crew and lamps... 🤔

Edited July 1, 2022 by Chas Levin

[MikeTrice]

Brilliant. Well done.

[Chas Levin]

39 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

Brilliant. Well done.

Thanks Mike!

[Citadel]

Relatively new to this community (and indeed hobby) but have to say take inspiration from the methodical approach, the perseverance and the attention to detail.  Bet you’ve learned new skills that will serve you well in future builds - and what an marvellous outcome, look forward to seeing it completed!

 

By the way, what next.  You’ll need something to fill the void in your life….

[Chas Levin]

Thanks Mike for the kind words. Yes, massive learning curve and I have thought recently that it's a great benefit of having tackled something this difficult early on: a lot of other things I'd previously thought of as beyond me now seem quite a reasonable proposition!

Next will be a small, simple wagon!!

Well, reasonably simple... some extra detailing of course, plus possibly suspension...? But definitely small!

I'm also currently building a Slaters ex-NER Birdcage Brake - here's a pic, showing how you can fix various points of the rather delicate footstep assemblies to points on the solebars and axle springs in such a way as to give the steps considerable rigidity and strength, more so than I'd anticipated: I thought I'd have to fix in brass wire pieces behind the plastic:

 

 

The next major project after the wagon is probably going to be a Nu-Cast LNER Sentinel Railcar, which rather demonstrates my point above. Although it's only two colour, before this current C2 build with it's multi-coloured livery I'd have regarded even two colours as being quite a difficult thing.

You must feel the same though Mike, after all your recent LNWR coach paintwork?

[Rob Pulham]

That is superb Chaz, a real credit to you. Something you will enjoy looking at for a long time to come.

[Jon4470]

Chas

Really impressive results.

 

I’m pretty sure (but could be wrong🙂) that the Sentinels had some very fine gold or similar lining…. … if true, that should add to the fun!

 

Jon

[Chas Levin]

1 hour ago, Rob Pulham said:

That is superb Chaz, a real credit to you. Something you will enjoy looking at for a long time to come.

Thanks Rob - it may well spend quite a lot of time going to and fro on the test track that runs along my work bench... though you know how it is, it's always the latest finished project that seems the most exciting, isn't it? I'll have to see how long this one holds the top spot!

[Chas Levin]

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

Chas

Really impressive results.

Thanks Jon 🙂

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

I’m pretty sure (but could be wrong🙂) that the Sentinels had some very fine gold or similar lining…. … if true, that should add to the fun!

 

Jon

Noooooooooooooo 😢!

I'm kidding - actually, as I said earlier to Mike (Citadel), having done something like this, gold lining seems so much less daunting.

I big turning point was realising that ruling pens work by capillary action, something I'd never realised before: it affects how you hold and move the pen; plus getting used to how critical the speed at which you move the pen is to the line thickness and how equally important the consistency of the speed is to keeping the line uniform. There's also a moment in one of Ian Rathbone's films on lining where he talks about it being a long, flowing, continuous movement (I may have the exact wording wrong but that was the gist). I really enjoy using the pen now and I still find it amazing that you can draw such thin lines so in fact, now you've said that about the Sentinel, I'm already looking forward to lining it!

Another key lesson learned on this project is how important it is that the surface you're lining on is really flat. I accepted the slight orange peel finish here, without understanding at the time that it would prevent the lining keeping straight edges, because the paint would move into the lower areas between the raised ones - only tiny amounts it's true, but certainly perceptible. By the time I realised that, I wasn't going to go back and strip it, but on future jobs I'll be much more careful...

[richard i]

Orange peel. That is partly due to the temperature at the time of paint setting once applied. I should know I have an a2/3 which i was too eager to paint in winter.

richard 

[jwealleans]

Sentinel Railcars were lined with a very fine green line in each upper panel.   This photo shows it best of the ones I found quickly online.

 

Whatever you're using as a power unit, do it and yourself a favour by making a new floorpan (I used copperclad plastic) and if you think you can manage it a roof as well.   The cast body is such a heavy lump, a Tenshodo or Black Beetle will last a matter of minutes.   I used a BullAnt Major in mine and didn't regret it for a moment.   Unfortunately he has now ceased manufacturing, but for the next one I build I'll look at the motor bogies which High Level do.  

 

I never found suitable seats for mine either - they're the reversible tramway sort.   They'd suit a 3D print, if anyone fancies having a go.

 

Other point, the HMRS lettering for these is too big.   They did a limited run of 3mm sheets which are correct for 4mm - Mick B used to have a sheet and kindly let me have the lettering for mine, but I don't know what, if any, he might have left.   Your alternative is the revised Fox lettering for Restaurant Cars and the like and see what names you can make from that collection of letters.

 

 

 

[Chas Levin]

3 hours ago, richard i said:

Orange peel. That is partly due to the temperature at the time of paint setting once applied. I should know I have an a2/3 which i was too eager to paint in winter.

richard 

That's the thing isn't it Richard: we get too eager to do the next thing and cause problems.

It occurs to me for the first time as I write this that it might be an advantage of having several projects on the go at once, that no one project gets pushed forwards too fast...? 🤔

I've never been very good at having multiple projects running at once - I tend to get very focussed on one at a time, but perhaps I should cultivate the skill.

I know another advantage is having something else to work on if the mood isn't right for the current job, which is why I've made myself have two things on the go at any rate, but perhaps more is better...

[MikeTrice]

38 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Sentinel Railcars were lined with a very fine green line in each upper panel. 

Excerpt from a photo of Trafalgar. I have adjusted the image to try and highlight the lining. Looks as if there are also the typical LNER vertical lines complete with arrow heads on the upper beading:

[Chas Levin]

30 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Sentinel Railcars were lined with a very fine green line in each upper panel.   This photo shows it best of the ones I found quickly online.

 

Whatever you're using as a power unit, do it and yourself a favour by making a new floorpan (I used copperclad plastic) and if you think you can manage it a roof as well.   The cast body is such a heavy lump, a Tenshodo or Black Beetle will last a matter of minutes.   I used a BullAnt Major in mine and didn't regret it for a moment.   Unfortunately he has now ceased manufacturing, but for the next one I build I'll look at the motor bogies which High Level do.  

 

I never found suitable seats for mine either - they're the reversible tramway sort.   They'd suit a 3D print, if anyone fancies having a go.

 

Other point, the HMRS lettering for these is too big.   They did a limited run of 3mm sheets which are correct for 4mm - Mick B used to have a sheet and kindly let me have the lettering for mine, but I don't know what, if any, he might have left.   Your alternative is the revised Fox lettering for Restaurant Cars and the like and see what names you can make from that collection of letters.

Morning Jonathan, thank you for the info, very interesting. Looking at that photo it's difficult to see exactly what was done (that may be my eyesight of course). Am I right that there's a fine green line around the inside of each cream panel, or is is a double line? I must admit I'd never noticed any lining on these vehicles before, which says something about the small size and low resolution of the photos I've looked at previously, plus my lack of observation!

 

Re. power I actually have a couple of units but it's a while since I looked at what I have so I'll have to check; one was supplied with the kit (which was bought second hand) and one I picked up later and popped into the box for possible use in case the first was a duffer, but I had already been thinking that whatever it is needs to be pretty beefy. For the replacement floorpan I had actually planned on following your build on your West End Workbench thread as a guide.

 

The kit I bought came with a plastic moulded seat interior but I haven't yet looked at how suitable it is - worst case I'll make up some from plastic card...

 

Re. lettering, thanks for that tip too. I do have some of the HMRS I think, amongst my 4mm stock, and I do also have quite a few 3mm versions of their sheets, but I don't think my 3mm stock includes the Sentinel stuff. Interesting idea to use the Fox ones though...🤔

[Chas Levin]

14 minutes ago, MikeTrice said:

Excerpt from a photo of Trafalgar. I have adjusted the image to try and highlight the lining. Looks as if there are also the typical LNER vertical lines complete with arrow heads on the upper beading:

Thanks Mike, looks like a single line and as you say, arrowed-headed verticals on the pillars.

 

Would it be the same green as the lower panels, LNER apple? Guessing it would be - and come to that, with lines that thin on 4mm, no difference in shade would show anyway.

 

But Mike, may I ask both you and @jwealleans, how do you know the lining was green? I can't check the Digby or Carter books right now but i'm fairly sure they don't mention the railcar schemes. Were the Camping stock also lined in their upper panels, as they used a similar green and cream livery?

Edited June 23, 2022 by Chas Levin

[jwealleans]

4 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

how do you know the lining was green?

 

Can't remember - either Yeadon or maybe Brian Haresnape's book?

[Chas Levin]

13 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

Can't remember - either Yeadon or maybe Brian Haresnape's book?

Ah - thank you; I don't think I have anything by him - time to break out the credit card...

[Jon4470]

9 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Ah - thank you; I don't think I have anything by him - time to break out the credit card...

I’ll take a look at these books tonight….I’m interested in this subject because I have a nearly complete railcar in a box. It needs to be lined, needs an interior and a power bogie!

 

jon

Edited June 23, 2022 by Jon4470
Spell checker

[Chas Levin]

35 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

I’ll take a look at these books tonight….I’m interested in this subject because I have a nearly complete railcard in a box. It needs to be lined, needs an interior and a power bogie!

 

jon

Thanks Jon, though I think you mean 'railcar' - if you have a railcard it won't be much use to you right now, sadly! What power bogie options have you been looking at?

[Chas Levin]

Oops - looking on Ebay, I realised I do have Brian Haresnape's "Railway Liveries 1923-47" but I didn't remember there being detail on the railcars: I haven't yet started reading up properly on this project though, so I may have more info than I realise... 😳

 

@jwealleans, Jonathan, I forgot to ask: you also recommend substituting a new roof on the Sentinel and I had assumed I'd use what's there. do you suggest that because the kit's one is too heavy, or because it's split in the middle - necessitating a join that may be difficult to conceal - or for another reason?

[jwealleans]

33 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

do you suggest that because the kit's one is too heavy, or because it's split in the middle

 

Both.   I will look hard at making/using a different roof when I make my next one.   Weight is the main reason, it being easier to replace floor and roof than the sides.    Having the join in the middle was a PITA, but not a massive one.   Where you will find a benefit is having something straight to use to try to wrestle the sides into something like the shape they're meant to be.   My recollection of mine is that the sides were all over the place and the body took a lot of persuading to get anywhere near the right shape.

 

I haven't looked in any detail, but off the top of my head it's a fairly plain roof but with the chimney cutout and the coaling hatch.   I'd look at a Kirk roof first.  If that's nowhere near, you might be able to use the ends of the NuCast one and the Kirk or an MJT or Comet centre section (or even something completely different) if the profiles are not too far away.