Chuffnell Regis

[Gedward]

I don't know why but I've always been a big fan of cranes. I had a huge amount of Meccano as a kid. And all I wanted to do was to make bigger and bigger cranes. Crawler cranes, tower cranes, dockside cranes. Might have a go at scratch building one sometime.

 

 

[Graham T]

Meccano was (is?) a great toy I think.  And also Lego of course!

[John Besley]

8 hours ago, Gedward said:

I don't know why but I've always been a big fan of cranes. I had a huge amount of Meccano as a kid. And all I wanted to do was to make bigger and bigger cranes. Crawler cranes, tower cranes, dockside cranes. Might have a go at scratch building one sometime.

 

 

 

and the giant block laying crane?

[John Besley]

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

Meccano was (is?) a great toy I think.  And also Lego of course!

 

Their gears are a great help in building a reduction gearbox for my Garrett steam tractor 

[Graham T]

I think I may have to buy some for when my daughters next visit 🙂

[Graham T]

Some enjoyable pottering about was done at Chuffnell R today.  The goods yard crane got lots of attention from the paint brush.  Painting the chain was tricky, and I've managed to clog a couple of the links unfortunately...  I need to get some chemical blackener I think, but it's proving tricky to find here - partly because my German is still schlecht.

 

Then an overall coat of Tamiya flat black to prime it - painting dark grey plastic black is interesting!  Then a (deliberately) hit and miss coat of Tamiya light grey.  This was followed with a black wash, and then a rust wash, and a very slight brushing of oily steel onto the gear teeth.  And then I mixed some rust weathering powder with water and applied that here and there; having different colours of rust was the idea, but not too much of it.

 

 

Here's the obligatory cruel close-up.  I'll probably do another restrained black wash around the gears, to suggest their being oily.  Not sure if the winding handles should also be picked out in a different colour, does anyone know?  Bueller?

 

 

 

[Graham T]

The other mini-project was to build some bits and pieces for the area around the water tower.  These are all from what I've seen in photos from one of Paul Karau's excellent books.  From left to right we've got a small cabinet, then an inspection hatch (?) next to the tower itself.  The fire devil got a liberal dosing of rust weathering powder, mixed to a paste with water and then spread about.  Will have to see how that dries out, and if it will need sealing or not.  Then there's a small concrete coal store for the fire devil; I don't know whether to leave that where it is or move it to the right of the main drain?  Said drain cover has been mounted on a piece of plasticard, to represent the concrete drain itself.  I still need to add a post for restraining the chain at the end of the feed arm.

 

Once I'm happy with the final positions of everything I'll fix them to the plasticard base (after airbrushing the tower, which you might have gathered I'm putting off at the moment...)

 

As ever, any comments, criticisms, suggestions, and so on are more than welcome!

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Graham T

[Neal Ball]

Morning Graham, that crane looks just about right, I don’t think it needs anything else.

 

Around the water crane, the bag would rest over the drain as you have shown, there would be a post to fix the chain to, so it doesn’t stay back onto the tracks if it’s windy. The chain would be fixed at the top of the bag, which is how the fireman would get the spout over to the loco.

 

To my mind, that coal bin looks very big, have you got photos of something that sort of size? I’m away from my books to be able to check. Generally the fire devils would only be used as a warming heat, rather than a blazing fire!

 

Hope that all helps.

 

Hows the station building coming on?

 

Regards, Neal.

[KNP]

Water tower

Generally, looks fine but, like Neal, I think the coal bin is too large. Very often they would just use a wheelbarrow to not only bring the coal over but store it in as well.

The fire devil would sit directly under the metal feed pipe from the tank near the bend so the heat from it would stop the water freezing in the pipe.

A post is needed to hook the handling chain to, to stop the feed pipe swinging about in the breeze.

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, KNP said:

Water tower

Generally, looks fine but, like Neal, I think the coal bin is too large. Very often they would just use a wheelbarrow to not only bring the coal over but store it in as well.

The fire devil would sit directly under the metal feed pipe from the tank near the bend so the heat from it would stop the water freezing in the pipe.

A post is needed to hook the handling chain to, to stop the feed pipe swinging about in the breeze.

 

Thanks for the feedback Kevin.  Here's the basis for the coal bin, from Watlington.  Maybe I need to make it a little lower?  The post for the chain is already on the (long) to-do list!

 

 

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Morning Graham, that crane looks just about right, I don’t think it needs anything else.

 

Around the water crane, the bag would rest over the drain as you have shown, there would be a post to fix the chain to, so it doesn’t stay back onto the tracks if it’s windy. The chain would be fixed at the top of the bag, which is how the fireman would get the spout over to the loco.

 

To my mind, that coal bin looks very big, have you got photos of something that sort of size? I’m away from my books to be able to check. Generally the fire devils would only be used as a warming heat, rather than a blazing fire!

 

Hope that all helps.

 

Hows the station building coming on?

 

Regards, Neal.

 

Thanks Neal - see above please for the photo.

 

As for the station building...

 

I had an email exchange with York Modelmaking about getting windows, doors, and quoins laser cut.  I sent then some photos and measurements and they came back with a price for 3 doors and 10 sash windows of £69.58, plus £39.00 for the quoins.  (I should probably have said thanks, but no thanks, at this point...)  This also included a couple of sheets of roof tiles, which would be off the shelf items.  On the assumption that they would have done this sort of bespoke work many times before, and having sent them photos of the building as well, I asked for their opinion on the measurements I had estimated.  They didn’t reply to that question.

 

Having no patience, as usual, and a weak brain, I went ahead and transferred them £122.30, including the postage to Austria.

 

I then received a drawing from them.  Printing this full size it became obvious that the doors and windows were going to be slightly too big (my mistake), and that York had drawn the quoins much too small (their mistake).

 

I sent them the revised measurements, and was told they would charge another £47 for the added drawing work.  I told them I wasn't happy with this.  Without being rude, they basically told me "it is what is".  I told them I didn't want to proceed.

 

York have refunded “the cost of laser-cutting the drawn parts (£29.98) and the delivery charge (£11.50)”.  Nothing more.  So I am out of pocket by £80.82 with nothing to show for it.

 

 I then went to LCut Creative.  They will produce the windows, doors, and quoins, and send by tracked delivery to Austria for £51.80.  No payment up front.  Quite a difference isn’t it?  About one-third of the cost…

[Bluemonkey presents....]

Wow, that's not as way to encourage repeat custom. I always (and probably ignorantly) thought railway modelling to be fun, friendly and helpful not cut-throat, profiteering and demanding. I have learnt many things returning to the hobby many of which I wish I hadn't. I feel your pain and annoyance Graham.

[CoombeTown]

41 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

Thanks Neal - see above please for the photo.

 

As for the station building...

 

I had an email exchange with York Modelmaking about getting windows, doors, and quoins laser cut.  I sent then some photos and measurements and they came back with a price for 3 doors and 10 sash windows of £69.58, plus £39.00 for the quoins.  (I should probably have said thanks, but no thanks, at this point...)  This also included a couple of sheets of roof tiles, which would be off the shelf items.  On the assumption that they would have done this sort of bespoke work many times before, and having sent them photos of the building as well, I asked for their opinion on the measurements I had estimated.  They didn’t reply to that question.

 

Having no patience, as usual, and a weak brain, I went ahead and transferred them £122.30, including the postage to Austria.

 

I then received a drawing from them.  Printing this full size it became obvious that the doors and windows were going to be slightly too big (my mistake), and that York had drawn the quoins much too small (their mistake).

 

I sent them the revised measurements, and was told they would charge another £47 for the added drawing work.  I told them I wasn't happy with this.  Without being rude, they basically told me "it is what is".  I told them I didn't want to proceed.

 

York have refunded “the cost of laser-cutting the drawn parts (£29.98) and the delivery charge (£11.50)”.  Nothing more.  So I am out of pocket by £80.82 with nothing to show for it.

 

 I then went to LCut Creative.  They will produce the windows, doors, and quoins, and send by tracked delivery to Austria for £51.80.  No payment up front.  Quite a difference isn’t it?  About one-third of the cost…

Thanks for this Graham, I've been looking at the YMM service for a while for the signal box windows at Coombe Town, but I think I will avoid them.

Are LCut producing the laser cutting artwork for you as well in that price?

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, Bluemonkey presents.... said:

Wow, that's not as way to encourage repeat custom. I always (and probably ignorantly) thought railway modelling to be fun, friendly and helpful not cut-throat, profiteering and demanding. I have learnt many things returning to the hobby many of which I wish I hadn't. I feel your pain and annoyance Graham.

 

Well as you can imagine I don't think I'll be going to them again!

[Graham T]

34 minutes ago, DRoe96 said:

Thanks for this Graham, I've been looking at the YMM service for a while for the signal box windows at Coombe Town, but I think I will avoid them.

Are LCut producing the laser cutting artwork for you as well in that price?

 

I didn't actually ask about artwork - perhaps I should have done?  I gave Jakub the sizes and quantities I need, and the photos of Rowden Mill.  He says he will make the sash windows in two layers.

[Graham T]

The rust weathering powder on the fire devil seems to have worked out ok.  It doesn't dislodge with a paintbrush anyway, and as you can see from the photo (despite the poor focus) it gives some quite nice texture.

 

[Rowsley17D]

Sorry to hear about your experience with YMM, Graham. With me, I found them to be very helpful but I have never ordered bespoke items. Although my station doors and windows were originally bespoke by another modeller, they were not featured online but as I knew they had already done the work they charged me their usual pricing. They are more expensive than others, though.

[Andy Keane]

2 hours ago, DRoe96 said:

Thanks for this Graham, I've been looking at the YMM service for a while for the signal box windows at Coombe Town, but I think I will avoid them.

Are LCut producing the laser cutting artwork for you as well in that price?

LCut are simply brilliant. If any of you have been following my build they have made all the parts for my station, goods shed, loco shed and carriage shed. Jakub is highly skilled and also test cuts parts before he ships as part of the deal - I cannot recommended them too highly.

really professional

Andy

[Graham T]

Thanks Andy.  Seeing the stuff he has done for Helston was one of the reasons I contacted him, in fact.

[Graham T]

I've also been cobbling together a base for the goods yard crane.  In true Blue Peter style, this uses the top from a milk carton and some plasticard!  Faller specify a 6.2mm hole for the spigot at the base of the crane.  Strangely enough, I don't have a 6.2mm drill bit, so had to use a 6mm bit and then open out the hole with a needle file.  Why Faller couldn't have made the spigot 6mm is beyond me...

 

[Neal Ball]

7 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Thanks Neal - see above please for the photo.

 

As for the station building...

 

I had an email exchange with York Modelmaking about getting windows, doors, and quoins laser cut.  I sent then some photos and measurements and they came back with a price for 3 doors and 10 sash windows of £69.58, plus £39.00 for the quoins.  (I should probably have said thanks, but no thanks, at this point...)  This also included a couple of sheets of roof tiles, which would be off the shelf items.  On the assumption that they would have done this sort of bespoke work many times before, and having sent them photos of the building as well, I asked for their opinion on the measurements I had estimated.  They didn’t reply to that question.

 

Having no patience, as usual, and a weak brain, I went ahead and transferred them £122.30, including the postage to Austria.

 

I then received a drawing from them.  Printing this full size it became obvious that the doors and windows were going to be slightly too big (my mistake), and that York had drawn the quoins much too small (their mistake).

 

I sent them the revised measurements, and was told they would charge another £47 for the added drawing work.  I told them I wasn't happy with this.  Without being rude, they basically told me "it is what is".  I told them I didn't want to proceed.

 

York have refunded “the cost of laser-cutting the drawn parts (£29.98) and the delivery charge (£11.50)”.  Nothing more.  So I am out of pocket by £80.82 with nothing to show for it.

 

 I then went to LCut Creative.  They will produce the windows, doors, and quoins, and send by tracked delivery to Austria for £51.80.  No payment up front.  Quite a difference isn’t it?  About one-third of the cost…

Ouch! 
that’s ridiculous, I’d complain big time.

 

more to the point it’s unacceptable 

[Neal Ball]

4 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

LCut are simply brilliant. If any of you have been following my build they have made all the parts for my station, goods shed, loco shed and carriage shed. Jakub is highly skilled and also test cuts parts before he ships as part of the deal - I cannot recommended them too highly.

really professional

Andy

Definitely Lcut are recommended 

 

the parts for my signal box and platform canopy came from them.

 

3 hours ago, Graham T said:

I've also been cobbling together a base for the goods yard crane.  In true Blue Peter style, this uses the top from a milk carton and some plasticard!  Faller specify a 6.2mm hole for the spigot at the base of the crane.  Strangely enough, I don't have a 6.2mm drill bit, so had to use a 6mm bit and then open out the hole with a needle file.  Why Faller couldn't have made the spigot 6mm is beyond me...

 

 

Can I say…, it looks a bit high, I think the plinth should be a bit lower…. Sorry

[Graham T]

14 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Ouch! 
that’s ridiculous, I’d complain big time.

 

more to the point it’s unacceptable 

 

I did complain Neal, and as a last resort told them I'd share my experience on here.  Got me nowhere I'm afraid.

[Graham T]

6 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Can I say…, it looks a bit high, I think the plinth should be a bit lower…. Sorry

 

Yes I think you're right.  I'm going to set it into the ground a little.

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 

I did complain Neal, and as a last resort told them I'd share my experience on here.  Got me nowhere I'm afraid.

But now we all know.