Helston Revisited

[longchap]

35 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

The Missenden course are really a great deal of fun. Karl who ran the signal building was brilliant and very helpful. I am booked into the loco kit building course in the spring to make a start on a Metro tank kit.

 

I'm having a Victor Meldrew moment here, as the loco I had packed ready to go to Pendon in July '21 was my small Metro tank! Seems like a pretty good sign to me, so will discuss domestic arrangements for March and hopefully book a place.

 

I have a queue of loco kits needing attention, so this course seems the ideal inspiration 🙂

 

 

Edit: they had 2 places left last night, now happily snapped up by other modellers 😒

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by longchap

[Gilbert]

2 minutes ago, longchap said:

 

I have a queue of loco kits needing attention, so this course seems the ideal inspiration 🙂

Apologies for hijacking Andy's topic - I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the 4mm and smaller kit course is full next spring and there is only one residential place available overall - our 2023 Spring Missenden Railway Modellers Weekend looks to be very popular. It may be worth registering your interest on the "contact us" page of the website in case a place becomes available or subscribe to our (very occasional) newsletter.

https://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/#

We plan to offer the same course in the Autumn (20-22 October 2023)

Chris Hopper

[longchap]

9 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

Apologies for hijacking Andy's topic - I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the 4mm and smaller kit course is full next spring and there is only one residential place available overall - our 2023 Spring Missenden Railway Modellers Weekend looks to be very popular. It may be worth registering your interest on the "contact us" page of the website in case a place becomes available or subscribe to our (very occasional) newsletter.

https://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/#

We plan to offer the same course in the Autumn (20-22 October 2023)

Chris Hopper

 

Hi Chris,

 

I've just done exactly that as you were posting the above. Thank you your vigilance and today's lesson learned is not to put off to tomorrow what you should do today!

 

The saving grace however, is that I can book for October 2023, which is not too bad, as I've been trying to attend such a course since 2020.

 

Bill

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by longchap

[Gilbert]

3 minutes ago, longchap said:

 

Hi Chris,

 

I've just done exactly that as you were posting the above. Thank you your vigilance and today's lesson learned is not to put off to tomorrow what you should do today!

 

Bill

Hi Bill - your form has arrived - I'll wait for a word with my colleagues and one of us will reply to you - thanks for your interest and hopefully we'll see you in 2023 one way or another.

Chris Hopper

(Sorry again Andy)

[Andy Keane]

Just to show I am not completely mono-cultural:

Found these in the attic - they are from my middle daughter's train set. She now has a son so fear he may adopt non-green engines!

[Gilbert]

4 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Found these in the attic - they are from my middle daughter's train set. She now has a son so fear he may adopt non-green engines!

I do hope so..... 😉 but seriously the first "proper" layout I was exposed to was Stan Robert's "Bakewell" when I was an impressionable teenager....I do like a bit of Crimson Lake...or Halfords Ford Gambia Red IIRC.....

Chris H

[longchap]

On 08/11/2022 at 13:21, Andy Keane said:

 

The Missenden course are really a great deal of fun. Karl who ran the signal building was brilliant and very helpful. I am booked into the loco kit building course in the spring to make a start on a Metro tank kit.

 

Here we go again, but, and it's a good but, those fine chaps at Missenden Railway Modellers have found me a place on the spring loco building course, so me and my small Metro tank (hmm, I suspect another loco chassis might sneak into the trunk) will be joining @Andy Keane and the other merry modellers for a weekend of fun.

 

Hopefully a tutor can finally show me how to fold up High Level Kits' etched hornblocks, as I've already mastered how not to!

 

Bill

[Gilbert]

3 hours ago, longchap said:

 

Here we go again, but, and it's a good but, those fine chaps at Missenden Railway Modellers have found me a place on the spring loco building course, so me and my small Metro tank (hmm, I suspect another loco chassis might sneak into the trunk) will be joining @Andy Keane and the other merry modellers for a weekend of fun.

 

Hopefully a tutor can finally show me how to fold up High Level Kits' etched hornblocks, as I've already mastered how not to!

 

Bill

Glad you're sorted Bill - I think you might have had the last but one residential slot for the weekend and the extra places on 4mm and smaller kit building we managed to sort out have been snapped up...see you in March. For the uninitiated we are governed by the size and location of the teaching rooms.... - and the Abbey only has a limited number of bedrooms - although two modellers from my Autumn weathering course booked as non-residential and stayed at the Nags Head - just down the road - and seemed satisfied...

Chris Hopper

Edited November 9, 2022 by Gilbert

[Andy Keane]

3 hours ago, longchap said:

 

Here we go again, but, and it's a good but, those fine chaps at Missenden Railway Modellers have found me a place on the spring loco building course, so me and my small Metro tank (hmm, I suspect another loco chassis might sneak into the trunk) will be joining @Andy Keane and the other merry modellers for a weekend of fun.

 

Hopefully a tutor can finally show me how to fold up High Level Kits' etched hornblocks, as I've already mastered how not to!

 

Bill

Bill

I look forward to meeting in person. You will then see my ham-fisted approach to modelling in close up.

regards

Andy

[longchap]

29 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Bill

I look forward to meeting in person. You will then see my ham-fisted approach to modelling in close up.

regards

Andy

Thanks Andy, as am I. My own ham fists maybe preventing me from folding the tiny hornblocks, but hopefully tomorrow, they can cope with fixing the fuel pump on an old motor even older than me.

 

Perhaps size really does matter 🙄

 

 

[Andy Keane]

I have succumbed to temptation and purchased one of the Dapol streamline railcars in the Rails of Sheffield sale. I got one with the twin cities crest on it and am now consulting with John at YouChoos about sound and stayalive. However I notice in the box there is a little oil lamp that can be glued onto the car so of course I am thinking about a working one while I have the body apart. Does anyone know what lamps these cars operated with when first introduced? Was it just a red tail lamp that was oil and on a lamp bracket or did they also have an oil lamp on the front? This seems to show a red lamp on the rear of one:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ff1c0878500a82fe9da1c0d/1646499707171-K3HS6RED7OR1M2PHXMZR/Screen+Shot+2022-03-05+at+17.01.21.png?format=750w

Also any thoughts on what colours to paint the interior would be appreciated.

Andy

Edited November 13, 2022 by Andy Keane

[MrWolf]

Interior colours would be useful advice as I'm tempted to take my full skirted one apart and add some passengers, so other details would be useful, as well as a colour photo of the cab interior.

The big question though is that if you fit a driver figure to one end, it won't be right travelling in the opposite direction. So two driver figures and say that one is the guard taking a rest? 🤔

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, Andy Keane said:

I have succumbed to temptation and purchased one of the Dapol streamline railcars in the Rails of Sheffield sale. I got one with the twin cities crest on it and am now consulting with John at YouChoos about sound and stayalive. However I notice in the box there is a little oil lamp that can be glued onto the car so of course I am thinking about a working one while I have the body apart. Does anyone know what lamps these cars operated with when first introduced? Was it just a red tail lamp that was oil and on a lamp bracket or did they also have an oil lamp on the front? This seems to show a red lamp on the rear of one:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ff1c0878500a82fe9da1c0d/1646499707171-K3HS6RED7OR1M2PHXMZR/Screen+Shot+2022-03-05+at+17.01.21.png?format=750w

Also any thoughts on what colours to paint the interior would be appreciated.

Andy

 

As I understand it, a red (oil) lamp was fitted at the back - nothing at the front.

 

15 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Interior colours would be useful advice as I'm tempted to take my full skirted one apart and add some passengers, so other details would be useful, as well as a colour photo of the cab interior.

The big question though is that if you fit a driver figure to one end, it won't be right travelling in the opposite direction. So two driver figures and say that one is the guard taking a rest? 🤔

 

I work on the basis that you only see one end at a time.... and therefore only fit a driver - so far I have done it at one end, but need to do both.

 

Somewhere I have interior photos from Swindon (no 4) and Didcot (no 22)

 

Good luck!

[Andy Keane]

The double ended problem is a conundrum. I could put a working red lamp each end and a driver each end and only turn on one lamp and as noted above assume the redundant driver was a guard or other GWR employee. On interior colour I have seen restored cars in pictures with both green and maroon seat covers. But I note some models with a tan (leatherette) colour to the seats. Also with chocolate coloured internal sides up to the windows. Clearly the all yellow interior has to go, perhaps just being left for the upper internal sides and internal roof.

[The Stationmaster]

On 13/11/2022 at 12:44, Andy Keane said:

I have succumbed to temptation and purchased one of the Dapol streamline railcars in the Rails of Sheffield sale. I got one with the twin cities crest on it and am now consulting with John at YouChoos about sound and stayalive. However I notice in the box there is a little oil lamp that can be glued onto the car so of course I am thinking about a working one while I have the body apart. Does anyone know what lamps these cars operated with when first introduced? Was it just a red tail lamp that was oil and on a lamp bracket or did they also have an oil lamp on the front? This seems to show a red lamp on the rear of one:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ff1c0878500a82fe9da1c0d/1646499707171-K3HS6RED7OR1M2PHXMZR/Screen+Shot+2022-03-05+at+17.01.21.png?format=750w

Also any thoughts on what colours to paint the interior would be appreciated.

Andy

When the streamline cars were first introduced they ran for a few years using the built in electric tail light but this was replaced no later than March 1937 by a revised Instruction to use an oil tail lamp instead.  It's possible that a letter required oil tail lamps to be used prior to that date  Fortunately Dapol took note of my advice in this respect and altered their model to reflect the revised Instruction by including a tail lamp.  The tail lamp was only required to be alight as required in the list below for the electric tail light.

 

Prior to the March 1937 Instruction the electric tail light was only required to be turned on when passing through a tunnel, or after sunset, or during fog or falling snow. Headlights, showing either Class A or Class B code, were only required to be turned on in similar circumstances to those originally specified for the tail light.

 

The cars had tail lamp brackets originally and always carried a spare oil tail amp although this was mainly intended to be used when the car was stabled ina siding etc but it could serve as a substitute for a defective electric tail light.

 

So pre March 1937 t you can run it with no oil tail lamp and indeed no lights illuminated at all except after sunset or when your fog or snow generators are working 😇

Edited November 14, 2022 by The Stationmaster

[Andy Keane]

23 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

When the streamline cars were first introduced they ran for a few years using the built in electric tail light but this was replaced no later than March 1937 by a revised Instruction to use an oil tail lamp instead.  It's possible that a letter required oil tail lamps to be used prior to that date  Fortunately Dapol took note of my advice in this respect and altered their model to reflect the revised Instruction by including a tail lamp.  The tail lamp was only required to be alight as required in the list below for the electric tail light.

 

Prior to the March 1937 Instruction the electric tail light was only required to be turned on when passing through a tunnel, or after sunset, or during fog or falling snow. Headlights, showing either Class A or Class B code, were only required to be turned on in similar circumstances to those originally specified for the tail light.

 

The cars had tail lamp brackets originally and always carried a spare oil tail amp although this was mainly intended to be used when the car was stabled ina siding etc but it could serve as a substitute for a defective electric tail light.

 

So pre March 1937 t you can run it with no oil tail lamp and indeed no lights illuminated at all except after sunset or when your fog or snow generators are working 😇

Thanks - that's really helpful and saves me having to run in wires for the tail lamp. I will just fit the little brackets they supply instead.

Still pondering what seat colours to use though.

regards

Andy

[5BarVT]

8 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

Thanks - that's really helpful and saves me having to run in wires for the tail lamp. I will just fit the little brackets they supply instead.

Still pondering what seat colours to use though.

regards

Andy

Went back through my Didcot photos (from 2016 I think) and found photos of the outside, the cab, underneath, but none of inside the passenger area. Sorry.

In the immortal words of Arthur Lowe: “You stupid boy”.

Paul.

[Andy Keane]

I am looking at modelling the little detector / selector mechanism that links points to cable runs. I asked Wizard models who do the MSE stuff if they did such things and he said "they’re so obscure that I’d never make a return on doing them". I wondered if anyone knew of anyone who had modelled them ever. Or if I got a load eteched if anyone might want some.

Andy

[Neal Ball]

31 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

I am looking at modelling the little detector / selector mechanism that links points to cable runs. I asked Wizard models who do the MSE stuff if they did such things and he said "they’re so obscure that I’d never make a return on doing them". I wondered if anyone knew of anyone who had modelled them ever. Or if I got a load eteched if anyone might want some.

Andy

Sounds like a candidate for 3D printing Andy.

[Graham T]

16 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

Sounds like a candidate for 3D printing Andy.

 

Maybe something that @chuffinghell could be persuaded to print?

 

[MrWolf]

I'm sure he's capable, but I know he's spending so much time at work he's been getting his mail redirected.

And there was a minor Hindenburg moment with the printer during one of our more recent experiments, but I think that has been sorted.

[Andy Keane]

I thought an etch would be stronger since they are very flat with a slot in. But I would only want about half a dozen at most!

If they were printed I think they would either be very fragile or rather clumsy in shape.

Andy

[CoombeTown]

@Andy Keane have you looked at the Ambis Engineering range, they seem to include detectors already.

l've only seen their pictures and not really considered adding them to Coombe Town.

Might be something of interest rather than reinventing the wheel.

 

Dom

[Andy Keane]

4 hours ago, DRoe96 said:

@Andy Keane have you looked at the Ambis Engineering range, they seem to include detectors already.

l've only seen their pictures and not really considered adding them to Coombe Town.

Might be something of interest rather than reinventing the wheel.

 

Dom

Dom

many thanks - I did not know these existed so have made contact and will order up some parts and see how I get on.

Andy

[Andy Keane]

I have spent the last while building up the goods platform with its end loading ramp. Currently the surface is textured black tarmac paint but this will get toned down when the stonework gets painted. The little red rectangle is the quarry tiled forecourt for the stable block which lives on the hill. This will be 3/4 relief as the actual building would overhang the back of the baseboard. I shall have to figure out how to paint the rest of it onto the backscene but first I will have to build it. The hill is blue foam now painted with Foamcoat to armour it. Quite a good but expensive substance.