Dewchurch 3

[Gopher]

The 9F referred to in the post above.  Still going strong,  I added a bit more weathering a few years ago, and upgraded the sound decoder, and managed to get a speaker in the smokebox  (original was in the tender).  Am I the only person who think these beasts are a thing of beauty ?  Obviously the grimier they are the more beautiful they become.  😃 

 

[Neal Ball]

A 9F at the head of a mineral train is certainly a thing of beauty.

[RobAllen]

The 9F just oozes power and competence.  If I ever had the space to model the SDJR main line, I'd consider setting it in BR days just so I could run 9Fs on long goods trains  and on the Pines Express.

Edited December 11, 2023 by RobAllen

[Fishplate]

1 hour ago, Gopher said:

Am I the only person who think these beasts are a thing of beauty ? 

 

No you're not. Had the opportunity for a modern model of Evening Star recently, something I had hankered after as a youngster but never achieved. Definitely a "Rule 1 applies" locomotive on my layout.

[Gopher]

Final trip down memory lane.  These are very dodgy photos,(scanned from the original non digital photos).  They are views of my loft layout - Llantwit Major.  DC layout started in 1988, track was Peco Code 100, virtually all buildings were made from Linka.  Track plan was a compressed version of the real track plan.  I had photos of most of the buildings apart from the goods shed which I built from memory - having spent many childhood hours playing at the station, and goods yard in particular. 

 

 When I eventually saw a photo of the goods shed, I realised my memory was pretty good, apart from the way I modelled the roof canopy over the road access doors.  When I knew the station,  the old cattle pens were used by Mr Williams the coal merchant to store household coal.  The pens were bigger than those shown on my model in the photo below.   Some of the items (yard crane, curved wall near the station, some vehicles, trees, some figures) visible in the photos below are currently in use on Dewchurch 3.  Scenery included lichen, dyed medical lint for the grass ,

 

I lived close to the station for a while, before it closed.  I can remember the very last DMU passenger service heading off towards Cardiff at night with detonators exploding.  The station building and waiting shelter are reasonable copies of the real thing.  The landscape the station is set in on my model,  is not totally accurate, and my model has straight platforms where as the real thing had slightly curved platforms.  Four tracks ran through the station, so that the passenger trains could get out of the way of the coal trains heading to Barry docks before WW1.  In South Wales coal was king before WW1

 

Loads of childhood memories of the station.  On Sundays the Vale of Glamorgan line was used as a diversionary route whilst engineering works were carried out on the S Wales main line between Cardiff and Swansea.   So as well as the usual local passenger service (Class 116 DMUs), and block coal trains heading for Aberthaw power station (Class 37 hauled - or EE Type 3 as they were known then), there were also a procession of maroon Class 52 Western hauled express passenger trains, Class 123 intercity DMUs, and the odd steam hauled goods train.   I can also remember the local steam hauled pick up goods shunting the yard, and the headshunt siding stabling two or three, steam hauled special passenger trains which dropped their passengers off at St Athan for the annual Battle of Britain day air display.  These were empty stock stabled at Llantwit for most of a Saturday afternoon, until the trains headed back to St Athan late afternoon to take the passengers home.     

 

One of the items on my bucket list is to build a more prototypical model of this station set in the early 1960s - need a fair bit of space to do it justice though.                              

 

[Gopher]

Here is the new Accurascale EE Type 3 (Class 37).  Still brand spanking new.  Posed next to the new Bachmann Class 37 which I have weathered.

 

I changed the headcode, added a driver and buffer detail to the Accurascale model.  They publish some very useful guides on their website with instructions on how to do this.  I'll also  post some photos.  Next job is to weather it.

 

I also received a new tablet speaker which hopefully I will fit to the Bachmann 37 this afternoon (if I get time).  Should be straightforward,  remove sugar cube speaker and solder new speaker wires to speaker tabs on circuit board    

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Gopher

[Gopher]

Accurascale Class 37 now has a driver (seen driving down Canal Street)

 

 

Here is the body with head code panels removed ready for some new numbers

 

Here is the new head code.  I've changed the right hand panel from 11 to 57 since this photo was taken. Reason was I'd fitted the head codes to the body and then started my basic weathering process, part of which is using a diluted paint wash.  This dribbled into the right hand panel, and obliterated the number 11.      

Edited December 13, 2023 by Gopher

[Gopher]

Here is the loco before weathering but with driver, new head codes and buffer beam detail added 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Gopher

[MrWolf]

Top marks for having the courage to take an expensive new loco apart and giving it some individuality. Will it be running freshly outshopped with a little dullness to the frames or are we going all out?

[88C]

Interesting to read about your Llantwit Major layout. My ideal model would be a Vale of Glamorgan station, sadly I don’t have space but I could justify running all of my Barry Railway and Great Western stock except Kings and 47xx unless Rule 1 was invoked. My railway interest stems from holidays with my Grandparents who lived above the VoG cutting just out of Barry station.

 

Well done on all of your layouts.

 

Brian

[Gopher]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Top marks for having the courage to take an expensive new loco apart and giving it some individuality. Will it be running freshly outshopped with a little dullness to the frames or are we going all out?

Thanks Rob, I have been caught out before, where I weathered a loco, and then it developed a fault (not my weathering).  Anyway - tried to return it under warranty.  No go because I had invalidated the guarantee.  So there is always a risk when my impatience takes hold, because a pristine loco on my layout  - bugs me.

 

One of my challenges with weathering is not to go over the top.  I've just completed my first phase weathering on the new Class 37, and already it looks like it must have been outshopped in Victorian times.  Having said that phase 1 tends to be mainly the roof, which got pretty dirty pretty quickly. 

[Gopher]

2 hours ago, 88C said:

Interesting to read about your Llantwit Major layout. My ideal model would be a Vale of Glamorgan station, sadly I don’t have space but I could justify running all of my Barry Railway and Great Western stock except Kings and 47xx unless Rule 1 was invoked. My railway interest stems from holidays with my Grandparents who lived above the VoG cutting just out of Barry station.

 

Well done on all of your layouts.

 

Brian

Hello Brian, and thanks for your comments.  I often pop into your Llanforen thread.  The station building is just typical Barry Railway. 

 

The larger Vale of Glam stations (Llantwit, Southerndown Road, Aberthaw)  always fascinate me.   All four track layouts with (to my eyes) attractive station buildings in red and cream brick.  Southerndown Road is in the middle of no-where, couple of miles at least from Southerndown village, and beach.  Of course the clue is always any ex GW station with road in the title.  I must have read The Vale of Glamorgan Railway book by Colin Chapman dozens of times.  Similar with the Rails to Prosperity book by Brian Miller.  Both have some great photos.

 

One of the attractions of the line to me, was the mainline locos which used it as a diversionary route (with the exception of Kings and 47xx).  I have photos of Castle headed express trains on the line, not sure about Britannia's though.  Not sure if they worked beyond Cardiff, on London - Swansea expresses.

 

I bet your Grandparents house was a great place to holiday given its proximity to the line.

 

Space is my problem (and the reluctance to scrap Dewchurch 3). 

 

Best Wishes

 

Clive              

[88C]

Hello Clive, in John Hodge’s book Barry it’s railway and port there are several photos of Castles on diversions and also one of 70025 Morning Star in the cutting, my grandparents house is just out of shot to the left.

 

An annual two week holiday has certainly left it’s mark.

 

Best wishes,

 

Brian

[Gopher]

Here are the results of Phase 1 weathering.  I have used my go to weathering colour.  Tamiya Nato Black - diluted.  This is a grey/black colour, and I use it on every model I weather.  I have applied it to the engine room grills by paint brush.  The roof by bow pen and paint brush (wiping off any excess with tissue to get some rain water streaks on the roof).  l have also used the bow pen to apply it to any panel lines.  

 

Panel lines are a bit of a challenge because the paint consistency has to be spot on, so it flows easily but does not flow away.  If it is too thick it leaves blobs or thick un-realistic lines. I'm also not diligent enough in thoroughly cleaning the bow pen, so paint does not always flow as required.  I have panel liner (used on my recent build of the Centurion tank).  It is good stuff but a little bit too diluted for this job.  Easy to apply to panel lines, but does not seem to leave much of a residue on any vertical panel lines ( unless I turn the model on its side) 

 

At the moment I have not touched the bogies or underframe, but have toned down the buffers and buffer beams with diluted Nato Black. 

 

Phase 2 is airbrush time.  I'll start by adding matt black to the roof where the exhausts sit.  I'll then mist (yes you've guessed it) diluted Nato black over the roof to blend it all in a bit.  The bogies and underframe will also have an application of diluted Nato Black, and whilst still wet, I will spray diluted Life colour Frame dirt and Track dirt in various combinations until I get a variety in tone on the bogies and underframe.  This really is  make it up as I go along.  I keep tinkering until I get the effect I am after.  The risk being I go too far.  I also mist frame dirt and /or track dirt over the body (except roof).  

 

If I'm wise - I'll then walk away for a day and look at the results when it has all dried.  (I clean wheels straight away once I've finished airbrushing).  If I am happy with it - I will pick out some details by brush.  Possibly pick out brake blocks if my airbrushing has not done the job.  Grease spots on buffers using Tamiya gun metal.  Grease spots on bogie bearing covers, and maybe fuel spill from fuel tanks.  I may also lightly dry brush a metallic or gun metal colour on any sharp metal edges - e.g. steps, grab handles - or anywhere which is metal and subject to wear.       

 

Sometime I spray matt varnish over the finished model (masking windows, wheel etc).  I tend not to do this very often.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Gopher]

17 minutes ago, 88C said:

Hello Clive, in John Hodge’s book Barry it’s railway and port there are several photos of Castles on diversions and also one of 70025 Morning Star in the cutting, my grandparents house is just out of shot to the left.

 

An annual two week holiday has certainly left it’s mark.

 

Best wishes,

 

Brian

Thanks Brian - I have that book.  I'll dig it out.  

 

Best Wishes

 

Clive

[lezz01]

The aircraft modelling fraternity use pencil to bring out the panel lines. It's a method I've used myself on aircraft and I have to say it works very well. It's easy to do and easy to remove as well if it goes wrong. Have a look on YouTube there are a lot of videos out there. I can talk you through it but a picture paints a thousand words and a video even more.

Regards Lez.   

[Fishplate]

5 hours ago, Gopher said:

Accurascale Class 37 now has a driver (seen driving down Canal Street)

 

With ref to driving locos down the road, I was involved in the creation of a new railway yard near a high security prison. They were one of the formal consultees for planning approval. They objected as they were concerned that an inmate could be released by his mates hijacking a locomotive and crashing it through buffer stops, drive it over a road, through a car park and penetrating the outer wall.

 

The project was unable to convince the prison authorities that this was a highly unlikely scenario, nor prove it could not be done. Goodness knows what speed a loco would need to leave the track at, or which way it would have gone when it was unguided. . . .

 

The design was only approved after we proposed lowering the track a metre below road level to prevent such an occurence.

 

As far as I am aware no prisoners have escaped using this methodology. I can't recall how much was spent digging a hole one metre deep for numerous sidings to prevent someone being liberated.

[Gopher]

24 minutes ago, Fishplate said:

 

With ref to driving locos down the road, I was involved in the creation of a new railway yard near a high security prison. They were one of the formal consultees for planning approval. They objected as they were concerned that an inmate could be released by his mates hijacking a locomotive and crashing it through buffer stops, drive it over a road, through a car park and penetrating the outer wall.

 

The project was unable to convince the prison authorities that this was a highly unlikely scenario, nor prove it could not be done. Goodness knows what speed a loco would need to leave the track at, or which way it would have gone when it was unguided. . . .

 

The design was only approved after we proposed lowering the track a metre below road level to prevent such an occurence.

 

As far as I am aware no prisoners have escaped using this methodology. I can't recall how much was spent digging a hole one metre deep for numerous sidings to prevent someone being liberated.

Sorry John - could not find a symbol/emoji for "They must be idiots".    Nice to know that they still walk amongst us, and unfortunately occasionally are in positions of influence 😲

[Gopher]

3 hours ago, lezz01 said:

The aircraft modelling fraternity use pencil to bring out the panel lines. It's a method I've used myself on aircraft and I have to say it works very well. It's easy to do and easy to remove as well if it goes wrong. Have a look on YouTube there are a lot of videos out there. I can talk you through it but a picture paints a thousand words and a video even more.

Regards Lez.   

Thanks Lez - I'll have a look on the Tube 

[Gopher]

The 15xx  complete with firebox glow - heads through Harewood Halt with its goods train

 

[Gopher]

One from the archive.  Platform 1 - Dewchurch

 

[Gopher]

Finished weathering the Accurascale Class 37.  Lovely model, runs so well with a great sound project.  

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by Gopher

[lezz01]

You've made a lovely job of that 37 mate.

Regards Lez.

 

[Gopher]

9 hours ago, lezz01 said:

You've made a lovely job of that 37 mate.

Regards Lez.

 

Thanks Lez, my weathering is always a bit trial and error. 

 

Best Wishes

 

Clive

[lezz01]

Well I remember when 37s looked like that in actual service and you've got that one spot on Clive.

Regards Lez.