'Ballamoddey' - 1937 on the Mid Sodor Railway

[NHY 581]

On 11/02/2022 at 06:48, Tom F said:

'The climb from Cas-ny-Hawin'

November, 1924

 

 

 

Stunning. 

[billywhizz]

Another stunning photo Tom. 
Do you exhibit you layouts?

Regards, 

Bill. 

 

[Tom F]

11 hours ago, billywhizz said:

Another stunning photo Tom. 
Do you exhibit you layouts?

Regards, 

Bill. 

 

Thanks for the kind comments Bill.

 

I had originally planned to exhibit, but ultimately I wasn’t happy leaving my border collie at home. 
 

I must admit I don’t enjoy shows like I use to and get far more enjoyment having operating sessions with friends coming round. I also really enjoy the photographic side of it too.

[Tom F]

Brought out of retirement my intentio workbench so I’m able to do some modelling in the warmth of the living room.

 

Four more items of goods stock built up for the Mid Sodor.

 

[Tom F]

Finished the building batch with an additional three wagons. A Penrhyn Fullersite wagon and two WHR goods vans (they are a favourite of mine)

 

 

 

[billywhizz]

Very nice Tom. 
You really are not helping me trying to resist starting a small 009 project!!

I think the Bachmann Drewry shunters and RNAD wagons will finally tip me over the edge. 
Great work, keep the progress coming. Looking forward to seeing the latest batch of wagons finished and photographed on the layout!

Cheers. 
Bill. 

[Tom F]

I'm moving onto some Mercian kits I have to build (about depleted the plastic kit range). I have a nice Fes Van and 1 plank open to build. I've soldered before (happily make up small masokit couplings and lamp irons), however I  get a bit twitchy when it comes to kits.

 

The Mercian kit looks to be a fold up design (I have a small 'hold n fold' jig.  

 

Could anyone share some tips and advice for soldering up etched brass wagon kits?

 

Many thanks

 

[Tom F]

Well.....we didn't even get to the soldering stage!

I began carefully folding the underframe underneath the van, which went ok. Then came to folder it up into a box.

The lower edges have begun to warps as they but up against each other.

I've no intention to take it any further, and I'm going to have a look if anyone does a 3D print of the Fes van. 

[NeilHB]

That's a shame Tom. I don't have much expertise building etched brass kits, but on those that I have built I've sometimes found it necessary to deepen the fold lines slightly by scoring them (use a Scrawker tool for this). A little desk mounted vice can also be useful when combined with a decent steel ruler or two for folding parts.

 

Looking at the prototype, I wonder if the van would make for an easy scratchbuild project out of plastic sheet? You could probably use the underframe and strapping parts from the etched kit. 

[Siberian Snooper]

Can you take a photo, the other way up?

 

 

[didcot]

You might find you are able to ease it back by putting a block of metal behind it. Make sure it's square. 

Have a look at the Severn Models page https://severnmodels.com/epages/eshop1179816.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop1179816/Categories/AboutKits

They use glue instead of solder which may be easier if you don't want to solder it.

[MrWolf]

You might also find it easier to get an accurate bend if the jaws of your folding device have very precise edges (corners!) and the metal is tightly gripped as it is folded.

The problem which you have there is the material peeling out of the clamp / folder as pressure is applied to the piece being bent over. 

With practice this can be useful for forming rounded corners on tanks etc.

[Tom F]

Thanks all for the advice.

 

It is however beyond what I find 'enjoyment' in a hobby. I know when my hobby starts to get me down, so does my mental health. @BritishGypsum4is going to have a look at it when he is over on Saturday to finish the wiring on Ballamoddey.

 

In the meantime, a friend is looking into 3D printing me some Fes van bodies for Dundas chassis. Every cloud....  

[Tom F]

Nothing much to report as of late.

I have made up a batch of Modelu Loco lamps for the MSR fleet. These are based on the Cambrian loco lamp, I fancied something of a pre grouping vibe.

 

 

A couple of locomotives have arrived this week, which will form the basis of a couple of Mid Sodor locomotives. Once the name plates have arrived and they are all weathered up I'll reveal all.

[Tom F]

After finishing some weathering commissions for a client, I was able to get a couple of items of rolling stock weathered for 'Ballamoddey'.

 

There is something rather nice posing a Baldwin with a Snailbeach coal wagon. Built from a Dundas kit, it didn't go together quite as easy as some of their more modern kits.

 

I've also weathered a second WHR van, seen in the second photograph. I have a real fondness for these types with their corrugated roofs. There is another one I need to finish which will depicted in unpainted plain wood. I'm planning to order some wagon/vans from shapeways in a week or so, which includes a variation of this van prototype (but slightly smaller).

 

[geoff west]

Lovely work again Tom, so natural.

[Tom F]

2 hours ago, geoff west said:

Lovely work again Tom, so natural.

 

Cheers Geoff!
Tomorrow my friend comes over and we hope to finish wiring Ballamoddey. We might get some trains running!

 

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

 

'Men of the Mid Sodor'

[geoff west]

Fingers crossed you get some trains running.

That last picture looks amazing, clicking the like button just wasn't enough.

[Tom F]

A little bit of fun this evening!

 

"No. 2, was American, and very cocky. He rode roughly and often came off the rails."
 

Duke the Lost Engine, by Reverend W. Awdry

 

 

Awdry's Sodor is proving a powerful coping mechanism/escapism with everything that is going on in the world at the moment.

[Tom F]

Some light shunting this morning....

 

Long day ahead, but the MSR is never far away.

 

[geoff west]

How did you get on with the wiring Tom ?

[Tom F]

On 02/03/2022 at 19:17, geoff west said:

How did you get on with the wiring Tom ?

About half way there Geoff. We seem to have some gremlins with a couple of the DPDT switches (they were fairly cheap from amazon), so I've ordered some better replacements.

Feeling a bit flat tonight

 

So much to do....plenty of time....just feeling a bit daunted with what is needed. That probably sums up the situation with how I'm feeling tonight.

 

In my head Ballamoddey is finished and I can picture the different trains coming and going....and this is how I sort of wish it was. I was really good with Scaca with using each project towards the layout and stock feeling like it's own little goal. Right now though, I just see more wagons I need to build, more locos to complete and a layout that will need wiring. I would just like the whole thing done so I can escape into my little Awdry world, perhaps the current global issues are playing their role here.

 

Maybe I'm just feeling a bit split on what I need to do next. Perhaps making a note book and deciding, 'right focus on getting this loco worked on, and paint a few wagons etc'.

The different aspects towards the end goal just seem a bit overwhelming and I'm lost under a pile of things to do.

[billywhizz]

Hi Tom. 
I know exactly how you feel. When I start to feel overwhelmed with a project. Whether working on a layout or stock projects etc (I am terrible for having too many things on the go at once) 

Making a list of current projects (or tasks that need completed on a layout build) Then prioritising those tasks and not moving onto the next task down on the list until the current task is finished. 
I often find this helps focus getting the modelling motivation back and feel like I’m making progress. 
Hope you feel better soon. 
Regards,

Bill. 

[RodneyS]

You said that you were not looking forward to the wiring so perhaps you will feel happier when that is done.

Once the scenery is started and you lose all the white I'm sure it will begin to look as you have imagined it.

Rodney

[MrWolf]

I do the same thing as Bill, I write a list of say, a dozen related jobs and work through them, in just about everything I do.

It's especially useful to do that when you are slogging through one of the jobs that you don't enjoy or don't feel so confident about. It gives you a goal, a reward almost to get the less appealing job finished in one go.