Blacker Lane D.P.

[Ruston]

There's still some work to do on the ground cover but it's starting to look good, even if I do say so myself.

And, yes, locomotives can actually run down these, all the way to the end. Not that they will need to.

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

Very nice indeed, and quick work too. Looking forward to seeing further developments with this.

 

[sb67]

Very nice groundwork 👍

[Kevin Johnson]

The ground work looks great.👍

[Caledonian]

Looks great - really must get my arse in gear and try to sort out mine

[Ruston]

The steelwork for the loader is taking shape. It will be 3 times the height when finished but the upper part will be made from card, clad with corrugated sheet, so there's no need to build the framework any taller than this.

 

Some work as been done on the roller.

I drilled out the rivetted over parts that held the floor to the body. That was easy, but getting the roller out was a swine. It was held in place by a roll pin that must have been made from hardened steel as a piercing saw blade simply skated over it without leaving a mark. I had to use a slitting disc and at first cut through the wrong end! The roller will need a hole putting in it to take an axle now.

 

The rivetted stud that held the body together also held the roller frame on. This was positioned to give far more steering lock than necessary, making the entire thing longer than it ought to be and with far too large a gap between the frame and the body, so a new hole has been put in the floor. The frame will now be held by a screw and captive nut. The nut is held by epoxy.

 

I also found some better wheels for it and have filed down the half relief exhaust casting. A new exhaust will be made from plastic rod.

[Dunalastair]

Looks good. Probably an artefact of the perspective, but are those diagonal struts within the standard loading gauge? Or is this an operating ploy to limit the locos used, perhaps.

[Ruston]

1 hour ago, Dunalastair said:

Looks good. Probably an artefact of the perspective, but are those diagonal struts within the standard loading gauge? Or is this an operating ploy to limit the locos used, perhaps.

I planned it so even a Class 08 can get under there with plenty of clearance.

[Granite-Yorkie]

On 28/09/2023 at 19:51, Ruston said:

I found from a google search on the RCTS site but an attempt to find it again comes up with nothing. If you put RCTS 52044 into google it shows the thumbnail but going to "visit" the site that the photo is on takes you to a site called Pressreader, which shows absolutely nothing of the photo or anything about it. Google RCTS 52044 and instead of "visit", right click the image and it brings up this link, shown below as the image to which it is linked (I haven't copied it so no forum copyright rules broken):

That's obviously taken at British Oak but what is the engine doing there? It's not in steam, so hasn't worked a train in, but has a tender full of coal. 52044 was the last of the Barton Wright 0-6-0s in service and was sold by BR in August 1959, from Wakefield shed, so I guess this is immediately after sale. According to the K&WVR it was stored in Retford before moving to the Worth Valley in 1965. I wonder if it made its way to BO under its own steam and if it was steamed there before being moved to Retford?

 

 

According to the RCTS website, it was at British Oak on 10th July 1955. As that was four years before her withdrawal, my hunch is that she was maybe on loan at the time. I've  read of a Johnson 2F being used at Williamthorpe Colliery in the fifties (all BR locomotives there, of course), so it's not impossible that 52044 was at British Oak for shunting. 

 

On the subject of Hudswell Clarke 1727, I'm having a go at bashing up a similar locomotive but with the later cab; a Smokey Joe saddle tank is about the right size and shape, once the dome and tank filler cap are removed, as a shortcut.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Granite-Yorkie
Blooper.

[Ruston]

20 hours ago, Granite-Yorkie said:

According to the RCTS website, it was at British Oak on 10th July 1955. As that was four years before her withdrawal, my hunch is that she was maybe on loan at the time.

Interesting. It would have been a very odd choice to work such a site but stranger things have happened.

 

A little more progress.

[sir douglas]

Butterley have announced on FB that they are next going to start working on 3F 47445 and that they intend to finish it with its iconic orange tanks

[Ruston]

Cutting strips of corrugated aluminium, pressing in screw heads, cutting out individual panels and then gluing them in place is tedious but it's almost done. Only the roof remains to be clad on this building and then it's down to adding the details.

The low-relief building along the end wall will need just as much corrugated sheet. I'm going to be having nightmares about it!

I need some industrial lighting, like the one in this snipped picture of one of the buildings at British Oak.

It doesn't need to actually illuminate. Does anyone know of anything - perhaps someone does a 3D print?

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Ruston said:

I need some industrial lighting, like the one in this snipped picture of one of the buildings at British Oak.

It doesn't need to actually illuminate. Does anyone know of anything - perhaps someone does a 3D print?

 

If I recall correctly, something similar is included with the Airfix dockside crane - or possibly the Airfix loco shed?

 

CJI.

[moore43grm]

15 hours ago, Ruston said:

 

 

It doesn't need to actually illuminate. Does anyone know of anything - perhaps someone does a 3D print?

How about the "male" part of a Remembrance Day Poppy ?

[Ruston]

4 hours ago, moore43grm said:

How about the "male" part of a Remembrance Day Poppy ?

I guess that might work for Gauge 1 but it'll be rather large for 4mm. I'd also have to wait until next November.

 

No prizes but can anyone guess what these are going to be?

[cctransuk]

39 minutes ago, Ruston said:

 

No prizes but can anyone guess what these are going to be?

 

Safety rails for the tops of lampost or signal ladders?

 

CJI.

[Ruston]

58 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Safety rails for the tops of lampost or signal ladders?

 

CJI.

Close. Ladders but not signal ladders.

 

You can probably buy ladders with cages as 3D prints but where are you going to get one on a Sunday, on a Christmas Eve and for less than 2p worth of Plasticard?

Edited December 24, 2023 by Ruston

[Covkid]

On 23/12/2023 at 20:43, cctransuk said:

 

If I recall correctly, something similar is included with the Airfix dockside crane - or possibly the Airfix loco shed?

 

CJI.

 

That is a good call John.  I think both kits had the lamp(s), but IIRC it was just a bit of moulded plastic

[GWR57xx]

On 23/12/2023 at 19:34, Ruston said:

Cutting strips of corrugated aluminium, pressing in screw heads, cutting out individual panels and then gluing them in place is tedious but it's almost done. Only the roof remains to be clad on this building and then it's down to adding the details.

The low-relief building along the end wall will need just as much corrugated sheet. I'm going to be having nightmares about it!

I need some industrial lighting, like the one in this snipped picture of one of the buildings at British Oak.

It doesn't need to actually illuminate. Does anyone know of anything - perhaps someone does a 3D print?

Maybe a bit left field, but would the end of a golf tee do it?

[Ruston]

Merry Christmas to everyone who reads this rubbish.

 

After a huge meal that had me worried of the consequences should anyone offer me a "waffer thin meent", I retired to the shed and had another look at the ladder and the landing, shown in the previous pic. It was obvious that anyone climbing the ladder would hit their bonce on the landing, so I ripped the landing off and made a new one.

It needs a few uprights to join the horizontal rails but I'll have my Christmas pud and let the MEK joints set before adding the uprights.

 

The bargeboards have been added and some greenery has begun to sprout on the embankment.

 

9 hours ago, GWR57xx said:

Maybe a bit left field, but would the end of a golf tee do it?

Thanks but that would be even bigger than the poppy part, I would think.

 

I've been told that ear ring blanks (no, I don't really know what they are either) can make decent industrial lamps, so I'll look into that in more detail.

 

 

 

[Dunalastair]

Nominally HO, but perhaps a little big? 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313237623430?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1Pu3tmjLcTZWPzoSXxJKOiA60&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-166974-033325-9&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=313237623430&targetid=2220941621651&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9044886&poi=&campaignid=20825725383&mkgroupid=157123130798&rlsatarget=pla-2220941621651&abcId=9350308&merchantid=7209534&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovx7txIYIY2BoUArF7XcGLU9r5eMnnUquFzWu4J8OV-nBXWAn7QfoNMaArEMEALw_wcB

 

Other similar lamps on ebay, sometimes lower cost with free postage. But often from China - hopefully by air given the fluid situation in the Red Sea,

Edited December 25, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Ruston]

2 hours ago, Dunalastair said:

Nominally HO, but perhaps a little big? 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313237623430?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1Pu3tmjLcTZWPzoSXxJKOiA60&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-166974-033325-9&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=313237623430&targetid=2220941621651&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9044886&poi=&campaignid=20825725383&mkgroupid=157123130798&rlsatarget=pla-2220941621651&abcId=9350308&merchantid=7209534&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7aSsBhCiARIsALFvovx7txIYIY2BoUArF7XcGLU9r5eMnnUquFzWu4J8OV-nBXWAn7QfoNMaArEMEALw_wcB

 

Other similar lamps on ebay, sometimes lower cost with free postage. But often from China - hopefully by air given the fluid situation in the Red Sea,

 

Thanks. They look alright but at £9.59 each, they can keep them!

 

These are ear ring blanks. Ebay, £3.11 for 100 of any of these sizes. That's more in my price range. I don't need them to light up so a short length of plastic rod that has had the end heated in a flame to make it bulb-shaped will be glued on and Bob's your uncle.

I'm not sure the stalk will bend, being Stainless, but it could be replaced with brass wire. A pack of 4mm and one of 6mm, I think I'll have. The 4mm for over doors in the screens, offices etc. and the 6mm for general yard use.

 

 

[cctransuk]

27 minutes ago, Ruston said:

 

Thanks. They look alright but at £9.59 each, they can keep them!

 

These are ear ring blanks. Ebay, £3.11 for 100 of any of these sizes. That's more in my price range. I don't need them to light up so a short length of plastic rod that has had the end heated in a flame to make it bulb-shaped will be glued on and Bob's your uncle.

I'm not sure the stalk will bend, being Stainless, but it could be replaced with brass wire. A pack of 4mm and one of 6mm, I think I'll have. The 4mm for over doors in the screens, offices etc. and the 6mm for general yard use.

 

 

 

Err - thats £9.59 for TEN, or 96p each - a bargain, I'd say!

 

John Isherwood.

[Ruston]

22 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

Err - thats £9.59 for TEN, or 96p each - a bargain, I'd say!

 

John Isherwood.

I see. I still reckon I'm better off using the ear ring blanks. I can make them as any sort of mounting I like. Swan-necked, pendant etc.

 

Rubbish phone pic, so not the best of focus.

The building has some paint on it now. I've made a start on the card shell of another building and have begun to paint some trees on the backscene. They're very rough but aren't finished. They don't need to look much in any case as a row of model trees will be in front of the painted ones, which are only there to provide some depth to the scene so that it will look more like a wood than a row of trees on a ridge.

[Ruston]

I put some corrugated sheet on the new building but my supply didn't stretch to doing the roof. There is now a piece of mirrored plasticard behind the new building, which I think looks quite effective. Better than a blank white wall anyway.