Mr Simon's N and 2mm Workbench - pg29> N V1 2-6-2, 2mm L&Y class 23, assorted wagons and stuff

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I'm not sure where the time has gone since I last updated - I know I did nothing over Easter, and had no pile of stock to hurriedly prepare for Train West, but I haven't just been twiddling my thumbs.

 

First up, and completely unrelated to modelling I've actually done since March; in my previous post I mentioned that I'd sliced 5mm out of the body, roof and underframe of the Mark1 to make the Thompson brake.  I found a picture of the underside of the roof, showing the join.

 

I probably didn't post it before because it's quite a dull picture.  When I cut the coach up originally I was worried about it parting in the middle like a cut'n'shut, so I cut the three bits in different places to keep the coach in one piece.  The brass might have been a bit of overkill.

 

Speaking of the Thompson, I got the underframe painted:

 

Then it had quite a few thin coats of paint (partly because I accidentally coated it with LMS maroon and had to correct it), then it was varnished, transferred and varnished some more:

 

I'm not entirely sure if the crest is prototypical, but I liked it.  Jobs left to do are painting the buffers; weathering the ends, roof, underframe and bogies; and toning down the high gloss finish of the sides.

 

I've got some Klear (the most recent version so I'm a bit hesitant to use it) or some satin Humbrol, and I'm in too minds which to use.  I've never used clear before but I've heard it is good for smoothing out brush marks etc, or I'm quite handy with the satin.  Can anyone recommend either way?

 

There has been a bit of wagon building activity, firstly I finished building and painting the bolster:

 

I haven't fitted the stanchions yet, just while I decide where to put them.  I've got a few more unbuilt kits (and some built but a bit derelict ones off eBay) so they will probably form a train one day, and I'm torn between loaded and empties.  It will be running at the GCR modelling weekend so I've got a month to decide.  I can't find any transfers for it, which is a pain, so I might just paint in the black panels where they should go and ignore the fact there is no lettering there.

 

Another derelict eBay purchase was this.  I've got two more somewhere but I'm not sure where I put them.  Again: no transfers.  I think this too will be un-loaded at the GCR, but I might add a load later when I find the other two.

 

Finally, I managed to strike lucky online a few months back and bought one of the Parkwood lowfit kits.  

 

It makes up into quite a nice little part of wagons.  I chose to model it as the bolster twin, but if I'd read the instructions when I first bought it I would have made them as lowfits to carry two of the blue tractors (see above, somewhere).

 

I like the variety they add to the (future) train of bolsters, mixed in with the NGS bolsters and bolster E I made last year.  

 

I need to fit new stanchions to these, no idea when I snapped the original one  These are great little kits, I've always been a fan of the Parkwood kits and I've got a few of other types stashed away.  It's great that the NGS bought the toolings, I can't wait for them to be available again.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon 

Edited September 13, 2017 by MrSimon

[Les1952]

How much train length are you going to need at the GCR?

 

Just to save upsetting Mark and Chris by putting stock on the layout Thursday evening and taking it off again on Friday morning....

 

It would help to know how many trains are affected.

 

Dad

[MrSimon]

The bogie bolster and bolster twin are the only wagons above what I brought with me for Doncaster - so the 9F hauled mixed goods will have the three conflats/lowfits with the tractors and the short bogie bolster like at Doncaster, and then another 2 bolsters and whatever wagons are part of the train already. Probably less than 15 inches on the rear of that train. So only 1 train affected. If the Thompson gets used it would be taking the place of the Greasley that had the white roof - for a few test laps/an afternoon or so.

 

I'm sure I'll tweak around throughout the weekend - they might not all be on at once...

Edited May 31, 2016 by MrSimon

[Les1952]

The new sidings are a little tighter than before so you will need to add stock round the front- ie before punters start appearing.

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

After 7 years of sporadic work, I have finished the Thompson brake

 

 

I kept the weathering light, mainly on the van end for what could have been kicked up form the engine - but I might wipe a bit more off.  This will be coming to the Great Central gala/exhibition with for a quick run (three days if it runs OK)

 

Also finished my nimble fingers will be adding this to one of the freights:

 

I couldn't find transfers for it.  I'm not sure about a load.

 

I've got another of those printed Ultima coach kits to build when I get back from Ruddington, but I've got a few more bits to finish before then...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 13, 2017 by MrSimon

[Les1952]

You'll have an Etched Pixels LNER non-corridor coach as well to go with the push-pull brake.....

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I'm back from three days at the Great Central and a few days at the seaside.  All my stock performed more or less faultless-ly over the three days of the exhibition (3 DAYS!?!?!) but I didn't get many pictures:

 

I swapped the usual coach on the express for the Thompson brake first thing on day 1.  Other than needing to swap the bogies over (so the shorter coupled one was at the brake end) it ran perfectly all weekend.  The coach has been put in service on Hawthorne Dene while I do some work on the brake it replaced.

 

The usual brake coach is a Minitrix Brake Composite, which had been painted maroon.  It had had only one thin coat so that the LNER markings were still visible, and the roof had been left white for quite a while (as can be seen in the Railway Modeller pics).  I coach-napped it to sort it out.  First thing I did was to scrape the paint off the windows with a cocktail stick and give it another coat of maroon.  Then I started to paint the roof.  When I started this I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of vents over the van section.

 

So I got my LNER Carriages book out I'm pretty sure this is the same type as the model.

 

 

I measured up the drawing, started from the outside on each end, marked the new positions on the coach and drilled holes for replacement vents.  Four vents were in the right place so I kept the moulded Minitrix ones.

 

Now that I have fitted new vents and painted the roof I think I should replace the four vents I left, they just stand out against the others.

 

I have an etched pixels non-corridor kit to make, I'm going to get it to the same stage as this coach and then varnish and transfer them at the same time.

 

Something completely different now, the ATM ESC bogies came back in to stock and I got the final three I need to finish re-bogie-ing my oil train.  Yesterday I painted the wheels and bogies, I will fit them later.  I think there are only two or three tanks left to weather and the train will be complete.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 13, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Another rainy weekend - I don't usually get this much done in the summer...

 

First up, I fitted the new bogies to the tankers.  Now I don't have any tankers with Farish bogies, and its made a massive improvement - I just need to run the train somewhere to check it's ok.  I've got two more tankers to weather and thats the train finished.

 

Next up, I liberated a pair of brake vans from Dad's stock box to repaint the white roofs and fit lamps:

 

I've repainted one in BR bauxide, I've left the other LNER brown, but patch painted it.  I need to go over the handrails and then I can start weathering and painting some more.  Like the two vans I did for myself the buffers on the lamp-end are from the 2mm scale association - they look much better.

 

Dad's G5 (formerly an M7) came down with me to fix the handrails.  The original Dapol ones had gone all bendy and snapped in some places so it came down for some N Brass ones.  Obviously as soon as I'd then the engine to pieces and started to touch up some bits of bodywork I looked in my bits box and realised I didn't have any handrail knobs as soon as they turn up I'll get it finished.

 

Finally this afternoon I started on the Etched Pixels full third that Dad sent down, I didn't see the last one until after the underframe had been finished so didn't realise how tricky they are.  Basically - there isn't quite enough room between the battery box and the inside of the solebars (sp?) so it was pretty tricky getting the etched battery details and the truss, without a lot of scraping and sanding.

 

The underframe, ends and seats have had their first coats of paint and the sides have been sprayed with etched primer, the only thing that is concerning me is the roof.  The material the kit is made from doesn't seem to sand well and I think it is going to take a lot of work to get it smooth.  Also, it seems to be just under 1mm too short but I think that's easier to fix in the long run.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 13, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

Tiny bit done - rare for mid-week. I did some un-photogenic bits and bobs, and then I formed the sides of the coach:


I experimented with this coach. The first side I pre-bent the separate sides of the coach, then glued them together and altered it to fit. The other one I glued first and then did all the bending. There wasn't much in it, but the sides did need more glue when bent them. I'd be interested to see if there was any difference on sides I soldered (but I didn't fancy getting the soldering iron out this time). The sides are ready to be painted, I just want to let them harden for another day or two.


The bits I ordered for the G5 came this morning, excellent service I only ordered them on Sunday! I've had a closer look at the G5 compared to some pictures I found on flickr. I've split the list of possible changes into things to do and things to miss.

To miss:

• Any structural work moving dome/funnel - too hard
• Change the steps - the steps from the M7 are fine
• Change the lining on the tanks/bunker - G5s should have a straight top to the lining rather than a 'joggle' around the cab opening. The cab opening on the M7 is too deep so straight lining will not fit without it looking wrong, or altering the cab sides.
• Two coal rails on top of the bunker before the sloping bit - would be too much work

To do:

• Fit new handrails and knobs, including a new one on the back of the bunker (this is important because it runs bunker first)
• Remove the lamp irons from the bunker back (there's too many) and put in correct position, and refit the lamp (see above)
• Remove the big rib from the roof and a curved rainstrip
• Cut the curved join between the top of the sandbox-splasher things and the smokebox away (these are the main difference between a G5 and M7 when looking head on (massive generalisation there))
• Fit westinghouse pump and the big pipe thing that comes out of the cab front and goes to the smoke box
• change the whistle (probably)
• Very light weathering

I don't want to do too much to it, Dad is happy with how it looks and it runs well, and all-in-all it is quite a good representation of a G5. I don't want to do any repainting - other than to cover up holes I've filled or new bits I've added - and any weathering will be limited to making it look like a reasonably clean passenger engine.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited September 13, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I did some more work on the G5, I would have got further but my only handrail-knob sized drill bit snapped.

 

The back of the bunker is complete, except for painting etc.  The filler-coloured patches above the handrail are where I originally drilled too high.

 

I couldn't finish the boiler/smokebox, but I have pilot holes drilled for when my new drill-bits come - and I've filled and smoothed the old holes.  This side will have the Westinghouse pump, the other will have the thick pipe thing running from the cab.  I'm in two minds about a different whistle.

 

The first side of the coach is glazed and fitted (I've got the other one to do later).  It isn't a brave new livery, it's just easier to paint the lower half of the coach while fitted to the rest of the coach while touching up any filling that needs to be done.

 

I'm still not sure what to do about the roof.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 12, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I had a bit of a finishing off afternoon after the sun went in today.  The replacement drill bit and chuck turned up really quickly - which was great - so I left it a week before finishing off the handrails:

 

The front handrail took forever to bend the wire into the right curve, and the front lamp bracket flew away somewhere.  

 

I got all the handrails attached and painted, and I altered the cab roof to look like a G5 - I used a thin strip of plasticard for the rain-strip.  This week after work I've been reading through my new copy of Tim Shackleton's 'Weathering Locomotives'.  I know I wasn't going to weather it but after reading the book I decided that it should look working-but-clean; so I'm aiming for an oily-rag clean look.  This afternoon I went over everything that isn't the tank/bunker sides with a thin mix of gun-metal and umbral leather, then dusted it with black powder on the top of the boiler and cab roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step will be to go over the bunker/tank sides and the splasher with Johnson's Klear, repaint the lamp I weathered too much, and fit the driver back on, then I think it's finished.  The downside of Dad running DCC is that when locos come down here I can't test that I've not gummed them up with paint and powder, or clean the wheels before they go back.  I'm not joining the dark side though!

 

The etched-pixels coach is coming on well.  I found the roof was 1mm too short, which took some filling.  I need to go over the maroon under the roof where I over-painted the roof in places.  I'm still not totally sure that 3D printing is the best thing for roofs - the ridges on the curve are quite pronounced and hard to get rid of.

 

 

Finally, I finished off the two brake vans I brought down from Dad's stock box.  They can go in the post this week.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 12, 2017 by MrSimon

[millerhillboy]

I couldn't find transfers for it.  I'm not sure about a load.

I hope you don't kind me resurrecting this as I've been catching up on your thread for the first time in a while. Always interested to see what you've been up to. Interesting to see your lowfit

 

I managed to produce one and got decals

 

I'm not sure it's strictly a lowfit although I did see some variants on Paul bartletts wagon website that did look pretty close to this build. It was to show you the decals. Pretty sure it was just the usual via Fox or if not they would be from CCT

[MrSimon]

Thanks Millerhillboy! Feel free to resurrect Your lowfit looks really good!

 

I'll have a look at what Fox have - I always get confused about how to order on CCT. I'm after some transfers for some peco plate wagons too.

 

Cheers

Simon

[millerhillboy]

Hi again
Managed to do a plate wagon as well from the same decal set, I'm currently on holiday so I can't check the sheet number but I will do when I get back.

[MrSimon]

That sounds like a pretty ideal transfer sheet!

 

Is that a Peco plate wagon? It looks like you've done a lot of work on the underframe - it looks really good!

 

Cheers

Simon

[millerhillboy]

That sounds like a pretty ideal transfer sheet!

 

Is that a Peco plate wagon? It looks like you've done a lot of work on the underframe - it looks really good!

 

Cheers

Simon

I really wish I could remember the source of these. it was a while since I did them though. I do remember though that all the black panels are separate decals from the white decals, ie the data panel and the plate wording itself. So quite time consuming for just a wagon.

 

Yes now you mention it I do remember hacking the chassis. I'm no wagon guru so I would have been working from a Paul Bartlett picture more than likely. I do remember adding rodding between the bottoms of the two axle boxes.

[BernardTPM]

(30+) years ago I did a whole rake of varied Plates for Brigenshaw, hacking the Peco underframe into unfitted, LNER and BR style fitted brakegear. Good to see someone else having a go!

[MrSimon]

I don't know if I fancy doing a whole rake of them Bernard! I've been holding up a standard Peco underframe to Paul Bartlett's site - there's a lot of changes needed...

 

What would you recommend for the new brake-gear? I've got 14 to do (slightly down the 'to do' list)

 

Cheers

Simon

Edited August 3, 2016 by MrSimon

[BernardTPM]

What I did was very much of its time and I'm not sure it would stand comparison with what's around now. I'll see if I can photograph one of each type, assuming there's one of each still intact!

[millerhillboy]

That sounds like a pretty ideal transfer sheet!

 

Is that a Peco plate wagon? It looks like you've done a lot of work on the underframe - it looks really good!

 

Cheers

Simon

Definitely fox for wagon names, I've looked in the decal drawer and Fox frh2800 and frh2802 have lowfit and twin bolster amongst many others. Only trouble is there's only a couple of each wagon type, so not ideal for a rake.

 

In addition I also used black panels from another sheet which I can't quite find, I think that may well have been a model master sheet of some description.

[Dr Al]

Definitely fox for wagon names, I've looked in the decal drawer and Fox frh2800 and frh2802 have lowfit and twin bolster amongst many others.

 

Strange co-incidence - I've got a twin bolster (basically the Peco plate wagon with bolster parts) on the workbench right now - with the suitable chassis modifications too. I hacked the appropriate missing bits of brake gear off a ruined Peco 10ft chassis and used microstrip for the rest.

 

Not a perfect representation, but will look ok in amongst Bachmann and NGS bogie bolsters C and D.

 

Cheers,

Alan

Edited August 4, 2016 by Dr Al

[MrSimon]

Thanks all,

 

I've got a 'to order' list for Fox and those sheets are on there now!  I'll paint the black panel on rather than a second layer of transfers.  The plate wagons might be quite a long term project, but I think there's plenty of scrap underframes I can scavenge bits off - I'll see what the minimum I can get away with

 

In other news, I finished the G5.  This was the first time I'd ever used Klear, I'm going to have to get used to using it, but I think the G5 turned out alright:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was aiming for 'quite clean but well used' in terms of the weathering, which I think I have managed.  When I take it back in September I will need to clean the wheels - Dad's gone DCC so I haven't been able to turn the wheels while it's been down here.

 

Just the coaches and J50 to transfer and weather and I will have space to start some new projects...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited September 12, 2017 by MrSimon

[millerhillboy]

Nice work and something a wee bit out the ordinary, looks a nice tone you've got there, looks good to my eye anyway.

 

One small thing if you are intending on running it bunker first, which I assume you are due to a) lack of coupling and b) fitted headlamp then I would suggest throwing a coupling hook on and that really would finish off the end nicely.

[MrSimon]

Thanks Millerhillboy!

 

I'd like to get some pictures of it on the layout, to see how it looks in the scenery, but I'm pleased with how it looks on the garden table.

 

It has the normal Dapol coupling hook on, I'm not going to fit the chain though - it probably won't stay on too long when it gets in the stockbox for a few exhibitions.

 

Just got the Gresley 3rd to finish and that will be the whole train complete

 

Cheers

Simon

[BernardTPM]

I found a picture of the three types of converted plate:

 

L to R: Unfitted, LNER style fitted, BR style fitted. The outer brakeshoes were removed for the Unfitted version.

Edited July 1, 2017 by BernardTPM