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've managed to finish the 101 :) It was pretty difficult to photograph in the rubbish light we've had recently, but here goes:

 

The final 101 car from the post above.  I didn't detail either of the buffer beams for this unit because the two power cars are designed to be marshalled like this:

 

It will strengthen the original 4 car 101 that runs on Hawthorne Dene (the one with the trailer brake and buffet car) into a pair of 4 car units.

 

The finished beast.  I weathered it to match the original 101 - one of the trailers is from that unit so I could copy it quite easily - and assuming they run more or less the same speed they'll be 'consisted' together and will be running at Ally Pally next weekend.

 

I found a few more Peco vans when I cleared my desk in January, here they are turned into some more banana vans - I put transfers on them today so they should also make it to AP.

 

The final thing for AP is this:

 

The actual trolly has been run quite a few times (although not usually in a permanent train) but never before with trestles - the NGS has always been out of stock when I've tried to buy any.  I found a pack on eBay for far too much and put them together yesterday.  

 

I don't think I'm going to load the wagon other than the empty trestles, and I might put it into a train for the weekend instead of sending it round with a spare engine and brake.

 

I've also been busy building stuff for Gresby (/any future replacements)

 

First, the couplings mentioned in the last post arrived and were fitted to the regional train, the post train, some of the containers wagons, the cement train and the Farish wagons of the HEA train (one on each wagon on the 4 wheel wagons).  I didn't take any pictures but I'm sure they'll pop up on things from time to time (They're by 3DR Designs on Shapeways)

 

Also from 3DR is a kit containing Freightliner KFA headstocks:

 

I don't know what I was thinking, but I put one on each end of a pair of parish freightliners instead of one single wagon, and made a pair of random wagons...

 

They look OK though - I wish I was joking, I literally just realised my mistake when I was checking the name of the Shapeways shop, and it's too late to change them now!!!  

 

Nevermind eh!

 

Finally, with the 101 out of the painting box I made a start on something that's been in my list to do for a while:

 

Coach one of the flying banana!  I've already discovered I need to be slightly neater sticking in the plates that blank out part of the window - I'm rescuing this coach as best I can and will try to better on the next ones.  

 

I've got quite a shopping list of things to get at Ally Pally - paints and stuff - hope to see you there!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hi all,

 

Back from a weekend at Ally Pally, great to catch up with everyone I caught up with - even came back with a treat (more about that over the summer).

 

Here is a picture of the 8 car 101 set, it's the only time it was formed as a double unit over the weekend as we were unable to change the CVs on the chip in each unit to make them run together:

 

 

They ran singly, one going each direction.

 

The new vans I snuck on to the goods trains ran well all weekend and went back in Dad's stock boxes.  

 

I managed to get all the paints I went for, but non of the nameplates were in stock... but I can still get cracking with a load of stuff (and finish off the flying banana 

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

[Atso]

Hi Simon,

 

It was good to meet you on Saturday and see your Dad again. I enjoyed watching Hawthorn Dene as this is the first time I've seen the layout. I'm amazed at how small it actually is; the photographs always make it look massive!

 

Thank you for the etched Gresley sides, I look forward to making them into a coach when time allows!

 

Looking forward to seeing what you're going to be up to over the summer! 

[MrSimon]

Thanks Steve!  

 

I'm looking forward to getting started, but I've got a few things to finish off before (obviously this might change!), but I'm hoping to have it done by Warley

 

 

The rain kept me indoors for quite a lot of the holiday so I was able to get cracking with some bits on my desk.  The main thing I managed to finish was a quick repair on one of Dad's Gresley BGs - it had a buffer off and was looking a bit tired.

 

I didn't have a spare buffer so it got a new pair of brass ones from the Chivers CCT I withdrew last year.  Then I put on the two pipes and a dummy buckeye.  I also re-attached the lamp.  I couldn't find any alarm gear, so it's going to continue without it.

 

While in works I weathered the underframe (I'm not sure why I originally finished it with weathered sides and pristine underframe) and I braced it inside where the body has warped slightly around one of the side doors.

 

The sides had turned slightly glossy over the last ten(ish) years, so I matt varnished the sides to bring out the dirt. 

 

Other than that, there have been a lot of coats of yellow paint applied this weekend...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited April 3, 2018 by MrSimon

[scottystitch]

Is that the NGS BG?

[MrSimon]

It is, yes - it's a long time since I built it though, I haven't seen them in stock for a while

[scottystitch]

Indeed they are still out of stock, awaiting Bogies I believe.

 

I picked one up on EBay a year or so ago. Just needs the roof and ends painted and then some weathering. It's a cracking kit, to be fair. Crisply manufactured.

[MrSimon]

They're great quality mouldings - I'd love them to make sides for some of the end vestibule coaches. When they come back in stock I'd like to use one to make a brake, it'd be easier than cutting up a Dapol/Minitrix!

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I had a few hours at my desk this afternoon getting some bits done.  Still soldiering on with the coach repaints, and I started on four more iron tipplers, but the main exciting piece of news is that I got something else finished

 

This time, a dummy Fragonset 31:

 

 

This uses an Ian Stoate chassis, the body is a replacement for a different Fragonset 31 that I repainted years ago, then badly weathered - I was never really happy with it.  I got a new body off eBay and renumbered it (I looked for plates at Ally Pally but they didn't have them).  I'm pleased with the weathering on this so I'll probably have another look at the weathering on my powered one.

 

Just need the Mark 2s to turn up... 

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

It's been a few weeks, here's what I've been up to:

 

I started a second coach for my flying banana - this one wasn't as involved a conversion as the other coach, I think it's basically just a TGS with no toilet windows.  Already after taking these pictures I've given it a coat of white primer.

 

The first coach is looking like this:

 

It's had a lot of coats of yellow, when I put the glazing back in some of the blanking plates popped out, so I think I've worked out how I'm avoiding that on second coach.  I've found it really hard to get the blanked out panels smooth...

 

A coach that's not been on these pages for a while is the de-classified Regional Railways FK:

 

I haven't had the easiest time painting this one, I don't remember the BFK being so hard to paint!  I think all I've got left to do now is neaten up the blue/white line and paint on the light blue line, and then do all the varnishing and transfers...

 

Finally I've built three more TPM tipplers.  I think I'm nearly at the end of building the wagons, then I'm going to have to decide what colour to paint them.  And then paint them.  

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited April 29, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Some bits done over the weekend, once the sun went down in the park:

 

A few coats of white, a few of yellow, and plenty of trying to smooth down the blanked out panels... a few coats more and it'll be at the same stage as the first coach.  I need to get the transfers ordered.

 

I found a pack of TPM 100t tanker details in a box, I thought I'd used my last one - so I detailed one of my back up tankers.  I need to paint the underframe and ATM bogie, then add new ladders and weather it.

 

This is looking a lot more finished, I'm just working on cleaning up the lines and then I'll varnish and transfer it.

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon 

[jonas]

There always something interesting popping up on this thread! Great work as always.

[shanks522]

Great work as usual Simon, Always like the variety on your workbench.

 

Graham.

[MrSimon]

Thanks guys!

 

I like to keep a bit of variety on the old workbench - it keeps things interesting and gives me plenty to be getting on with on a rainy afternoon for the first time in ages everything on my desk is modern image, which has been a nice change...

 

There's some steam on the way though (watch this space)

 

Transfers this weekend!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I thought I'd got a lot done yesterday, then I realised that I spent most of the afternoon running engines back-and-forth on a few Peco straights.  That counts as modelling, right?

 

There was actual modelling done too:

 

Two more Tipplers built, one re-bodied and one new kit.  I've got four more to re-body then I'll be able to (I'll have to) start painting the train.  I'd better decide what colour to paint them!

 

This needed a new chassis before it could be put on eb*y.  Years ago I'd lashed up a sort of wire loop based system (which didn't work brilliantly) so I put a spare chassis on it and touched up the weathering.

 

Finally, as threatened, transfer day.  It took longer to find a suitable number than put the transfers on.  Now I need to sort out the varnish, and when I've got some more 'dirty black' I can touch up the underframe and paint the door steps/bits under the doors, and it'll be done!

 

I've also chosen what's going to take the MK2s place in the building box.

 

Lots to do!

Simon

[MrSimon]

And now for something completely different...

 

A 2mm association J94 chassis!  Slight departure from the usual things on my workbench, but I thought I'd give it a try.

 

The kit comes with a jig - I tested that the frames fit before soldering the sides together.

 

Then I soldered on the bearings for the wheels, the gear train and the gear box.  

 

Once I'd cleaned the flux off I tried it again in the jig - the jig didn't seem to completely at right-angles, if I'd used it to solder the frame-spacers in place one frame would be higher than the other.

 

I cut the frame-spacers out, soldered them on (checking it was still all parallel and square).  Next up I folded up and attached the sand-boxes.

 

 

Here's where I'm at tonight.  It's now had a good scrub and is drying off.  Next session I'm going to test fit the gears and see if I can get my head round wheels, muffs, gears, and maybe quartering.

 

In other news, the coaches are still getting more coats of paint/varnish...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

[Les1952]

The DMU is now consisted and working better than the preview for this link...

 

https://youtu.be/-0nQyNsnpPY  

 

It needed a change of chip to get them to run together.  

 

BTW- opening is prise apart with fingernails and shove a cocktail stick in the gap instead of a screwdriver....

 

L

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Bit of progress with the J94... when I say progress actually I did a load of stuff, did it wrong, then asked a bunch of questions and got invaluable help from the 2mm guys so now I think I know what I need to do so the second go will work brilliantly:

 

First I test fitted the wheels - I'd never tried them before and I'm not sure why.  Here is the chassis with wheels and a load of axle muffs.  This is where I got slightly lost; I understood what a muff was and more or less how to use it - but then inexperience hit and I messed up putting the gears on the gear muff.

 

The big gear that meshes with the worm wasn't on concentrically so it binds every rotation.  I've since got a set of drill bits to open them up slightly so I can fit the wheels.

 

I got the crank pins soldered onto the wheels.  I need to order new gear muffs, but while they arrive I've been advised to paint the chassis and wheels then I can fit the wheels and quarter them so it runs like a steam engine...

 

A detailing kit for the body came last week but I haven't looked in it yet...

 

One thing that is more or less finished is the Regional Rail de-classified first:

 

Jobs left to do on this train: a waft of weathering on the whole train, and a tail lamp.  It runs well with the class 31 and I've got a class 37 and 47 to share the Regional Rail duties with (three engines on two trains - and there's an old class 40 somewhere too if there's an emergency...)

 

Today I gave the train a run - predominantly to test the close couplings and see how it looked as a completed train. Then I gave a few other things a test:

 

(I need to learn how to sort out audio on iMovie, so please ignore the mega mix of the record player, the radio, the washing machine, and the TV)

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

Edited February 2, 2020 by MrSimon
Embed vid

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Had a few productive afternoons at the desk and made some progress:

 

 

After finishing off the regional railways coaches I had some space in the painting box so I got this out for finishing.  I'm pretty sure I started it when I was at school, then I got it out to detail a few years ago (a few pages ago) and then painted over the bits I'd detailed in completely the wrong blue.  So it's out to be fixed and finished.  

 

I took these after I'd painted the wheels and bufferbeams.

 

Work had paused on this while I ordered some replacement muffs for the ones I messed up, and some other bits.  Yesterday I drilled out holes for the handrail knobs and sanded off the old ones.  I want to file off the moulded on lamp irons and fit separate ones front and back - I've also got etches from RT models to fit.  

 

I thought I'd better test fit the motor to see if I need to try and make space for the motor in the body, but it fits really well - you can only just see it poking out the bottom of the boiler.  Before the next session on this I want to prime the chassis then I can get cracking fitting the wheels and axles and stuff, maybe even see if I can get this bad-boy running

 

I scratch-guessed buffet roof pods for this coach.  I took measurements from the pretendolino buffet and then placed them based on a load of pictures.  They're nowhere near as detailed as the factory made pods, but I think I'll get away with it with some weathering...

 

This afternoon I transferred the sides of this coach.  They need to set and I need to varnish them on and then I can paint the roof/end/underframe.  I think it's my first time using Railtec transfers, they seem pretty good...

 

Lots to do!

 

Simon

 

[Les1952]

If you are actually using the Farish J94 body then RT Models make a brass set of overlays that give the right cab back etc.  These would also work with the PD Marsh body kit.

[MrSimon]

Yep I've got the RT models etch, haven't decided between the normal or extended bunker yet though.

 

 

I painted the chassis block this weekend got the wheels ready for painting and quartering.

 

 

Then I painted the wheels because I had a big map instead of starting on doing the quartering.

 

 

 

I've also got the first of the NMT coaches finished.  I'm waiting until all the coaches are finished and I'll weather the roofs and underframes as a full train with the power cars.  Four coaches to go...

 

Plenty to do!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody

 

Mainline blue seems to be a really difficult colour for me to photograph, but here's a few weeks progress on the class 37.

 

When I touched up the paint work (basically repainted it) I ended up having to renumber it and some new lining.  I sealed the transfers with two coats of matt varnish.

 

Then I glazed it.

 

Next I rubbed the grills over with dirty brown which I rubbed off, then I streaked grey down the sides and rubbed it off, and then dirtied and cleaned the roof a few times before spraying it with varnish.

 

 

 

Again, surprisingly difficult to photograph, but finished.

 

Time to start finishing something else.

 

Simon

Edited July 10, 2018 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

I've finished building/converting the last of the TPM tipplers:

 

 

I bought quite a few second hand, they were quite bowed - but I'd also separately bought a lot of side/end sprues without a floor-unit.  I soaked out the load and then cut the sides/ends off and replaced them with fresh ones.  

 

The bogies were built long, so I re-assigned some shorter ones from some random hoppers I found in the wardrobe (don't remember buying them, not sure why I bought them)

 

I just need to paint the rake now, I'm not sure which colour they should go (probably the same colour as the old ones), and then see which way round they work best on Gresby before I decide on whether to load them...

 

Next up, I went and started another yellow MK3.  I didn't mean to.  

 

As usual, it's taking a lot of work where I had to blank out windows.  I'm not sure why I can't get them in right.

 

After finishing off the Mainline 37 I pulled another part finished one out of the box:

 

After taking these I took the mangled grill off and replaced it for one I got in a trashed kit I bought a few years back (it's been a great source of spares but I'll never be able to run it).  I'm toying with fitting a Dapol coupling to one end so I can use it on the reversing tanker train on Gresby.  I'm hoping this will be very much a summer project, I've got some buildings I want to finish in the autumn.

 

Here's my other summer project:

 

 

A V1/V3 test build I was given at Ally Pally.  I've got a chassis for it and I think I picked up the extras since then.  (I'm not entirely sure about test build etiquette, but I'll make sure I write down everything helpful to build it, plus shopping list)

 

The pictures above were taken after I drilled the handrail holes (0.3mm pin-drill bit)

 

Today after some research I trimmed off the plaque from the side of the bunker - they must have been an LNER plaque as I couldn't find any still fitted on the BR liveried versions.  I scraped it off with a sharp scalpel and then smoothed over with extra fine wet-n-dry.  

 

Some further research has shown that I should change the pipes that go to the cylinders to bigger pipes with a bend in for all the pictures I've seen with a late-crest.  I can't find any information about when the pipes changed, I prefer the smaller pipes so I'll have a think about what to do.

 

Lots to do!

Simon

 

[Dr Al]

Check the specific prototype - some had straight pipes IN BR days:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44544845@N08/8665461940/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/6289155202/

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gricerman/26216052484/

 

HTH,
Alan

Edited July 23, 2018 by Dr Al

[MrSimon]

Thanks Alan!

 

By the looks of things they were so dirty I can get away with an early crest - and one of those three was a North Eastern one

 

Cheers

Simon