'O' gauge ? first tentative steps. Corrugated goods shed part 3: Painting and weathering

[daifly]

The tool with the rotating head is called a leather punch. Google 'leather punch' and you will drown in links. Maplin, Screwfix, Wilco, Amazon and our old friend, ebay, all will provide.

 

Dave

[daifly]

David

 

Whilst looking for something else, I came across an article in MRJ 93 by Tim Shackleton about building a 4mm scale Class 122 and includes some very useful prototype photos of roof and underfloor mechanicals.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[David Siddall]

I have used 30thou plasticard blanks out of a hole punch on one of my JLTRT 37s and when I get back at my Cravens I'll drill out the glue'n'glaze and use the same there too...

Second great piece of advice in as many days Tim, much appreciated :-)

 

Just heading up to see if I can find the drill bit I used to make the final cut on those headlights and hoping it will turn out to be a dimension which matches one of the heads on the punch you recommended – having rather enthusiastically cleared all the stuff that had migrated onto my baseboards back onto my work bench for the 121's inaugural run I may be some time!

 

TTFN

 

David

 

PS: Easybuild are sending me a supply of the 'dome and ridge' ventilators they supply with their Mk1 carriage kits. I'll post pic's when they arrive.

[David Siddall]

The 121's roof fitted with Easybuild's whitemetal 'dome and ridge' ventilators (as used on their Mk1 carriages) down one side with the higher-profile plastic moulded 'shell' ventilators supplied with the kit and (I think) more appropriate to a 122 still in situ down the other for comparison. Shawn was once again as good as his word... alternative ventilators requested on Sunday arrived today, Tuesday :-)

 

 

 

David

 

PS... I fitted the underframe overlay and foot-boards to the side nearest the camera side last night and I have a feeling I've got them a bit low despite reference to photos. I reckoned they'd be 6" (3.5mm) below the bottom of the doors but I'm now not sure. They also look a bit prominent however I did make them from the plastic strip supplied and marked 'footboards'. Maybe once again things will look more appropriate with a coat of paint?

[Kev_Lewis]

The replacement vents do look better. The shell type looked too prominent to me.

 

I think you're right about the foot boards. They're white against the black sides at the moment, once painted with primer and everything is the same colour they'll stand out less. Of course once everything is finished and they're black against the green sides, you'll probably hardly notice them at all!

[alant]

Hi David,

 

Looking good and interesting build. I agree with what Kev has said in that the new ventilators look better (although I have no knowledge of the prototype) and I also think the footboards will be a lot less prominent when painted.

 

Alan.

[David Siddall]

Moving on (note that the word 'swiftly', frequently seen elsewhere between 'moving' and 'on' is noticeable by its absence!) the 121 now has all its replacement 'dome and ridge' ventilators in place on the roof and a full complement of solebar and bogie foot-boards. Next up... the interior! I'd like make this in one piece (including the cab interiors) so it's fully removable ...but whether this is a practical proposition remains to be seen? I can't make up my mind whether the three partitions would be better attached to the bodyshell or the floor :-/

 

Initial online research has turned up several shots of refurbished 121 interiors (all lurid 70s moquette upholstery and replacement lighting) so I'm hoping someone with a better memory than mine might be able to confirm that this photo of a 117 (similarly built by Pressed Steel and therefore I hope a reasonable source of information/inspiration in respect of colours used) shows an un-refurbished interior?

 

Tarra-a-bit...

 

David

 

PS: I have at least managed to find a reasonable selection of 121 driver's desk / cab-interior photos to work from :-)

[David Siddall]

Now I think I mentioned that I wanted to make the interior of my Easybuild 121 removable... well it didn't prove quite as simple as I thought but after a bit of trial and error it will be – albeit in three parts – the two cabs and the main saloon. A little bit 'off piste' when compared to the instructions but this kit seems to lend itself to adaptive thinking rather well.

 

 

Using the supplied cab components and some plasticard I made up a pair of driving cab units. The driver's controls are a bit 'impressionistic' compared to prototype photos but I'm happy enough :-)

 

 

The cab units slot securely into the cab ends but are not glued to the body so they can be removed for painting (...and again at some point in the future as and when I get round to thinking about lighting). Incidentally, the replacement Mk1 'dome and ridge' ventilators Shawn supplied for the roof are now secured in place and really look the part – properly '121' :-)

 

 

Next, the saloon. I made up a plasticard sub-floor as recommended in the instructions but attached it to the chassis using three self-tapping screws – just needs drilling for the three Allen screws which keep the body and chassis together. I also cut a new middle partition from platicard (it still needs final fettling). The floor is marked with the door openings and I've made up a pair of the seats that came with the kit to see how they'd work. I think I'll reduce their width a bit otherwise the centre isle will be improbably narrow.

 

 

More in due course...

 

David

 

 

PS: My plan to stop my replacement oval buffers rotating in their shanks is to solder a brass retaining wire between them behind the bufferbeam – once everything's painted!

[David Siddall]

I think I slightly lost the will to live half way through sorting the saloon seating on the 121... 1) it's a tediously repetitive task and 2) I had to modify every single item to achieve the effect I was after. This involved reducing the width of each moulding and breaking down each item into base and back and filing the backs to make those which need to sit back-to-back do so correctly.

 

 

Anyway, it's done to the first stage, refining and attaching to the sub-floor comes next. I eventually decided that I'd had enough and made a start on writing a precis of the medieval civil war between the supporters of King Stephen and the Empress Matilda, something I've been saying I'll do for ages – everyone should have more than one interest ;-)

 

D

[trisonic]

Yep, that would surely give me the screaming ad dabs (the seats not the Maud bit).....

 

Best, Pete.

[Donw]

That is a bit drastic David. Still it is coming on well.

Don

[two tone green]

The seats, yes. A test of ones faith.

 

I think you have past, looking good.

[Dmudriver]

Now I think I mentioned that I wanted to make the interior of my Easybuild 121 removable... well it didn't prove quite as simple as I thought but after a bit of trial and error it will be – albeit in three parts – the two cabs and the main saloon. A little bit 'off piste' when compared to the instructions but this kit seems to lend itself to adaptive thinking rather well.

 

Easybuild-121-drivers-desk-and-cab-interior-module.jpg

 

Using the supplied cab components and some plasticard I made up a pair of driving cab units. The driver's controls are a bit 'impressionistic' compared to prototype photos but I'm happy enough :-)

 

Easybuild-121-drivers-desk-and-cab-interior-fittings.jpg

 

The cab units slot securely into the cab ends but are not glued to the body so they can be removed for painting (...and again at some point in the future as and when I get round to thinking about lighting). Incidentally, the replacement Mk1 'dome and ridge' ventilators Shawn supplied for the roof are now secured in place and really look the part – properly '121' :-)

 

Easybuild-121-sub-floor-marked-for-seating.jpg

 

Next, the saloon. I made up a plasticard sub-floor as recommended in the instructions but attached it to the chassis using three self-tapping screws – just needs drilling for the three Allen screws which keep the body and chassis together. I also cut a new middle partition from platicard (it still needs final fettling). The floor is marked with the door openings and I've made up a pair of the seats that came with the kit to see how they'd work. I think I'll reduce their width a bit otherwise the centre isle will be improbably narrow.

 

 

More in due course...

 

David

 

 

PS: My plan to stop my replacement oval buffers rotating in their shanks is to solder a brass retaining wire between them behind the bufferbeam – once everything's painted!

 

Hi David.  I've not been around much recently, but I'm back now and catching up.  I've read this part of your thread with interest but, whilst I am loathe to be picky about other modellers' work, I feel I must point out an error on the driver's desk in the first photo.  The brake handle in the centre of the desk, the third from the left as the driver looks at it, is back to front.  The handle should point towards the front of the desk and, in my experience, overhangs the front of the desk - the amount varying on the make of unit.  Here is a pic I have found which illustrates what I mean:  http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page11.htm  You need to scroll down the page a bit to find the view through the cab window on the Forth Bridge.  

 

Also this one: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Images/Mark_Ekert_DMU_Controls_20080825-sml.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Gallery-2008Aug25.html&h=450&w=301&sz=66&tbnid=oFi9Lg_yzKLfJM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=64&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2BDMU%2Bcontrols%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=pictures+of+DMU+controls&usg=__NPzv9mfc1iwd_LucpvRRfIzEOb4=&docid=hKgIyI2Oz9fPOM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_p8_UcGdMKq-0QWz1IHIDw&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ9QEwAQ&dur=114 

 

In the first pic the handle is over to the right and is in the off or running position.  In the second it seems to be in the on, or brakes applied, position.

 

I hope you'll be able to get the handle of to turn it round.  Admittedly it will not be easily seen when the model's complete but there'll always be the odd (meaning "infrequent"!!) person likely to point it out.

 

Hope you don't mind my pointing this out, but you seem to be wanting to get things right and I thought this might help.

 

Rod

[David Siddall]

The brake handle in the centre of the desk, the third from the left as the driver looks at it, is back to front... hope you don't mind my pointing this out...

Don't mind at all Rod, in fact I really appreciate it! One of the advantages of making the cab interiors as removable units is that it should be an easy fix. Thanks for the reference photos too... now I can see excactly where the last remaining bit – the red painted valve (?) to the left of the brake wheel –needs to go on the control desk. I also need to fashion the giant 'bell push' in front of the driver and (if I'm feeling brave) fill in the semi-circular cut-out in EB's whitemetal driver's desk and move the driver's seats so they're centred on the partition window behind them. I'm guessing that Easybuild's cab interiors are pretty generic... :-)

 

Suppose you don't know what colour(s) the saloon upholstery would be on an early (i.e. green with yellow warning panels) 121 would you? There are a couple of photos in 'British Rail First Generation DMU's in Colour' by Stuart Mackay which suggest it could be a creamy beige. Other photos online of what appear to be unrefurbished units suggest it could be blue???

 

David

[Dmudriver]

Don't mind at all Rod, in fact I really appreciate it! One of the advantages of making the cab interiors as removable units is that it should be an easy fix. Thanks for the reference photos too... now I can see excactly where the last remaining bit – the red painted valve (?) to the left of the brake wheel –needs to go on the control desk. I also need to fashion the giant 'bell push' in front of the driver and (if I'm feeling brave) fill in the semi-circular cut-out in EB's whitemetal driver's desk and move the driver's seats so they're centred on the partition window behind them. I'm guessing that Easybuild's cab interiors are pretty generic... :-)

 

Suppose you don't know what colour(s) the saloon upholstery would be on an early (i.e. green with yellow warning panels) 121 would you? There are a couple of photos in 'British Rail First Generation DMU's in Colour' by Stuart Mackay which suggest it could be a creamy beige. Other photos online of what appear to be unrefurbished units suggest it could be blue???

 

David

 

Hi David.  The red-painted valve is the emergency brake valve - known as the "setter".  There's one in each cab and also one in the guard's van.  Lift it and it admits air straight into the system:  it's a pretty blunt instrument - obviously its effectiveness varies with the speed the unit is going, but pulling away from a station, it's pretty effective!!  (Yes, I've had guards do it to me to let a late passenger board the train!!)

 

The giant push button is the AWS indicator cancellation button.  The colour of this can vary, in my experience, but the setter is always red.

 

I'm afraid I can't help with the upholstery colours in a green 121.  However, the pics on this page might help: they show the interiors of the Llangollen railcar fleet (these are the ones I drive):  the 109 is painted in early green and the upholstery is authentic, but whether this was the colour scheme in all early units, I do not know:

 

http://www.zyworld.com/LlangollenRailcars/interior%20photos/Changing%20Rooms.htm

 

As for the shape of the driver's desk, I suspect the EB one was made for the 105.  I'm pretty sure that is curved:  we have one at Llangollen but it's that long since I've driven it, I can't be sure!!  (It's had asbestos stripped out of it and is now being restored so it's been out of traffic for a  couple of years.)  There are photos on the Llangollen Railcars website above but I can't get the link as every time I go off here, I lose what I've written!!  In my experience, the desks of Derby-built DMUs have straight-edged desks.

 

Hope this is helpful.

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

HI David.  Further to my last post, the curved desk is indeed for the 105.  See the pic on this page:  http://www.zyworld.com/LlangollenRailcars/interior%20photos/Driving%20Seat.htm

 

Again. these are from the Llangollen Railcars website, and they show the straight edge to the Derby-built desks.  The Wickham (Class 109) is unusual and is ergonomically not well designed - particularly to get at the brake handle!!  It helps to have contortionist tendencies to operate it!!

 

 

Rod

[David Siddall]

OK... the modified driver's desks, considerably aided by making the cab interiors modular and removable!

 

 

With grateful thanks to Rod (Dmudriver) for his help...

 

...the semi-circular cut-outs in the desks in front of the driver's position have been filled in; the driver's seats now centre on the windows in the saloon partitions behind them; the vac brake handles are now in the 'off' position (or as close as I can get them to be anyway) and the the emergency brake valves (setters) and a representation of the AWS indicator cancellation buttons are now in place.

 

Whether the emergency brake valves are in the 'right' place I can't be sure because I've found photos of Gloucester C&W-built cabs with it variously to the left of the hand-brake wheel and to the right but basically I think these modules are about there... not exactly scale replicas, more (hopefully) reasonable representations without too many glaring discrepancies?

 

Oh yes, and one more thing... I have no idea why one saloon partition has rounded corners to its windows, the other square corners – that's how the etches came with the kit. Prototype photos suggest the 'rounded corner' partition should go on the passenger saloon end. A rather crude process of elimination puts the partition with the square cornered windows at the guard's end where perhaps, because it was unseen by the travelling public, the designers felt there was no need to match the style of the passenger saloon windows and doors???

 

Hey ho... :-)

 

David

 

 

EDIT: Making a statement like "not exactly scale replicas, more (hopefully) reasonable representations without too many glaring discrepancies?" was obviously a tad premature – see Brian Daniel's post and photos below. A great example of the benefits of a forum like this (...or of the foolhardiness of sticking one's head above the parapet)?

[brian daniels]

Here are some pictures of a 117 drivers desk at the Gwili Railway, they are the same on a 121. Note that the silver brake handle is not placed in the round black brake unit yet.

 

Remembering from when I used to drive these the partition with the square windows should be a plain wall behind the driver as it's the brake van behind him with just a sliding door into the van.

 

I do have some underframe detail pictures of 55034 if you want.

[David Siddall]

Here are some pictures of a 117 drivers desk at the Gwili Railway, they are the same on a 121...

Getting closer then... :-)

 

OK, so for a 121 that's handbrake wheels to the centre of the desk with emergency brake valves (setters) to their right and AWS indicators behind the vac' brake. Oh yes, and a solid partition with sliding door behind the cab at the guard's end ...and maybe that rather prominent cabinet with the telephone on it to the right of the driver's seats?

 

Thanks for the photos and the guidance Brian, much appreciated...

 

David

[brian daniels]

The telephone was a late edition on these. If you are modelling the up until the mid 80's I would leave it out. And don't do the fire extinguisher either. But you can just see a blue AWS box on the wall behind the Secondman's seat that might be worth a punt.

 

[brian daniels]

I have just added some underframe detail pictures to my website http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/sets/72157632993392141/

 

I had forgot all about these DMU pictures.

[Barnaby]

Great stuff here chaps what a mine of information you fella's are.

 

Thanks

[dikitriki]

If David will forgive me a brief hijack, I have a question for Brian.

 

I'm doing a 128. How similar is the cab/console to the 117 pictures you posted above?

 

Thanks.

 

Richard

[David Siddall]

If David will forgive me a brief hijack, I have a question for Brian.... I'm doing a 128. How similar is the cab/console to the 117 pictures you posted above?

Be my guest Richard... you know I'm not in the last proprietorial about this thread and Brian's been an invaluable source of info' :-)

 

D

[David Siddall]

Hopefully third time lucky...? My 121's cab interiors modified again to replicate Brian's photos without resorting to starting from scratch – at least the handbrake wheel and the emergency brake valves are now the right way round for a 121! I've also added a suggestion of the tip-up seat and AWS equipment box on the bulkhead to the driver's right.

 

 

And now to the bit about which I'm just a wee bit apprehensive, the underframe details...

 

 

...here are all the cast components Easybuild supply along with plenty of rod for the plumbing. Fortunately (courtesy of EB and Brian Daniels) I've got access to loads of photos but its still all a bit mysterious. Do you start in the middle or at one end ...and if so which end? :-)

 

TTFN

 

David