Banbury in N scale - A great time at the Abingdon in March 2024

[roundhouse]

Decided that I better go to Banbury today to measure the station nameboard signs so I can get some made.

It not very nice weather here today so just working out how I can incorporated the details of the photo below. Not quite sure how I can move the Old Reindeer pub closer to the station!

Edited May 7, 2012 by roundhouse

[big jim]

168/2s are simple enough to convert, simply cut off the bottom of the front valance and put a bit of silver round the light clusters

 

don't forget to do a 172/0 with the spare driving cars from the ones you are using the centre cars on, voyager bogie sides, cut back the valance and for a simple fix paint between the existing windows to make it look like its got individual windows, oh and the silver exhaust!

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

JIm

 

Had a good day at Banbury on Monday looking at all the differences in the Chiltern units aswell as the differences between the FGW and Chiltern class 165's. I was only planning on doing the 168/1's but after studying all the variations I am now hooked on doing some more as soon as I find some more Farish 168's for sale at reasonable prices.

 

I will seach for the Voyager boie sides to do the 172's

 

 

 

I worked out the general spacing of all those light blue drainage covers between the running lines and also alongside the Up freight loop as I think I have found a suitable method of making them.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

I spent part of today working on the fiddelyard boards that go with both Banbury and Santa Sarbara. All the curved tracks have now been repllced with Peco code 55 flexi track as I think the finer Atlas track may have been causing some of the derailments when used with Banbury..

 

After realigning these tracks with both Banbury and Santa Barbara scenic boards I then moved on to replacing one of the Peco turnouts in the fiddleyard where the tie bar had melted prior to modifying the turnouts to isolate the frog from the blades.

The attached photo shows how the tie bar had melted, presumably due to the ihgher voltage and current of the DCC system causing a lsight arch as the blades are switched.

 

After replacing this turnout, the last two turnouts had the rails cut to islote the frog. The next stage will be to fit Hex Frog Juicers to all the fiddleyard turnouts as the Juicers have proved 100% reliable on the scenic section of Banbury.

 

Some more stock detailing on, the loca hauled / DVT mk3 sets has also been done.

 

I will post some separate shote of these in due course.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Whilst work has been continuing on the fiddleyard area of the layout, I have been working on the rolling stock in the evenings at the moment.

 

Further detailing has taken place on the WSMR and Chiltern Mainline coaches class 67's and DVT's. The Rapido couplings have been removed from. the outer ends of the push pull sets and the pipework etc added. The short fixed knuckle supplied with the Dapol Mk3's have been used on the coach couplings with the longer fixed knuckle being used on the innere ends of the loco and DVT. The first set to have this done has been used at the first 4 shows the layout has done so far, with no problems, so hopefully the sets recently converted will also be fine round the 11.5" radius curves in the fiddelyard.

 

The conversion of a class 47 into Colas Rail colours is also underway with another about to be turned into a DRS machine.

 

A few more road vehicles have been obtained iwth one being repainted and decals added to represent a Network Rail van. Not sure if they have any Mercedes vans but it looks fine next to the Network rail offices on the layout.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Still a few more tiny bits of touching up and adding the numbers below the cab windows when they arrive but the Chiltern DVT which is a repainted Dapol Virgin one, is basically just about there.

 

It is normally coupled to the blue/ grey and ex Virgin mk3's on the layout, forming the Marylebone to Banbury and the early afternoon service to Moor Street as it did on the real railway until it went off to have the generator fitted.

 

The ex Virgin coaches have now had their Virgin branding removed.

 

Now concentrating on the Colas class 47 and covered steel carriers which should be ready for the SIlverfox show in August.

 

Ian

[MinZaPint]

Decided that I better go to Banbury today to measure the station nameboard signs so I can get some made.

It not very nice weather here today so just working out how I can incorporated the details of the photo below. Not quite sure how I can move the Old Reindeer pub closer to the station!

 

 

Now that's my idea of a railway room!

[roundhouse]

Yes it would be a nice railway room, or rooms as there is more to the pub round the back of the bar!!

 

There is a pub in Bristol that has a OO gauge track running along the top of the seating through the walls to the next seating area - a similar timber paneeled to this one but longer and narrower.

[roundhouse]

More work has been done on some of the rolling stock.

 

The Colas class 47 is nearing completion. The orange cantrial stripe needs to be added prior to spraying with Dullcote. It will then be ready for hauling some Network rail ballast trains or a few covered steel carrier that it used to haul through Banbury back in 1999.

 

ALso nearing sompletion is ex WSMR class 67 015. This has been patched where the WSMR logo used to be and has now been matt varnished. and awaiting its nameplates before returning to duty hauling the Chiltern Mianline coaches and DVT.

 

A DRS class 47 is now in the paint shop.

 

Ian

Edited May 21, 2012 by roundhouse

[roundhouse]

Nothing new done to the scenery on the layout for a few weeks now as working on another layout at the moment.

However, a little bit more work done to some of the locos in the last few days as its easy to sit in the conservatory in the evenings or early in the morning before heading to work.

 

The Colas clas 47 now has its orange cant rail stripes in place.

 

Another WSMR loco, number 67012 'A Shropshire Lad' now has its plates fixed and the loco sprayed iwth Dullcote - nameplates from Precision Decals.

 

DRS 47 853 is now being worked on. No one does the plates in N scale so may have to wait for the RAIL EXPRESS plates to be done by someone or get a decent side on shot of the actual loco. Also this loco now has the roof louvres replaced with grilles as per the class 57's so need to source osme of these.

 

Ian

[darren chpamn]

were did you get your tpws grids from i looked all over the web for n gauge ones

daz

[Mark Pelham]

were did you get your tpws grids from i looked all over the web for n gauge ones

daz

Darren,

 

TPM produce TPWS grids.

 

Mark

[roundhouse]

Da / Mark

 

Yes I used the TPM ones. They are delicate when folding the sections but well worth using. A bit of weathering tones them down nicely.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

Not a lot to report on as with being away and other layouts doing shows, Banbury has taken the backburner at the moment.

 

Howeve,r the Colas class 47 has just had its bodyside glazing refixed after a final coat of Dullcote over the decals and nameplates. It now requires a touch more weathering over the weekend before it is then finished and to be put back in its box.

 

A new Shapeways tank wagon has been obtained and that is currently in primer, so that will be worked on in between other projects.

 

The electrics in the fiddleyard will be worked on in the next couple of weeks with the fitting of more Hex Frog Juicers asd the fiddleyard iwll be used with Santa Barbara at the Morrs Vallet do in July.

 

After that, work will then recommence on the scenic side of Banbury ready for SIlverfox show in Milton Keynes, August 2012.

 

Ian

[Rheneas]

the steel carriers for colas will be interesting

[roundhouse]

/

the steel carriers for colas will be interesting

 

Funny you should ask.

 

I am working on three from B and H at present. They are not strictly the correct type but they are close enough for now.

 

Not the best of shots but its getting dark in the conservatory and only had my phone yo hand.

 

Ian

Edited June 17, 2012 by roundhouse

[Rheneas]

they look very good you have done a top job, the wagons that a are closer match are very expensive and difficult to get

[roundhouse]

I will post some more photos when I finish these.

 

Ian

[roundhouse]

I have now painted the covered steel carriers but they still require decals and weathering. A third is yet to be finished but it came with the wrong bogies in the kit so need to sort that out.

 

Ian

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Ian

 

As you appear to be doing the longer wagons: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphooksteel/h20F50EAE#h2758d66a then you can probably use the decal set from the N Gauge Society's kit 35a KPA hopper wagon.

 

I suspect the shop will sell you the decals on their own if you don't want the whole kit. The decal sheets contain both the older "stripey" lettering, and the newer TIPHOOK RAIL in block caps.

 

This is a great thread - thanks for keeping the updates coming!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[roundhouse]

Ben

 

Thanks for that info. I will check it out.

 

Ian

[Fat Controller]

Hi Ian

 

As you appear to be doing the longer wagons: http://paulbartlett....50EAE#h2758d66a then you can probably use the decal set from the N Gauge Society's kit 35a KPA hopper wagon.

 

I suspect the shop will sell you the decals on their own if you don't want the whole kit. The decal sheets contain both the older "stripey" lettering, and the newer TIPHOOK RAIL in block caps.

 

This is a great thread - thanks for keeping the updates coming!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

The one thing I would add to what Ben has written is that the Tiphook wagons in the original livery had all been given new, dark blue, hoods by the end of the 1990s, and had virtually all disappeared by a decade later. The SNCF coils, which appeared in 1994, I believe, are about 2/3rds the length of the Tiphook ones; in 4mm, I built a number using hoods from the Lima 'Tiphook' wagon, with scratchbuilt ends and underframes.

[roundhouse]

The kits I have used are the B & H IKA covered wagons whihc I have struggled to find good shots of. Ideally I realyl need the shorter covered wagons that I have seen in shots of this Colas service that ran through Banbury back in 2009.

[Fat Controller]

The kits I have used are the B & H IKA covered wagons whihc I have struggled to find good shots of. Ideally I realyl need the shorter covered wagons that I have seen in shots of this Colas service that ran through Banbury back in 2009.

Here are some shots of the 'Tiphook' wagons:-

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/tiphooksteel

There were some very similar wagons carrying 'Transferry' (owned by Transfesa) and 'Cargowaggon' liveries; I can't find any shots of these at present, but they arrived before the Tiphooks, and had largely gone by the mid-1990s. I have a copy of the SNCF 'weight diagram' for their coil wagon if it would be of use to you; having seen the standard of work you've put into the scenic side, these should be a doddle for you to do.

[roundhouse]

Ah, so the IKA's are the Tiphook wagons then?

 

Ben A posted the same link but when I looked I thought they were a different type - I am not bery much up on modern (ish) wagons these days but improving with all the ones I have had to pick up on for Banbury.

 

Yes those would be of use Brian but when i would get round to scratch buildeing them I am not so sure, as pelnty of other items to do first. Its taken me 8 months to get these covered wagons to this point!

 

Ian

Edited June 21, 2012 by roundhouse