Castle Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Hi All, Thanks for all the positive comments - she may well be motive power for the RMWEB tour this year so it will be great for you all to be (re)introduced to her! You are definitely right about the paint Mr B - it had faded to an almost (dare I say it) LNER shade and looked most odd. When you slid the cab shutters back the original shade was still there and it was amazing to see just how far the shade went! Hmmm - tavern car livery... Now THERE is a though! Nobody's done that one before and the bar would have its own central heating too! The beer might get a bit too warm though! Hopefully this is a good reflection on how, well, errr, reflective she will be! Correct on her being a 1946 build Buffalo - so it is liveries from there onwards are the only choice. Mind you, one wag in the team suggested FGW purple. Yes, with the big pink swirly stripe thingy! I suppose they have been kind enough to make No. 57604 look like our Pendennis Castle so we SHOULD return the favour... I think also that if we did that we would be politely but firmly asked to leave and never darken Didcot with our paintbrushes again! This has been a pretty quick job Mike - it would have been faster had the boiler not been as bad as it was but still, it's great she is nearly back with us! All the best, Castle 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Brunel Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Mind you, one wag in the team suggested FGW purple. Yes, with the big pink swirly stripe thingy! I suppose they have been kind enough to make No. 57604 look like our Pendennis Castle so we SHOULD return the favour... I think also that if we did that we would be politely but firmly asked to leave and never darken Didcot with our paintbrushes again! Could be worse. Could be the old 'fag packet' livery ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 it will be great to see this one in steam.And to hear it too - having travelled up the hill from Ricky to Amersham behind it (very quickly!) as well as many trips on the demonstration line at Didcot, I can vouch for the sheer pleasure of sitting back and enjoying the acoustic experience. It's fantastic to have it back again - many thanks to Castle and his team for bringing back an old friend. If only it could be let out for a day to work an all-stations Thames Valley local to Reading....... David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gz3xzf Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Well done with 4144, good to see her running again. I recently found this buried in a box of photos showing her in the last running period with Hawksworth livery. It is one of the "official" Railway Experience Day shots of the group, I am afraid I don't have a date, but it must have been sometime between 2000 and 2005: - Edited February 20, 2015 by gz3xzf 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sej Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 She looks fantastic Castle. It's great to hear of the mix of youth and experience that you have on your team. Your thread continues to give a fascinating insight into the expertise and hard work at Didcot, and the mechanical innards of steam locomotives, as does your superb book. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Hi All, Thanks for all the positive comments and great pictures and recollections of the big prairie! Simon, thanks very much for your kind words about the book too - I'm glad you enjoyed it! All the best, Castle 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold sjrixon Posted April 3, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 3, 2015 Not sure this is the correct place.. But I am assuming that's you on the DVD! Well done ☺ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Which DVD is that? All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold sjrixon Posted April 3, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 3, 2015 The BRM DVD this month is at didcot. They have a very good interview with someone called Drew who shows them around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Might be me... All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold sjrixon Posted April 5, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2015 It was a really nice looking around Didcot.. I really want to have a run on the steam railmotor, looks very swish! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hi SJRixon, Thanks for the compliments - I haven't seen the film yet so I will have to wait for a hard copy to turn up in the local newsagents! No. 93 is a bit of a beast isn't it?! It is great fun to be on and operate but wasn't set up with maintainence in mind shall we say... With any luck she will be running on the RMWEB tour but I will confirm the rostered engines closer to the time. Personally I think the ideal roster would be Nos. 93 and 4144... All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hi All, Stop Press: Castle ACTUALLY does some work on a railway model project! That's right folks - I have finally got my finger out and done a bit of work on a 4mm scale subject! After all the distractions I have had recently it was nice to do a little bit of work on the Little Didcot fleet. I hope everyone is enjoying the DVD that came with BRM this month that features a lovely collection of locomotives and rolling stock of all shapes and sizes from Didcot, some great layouts, that nice editor chap Ben and some hairy hat wearer that happened to be in the shed at the time! Well, the chosen project for forward progress was what I refer to as Little Didcot's 'outsize load' train. The eventual idea is to have the following combination of vehicles: Large Prairie No. 4144 Diagram A.6 POLLEN Es Nos. 84997, 84998, 84999 & 85000 carrying a pair of bridge side girders. Diagram J.9 MITE B twin pair Nos. 32337 & 32338 carrying some large steel beams (supposedly for the same bridge project that the side girders are for in my mind at least!). Diagram AA.15 TOAD No. 68684 So the score at the beginning of today the 41 was done and dusted, the first pair of the POLLEN Es were done, the second pair were on the shelf half finished with the girder still in the sprues unbuilt, the kit to build the MITEs were in a box somewhere (!) and the TOAD was in GWR Freight Grey with the gloss on it to put the transfers on. So after a good bit of Sherlock Holmes type activity the unfinished POLLENS were dragged out of the dark hole they were hiding in. They were in yellow filler primer and it was really showing up the granular finish of the 3D printing material they were made out of. My solution was to sand the flat bits, well, er, flatter and then replace it with some rivet transfers. I got one POLLEN Es completely done and ready for transfers, the second one in progress and when I got bored with sanding I constructed and primed the girder. Elementary Watson - it was hiding in the last place I would think of looking! The TOAD is still just grey however... And on that bombshell! All the best, Castle 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium M.I.B Posted April 13, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 13, 2015 No-one can accuse you of being idle just because you haven't worked on the 4mm version for a while. My Dad loved your book ( and so did I before he got given it......) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hi M.I.B., Thanks for the kind comments! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Hi All, A little Little Didcot update... Not massive progress today - I had a few things to do including ordering a few bits for the 1:1 scale Castle. The body colour of painting on the components has been completed and here is a bit of component balancing to show the basic idea of the train. Up front is the mighty Prairie No. 4144 and the original Dia. A6 POLLEN E outer wagons from the 1909 4 vehicle coupled set. Then we have the 1930s rebuilt centre wagons that are the focus of the current efforts. The wooden packing and chains still need adding. And then the TOAD - the gloss coat didn't seem to have covered evenly in the two spots I needed to lay transfers down (D'oh!) so it got another coat and is hardening off for more fun tomorrow! I didn't put a pile of white metal bits in between the POLLENS and the TOAD as it kind of spoilt the effect... I did cut the old tension lock couplings off the end panels today but I will do a full write up on these later on. Two days in a row? There will be all sorts of progress if this type of thing carries on... All the best, Castle 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted April 14, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2015 Interesting stock and loads, Castle. Your models are always a little bit different somehow - in the positive sense! - perhaps because your modelling draws on a real railway environment, even if it's a preservation one? I hope all of that yellow filler primer has been covered by a more noble colour, what an awful sight! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 (edited) Hi Mikkel, Thanks for that - I do try to bring in my experience from the 1:1 scale stuff so it is gratifying to hear that from someone else! Weathering is something that possibly comes a bit easier as the things still get dirty in the same way preservation or otherwise.perhaps not to the same extent however. One thing I like to try to imbue is the weight and the solidity of the machines. That is quite an abstract concept I suppose but if it looks dirty and heavy in the right way it will probably look right! All the best, Castle EDIT: Yes - the yellow is long gone! It's now BR unfitted freight vehicle grey... Edited April 14, 2015 by Castle 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Slightly off topic but Shapeways now have the GWR ATC chairs and brackets available in 7mm. Thanks to Castle for providing many detailed pictures of the ATC ramp at Didcot and without your help this wouldn't have happened. A detail nearly always left off models. I'm on the scrounge again if your able to help, this time it's GWR buffer stops, the plan is to have these 3D printed again in 7mm but these could also probably be done in 4 mm as well. Many thanks again Castle for all your help Steve 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted April 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) SteveContact Dave Franks, of Lanarkshire Model Supplies, he does 3 types of Great Western Stop blocks in 4mm. He's on here as davefrk. http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/Hth. SS edit to add link Edited April 15, 2015 by Siberian Snooper 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Steve Contact Dave Franks, of Lanarkshire Model Supplies, he does 3 types of Great Western Stop blocks in 4mm. He's on here as davefrk. http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/ Hth. SS edit to add link Thanks it's 7mm I'm after though.Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 Hi Steve, My pleasure - I'm glad it came out so well! Any chance of a 4mm scale version too please? All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TrevorP1 Posted April 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2015 Hi Steve, My pleasure - I'm glad it came out so well! Any chance of a 4mm scale version too please? All the best, Castle You've beaten me to it Castle. I would definitely be up for some in 4mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted April 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2015 Thanks it's 7mm I'm after though. Steve I was thinking more in terms of the fact that he has all the dimensions, that just need to be re-scaled to 7mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Thanks again, I shall enquire about the 4mm ATC and let you know 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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