West Kirby Town: narrow gauge is coming to town.

[ianwales]

Hi Rod

 

You mentioned that Shawn was sorting a 131 for you, what is he doing different to the 122 he sells, also when did the ScR do the first 131 conversion?

 

Ian

[beast66606]

Go on - you know you want to ...

 

[Dmudriver]

Go on - you know you want to ...

 

das28157.jpg

Aaaaah, beast, don't tempt me!!!!!  Is that the deicing train?  The 73 sandwiched between 2 class 501 driving vehicles?   If that weather in America comes over here, I may well need one!!!!

 

Rod

[beast66606]

Aaaaah, beast, don't tempt me!!!!!  Is that the deicing train?  The 73 sandwiched between 2 class 501 driving vehicles?   If that weather in America comes over here, I may well need one!!!!

 

Rod

 

It certainly is.

 

Wait until next week for the temperature to drop.

[Dmudriver]

Hi Rod

 

You mentioned that Shawn was sorting a 131 for you, what is he doing different to the 122 he sells, also when did the ScR do the first 131 conversion?

 

Ian

Ian, basically he's just added a pair of double doors in place of a single door and a window.  There's a photo by this title : "Class 122 DMBS SC55013 at York TMD - 06/02/1981" on Flickr in 53A Models' photostream and I printed a copy for him to work to.

 

It's in my collection of pics, but I'm dubious about putting it on here as I might be infringing copyright.  Neither, unfortunately can I get a link to it.  The photo shows the difference well.  There's a drawing in Brian Golding's "A Pictorial Record of British Railways Diesel Multiple Units".

 

The other 2 had the extra set of double doors in different positions - there are a couple of photos in Brian Morrison's book "British Rail DMUs and Diesel Railcars".

 

Hope this is useful.  If you can't find the pic of SC55013, send me a PM and I'll let you have a copy.

 

Rod

[Dmudriver]

Ian.  I forgot to answer your question about the date of conversion.  Brian Morrison's book (above) states that they were converted in 1968 and he includes 2 photos dated 1977 and 1980.  Note the picture I mention above is dated 1981 so they lasted at least that long.  I'm not clear what happened to them then, whether they were withdrawn as parcels vehicles or were converted back to passenger use, but I'm satisfied that 55013 was in blue in 1981 so won't be completely out of period for my layout.  Mind you, what a Scottish Region single-car DMU is doing on Merseyside, I'm not sure!!!  I'll think of a story - after all, I've justified a Thumper so I can this, too!!!

 

HTH.

 

Rod

[daifly]

Ian, basically he's just added a pair of double doors in place of a single door and a window.  There's a photo by this title : "Class 122 DMBS SC55013 at York TMD - 06/02/1981" on Flickr in 53A Models' photostream and I printed a copy for him to work to.

 

It's in my collection of pics, but I'm dubious about putting it on here as I might be infringing copyright.  Neither, unfortunately can I get a link to it. 

Rod

Try

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/3730999855/

Dave

[pwr]

Ian.  I forgot to answer your question about the date of conversion.  Brian Morrison's book (above) states that they were converted in 1968 and he includes 2 photos dated 1977 and 1980.  Note the picture I mention above is dated 1981 so they lasted at least that long.  I'm not clear what happened to them then, whether they were withdrawn as parcels vehicles or were converted back to passenger use, but I'm satisfied that 55013 was in blue in 1981 so won't be completely out of period for my layout.  Mind you, what a Scottish Region single-car DMU is doing on Merseyside, I'm not sure!!!  I'll think of a story - after all, I've justified a Thumper so I can this, too!!!

 

HTH.

 

Rod

Rod I am fairly certain that at least one of them went for scrap straight after being withdrawn. I have the DMU listing book on first generation units somewhere and could look in that if you were interested. Others may have ended up as sandite units but this is only from memory and I would have to check

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Hi Paul.

 

Thanks for the offer about scrapping/withdrawal dates.  There's no need to bother for me, though, thanks, as I know Sc55013 was running in 1981 so it fits in my time period.  I was thinking more about Ian as I'm not sure what era he is planning to model.

 

Rod

[ianwales]

Hi Rod

 

Thanks for the info re the 131, My layout is going to be set in the pre TOPS diesel era say 69-70, hence the question as to when the conversions took place, mind you, I would have less justification for running one on a Sothern region line in London than you would have justifying one on Merseyside!

 

Ian

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted on here but I've not been idle!!  For a while I've been working on models rather than the layout.

 

Firstly, I've fitted pickups to the unpowered bogies of the 2 power cars on the 115:  I was finding that there was the odd bit of jerkiness before - now both power cars run as smooth as silk.  This is how I add the pickups to mine - just for interest:

 

 

The red and black wires go to a chocolate block under the chassis so that I can easily take the bogie off if I need to.  The motor bogie has a similar arrangement and wires run between the 2 blocks.

 

I've also started again on the Insulfish vans I started in November 2012 (that long ago!!!!) .  I got sidetracked by building C&L pointwork!!  I'm just on with the brake rigging at the moment - that should be finished in a day or two.

 

Then I've worked on the layout.  I'd finished the ballasting and let it dry so, over the last couple of days I've sprayed it.  Here's a couple of pics looking eachway showing how it looks now:

 

 

 

The darker sections are matt black and are on the tracks where DMUs and locos will stand and drip oil onto the track. I'm not completely happy with the oil effect yet, but at least that's a base to work on.  Has anyone any advice on how to make it more realistic looking, please?

 

I've bought a sanding block (from B&Q) shaped into a sharp edge so I should now be able to clean the rails without taking the paint off the check rails (well, that's the theory, anyway!!)  So I've painted the check rails and I do think the effect is more realistic: pic below

 

 

While I was doing the spraying, the stock was moved to the fiddle yard and its approaches, with the covers left on.  Here are the DMUs in the fiddle yard:

 

 

and here the rolling stock - just poking out of the hole in the wall as I moved them by hand - parcels vehicles on left, Mark 1s on the right.  The phrase "Strategic Reserve" came into my mind for some reason, seeing this!!!

 

 

Obviously, the bridge needs a bit of work!!  It originally spanned 3 tracks at right angles on the previous layout.

 

Nearly forgot to add - I had a nice play getting the DMUs from the fiddle yard into the stabling point and No 2 siding.  All done properly - using signals, the lot!!  Now I've got 4 DMUs and as there's only room for 3 in the stabling sidings, one stays in No 2 siding - that's the one at the back of the layout.  I'm going to use that siding for DMUs and loco parking as it's a bit far away to do coupling and uncoupling.  Generally, loco-hauled stock will arrive in, and depart from, platform 1 (the one nearest the camera) for the reason mentioned.  Parcels trains may, however, depart from one of the 2 sidings alongside platform 1 - hence the oil on the track just in front of the ground signals.

 

So, that's it for now - more soon.

 

Rod

 

 

 

[pwr]

Rod

 

Your ballasting has come out really well . Layout coming along nicely. Kep up the good work!

 

Paul R

[two tone green]

Hi Rod,

 

Very impressive, it looks like a railway. Nice one.

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I said in my last post that I was going to finish building the Insulfish vans - well, they're built!!!  Not painted yet, but finished so that they run.  I've checked back over my posts: in post 145 on 13th November 2012 I said I was aiming to finish them but I didn't as I got involved in building pointwork and placing it on the layout.  So, 14 months later, I've done them!!!   They're not painted yet - that'll come when the weather's a bit warmer, I think.  They'll be done in blue as Express Parcels vehicles. By that time, hopefully, I'll have more painting to do - the 131 and ... well, read below!!

 

Here are some pics of the 4 vans with a similar Freightman vehicle which needs repainting and lettering:  (the 4 are Parkside Dundas)

 

 

 

They give me 2 nice rakes of parcels vehicles now and both of them are still able to fit into the fiddle yard - compare the following picture of the rakes alongside the 4 x Mark 1s which the fiddle yard was built to hold (with an engine):

 

 

The sharp-eyed among you may have noticed an ex-LNWR water tower has appeared on the layout.  That's because I'm aiming to get my push-pull set running again this year.  I got hold, at a very good price, of a kit for an Acorn/Mercian LNWR tank engine, complete with wheels, gears and motor.  The plan is to fit that for push-pull working and use it on the Welsh Dragon 3 coach set as a preserved steam train which will be based at the preservation centre at New Brighton where it moved after being chucked out of West Kirby to make way for the DMU stabling point!!  I'd have liked an Ivatt 2-6-2T but this was on offer and I've always been interested in the LNWR anyway, so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.  I can concoct a story about the Ivatt undergoing major repairs at the preservation centre - if I need to!!  Rule 1 applies!!

 

More soon.

 

 

Rod

[pwr]

Didn't I hear or read somewhere that Freightman kits were due to be coming back following the purchase of the range after Frank Titcombe's death. These were great kits. I have one van built and several more in stock.

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Didn't I hear or read somewhere that Freightman kits were due to be coming back following the purchase of the range after Frank Titcombe's death. These were great kits. I have one van built and several more in stock.

 

Paul R

Hi Paul.

 

Is this what you're thinking of?    http://www.62cmodels.com/Freightman%20Wagons.htm     I can't find a date on it, though, so I don't know if they're imminent.

 

 

Rod

[pwr]

Hi Paul.

 

Is this what you're thinking of? http://www.62cmodels.com/Freightman Wagons.htm I can't find a date on it, though, so I don't know if they're imminent.

 

 

Rod

Rod

 

Yes they would be the ones. Interesting that they are possiblym going the Parkside underframe route. I preferred the heavier ABS white metal option although I accept that these were neve as detailed as they could aveen whereas you can't fault the Parkside ones.

 

I am part way through an ABS LNER open and compared to a simular Slaters version the brake gear is not nearly as good. However a few extra bits should sort that out.

 

Paul R

Edited January 21, 2014 by pwr

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I've not done much to the layout - apart from play with it!!  Even shunting DMUs around is fun - particularly when the sound's switched on and there's lots of inertia programmed in - and the signalling is used properly.  It really is just like the real thing!!

 

As an aside - we had an operating day on the club layout on Wednesday - operating the layout to its full potential (as opposed to a "roundy roundy test track" as happens on club nights and open days).  As it's analogue, I kept forgetting to turn off section switches and often ended up with 2 (at least!!) engines moving at the same time!!  It really isn't the same as DCC - and you can shunt much too quickly (which I don't like, incidentally!)

 

Anyway, back to my layout.  I decided to do a bit of weathering of the underframes of my 3-car Class 108.  When I got it the underframes were painted in the correct refurbished brown colour with just the engines picked out in silver (and a bit of a sheen on the paint).  I decided I wanted it a bit dirtier so I set to with various paints and brushes.  I haven't done much weathering in the past (I've sprayed underframe dirt around!!) so this is my first real go.  Here's a couple of pictures as it was before I started:

 

 

 

In the first picture you can't see much detail, so I've added the second below to show it a bit closer in.

 

 

And now 3 after I'd done it all.  First the DMBS:

 

 

Next, the TS(L):

 

 

And finally, the DMC(L):

 

 

I'm not too happy with the finish of the bogies - there's too much black (i.e. oil) but I'm sure I could find prototype pics like that if I wanted.

 

The 115 underframe is next - that's all black at the moment - but first I'm having a couple of weeks or so away from modelling.  After the 115, the Coal Tank and the 131,  ,,,,, plus the platform for the layout, .... plus a couple of microswitches for the frogs on the Peco points in the stabling area, .... plus ...... plus .... the list goes on.  It's great this railway modelling, isn't it?   

 

More soon.

 

Rod

 

Edited: the third vehicle is a DMC(L), Not a DTC(L)!!

Edited February 26, 2014 by Dmudriver

[pwr]

Now that some yeas have passed I find the white and blue refurb livery very pleasing. You don't often see models of this and almost never in 7mm. Well done Rod the weathering is really subtle and really lifts the model. Looking forward to seeing more of this

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Hi all.

 

I'm back!!  I said in my last post I was having a couple of weeks away from railway modelling so I've just got back from a couple of weeks in the Swiss Alps, mainly walking in the snow.  Wonderful holiday!!

 

Anyway, while I was away, I took all my stock out of the shed so I've decided that the first job now I'm back, as the layout is still empty, is to get the platform built.  I've no set plan to work to, apart from using the resin sides I bought some time ago.  So I thought the best plan was to make a template to help me with the curves.  I had some spare wallpaper, so I spread a piece out over the tracks, taped it down and marked the line of the inner rail.  This pic shows what it looked like:

 

 

The pencil lines running the full length are the inner rails.  The inner lines at the far end are where I got carried away before I took the pic!!

 

I've a couple of track gauges which double as platform gauges so I used those.  I pressed them down onto the two rails, through the wallpaper, and held a piece of the platform side against them, then marked the rear of the side onto the paper.  I did it this way as I want to fill the space between the sides before I put a top on.  This is a pic of that process:

 

 

I want something solid to fill the space as I want to put 2 rows of pillars down half the length of the platform for the canopy and I'd prefer to put them into something solid - like wood, for example.  This is what I want to replicate:

 

 

The other half of the platform will have lights down the middle so I only need something solid down the middle.  Now I've got decent measurements I'll go to B&Q and see what they've got. 

 

The next problem/challenge will be where to work on it - the platform is 8' long!!  Fortunately, my kitchen worktop, once properly cleared, is a couple of inches over 8' so I think that will do!!  What I do after that, ...... I'll just wait and hope for inspiration!!  I've built a platform before of strips of plywood and a thin plywood top, but I'm not sure that would hold the canopy posts and lamp posts properly.  Here's what the plan looks like in my kitchen - just enough room when the worktop's cleared!!

 

 

As for the platform surface, the photo above (of the canopy) shows a tarmac'd surface, but that is a photo I took on a recent site visit.  Even so, the photos I have of the 70's/80's seem to show tarmac also.  I'm not happy about doing that, so I may go for paving but then, I'm not decided whether to use something like DAS, scribed plasticard or even individual paving slabs.  Like I said, no plan, a bit "seat of the pants", really!!!  If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be more than glad to listen!!

 

In the meantime, I'm catching up on other people's threads - in between doing my washing from the holiday and watching the curling at the Winter Olympics.  I never realised sliding a piece of granite along a sheet of ice could be so enthralling!!

 

More soon.

 

Rod

[trisonic]

Nice~

I've been doing a lot of walking in the snow since before Christmas - unfortunately it has not been in the Alps.....

 

All the best, Pete.

[pwr]

Hi all.

 

I'm back!!  I said in my last post I was having a couple of weeks away from railway modelling so I've just got back from a couple of weeks in the Swiss Alps, mainly walking in the snow.  Wonderful holiday!!

 

Anyway, while I was away, I took all my stock out of the shed so I've decided that the first job now I'm back, as the layout is still empty, is to get the platform built.  I've no set plan to work to, apart from using the resin sides I bought some time ago.  So I thought the best plan was to make a template to help me with the curves.  I had some spare wallpaper, so I spread a piece out over the tracks, taped it down and marked the line of the inner rail.  This pic shows what it looked like:

 

P1030215 - Copy.JPG

 

The pencil lines running the full length are the inner rails.  The inner lines at the far end are where I got carried away before I took the pic!!

 

I've a couple of track gauges which double as platform gauges so I used those.  I pressed them down onto the two rails, through the wallpaper, and held a piece of the platform side against them, then marked the rear of the side onto the paper.  I did it this way as I want to fill the space between the sides before I put a top on.  This is a pic of that process:

 

P1030218 - Copy.JPG

 

I want something solid to fill the space as I want to put 2 rows of pillars down half the length of the platform for the canopy and I'd prefer to put them into something solid - like wood, for example.  This is what I want to replicate:

 

P1010138 - Copy.JPG

 

The other half of the platform will have lights down the middle so I only need something solid down the middle.  Now I've got decent measurements I'll go to B&Q and see what they've got. 

 

The next problem/challenge will be where to work on it - the platform is 8' long!!  Fortunately, my kitchen worktop, once properly cleared, is a couple of inches over 8' so I think that will do!!  What I do after that, ...... I'll just wait and hope for inspiration!!  I've built a platform before of strips of plywood and a thin plywood top, but I'm not sure that would hold the canopy posts and lamp posts properly.  Here's what the plan looks like in my kitchen - just enough room when the worktop's cleared!!

 

P1030219 - Copy.JPG

 

As for the platform surface, the photo above (of the canopy) shows a tarmac'd surface, but that is a photo I took on a recent site visit.  Even so, the photos I have of the 70's/80's seem to show tarmac also.  I'm not happy about doing that, so I may go for paving but then, I'm not decided whether to use something like DAS, scribed plasticard or even individual paving slabs.  Like I said, no plan, a bit "seat of the pants", really!!!  If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be more than glad to listen!!

 

In the meantime, I'm catching up on other people's threads - in between doing my washing from the holiday and watching the curling at the Winter Olympics.  I never realised sliding a piece of granite along a sheet of ice could be so enthralling!!

 

More soon.

 

Rod

Rod

 

When I did Black Notley's platforms I used emery paper which I toned down by airbrushing a dirty grey mix to get rid of the reflective properties of the grit. It still looks a bit pristine but I am waiting until I have done the grass embankment behind it before considering how to make it more care worn. To make my platforms I used foam board for the sides with supporting braces and used 2mm MDF fir the tops on which I stuck the emery paper. You could in effect use any sandpaper of appropriate grade or wet and dry if you wanted a smoother finish. The edges were finished with styrene slabs and the walls covered with brick paper.

 

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do this - I have seen platforms using a solid plank for the base covered with paper or plastic. A bit more difficult however if you have curved platforms

 

Hope it helps

 

Paul R

[Dmudriver]

Thanks Paul.  I've been out around B&Q, Do It All and Wickes today and decided to go down the route of a plank of wood with paving stones on top - I'm planning to use the Slaters sheets.  I'm not sure yet how to deal with the curved bit of the platform but certainly the straight 4' bit should be easy enough!!  I'll make the rest up as I go along!!

 

I'll put my progress on here - just keep your fingers crossed for me!!

 

Rod

[two tone green]

Hi Rod

 

I went for the solid wood plank approach which has worked well for me. I have two platforms, one totally straight and the other a combination of straight face and a complex curved face.

 

The secret to success is a really good template taking into account the edging being used so you get the right clearance plus make sure the planks are really dried out.

 

As the length of the wood can be substantial as the wood dries it can warp. Don't assume all wood bought from such place as B&Q are fully dried out.

[Jon Fitness]

.  I never realised sliding a piece of granite along a sheet of ice could be so enthralling!!

Neither did I until I saw Eve Muirhead....

JF