Black Country Blues

[Andy Y]

Careful, I'll be roping you in to help on Summat Colliery

 

You've only got one signal! That won't keep him entertained for long.

[RedgateModels]

oh I don't know, bit of card with P.T.O. on both sides normally works .....

[beast66606]

You've only got one signal! That won't keep him entertained for long.

 

At least it's in the right place though

 

I'm looking forward to the show, it will be my first show as a visitor for several years.

[wagonbasher]

Do those rivets show up at normal viewing distance, if so how were they created. I have to make eight plate girders for a road overbridge for my P4 diorama and there are hundreds of rivet heads showing on the real bridge. ;-(

 

jayell

 

 

I do hope the rivet detail can be seen, if not well....  I know they are there.

 

You can see aluminium tape rivets in action on the BCB viaduct thread and a bit on page 5 of Andy York joins In!!!

 

Although I used a tool meant for the job to emboss, the rivets could be embossed individually with any pointed implement.

 

You can buy the self adhesive tape at DIY stores - it is meant for sealing ducting really

 

Andy

[Debs.]

Looks like I'll be coming to Peterborough then !

 Me too!.........I can`t wait to see BCB in the flesh.

[beast66606]

 Me too!.........I can`t wait to see BCB in the flesh.

 

Jill will be there - but don't tell her, she doesn't know yet !

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

referring to post #1, I think every tunnel should have curtains.... makes for a much more dramatic entrance on stage

 

[jayell]

I do hope the rivet detail can be seen, if not well....  I know they are there.

 

You can see aluminium tape rivets in action on the BCB viaduct thread and a bit on page 5 of Andy York joins In!!!

 

Although I used a tool meant for the job to emboss, the rivets could be embossed individually with any pointed implement.

 

You can buy the self adhesive tape at DIY stores - it is meant for sealing ducting really

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy.

 

I don't have a rivet embossing tool but I can try out the aluminium tape idea on the bits that will really show

 

jayell

[Debs.]

referring to post #1, I think every tunnel should have curtains.... makes for a much more dramatic entrance on stage

With a "Ta Da!" . when`er a train emerges!

[wagonbasher]

Spent some of tonight on the viaducts wingwalls. You may have thought they were complete but all the photos show just one (Its all smoke and mirrors). I have another ready for paint and mounting, a further wall shaped, formed, reinforced, awaiting cladding (although all the stone scribing is complete) and the last one is just the top of the wall. Since it is merged with the steel industrial viaduct it has been butchered it to within an inch of its life.

 

Photo's to follow.

 

After that there are four brick pillars to add on the ends of the parapet wall and then add all of that cast capping stones to cut and glue (probably need to cast some more - Andy Y pinched some for the pub end earlier this week).

 

Andy Y is then going to add 160 years!!

 

Andy

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Most of that work is down to 2 many spams, he is away on other things at the moment so we are just left to tidy up some loose ends. So yes I agree his work is excellent.

 

 

Edit - sorry Andy, you beat me to it.

 

Andy

Speaking of brickwork, does anyone remember who made those little plastic bricks that have 8 holes in that you thread down locating sticks? Looks infuriating but effective, especially for white glazed bricks in boilerhouses and similar places. 

[Stubby47]

EBD -Betta Builda

http://www.bettabilda.com/

Edited August 16, 2013 by Stubby47

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Sorry to pull rank Stubz, but I think he may mean these.

 

Mike.

[jayell]

101.jpg

102.jpg

 

Sorry to pull rank Stubz, but I think he may mean these.

 

Mike.

 

Or did he mean Bayco?

 

http://www.baykoshop.com/

 

jayell

[Ramblin Rich]

Betta builder was kind of Airfix's competitor to Lego - not quite compatible though, so very fruustrating when you had a mix (as I know )

[wagonbasher]

Spent some of tonight on the viaducts wingwalls. You may have thought they were complete but all the photos show just one (Its all smoke and mirrors). I have another ready for paint and mounting, a further wall shaped, formed, reinforced, awaiting cladding (although all the stone scribing is complete) and the last one is just the top of the wall. Since it is merged with the steel industrial viaduct it has been butchered it to within an inch of its life.

 

Photo's to follow.

 

After that there are four brick pillars to add on the ends of the parapet wall and then add all of that cast capping stones to cut and glue (probably need to cast some more - Andy Y pinched some for the pub end earlier this week).

 

Andy Y is then going to add 160 years!!

 

Andy

As promised.

 

[Wayne 37901]

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks for that. Shame that the coil train isn't a priority at the moment. Having said that, I'll still be following this thread with interest. The wagon loads do look good, especially the billets from 1.5 x 1.5 evergreen. I have some to build myself at some point and I think those have captured the look of billets very well.

 

 

All the best

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

Betta builder was kind of Airfix's competitor to Lego - not quite compatible though, so very fruustrating when you had a mix (as I know )

I had loads of Betta Builder as a kid, wonder where it all went. Somewhere buried beneath this Sceptred Isle.............

 

Back on topic: Nice bit of work with the Wings. Will they be all weathered in situ?

 

Edited August 18, 2013 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

[PaternosterRow]

WOW, this has really started to snap together now.  The combination of bridge, cuttings, canals and roads are really dramatic and so well modeled.  Just goes to show what a really well thought out layout plan can deliver.  The finish is just so perfect and the little details like the black and white warning squares on the over bridge are just fantastic.  The team has worked brilliantly together and have produced something of real worth amongst exhibition layouts.  Well done everyone and I can't wait to see this in the flesh one day - you really have captured that West Midland/Black Country feel.

 

Mike

[br2975]

Or did he mean Bayco?

 

http://www.baykoshop.com/

 

 

My Dad would be chuffed, he treated me to Bayko & Meccano as a 'nipper' - thinking they'd co-exist with my interest in railways for which he was also responsible !

.

Brian R

[Mark Forrest]

Of the Bolsters, we are utilising some dated BR stock that is out of the box with correct brakes and some with raised Bolsters that Mark is constructing with scratch built bolsters that would be 'more common' for the period. 

 

The bolsters Andy refers to here are 30T Bogie Bolster C (TOPS: BCO & BCV) and the models are based on the old Mainline (now Bachmann) offering.  Despite being offered in a number of different liveries over the years the brake gear confirms its GWR origins and as such would be getting pretty rare by (if not extinct) the mid '70s.  Adding four brake vees and a couple of straight brake levers does a reasonable job of converting these to the earliest BR-built batches, although I understand even these were in the minroity by our time frame.  What is really needed is (as Andy suggests) is to replace the bolsters with the taller girder based ones of the later builds.

The photos below show the brake gear being done.  The vees are a D&S Model fret available from the EMGS while the levers and guides are from the 51L range.  First the open end of the vees are folded at 90 degrees using the half etched rivets as a guide to ensure it is square.  These are then soldered to either end of a scrap of brass approx 17mm long, like this:

This is fed through the underframe trussing then the position adjusted until the cross shaft is just below (or above - since the wagon is upside down); cross shaft added, a dab of solder to retain it, then a bit of superglue to hold the assembly in place (judging by the photo, this one had quite a large "bit of superglue"!)

The lever is than added, trimmed to length and shaped to represent the short, straight lever of the prototype; and then the same again at the other end!

 

It's far from perfect, but it is at least a step in the right direction.  Changing the bolsters isnt as simple as you might expect, since they are moulded as part of the wagon floor so take a bit of hacking to remove!  The vacuum braked examples will need additional vees as well as vacuum cylinders (plus variations in bogie and buffer type to suit the prototype).

[Andy Y]

As the pub board develops scenically I thought I'd try a couple of things I haven't done before.

 

Remember those Ratio concrete posts they expected you to string fishing line between? After a painful experience in 'N' I do! It's an awful lot easier if you use EZ line or magicians' thread. Cut to length and glue however many lengths you're using for the fence to the first post before securing the post to the boards. Pull a bit of tension into the line before placing it onto a dab of superglue on the post and start to pull the line around the post whilst it takes a few seconds for the glue to grab the line. Obviously less is easier but I wouldn't be too put off in using more strands if doing something similar in the future.

 

 

Secondly I knew I should get some longer growth at the foot of the fence so I thought I'd use a tip I'd picked up from one of Giles Favell's demos and that was to roll static fibres between the fingers to form a tight sausage, pull apart and stick down to a dab of glue. Patient people would wait 24 hours until it's fully dry and pull the tuft away from the board. Being an impatient sort I used a vac to pull the excess out before the glue was fully dry and tease apart where necessary with a cocktail stick. The fibres for the longer growth are 10mm fibres from World War Scenics which weren't playing ball very well with the static grass applicator, at least they won't go to waste this way.

[Waveydavey]

Good work Mark. Don't forget the vac cylinders varied in position too depending on which type of bogie was fitted.

 

Cheers

 

David

[wagonbasher]

As the pub board develops scenically I thought I'd try a couple of things I haven't done before.

 

Remember those Ratio concrete posts they expected you to string fishing line between? After a painful experience in 'N' I do! It's an awful lot easier if you use EZ line or magicians' thread. Cut to length and glue however many lengths you're using for the fence to the first post before securing the post to the boards. Pull a bit of tension into the line before placing it onto a dab of superglue on the post and start to pull the line around the post whilst it takes a few seconds for the glue to grab the line. Obviously less is easier but I wouldn't be too put off in using more strands if doing something similar in the future.

 

Grass.jpg

 

 

 

Secondly I knew I should get some longer growth at the foot of the fence so I thought I'd use a tip I'd picked up from one of Giles Favell's demos and that was to roll static fibres between the fingers to form a tight sausage, pull apart and stick down to a dab of glue. Patient people would wait 24 hours until it's fully dry and pull the tuft away from the board. Being an impatient sort I used a vac to pull the excess out before the glue was fully dry and tease apart where necessary with a cocktail stick. The fibres for the longer growth are 10mm fibres from World War Scenics which weren't playing ball very well with the static grass applicator, at least they won't go to waste this way.

 

I love it, we just need a kestrel overhead - there are mice in there I'm sure

[gwrrob]

Whoever ballasted the trackwork also deserves a pat on the back.Quality scenics all round.It looks real.