Dock Green

[Donw]

Interesting results Simon. rather follows what I expected the KA will keep the loco going for a short time. Truly an electronic flywheel.

 

Looks good Chaz. The fire escape would be nice but probably finger singeing and hair tearing.

Don

[Simond]

plastruct do some excellent mouled stairs, bannisters etc.1/48 but probably doesnt show.

 

best

Simon

[chaz]

Interesting results Simon. rather follows what I expected the KA will keep the loco going for a short time. Truly an electronic flywheel.

 

Looks good Chaz. The fire escape would be nice but probably finger singeing and hair tearing.

Don

 

If I wanted to do the fire escape the first step would be some reference - either a good photo or better still a dimensioned drawing - anybody?

 

If I were to scratchbuild it the obvious way to go would be to make some jigs to assemble it. I do have one set of steps on Dock Green which I made from scratch and this was soldered up on a jig.

 

 

 

 

Unearthing these snaps has got me interested....I will have to do a quicky view-blocker (a "placeholder" American modellers would call it) while I research a decent fire escape and decide if it's on or not.

 

Chaz.

Edited March 13, 2015 by chaz

[chaz]

plastruct do some excellent mouled stairs, bannisters etc.1/48 but probably doesnt show.

 

best

Simon

 

Thanks Simon, I was aware of the Plastruct range. If I do it I would prefer brass to plastic. Treads and landings with etched chequerplate!

 

Chaz

[Donw]

Thanks Simon, I was aware of the Plastruct range. If I do it I would prefer brass to plastic. Treads and landings with etched chequerplate!

 

Chaz

 

Now this sounds like a bit of spectacular modelling which most viewers who would never try to make one themselves, would just assume you had bought.  A cat stalking a pigeon might add something.

The steps in the photo look first class.

 

Don

[chaz]

Now this sounds like a bit of spectacular modelling which most viewers who would never try to make one themselves, would just assume you had bought.  A cat stalking a pigeon might add something.

The steps in the photo look first class.

 

Don

 

Yes Don. I often wonder how many people viewing the layout notice details like the steps. I think the answer is probably some of them. And of those how many appreciate that there's about a whole day's work in them (including making the assembly jig)? None?

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Not the most exciting of photos.....First step for the view blocker was to cut a piece of card - picture framer's offcut of mounting board - to the shape needed. I have drawn out the position of the windows and the fire escape. The latter's angle, tread and rise is based on the (very steep) stairs in our ex-LSWR terraced house in Eastleigh.

 

 

I did search the internet for fire escapes. Quite a lot of modern ones on the websites of suppliers and lots of USA buildings with them fitted but very few old UK installations, so I have done a bit of imagineering.

 

I have approached a source of etched brass design work for help with parts to make the the fire escape. I will post details of this if and when. It will probably not be ready for the Epsom show so I will need cover the upper two doors with some sort of temporary finish (advert' hoardings?) until the metalwork is ready.

 

This low relief building is going to have to be easily removeable - like many of the buildings on Dock Green - so it will be fitted into place on dowel pegs or similar fixings.

 

Chaz

Edited March 19, 2015 by chaz

[Barnaby]

What a fantastic idea for a view blocker Chaz.

[Donw]

Glad you have bitten the bullet I like it will look superb.

 

Don

[chaz]

What a fantastic idea for a view blocker Chaz.

 

My first thought was for just a brick wall with doors and windows - and that would certainly do the job - but I see the addition of a fire escape as an opportunity for some detailed modelling and as a way of enhancing what was potentially a rather dull corner. Moves are a-foot  

 

Chaz

Edited March 21, 2015 by chaz

[chaz]

I spent an awkward and frustrating day making the wiring changes that I said I planned to do (look at posting #2569 on page 103). Pete came round as the work was going to involve moving baseboards about. You will recall the root of the problem was the two points that were cut and in two halves on two adjacent baseboards. First step was to install a couple of relays. Rummaging through some boxes I found a few 12V relays with contacts rated at 10A - more than adequate. These only had SPDT switches but that's all that's necessary for crossing polarity. I fixed each relay close to the point crossing with a sticky bud.

 

 

In the photo the wiring is thus...

 

blue - the one with the label - runs from the common on the relay to the point crossing - it's a dropper

 

the white and orange wires go to the DCC bus tags. On Dock Green the bus is coded red and green but as I was not totally sure of polarity and might have to switch these connections I used white and orange. I thought it better, if necessary to move wires on the tagstrips rather than on the relay with its plastic case.

 

grey - these two wires are the coil wires. One goes to the 12V supply -- the other goes, via the ribbon cable, to the Tortoise on the other baseboard.

 

Awkward?   Well as the rewiring involved two baseboards and working space in my railway room is limited a lot of baseboard moving was involved. The fact that the wiring for each point was essentially the same but divided between the two boards - but reversed - proved somewhat confusing. To test what we had done we had to have both baseboards connected but with access to the underside. This was just possible by pushing the boards together on their sides. Putting them upside down would have been a bit risky to the scenery.

 

Frustrating?   We tested them by throwing the points first one way and then the other and using a meter (in buzzer mode) to check the crossing polarity. One point had reversed polarity - easily fixed by swapping the orange and white wires. The polarity of the other one did not change when the points were thrown - caused by a wiring fault preventing the relay from switching. We eventually found the cause - both sides of the coil were connected to the same side of the supply. Moving one wire from +12V to 0V on the Tortoise supply bus did the trick. But it took some finding - one grey wire was on the same board as the relay - the other goes wandering off onto the other board, to tags for the switch in the Tortoise and only then to the supply.

 

It's done now (PHEW!) and I hope that should we run another loco into one of the cut points when it's set adverse (something we try to avoid) the DCC will trip out as it does for all the others.

 

Chaz

Edited March 21, 2015 by chaz

[chaz]

It looks like there is no chance of the view blocker - the factory end with a fire escape - being ready for the Epsom show so I need to make up a temporary screen which won't be too much work but will be acceptable. I will probably go for a blind wall (no windows) but a door or two in the base could be added quite quickly.

 

Do you know of any 7mm printed brick papers that would fit in with the Dock Green look?

Any suggestions (especially informed by experience) would be helpful. A quick Google reveals that most sources are for a "download and print it yourself" solution. I can't download and print as the printer has just died. RIP.

 

 

Chaz

Edited March 25, 2015 by chaz

[AJon30]

Hello. You could try

 

http://paperbrick.co.uk/

 

It is a free site but they accept donations if you are happy with the print-outs. Quality of course is in part down to the printer you are using. There is a variety of brick types, sizes and scales..

 

Rgds Andrew Jones

Luton MRC

 

PS Sorry just saw your last remark about the printer.

 

You could try Howard Scenics brick paper from Freestone Models

 

http://www.freestonemodel.co.uk/page19.htm

 

The choice is embossed plain or printed smooth

Edited March 25, 2015 by AJon30

[chaz]

Hello.

 

You could try Howard Scenics brick paper from Freestone Models

 

http://www.freestonemodel.co.uk/page19.htm

 

The choice is embossed plain or printed smooth

 

Andrew,

 

thanks for the link.

 

On the Freestone website they do say (as you point out) Please Note: Embossed sheets are uncoloured, colour printed sheets are not embossed.

 

...and they only have one colour printed option for 7mm but, unfortunately, this is not illustrated, so I would be buying blind.

 

However I discovered (quite by chance) that Modeller's Mecca have some 7mm brick paper in A3 sheets. This may be OK - I might give it a go! Has anybody used this product?

 

Chaz

[Donw]

The Howard scenics stuff is good I like the uncoloured embossed stuff. The colouring of the printed sheet is a lovely orangey old brick. My feeling if it is temporary the lack of embossing would not matter. I think the colour was similar to the 4mm Terraced houses.

 

Don

[chaz]

I have decided to take my Brush Type 2 to the Epsom show. It hasn't been used on Dock Green before, although it was used to pull both passenger and parcels trains on my old home layout. Before it can run on DG it does need some grime to make it fit in....

 

 

There it is on the bench, perched on the "lazy susan" with a copy of Derek Huntriss's "Green Diesel Era" open behind at a relevant page.

 

A close up of the front end reveals that it's just too clean....

 

 

First step is to mix up a grimey brown using matte black and leather (Humbrol 62) and splosh on a generous coat on the roof and those technicolour buffer-beams.

 

 

OH, NO! What's he doing to the finish on that lovely diesel???

 

 

Takes some bottle to do it but it is only the first step. Having completely ruined the model I went off for lunch. Suitably refreshed I came back to the bench and starting removing the grime with cotton buds, white-spirit and a piece of rag.

 

 

That buffer beam looks more like it and here's the roof.

 

 

This is only the first step for the roof. Black sooty clag from the exhaust will be added in the right places and a general sooty overspray can be used to tone everything down.

 

Next step is to look at the underframe and lower body panels - lots of lovely brake dust.

 

Chaz

Edited March 25, 2015 by chaz

[Donw]

If you can beg or borrow a printer you might find this useful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yy52QGxAZU

 

Not mine but from Jim Read a former poster on here.

 

Don

[chaz]

The Howard scenics stuff is good I like the uncoloured embossed stuff. The colouring of the printed sheet is a lovely orangey old brick. My feeling if it is temporary the lack of embossing would not matter. I think the colour was similar to the 4mm Terraced houses.

 

Don

 

Thanks for that useful advice Don, exactly what I was hoping for - and yes it will only be temporary. "lovely orangey old brick" sounds good and I will order some soon.

[chaz]

If you can beg or borrow a printer you might find this useful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yy52QGxAZU

 

Not mine but from Jim Read a former poster on here.

 

Don

 

Thanks Don. Useful little video. I don't think I will be buying a printer this side of the Epsom show and once that show is over the need for the temporary screen will have gone. I hope to get the permanent building with the fire-escape done before the next show, at New Milton in July.

 

Chaz

Edited March 26, 2015 by chaz

[chaz]

When I was sploshing filth onto the roof of my Brush Type 2 (job not finished yet!) I had some of the mix left over so looking round for a target I espied....

 

 

I made sure that the grime colour went into all the corners, planking lines etc. Having left it to dry over lunch (with the diesel) I returned to the job and cleaned some of the dirt away with white spirit and cotton buds.

 

 

Those toplights might get an occasional casual wipe. Best to keep all the cleaning strokes vertical so that any streaks look natural - the result of rain - plenty of that in fifties London as I recall. I used the airbrush without paint to provide a soft draft of air to evaporate the white spirit. If you do this keep the pressure down and the nozzle back from the surface - if you go too close you may get spidery "rivers" of white spirit running across the surface leaving nasty marks in the paint which are not in the least realistic.

 

 

The ends of a van were often really grimey - I decided not to take any of the grime paint off the ends. it looks right to me.

 

The camera again shows up any short-comings. The glazing behind the grills shouldn't be there - it really doesn't notice to the naked eye but the camera....

 

The underframe will get some weathering later.

 

Chaz

[HeatherKay]

I do like your weathering technique, Chaz. I wish was brave enough to do it some of my models!

 

A pet peeve: the buffers on the van. The rods should be blackened. The only buffers that had shiny shanks were those that used oil pressure cylinders to give the buffing force, known by the term "oleo". These were common on many diesel and electric loco classes, and later build BR wagons and coaches. Everything else used a form of springing, and the finish of the entire buffer head casting was uniformly mucky weathered and painted metal.

 

I had quite an animated discussion with Best Beloved regarding whether Mk1 coach buffers were oleo or not. I was quite adamant that they were traditional sprung buffers, and therefore should be painted or weathered metal finish as the head went into the stock. I had to take photos of a real coach before he was convinced otherwise!

[asa]

Nice job with the weathering Chaz.Who does the kit for the van?

I fancy one of those.

[chaz]

I do like your weathering technique, Chaz. I wish was brave enough to do it some of my models!

 

A pet peeve: the buffers on the van. The rods should be blackened. The only buffers that had shiny shanks were those that used oil pressure cylinders to give the buffing force, known by the term "oleo". These were common on many diesel and electric loco classes, and later build BR wagons and coaches. Everything else used a form of springing, and the finish of the entire buffer head casting was uniformly mucky weathered and painted metal.

 

I had quite an animated discussion with Best Beloved regarding whether Mk1 coach buffers were oleo or not. I was quite adamant that they were traditional sprung buffers, and therefore should be painted or weathered metal finish as the head went into the stock. I had to take photos of a real coach before he was convinced otherwise!

 

Point taken. Unfortunately that intelligence now gives me a lot of work to do! Most of my wagons have bright rams - I thought that the compressing action would make them bright - but you say not?  I could check some of my photos to see.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Nice job with the weathering Chaz.Who does the kit for the van?

I fancy one of those.

 

It's a D & S etched brass kit with an extruded aluminium roof - this needs a bit of work to get it to fit nicely but nothing too challenging.  It's a Diag. 86/87 Milk and general van - to carry 8 tons.

The more common version was a CCT which was much the same except that it had ends that opened as two large doors as all CCTs do.

[HeatherKay]

I thought that the compressing action would make them bright - but you say not?

I didn't mean to make more work for you, Chaz. Invoke Rule One, I think.

 

I think we'd all be quite surprised at how little buffers get compressed in their daily lives. Their primary role was to absorb shunting forces to give some measure of protection to the contents of the vehicle. An average van or wagon might get pushed about by a shunter, but not to the extent that the buffer shank would get polished up. Three-link and Instanter couplings don't really need the buffers to be compressed to drop over the hook of a neighbouring vehicle, unlike a screw link, for example.

 

To save you the effort, I've just flicked through a couple of wagon books here. Even vans and wagons straight out of the works show the buffer shank to be the same relative shade as the head. It seems the practice was to paint the head and shank to prevent corrosion.

 

I'd post some images, but I'm not sure about copyright issues.