5Bel's 7mm workbench, Dapol Terrier 32678

[5Bel]

Hi All,
 
I have been a bit quiet on the 4mm Emu front of late for a couple of reasons. One is because you can get tired of all those hinges and another is because I build and repair 7mm models for other people. The first of these is a rake of HST Mk3 coaches that my friend wanted strengthening. As built the kits are somewhat flimsy. I strenghened the roof and underframe skirts with thick plastic and the result is now a strong coach.
 

 

 
I have done five of these coaches but only took photos of one. I don't know who the original builder/painter was but the livery is executed really well. Next is a Wagon and Carriage works/RJH  TEA tanker. This is the second one of these I have built and it goes together really well. 
 

 

 

 
This one is finished as my friend wants in plain black, though it would have looked nice in full BP/Shell livery. Maybe one day I will get some of my own. Next is a BR Model 158. This was missing its driveshaft and was a simple fix with some brass tube. I believe that this kit is now available again after some years in the 7mm wilderness.
 

 

 
 
To finish with it is my long suffering Vulcan Terrier. This has had many liveries over the years, but the chassis was always the weak part. I rebuilt it using a Master Chassis jig and while I was about it rebuilt the body to represent KESR 32670.
 

 

 

 

 
These views show it's modified bunker and it's unique green livery as worn when first nationalised. It is also a model I think it is unlikely that Dapol will produce, but you never know.
 
It is nice to have the sun out to be able to take pictures outside again. It is now back to hinges and commode handles!!
 
Cheers for now, Ian.

Edited October 28, 2018 by 5Bel

[5Bel]

Hi All,

As seen on my 4mm workbench, I have been doing some 7mm projects for other people. First is a rebuild of an El Crappo class 158. Not the easiest thing I have done! This one was screwed together and had a mountain of filler on the ends. The chassis has been completely rebuilt with delrin drive on the motor bogie.







The model has moved on somewhat since taking these photos. The bodies have had their first coat of paint, it is going to be in Scotrail white/blue livery. I will post some pics when the lighting conditions allow.

Next is a BR models GWR railcar. The kit is a world away from the El Crappo 158! All the parts fit and it is really well designed. It is a shame it's not still available. This kit has no underframe with it, so it will be all scratchbuilt unless the owner can find the relevant bits in the next couple of weeks!! All the brass bits of the bodywork are done and it just needs cleaning up before fitting the whitemetal parts.







Lastly is a Gladiator GWR Dukedog. This took most of the early summer as I had to completely take it apart and rebuild it. It was an interesting kit to build with quite a few challenges. Mainly the 4-4-0 wheel arangement but also because there were many parts of the kit missing! Not the manufacturers fault I hasten to add. It was one of those "can you have a look at this for me" kits that I seem to get asked to do.





So this is what I do when not doing 4mm EMU's. It is nice to work in the bigger scale, I really enjoy the feel of the 7mm stuff. After these are done I have a BR models Hawksworth full brake and an Orion Collett full brake on the list. Also I will be rebuilding my Terrier chassis to match the running of my soon to be delivered Dapol 32655.

Cheers for now, Ian

Edited September 22, 2017 by 5Bel

[dibateg]

Nice work Ian and a brave man on the El-Crappo!-

BR Models did some nice stuff, I've got a couple of the GUVs, I don't know if they were ever released as kits..

 

Regards

Tony

[5Bel]

Hi Tony,

 

Thanks for the comments. A quick update on the projects. First the GWR railcar.

 

 

 

 

It needs quite a bit of filling aroung the cab roof but other than that all the parts fit really well. I now need to motorise it, the kit didn't come with any motor, wheels or bogie sideframes. If anyone knows where I could get bogie sideframes, I would be grateful of the tip off.

 

Next is the El Crappo 158!

 

 

 

The gloss white went on well and the blue bits were OK until I removed the masking tape. I am running out of Tamiya tape so used some tape designed for modellers! This has left a sticky residue all over the white bits!! Lesson learnt, I will leave the cheaper alternatives on the shelf. No great dramas as it can be removed with thinners or hot water, it is just an annoyance I could do without.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[Pete Harvey]

What Livery is the 158?

[5Bel]

Hi Pete,

 

The 158 is going to be Scotrail white/blue, I still have to put on the red and green lines. I will be using the Tamiya masking tape this time, it took me 3hours to get the sticky residue off from the cheap stuff!!

 

Cheers for now, Ian.

[Pete Harvey]

ok thanks nice looking Ian.

 

Pete

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

A quick update on the 158. All the painting is finished and the end result is not too bad, certainly 100% better than when I got it!!

 

 

 

 

 

Now I just need to find the transfers that I have put in that safe place that I haven't a clue where it is!!! I know Fox do them, but I will have a look at Railtech to see if they have them available.

 

The GWR Railcar is progressing well, just need to source some drive bits for it.

 

 

 

The buffers were a bit of a challenge with no instructions but I worked it out after a while. At least I know how to do them when it comes to my BR Models Hawksworth full brake!

 

Cheers for now, Ian.

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

At last the 158 is complete, not been an easy road at all!!

 

 

 

 

 

The transfers are the excellent Fox product and really lift the model. The light in LIncolnshire has not been good today hence the dark photos. The unit will soon be plying it's trade on the Great Tedsmore Railway in Shropshire. Now onto the GWR Railcar.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

With the 158 complete and the Railcar awaiting bits, I have moved onto the next 7mm project. This is a BR Models Hawksworth Fulll Brake. I received this kit in part payment for the Dukedog and I am looking forward to building it. The kit came without bogies so I got Wayoh ones from Invertrain. These go together very easily and you get a very free running end product.

 

 

The main body went together without any fuss and the whitemetal domes are a pretty good fit. Again this kit came to me without instructions so I am winging it a bit!! I have a Hornby 4mm model as a reference point.

 

 

 

Now onto the underframe bits.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

After a break from modelling for Christmas, I have finally restarted the GWR Railcar. I recieved some resin bogie sideframes from Kerry Viney in Australia and after a bit of fettling fitted them to the scratchbuilt bogies.

 

 

 

The original idea of driving one axle wasn't good enough so I fitted delrin drive. With some added weight the bogie runs perfectly.

 

 

Hopefully I will put some more updates on here on Monday.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

Edited February 18, 2016 by 5Bel

[Pete Harvey]

The cab fronts on the 158's make them look sad like they have failed the audition for a Thomas the Tank film.

 

Great paint job.

[5Bel]

The cab fronts on the 158's make them look sad like they have failed the audition for a Thomas the Tank film.

 

Great paint job.

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks for the comment, you are right the 158 cab fronts do look a little sad .Unfortunately I could do nothing with them.

 

The Railcar has moved on quite well in the last two weeks. The painting has been completed and the Fox transfers applied. There are a couple of areas to touch up and I am waiting for a warm day to put the varnish on.

 

 

 

 

The above three photos are taken in my garage on the baseboards of my future layout! Only taken ten years to clear enough space!!

 

 

 

It only needs glazing and the interiors making now, so hopefully it won't be too long until it is finished. Following on from this will be a Bachmann class 101 dmu that is going to be converted into a parcels unit in the style of the class 115. I know it isn't prototypical, but that is what it's owner wants and he's paying the money!!

 

Cheers for now, Ian.

[Pete Harvey]

Ian

 

What have you in mind for the drivers position?

[5Bel]

Hi Pete,

 

Included in the kit are etched desks and some nice castings for the cab equipment. There are also some nice seat end etchings for the interior seating.

 

 

I have some Slaters people for the fare paying public.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

Well, disaster. The Railcar went for it's coat of varnish, a clear laquer by the same manufacturer as the primer and it has ruined the finsh. I tested the laquer on my test caoch and all was well, a very nice finish resulted, encouraged by this I sprayed the Railcar. Left for an hour I returned to this,

 

 

 

I hoped that I might be able to rub off the lining leaving the paint untouched but the lining has taken on an elastic type texture that when rubbed takes the paint off from underneath!! Only a couple of weeks work down the drain. I should have stuck with what I know and used Johnsons Klear!

 

On a brighter note I took a few pictures of a couple of mineral wagons on the baseboards of my layout.

 

 

 

 

They are both from Parkside kits, with the 16t wagon finished in a clean condition and the 21t version weathered using the well known techniques form Martyn Welch's book.

 

 

Finally a picture of my future layout. This side will be based on Scotland Street in Edinburgh based in the early 1970's and on the other side of the garage will be a Colonel Stephens type layout. I am off now to strip the Railcar.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[Pete Harvey]

Ian

 

I have had that in the past it's not the varnish that is the problem its the decal type i.e. layer printed type rather than ink/varnish type.

 

sellotape should remove the decals and then some very fine wet/dry working should get those off.

[5Bel]

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I had already removed all the paint when I read your reply. There were some pretty deep gouges left in the paint left by the lining, I may try to line the railcar by hand next time.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

I have finally summoned up the enthusiam to finish the Railcar after the lining debacle. The model has been painted in Ford Ivory and Ford Brazil brown and I think the colours look about right.

Rather than pay for another set of Fox Railcar transfers I have sourced some from POW Sides. These will be put on tomorrow after the glazing glue has dried fully. The front marker lights have been made using canopy glue left to go transparent.

 

 

 

 

 

I took advantage of the sunshine to take a few photos outside. I am quite pleased with how the model is progressing, I have the cab interiors to do and finish the seating. Transfers and grabrails will complete it, so hopefully not too long!!

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

At long last the Railcar is finished. Today I spent a pleasant couple of hours adding the finishing touches. The numbers and logos are from the POW sides range, it is a while since I have used rub down transfers!! The only hard bit was on the ends where the Razor Edge had to be overcome. Grabrails were added from 0.6mm brass wire and couplings are from Dapol.

 

 

 

 

 

Passengers and crew are from Slaters. Overall this has been an enjoyable build. It would have been easier if I had the correct BR Models bogie bits, but I have worked out how to make power bogies so that is a bonus. The lining issue dampened my enthusiasm for a while but I am pleased with the outcome. This model is due to go to it's new home on the Diggle and Halebarns Railway where it will join it's streamlined sister.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[Lord Flashheart]

Hi Ian

That railcar looks stunning very nicely done, is a shame that such a nice kit is no longer available. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

Rob

[5Bel]

Hi Ian

That railcar looks stunning very nicely done, is a shame that such a nice kit is no longer available. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

 

Rob

Hi All,

 

Rob, thankyou for you kind words and thanks to everyone who has pressed the like button etc. Hopefully the kit will become available again, I dont' know if anyone has it now, but I believe the BR Models 158 is back on the market. My next 7mm model will be a fictional Class 101 Royal Mail DMU. I have already started on this and I have to say that the soldering on the Bachmann donor model is very weak, to the point of the side falling off when I was trying to cut a hole for a roller door. I will post photos as soon as I start.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

I haven't posted in what seems like years! When I delivered the 158 to its new owner he issued me a challenge. To convert a Bachmann Class 101 into a parcels unit along the lines of the prototype class 114. Turned out it was quite involved. New doors were cut into the bodysides and windows blanked off in the appropriate places. I discoverd a problem with the Bachmann construction however. Anytime I put a soldering iron anywher near the model it fell apart. The factory construction was very weak. I don't know how common this is with Bachmann products but I have heard a couple of instances in the past. Here are some photos of the completed model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The transfers are from Fox, cobbled together from various sheets. A coat of clear and some tidying up of the paintwork and it will be plying its trade on the Great Tedsmore Railway by the end of November. It has been a lot of work for what should have been a straightforward conversion but has turned out well in the end. For now I am going back to 4mm electrics and the 4Bep and 2Hap that are in the painting stages.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

With the Parcels unit happily earning it's keep I was asked to finish and paint three locos. An MMP class 56, a PRMP 50 and a Heljan 60. The 56 needed most work as I had to remove quite a bit of solder from various parts of the superstructure. It also came to me fully built with all the handrails and end fittings already on. The owner of this loco wants it in Coal Sector triple grey. The 50 is a straight painting job into large logo livery and the 60 is a repaint into British Steel livery.

 

 

 

 

It has had it's first two greys applied with the roof still to do. Then it's the underframe along with the window surrounds. There is a vast amount of detail on this model and it would have been a nice challenge to build it from the start. I am using Railmatch for the first time on this model and the 50 with Precision for the 60. The 50 is in the process of having it's blue applied at the moment and the 60 is still to be started.

 

While waiting for various shades of paint to dry I have been finishing a BR Models Hawksworth full brake. This came to me as part payment for the Dukedog I built as seen earlier in this thread. It had no instructions with it, so I have been referencing a Hornby 4mm model. The kit goes together easily and once I got in the swing of things it built up quickly.

 

 

 

As I plan to sell this model to fund a trip to Sri Lanka I am undecided which livery to paint it in, probably Maroon with a possibility of Blue. I would be interested to hear peoples views on this. It will go into primer tomorrow and hopefully the 56 will get its roof done. I will post pics of the 50 tomorrow.

 

Cheers for now, Ian

 

[5Bel]

Hi All,

 

The 50 has had its basic colours applied. The builder of this loco has captured the look of the prototype quite well and it portrays the bulk of these locos effectively. 

 

 

 

 

I have had a slight mishap with the roof colour. The masking tape pulled away some of the grey paint but as the primer is still on it shouldn't be to difficult to patch paint the area. I will leave it for a couple of days so the blue can fully harden before I put masking tape on.

 

 

The 56 has had its roof painted and the 60 has been masked up ready for primer tomorrow. The Hawksworth full brake has had its first coat of red oxide primer, I have decided to give it a coat of Maroon.

 

Cheers for now, Ian.