A Highland by-way, latest some SER kits

[Castle]

Did any other railway have coaches with these chariot ends?  Thanks. Malc.

Hi Malc,

 

The builds here are wonderful - very nice indeed. The GWR had some early stuff with similar ends. There are a few in Russell's books.

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[M Wright]

Hi, thanks for the info  and kind comments Castle and Portchullin.  I got Russel's book down. How interesting the Hlighland thought the design "look"of the public's coaches should mirror what God's Wonderful Railway thought was fit for a Queen!

Before the big Jones bogie  chariot ended (or is it coupé ) coach is purchased I must shake the dust off and build two simpler coaches that are sitting on the shelf. All this HR stock is being built for a model of a little station on the Buckie branch- Rathven.  As it might have been if it had stayed open and prospered though the First War. Regards, Malc.

[Sandy Harper]

Hi, thanks for the info  and kind comments Castle and Portchullin.  I got Russel's book down. How interesting the Hlighland thought the design "look"of the public's coaches should mirror what God's Wonderful Railway thought was fit for a Queen!

Before the big Jones bogie  chariot ended (or is it coupé ) coach is purchased I must shake the dust off and build two simpler coaches that are sitting on the shelf. All this HR stock is being built for a model of a little station on the Buckie branch- Rathven.  As it might have been if it had stayed open and prospered though the First War. Regards, Malc.

I too thought that Rathven was a good candidate for a small model. I had considered it for a 4mm layout many years ago but it never got of the drawing board.

Sandy

[Portchullin Tatty]

I think you will find that Simon de Souza's Corrieshalloch is a mirror image of Rathven; although set in less pastoral environs!

 

Look forward to seeing more progress with the coaches and the layout................

[M Wright]

Hi, what firmed up Rathven is finding some  drawings of it.  Plus when the LMS re-laid it (and drew it all up) in the early 20s They altered the trackplan to incorporate a loop in the goods yard whereas the HR must have rope shunted it.  In the 1900s it was fully signalled and on looking at the 40feet to inch plan it turns out there was the road bridge at the south end and an attractive s shaped bridge ate the north end where the yard switch was.  So you have all that in 300 yards. Four switches and a catch point,  four signal posts, and a cabin that looks the same as Kinloss and this beautiful station building  with board and battern construction.  Rathven it has to be!

                                                                                    http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_photograph.jsp?item_id=49528

I was going to put up a photograph I took of the plans in the Scottish Record office but then I thought that although they have no attributed copyright owner of the plan It is still possibly less than 70 years from their death.  Or is there some law about nothing is enforcable from the UK prior to 1945?

Edited May 14, 2014 by M Wright

[Portchullin Tatty]

I was going to put up a photograph I took of the plans in the Scottish Record office but then I thought that although they have no attributed copyright owner of the plan It is still possibly less than 70 years from their death.  Or is there some law about nothing is enforcable from the UK prior to 1945?

 

In my view, if they were produced by an individual, then it would be 70 years from death and there is no law that cuts this off at any particular time.  Whilst the duration from death has changed in the past, when it was changed (back) to 70 years it also applied retrospectively.  I had a spat with someone on the forum who was rudely dismissive of this, but I am pretty certain it is right.  If it is of particular concern to you, private mail me as I have an article on it.

 

If the plans were produced as part of an employment (and I assume this would be the case - it may well say on the document?), I think it is 70 years from their creation.

[Y Ddewin gwyn]

More superb work. It makes me slightly less daunted by building up some coaches for the Welsh layout I am contemplating.

 

There were indeed some sheep wagons in use in Victoria until the recent past. Queensland still runs livestock trains.

[DLT]

Fabulous work Mark, I've only just come across this thread.

Love the Baldwin Gas Mechanicals!

 

Cheers, Dave.

[M Wright]

Hi,  once again thanks for the kind comments.  If any are interested have a look at the business website- www.wrightscale.co.uk on it is our blog. I write about the workshop and things 16mm and my wife (much more interesting) writes about her research.  She is shortly publishing an account about the development of narrow gauge military transport.  DLT, the job you have made of the BGM from the Sayer kit is wonderful.  Now it is painted and weathered it looks the bees knees.  A problem you won't have is a crew.  There are so few figures in 16mm scale that come close to the quality of the many "hi fi" models in the scale.  I always hope that someone will produce some really nice WW1 figures.  I have only seen a few.  Henry Holdesworth had some made, but who cast them seems to have died with him alas.  Recently at a 16mm AGM a member had made some fantastic figures and re-created a forward dressing station with 60cm WD ambulance van, medical staff and orderlies. Unfortunately I did'nt track down his details.

                                                                            

One of my live steam Baldwins.  Just need a crew!

So my 16mm models are for the most part operated without crew through de-populated landscapes rather destroying the level of realism that is possible in this large scale. regards, Malcolm.

[M Wright]

Hi, back after a lot of work in the garden.  I hav'nt had time to clear up the workshop. I had just started on this when along came a job that needed the miller. Pushed the start, horrible clatter and nastry hot smell from the motor- after 35 years of use the start winding blew. So it was into Aberdeen and find a company to rewind it, but no, a new motor was sourced that cost half the cost of a rewind but took 10 days to get here.  So time was spent doing a little bit more to the HR chariot ended coach.  First I drew up an etch to give me 6 springs with the correct shaped leaves.

                                                                                                    

This etch took a couple of hours to draw and the first spring took 30 mins to make but after making the odd tool,(spade ended self -closing tweezers with slot cut in spades to hold assembled spring leaf stack on a lace pin) the other 5 springs took about 5mins each. ( the cost of this, including the etch tool and two test etches was £4 more than obtaining 6 lost wax brass springs from a supplier) I was able to correctly detail the centre spring mount with an included etch part.  I think having the leaf ends the corrrect shape really helps the illusion.  The axleboxes are rather nice casting from Border Minatures.

 

 

The coach is now getting near the end of the build.  I doubled up the thickness of the rather thin footboards and sorted out the various problems. 1)The compensation takes a lot of setting up since the rocking axle is pivoted too low.  Even with the scale springs and drilling the cast axleboxes below their centres a large notch has to be filed from the axlebox tops to get enough movement.2)The sole bars were too deep as etched and had to be taken off, modified and relaced. 3) The bufferbeams even with the thickness increased by an etched part were still 1.5mm too thin. They were made up with more metal being soldered on.  4) The etched solebar overlays are nearly 2mm too short at one end relative to the centre, so some thin metal had to be added and blended in. But I feel it is worth it. It is starting to look a most interesting coach.

                                                                                                                      

[M Wright]

Hi, well that has been a long time. I have finally finished a couple of Highland Coaches. Painting was going well until I applied a coat of semi- matt varnish (Purity Seal) after applying the transfers. Disaster, I returned to the workshop after a coffee to find the coach frosted. Lesson never be tempted to spray satin varnish just after a summer thunder storm.  It took a lot of warm dry air and varnish to recover it.

                                                                       

I have had a battle with this coach which I have realised as posting is still not ended (the centre pair  of windows should be frosted)

                                                                       

 

I really think there are more difficulties in making and finishing a coach than a loco! Regards, Malcolm

[Sandy Harper]

Well done Malcolm, you have made a nice job of these. Any more in the pipeline?

Regards

Sandy

[M Wright]

Hi, Sandy thanks for the comments.  There are two more in the pipeline, a six wheel all third that is coming along and at some future time, a Jones "bogie" coach.  I was going to build a few more at some point but I will have to put all the hobby builds to bed and get on with padding out the meagre pension by building a batch of Quarry Hunslets. (see blog "In the Works")

Hope your Skye Bogie is pushing on, they are such attractive engines.  Do you think you will finish it in an early or late livery? All the best, Malcolm.

[Sandy Harper]

The Skye Bogie has stalled due to me forgetting to order the tender wheels, so although the rest of the tender is complete, the underframe is not. I am also struggling with the  void in front of the cylinders, and how to fill it. I have tried a couple of ideas which have failed but the last was nearly successful so I think I know where to go now. Just need to get my hands on the correct material.

Regards

Sandy

[Portchullin Tatty]

Good stuff Malcolm.  They look the part.

[M Wright]

Hi, I decided to clear the to do shelf before starting a batch of 16mm Quarry Hunslets.  The first product of the clear up was a SER kits Horse box.

                                                                                  

This was a nice but tricky kit. The body was resin, details in whitemetal and etched brass, roof - plasticard.  The kit had an excellent drawing and several pages of download instructions.  The designer of this kit had obviously built this kit, his instructions had hints and tips about sequences and methods.  Plus, although delicate, the fine detail of the brake gear is a joy.  His supplied transfers also applied with none of the usual problems. So although for a wagon it took a long time to make it gave a lot of pleasure.  SER kits has an interesting range of mid Victorian wagons, the majority of which arrarently survived to the early 1920s.(no endorsement other than a satisfied customer)

                                                                                   

My interest in building this van was a start towards building a HR 11th of August special, bringing all those landowners from the South up to their grouse moors. I thought a train of family saloons, horse boxes and carriage trucks would be a colourful sight.  So I think the next should be a S and D or Furness contingent. regards, Malcolm.

[M Wright]

Hi, a couple more wagons almost finished from the "to do Shelf"  The SER kits 8 ton wagon went together well, it is a resin body with whitemetal underframe and details.  The only problem was my bad eyesight when it came to picking out the dead scale detailing.  The only improvement I could have made was to lop off the cast lamp irons and replace them with metal.  The excuse for having a SECR van on the HR- Kent hops for the brewery in Inverness.

                                                      

The other van was puchased because again it looked early Victorian.  I believe these CR fish vans were re-built on the underframes of 1850 coaches.  It was a Port Wyn...? kit resin body and underframe.  It is not very detailed by today's standards and still needs its through pipes for the brake system but it will look OK in a train I hope.

                                                      

[M Wright]

Hi, I have been in the workshop a long time since I last posted .  I think you will find something to look at.  I have just finished a batch of 10 Hunslet quarry tanks. Live steam, slip eccentric 16mm scale. Their construction is laser cut frames , buffer beams and rods, with etched detailed overlays.  Platework is etched brass, detail parts are all lost wax brass from my own masters. 

                                                                 

They are to scale, many former models of this prototype have been stretched to get over problems that the builder found.  They run for about 20 minutes.  To get them from design to finish has taken 7 months. There were 10 locos in the batch.

                                                                 

Now I will have to tidy up the workshop do a bit more Highland Railway modelling and set up a second batch of Hunslets for next year.

[Portchullin Tatty]

Did you see my article on making Jones louvred chimneys in the Highland Railway Journal?  It was ten if not more years ago now (but can be found in the Society disk).

 

In essence I cut thin slots with a piercing saw through 50% of the chimney at the top of each of the louvres; ie I ignored the intermediate posts and also going further either side.  From this I filed downwards at an angle from the slot to create the appropriate slope to the louvre - again I ignored the intermediate posts and the notional end to the louvre on either side.  You have to do this to get the angled slope to go around the full amount evenly (where it tapers as it leaves the curve of the chimney should be outside of the final louvred area).

 

Then I flooded the whole lot with solder; which I then filed it back to the profile of the chimney.  If you wash solder in hot water, it oxidises to a grey so it is easy to see when the profile has been reformed and where the slots are hidden in solder.  With a scalpel, you can then cut the slots out; this time retaining the intermediate posts and getting the louvres to finish on either side to the correct degree.  As the solder is much softer than the brass, it is quite easy to do this to pick up the angled slot formed in the brass, the solder being left untouched at the intermediate posts.

 

This sounds complicated but actually is not that bad (and I think I described it better in the original article!).  The forming of slots takes maybe an hour?

 

 

PS the headframe and the turnings are very nice!

 

Hi Malcolm

 

I had forgotten this posting until lately but I have since written an article on my blog that shows the process I use.

 

You can find this here and it includes a few photographs of each stage.  https://highlandmiscellany.com/2017/08/20/making-louvered-chimneys/

 

And I would love to know what else you are up to (especially the Highland stuff!)

Edited February 3, 2018 by Portchullin Tatty

[johnhutnick]

Hi Malcolm

 

I had forgotten this posting until lately but I have since written an article on my blog that shows the process I use.

 

You can find this here and it includes a few photographs of each stage.  https://highlandmiscellany.com/2017/08/20/making-louvered-chimneys/

 

And I would love to know what else you are up to (especially the Highland stuff!)

 

My name is John Hutnick and I am in the US.  This may not be the place to ask, but would anyone have plans for a Skye Bogie that they could pass on?  I keep having an odd idea to try and scratchbuild one in 7mm as a long term project,   Thanks for any help.  johnhutnick@gmail.com

[Daddyman]

My name is John Hutnick and I am in the US.  This may not be the place to ask, but would anyone have plans for a Skye Bogie that they could pass on?  I keep having an odd idea to try and scratchbuild one in 7mm as a long term project,   Thanks for any help.  johnhutnick@gmail.com

There's a 4mm-scale drawing in Peter Tatlow's A History of Highland Locomotives, p.35 - readily available on ebay for around a tenner. You could blow this up if you have access to a photocopier.