Nile's kitbuilding bench - Midland 1377

[Nile]

Progress seems very slow here, as usual, but there has been some. The Midland 1377 body was ready for some primer, it was now almost the right colour.

 

While I slowly turned it crimson I put together another recent purchase from LRM, a LNWR small cattle wagon:

 

Seen here with matching brake van, also from LRM:

 

Back to the loco, painting it crimson is only half the story. It then needs lining:

Not sure about the rear weather-board. I originally painted it black, but thought it would look better crimson. Probably no way of knowing for sure what colour it was.

[Nile]

A little more progress to report.

After much procrastination I decided what number this would be. I've mainly based this model on a photo of No.1347, as it's the only one I've found with a rear weather-board. But I'm going to use its post 1907 number 1680 so that it matches condition with the Bachmann model of 0-4-4T No.1273. This places them both in the few years after 1907 before they received large numbers on their tanks, and probably a repaint into black in this case.

Numbers and letters applied:

 

The backhead is nice resin casting, apart from paint all I've added here is the regulator handle.

 

Backhead glued into cab, along with some gauges made from Evergreen rod.

[Nile]

I've been adding detail bits to finish off the body. Some of these have been recovered from the Bachmann 0-4-4T I modified on my RTR workbench, such as the clack valves which are combined with some copper wire. The vacuum ejector came off a Hornby Jinty, trimmed to fit and combined with more copper wire. There was nothing wrong with the supplied safety valve cover but as I wanted a polished brass one it was easier to use one from LRM.

[Nile]

Rather than get on with the chassis I felt like a break from this loco. I have a few coach kits I want to get built, I'm starting with a NLR kit from LRM, this one is the first class.

Starting with the chassis:

The wheel units, one of which rocks for compensation, are removable. I've added some card packing under them to get the correct ride height.

 

Body sides:

I left off the bits above the windows for later. They can be soldered on, the problem is keeping them straight. I decided it was far easier (for me) to glue them on later after the soldering was done.

 

I screwed the sides to the chassis, using it as a jig to hold them in place while I soldered the ends on. There is enough adjustment possible to get them set just right. Later the nuts are soldered in place.

Somehow I didn't solder the body to the chassis, this is the resulting body:

 

[Nile]

And now for some detailing. Some guess work was needed for the emergency brake indicator gear on the end, most of it is barely visible as these ran in close coupled sets. The valve housing is a block of plastic with holes drilled through it.

 

Compartment partitions were made from 20thou plastic card using an end as a guide. Ratio seating will be added later.

 

Fully detailed roof plonked on top. I haven't yet decided how I'm going to fix it on.

Now ready for painting.

[chuffinghell]

On 13/08/2023 at 21:03, Nile said:

I've been adding detail bits to finish off the body. Some of these have been recovered from the Bachmann 0-4-4T I modified on my RTR workbench, such as the clack valves which are combined with some copper wire. The vacuum ejector came off a Hornby Jinty, trimmed to fit and combined with more copper wire. There was nothing wrong with the supplied safety valve cover but as I wanted a polished brass one it was easier to use one from LRM.

being a man of few words…WOW!

 

[Nile]

Now in greyscale:

Acid-8 primer on the body, halfords grey on the roof.

While that was waiting for paint I got on with the next project, a Prickley Pear GNSR brake coach:

Not that I've taken up modelling the GNSR, this will become a freelance model. That's why I've inverted the roof, there are ribs on the other (now under)side. The real things were built in the 1860s by Joseph Wright & Sons of Birmingham.

[Nile]

The kit provides information and parts to detail the interior, most of which will never be seen if the roof is fixed on permanently. I've kept things fairly minimal, the seat might just be visible through the open door I've added in the bulkhead. The roof is held on with magnets, allowing access for maintenance if needed.

[Nile]

Painting the NLR coach. The starting point was a coat of PPP P.60 Teak. To get the well worn and grubby finish I was after I brushed on light coats of various brown shades of Acrylic paint, and finished off with a thin wash of black, as seen on the end.

 

The rest of the body and chassis similarly (mis)treated.

 

For the markings some improvisation was needed. The SDJR crest is very close to the NLR one, and indistinguishable in this scale. The numbers and 'FIRSTs' also came from the SDJR section of HMRS sheet 24, the SMOKING label from the LNWR sheet.

[Compound2632]

11 minutes ago, Nile said:

The SDJR crest is very close to the NLR one, and indistinguishable in this scale. 

 

That set me off looking at the NLR crest and noting that it incorporates the arms of London and Birmingham, per the arms of the London & Birmingham Railway, emphasising the NLR's origin as the L&B's branch to the docks.

[billbedford]

10 hours ago, Nile said:

Painting the NLR coach. The starting point was a coat of PPP P.60 Teak. To get the well worn and grubby finish I was after I brushed on light coats of various brown shades of Acrylic paint, and finished off with a thin wash of black, as seen on the end.

 

 

The rest of the body and chassis similarly (mis)treated.

 

 

For the markings some improvisation was needed. The SDJR crest is very close to the NLR one, and indistinguishable in this scale. The numbers and 'FIRSTs' also came from the SDJR section of HMRS sheet 24, the SMOKING label from the LNWR sheet.

 

 

This seems to be the opposite of what I would expect from a panelled coach. I would expect the dirt to gather in the edges between the panels and the beading and be washed off towards the middle of the panels. 

 

Course if the coach was painted black things would be different. 

[Chas Levin]

On 11/09/2023 at 12:08, Nile said:

Painting the NLR coach. The starting point was a coat of PPP P.60 Teak. To get the well worn and grubby finish I was after I brushed on light coats of various brown shades of Acrylic paint, and finished off with a thin wash of black, as seen on the end.

 

The rest of the body and chassis similarly (mis)treated.

 

For the markings some improvisation was needed. The SDJR crest is very close to the NLR one, and indistinguishable in this scale. The numbers and 'FIRSTs' also came from the SDJR section of HMRS sheet 24, the SMOKING label from the LNWR sheet.

 

That's a very nice job Neil. Do you enjoy doing that, weathering wooden coaches? I do - it feels almost like painting in the sense of Art, as opposed to reproducing liveries, which can feel more mechanical; it feels very creative, I suppose I mean.

 

Your combination of transfers from different sources (including taking into consideration the realities of normal viewing distance) is also a jolly good job: I've done the same on several models where I didn't have the exact originals and wondered if anyone else does that, so I'm delighted to see you doing it too! 😀

[Nile]

This is my first foray into the world of teak coaches, and I'm modelling these after 30-40 years service in 'the big smoke'. I want to keep the process fairly simple as the aim is to make a rake of these with a consistent finish.

Some photos showing progress with the NLR coach:

Ratio coach seating was cut to fit, painted blue then given a thin black wash to tone it down a bit.

Here I've started gluing them in. Some of the seating units needed notching on the underside to clear mounting screws.

 

All now glued in place.

 

A preview of the finished model. Some more bits need fitting and painting before then.

[Nile]

With the final bits added and painted I fixed the roof on with canopy glue. This is a non-permanent PVA like glue in case I want to get access to the inside. Just as well as I wasn't happy with how it looked, it wasn't quite straight and wasn't sitting flat. So I removed it and found that the partitions I'd added were slightly too tall. Having fixed that I tried again with the roof, with more success. With a bit of weathering it's now finished.

 

[Nile]

Some progress with the Prickley Pear brake van kit, primed and ready for painting.

 

 

The underside of the roof, showing the ribs meant to be on the top.

 

Underside view showing the interesting brake gear. The inner 4 shoes work like those on a wagon, with outside links to the outer 4 shoes.

[Compound2632]

15 minutes ago, Nile said:

Some progress with the Prickley Pear brake van kit, primed and ready for painting.

 

The neatness of your build and the professionalism of your photography could easily mislead one into taking this for a 3D CAD render!

[Chas Levin]

I'd have to agree with Stephen there, about the 3D-render look!

 

Are you saying those ribs are meant to be on the outside though? I'm not asking to be clever, but because I have one of these to build, so I'm guessing it might be easy to reverse the roof?

[Nile]

1 hour ago, Chas Levin said:

Are you saying those ribs are meant to be on the outside though? I'm not asking to be clever, but because I have one of these to build, so I'm guessing it might be easy to reverse the roof?

 

Yes, ribs on outside, as in this drawing:

 

The roof is made from two layers of material, the inner one is slightly smaller overall and has a big hole in its middle.

[Nile]

Painting and lettering nearly finished.

This former passenger brake van, dating from the 1860s, has been relegated to the engineers department as a ballast brake.

 

Inside as well.

[Mikkel]

Another excellent build. Also the prototype. Quirky rugged elegance.

 

Nile, I'm trying to remember the overall setting/concept for your builds - and how the imaginary and prototypical stock fit together. I looked at your page 1 index, but am not sure. Would you mind refreshing the concept for me please?

[Nile]

Hello Mikkel, my problem is my interests tend to wander all over the place and I end up with fingers in far too many pies.

These recent coach models fit in with my pre-grouping around 1920 theme, centering on the LMWR and what might have appeared at its Uxbridge station. But some of the recent Midland locos are in pre-war condition, adding another distinct theme.

Perhaps I should split things up into separate topics, although I'd probably loose track of them.

As I've yet to build a permanent layout for any of these models things tend to remain in a state of flux, mainly in my head.

[Mikkel]

Thanks Nile, that does help me understand it better. I think it's natural and common to have a main theme (LMWR) and some other stuff developing on the side. I suppose for most of us it's constant balancing act between not spreading effort too widely while also not limiting things to a point where it becomes a straitjacket that kills creativity.

 

No need to split up the thread in my view, I'm enjoying it as it is.

 

[Nile]

Dusty stuff, that ballast. Years of working with it will take its toll.

 

[Nile]

Hello all, good to see you are still enjoying the builds. Currently I'm working to finish the MR tank at the top of this page.

Meanwhile here's something a bit different I built recently.

It's an old (and cheap) Parkside Dundas kit of a SR BY van, built using just the kit parts plus modern couplings. The only change I've made is to file the buffer bases square to make them look a bit more like they should.

It's modelled in its final years after it ceased to be a guards van. I found some old MOPOK transfers with 'close enough' markings, particularly when weathered.

I also have an interest in the BR blue period, but as it's mainly old RTR it won't feature here much.

[Nile]

Back to the MR 1377 tank loco. With the body almost completed I turned to finishing the chassis. Wheels and motor refitted, coupling rods added - all working fine. Brake rodding next, and here I hit a snag. The cross-shaft at the rear needs to be lower than the position allowed for in the kit design, with a much shorter link. Time for some bodging.

I soldered the too-long links to the inside of the chassis to provide new supports for the cross-shaft.

 

Brake rodding fitted. This has all been soldered solid.

 

Cross shaft is 0.8mm brass rod. The operating links were made up from various left-overs from other kits, cut and filed to shape.

 

Fitted in place with linkage to the brake handle. It will be barely visible when painted black.

 

The nearly complete chassis the right way up. Sand box fillers have been added, made from some plastic rod. No expense spared here!