North Cranford

[M.I.B]

I spoke too soon..........the second side on the K40 decided not to attach in the manner required and so it has been removed for a clean off and third attempt.

 

In the meantime, the replacement shell for the Mainline bodied K42 arrived, got chopped up and I am pleased to report that both sides are on, solid, warp free and ready to fill.

I did all of the neccessary shaving and drilling on the body while it was intact, so as to use it's rigidity.  The last thing I did was cut out the single large "window" aperture, which makes it all very flimsy afterwards.

The holes for roof rails and vents were marked and pre-drilled as well.

The body was replaced onto the chassis as quickly as possible to give rigidity to the tumblehome area to stop this form warping or deforming.

 

This needs some minor filling, especially where the LMS vents were taken off the roof, and a little smoothing in places where glue has splurged out.  Minor problems compared to getting these back on and right.  Then it's going to be Austerity Brown.

 

I am not going to do the filling yet - I will use the car body filler method again. 5 coaches worth of filler is less than a teaspoon of plod, so I will do them together - one coachworth is too small to accurately mix.  Too much hardener and it goes solid on the spatula, too little and it stays porridge like for days on the surface.

 

It has lost one handle/handrail, and there are a few replacement droplights which seem to be the wrong size...........however, I'm calling this a "win". 

 

What's next?   Hornby based K42 needs one side adding, and it's the third attempt for the Airfix B Set based K40.....

 

I hope you are happy and healthy.

Edited November 16, 2022 by M.I.B
added detail

[MrWolf]

I do like the way you have done the surgery on the RTR body in a logical order. It's far too easy to attend to the big bits first and then find yourself struggling to hold something that has lost much of its structural integrity whilst you deal with the fine details 

[M.I.B]

Thank you - I learned by mistakes and have listed all this up here in case soemone else wants to have a go.    It's actually quite an easy process, but with no instruction manual and no task order.

 

To improve on this for the next K42, I will take all of the hand rails and grips out of the brass side before glueing.  In the Mainline one above, I had to measure where these were and drill holes in the plastic body to let the "tails" if the brass wire go through.  You can't snip them off flush inside the brass side  other wise the glue on the inside holding the wire will be gone and the wire falls out.   That was too much of a faff so it's quicker to take them out and add new wires once the sides are together and solid.

 

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by M.I.B

[MrWolf]

That makes sense, you also have a millimetre or two of the original Mainline material to glue those small parts into once it's passed through the brass.

[M.I.B]

I got the Hornby bodied K42 out next....

It too has warped in the centre with the roof sinking by about 1.5mm in the centre on the edge of the roof.  The roof profile across the roof is almost perfect.

 

I have ordered another Mainline LMS 57' from the Worlds favourite auction site........

 

Not sure what to do with my growing collection of 57' coach chassis.......

 

Stay safe.

Edited November 17, 2022 by M.I.B
spellink

[M.I.B]

It's been a bit "Groundhog Day" today.

 

I took the Dart/Frogmore sided K19 out and the Hornby body had warped on one side - exactly the same as the K42 with the Hornby body......

 

So I then took out the last "offender", the K38.   And guess what?........

 

So inbetween Zoom calls for work, and also during very dull Zoom calls, I carefully removed the sides from the K19 and the K38.  They will have the glue and filler removed from them, and handrails removed too.

 

I have put eBay bids in for three replacement base coaches.

 

So out of the 5 "offenders",  one K42 was recoverable, the K40 is not warped, but it isn't adhering on one side, and three (based on Hornby bodies) required new bodies.

 

I will complete these..........

 

Stay safe.

 

I have put three eBay bids in for replacement base vehicles.

[M.I.B]

ebay was kind on the pricing and also a few offers accepted for a variety of things this weekend.  So replacement 57' coaches are on their way.

 

And I finally got the K40 to stick on the 3rd attempt:

 

 

It does look like the top left edge is unstuck or proud, but it isn't in reality.  

 

K40 and K42 complete with sides.  K38 K19 and a K42 to go.......

 

I hope that you are happy and healthy.

[M.I.B]

More brass than a good day on the ranges.............

 

During a 2 hour Zoom call (listening with no input or need to take notes) , I decided to do something constructive.   Bodies for the K series repairs have not arrived so I decided to make the interior for my kit built restaurant.

 

All the hard work and credit goes to Mallard of this parish for the soldering and folding etc.

 

This needed an interior, and the kit comes with the wonderful Wizard interior kit.  This makes up into tables and seating for either First or Third .   However I had a spare interior from a Hornby RTR restaurant.  All I needed to do was add another 2 rows of seats and 2 tables......

I nibbled a tiny D out of the floor in the First section to act as a locator hole to sit on top of a body/chassis mount screw.   Then the end bulkhead of the Third section came out.

Doors were added to the Scullery and Kitchen sections, 

 

After a quick final shuffle of the Hornby section to confirm the tables lined up with windows etc, I added a floor extension to the Third end, and the Wizard kit provided the tables and seating.

 

To make a false wall and to help support the new seats, I made a basic interior bulkhead and added a door shape for strength and template to paint in at a later date.   It all looks a bit rustic with the roof off, but by the time it's on, and glazing is in, with curtains........

 Fitted it looks like this:

 

Again a huge credit to Phil "Mallard" for his excellent work.

 

Zoom call is over - time used wisely.

 

I hope you are happy and healthy.

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by M.I.B
got order detail wrong

[M.I.B]

I'm back from the depths of Eastern Europe, spending time in railyards and seeing horses and carts go by.......

 

I haven't stopped on the K series rescues: I was away for a while, and also Royal Mail was slow to deliver a few body donors.  11 days for one "2nd Class Small Parcel"!

 

Just seen the Hattons blurb on the Accurascale Siphons.    Very nice but north of £50 made me feel odd - but I would pay that for an RTR Toplight if made to today's super detailed standard.  Do I feel happier about a passenger coach because it has windows and is a bright colour scheme?    Not sure.    They certainly look great, but I'm awash with my detailed-up SIPHON Gs and a fair few Hs as well.   So I will give it a miss.  I've bought a new barn find car project (my last one at this depth of repair), so I'll ask Father Christmas for body panels instead.

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy

 

 

[M.I.B]

Murphy's Law: the Full Brake announced by Dapol as part of their corridor Toplight releases will be........... the K22!  It couldn't be one that isn't available as a kit/brass sides.......   never mind.  I have a few K22s, from Mailcoach (plastic kit)  and two from Worsely Works (Brass sides): so I may focus on a couple of each Compos.

 

If you aren't aware, six Diagrams will be released now:

 

D56 (Brake Third) left and right versions

C32 (All Third)

E98/103 (Composite)  left and right versions

K22 (Full brake)

 

Possible future releases could be:

 

E95 (Brake Composite)

E88 (Composite)

 

 

[M.I.B]

Last working day for me and it's going to be a real struggle to get to the bottom of the "to do" list but I have the incentive of switching off the laptop for the year when it's done.

 

Thank you for your company and your own postings through this year - it's been a tough one for most of us for all sorts of reasons and next year won't be any easier.

 

I probably won't be online much through the festive period - I plan to be outdoors as much as possible and after dark modelling indoors with some old films on.  Hopefully make a dent in these NPCCS conversions, and the J12,,,,,,,,,,.

 

Have a wonderful time whatever you are up to.  Stay warm and safe.

 

 

[M.I.B]

Its been a busy 10 or so days.   Very pleased with outcomes working outdoors and modelling too.  I hope your Christmas was as equally satisfying.

 

5 of the "failed" NPCCS projects are now glued together for the second time, and this time there has been no warpage:

 

Back Row:  K42    K38    K19

Front Row: K42   K40

 

 K19 needs some filing work on window apertures - no idea why I didn't slice a tall enough "window" slot in the Mainline body.

 

The K40 , based on an Airfix "B Set" has already had corridors fitted when it was first glued.  No idea why, but they can remain in place.

 

One of 2 Mainline LMS Brake based K42s.  This should have been a Hornby body and running gear but there were very few on Ebay, and lots of Mainline LMS third/brakes......and here is the second one:

 

 

Hornby based K38...........

 

A while pile of stuff to do on all of them, from roof vent fitting to filler work, hand rails, door handles, droplight windows, and end window filling on the LMS brakes.  That's way before paint, glazing decals, underframe detail, weathering..........

 

For reasons unknown, I ended up with an extra Hornby 57 footer and so I ordered a pair of K22 sides from Worsley Works.  When they arrive I will bring that up to the same level as these, and probably put the sides for the J12 onto a Centenary body.     That is less worrying than it was when I bought the sides - I wasn't sue how to cope with the recessed end doors, but I have a plan for that now..... Phil "Mallard" had made me up a pair of tri axle bogies for it and fitting those is going to be easy after a bit of pondering over the last few months.

 

That would be 7 coaches which is a bit of "production line" modelling, but I will take my time and enjoy it - doing filler work/filing down work on a few coaches is easier en-masse.

 

On the day that we lost Pele, I hope you are happy and healthy.  I wish you good New Year's celebrations whatever you do on the night and a productive and satisfying 2023.

Edited December 29, 2022 by M.I.B

[Neal Ball]

7 hours ago, M.I.B said:

Its been a busy 10 or so days.   Very pleased with outcomes working outdoors and modelling too.  I hope your Christmas was as equally satisfying.

 

5 of the "failed" NPCCS projects are now glued together for the second time, and this time there has been no warpage:

 

Back Row:  K42    K38    K19

Front Row: K42   K40

 

 K19 needs some filing work on window apertures - no idea why I didn't slice a tall enough "window" slot in the Mainline body.

 

The K40 , based on an Airfix "B Set" has already had corridors fitted when it was first glued.  No idea why, but they can remain in place.

 

One of 2 Mainline LMS Brake based K42s.  This should have been a Hornby body and running gear but there were very few on Ebay, and lots of Mainline LMS third/brakes......and here is the second one:

 

 

Hornby based K38...........

 

A while pile of stuff to do on all of them, from roof vent fitting to filler work, hand rails, door handles, droplight windows, and end window filling on the LMS brakes.  That's way before paint, glazing decals, underframe detail, weathering..........

 

For reasons unknown, I ended up with an extra Hornby 57 footer and so I ordered a pair of K22 sides from Worsley Works.  When they arrive I will bring that up to the same level as these, and probably put the sides for the J12 onto a Centenary body.     That is less worrying than it was when I bought the sides - I wasn't sue how to cope with the recessed end doors, but I have a plan for that now..... Phil "Mallard" had made me up a pair of tri axle bogies for it and fitting those is going to be easy after a bit of pondering over the last few months.

 

That would be 7 coaches which is a bit of "production line" modelling, but I will take my time and enjoy it - doing filler work/filing down work on a few coaches is easier en-masse.

 

On the day that we lost Pele, I hope you are happy and healthy.  I wish you good New Year's celebrations whatever you do on the night and a productive and satisfying 2023.

Wow! Great to see production line changes like this. I tend to do 2 or 3 at the same time, but 7 is going some.

 

This rake is going to be great when it’s done.

 

Do the Worsley Works sides come with the tunblehome pre-formed?

 

Happy New Year.

[M.I.B]

Happy New Year Neal, and everyone else.

 

I can't remember whether it is pre formed - I last built one 5+ years ago.  I have an old wooden ruler with a bevelled edge which is a great former for tumblehomes.

 

I treated myself to a new container wagon - "not another"  I hear the cries.  But I can't believe that this has not been available in RTR since the days of Triang or earlier :

 

 

From Bachman.

 

J 12 body donor was sliced up today - I use a Dremel with a super thin disk in the workshop - it spits out lots of plastic shreds  so not an "indoor job".  I can continue with the rest indoors.

 

While I've got a head of steam up I may do the Centenary Full Brake............  It's going to need the same sort of post surgery treatment as all the others so it would make sense to add it to the pile.........filler, shaping, priming, painting, glazing etc.....

 

Stay warm and safe.

Edited January 2, 2023 by M.I.B
Missed something out

[The Fatadder]

Look forward to seeing the J12

[M.I.B]

20 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Look forward to seeing the J12

Might be a while Rich - next task for the J12 is to remove the bogie mounts and truss rods from the chassis, and fit up mounts for the 6 wheel bogies and rebuild the trusses.

 

OH - and I nearly forgot - I'm back at work tomorrow, so progress with everything slows down..........

 

Hope you are all happy and healthy.

[M.I.B]

I was 3/4 through a long post and it vapourised, so here goes again.....

 

I managed to do some J12 running gear/chassis work thanks to recuperation time from the UK cold bug.  

 

I was focussing on a scale drawing in a Russell book and chopped the Airfix axle pivot/pedastool off the Centenary chassis....before realising that the Comet 6 wheel axle pivots off centre.....

 

Luckily I have a spare Centenary chassis left over from the Full brake project...

 

Once the bogies were fitted to the Airfix pedastools and spaced with some micro washers, the truss rods and battery boxes which clashed with bogie inner/rear ends were removed.

Due to a lack of detail available on where battery boxes go on a J12, and some necessary compromises, boxes and a dynamo ( both from Comet) were added.  This coach will be part of a 8 + coach train at speed-ish on a 4 track mainline  layout 20+ feet long.  Who will notice that the battery boxes on the J12 aren't correct?    I know some people will be disturbed by this attitude, but I'm not.  You need that sort of detail on an O gauge 4 foot long shunting plank, where every rivet, drip and detail needs to be 100%.

 

Hats off and genuine respect to those who do attain that level of detail.  Not knocking it -  just explaining why my level of compromise is lower.

 

So - after fettling the Comet bogies to accept smaller "Dapol" style couplers, and then fettling the cosmetic bogie sides to fit, all is together and well.   

How does it roll?  On a  1 in 3000 incline it's away like a dragster - both due to the weight of all the white metal, and also testament to the building of the bogie cores by Mallard of this parish.

 

Painting tomorrow in the workshop - Halfords rattle can (s).  

The body - I currently plan to leave the plastic recessed doors on and add the "flat" sides in brass.  I might be brave and do the whole side in brass....  my worry about Plan A is how to cut the brass side etch without deforming it - a Dremel and a "thin-disk" may be the answer.  I might have a practice on some scrap tomorrow.

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy.

Edited January 7, 2023 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

A little experiment while I wait for:

• bravery level to rise before cutting up the J12 etch....
• the K22 sides to arrive

I will need as many coal empties as loaded wagons.  I'm sure they weren't swept out and hosed down, so grot and dust needs to be seen.   Using

 

I coated the floor of a pre-prepared wagon and sprinkled aimed splats of real coal dust. 

 

It has come out a tad shiny, but Dullcote will cure that.   The main thing is that the dust has stuck.  I did consider using firm hold hairspray.  That might be an experiment for another day.  But this "works"

[St Enodoc]

2 minutes ago, M.I.B said:

A little experiment while I wait for:

• bravery level to rise before cutting up the J12 etch....
• the K22 sides to arrive

I will need as many coal empties as loaded wagons.  I'm sure they weren't swept out and hosed down, so grot and dust needs to be seen.   Using

 

I coated the floor of a pre-prepared wagon and sprinkled aimed splats of real coal dust. 

 

It has come out a tad shiny, but Dullcote will cure that.   The main thing is that the dust has stuck.  I did consider using firm hold hairspray.  That might be an experiment for another day.  But this "works"

Don't you have to be careful putting Dullcote on top of Matt Cote (or is it the other way round)?

[M.I.B]

16 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Don't you have to be careful putting Dullcote on top of Matt Cote (or is it the other way round)?

 

I remembered something like that, but not the finer detail,  so I have put MattCote on a section of Centenary side and I will Dullcote that before I make my next move....... 

[M.I.B]

So I sprayed and painted the body cut-off from the Airfix centenary...... and let them dry by the log burner. - Not too close.

 

The each side got an overcoating with the second product.  Sprayed in the warm, dry unfinished ( unstarted) main bathroom......no dust, or grot or damp to make it bloom....

 

This was Dullcote with Mattcote on top:

 

and this was Matt-cote with Testors DullCote on top

 

 

Both have gone "crusty" as if some fine dust has been sprinkled on them.  But there is no crazing and lifting like you get when you mix "enamel" aerosols (Railmatch and Humbrol etc) with car paints and varnishes......that goes like crocodile skin.

 

 

So because the result wasn't awful, I tried Testors Dullcote on top of the coal sweepings held down with Matt-cote....as I said, I could always sculpt some sponge and make this a loaded wagon.          Result is OK.  It has dulled it all down.  There is still a reflective sparkle, but that's from the coal not the varnishes and coatings.

 

I hope you are all happy and healthy and avoiding the UK cold that's doing the rounds.

Edited January 10, 2023 by M.I.B
got me worms muddled

[M.I.B]

It's been a while.....

 

I wasn't going to post until I got on with the NPCCS again, and then only when I got the extra set of sides and made up another one.    You can never have too many Full Brakes.    But I'm still waiting for a couple of deliveries.

 

I have also had a bit of a shuffle around on the locomotive roster, and three engines have headed away via EvilBay.  More of that soon....

 

It's "bonus season" and I treated myself to another Hornby open - a second "Lowe & Warwick - Holloway".   There were only six prototypes in the bright livery, and Hornby hasn't numbered the offering, so it's easy to have two or three in a "near London" setting.   This one has also had a few "repair planks" painted in as well as some replacement ironwork left in "red lead" primer.   And a coal load for this one - more details to follow.   I know that all PO opens went into the Pool long before my timeframe, but I do like to have a bunch of London logo'd PO opens.

 

I'm just in the middle of making an S&T crew coach out of a Hattons Genesis 6 wheeler.   Not spectacular modelling, but keeping me amused on the rare bits of spare time I have at the moment.

 

I hope that you are all happy and healthy.

[M.I.B]

It's been too wet to work outdoors early in the morning ( 7-9 am)  or after "work", so I have had bonus modelling time this week.   The Hatton's Genesis 6 wheeler is now a faded, jaded brown S&T crew coach.  Not a tough piece of work, and not worth a photo.  HOWEVER,  I will say that I tried out a different colour for "faded GWR Brown" and it looks excellent - try Humbrol SM 251.   It looks great.

 

If you want a picture let me know.

 

So while I wait for deliveries, the next project was the legendary, "one-and-only" Centenary Full Brake coach.

 

Basis for the conversion is/are two Centenary Brake thirds.    Most of one was chopped up and disposed of , or used for "experiments" such as the Dullcote/Matt Cote test from a few months ago.  The chassis from the donor coach was re-sold on eBay along with all the chassis(s) from the body donors for the full brake recoveries.  (hope that makes sense)

 

All I needed from the donor were the 2 body sides of the Brake end.    These were cut over size to allow for fettling and "options" - more later on "options".  The bodies of these coaches are integral with the roof.

 

First job was to sort the interior section.  I cut out the seats, corridor windows and doors,  and compartment walls to make one large parcels/goods space. 

Using Plasticard, I re-made the corridor wall where compartment doors and windows were. 

 I also took the opportunity to make the compartment windows "disappear" on what has become the Guard's compartment.   That has all been sprayed brown, and this will be followed by a coat (or three) of white aerosol on the parcels side.  The photos of K series vans show then interiors to be a " white" sort of colour.

Taking the window glazing out is a challenge as these body sides are still quite soft at 30 years old, whereas the glazing is very brittle.   

The outcome, using a flat blade screwdriver, and Xuron cutters, is that one of the sections to be inserted has torn and been pulled "in", because the glazing glue would not budge.  I will have to rectify this with car body filler.

 

It is important to retain the recesses in the lower edges of the glazing pieces as these accept the fitting of the chassis/running gear (seen below in black).

 

This is as far as we are tonight, with a weekend of heavy duty gardening ahead:  Body is cut out to receive new side sections, interior is built but needs white paint on the "non corridor" side.

As for "options" - there were two different ways to section the side panels in, and I opted for the ones which have the join on the "non hinged" side of doors.  This means that the joint will be along a door shut line which is easier to work to.  A door obviously has two sides, but working this way means that I get to keep the door hinges.   Be careful if you are doing this conversion, as you can ( if not careful) end up with two recesses side to side. 

I don't feel challenged by the fitting of the panels - once they are filed/sanded to size, and then the sides given a "V" edge to allow for filler, they will be easily glued in with some Plasticard behind to support.

 

I'm looking forward to painting this - Chocolate and Cream with late GWR logos.  This is definitely not a Full Brake to run in "all brown", or "covered in grot".   It has to be pristine and clean.  This means the bodywork needs to be good .

 

Watch out for All Fools Day tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Centenary Full Brake has not progressed!   Sides are still sat on a tray with tools next to my laptop in the office..........   but I have been busy elsewhere.

 

Sad news, but today I had to take up my order problem with Modelmaster with Paypal who refunded me after filling out an online series of questions.   It was a very painless process and commendation to them.

 

I had used Modelmaster for over 100 sets of names and numbers over the last 12 years or so, and never had a single problem, even when some other folks were struggling.    I just put that down to some people wanting everything immediately.     I was extra patient with Modelmaster and kept a copy of email enquiries as to where the items were - sent after over a month of waiting for the order - not through impatience after a week.   

 

Three sets of new cabside numbers are coming from Narrow Planet.   I have used them before for something which MM could not supply.  Can't remember what but it was probably the numbers for either a specific Dean Goods or for my Heljan 4700.

 

Three sets of numbers = three new engines????    Sort of....... I took a decision to sell three Bachmann panniers which I was never going to manage to chip because they were split chassis engines.    I have successfully chipped a split chassis tender engine, and for this there was lots of space in the tender to hide everything.    Not so in a Pannier.   Off to Ebay they went, sold quite quickly and covered half the cost of three replacement 8750s also from Bachmann.    One came chipped, Two are "ready".   One is in the correct green with correct logo, one needs a change of logo and the third is in BR Black.    Nothing we can't fix.

 

They are sat in the glass cabinet, along with:    2 BR Castles for backdating, re-paint and re-naming, a green Manor for a colour and name change, a Hall for rename and repaint into unlined green,  and finally a BR British Monarch for back dating and renaming.   I have a BM but without external steam pipes in unlined green - I think it is my favourite of all my repaints.

 

The NPCCS projects,  J12 and 12 wheel H57 are all in there too.    I find that as they are on display they do "nag" me more frequently and I do find time to work on them, more so than when they were hiding in crates.

 

I have been working on European time this week as my projects were all based in Denmark.  So the weekend starts right now at NC:  I wish you all a pleasant one when that time reaches you.   Hope that you are happy and healthy.

 

 

[M.I.B]

Been away for a few days of work, and no real access to RM Web.    MIB Snr messaged to ask why all of a sudden there were lots of Hornby Saints on a certain auction site.    Turns out that he has been keeping an eye on auction sales of the (longest running /unaltered/ original release) major class of engine in OO modelling.     No idea why.

 

But all of a sudden a rush to sell Saints?     It could only mean two things:   a manufacturer has finally realised the potential of launching the first new Saint in 40 years, or just coincidence.   I have been guilty of offloading upon sight of an announcement..... Manors, Moguls, Prairies, and even a 47XX........all sold off to make space and raise a penny towards the replacements.........

 

Turns out it was a coincidence.

 

I continue, like many others, to live in hope.

 

I also hope that you are all happy and healthy.

Edited April 26, 2023 by M.I.B
Bad Grandma