North Cranford

[M.I.B]

I was missing a few crew for the green mogul, the new arrivals (x2) and with the 47XX and 94xx due soon..............    I decided to do a bulk crew painting session,  But I had run out of firemen.  One packet of Dapol's "Lineside Workmen" arrived via Evilbay and I have some gentlemen with shovels in hand, and men who will pass for drivers. 

First the boots and hats in black, faces and hands and arms in a blend of flesh colours.  Then hair, and shirts ( collars, chests and maybe sleeves) in light blue/greys.

Before adding a red neckerchief to one or two.  Spades then get painted. 

Then it's clothes time.  Just like painting skin, three shades are used for railway men's overalls/clothing

and mixed on the plastic work tray. 

No two shirts or trousers or jackets are the same colour in theory.  Just like the real world.

Here's the driver of Project BLACK HALL (6944) who looks a lot less like he is dressed for, and doing "YMCA" bythe Village People".  As seen in earlier posts his previous owner had painted him in some very gaudy hues........

Edited October 4, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

The LMS parcels stock was seen a few pages back, as were the SR "Van Cs".  To join the Van Cs I have a "Van B" or "Bogie Passenger Luggage Van".  I am also hoping to beef these up with one of the new Bachman SR CCTs, but once they start coming onto the second hand/Ebay market at a more realistic price ie not £25 ( for a non bogie van!!!)

 

This is the Hornby version in Olive Green.  I spoke to Graham Muz of this parish who advises me that by the time I am modelling, the olive vans would perhaps have been a little "tired" and had patch paints in the brighter Malachite green.  This is good news because mine came from Hornby with a couple of Malachite Green doors - so no need for me to patch paint.

I did the usual:   

 

roof in gungy greys ( from aerosols),

blocked off the corridor doors (with some spare Hornby gangway closures) and painted the ends in similar black/gunge grey.

The bogies were fitted with HUGE Hornby couplings so I decided to cut them off and replace with some of the smaller "Dapol" type couplers.  I also took this chance to closer couple by shortening the position of the coupling.

 

I hacked into the old bogie to leave a "nub" just off centre to which a shortened "Dapol" connector could be superglued.  This "nub" is the pivot point for the Hornby "harpoon"  .

Once I was happy that their position was OK, the couplings then got a shot of Araldite to really firm them up.    I shortened the  "drop leg" on the new coupling to stop it from catching on points.  I am not using uncoupling equipment so I don't really have need for these anyway.    Once the Araldite was dry, the whole bogie and wheels got a blast of Halfords aerosol matt black.

 

I will give this a heavy airbrush weather soon, but in the meantime I am pleased with the apperance after very little time, money and effort spent.

Edited October 4, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

So here are some of the crew fitted.    6944's fireman takes a momentary break:  It's been a long run from Bristol and he's looking forward to some bacon and egg and a cuppa........

.It wasn't so long since he was in a different uniform defending the Empire.

 

Wire above his head needs adjusting.......

 

And here are the crew of the green 93XX series mogul.

I trim most of the excess of the bases of figures, but photos like these highlight just how obvious the remainder is.  Unfortunately I used to have a knack of removing feet whilst removing these.    I will have another attempt when I get all of the locos out again.  It'll take longer unboxing and re-boxing them, so that'll be a winter's day worth I think.

 

On the weekend where England made Rugby World Cup history, and when the Vulcan flew for the last time, I hope you are happy and healthy.

Edited October 5, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

I have omitted full engine shots from the last few posts because:

 

1.  I am waiting to place an order for cabside numbers for about a dozen engines.

2.  The engines aren't weathered.

 

I will return to posting full views when these two jobs are completed.

 

I decided to go ahead and purchase another Hogwart's Castle tender for 6944, and this time paint it green as per the photo which Mike found on Ebay.  Copyright procludes me from posting it, but it is one of those "It never happened" shots:  a dirty black un-nmaed Hall with a green lined late logo tender.

 

Same modifications as the black tender:  cleared plastic around the front body mount screw which will act as the pin for the drawbar.  Replace the large Hornby coupling with a smaller and shorter Dapol type, fixed with Araldite and without it's connecting hook -  my locos tend to have no hook to allow easy coupling/uncoupling from rakes.

 

Remove coal from bunker with drill and dremel and file,

 

Make new bunker out of plasticard, using paper templates first, 

Fix with liquid poly and then lock together with Araldite.

The joins between the new bunker and the body will get a skim of filler - this time Humbrol model filler because I want to finish off the tube.

Then disaster struck..........  I was using a Precision aerosol can of GWR green, and it was going on beautifully - model drying in the sun for a minute inbetween fine coats, and spray can sitting in a mug of warm water to speed the drying and keep the propellant agitated..........  despite all of this I got "splatter"  caused by a partial blockage of the can nozzle.

 

Rather than drop the whole thing in my brake fluid bath, I decided to use a pot of "Model Strip" which someone gave me a few years ago.    Once open I would advise that the pot is kept in an airtight bag - this stuff is useless if it dries out.  

But what a great job it does if all you require is some localized paint stripping.  Smear it on, bag it up and wait over night (10 hours). 

Then wipe the stripper off with some kitchen roll, rinse off the rest with a toothbrush and "all gone".

 

Top marks to Model Strip.

 

I keep aerosol can nozzles when I throw the can - a trick learnt from my race car building days.   So armed with 6 nozzles which had been in white spirit over night ( and blown though by the airbrush compressor to get the spirit out of the ducting), I resprayed the tender again with the Precision aerosol, using a new nozzle for every coat.  Perfect.

 

Then, mask the bunker, some red oxide, as has become the norm, with a skinny/mean coat of matt black on top - rust seeping through.........

 

The rest of the matt blacking was done with a brush.

 

That just leaves me with the lining and logos, as well as coaling - "nearly empty" again.

 

My HMRS sheet no longer has the Collett tender lining - no idea what that was used on.  Not much call for that HMRS sheet in my workshop so I won't be ordering one more.   I will chop about a Churchward tender lining and use that.

I got fed up of losing small transfers and logos and found this piece of slim black plasticard in something.  I now use it as a "pallette" to lay them on as they can be seen more easily, and the HMRS pressfix ones lightly adhere to it, which stops them from "disappearing".  When it's not in use it lives in the large ziplock bag with all the other transfers, logos, tarpaulings and carriage destination boards.

Edited October 6, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

And still the NPCCS work hasn't been touched.  But it will re-start this week.

 

Another project from the weekend/last week was the WD Austerity.  This is a brand new engine bought very cheaply via Ebay - shop clearance item. 

 

Firstly the BR logos and numbers were removed by gentle rubbing with a Scotchbrite pad.  Then a mask and a light coat of Halford's matt black was added to the previously logo'd areas.

Cabside number style and size were checked using the Gloucester and Warwickshire online photo library which is a brilliant source tool.  Although the numbers look quite large compared to the BR ones, this is correct in terms of size and style for an engine still in War Department ownership, being run by one of the Great 4.

 

77015 is an Old Oak based engine and remained so into nationalisation.

 

I used a strip of masking tape as a marker line and applied the waterslide transfers one number at a time. 

Not a fan of waterslide for this sort of work as when one moves, they all move.    Bucket loads of patience are needed.  Luckily my return to modelling has improved my patience immensely.  Despite the perspective on the photo - these are on strsaight ( finally!!!)

 

A couple of brush on coats of Humbrol Clearcote and the cab sides were done.  Crew were fitted and I focussed on the front end.    Left hand drive!  My only LHD I think - perhaps the 2 PO shunters are too - will check)

 

The website shows 77015 at the head of a hopper train in 1948, and the grime has been wiped on the bufferbeam to show a tiny "77015".  That was duly applied before the BR smoke box number was scalpeled off and polished away with a fine emery board.  Smoke box door and the steam pipes were treated to a brush coat of Humbrol MetalCote black and Revel "Tar" mixed.

 

Tender bunker got a watery coat of aerosol red oxide for the rusting effect. 

If you want a watery coat from an aerosol, don't shake it for a few days and just do short sharp blasts.  Models need to be well masked whilst using this trick as splatter can be common.

This is a factory weathered model as you can see from the running gear, but it will get a proper airbrush weather soon - the pile is growing again.

Edited June 6, 2016 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

A spare hour was found this afternoon. Lining and coal applied, followed by Testors Dullcote.

The result will be weathered at the same time as the black tender and 6944 so that they are interchangable.

 

I found a tiny error with the WD's front end which only showed up in a photo.  That may get corrected tomorrow, time permitting, and that will be photographed before going into the cabinet to await weathering.

[M.I.B]

Back onto the NPCCS are promised.   After an inspection to refamiliarize myself as to where we were........

I then decided to hit the roofs. Firstly a quick sand of some high spots left from the removal of vents (mainly the ex LMS 57' stock) or water tanks (Hornby 57')

 

Just like working on cars, dents and highs started to "disappear" in the mix of colours ( base material, painted material, primered material) so they all got a thin shot of grey aerosol primer.   This makes the low spots stand out again,

as well as the high spots,

Do this cycle once or twice and the grey paint sits in the low spots (good indicator) and the base material shows where the high spots once were. 

Filler time.  This time I used Auto motive filler:

As well as dents and dips and holes, I had a slip of the Dremel to deal with.  I ended up carving out a new side top and roof rail using a square file and lots of patience.........

Here it is still unfinished

 

Carry on sanding plod out of roofs today......................Then I will add a roof rib on the Hornby stock to replace the removed water tanks.  This rib will be a simple Evergreen strip straight strip out of the packet.  Then the roofs will be correct for full brake stock.

I am also expecting a Bachmann detailing pack for 6944 and tender today.  I will fit the missing brake rods and the crew can join the rest in my collection of "yet to be employed".

 

Meanwhile upstairs in the Cabinet........

the WD austerity is headed up the rakeof Pugh 7 plankers

IKB is hauling the SR van, and some brown NPCCS already seen,

and St David remains ahead of the van train (STEAM BANANAs and TEVANs)

The mainly kit built PW train remains as well.

With all of this space I will have to dig something else out of the boxes in the loft.

 

I hope that you are happy and healthy.

 

I had another session on the K15 today and have decided to leave it as a seperate stand alone project as there is a lot more to it than these "re-sides".

 

 

H0D1

Edited October 7, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

The brake rod detail kit for 6944 arrived today, and because the original tender was a Hawksworth, the rods don't fit the Hogwarts Collett one. 

 

Snip snip and super glue, with a little plastic rod and black paint, and the green tender has brake rodding.  The black tender came with rodding.  6944 is now in the Cabinet

 

I continued today with the NPCCS roofs.  Filling and painting and rubbing is complete.   So now that all of the vents have gone, I am putting some more back in.  Whitemetal ones, in the relevant places.

 

The late Geoff Brewin made Comet kits/sides kits  with brilliant simple instructions and a 1:1 scale diagram showing relevant detail on roofs or undersides etc.  So positioning vents and grab rails and roof ribs is a doddle.  Sadly not all of my sides are Comet, so I spent a while referring to source photos gleaned from RM Web and Google.

 

Drill some holes,

And superglue the vents in. 

(two different full brakes in case you thought you were seeing things)

Rails and ribs are made from plastic strip held down with tiny amounts of liquid poly applied by capiliary action, to save melty dribbles all over the roof.

 

7 sets of brass sides are trimmed and filed.   They will be glued in place next week.

 

I hope you are all happy and healthy and I wish you a good weekend.

Edited October 9, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

I snuck a quick session in today.  This NPCCS work has become addictive again.

 

With the aid of a few spots of super glue to hold them in place, the sides are on.  

During the week I will then add to the bonding using Araldite.

 

EDIT  18 NOV 2015 - I strongly advise you not to use Araldite for this task - see post 18 Nov

 

The reason for this choice of adhesives in this order is that the Superglue will give a very quick but brittle bond, thus ensuring the two pieces are in the correct relative positions.  Araldite takes so long to bond that things can slip.  I realise that's what clothes pegs were invented for, but this is a new process I am trialling for myself.

Edited November 18, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

This certainly isn't the fastest way to make NPCCS.  I am doing it this way because I can't solder to save myself.

 

Some focus on the running gear whilst the Araldite took effect:

 

Oval buffers were filed into a round shape

and shorter, closer coupling narrow couplings were fitted in a method similar to the work on the SR bogie van:

Then the bodies were releived of excess Araldite, using a scalpel, before performing a check fit.

I had to make a pair of bogie pivots for the K40, using BA nuts and bolts and washers.  Nice easy job.

 

Corridor doors were blocked off with the exception of the K40  which had a set of corridor equipment made up and fitted (MJT kit - excellent and simple too)

I also carved off steps and rails from some of the ends, as per the originals.   I could go further and reposition battery boxes, but I'll give that a miss for now.

The K40 has not come out well so far, so I will be removing the brass sides and refitting them.  I may do this after I completely finish the others.

Edited October 16, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

So what's next for this weekend? ( a lesson should always end with the "look ahead - I remember from my "Methods Of Instruction" courses)

 

1.   The 2 Mainline coaches will have corridor end doors fitted,

 

2.   On a couple the coach ends and the brass side inserts have slightly differing ends or lower corners.  The K36 is one example:

so out with the car body filler and the emery boards, and I will blend them together sympathetically.

 

3.   I may attempt my MONSTER to GIANT conversion having learnt that 2 GIANTs existed in my time frame.  That will give me one of each.

 

 

In a week where Playboy decided to stop publishing naked photos, and Vulcan was allowed to make one more "last flight"....

 

I hope you are healthy and happy.

[M.I.B]

It has been two weeks since my last update - please forgive me   ( should I sit in a curtained wooden box to type this?)

 

I have gotten on with the NPCCS work.    But the distraction of making a GIANT out of a MONSTER was too great and I set to.  I could only find a couple of poor photos of GIANTs and was in two minds whether to make new ends for them or just add the corridor connectors on.   No hope of a clue from the photos so I simply put the corridor connectors on.  My logic being that a couple of these were converted and back again in short time, twice, so it is unlikely that these vans got complete new ends.

 

If somone proves me wrong I will make new ends out of planked plastic-card as used on the ASMO conversion.    Once I had built and fitted the MJT corridors, I finished off the roof in dark dark grey and renumbered the van for accuraccy.

 

 

[M.I.B]

So to make the compromise betweend the shaped brass sides and RTR ends, a little auto bodyfiller was applied,

and rubbed down,

and just like the real thing, tiny air bubbles and imperfections were found, so a second round of plod application took place.   One even had three whacks with plod.

The final result is good, but primer has yet to be applied to the outsides and ends. Just like doing 1:1 scale bodywork, I am sure that there will need to be some more corrective filling and filing. But that's how a good finish is acheived no matter what size the object.

 

 

EDIT  18 NOV 2015 - I strongly advise you not to use Araldite for this task - see post 18 Nov

Edited November 18, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

By this stage I was beginning to wonder if it would have been quicker and easier to learn to solder and have made these from complete kits.  Re-siding RTR will never give the accuraccy of a kit because of the shape compromises with some diagrams.

 

But I am enjoying this so I trog on.  At this point I decided that the K22 and K40 would have their sides prised off and re-started, due to seepage of Araldite and bulges in the tops of the sides.

 

EDIT  18 NOV 2015 - I strongly advise you not to use Araldite for this task - see post 18 Nov

To cut a long story short, the K22 is back on track and the K40 (based on an airfix B set) will be done later.

 

I am missing some curly grab handles and they are on back order, which puts the K22 and the K36 onto the back burner, but ahead of the K40.

 

The remainder could all be completed with straight wire, bent to shape.   So after a few afternoon plays on Radio 4........T Handles were from a Comet packet: you only get instructions and sides when you buy "sides only".   Handles, knobs whistles and bells all need to be ordered extra.

I then had a break for a re-union with some old colleagues from Afghanistan.  We told tall tales, and drank lots of beer, but also remembered those who we would have loved to have been with us, but who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

 

(I am amazed that a malicious hacker could download anything from TalkTalk this week - my in-laws are stuck with Talk Talk and downloads are impossible because of their poor service out in the wilds....)

Edited November 18, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Photos are now an important part of my toolkit.  I now see things on them, especially when they are posted online!  So a few corrections with pliers are needed.......

 

I am down to 4 in this stage of production:  K19  K38  K 42 (Mainline body)  K42 (Hornby body)

 

The insides got a coat of rattlecan red lead tonight.  

One will also get a corridor partition ( forgotten which one) because the remainder were all open through out.  I realise that they had a nice coat of cream or off white inside, but I'm trying to hide the Frankenstein view of the interiors with a dull dark dank finish.

On one or two, there was a small sepage of red lead from the inside to the out.  This has highlighted sections which need some extra adhesive.

So the next stage will be to add adhesive, then prime the roofs and the sides.  No doubt some corrective action will be required before the bodies go on their chassis.This is so that steps/running boards can be added to some.

 

Then it's top coat time........

 

EDIT  18 NOV 2015 - I strongly advise you not to use Araldite for this task - see post 18 Nov

I hope you are all happy and healthy.

Edited November 18, 2015 by M.I.B

[380John]

Hi MIB,

Fair play to you for doing this the way you wanted and not following others. The standard of your work is second to non and the way you have gone about your layout design should be of inspiration to many. I like what you have done and as a matter of fact have taken some points which I will be using myself. Set-track doesn't have to look that 'bad' and with subtle details can be made to look great and work well in different settings.

 

All the very best with it,

 

Kind regards,

 

John

[M.I.B]

Thanks John.

 

One piece of advice I was given a long time ago was to know your limits.  But in knowing your limits you can realise which ones can be stretched, and which ones are best left alone.

 

Your comments about my skills are too generous.  With this level of practice, in ten years time I could probably build a tiny inglenook, with three perfect wagons and two faultless coaches on it, and a perfect pannier.

 

But I want a 4 track urban roundy roundy, and this is how I'm doing it.   Hence the compromises.

 

Best wishes,

[M.I.B]

So here the four are with a light dusting of rattlecan grey.   Not the best colour primer for the sides in view of their final liveries, but the grey is perfect for the roof sections and also for making everything one colour to highlight faulty areas.......

like roof to side joins, and unfilled holes for fittings not mentioned in the instructions...........

small splashes of superglue ( very frequent around where the T handles went on with tweezers)

Gutters which end too short.....and rails which need "adjusting"

short gutters and  more "end-blending" needed.....

and also excess Araldite requiring removal....

 

For now the "Essex four" are in hiding under the boiler and baking off nicely.  Primer is porous  (it is designed to soak up top coat remember) so leaving primered items in a cool slightly damp garage is not clever.   I will get some time in the week ( inbetween applying for jobs which I won't get) and do some correction.

 

Morale is high and not just due to the pizza just made and consumed.   Having restored and built many full size race cars, where "prime, rub, fill, prime, rub, fill prime....." goes on for months worth of weekends, doing it on this scale is a piece of cake.

 

Enjoy Hallowe'en................ Mwahahahahahahahaha

 

 

Edited November 2, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

I happened to be in Sheff Station today, cutting through from the City to the tram stop.  On Platform 1 I saw the RTC double headed Black 5s.

 

Beautiful scene - firemen x 4 were pushing coal forwards, water was being taken, blue skies,  Army Cadets collecting for the Poppy Appeal, and some Cub Scouts with their leaders on a day trip out........

 

And half a platform of "experts" all talking b*ll*cks at the top of their voices and walking into and blocking patient peoples' views.

 

 

They pulled out and headed north - not a tough task as only the front engine was under load to begin with.   Fairly quiet too - I expected something noiser, especially with about 11 on behind.

 

A stunning sight.  Completely made my weekend

[M.I.B]

Just when things are picking up on the NPCCS work, I have hit another speedbump:

 

 

Two sides on two different vans have "popped" where the brass side has expanded.  I didn't think the bottom of the boiler cupboard ever got that hot.

They have popped where the metal is thinnest -  down a scribed door line.

I have since split off the offending sides without too much effort, but they are buckled.

 

They join the bottom of the pile, and I continue with the 2 remaining vans.........  It's like the Magnificant Seven in reverse......

[M.I.B]

Without blowing the cover on a future project, I have seen some of Mike Wiltshire's (Coach Bogie) results for this sort of construction.

 

So working on the premise that the only stupid question is the one which you don't ask, I found out that he used Evostick.

 

I am re-enthused and ready to get stuck back into it.......excuse the pun.

 

Thanks for the help and support and messages.

[M.I.B]

Time to get started on  "Project SHED 2" .    This was originally inteded to be worked out whilst I was away on a contract job in Afghanistan, but it seems like the US soldiers are staying there a little while longer, so my role as "pack it up and turn the lights out" has been postponed.

 

The origins of the project were explained a little while back, but to re-cap:   a photo plank, something to develop my skills on, and something to play with before I get the space to get going on the full North Cranford.

 

Shed 2 is set in the same time frame (1946-1949) and is a small corner of the full 6 road shed at North Cranford.   Urban, just West of OOC.

 

It would be nice to make it fit in the back of a car - 2m long when packed.

 

Here is a sketch of the left hand end - a 2 road shed  and an open siding

and at the other end, access to the small fiddle yard is hidden, by either a Mess van, or a large shed

The sides of the diorama are high butressed and arched walls, and the fiddle yard is accessed through one wall.  I did think about using the traditional "under the over bridge" tactic, but that was going to lead to the "bus on the bridge" issue.........

[M.I.B]

So with the aid of some Code 100 set track, here is a plan view: 

 

The size was dictated by the need to have space for a tender engine on the short front sidings and headshunt. 

 

This then gives space for at least one tender engine in front of the shed.   Makes for a scenic section 1500mm long.   

 

Depth is set by the width of the 2 road shed, and the open headshunt.  Instead of "point to point" I insertewd a short piece of tracke to stand the siding away from the shed.  This will give some space on the ground for "stuff".      Total depth is 300mm

 

The final part is the need to have 2 fiddle yard sidings, each capable of holding one tender engine.  Therefore I can operate a "one out, and then one in" system.

 

Nominal length comes out to be 2100mm which is perfect.

Edited November 5, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

I did wonder how to hide the tunnel mouth/FY entrance, and initially thought another large shed, hence the brown box:

But it was a little to large and overpowering, so I tried a Mess van as per the sketch drawings.   

I am happier as it provides a break, but a van body or two on sleepers will be lower than an engine on track, so the sight of something appearing or disappearing can still be partially seen.  Maybe a bike shed, and a sand oven?????

Edited November 5, 2015 by M.I.B

[M.I.B]

Add in a water crane and fire devil, some point levers with guards, and a yard lamp or two.

 

Lots of ash and dirt, an ash pit, and inspection pits inside the sheds.........

 

Points will be operated by PM2, with a panel somehow set into a board hiding the FY.