Leaderboard

A brief diversion, just to keep boredom at bay.

I've been experimenting with backscene materials, I finally decided on use of 3mm PVC foamboard. Unlike wood this has a very smooth finish and takes spray paint well, this was glued to the wooden frame with contact adhesive and kept it's subtle curves. Track weathering was carried out with a dark brown powder pigment applied to each rail side, this was then faded in with a broad fan brush. Once happy this, along with the road/yard weathering was sealed with a matt varnish. Fish plates were picked out with black powders to simulate grease. Experimentation now starts with tree placement.

A couple of friends have encouraged me to post this, an extract from my blog stpetrock.blogspot.com. I hope some of you find it interesting. Once upon a long time ago I was privileged to be a regular operator on Peter Denny's famous Buckingham model railway. My station for the best part of 37 years was Grandborough Junction, where one of my important jobs was to communicate with the signal box up the line at Quainton Road... except that there wasn't a Quainton Road on the model! To simulate this station, Peter built an amazing electro-mechanical computer that ran the timetable, controlled the clock, set points in the storage sidings and communicated with the 'up' block instrument at Grandborough. Hitherto, the 'Quainton Road' storage sidings had been operated by Peter's youngest son Crispin, but sons don't stay at home for ever. The computer that replaced him was therefore known as the Automatic Crispin. Peter wrote an article about it for the Railway Modeller and I well remember the title - "Buckingham Goes AC". It will therefore come as little surprise to friends and followers of the St Petrock saga that my station should also have a computer to simulate the signal box up the line. However, time and technology move on, so rather than building it from plywood and Meccano, I've used a Raspberry Pi single-board computer. In honour of its illustrious ancestry, though, it too is known as the Automatic Crispin. Mine has a slightly simpler job to do as I don't have points on my storage sidings, but I did want it to display operational notes and the timetable for the St Petrock operator. My first task was to learn how to instruct the Raspberry Pi to perform to my wishes, so I spent several weeks teaching myself Python, then writing a program. Here's a little bit of the code that checks the St Petrock bell button and trip rail near the storage sidings, and displays the 'hours' value. It would probably turn expert programmers to drink, but it works and I'm actually rather proud of it. def get_button_push(after_push_time): GPIO.output(12, GPIO.HIGH) while True: if (GPIO.input(20) == GPIO.HIGH): time.sleep(0.1) else: GPIO.output(12, GPIO.LOW) time.sleep(after_push_time) return() def get_storage_exit(): while True: if (GPIO.input(16) == GPIO.HIGH): time.sleep(0.1) else: time.sleep(2) return() def display_clock(hour,clockhr,minute): if (minute == 0): rect = Rectangle(Point(377,10), Point(417,50)) rect.setFill('black') rect.draw(win) if (clockhr)>9: txt = Text(Point(397,30),clockhr) else: txt = Text(Point(407,30),clockhr) txt.setTextColor('white') txt.setSize(30) txt.draw(win) The screen is an Elecrow 5 inch LCD display that plugs directly into the Raspberry Pi and sits on top of it. Here's a close-up. You'll see that the operator has a couple of instructions to carry out before train working No.2 can depart for Tregarrick North at 6.40am. Now the M7 has been attached to its auto coaches and waits at platform 2. A light beneath the bell-push reminds the operator that the clock has stopped – trains at St Petrock never run late! After checking that the rotating storage sidings are set to road 5, the operator presses the bell once (call attention). The signalman at Sladesbridge responds with one beat on the bell. The St Petrock signalman (or frequently signalwoman) sets the points, then pulls off signals 15 (platform starter) and 12 (advanced starter). The Gas Street crossing keeper also obediently opens the gates. St Petrock now rings '3 pause 1' – 'Is line clear for a stopping passenger train?' Sladesbridge responds by turning the block instrument to 'LINE CLEAR' (green). The M7 then sets off with its train. As the train passes the signal box, the signalman observes that it has a tail lamp (and therefore hasn't left its tail behind) and rings 2 bells (ding...ding... train entering section). Sladesbridge turns the block instrument to 'TRAIN ON LINE' (red). As the train enters the storage sidings it crosses this trip point (two breaks in the nearside rail) that momentarily energise a relay, instructing the Automatic Crispin to ring '2 pause 1' (train out of section). The clock restarts and the Gas Street crossing gates close once more. The sequence is complete.

Many areas of the locomotive accumulate dirt (says he, stating the obvious), and one way of representing this is to make use of a suitably coloured wash that will be attracted to corners and edges by capillary action. There is a vast quantity of washes available from many manufacturers, but I have been using MIG Productions Dark Wash for several years, still the same bottle as when I first started this weathering lark. I apply it by wetting the brush (a rigger) with white spirit and then dipping it in the wash bottle so that the fluid reaches up to the ferrule. The shape and length of the bristles allow plenty of fluid to be held and to then be deposited with accuracy. By touching the tip of the brush to a corner of detail, the wash runs into all the crooks and nannies. In the picture below you have a first-hand view of what happens when you lose concentration . . . . . . I will leave the stray wash application where it is and it will contribute to the random dirt effect yet to be described.

The chassis was airbrushed from underneath, so there is a rather bright red showing along the top edges of the coupling rods. A simple waft of Railmatch tones this down to match the rest of the chassis:

To support the back-scene, control the viewing angles and support the lighting a presentation box was required. This is constructed out of the same plywood used for the baseboards plus a few odd bits of wood found lying around the garage. It is held together by half round moudling and glued with water proof wood working adhesive. It fits snugly round the outside of the based board and is bolted to it using large bolts with glued captive nuts. This works because the design of the Billy Bookcase means that the baseboard is slightly shorter than the bookcase - see the base board post to understand why. The images also show the platforms. These are built from a single piece of card and edged with Peco platform edging. The tops are painted with a mid grey and then weathered with pastels. The buildings have been built over a number of earlier years and may not make it to the final version.

There is more than one way to weather wheels! For this project I have chosen to show how to use a 9 volt battery to turn the wheels a quarter of a revolution at a time to avoid paint-less shadows behind the connecting rods and motion assembly. The sequence of photographs should demonstrate how successive light coats of paint can be applied after each quarter revolution to cover up these areas. You will, by now, have noticed that I wasn't entirely successful! After the photographs were taken and I had studied them, I went back and did some more. I use photographs regularly to check that things are progressing properly, and can go back to rectify things before it's (hopefully) too late.

I am minded of Pam Ayres and her words: “Infallible, articulate, self-confident... and wrong.” From her monologue ‘They should have asked my Husband’ https://monologues.co.uk/Pam_Ayres/Ask_My_Husband.htm Heljan D1000 Western Enterprise and D1010 Western Campaigner fitted with etched plates When the opportunity presents itself I will buy etched plates. Lately I came across a set of C.G.W nameplates for D1000 Western Enterprise. These were followed by a set of plates for D1010 Western Campaigner from Extreme Etchings. C.G.W. Etched plate for D1000 (top) plates from Extreme Etchings for D1010 (bottom) With all this ‘dreich’ weather we have been having I would spend a morning cutting out and fitting these plates. I don’t know why I had not noticed before but the Enterprise plates looked to have been made to a different scale than those for Campaigner. C.G.W. Plates compared to Heljan printed plates The C.G.W plates were ‘obviously’ defective. I would return them to the seller. “Hello. Sorry to hear that you are not happy with these nameplates, they are certainly not defective. From what I know about Westerns, D1000 was the first build and it carried over sized nameplates on the real loco, a set of these are at the NRM. D1001 onwards had the smaller size. Not prepared to accept return”. I would need to undertake some research. I had a copy of Brian Haresnape’s article in what used to be Trains Illustrated. Clearly the name plates were substantial. I would also look at RS Carter’s book ‘British Railways Main-line Diesels’ from 1963. The RS Carter drawings are printed to a scale of 3.5mm to the foot. By good fortune there is a drawing of D1000 with plates measuring 38.5mm (11ft). The C.G.W plates measure 44mm – exactly 11ft at 4mm scale. So – spot on! An online search directed me to a 2012 Post on RMweb from RUGD1022 http:// https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/54225-western-liveries-1961-1977/ This Post states; “It's worth mentioning here that D1000's nameplates were of a non standard size, the backing plates being the same depth as the number plates. All other Westerns had the standard shallower height plates.” I would fit the C.G.W. plates to D1000 and the Extreme Etchings to D1010. Courtesy of Modern Railways March 1962 British Railways “Western” Class diesel-hydraulic C-C – courtesy RS Carter 1963 Full marks to Extreme Etchings, I was able to cut their plates from the fret in minutes. The C.G.W plates must have been made of tougher (thicker) material because separating their plates from the fret took hours (well a long time) and I had to change the blade in my craft knife three or four times. When using a craft knife to separate etched plates from their fret I place the etchings onto a smooth hard surface such as a Melamine offcut. This way the plates remain well supported and do not distort under the action of cutting. I used my preferred procedure for fitting the etched plates. I covered the existing printed name plate with matt varnish lowering the etched plates into position with a piece of ‘Blue-Tak’. Western Enterprise entered service with three dimensional cast aluminium crests on the opposite side of the cabs to the plates carrying the running numbers. The etching techniques used for the name plates do not lend themselves to making three dimensional objects. Applying the C.G.W crests turned out well, helped I guess by being exactly the same size as the Heljan printed crests. I have added some pictures below of the models fitted with their etched pates. Contrasting Crest and Number Plate A couple of images to highlight the larger plates fitted to Enterprise. Larger name plate fitted to Enterprise Standard size Western name plate as fitted to Campaigner Finally a close up image of one of the cast crests which I feel has turned out rather well. Close up of the etched ‘cast’ crest The images above show D1000 in its original Desert Sand livery with no yellow panel and D1010 in Maroon livery with a small yellow panel. The RMweb post by RUGD1022 which I previously referred to details D1000 carrying the livery without any yellow panel from its introduction to traffic on 26/12/61 up until 05/11/62. The same reference indicates that D1010 carried maroon livery without any yellow panel from its introduction to traffic on 15/10/62 up until 01/03/63 when it received a small yellow panel. These dates indicate that my model layout configuration with D1000 having no yellow panel and D1010 with small yellow panel did not happen! But then isn’t that what railway modelling is about? Heljan Box End Flap – in the words of Pam Ayres ‘and Wrong’ As a postscript I have added a picture of the box end flap for the Heljan model of D1010. I would say in the words of Pam Ayres – ‘and Wrong”! I first spotted the Heljan variation of the spelling on an eBay listing. What a conundrum, should you advertise the model as named or as boxed?

Yes it's another Tank and I'm not going bore anyone with a blow by detail build - it's a Shake and bake kit. The kit was introduced in 2018 as part of Tamiya's 1/48th Scale Military Miniature Series (No.94). It's gives the option to build either the Crocodile Variant or a standard Mk.VII Churchill. The box-art, instructions, frames, etc. Part One of the build. Though I follow the instructions for the most part, I do make sure I get all the bits fitted to the lower hull before painting it. This went together in an afternoon and evening, a couple of minor niggles, and a little filling was needed.. Till Part 2 TTFN James

When building a ‘model railway in the landscape’ the planning process is comprised, essentially, of three elements which are all inter dependent. Make an alteration to one and this will impact the other two. The three elements are the baseboards which must support the track and give a foundation to the landscape The track plan which must nestle in the landscape and look as though it was an integral part and lastly the landscape itself, the landforms, rivers, woodlands, embankments etc. All three elements must be juggled and adjusted to arrive at an acceptable compromise – for all model railways are a compromise at the end of the day. I’ve been juggling with Bosmelin for a long time, too long in fact, and eventually a stake must be hammered in the ground or in our hobby a saw applied to piece of wood. And so I find myself at the point of commencing the construction of the main scenic boards for Bosmelin. My Templot plan has been ready for a while and is as close a match to Boscarne Junction as can be achieved based on the 1907 25″ OS map. Of course it is rare to be able to adopt a real location without some adaption. For Bosmelin the overall length of the junction to 4mm scale has been cut by about 300mm and the alignment of the diverging branches to Bodmin SR and Bodmin WR will need to be changed but by and large the actual model track layout will be pretty close to the real thing. The problem will be the points, turnouts or if you prefer crossings and switches. The use of Peco ready to lay point-work produces a fixed and rather ‘straight’ geometry. Whereas the plan requires a bespoke set of switches to maintain the integrity of the subtle curves in the layout. So it seems that I shall have to construct the point-work. I have made a point before and it’s not to difficult provided you take your time, don’t rush, use quality gauges and follow instructions or guidelines. The point-work will be built to 4SF or OOSF standards which means that the track guage through the crossing will be 16.2mm and the flange way will be 1mm. This is of course the EM Society standard with the gauge reduced to 16.2mm which is designed to give better running through the crossings as the wheel is supported at all times. Standard RTR stock will run through. the crossings provided the back to back measurements are refined to not less than 14.3mm. Effectively what is being done is to remove ‘OO slop.’ Elsewhere the track guage will be 16.5mm. More details about 4SF can be found online at http://www.4sf.uk To finish here’s a couple of snaps of a baseboard under construction and the templot plan.

Not a lot more to report. first up the bogie has been almost finished, the frame needed to be lowered by about a mm vs the sub frame. It does still need a tidy up of the inner end of the frames which are not square at the joint between the front frames and the deep part. I have now given it a final coat of etch primer to seal in the rivets (as an aside I am very impressed with the Archers product So the model has gone from this to this It’s a shame it’s far too cold to airbrush or I would get it painted. Of course if it was to be painted black it would be a lot easier as I find I can spray Halfords satin black a lot colder than I can airbrush... I have found this photo on the internet showing the loco at withdrawal (I think). So is it green or black? I suspect the former (but hope for the latter). http://trainphotos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/edd/2015/05/3449-Nightingale-GWR-Bird-Class-Copyright-1560x975.png

Back to Infinity. I've mostly blocked in the base colors. Lots of gray, but also lots of variety here-&-there. What follows will be a plethora of pinwashes. Highlights will follow suit. I do have to 'invert' some of the base coats, though. The tutorial reversed the call-outs for the armor & the clothing. I'll have to be more careful now, too, so as not to obscure details. Lovely.

The ends of the chassis are tackled next, repeating the application of light coats to start the discolouration process. The locomotive is left in the pretty blue cradle and a piece of card positioned to mask off the area above the running plate. This process will have left the top of the buffer beam without paint, so off comes the cradle and the piece of card is repositioned to protect the bodywork again. The same process is utilised to do the other end of the locomotive. In the last step you will notice that there is some overspray on the bodywork. This is left in place and will contribute to the random dirt effect to be applied soon.