shortliner Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 A quick spray over with some rattlecans - yes, I know the lamps need repainting! - and we find the boxcab pulling a string of boxcars off the "float". I'll have to see what I can get hold of, Warren - there are problems getting Floquil and Badger in UK, has to do with shipping liquids by air (9/11 and all that). There is a surprising amount of apparent "depth" behind the gantry - when you realise that it is hard against the backscene! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Floquil is available, there is an importer*, and the brand owner Testors now supply Dullcote again. Badger are acrylic paints, rather like Polly S and are not restricted, but plenty of ordinary modelling paints are just as good when exact colour matches are not required. All acrylics of whatever make can be modified with artists watercolours, and all makes intermix well. The new Hornby Acrylics are also quite good, but not as consistant as Badger, who do pre-thinned paints, a bit of a waste of money! All my painting is airbrushed cellulose thinned car synthetic enamel, or Phoenix, which is synthetic enamel as well, and can be thnned with cellulose thinners as well as their own. They cover most US colours from the UK range. *I will try to find the reference. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/floquil-paints.htm Reference for Floquil in the UK including thinners etc.(mainly for airbrush). Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 3, 2010 Author Share Posted May 3, 2010 Thanks, Stephen - small problem - I don't have an airbrush, so it will either have to be brushed or rattle-canned! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Thanks, Stephen - small problem - I don't have an airbrush, so it will either have to be brushed or rattle-canned! Come on,........ a spare bagpipe? ....! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted May 3, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 3, 2010 Come on,........ a spare bagpipe? ....! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 I am a big fan of polyscale acrylic, and not so hot on badger. Jack, it is looking really good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 4, 2010 Author Share Posted May 4, 2010 Thanks, Warren - I did a google check on Polyscale paints - and was refered to a couple of aeromodelling forums, both say that it hasn't been imported to UK since 2006 - may have to try a homemade mix Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 I was hoping that some Letraset, that I've ordered to letter the gantry, would arrive with the postie this morning, but it appears to be lost in the ashcloud from that unpronouncable (Eyjafjallajökull? What sort of a name is that?) volcano in Iceland. I did, however, have an unexpected phonecall and visit from my friend, Dave Barclay, from faraway Darn Sarf, who is visiting relations in the area and showed off my, as yet, unwired layout. He is only the third person, after me and SWMBO, to see it in the flesh as it were. He took some photos of the layout, and will probably post them when he gets back within reach of a computer. He will be displaying his Kuppla Yard layout at the Trent Valley North American Show on May 15th - it has some excellent lighting effects and will be well worth a look . If you have been considering a visit to the Derby show that day, it is fairly close by so try to get to both - I know they will be delighted to see you, and it will be a chance to see US models now that ArdenRail has been cancelled. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 As promised - the lettered float gantry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcoRS1 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 I am loving it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Peters Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Looking good Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Major Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 The bridge to the car float makes a big difference to the appearance of the layout. This kind of self contained layout has a lot of potential. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 15, 2010 Author Share Posted May 15, 2010 Glad you like it Ursa Major - My 'puter threw its power supply yesterday, so I'm using my very old IBM Thinkpad laptop running Windows 2000, and fortunately have no real progress that would require photos - I've decided that I can't cope with the racket from the boxcab chassis (coffee grinder full of pebbles doesn't even begin to describe the row) so they will all heve them replaced with the UE chassis. Guess I shall need to cast some more sideframes for the trucks. I have managed to get some more lead to weight them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
signalmaintainer Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 If that's the old Model Die Casting/Roundhouse chassis, Jack, "noisy" doesn't begin to describe them. The layout's looking good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 16, 2010 Author Share Posted May 16, 2010 Thanks, Paul - Yes they are the MDC/Roundhouse chassis, and even with the sound system on, it doesn't drown the racket. Also have trouble maintaining pick-up on the tight curves, whereas the UE chassis seem to cope well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 The Roundhouse Box cab mechanism is bad due to the accumulation of the slack in the gears, added to the poor bearings, and some noisy motors that had eccentric commutators, I believe Japanese in source. It is possible to replace the motor, but the gear bearing need brass replacements etc. I think NWSL did some correction kits at one time. The only worst mechanism was again Roundhouse, the proper Shay, which has so many problems you don't know where to start to put them right. I am just starting the Boxcab on the Ernie chassis, and I think the sideframes will be left as is, they are nylon, and modifying them is difficult. I found cutting the moulding off at the end of the sideframe stops fouling on tight curves. The biggest problem is the drawbar and mounting Knuckle Couplings, they may have to be shorty Kadee as the space is tight. The body is fitted with two plastic blocks that duplicate the UE body mounts to allow simple fitting with just two screws, with added blocks inside the cab end to engage the chassis ends to prevent vibration, which would increase noise. With the tyres the pulling power seems quite good all round, certainly 6/10 boxcars work easily. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Guess I shall need to cast some more sideframes for the trucks. I have managed to get some more lead to weight them Hi, Jack. You alrady own some lead balancing the wheels/tyres on your car, insist on retaining them when you next buy tyre(s). Ask nicely and the dealer might even give you more! I obtained more than enough for my purposes by approaching a builder doing some roofing work, and scrounged a few inches of 6" wide lead offcuts. Need a thick skin to bear the pitying looks when explaining the purpose of the lead, and the muttered "Geek" as you leave!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Actually these days the car wheel balance weights are now no longer lead, they use a pewter type metal, but roofers use real lead a lot, and it's not to difficult to source. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 16, 2010 Author Share Posted May 16, 2010 I am fortunate to have a mate up the road who does house repairs - spoke nicely and probably now have more than I will get through before "bucket-kicking" takes place Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 A very nice gent called Steve Grantham answered my "want" ad for 40' cars, and asked for some photos of them on the layout. I have done a bit of work on hard-standings. I had some vinyl wood-plank flooring and thought I'd see if that would work. I sprayed it in a selection of colours and cut it to fit alonside the track. I now need to wait till the Perth show to get some ballast and then I can finally fit the hard-standing areas The material comes with a paper backing coverying a gooey surface (left on temporarily) and you can see this where it is untrimmed in some of the photos. The trucks are place holders and obviously far too modern - hopefully to be replaced in the future with some from Sylvan Models, more appropriate to the period modelled. Anyway enjoy the photos - the Boxcab has been taken away for servicing, and the management has hired in a 44 tonner replacement for the week Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Peters Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 Oooooohhh, Looking very smart Jack. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 5, 2010 Author Share Posted June 5, 2010 Thanks for the comment Andrew Following on from a thread in Questions/Help about how to hide the "mousehole" I'm less cocerned with the "mousehole" itself than with the ends of the locolifts behind it. I was suddenly struck with the idea of using some teflon coated sheet that my wife had been using, and making strip curtains. The sheet is cut leaving the strips attached at the top and fixed behind the hole, the "fingers" having enough flex to be pushed out od the way by the wagons and then spring back. It seems to work quite well . Many thanks to alastairq who will recognise these wagons Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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