Adam's EM Workbench: Farewell for now

[ullypug]

And very nice it is too. Though why it's coupled to the Italian ferry van I've no idea!

[Adam]

Thanks for that Andrew - painted, they'd have been quite at home! So, to come up to date (well not quite, I've primed both of them this morning), a handful of finger-numbing tasks later - strip steps (the easy bit, even allowing for the drilling of pairs of 0.5mm holes at less than 2mm apart on thin strip) and the retaining chains which led me a merry mile or two before they were finally secured. Before that, of course, came the brake levers which are 1. an unusual shape, and 2. slightly longer than any of the etches I had to hand. The length was made up at the handle end with a bit of scrap etch. The nickel silver lever guides came from the Scalefour Society (bought via their public e-shop).

 

 

The results of the intricate work is shown below - that's 40 link per inch chain from AMBIS - modelled per this picture from Paul Bartlett's collections: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmermaid/h3bded897#h1a339eb5

 

 

The buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, their B042 which may, or may not be 100% right but I reckon match this picture: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmermaid/h3bded897#h1af51760

 

B014 are also correct as are OLEOs (the latter being the most common, but I had a set of B042 that I'd bought in error so why not?). Still, all done bar the paintjob.

 

Adam

 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[Enterprisingwestern]

Thanks for that Andrew - painted, they'd have been quite at home! So, to come up to date (well not quite, I've primed both of them this morning), a handful of finger-numbing tasks later - strip steps (the easy bit, even allowing for the drilling of pairs of 0.5mm holes at less than 2mm apart on thin strip) and the retaining chains which led me a merry mile or two before they were finally secured. Before that, of course, came the brake levers which are 1. an unusual shape, and 2. slightly longer than any of the etches I had to hand. The length was made up at the handle end with a bit of scrap etch. The nickel silver lever guides came from the Scalefour Society (bought via their public e-shop).

 

Cambrian_Mermaid_005.gif

 

The results of the intricate work is shown below - that's 40 link per inch chain from AMBIS - modelled per this picture from Paul Bartlett's collections: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmermaid/h3bded897#h1a339eb5

 

Cambrian_Mermaid_006.gif

 

The buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, their B042 which may, or may not be 100% right but I reckon match this picture: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmermaid/h3bded897#h1af51760

 

B014 are also correct as are OLEOs (the latter being the most common, but I had a set of B042 that I'd bought in error so why not?). Still, all done bar the paintjob.

 

Adam

 

Looking good.

You're a better man than me Gunga Din!, I gave up on my Cambrian mermaid when things that were supposed to be square weren't, and things that were supposed to be level weren't and corners didn't meet, waited for the Flangeway one to come along and found that even harder work, so, no nice side tipping ballast wagons in the fleet. Fingers crossed for a decent kit/RTR version.

 

Mike.

[Adam]

On 29/01/2017 at 14:48, Enterprisingwestern said:

Looking good.

 

You're a better man than me Gunga Din!, I gave up on my Cambrian mermaid when things that were supposed to be square weren't, and things that were supposed to be level weren't and corners didn't meet, waited for the Flangeway one to come along and found that even harder work, so, no nice side tipping ballast wagons in the fleet. Fingers crossed for a decent kit/RTR version.

 

Mike.

 

I don't think this is a bad kit: difficult, yes and that's inevitable given the nature of the prototype, but far from terrible. The main issue, I think, is that the internal framing is not full depth. If I do another (possible), what I'll do is to reinforce the ends of the chassis with rectangles of 40 thou' (about 5mm should do) spanning the width of the chassis with blocks behind the coupling hook holes filling the frame below, as I did on this one. This should lend some useful strength and rigidity while being reasonably discreet. See the modified picture below:

 

 

Something similar under the central spar would probably be beneficial as well as being more or less invisible.

 

Adam

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[57xx]

The buffers are from Lanarkshire Model Supplies, their B042 which may, or may not be 100% right but I reckon match this picture: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brmermaid/h3bded897#h1af51760

 

I'm not a Mermaid expert, I've never seen a real one, but that's a nice pair of buffers As you say, they look to match pic and look the part.

[Adam]

On 29/01/2017 at 20:00, 57xx said:

I'm not a Mermaid expert, I've never seen a real one, but that's a nice pair of buffers As you say, they look to match pic and look the part.

 

Ha! Much better - so far as I am concerned - to apply a set of stock buffers that happen to suit than build a wagon just to use up a set of buffers (I may have done this...). While we're considering the covering up of errors, here's this afternoon's quick win. I found this BR-built, LMS-designed fruit van [PC42] which has been kicking around for far too long - Parkside got the end profile and top of the sides not quite right and my efforts at repair were sub-standard. Having given the thing a new roof of 20 thou' plastic sheet, formed in a cool oven round an empty wine bottle, I proceeded to do what is often referred to as a modellers' cliché, to wit, modelling a van with a leaking roof kept in traffic by adding a wagon sheet. Such a cliché this is that I cannot for the life of me recall the last time I saw it done. So here we are, two layers of tissue from my new shoes and a bit of watered down PVA later, one van with a leaking roof:

 

 

 

I'm happy enough with that so once dry, it'll be time to sort out the brake levers, a missing safety loop and then, paint!

 

Adam

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[Worsdell forever]

I thought it had been done before when I did it but as you say, couldn't remember where I'd seen it, anyway it can be seen trundling around Greyscroft.

[jjnewitt]

Just caught up with your thread Adam. Love the covering on the fruit van roof. Hides the doggy roof profile brilliantly!

 

Justin

[Enterprisingwestern]

Just caught up with your thread Adam. Love the covering on the fruit van roof. Hides the doggy roof profile brilliantly!

 

Justin

 

Doggy as in dog rough?

4 wagon sheets joined together cover most of my cock ups, at least down to axlebox level.

 

Mike.

[Adam]

On 03/02/2017 at 17:54, jjnewitt said:

Just caught up with your thread Adam. Love the covering on the fruit van roof. Hides the doggy roof profile brilliantly!

 

Justin

 

Thanks Justin, under paint it looks better yet: the next job is to paint that tarp', brake pipes, chalk boards and so on - there's a bit of a glut of wagons being painted at present but none of them ready for weathering.

 

 

 

The lettering pattern is based on this Paul Bartlett photo:

 

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brfruitvan/h3d2994fc#h232ecbb0

 

Adam

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[jjnewitt]

Doggy as in dog rough?

4 wagon sheets joined together cover most of my cock ups, at least down to axlebox level.

 

No doggy as in dodgy spilling. I'm blaming the daughter for waking me up at 4 this morning...

 

Justin

[Norton961]

Adam, an excellent job, but I question the colour of the tarp, would have been a grey/black colour? I seem to remember the photos I have seen indicated a different colour to the one you have used. I need to go and find some photos!

 

David

[Adam]

On 03/02/2017 at 21:47, Norton961 said:

Adam, an excellent job, but I question the colour of the tarp, would have been a grey/black colour? I seem to remember the photos I have seen indicated a different colour to the one you have used. I need to go and find some photos!

 

David

 

David - this is mid-way through the process; the tarp has now had a coat of darkish browny-grey, prior to lettering (a pair of BR brands and numbers at each end together with preventative maintenance dates) and then weathering since it's too clean to be plausibly in need of a tarp' at present. I've got four wagons sitting above the desk at various stages of the finishing process. All have brown underframes and all but this van have the lettering complete. More of those later, but in the meantime:

 

 

Adam

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[Fat Controller]

I thought it had been done before when I did it but as you say, couldn't remember where I'd seen it, anyway it can be seen trundling around Greyscroft.

There's one visible on Peterborough North, I believe.

[Adam]

There's one visible on Peterborough North, I believe.

 

Interesting - and daresay that somewhere in the 550 pages (and counting) I might find it! 

 

Adam

[Fat Controller]

Interesting - and daresay that somewhere in the 550 pages (and counting) I might find it! 

 

Adam

If I find it, I'll send a link..

[Worsdell forever]

Found a couple of shots of mine in this post, looking at what I've learnt since, a couple of coats of Klear won't go amiss. 

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/17155-greyscroft-mine-cleveland-ironstone-in-1955-em-gauge/?p=1867098

[Adam]

And here's a bit more - the lettering on the tarp is based on the sheet shown at the centre of this picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/14550628482/in/album-72157643950295015/ from Ian Nolan's wonderful Flickr galleries. Since neither the sheet, nor wagon, will be clean then the raggedness of the lettering (white ink drawn on with a mapping pen - basically an old-fashioned dip pen - and filled in by fine brush) should be hidden. 

 

 

One feature I wanted to include was having at least some of the lettering changing planes on the tarp' - I think this is fairly successful?

 

 

Adam

Edited February 4, 2023 by Adam

[ullypug]

That's looking very good. I'll have something similar to do at some point

[Yan]

The tarpaulin covered van is looking good. I've been in a quandary about what to do with a Ratio MR van I built some 40 years ago. While I can can up grade the brake gear the roof dosn't fit very well and have been thinking along the lines of putting a tarpaulin cover over the roof to hide the gaps. Your project has given me more insentive to give it a go... I especially like your idea of using two layers of tissue paper.

 

Many thanks

[Adam]

A quick trip back to Somerset and a bit of a play in the very cold home of Yeovil MRG and with South Junction which, I learn, will be at the Taunton show in October - I seem to have volunteered to erect a new signal box - the layout has been extended (again, this is extension no. 3!) and thus the crossover the wagons below are sat on are over scale quarter of a mile away from the existing 'box. Anyhow, here's a short freight of recently completed wagons:

 

 

The van has been seen recently, but perhaps not the mineral, also now complete. In front of them is the Italian Ferry van tacked, in typical Southern style, behind a loco massively over-powered for the job, a Merchant Navy.

 

 

All run as required, I'm pleased to say. Next!

 

Adam

 

[Adam]

Having mentioned the Taunton show, the inevitable examination, tidying up and corrections that no one has bothered with up until now. For reasons which escape me, some time ago an extra 2'6" of board was added and one of the consequences of this is that the junction on the operators right to a disused branch and controlling access to the up yard is a bit more than a scale quarter mile (and we know this because South Junction has appropriate quarter mile indicators at measured intervals). Always on the edge of the reach of mechanical rodding, it's now much too far and we need to address this. The site is immediately behind this Midland bracket which has lost the arm on its right hand doll with the closure and partial lifting of the branch - in fact, it is now wholly out of use having been replaced by a colour light. If it is to remain in situ, I'll need to add a couple of white crosses...

 

 

So the obvious things required are the site to be cleared, fence moved, retaining wall constructed, and a 'box built to suit. That pill box will also have to move, because its field of fire will be directly into the bobby's back (the entrance faces the field)... * Under instruction from the Divisional Civil Engineer and chief Signalling and Telegraph planner - dad - I was informed that the new box should be something different to South Junction A cabin, a standard Midland Railway structure, recently refurbished. One of those (concrete) quarter mile markers can be seen by shiny new coal bunker. Some oaf has already knocked a couple of bricks out of the coping...

 

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/98198-tri-ang-r145-modern-signal-box/

 

* In fact it's been in totally the wrong place for thirty years: it will be redeployed to obstruct the road.

 

The DCE's initial suggestion was that it should be something with a flat roof - think Tri-ang - or possibly rebuilt Midland. The issue with that is that the Tri-ang one is probably a bit modern and we still run some pre-Nationalisation stock and flat-roofed rebuilds on Midland boxes were relatively rare. So with some delving on the web and with reference to Graham Warburton's very useful tome on LMS signalling an LMS standard box (basically the Midland design, but with a simple pitched roof) allowing the use of Ratio's kit, suitably-modified. A second hand example without a roof turned up on ebay and the result thus far can be seen below:

 

 

 

This is rather small for an LMS box - imagined as a replacement for an earlier Midland 'box destroyed in some forgotten accident - most seem to have been of two bays like the existing 'A' box but there were some of this halfway house size: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonhazan/3263344107/

 

The small site and neighbouring embankment mean that the bobby gets an en-suite! I've ordered some etched windows from AMBIS and I've made a start on some of the ancillary structures; the coal bunker:

 

 

And finally, for the moment, here's a sense of the complete scene.

 

 

Adam

Edited February 19, 2017 by Adam

[Adam]

Pushing on, what I'm choosing to call Canal Junction 'box (the junction really is under the canal) has acquired a roof, or rather, roofs. The toilet roof is separate and built in which may cause a certain amount of fun later on as the toilet door was glazed and painting this neatly could be fun. Thankfully the glass was frosted so I can ignore any thoughts I might have about modelling the bowl and so on - the door will be made from clear plastic with some sort of overlay, probably made from self-adhesive label: watch this space. The main roof is removable and will remain so. What you can see is 40 thou' with a sub structure of 60 thou' - I did some roofs of similar size about a decade ago just like this and these are still warp-free so I'm fairly confident this will survive just as well.

 

 

In other news, you should note that the locking room door has gained a sill and a start made on the veranda rail. I probably ought to think more about the window-cleaning platform before going too much further: the fumble-fingered chaps in P-Way will do their damnedest to knock them off...

 

 

My favourite scene from South Junction looks from a lineside scrapyard behind the existing 'box, but really needs a bit more in the way of junk to hide some of the more unlikely contents; a Foden steam lorry and bits of railway signalling equipment for a start! Hence this, idly imagined to be the gaffer's Ford Zodiac Zephyr mk 1 rolled on the way back from the pub and dumped in a corner of the yard. This really is a bit of a modeller's cliché but one used unrepentantly here. It's a Pocketbond model, bought as a detailing project but unfinished owing to an indifferent paintjob. So, roof bashed in with a hammer, a dose of rust and a renewal of the two-tone paintwork and here we are: still with its whitewall tyres and chrome trim, you'll note.

 

 

That's all for the mo',

 

Adam

[Adam]

Not a huge amount of time this week but some relatively small things have been done. The most significant thing is the steps - missing from the bits I got but no matter, they're pretty easy to make.

 

 

You can also see that I've added a walkway over the rodding (ok, where the rodding *should* be, but likely *won't*. The bargeboards and their beading have been added and the next step will be fascias and guttering.

 

 

From the close-up, we get a better sense of the footboards. These end here because there's boarding across the tracks in order for the bobby to collect the single line token from trains which once came off the branch. I've knocked those boards up - repurposed sleepers - but you'll have to wait and see on those.

 

Adam

Edited March 4, 2017 by Adam

[Adam]

The roof is now complete, but here's some sense of how it got there.

 

Half slated - I used normal office copier paper - solvent-welded in place and sealed with diluted PVA. Slates tended to come in 2:1 ratios of length to width and I went with 6mm x 3mm which was probably a bit too big having subsequently looked at prototype shots in a bit more detail. Never mind.

 

 

Here's the completed roof, with ridge from 10 thou' as is the flashing around the stovepipe, welded in with more solvent. 

 

 

Other details are being worked on, including some cast signage from AMBIS Engineering. All are characteristically Midland Railway:

 

 

The 1/4 mile post will replace one fitted before the layout was extended - what's there already represents an LMS concrete post and, being made from plastic, won't survive being moved. Why bother? Well, if you're going to model the things, they might as well be the correct distance apart...

 

Adam