Adam Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) All the above projects have gone back on the shelf for the moment and work progresses on the SR lowmac. For those not watching closely, the bits added since the last update are, as follows: Worksplates Chain rings, on the deck and on the headstocks Rivets on the headstocks Springs completed Still to add: More rivets Label clips axlebox keeps brake levers and guides In other words, lots of fiddly stuff. Adam Edited February 5, 2023 by Adam 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 9, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 9, 2016 Worth a tenner of anybodies money! Cracking stuff Adam. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJCT Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Be interesting to see what you're going to do to this. I've had my eye on one of these for a while. Will it take P4 wheels do you think? Yes, it will: I did a rough-and-ready uncompensated drop-in conversion (just to see if it worked), tweaked the brake shoes slightly and packed in a little more weight. It trundled round "Newton Duns" quite happily near the front of a 20-wagon freight - and I wouldn't claim my track is any better than "reasonable". There may be more about this in the related thread under the Bachmann topic, though. Alasdair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Hi Adam, Really liking the work on the Lowmac. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 (edited) Hi Colin, and all the other contributors. I can report that construction of the Lowmac is now complete. Bit late for primer today though. Adam Edited February 5, 2023 by Adam 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) A couple of project updates, one from a slow-burning construction programme and another showing one in paint. First, the Lowmac, with load: And without: The chassis has been painted matt black from a spraycan - I'm after a fairly tidy finish for this - with a wash of thinned Humbrol matt chocolate. I'll work back into this is due course. The deck was treated to a coat of brownish grey - a mix of metalcote gunmetal, matt leather and some matt light grey. Once that had dried thoroughly, I worked back into that base coat with the same colours in a lighter mix, watercolour fashion with several very thin coats. The metal elements on the deck were picked out in matt chocolate at the same time. I left the result for a couple of days before working back in with washes of heavily thinned metalcote gunmetal with more, or less matt red orange (Humbrol no. 100), worked along the grain and in light streaks down the ramps from the metal panels which were treated to thicker versions of that mix. The effect could be a bit more subtle, but there will be an army ambulance parked on top... The Palbricks, meanwhile are causing a certain amount of head scratching while I work out the best construction sequence. These are quite complicated and, in 4mm, relatively flimsy, which is why they'll be modelled with the pallet brick loads as fixtures. Four at a time is hard work... Adam Edited February 5, 2023 by Adam 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesysmith Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Well, I have just spent a enjoyable Sunday (re)reading your thread from the very beginning, and the only thing I can say is excellent wagon porn. Must get on with some of mine as soon as I finish messing around with my fathers Lima 47. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted January 17, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2016 Very nice. Didn't get update notifications for some reason so hadn't seen the lowmac progress. Very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted January 17, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2016 I've really enjoyed following the Lowmac build, thanks for sharing. Feeling inspired to do a little scratchbuild of my own, although nothing as complex as the Lowmac (or the Palbricks) just yet! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) I've really enjoyed following the Lowmac build, thanks for sharing. Feeling inspired to do a little scratchbuild of my own, although nothing as complex as the Lowmac (or the Palbricks) just yet! Thanks Mark. I'm rather surprised that I got away with the plastic plate frames on this and if I ever do another, I'd be inclined to do the structural frames in metal sheet but basically, it's an open top box and thus relatively simple. Having got the taste for scratchbuilding, it can be quite addictive since it opens up the path to all kinds of things that are too much trouble to convert. Lowmacs - possibly among BR's most varied fleets allowing for the very limited numbers built - are a case in point and there is at least one more that I'd like to do, though without a military load. Well, probably... What I'd really like someone to produce, however, is a Warwell and, as it happens, there's a nice picture of warwells, loaded with Commer-cabbed Fordsons and bona fide Commers at Hove on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/14593038963/ Now, if only someone did a diecast Bedford RL that wasn't a fire appliance... EDIT: Arrgh! wishlisting! Adam Edited January 18, 2016 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWales Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Now don't take TOO Iong on those PaIbricks Adam, before some kind manufacturer introduces a kit or RTR ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) Now don't take TOO Iong on those PaIbricks Adam, before some kind manufacturer introduces a kit or RTR ! Ha! Crownline did do a kit, a long time back as, I think, did Genesis. Even before that, Keyser produced one and we've got one of those, I think. It's rather crude, to put it politely... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102418-palbrick-wagons-from-ks-kits/ Being serious for a moment, they aren't inherently difficult for the most part, apart from the end with the clamps which is. I'm not looking forward to that bit - even Geoff Kent found it tricky, though having had a close look at his models, he has used a couple of interesting dodges which I fully intend on 'borrowing'. We'll come to these in due course. Unusually for me, these wagons will also have permanent loads which will be structural. Adam Edited January 19, 2016 by Adam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) And so for the first of the slightly more complex bits, the sides. These were quite thin and had edges and handholds/lifting holes edged with, I think, some sort of metal sheet. The edges were similarly treated. Here's a real one, courtesy of Paul Bartlett: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/palbrick/h2bee321d#h2bee321d Obviously if someone is daft enough to make a batch of four of the things, it makes sense to mark them all out at the same time on a strip of 20 thou' (probably too thick). Of course, I had to make life difficult at this stage by making one Palbrick A which had a slightly different sort of centre stanchion... The holes required a new scalpel blade and a bit of care, but even so I've marked out a couple of spares. Note that I've done one where the sheet has been replaced upside down. This seems to have been quite common (indeed, I have pictures with both panels upside down - ) but I may or may not use it. I then made the liners for the handhold which even on a loaded wagon are visible on the inside too. I cut these from 5 thou', slightly oversize, and have solvent welded them in place. These will be left to harden up for a few days before tidying up and adding the edge strips. No, I'm in no hurry to do any more, but since I've started, I may as well carry on. Adam Edited January 20, 2016 by Adam 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted January 20, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2016 As well as those with the sides replaced upside down, I've seen a few with them inside face outwards, so the packing (old vac hoses IIRC) face out. Guess that would mainly be on empties though? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) As well as those with the sides replaced upside down, I've seen a few with them inside face outwards, so the packing (old vac hoses IIRC) face out. Guess that would mainly be on empties though? Yes, that almost certainly would - unless the vac' pipe packing was on both, of course? That, however, only applied to Palbrick Cs, so I'm told and so the photos I've seen suggest. These had narrower bodies so any question of them being out of gauge would not have arisen. Pity, it would have been a fun thing to model. Adam Edited January 20, 2016 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) So, another wagon towing machine... Plodding along in the background to all these wagons is the reworking of a Bachmann Modified Hall with a Hawksworth tender, 6999, Capel Dewi Hall. One of the few mainline steam runs I've had was behind Burton Agnes Hall between Salisbury and Yeovil in the late '80s and Halls were nicely balanced locos. Here's a shot of my chosen prototype when it was shedded at Westbury, working away from Yeovil Town (not Pen Mill) towards Yeovil South Junction and thence Dorchester or Yeovil Junction. https://www.flickr.com/photos/48862732@N02/6953377133/ The loco can wait until Brassmasters get their detailing kit out - http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/modified_hall.htm- but the tender has been receiving some gentle titivation as and when I'm in the mood. Work done thus far includes: Taking the 'weathering' off and giving the paintwork a bit of a polish. Thinning the side sheets of the tender platework - the tender is clearly quite an old moulding, recent Bachmann tenders don't seem to suffer this. Replacing handrails, on the water filler and on the rear corners (front corners still to do). Reworking the bed for the coal load - a great use for spare Milliput - what Bachmann supplied seemed to have a 'coal cliff' at the front end. Rewheeling for EM. Part of the work of re-wheeling was to remove the brake shoes moulded as part of the frames. New ones will be added from a Mainly Trains etch but I'll reuse the Bachmann brake rigging: it's excellent. As can be seen, the vac' pipe and lamp irons - the latter are good for O scale - have also gone, together with the dummy hook - Masokits screw couplings will appear here shortly. Wheels old and new. Although the old could have been turned down and re-spaced, using Gibson's products was easier, albeit with new axles made from 2mm OD x 1.5 inside brass tube (21.5mm long) and some 1.5mm steel rod cut to the same length as the existing stub axles (c.23mm). The one has been stuck to the other with Loctite (a grade intended for metal to metal bonds). The wheels were opened out with a cutting broach a smidge and are a nice snug fit. The inner frames require some material to be removed - sufficient that the inner frames are flush - and the resulting tender rolls nicely and has now gone back in the box until next time the Milliput is out... Adam Edited January 24, 2016 by Adam 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted January 24, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2016 You really, really need a layout... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) Back to the Fordson ambulances. One area where cast resin can be a weakness is in elements made of thin sheet metal, such as mudguards/wheel arches. In the case of these vehicles, I reckon that the arches are a little too far back on the body mouldings and, in order to resolve both issues, I'm going to replace them with new ones made from brass shim - though paper or thin card might work in this instance. So, before: The new mudguard, scored and folded from shim and reinforced with solder. I've made a bending jig as it happens but that isn't in the pictures... Finally, the mudguard in place, stuck with cyanocrylate and located with scraps of styrene. Resin really likes cyano' but I might reinforce the joins with epoxy later. This way of making mudguards seems to work quite nicely and I have some curved ones to do so... Adam Edited January 24, 2016 by Adam 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 You really, really need a layout... Well, I am moving house shortly. Watch this space... (Not that current plans would necessarily accommodate a Modified Hall!). Adam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulwell Hall Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 So, another wagon towing machine... Plodding along in the background to all these wagons is the reworking of a Bachmann Modified Hall with a Hawksworth tender, 6999, Capel Dewi Hall. One of the few mainline steam runs I've had was behind Burton Agnes Hall between Salisbury and Yeovil in the late '80s and Halls were nicely balanced locos. Here's a shot of my chosen prototype when it was shedded at Westbury, working away from Yeovil Town (not Pen Mill) towards Yeovil South Junction and thence Dorchester or Yeovil Junction. https://www.flickr.com/photos/48862732@N02/6953377133/ The loco can wait until Brassmasters get their detailing kit out - http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/modified_hall.htm- but the tender has been receiving some gentle titivation as and when I'm in the mood. Work done thus far includes: Taking the 'weathering' off and giving the paintwork a bit of a polish. Thinning the side sheets of the tender platework - the tender is clearly quite an old moulding, recent Bachmann tenders don't seem to suffer this. Replacing handrails, on the water filler and on the rear corners (front corners still to do). Reworking the bed for the coal load - a great use for spare Milliput - what Bachmann supplied seemed to have a 'coal cliff' at the front end. Rewheeling for EM. Capel_Dewi_002.gif Part of the work of re-wheeling was to remove the brake shoes moulded as part of the frames. New ones will be added from a Mainly Trains etch but I'll reuse the Bachmann brake rigging: it's excellent. Capel_Dewi_003.gif As can be seen, the vac' pipe and lamp irons - the latter are good for O scale - have also gone, together with the dummy hook - Masokits screw couplings will appear here shortly. Capel_Dew_001.gif Wheels old and new. Although the old could have been turned down and re-spaced, using Gibson's products was easier, albeit with new axles made from 2mm OD x 1.5 inside brass tube (21.5mm long) and some 1.5mm steel rod cut to the same length as the existing stub axles (c.23mm). The one has been stuck to the other with Loctite (a grade intended for metal to metal bonds). The wheels were opened out with a cutting broach a smidge and are a nice snug fit. The inner frames require some material to be removed - sufficient that the inner frames are flush - and the resulting tender rolls nicely and has now gone back in the box until next time the Milliput is out... Adam Nice one Adam - I am most interested in this to see how you get on with it! A very desirable addition to my Maiden Newton project would be a Modified Hall - in my case it would be 6988 'Swithland Hall' of Weymouth shed but I have been underwhelmed by the Bachman model. I shall be keen to see how yours evolves and I am certain that - given the standard of your other models - that the finished job will be up to the mark. Keep up the good work and please do keep us posted! Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 26, 2016 Author Share Posted January 26, 2016 Nice one Adam - I am most interested in this to see how you get on with it! A very desirable addition to my Maiden Newton project would be a Modified Hall - in my case it would be 6988 'Swithland Hall' of Weymouth shed but I have been underwhelmed by the Bachmann model. I shall be keen to see how yours evolves and I am certain that - given the standard of your other models - that the finished job will be up to the mark. Keep up the good work and please do keep us posted! Gerry Thanks Gerry. The Bachmann Modified Hall is far from their finest hour, but it is a prototype I rather like - GW but not quite reading from the Churchwardian script. I was surprised - and dissappointed - by the thick edges to the tender top and really can't understand how they managed to screw up the front end. Brassmasters will come to the rescue with the latter and I've tidied up the former. The other areas I'm intending to look at are the front bogie (wholesale replacement), crossheads and slidebars and obviously the wheels and rods. That's an awful lot of work, isn't it? Adam 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) Just fettling the side sheets on one of my Palbricks and I couldn't resist propping one in position. Just like this: And also, courtesy of this picture taken at Hove in 1966 and found on Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/31890193@N08/14399216598/in/album-72157635467172110/ and some extremely useful gen from Jonathan Wealleans, an Italian ferry van, or at least, the birthpangs of one in sheet plastic. Reshaping the Bill Bedford W irons took longer than the plastic work, the joy of working in 60 thou' sheet. Detail overlays to follow. Adam Edited January 29, 2016 by Adam 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Meanwhile, at the Southampton show (which was excellent - if you're free tomorrow and were wavering, waver no more, it's well worth it), a Lowmac escaped the box, briefly. For some reason, the shed foreman initially put it next to the coal stage before moving it somewhere more convenient (and visible): Thanks to Andrew (Ullypug) for his hospitality and forbearance. Perhaps someone else captured the trestrol as it passed through? Adam 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 More plastic bashing has pushed my little Italian ferry van forward a little. The extent is limited: just bracing and internal reinforcement - the vehicle now consists of a 60 thou' carcass with a 40 thou' outer layer. I'd have been better off using 40 thou' for the ends and 60 thou' for the sides since this would have saved a fair bit of plastic for no discernible loss of rigidity, but never mind. Just behind the basic body you can see the false ceiling that will go on top preventing the sides from bowing inwards - the holes are to allow the solvent fumes to evaporate off and there are similar ones in the floor. Having reached this stage, it will be allowed to harden off for a week or two. Adam 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) Way back when, I had plans, and even some steps towards, a model of one of my favourite prototypes, a Brighton Terrier. It all looked quite good, but led me a merry dance trying to get it to actually run. So, bullet bitten, I've striped it down and started again using conventional compensation (click here to see Mark Forrest's thread for what that looks like) and some Comet frames. These are dimensionally sound but have some strange features. The brakegear is designed for a much larger engine using the same dimensions so the pull rods and brake shoes are still on the etch and I reused the Branchlines versions which while not perfect are at least of appropriate proportions... I also recycled all the additional detail and added a bit more. No sandboxes are supplied with either the Comet or Branchlines etches so I sourced some from Perserverance Kits - http://www.perseverancekits.co.uk/- and a Marsh chimney to go with them (I could have had a chassis too, I suppose). Steam lines for the sandpipes also went on, something that was surprisingly straightforward using the wire that comes wrapped round some bottles of rioja (the rioja itself having been safely and enjoyably disposed of) and the next stage is to add the brake pull rods and pick ups but it rolls nicely - though one of the wheels needed pinning to its axle - so that shouldn't prove too traumatic. So, why have I painted the chassis such a fetching shade of maroon? Well, this should answer that: A start has been made on reworking the body to better represent 'Brighton Works' which means lopping off the front splashers, scratchbuilding a new saddle for the smokebox (which will have the extension ring fitted with a new smokebox door), carving off the clack valves and that lovely chimney has to go as well since Brighton Works had a slightly less delicate replacement under Marsh. The full list of body modifications currently runs to a side of A4 but none of them will affect the tank or cab sides so that lovely paintjob will remain. Yes, the boiler will have to be repainted which isn't a great problem since the Hornby rendition is a good match for the Precision version of Stroudley 'Improved Engine Green'. The valance will also have to get a repaint as well to match the chassis as opposed to the buffer beams. And before you ask, yes, I have the lining in hand in the form of transfers from Eric Gates. Thank you Eric. Adam Edited February 12, 2016 by Adam 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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