Newbryford's mostly Yellow workbench - "it's a drag, man......."

[meld]

Hi Swifty11,

 

Yup. Mick got to see SGT2 last night which is just the two Coaches, 977985/986.

 

985 is the instrument coach and 986 is just a Brake Force vehicle permenatly attached with 985 to allow the train to meet the train braking regulations.

 

986 used to be 99664, nee 3189/6231, one of the Mars Celebrations exhibition train vehicles and is basically now just a stripped out shell inside with all the windows blanked out, the same as 99666.

 

HTH

 

Mike

[Swifty11]

Hi Swifty11,

 

Yup. Mick got to see SGT2 last night which is just the two Coaches, 977985/986.

 

985 is the instrument coach and 986 is just a Brake Force vehicle permenatly attached with 985 to allow the train to meet the train braking regulations.

 

986 used to be 99664, nee 3189/6231, one of the Mars Celebrations exhibition train vehicles and is basically now just a stripped out shell inside with all the windows blanked out, the same as 99666.

 

HTH

 

Mike

Thanks very much for the help, are they still using SGT1? As I quite fancied having a go at modelling it with the big black box

[meld]

Hi Swifty11

 

It was still all coupled up and Complete at Derby on Wednesday of last week, although don't be supprised if they remove the laser drum 'Dustbin' at some point and whack it onto the end of another MK2 eventually!

 

The current train formation ( This Week ! )  of SGT2 on 3Z01 also had UTU1 ( 62384, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecubberley/8513324800/in/photostream ) in it so it's possible that Ultrasonic testing and Structure gauging was going on during 3Z01's recent trip around the NW.

 

HTH

 

Mike

 

EDIT :- Looking at the few "snaps" I shot through the window of a Meridian, all the lights on the end of 9708 are missing and it's looking a right state paint wise.. perhapes an overhaul is due so it might loose DC460000 and the MK1's sooner rather than later??

Edited April 20, 2013 by meld

[Swifty11]

I think they will keep using it as it has been out and about in the north?

Thanks for the help Mike, much appreciated

 

Tom

[newbryford]

I think they will keep using it as it has been out and about in the north?

Thanks for the help Mike, much appreciated

 

Tom

SGT1 was around this way in March - measuring structures then. SGT2's laser was also working last night.

The advantage of having the pair of Mk2's is that they can tag them onto a UTU formation, thus doing two measuring jobs with one train. 977985 interior is only half used with instrumentation, monitors, desks and equipment/computer racks. The other half still retains it's existing seating.

 

There is much going on within the test fleet at the moment.

 

 

EDIT :- Looking at the few "snaps" I shot through the window of a Meridian, all the lights on the end of 9708 are missing and it's looking a right state paint wise.. perhapes an overhaul is due so it might loose DC460000 and the MK1's sooner rather than later??

 

Maybe a use for the ex-Gatex Mk2's that were moved to the EDU recently?? Or more PLPRV's?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[meld]

There is much going on within the test fleet at the moment.

 

 

 

Maybe a use for the ex-Gatex Mk2's that were moved to the EDU recently?? Or more PLPRV's?

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Mick, very true mate. 

 

 

As for the PLPRV's AFAIK the next two are in works, one of which is 1256 and the other is 726xx ( soz .. Forgot the number ) and the last will also be from an already Yellow ex Gat-Ex vehicle IIRC.

 

Will try to find out/confirm more.

 

Also there is to be another UTU Vehicle ... UTU5, this will come from a Phase 2 CIG MBSO, 62287 ( Currently at the Licolnshire Wolds railway as a cafe and is being replace by in that post by 72707 from the last remain unconverted set 8303 )

 

 

As an aside ... anyone doing "Mentor" ???

 

Well, get your filler out again and find a pair of gangways is all I can say at the moment!

 

Mike

[MrWhippyO]

What's happened with Mentor? I can see another model coming, I have pretty much finished my model of how it...well...was.

 

James

[newbryford]

Now looking a bit like Derby......

 

 

Roof view of EMV 977983

 

And HSTRC 999550

 

The white windows are the protective film that is used on Shawplan Laserglaze. This'll be removed as the last job.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

[tomstaf]

Nice job on 550 mick, like the markings where the pipe work used to be. I'm midway thru doing the serco version, so had to include the pipe work. Keep up the good work, bob

 

image.jpg

 

Looking good Oversett. Don't forget to remove the wrap around hinges on the doors.

 

Cheers

 

Tom

[Swifty11]

Very nice job there Mick!

What layout are they positioned on? Don't recognise it

[d winpenny]

Looking great so much yellow, david

[newbryford]

Very nice job there Mick!

What layout are they positioned on? Don't recognise it

 

Part of New Bryford - viewed from the "inside", without the shopping centre or the overall roof in the way.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 22, 2013 by newbryford

[Swifty11]

Part of New Bryford - viewed from the "inside", without the shopping centre or the overall roof in the way.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Now that I ahem looked it looks more like it now, thanks. Was a bit puzzled! What can I say but blond moment!

[newbryford]

More finishing off and rectifying a major omission from the Airfix/Dapol/Hornby BSO

 

The two BSO's 9516/9523 and RTOV's 9708/9714 need footsteps for the guard's door.

 

A few minutes work with styrene.

 

 

The closeup reveals a bit of black paint bleeding up the edge of the door.

 

Then I painted them black, let it dry and then used a sharp blade to scrape the paint away to reveal a white edge - far easier than painting the edge white!

 

I've made a start on touching in the details on the bogies.

 

The B5 fitted fleet (977983/999550/6261) have blue springs and the rest on B4's, have red. They all have yellow axleboxes.

 

10 coaches = 40 axleboxes and 80 springs! Can't count - 80 axleboxes and 160 springs.

 

More pics later.

 

And here's my DVT with grille fitted to the door. I've removed the door handle and door runner as the prototype has had the door removed and replaced with a new panel with grill cutout from the same sheet - meaning that ther's no obvious frame around the grille. The new window on the prototype is marginally smaller than the original, but I haven't done this mod.

 

 

I've started to mask it ready to paint the roof grey.

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 26, 2013 by newbryford

[Removed a/c]

Looks good, is the grill just drawn on? or perhaps scribed into the plastic? 

[newbryford]

Looks good, is the grill just drawn on? or perhaps scribed into the plastic? 

 

Neither!  

 

Cheers,

Mick  

[meld]

Neither!  

 

Cheers,

Mick  

 

[newbryford]

Looks good, is the grill just drawn on? or perhaps scribed into the plastic? 

 

 

My DVT now has two shades of yellow on it and I'm looking at a way to do the new grille that may be accomplished by using a technique that I usually detest - more of that later! (However, there is a "Plan B" as backup......)

 

I haven't used Plan B - The clue is in my quote.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Removed a/c]

Decal? 

[newbryford]

Club night and testing times.

(Apologies for the pic quality, as the lighting causes a terrible colour cast and I forgot to adjust the camera)

I generally run fixed formations of test trains and I wanted to check them out before running them at an exhibition.

 

 

"NMT2" consisting of 9523/999550/977983/6261 with top n tail 37's

The updated SGT formation, taking out 977985 and replacing with 9708 and 99666 and running in push-pull mode with one loco - 31285

6264/999508/9714 in push-pull mode and just for a change, powered by a blue 31106.

57301 with TIC2 977974

 

Last big job is to fit LED's to the two RTOV's.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited April 30, 2013 by newbryford

[Tase]

For a moment I thought they were in desert camouflage mode !!

[newbryford]

A new item for dual use on Blackmill and New Bryford arrived today. It's only half painted yellow though.........

 

Hopefully, it'll pass across the workbench and have some detailing work carried out that I've never done before........

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited May 1, 2013 by newbryford

[madebymccoy]

Years of practice with plenty of error, blood, filler, paint, wheels, scrap bodies etc. I have a large supply of all of these after the years I've been modelling.

 

Find a cheap Airfix Mk2d BSO (£5 on ebay typically) or any other coach body from the scrap box under a second hand traders stall at an exhibition and have a go! Blank one window at a time, hopefully getting better with each one. Then when you're happy, go for a full blanked coach such as 99666 or 977986

 

Cheers,

Mick

"Long time listen, first time caller"

 

I've been following the thread for a while and been inspired enough to do my own conversions, especially given how bad many of the production departmentals are (not to mention the 12month lead times for most). What started with the plan to play around, has now loaded my workbench with four conversions. Talk about biting off more than you can chew.

 

With me getting an Airfix Mk2 FO in the post first, looks like my first conversion is 99666... Suppose filling 16 windows is good practice

 

I've stripped the carriage to bits, trimmed plastic tabs, removed the gangways and chopped the D couplings off... The bogie and underframe are made from awful plastic, think I'll have to reinforce the under frame and probably replace the bogies (or wheels at least). Any recommendations for a supplier of wheels?

 

If I can get some advice;

- what filler are you using?

- what primer are you using? Do you strip the grey primer off before the paint job or just touch it up/cover it after final sanding?

- what top coat are you using? I've looked at Phoenix enamels, but I have a background in acrylics and have zero experience with enamels... Plus, are you base acting with white or the grey primer?

- is it easier to blank a window with plastic and fill the edges, or back the window with plastic and use filler to build it up?

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Jon

[newbryford]

I've stripped the carriage to bits, trimmed plastic tabs, removed the gangways and chopped the D couplings off... The bogie and underframe are made from awful plastic, think I'll have to reinforce the under frame and probably replace the bogies (or wheels at least). Any recommendations for a supplier of wheels?

 

If I can get some advice;

- what filler are you using?

- what primer are you using? Do you strip the grey primer off before the paint job or just touch it up/cover it after final sanding?

- what top coat are you using? I've looked at Phoenix enamels, but I have a background in acrylics and have zero experience with enamels... Plus, are you base acting with white or the grey primer?

- is it easier to blank a window with plastic and fill the edges, or back the window with plastic and use filler to build it up?

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Jon

 

Hi Jon,

Glad you like the thread.

The original wheels are OK for use with Peco Code 75, but if I have some spare, I replace with metal wheels. The last batch used 12mm plain disc wheels from Bachmann. I have used Romford-Jackson previously.

 

The filler is Squadron White Putty.

 

Primer is Halford's Acrylic - I use both white and grey - if only to create a different shades of yellow as the test trains seem to be, depending upon how long they've been in service. I will often use a "dusting" of primer to see if the surface needs more work.

 

Topcoat is Phoenix P310 Network yellow enamel. Others like enamel and can't do acrylics - As long as I leave plenty of time for the paint to harden fully between acrylic/enamel or enamel/acrylic, then I don't usually have problems.

 

Far better to fill the space as much as possible with plastic as filler tends to shrink over time - especially if it's a deep layer of filler. Minimal filler means minimal shrinkage. Look back in this thread for HSTRC 999550 to see how I've tried to fill as much space as possible with plastic offcuts before filling. It's also easier to create a flat surface with plastic than filler. I can take up to a week making sure that the filler has dried out as much as possible.

 

HTH,

Cheers,

Mick

[madebymccoy]

Hi Jon,

Glad you like the thread.

The original wheels are OK for use with Peco Code 75, but if I have some spare, I replace with metal wheels. The last batch used 12mm plain disc wheels from Bachmann. I have used Romford-Jackson previously.

 

The filler is Squadron White Putty.

 

Primer is Halford's Acrylic - I use both white and grey - if only to create a different shades of yellow as the test trains seem to be, depending upon how long they've been in service. I will often use a "dusting" of primer to see if the surface needs more work.

 

Topcoat is Phoenix P310 Network yellow enamel. Others like enamel and can't do acrylics - As long as I leave plenty of time for the paint to harden fully between acrylic/enamel or enamel/acrylic, then I don't usually have problems.

 

Far better to fill the space as much as possible with plastic as filler tends to shrink over time - especially if it's a deep layer of filler. Minimal filler means minimal shrinkage. Look back in this thread for HSTRC 999550 to see how I've tried to fill as much space as possible with plastic offcuts before filling. It's also easier to create a flat surface with plastic than filler. I can take up to a week making sure that the filler has dried out as much as possible.

 

HTH,

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

Really helpful, thanks for that!

 

I've not checked the coach on 100 or 75 track yet, there's lots of plastic seams on the chassis, bogies and wheels, so I'll see when all cleaned up how when they run - I don't really want to replace the bogies, but the wheels might be on the list...

 

Working with the filler, what grade of glass paper/wet-and-dry are you using?

 

I read earlier of your recommendation on paint stripper (Phoenix's Superstrip), I'm holding off buying until I know what paints/thinners etc I'll also need, as cost of shipping is prohibitive otherwise. If I plow straight into plastic work and filling now without stripping first, will things go bad when I come to strip later on? I'm just worried if it attacks the glue or filler.

 

I've got a crappy air brush (can't find my old decent one, so barely trust it for weathering let alone top coats), so I might go for Phoenix's self-fill spray can - it saves me messing up the airbrush with enamel as well I guess. I was coming round to the realisation I'd have to go for an enamel or solvent based acrylic (Tamiya etc) for most of the conversion work at some point, using acrylics just for details and weathering.

 

Thanks

Jon