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Further progress: I've laser glazed all of the ex LMS subs, and 3 of the Bachmann mk1 subs. I'm getting on with the lining, slowly. I tried the bowpen, and to be honest I need a lot more practice. I can draw a straight line, but I'm getting a wider beginning than the middle and end of the line. Given that I need to avoid the ventilator hoods for the upper lines, and the handles etc for the waist lining, there are plenty of stops and starts. I'll stick with Pressfix for now. A BTL and a CL at the head of a local train on its way into Euston. Bachmann mk1 underframe as supplied: The vacuum brake cylinder is a dog's breakfast and the dynamo is even on the wrong way round.... Solution courtesy of Replica mk1 underframe fittings. Laserglazed. 42' guv ready to be weathered: It's been renumbered with Pressfix but I left the slightly thick lining as it was because this will get a heavy dose of dirt as these vehicles seemed to accumulate, I suppose from not being cleaned as a BG would have been. I also managed to get some spare laser glaze to fit the windows which improves the look of the sides a lot. Pd 1 BG: Bachmann LMS bogies with full length step boards added: These have had to have a slightly off-centre pivot as there was insufficient clearance for the bogie due to the position of the dynamo and brake cylinders. 2 coats of primer and 2 of Vauxhall Carmine.........and it looks like it's the official supporters vehicle for the Dutch football team..... I think I may have been wrong to think that this rattle can was an approximation of Crimson. So what is this for? I may be getting ridiculous now: A set of Bill Bedford GUV sides (exquisite and delicate, I thought) needed a good home. Comet underframe, Coopercraft BR1 bogies. The ends come from the remains of an old Mopok guv, and I've yet to sort the roof. Iain

Time for an update..... I spent an hour filing some rails and building the very crisp etch from Pete Harvey into a stop of the correct pattern for the siding just in front of the turntable. Amazingly for me, it was soldered very cleanly and first time too. Then, while adding the final tiny strip for the buffer pads, I unsoldered part of it. And then had about 5 goes at resoldering it square, all the while making a bigger mess. I'll add the buffer pads from microstrip...... I'm not risking that again. Eagle eyed Camden Shed devotees may notice some more track laid. And a quick glimpse of a local train on the up slow. Terrible old mechanism in the Replica Standard 4 - this was a very early weathering exercise. The whole loco will be replaced as I have a variety of Hornby components to turn into one of the 75000 class on the Bletchley services. I've done a little more on the coaching stock and will post an update in that thread too. I'm hoping to get a bit done over the next couple of weeks as work is much quieter, although there does seem to be a bit of a pile up in the diary, both sporting and social. Somehow I managed to knock it round in 66 yesterday so I can at least temporarily convince myself that I can play golf like I used to - a veneer of confidence that will disappear as soon as I start chopping it like Jamie Oliver again. Iain

M25268M ex LMS Suburban BTL now lined out and numbered. Halfords Rover Damask Red, Klear, Pressfix, Microset, Klear again. Laser glaze has made a positive difference I think. Next steps: paint and fit interior, frost the lav window, fix replacement handrails on the ends, fix roof and weather. Then do another 2 BTLs, 2 CLs and my cut'n'shut T. Which is in itself a disaster already, given that I somehow got the measurements wrong when cutting, and 9 equally spaced third compartments do not equal 57'..... I should have asked Tim. Third? More like a turd....... It's becoming clear - or Klear - that making decent suburban stock is a labour of love. Just laser glazing a Bachmann mk1 takes some considerable time. These will look ok when done I think, and a quantum leap ahead of what the 30 year old Airfix ones did when I started, which is quite satisfying. I'm starting to lean towards getting some etched sides. Even with all the extra drilling, hinge/handle/grab rail soldering and subsequent dental burr grinding, there could be a better result for less time invested. Iain

Hi David, Not sure I do find that much time at some points of the year! But the main reason might be that I have a lot of incredibly useful advice from all sorts of people, and on here in particular, so I don't waste anything like as much time as I would otherwise. There is also a good bit of bodging going on and I don't sleep a lot. :-) Iain

Another view of the Kitchen Car: A D1715 Pd 1 50' BG - almost entirely from Comet. These lacked a full underframe, having only a battery box bracket on one side. This runs on Bachmann LMS bogies, which need the full length step boards adding. Roof, paint, glazing, transfers, weathering......all still to do. But it needed a test run before all that. The bogies needed some slight adjustment as they just fouled the dynamo and vacuum brake reservoir which were added according to the plan. This had its test run in a rake of other 50' BGs, modified Bachmann and Hornby, in various stages of completion: The underframe of the 68' Restaurant Car has warped though..... Wondering whether I should cut my losses here and get a Comet one. Iain

To prove I have been doing something useful! Ex LMS Stanier Kitchen Car D1912 Roof isn't fixed on yet, and it needs interior, glazing (frosting on all but 2 windows....) and weathering. But it's getting there. Iain

A bit more done: 12 wheel dining car underframe altered and missing sections added. Comet etchings and castings. Comet sides added to shell Kitchen car roof ready to paint Ex LMS 42' GUV underframe modified to accept lowered Bachmann LMS bogies Ex Airfix LMS sub with laser glaze Stanier BTK (Hornby conversion) and Comet Kitchen car painted, lined and numbered. Klear applied too. There are some odd reflections - they look a bit better than this! I must admit I am tempted not to add hinges, handles and door stops for the hassle they create when trying to apply the lining. The BTK has had the ventilator hoods removed from above the doors as some apparently did. Ex LMS pd1 BG without underframe and before being taken for a good clean: And some of the stock I am accumulating! Iain

Hi Terry and Derek, You are very kind: thank you. I can only echo your comments about Vincent and Mick. A pleasure to show them round even if it was only a flying visit. So what news? I've had a few visits to the shed to do some modelling in the last couple of weeks, but not those good lumps of time where you get big things done and see a lot of progress. So I have been feeding my recently developed addiction to coach building. And coach modification.... And err....coach buying. I'll put up an update on my Coaching Stock thread but the above pic might show a bit of the accumulated stock. A fair few Bachmann corridor mk1s now, probably about 28-30, so I really don't need to buy any more urgently, but I can't resist a bargain if they come up. I've managed to pick up 9 mk1 non-corridors too, and with a bit of work they will be fine. 4 Hornby Staniers, 7 ex LMS suburbans via Airfix and Dapol, 4 ex LMS BGs from Hornby, Bachmann and Comet, 5 more mk1 BGs, an ex Lima 42' LMS GUV, 2 Replica mk1s that were in a job lot - don't know whether they will make the grade - and the various builds and conversions in progress on the thread. I also bought 3 new Hornby mk1s which look very decent and compare well to the Bachmann ones. I thought these were a bit expensive to be honest but I guess that is the way now - to get decent detailed coaches you have to pay. Then I realised I got a free Duke of Gloucester in the box too...... I need to get on a mission to get the layout in a fit state to show some trains. Iain

Hi Simon, Partly to back up Mr Horsetan's reply too. I think, but I'm happy to be told otherwise, that the Railroad black 5 chassis is the wrong dimension for any black 5 really, and given the GBL item is a copy of the detailed Hornby 5, it would look odd. However, the super detailed Black 5 chassis can be made into either the 27'2" or the 27'6" wheelbase Black 5 by reversing the nifty little bearing on the back axle. Obviously you need the correct length rods to accompany that change, but Hornby have made those over the years as some of their versions have been lwb and some short. I've made both HRP (44687) and LRP (44741 still in progress....) from superdetailed Hornby donors as below. So it may be possible, but both of these were (and one still IS!) a lot of work. This one is complete bar weathering And this one is some distance from the line yet: Details of how I built these are on the thread below. So I think you could start from the GBL body to make these, but you need the specific lwb superdetailed chassis and rods, or a good deal of ingenuity, or a Comet one as suggested. And then you may still have to do some stretching of the body. While I may well have been better off starting with a Comet kit in the first place, there was a great deal of satisfaction from making something useful from the heavily damaged donor, just as I imagine there would be from starting with a GBL body. Hope that is of interest. Iain Edited to add body stretch that I missed out!

Not a huge amount to show for this week, but this picture: should give an idea of some of the tidying of the scenics that I have done. The ash ballast in the cess and on the yard area has been tidied, and then the shoulder of the mainline ballasting tidied on top of that. It needs weathering and all sorts of extra detailing - cabling, relay boxes, ballast piles, odd sleepers/timbers, signalling (I will definitely beg for Mike's assistance here) - but it is progressing. And don't worry about the fish-eye effect. The buildings are not quite that wonky! Iain

Thanks David, hopefully they will be acceptable when finished. There is something very satisfying about making something decent from unpromising beginnings. Even if it would make a lot more sense to start from a more sensible place...... So, errr....... guess who forgot the guards duckets and ventilators..... Ughhhh Kitchen car and 12 wheel dining car roof construction under way: Roof ribs added from 10 thou microstrip - spacings are as on the Comet drawings so they are not supposed to be even These may well be a fraction too prominent but the overall look of the layout needs to be consistent. I'm not planning on de-ribbing all the Bachmann mk1s I have, and the Stanier stock had much more prominent ribs than mk1s. Iain

Stanier BTK: Sides drilled to imitate woodworm And all the various hinges, handles, stops and rails added. I used the purpose-etched Comet hinges this time. Fiddly, but they look neater than the flattened wire option, which says more about my workmanship than the method. Primed Body with new filler pipes added Corridor connectors added Primed except for the area where the sides will be glued to the shell Kitchen car with 2 top coats A pile of paint shop work (i.e. In the garden...) One of the LMS suburban bodies. The old lining still just shows through the paint. I've browsed various pics and sources, and I'm now somewhat dubious whether these would all have been lined or not. I will line these as otherwise the lack of primer will let them down. At least I have a straight line to reference from! Iain

Progress on the kitchen car: I had forgotten to add the solebar step boards, the ventilators and the corner ascending steps, so rectified the first two omissions. The corner steps will be added right at the end just because they are so delicate. Here it is in primer: And with the roof very loosely placed LMS suburbans: 2 chassis finished And with a body loosely placed. Yes, I should have primed the bodies before spraying..... But the finish does look really smooth.... I am pretty sure that I'm looking at lined maroon for 1960-62, but will happily be told otherwise - and one of the BTLs will be M25268M thanks to Chris. I'm going to cut and shut an all third (non-lav) from the final two CLs. If that goes well, I will probably breathe a sigh of relief and buy some more Comet sides to do any more..... Bogies: replacement wheels from Bachmann don't quite fit as I mentioned in a previous post. It is an option to ease the bogie sides out by cutting and re-gluing the bogie stretchers with extra plastic strip. The Lima rewheel option from Alan Gibson does work well - waisted bearings melted in with a soldering iron. Comparison here: 5 more chassis on the go: And another canine early morning meal: I've had this since 1982 or 83. Nice that it will play a part in my modelling present as well. Ends go from this: To this: Proper corridor connectors from Comet will be added in due course. Sides attacked with the cutting disc and filed flush: Moulded filler pipes on the roof removed and will be replaced with wire Amazingly, the roof is close to the right shape, and has ventilators and ribs in the right place. On we go! Iain

Indeed, Chris. I ought probably to do some cut and shut non-lav LMS suburbans as well. More...... LMS kitchen car This is almost completely built now. Needs a roof. Obviously. Hinges are Larry's idea of 0.7 brass wire soldered, trimmed and then flattened with pliers. Door stops are 0.45 wire cut as close to the side as I could. Bachmann LMS bogies. I used the MJT etch of handles etc even though they aren't quite the right ones for these coaches. 42' parcels underframe and bogies: Adjustments and components: Bachmann LMS bogies (the originals were, I think, Lima BR mk1 approximations.....) Fret waste to make a pivot Heavy (M10? Can't remember) bolts, washers and nuts Assembled: New buffers: The production line is going slightly mad.....! Iain

Hi David, Yes, that's right. A bit of care and time, and they fit in much better with the rest. The flush glaze was a complete pain as every single aperture needed opening out, but worth it overall. The kleared sides camouflage some of the poor fit, but not all. My first experience with laser glazing is much more positive. When you look at that Replica BG: £10 for the coach £3? for the flushglaze £2-3 for the wheels Plus a whole lot of time to do the glazing and the pipes, and compare that to the very similar or even slightly lower cost of Bachmann BGs I've picked up secondhand, it doesn't make much sense really. But I did enjoy the process, and refining a slightly inferior model to bring it up to standard brings its own satisfaction. Would I go through that palaver again though? Hmmmmm.......not sure. Then again, I might well not build more than one Ivatt Coronation, hrp Caprotti Black 5 or LMS kitchen car either. Iain

All sorts going on here. LMS suburbans: I'm modifying 7 of these, picked up cheaply from various sources, and inspired by brossard Basic idea is to repaint (halfords spray can) Add a new underframe (hack out the battery box and other poorly moulded plastic and replace with Comet etched brass and white metal castings; add plastic strip to represent the missing cross truss. Comet have sadly run out of these cross trusses as separate items) Rewheel ( I thought this would be easy enough to replace the plastic Airfix wheels with Hornby or Bachmann items, but the Airfix ones have axles 25.8 mm long, and the replacements are too tight. Cue help from Colin Seymour, and I am now experimenting with the Gibson Lima replacement axles, which are way too short, but could possibly accommodate a waisted bearing, if I can melt these only slightly into the bogie plastic.......) Engineer a new bogie pivot, to eliminate wobble, which in itself might have been partly due to eccentric plastic wheels Redo the roof fittings New couplings (Tony Wright style with an extra bar to enable propelling) Laser glazing (Shawplan) I probably won't do a lot in the interiors. That could come later. Maybe.... Dismantled body shells ready for painting Underframes before and after removal of everything except the trussing Cross trussing added (2 different methods) The diagonals were added on both - it was a lot easier to get all of the angles consistent and correct by adding a horizontal cross piece to the underside of the floor before starting anything else. 1 coat added Bachmann BR mk1 suburbans All I'll do to these is laser glaze, Klear, couplings, renumber and weather. This is the first side of the first coach done: Ex LMS 12 wheel pd 3 dining car Pd 3? Doesn't look much like that? It will in a minute......... I have 3 LMS parcels vans on the go too: a 42' ex Lima, a Bachmann 50', and a Comet 50'. I've also just got totally engrossed in building an LMS 50' Kitchen Car Diag 1912. I'll make that, and the parcels vans, the subject of further posts. Iain

Hi Jim, Yours is far from humble, that's for sure! A couple of snaps (little more than snaps to be truthful, I'm wondering whether decent photography would show it up better, or just show it up....) I don't think I'd posted anything showing these views in their current state. It could be a case of spot the difference. But comparing, for example, the second view to this: gives a bit of an idea of the potential perspective. Not to mention how much detailing I have to do! Had an afternoon to work on some things today, and have been wholly sidetracked by a rapidly developing enjoyment of coach building..... For more, see my coaching stock thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82289-coaching-stock-for-camden/ Iain Edit for spelling and grammar, and to add link

Thanks Jeff, you're far too kind. Kinder than Jol, anyway.... Mike - good to see you too. Jol - thanks, those levers look very good indeed! Now, £11 for 5.... I need about 25 for the no. 2 box. Ugh....! What about the no.1 box - the Type 13 ARP box? I guess they would be a more modern type? I did also think about getting the plans drawn up for the shed building and giving those to Timber Tracks to laser cut. That kit of Watford shed was beautiful. But my wallet may not be able to stand it! Camden Shed had two distinguished visitors on Sunday morning when Vincent Worthington and Mick Moore came round. They were very kind and complimentary, although the bodged nature of half of what I am doing must have amused them both too. But they did seem genuine in their enthusiasm. The backscene was popular (the only bit I haven't done!) and they did seem to like the buildings and general feel. That makes 3 proper modellers who have seen it - gordon s being the first - and none have laughed (at the layout) yet. I managed to get the fixed 12 coach rake of mk1s to do to few derailment-free down circuits behind my namesake - actually, come to think of it, Vincent did laugh quite a lot at this point, given the excessive use of modellers' licence to run this loco, but I played the excursion card which stumped him as he couldn't prove it never did - and the 8-vehicle-and-growing parcels rake did likewise on the up lines behind a straight from the box rebuilt Patriot. By one method or another, I have managed to accumulate over 50 coaches now. A few more picked up at Expo EM means I now have 6 mk1 suburbans and 7 LMS suburbans, all of which need a lot of conversion and alteration. Some Shawplan laser glaze beckons, plus all sorts of Comet underframe components, rewheeling, respraying, lining and numbering, weathering...... It goes on. I start wondering whether any of the LMS subs were in unlined livery in 1960. I also bought some more Comet sides - first on the bench will be a 50' period 3 kitchen car, and a 68' 12 wheel dining car of similar vintage. Stage 1 of the Airfix/Dapol conversions: More distraction from actually completing the layout! Iain

Thanks Ronnie. I'm using Klear as I weather and finish them, and it does help the windows. I will try removing the stripe when I get a chance. SK with Comet sides complete except for weathering: Coopercraft underframe to replace the junk on the donor. Hornby bogies rewheeled. Next to a Bachmann SO Replica BG nearly completed save for a little more weathering: The SE finecast flush glazing was a bit of a pain to say the least. But it's not a bad likeness overall. Iain

Chipping away.... Vacuum operating mechanism for the turntable: The Dapol one was cut in half vertically and thinned down, handles halved in length and a lever fabricated out of brass fret waste. There is a cable from twisted 5A fuse wire too. Painted grey, and will get some oily wash plus whatever other extra treatments it needs. Three more turnouts built: These are temporarily placed here. They will be painted, wired and laid with all the other pieces at this end of the shed as I finalise the turntable and align everything to the rails on the deck. Ignore the position of that pit - it's shifted a long way in the cut out on the baseboard. The 3-turnout-2-diamond checkrailed complex has been wired and tested - it all works and the tortoises switch the frogs correctly. Thanks to those who advised me on this some time ago when I was struggling with it. The track is errr..... a little rough. But the real thing was too, if photos are to be believed, and no loco can do more than walking pace here either, so I am hoping it will be ok. I could really do without rebuilding it. Can't believe I only have one more turnout to build now! That's assuming that I don't have to rebuild any........... Iain

Thanks Merv, I have that book and very useful it is too: It helped with a load of detail pictures of areas rarely photographed, and also with my understanding of operation sequence. A bit of progress, but don't get too excited...... Camden no.2 box which was basically there to control movements in and out of the goods yard. I've painted this, which highlights yet more shortcomings in my abilities. The detail painting of gulf red and biscuit to the different areas required better technique than I currently have. Still, removal of overpaint with thinners seemed to work......This is a longer range photo, given that the box sits right near the backscene, and I've yet to weather it, fit the interior into the detachable box I made, and add the name board. Footbridge over to the goods depot has been weathered Turntable has had a few further bits made, plus the first stages of painting. I have a colour photo from the early 60's with 46238 broadside in bright sunshine, and the handrails are definitely red. Whether they are heavily faded gulf red or just primer, is hard to say but I suspect the latter. These are in primer and look similar in shade. I tried to scratchbuild the vacuum operation mechanism but I am also going to get a Dapol turntable and see whether that item from the kit can be used instead. For 6 quid, it's worth it to try. Iain

Remiss of me not to reply before now Graham. I have followed your every move for the past year or so, and I must have clicked a fair few "likes" of various types but for some reason have failed to contribute. Apologies! I'm painstakingly building my own turntable at the moment so especially interested in your progress here. I thought about doing the handrails for the Camden one entirely out of metal but in the end went for a combination of plastic and nickel silver. Which could have been one of many mistakes. Do keep up the inspirational work. Best wishes, Iain

Hi Jim, Love what you've done there! Thanks very much for adding the pictures. I've sent you a PM (personal message) with my email address if you want to contact me off the forum. It should come up as an envelope with a little red 1 near the top right of the screen. Stanley - further research confirms what I thought, that the PH designs stop is perfect for the stop in your pic of 70048 above, and one will be purchased soon. The coal wagon siding and the single road off the TT by the road bridge are different to this, similar to the peco one, though I'm not certain whether one of the Lanarkshire Models ones will be right here. The stop on the siding under the water tower eludes me at present. I've been doing a bit of painting, weathering and detailing the last day or so, which seems to take ages and yet it looks as if if I've done very little! I'll post a pic or two in due course..... Iain

Hi Jim, Thanks - I have been following your blog post ever since you first posted in fact! Do post any updates. Where does the aqueduct go? Very keen to share ideas on the construction of the loco shed. This will need to be built once I've finished the track. Stanley - thanks as ever for some great pics and info. The one of 70048 I've never seen - practically ex works by the look of it? I'd earmarked the PH stop for the siding that leads towards the turntable but stops short of it - as in that pic background. There is one road through the table that has a stop just by the bridge parapet, and another which is the coal wagon road at the back of the table. Both of these need stops. The siding by the ashpit that 46240 is on above will have some kind of semi-demolished rail stop, and the three vestigial roads off the table need white wheel stops only - easy enough to fabricate I hope...... Still to decide how to do the two machine shop roads with the wheel drop. Because the entire shed is necessarily shortened, it's pretty tight in that area. I may compromise..... Progress? Well, not a lot. Backscenes are now complete and once I have finalised detailing of the station and goods shed boards, they will be permanently fixed and I'll post some photos. I've been unable to do anything for several weeks, and have just come back from the USA. In an attempt to keep awake on my return, I did a little more on the turntable. I do have to get this completed in order to connect up all the track in that area, because of getting all the levels correct. Given the way I have chosen to motorise and mount the turntable, once it's built it's built, so a complete painting and weathering job needs to be done. The handrails are fiddly, but I set them up with a jig. Solvent to attach the uprights to the base, cyano to stick the 0.45 ns wire through the uprights. Trimming etc needed.... Iain

Do tell me more..... Brush on? Iain