Ian Smith

Hi Mikkel, I feel your pain, I think we've all suffered with orange peel effect at some point (and like everyone else I have no idea what causes it). I'm pleased that the model hasn't suffered any real long term damage, but it does look like the chimney has become slightly detached in the last photo - there is a visible gap between flare and smokebox that doesn't appear in the "before" photo (but it is the other side of the model). I look forward to seeing the finished model - Dean Goods are among my favourite locos, especially round top firebox ones :-) Ian

I have various scanned images of the drawings for 645, 655 & 1501 classes that David Burton sent to me. He saw my 1854 and embryonic buffalo at a show a couple of years ago and I think pity got the better of him so provided me with the fruits of his research labours :-) Ian

Rich, I found when I converted a pannier to an 1854 class saddle tank that the donor was considerably too beefy. Although as a first attempt at getting something running in 2fs I decided to accept the oversize compromises - the cab on mine is too tall and wide necessated by the width of the tank and hence its reshaped height. When compared against my scratchbuilt to scale buffalo the 1854 does look like it's been working out :-) Ian

So sorry to hear about jellyroll.

I have successfully used Microscale Liquid Decal Film. I painted a thin layer (or two - I can't remember) of the film onto my sets of Woodhead Transfers. This gives them a bit of strength again and allows them to be used as ordinary water slide transfers. I also tend to use Microscale's Microset and Microsol when applying transfers - the Microset is painted onto the area that the transfer will reside, once the transfer is in place any residual Microset is wicked away with a small paint brush or corner of tissue.. The Microsol is painted over the transfer to soften it and allow it to follow any contours. Ian

The fact that you are trying each end of the rods independently and have a problem should rule out that the crankpin holes in the rods are not in line but I would check anyway by placing one rod over the other to ensure that the holes are all in line, then inverting one rod and sighting the holes again - the holes should all line up in both scenarios. By holding a straight edge against all 3 pins on one side, a further straight edge can be used to check that the pins on the other side are all in alignment - this check should be made at both 3 and 9 o'clock. Also at 6 and 12 o'clock. Any discrepancy in the latter would indicate a longer/shorter throw on one axle.

Mikkel, your Buffalo looks to be painted in the old Precision Paints "early" green - I can't remember what the label said possibly "pre 1928" (however it is the same as my 1854 class). When I came to painting my Metro and latterly my Buffalo I used a new tin of Precision Paints green, this time "GWR Loco Green 1881-1906" which is a completely different colour. Unfortunately I don't have two comparable photos of the locos taken under the same conditions (although if required I could put both locos under both layout lighting and natural light and take new photos). Both were spray painted with an airbrush, and both have received a coat of PP Satin Varnish (again airbrush delivered). If I'm honest I almost prefer the "Pre 1928" green, although I understand that the new shades have been replicated from original colour swatches that have been protected from light so are probably the more accurate shades. Ian Photos of my 2 engines follow :

No sign of MRJ 272 though! Seriously though, as usual your modelling is exemplary! Ian

Thanks Andy. I thought she had spent long enough in NSLR livery, and needed her finished before I progress too far with my Dean Goods. Never thought of trying a compass bow pen. I've got my dads old set kicking around somewhere that has one of those in. I'll have to dìg it out for the next time. Ian

Brilliant Mikkel, quite brilliant. Your story telling ability knows no bounds Ian

Thank you Mikkel. The barrows are Shire Scenes etches (not strictly GWR ones but life is short). The 4 wheel platform trolley's are my own etches (as indeed is the bench). I have some Shire Scenes etched benches to make up too at some point, although for our Edwardian period the all wood benches seemed to be more prevalent - At some point I want to try to make some of those too. Ian

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been adding the finishing touches to my Buffalo Saddle Tank. It's not quite there yet as I've still got to add the brakes and sand pipes to the chassis but superficially its all done. A few shots of her posed on Modbury's embankment section : The lining is Fox transfers except the rather poorer curved bits around the cab cut outs - they being hand painted with a fine brush because none of the curvy bits of transfer seemed to match the cut outs. On the model it doesn't look too bad but seeing it blown up on a computer screen some 3 times the size of the model, I'll let you decide how successful I've been! The ejectors under the saddle just forward of the cab were soldered up from bits of brass wire and tube, and are a representation of the early type - they seemed to get ever more complex as time went on. The number plates are from my first attempt at drawing up artwork for etching, and were etched in 0.006" brass. Looking at the last photo in particular, it looks like I need to loosen the bolt securing the safety valve cover and rotate it through 90 degrees. Ian

There are certainly some of us who model the South Hams being a bit backward

A bit of a paint job, a 1mm hole drilled in the platform and voila!! I decided that the safest place for my new lamp is actually on the layout (I've so far managed to lose two lamp glasses - One is somewhere in the workshop and the other is somewhere in the garden between the workshop and the back door - I was bringing a completed lamp (secure in a pin chuck) in home to paint it but managed to drop it as I shut the workshop door, the post was fine, the lamp supports were somewhat crushed but the lamp glass and finial could be anywhere!!) Ian

Mainly to see whether I could, I have made the first of one of these ... It is a representation of a platform Oil Lamp on a 6'0" post. The prototype I made had a 1mm diameter nickel silver wire post that I had tapered slightly, I had turned a little foot and a single ring of fine wire made the collar - both soldered in place. Unfortunately when trying to add the support for the lamp itself the ring forever slipped so that it ended up lop-sided so the prototype was consigned to the bin and after a rethink I decided to hand turn the whole post as a single entity using gravers on the lathe ... The lamp support was made from a cross of window framing from some 4mm scale signal box windows, soldered to the top of the post then all four arms carefully bent to meet at the top. Once made flat the four arms were given a quick wipe with the soldering iron to secure them together. The lamp itself is some 3mm thick perspex or acrylic that I've had for years. A piece was sawn off and filed to provide a 3mm x 3mm bar. This was popped into a chuck secured on the vertical slide on the lathe, which in turn was set at 10degrees. A small milling cutter was mounted in a jacobs chuck attached to the headstock and each facet of the lamp milled to give me the tapered glass shape required. The embryonic lamp case was then polished before being cut from the bar and the roof facets filed. A small flat was filed at the apex of the roof to allow a 0.5mm hole to be drilled vertically into the roof portion of the lamp. The chimney/finial is very much a representation of the real thing - a small turning of 1.5mm diameter brass (with a 0.5mm hole down the middle) representing the chimney part mounted on a piece of 0.5mm phosphor bronze wire filed to a point to represent the finial. The whole thing from the foot of the post to the top of the finial is 2cm tall ! Only need another 8 to 10 of them ! Should keep me quiet for a few days Ian

Justin, The following diagram might help (although not the best scan) : Hopefully it illustrates that the swan necked lever passes between the wheel and axle guard in a straight line to connect to the pivot between the V hanger and brake pull rods. Ian

William, I'm not picking fault, and it may just be a trick of the camera, but to me it looks like there is a dog-leg on the rail nearest the camera where the newly laid point meets the toe of the point in the foreground, and if the same rail is followed to the bottom right of the photo (past the point) it looks like there is another dog-leg there too. Whilst these kinks (if indeed they are) may not be the reason for the loco derailing, they may be worth a closer look just to ensure that they are not the cause (you don't say which direction the loco derails in, so these areas of track may not be helping). Ian

One of the things that has been bugging me for a really long time is the Goods Shed. It is the first building I started (and is the last to be completed). Although to all intents and purposes it looked finished, there were a few things missing - hence my being bugged about it! The offending missing items being the large sliding doors on the ends and rear of the shed, and the runners from which they hang (although in actuality the runners themselves are hidden by "weather proofing covers"). So to rectify this situation, at the last Midland Area Group meeting I spent an hour or so scribing the doors on 0.040" plastic sheet, the edges of which were then thinned so that when glued to the stone work they appeared to stand off the surface a little. A pair of thin strips of 0.005" were added to the tops of the doors to represent the brackets that the little wheels that run on the runners were attached to. When painted the doors were super glued in place on the ends of the shed (I had made and fitted the rear doors for the road access ages ago but from normal viewing angles they can't be seen). To make the covers for the runners I had originally tried to fabricate one in plastic but found it ridiculously flimsy, so while at Railex at the weekend I obtained a couple of pieces of brass angle with a view to soldering some up. Hopefully the diagram below will illustrate how ... Once the two angles had been sweated together a rebate was formed to allow the 0.010" end piece to fit snuggly behind the upright of the 2mm angle. The end pieces themselves were made from 8 pieces of scrap etch sweated together then filed to shape (to give me a couple of spares in case I lost any). Once the main pieces were together I added three 0.5mm pegs behind the 2mm angle to allow the covers to be fixed to the walls in corresponding holes. To finish the covers a sloping roof of 0.010" plastic card was super-glued in place (I was reluctant to add this in metal as I felt the odds of something else coming adrift was too high!) Finally they were held in pin chucks (by one of the pegs) and given a spray of self etch primer. To save ruining my pin chucks I wrapped each in cling film before applying the paint!! Another of the missing items on the shed were the downpipes. These were bent up from 0.5mm phosphor bronze wire with little brackets soldered on from twists of fine wire, the tails of the twists being secured in holes in the walls. The resultant downpipes were then carefully painted in my usual mix of GWR Dark Stone (PP Dark Stone with a little White added). The final item that always bugged me was the crane inside the building - I had made it (like myself) far too overweight (the woodwork being made from 3mm (18") square section). So another evenings work provided a replacement in 2mm square section. A few photos of the finished Goods Shed ... West end of the Goods Shed (the office door has also acquired a brass door handle - a stub of 0.33mm wire) A view of the West end of the Goods shed and cattle dock. Excuse the detritus in the background - I should have dropped the dust cover down! A mobile phone view of the East end of the shed. A mobile phone view of the rear of the shed - this view is only achievable with a small camera (or phone camera) A view of the platform elevation of the Goods Shed (again taken with a mobile phone camera) A final shot down the length of the layout (taken under layout lighting with the dust cover is in place to block out ambient light from the window and hide the detritus of the workshop) Ian

Dave, To finally see Sherton Abbas in the flesh was a real pleasure. Also to be able to put a face to a name was good too! The award for "Best Layout" is truly deserved (especially as the competition was exceedingly high). As others have remarked, the layout looks better in real life than it does on the computer monitor. Congratulations. Ian

I must admit that I have always felt that the GWR Grey sold by Precision Paints, Railmatch, etc is a bit on the dark side for 2mm models. It's probably fine for 12" to the foot preserved stock though. I always use Humbrol matt 67 and no one has (yet) told me that my wagons are too light (in colour). Ian

After taking some photos of something else (a clerestory coach that's on the workbench), I discovered a few photos I'd taken of Modbury at the recent Lutterworth exhibition. Most suffered from severe depth-of-field issues, but there was quite a nice one of the overall setup that I took before the public were allowed in :

Rich, This one's actually been on the go for quite a while - it was the first coach kit I bought from Allan (at the 2mm Wallingford event a few years ago not long after I started in 2mm scale). I soldered one side to one end and that was as far as it got! If you do have a 10' bogie pair surplus to requirements, I will happily take it off your hands. This is the only coach that I have that requires 10' bogies - I have a diagram C4 "All 3rd" and a diagram E14 1st/2nd Composite to make up a short set, and they will both sit on 6'4" bogies. Ian

One of the several things that have found its onto my workbench in the last week or so is my first bogie coach - a GWR Dean period diagram D37 Van 3rd (with a clerestory roof). This is one of Worsley Works "scratch aid" kits, being basically a floor, sides and ends, and clerestory sides and ends. Having put together Allan's GWR 4 wheeled coaches, I found the parts went together easily enough. A roof then had to be sourced, so I cut a suitably sized piece of 0.005" brass sheet for the main roof, and carefully rolled the 3-arc roof profile. Thinking about the clerestory element of the roof, I decided to go the same way that I had with my 6 wheeled coach from my own etch - that is to say I cut holes in the roof where the clerestory would go - the reason for this is two-fold i) I wanted to assemble the clerestory sides and ends onto the main roof and then enable the clerestory roof to be fitted afterwards, so I needed a way to get the iron into the clerestory to attach the roof from the inside, and ii) in the period I model the windows in the clerestory would still be glazed so I needed access to the clerestory interior so I can fit the glazing. General view of where I'm at - Underframe bent up and solebar/upper footboards fitted. Body basically ready for trying to fit clerestory roof. One Dean 8'6" bogie assembled. Because no bogies are provided in the kit, I am going to fit some of my own design. When I did the 6 wheeled coaches I included Dean 6'4" and 8'6" bogies on the sheet (only to realise now that the D37's actually had Dean 10'0" bogies!). However, until I do another etch this model will be fitted with Dean 8'6" bogies for the time being. The bogie etch includes brakes and footboards, but still needs the volute springs fabricating and fitting. The basic bogie as designed. The two-layer springs are a bit fragile until soldered (one of the springs on the far side has lost a "spring cup" on one end of its outer layer). The gaps in the footboard are to accommodate the volute springs when I've fabricated/turned them up. The supports below the footboard need a wipe or two with a file to thin them and make them less obvious. There's still loads to do, obviously the clerestory needs a roof. Both grooves will then need rain strips. The door vents need to be added above the doors, and the door G grab handles need sweating on. The gas lamps and associated piping will have to be added to the clerestory roof. The handrails added to the step end and the brake tell-tale, etc added to the other end. And of course there's another bogie to be made and the underframe needs all of its various fittings made and fitted. Ian edit : PS Out of interest how do others do their clerestories? Is there a better way?

Dave, I remembered that this issue had come up before so I went and found Nick's post on your blog before I posted this thread. The problem I have is that Nick didn't quote his source so for me is in conflict with Great Western Way. I was hoping that someone more knowledgeable than me will be able to offer some "proof" rather than hearsay. Ian PS I hope to come down to Railex specifically to see Sherton Abbas next weekend.

I am trying to establish what colour I should be painting GWR Loco Headcode Lamps for a circa 1906 layout. I have 2 copies of Great Western Way, the earlier issue is rather silent on the issue, whereas the later one states that prior to 1903 the lamp cases were black with a white panel on the rear upon which was a red S, and a white diamond was painted on the left hand side (as you look at the lens). From 1903 the lamp cases were red. Now that's fine, but I have in the back of my mind that the red lamp cases were introduced in 1903 for steam rail motors, and that black lamp cases were retained until about 1915 (almost certainly with the diamond and S panels painted over as they were superfluous after 1903). My problem is that I cannot find any evidence in any of the books I have looked in to support the 1915 change (or that the red lamps were initially introduced for rail motors). So have I imagined the 1915 date? Is it just a theory that someone mentioned on a forum somewhere that may or may not have supporting evidence? Thank you in anticipation... Ian