Phil Brighton

58'6" 3rd done in the same way.

I had planned to get to Southampton today to see Grantham but it wasn't possible in the end sadly. However it did mean I had time to start the buffet car from the Cambridge Buffet Express. I am planning to make the 5 coach set 1933-1939. The diagrams I am going for are: 58'6" GN 258 Corridor Brake 3rd 58'6 GN 248 Corridor 3rd 58'6 GN 78T Buffet 61'6" GN 164K Corridor Composite 58'6 GN 258 Corridor Brake 3rd They will be made from converting old style Hornby Gresleys (spot on for 58'6" and spare Kirk kit parts. Good opportunity to give D16s, B12s, B17s a reason to be at Potters Bar. First up a old Hornby Gresley Strip it back sanding off all the beading, roof vents and cut off the corridor connectors. Cut out a strip where the windows go. New floor from 1.5mm plasticard, channel for solebars, buffers cut from the Hornby coach and spare kirk bogies. Sides drawn up from Islinglass drawings and Steve Banks website. Then cut on the silhouette machine. Assembled Added to the coach with roof vents, kirk corridor connectors and a few other bits and bobs added.

The 55'6" brake has been narrowed to 8'. Was fairly straight forward in the end. However I have been finishing off other bits I have been working on for a while. In no particular order the Coronation, GNR full brake and DJH C2.

Thanks. Useful to see. The ducket on the 55'6" is a more complex shape that the first one but should be ok.

I am afraid Steve Bank's website is a bit dangerous and it tempted me into building another GNR full brake along side the one above. This time I took an old Hornby Gresley, sanded and cut off the detail, shortened it to 55'6", make a new floor and sides.

Van mainly built barring a few handrails. Think I got the toplights right. Just perched on the bogies, not really that wonky. I think maybe the footboards are too prominent so may swap them.

As normal I have got 99% of the way there on both the C2 and the Coronation and something else has got my attention. I will finish them in a week or so. I was flicking through a carriage drawings book and though that I could use a kirk non corridor full brake as the basis for a GNR passenger van Diagram 307. Sides have been made from plasticard layers using a cutting machine.

Been a while.... However there is progress on the layout and stock. The bulk of the layout is done with details like fences, lamps and bits and bobs being added now. I am also building a DJH C2 which is beyond this now and sitting in primer. Finally I have been building a Mailcoach Coronation set. The observation coach is done now and the rest of the set are very nearly at the same stage. Never easy kits these.

Few more pics.

I haven't had much time at all this year to make progress on the layout but did have a play around with a nicer camera and photoshop today. Still not all in focus and the sky is probably a bit much but thought I would pop them up. Messed with the colour of the grass here, not really worked

Hi all, Well I haven't got round to posting in 7 months but I haven't been completely idle. Most of the loco fleet is now weathered crewed and lamped. Also I have been starting on the buildings. None of them finished but coming along. Sorry as ever about the quality of the photos, one day I will work out how to get better results.

Thanks - I will try this out

Hi all, I have been using a Portrait Cutter successfully on plasticard for a while but now wish to cut accurate windows to flush glaze some coaches. Unfortunately the cutter is not cutting the clear plastic accurately. I don't know if the blade is slipping or the material moving on the mat but the cuts outs are not square and egdes not straight. Anyone managed to get good cuts on clear plastic? If so any tips? Thanks Phil

Bit more progress on scenery and done some first weathering of locos. Last picture is of a resin Mailcoach kit for the GNR Quintuplet Leeds Set. Also had a go at making a tree you can see in the background.

Lovely weathering on those coaches there. I am modelling the 1930s so as Mike says it should be primrose. However in model form I find yellow too much particularly when the rest of the coach is weathered. It does seem in photos the lining is very hard to make out so maybe better off left off

Hi all, I have over quite a time now been making an adding to a set of Kirk Gresley Coaches I am pretty pleased with the teak effect I can get, sorry the photos below are not great. However I am still in two minds about the lining. I originally did it in yellow but it just didn't look right. In fact in many pictures of preserved teak coaches and even more so on the colour pictures from the 20s and 30s you simply can't see the lining at all when the coaches are in service and a bit grubby. Currently I just have just lined them with a light brown but I do think some indication of the lining might be good. What do others use as a lining colour. Bright yellow is out. Also just as an aside I bought a tin of Humbrol Ochre to try that but its the third humbrol enamel in a row that is an unusable gloop so I am giving up on those paints altogether. The all first has been flush glazed neither have the roof stuck down. Thanks Phil

Sandy is a quite a bit more ambitious that this and you will have nicer track! I might end up back at track laying soon as the storage yard is already too small with only 4 tracks. Should have taken the advice i was given and preprared for that.

Hi all, Just to show I have not been completely idle... Nothing in the pictures is finished. Lots do do on the locos, stock and scenery but it's coming along. I have tried to get to a point with the layout where the big messy parts are done but I have not quite got there yet. DJH C1 heads north Coal drops still need a lot of work J6 on a local train heads south moving to the two track section from the slow line A few more pictures while I am at it K3 on a coal train. It really should be heading the other way fully loaded into London Silver Jubilee from above Still haven even got the basics of scenery on the 'north' end

I just did a bit of searching and found this http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/74479-welwyn-north-track-plan-changes/ Turns out you recommended that book to me in the first place!

Jonathan, As far as I can remember I did establish the track plan in the mid-30s and I think the cross-over had gone by then. However when looking at the book I thought detailed this, Welwyn's Railways by Tom Gladwin (if you haven't a copy I would very highly recommend it), it doesn't make it clear. The cross overs were there in the 1907 image of that end of the station and the book doesn't talk about any rebuilding until 1935. I am sure this was the bit that gave me most trouble with the track plan. I will see if I can dig out any more info and let you know as I am sure I did reach a conclusion in the end and my designs for the station don't have it. I have done a fair bit more on the layout in the last weeks so I better do an update...

The kit and the build are looking great. My streamline trains are/will be based on the Mailcoach kits but I will watch with interest if you do tackle the fairings between the coaches. I must say I have never seen an effective representation of them but that's not to say it hasn't or can't be done. I will shamelessly copy any good ideas! Phil

Thanks for the info on the C1s haulage. I am still a bit surprised by the feebleness of mine, although there is plenty of space for weight so it is solvable. In fact in some tests the other day it comes second to last in my collection only ahead of a nucast 4-4-0 D2. The four rather than 6 coupled wheels is the uniting factor I think. All the six coupled rtr stuff beat them. The odd one out being a Bachmann O4 with no guts but a boiler full of lead has transformed that.

Videos from Little Bytham My C1 going round Tony's part built J69 and C2 A few of Tony's trains I have kept the sound on as I think people like that but tried to minimise my annoying voice. Its not going to win any Oscars unless there is one for best peering closely

Tony. Thanks again for a very enjoyable visit. I will post up some videos once I have had a chance to edit them a bit. Little Bytham was great and worked flawlessly - something to aspire to, particularly in terms of running.

yep missed them as well!