jwealleans

Bits of tube and castings suitably attached and it was all a lot quicker than I was expecting. I did have to reinforce the stepboards with some hefty wire as they were starting to feel a bit fragile. I think Dan must have had a 'moment' when he packed the roofs with these, though. I've now started the Riding Van - even more beading but equally tedious.

Did I hear the words 'War Surplus' whispered somewhere.....?

Hallo Brian - yes, once this is done I have the Riding Van and then a GN horsebox to do (saving the best until last).

Christmas and work notwithstanding we have been doing a bit from time to time. I've got half way through this box of kits and had the spray cans out: Roofs aren't attached to the brake vans as otherwise they'll be almost impossible to glaze after final painting. The next in the pile is the Tool Van. This has beading round all the sides. The instructions do say that it's a bit tedious to apply and they aren't wrong. Still, it looks OK once it's cleaned up and washed. It is a 6 wheeler; there's an interesting affair with bits of tube for the centre axle which I may have a crack at tomorrow if my brain feels up to it. After that I think it's just castings for this one.

Didn't they go through a period where drivers had little plates with their names on which they hung on the cab sides? I'm sure that's in Top Shed. Anyway, it'll give a whole new dimension to your photo captions - "Driver Shakespeare accelerates the down Leeds relief, cursing the leaking steam from the Thompson front end while driver Rush watches from the goods loop where he's been for the last forty minutes and wonders where he's taking the bogie bolsters he attached at Doncaster...."

Shame I didn't know that... you could have given me and my dad a lift with the very heavy box he's just had delivered. And looked at this tree I need felling....

If you don't mind doing your own artwork (GIMP is your friend here) John Peck will do you a sheet of white decals only for about a tenner. He did me these - enough for four ferry vans and half a dozen LNER CCTs - earlier in the year.

I wonder if it's the effect of the paint... they look OK in the last unpainted shot back up thread.

Canny job, Paul. Is it the angle of the pictures or are the cab windows a shade small?

Long day today, but a bit of relaxing fiddling at the bench to wind down at the end of it.... this is starting to come together now. It started showing that reaction again along the bottom of the cab front this afternoon, but then when I took it up into the damper, colder attic it disappeared again. It's going to be weathered over and left well alone after that, I suspect. I can't go more than a few days without building something... this is the next of the kits for Scottiedog. D & S V4 brake van. Another one of Dan's older kits and it shows.. a bit of a fiddle, plastic floor to fit and then more bits to solder on afterwards... still, it all fits together and it looks like what it's supposed to be. You can't ask for much more.

Well, still in the dark about the brakes, so a few suggestive bits of wire will have to do. In the meantime, while keeping my head above water, been doing bits and bobs to locos this week. First of all I can confirm that Branchlines can supply these: Two sets is a pair. They are very nice when assembled, I've used them before on another K3. Progress on the intended recipient as well, delayed a bit as I had a paint reaction on the cab edges (only? bizarre) and had to strip and repaint it. The two B1s are all but done, coaled and crewed and awaiting final inspection in daylight and maybe a touch more weathering here and there: Lastly I've had a first go at the Ivatt - again a look in daylight is required and then a bit more here and there. I'm finding it hard to fit a crew into that cab. Finally, the Gramodels resin wagons; I'm not sure whether the 1 plank stone wagon has been on here before, but both are now lettered up and need final painting and weathering.

Now that will be a talking point!

I cannot claim any knowledge of the prototype, but the most striking thing on seeing your photos is the different distance between running plate and cylinder. Each loco has a different dimension as far as I can see.

Really nice, Ken and very unusual as well. I must have seen the original although it was many years ago.

Another one rolls off the bench... nice straightforward build, this. The roof isn't attached or detailed as it will need to be stuck on after painting and glazing. D & S NER Ballast Brake (DS 230). Does anyone have any sort of idea how the brake rigging should go? I have two bits and some wire and not much else to go on.

Someone said that that was impossible on QI. Some episodes later they showed someone in the audience doing it.

Post #1030.....

Here it is with 14mm wheels shoehorned in and up against the buffer height gauge. Even given the slightly jaunty angle of one of the buffers it's slightly high, but not so far out as to be ridiculous. We won't be shunting this one either, I suppose. If it were mine I'd go for 14mm spoked wheels. Fancied a change this lunchtime after I had to fill the cabsides on that K3 again (I know where those cracking noises were from now) so I spent about 45 minutes putting this together. It's another resin casting from Graham Baker, this one for an LSWR Lowmac. I had to source buffers and axleboxes, which I got from the stores at Ormesby as this will run on Corfe when complete. You also need to make up the buffer protector plates, which I have done and add brake levers which aren't in the kit. I expect it'll be easier to see once I've primed it.

Cheers, Pete; someone else suggested them as well. I've dropped them a line.

Well, I had almost a full day at the bench today and did all sorts. To continue from my previous post, the K3: I stuck body onto tender and added rear buffer beams of Friday evening. There was some pitting on one tender side so that had a few coats of filler primer. The photos are showing the cab tilted back - that must have been a side effect of fitting the boiler after the cab, which was probably a mistake. I hadn't noticed it on the model but it will have to be attended to. I made all the holes to make it RHD, then read that this batch were all converted back to LHD by 1937 so I had to open out all the original holes and fill in the new ones. I will have to fit a new steam pipe anyway as I've moved the cab back about 2mm and it's no longer long enough. I've also mislaid the Spencer buffers I know I have somewhere - does anyone know who might stock them? They're Kean Maygib and I can't find them listed anywhere. A coat of paint brings it all together very nicely. As you can see, I've added the cabside step I forgot about as well. While we're on locos I started weathering the two B1s today as well. They've had a dirty wash over which has then been cut back and some powder applied to the tenders. The wheels have also been painted but the motion is awaiting some more Humbrol 53, my last tin having inconsiderately dried out. Also on the bench today this rather pretty little Ivatt 2 which will run on Thurston. As per the owner's instructions, I've added the cab doors, vac pipes, screw links and lamp irons. Front steps have also been put on although I give them about 5 minutes, there's no real firm mounting point for them. I was considering tender pickups, but I failed to get the body off, not wanting to apply the amount of brute force apparently required to a loco which isn't mine. As this isn't a DCC ready model there's no existing loco-tender connection I could use. As you can see I'd already renumbered to Cambridge's 46467. The coaches are coming along having been stuck for 'E' transfers for a week or so. I didn't find any interior shots so I went with two pictures and a mirror which is my default setting. The shells can now be glazed and the whole things reassembled. I can't go a week without making a wagon and a few have crossed the bench lately: I was given some Ks kits which had been donated to Ormesby Hall and asked if we could use any of them. These two are clearly in period for Pilmoor. I think they've scrubbed up rather well, as long as no-one asks what an odd banana van is doing wandering the LNER. The ex-Ratio Gunpowder van and an MAJ L & Y van both lettered up and awaiting weathering after some more varnish and a bit of curing time. Best until last and the sort of thing the forum would benefit from more of; one of a number of kits I have to build for Scottiedog, all D & S and which I'm looking forward to working my way through. I started it Friday night and finished off the detail this morning although it awaits the arrival of its' vac pipes. Wheels are also a query - Dan says 14mm Mansell but all the photographs I have show spoked wheels and the buffers are the right height with the 12mm wheels I've fitted. I'll have to revisit that.

Been quite busy just recently, mainly work but I did have a fun weekend at Newcastle as can be seen elsewhere. I was also able to pick up the handrail knobs I required (Nairnshire Modelling Supplies - worth a look at a show or online, they do all sorts) and a flared coping tender top from Dave Alexander. So last night I took to the K3 again and this lunchtime I put the tender together (really - it took about half an hour). I've put the backhead in - as Graeme forecast it projects a bit too far into the cab but not so far I can't live with it. Nothing is glued down yet - there's packing under the cab floor and also down the sides where the brass is much thinner than the Bachmann plastic. The tender also needs levelling and a buffer beam adding at the back - I bought the version intended to go onto the Hornby tender drive as it was always my intention to reuse the chassis. Dave's kit also had the rear coal plate over the water scoop dome. Mine needs to be further forward so I've made a filler piece for that.

I note that in the current Railway Modeller Andrew Hartshorne (51L/Wizard Models) is now advertising 4 GNR coach kits. I assume these are from Rupert Brown. Nothing on the website as yet, but it has just been Hull Show.

One word for you, Gilbert.... Footex.

Nothing wrong at all with those techniques, but I'd also say 'be aware of what you're weathering'.... that rusty coach side is actually made of wood. (Ed - which I'm sure the OP knew, but you still see wagons with rusty wooden sides or solebars).

Until you get on a pushbike; then every road is at least slightly uphill (and generally into the wind as well).