Recently picked up a Lima 3 car class 117 at a very reasonable price. Originally I was going to finish it in green with speed whiskers, but as it will have a home on my next layout, I will be having small yellow panels and gangways, which places it about 1965.
So, what needs doing to bring it up to a reasonable standard.
1. Glazing. I had one before and fitting flush glazing makes a huge difference. SEF supply this.
2. As supplied, you get two DMBSs. It is highly unlikely that they ever ran as this combo. DCKits sell the original Silver Fox conversion parts.
3. Wheels. As I will not be using it to cut pizzas, I will be changing the wheels. Alan Gibson do the wheels and they are available on 24.5 axles to suit Lima. For the trailing axles on the power car, I have ordered some from Ultrascale.
4. Motor. I am not a fan of the Lima motor, so will be replacing it with a Black Beetle. I did consider getting a newer Hornby chassis from a 121, but after looking at my sons, decided not to go this route.
5. Headcode boxes. They look just too small. Options for this are plasticard and filler or whitemetal ones from Craftsman models.
Other things.
Buffers on my purchase were 12" ones. I am going to fit whitemetal ones the the outer ends of the unit and sprung ones between the cars.
Couplings. This is a given. The ones at the outer ends are removed completely to allow full buffer beam detailing. Between cars I will fit Kadees.
Marker lights. The 117s didn't get these until quite late in their lives, so they are removed. This also saves on getting a lighting kit.
Interior. Slap a bit of paint over the seats. Paint the wall, doors and partitions, add a crew and some pax.
Exterior. Two coats of Halford's Vauxhall Pine Green over their grey primer matches the green on my Bachman 108 pretty well. Tranfers from ModelMaster Decals, including the SYP.
Photo's will follow as I get on with it.
I also picked up a spare trailer for a song to run it as a four car set, though I have no evidence that they ever ran like this. Two photo's I have seen of them in four car sets, both have a 101 trailer in the formation.
A bit of plasticard and filler and hey presto.
I have also filled the marker lights and removed the handrails from beneath the windows for replacement with wire.
OK. Lets look at the interior. On the 117s and other WR units, so I understand, the seats were covered in what was probably the same as in Mk1 coaches. Maroon for 2nd class and deep blue for 1st. I have used Citadel(Games Workshop) Scab Red for 2nd and Regal Blue for 1st. As for the rest of the inside, I have used Bleached Bone for the formica covered walls and Revell Leather for doors. The floor was done with Tamiya Deck Tan, although this will hardly be seen from outside.
The headrest have been left the original plastic colour as these were tan vinyl in 2nd.. The seat ends were also formica, so these were painted as they show through the windows. Hardly the most professional painting job, but by the time it's populated it will hardly show.
Serious problems in getting motivated with the layout. I've run trains and built stock since the last entry, but done nothing on the railway. There are a few thing I am not happy with. For a start the turn into the station is too tight. It should have been 3' but is closer to 2'6". The section at the far end suffers from changes in temperature, leading to railjoiners un coupling, hence derailments, this need to be more solid. Not happy with my ballasting, looks OK for a modern layout, but not tidy enough for my period. And finally, there is not going to be enough scenic area for my liking.
What do I do ?
Putting up a 20'x10' shed to house a model railway, may seem to many to be the answer to our dreams. But believe me when I say it's not big enough. It doesn't matter how much space you have, it will never be enough.
I think I will go back to the first large railway I started. A seaside resort station, loosely based on Weymouth. Three, maybe four, platforms, a couple of carriage sidings, small goods yard and loco' servicing facilities. And to use the quay tramway as a way to a roundy-roundy section. Something I started in the late eighties, but had to stop as it was decided to move house. Restarted in the new house, but then being told I wasn't required there any more. In the shed, I have more than enough space for the original plans and some to spare. It will mean a partial clear out of some loco's, though some Midland ones will find a home on the Somerset Coalfield layout. But it will give me a reason to run both SR and WR stock.
Anyway, of on holiday for a week or so and a chance to put some thought into it. See this space when I come back.
The nearest structure will have a roof added covering an open area to it's front. This is where a steam powered circular saw will go. On the far right of it will go a forge. The wood stores are from Will's and Atlas.
A couple of the brewery. The first is of the loading area. The second looking across the yard to the stables.
The building beyond the satble is the town fire station. This is the Skaledale one.
Still pondering over the signalbox. I have three choices.
First the Southern art-deco version modelled on Templecombe.
I do like this, but worry that it is A, a little large for the size of the yard and section of line and B, would it have windows all around in it's setting. Probably something more like the one at Portsmouth Harbour would be more in keeping.
Next is the Bachmann Hampton Hill box.
Again I like this one. Size wise it is more suitable than the last. It is however an LNER design and I havn't seen anything like it in the West Country. Though it's not a million miles from the Southern design.
The final choice is a more traditional design. This is the Heljan box, and although as supplied, it makes up into little more than a simple box, it does offer scope for improvement.
If anyone has any thoughts on this, please feel free to express them.
Some new motive power has been seen in Somercombe.
S15 from a DJH kit.
Still have to take the brightness off the motion and DCC it. It also needs a crew and the weathering needs finishing.
My new Bachmann 3MT tank ready to work the stopper to Salisbury. The emblem has been changed and I have given it a light weathering.
My "Teddy bear". In the yard after working a pick-up down from Westbury via Yeovil Junction.
Finally for now, my Beyer-Peacock diesel electric prototype. Still more to add, but I now have all the pieces. Hymek buffer beam and fairings will be used around the front, Hymek style fuel tanks are to be made. All will give the impression of utilising existing parts to save costs. Glazing will be SEF.
Not done much on Somercombe since my last entry. I was hoping to get some done this week with my week of rest days, but I left myself available and ended up with 4 rest days work, so far. One of the little jobs I am doing, is to crew the rest of my steam loco's. I am using Masterpiece Falcon Figures. I have tried other makes, but the variety of poses makes these, in my mind, the best.
Just added crews to four more this morning, my 2 Q1s, a Black 5 and my 8F. First time using my phone for posted images.
Flash makes them look a bit glossy. I have used Citadel paints, shadow grey, regal blue and midnight blue for the overalls and glued them in with Bostick
Just spent 1½hrs working on this fence. The posts were put in a few days back. Tonight I added the wires.
You can just make out the wire. I used fishing line for this as it worked out pretty much to scale. Thing is, from normal viewing distance it cannot be seen, hence this topics title. I will persevere though, or at least until I run out of fence-posts.
Decided that the layout needs some form of lighting. After costing out the streetlights, I decided to have a go at making my own. I will be putting them on two circuit. The night one will include the station and street lighting, plus some of the upstairs in the shops and the chipshop ,pub and cinema. The daytime one will do the shop interiors, goods shed. I purchased some white LEDs and copper tube for the street and station lights and tonight put together a prototype.
This is the design for the station light, some will be doubles like this and others single. I will make a different pattern for the streetlights.
Costwise, the LEDs were 13p each and the copper tube came to about 30p. This one took about 15min to put together.
Rest day today and some more work done to the brewery.
The main structure now has floors and windows. Decided to add a few bits and pieces to the outside of the buildings.
As you can see from the second picture, I have bricked up a few windows to add a little more interest to it.
Another little job done today was to finish this.
Bashed from a Bachmann Junior loco. New chimney, safety valves, handrails and buffers. Originally I bought this to test decoders prior to cutting the plug off for fitting to non-socket fitted lococ's. But I decided it could have a better life than that and it will now be used on my next planned layout, which will feature a colliery. It will be weathered a bit and I would like to fit front and rear headlights to it.
I just thought I would add a few details about the location of Somercombe to give a clue, or excuse, for the traffic that can be seen going through.
Somercombe is between Yeovil Junction and Chard on the LSWR mainline, in Somerset and close to the Dorset border. It's location give me an excuse for a wide range of traffic flows. As well as the named trains, ACE and Devon Belle (in the '60s . Oh well, it's my railway)and other fast and semi-fast services to and from the Great Wem(Wm Cobbett, Rural Rides) there is a stopping service from Salisbury which terminates here and a local from Yeovil Pen Mill, this usually operated by a 14Xx and auto coach. Other passenger services are Saturday excursion traffic from the Midlands and North coming off the S&DJR to places like Seaton, Sidmouth and Exmouth. There is also the occaisional diversion from the WR mainline via Casle Cary and Yeovil. Freight traffic is from a variety of sources. Coal from the Somerset coalfield to Exeter and Plymouth will be seen passing through. Pick-up goods between Exeter and Salisbury, Westbury and Somercombe and also from Bath GP, also gives an excuse for a wide variety of motive power.
So there you have it, a scanario that gives me an excuse to run pretty much anything that ever ran in the South and West of England. Though I must add that there are a few anomalies. I have a Clayton, an EE type 4, a Peak, Kestrel and a Super D that stretch things a bit, but as I said earlier, it's my railway.
Golden Arrow kit on a Hornby 8F chassis and a Comet tender.
Also passing through, on a Plymouth - Portsmouth service, was the S15.
And a view from the roof of Wilkins Bro's brewery.
Now with the shiny bits well toned down, weathering just about finished, but still needing a crew, pick-ups and decoder. These can be done later, but at the moment there is a little tight spot whille running on test. It is gradually easing, but I won't fit the pick ups until it has gone.
Well, here it is, 'The Beast' My stretched Hymek on a Falcon chassis, to which I am indebted to 6026, for obtaining it for me.
Body now ready for what I hope is the final coat of primer. As for the final colour scheme, I am open to suggestions, but I don't want to make it too like the original Hymek scheme. One thought is two tone green, like the Brush type 4s, with white or very pale grey window surrounds. As for number? D0270 would fit in nicely between Lion and Falcon, but these were derived from their project numbers. H2?
With my ED finished, sorry no pic's but it looks just as it did before the conversion, thought turn to what to do next. With work on the layout somewhat stagnant, I'm sure when if the weather warms up I will get more enthusiasm, I am getting on with stock. First up is something I have fancied for a long, long time, a stretched Hymek on a C-C chassis. For this I have obtained a spare Heljan Falcon chassis. It looks like this could be a bit of a monster. I will get some pictures of progress on this at the weekend. The other thing I am building, is a DJH S15 to add a much needed SR freight loco' to the roster. Pic's on progress here will also follow at the weekend.
Before I took the chassis over for milling I gave it a quick test run. All working fine . Buffer beams and detailing are now fixed to the body. Still trying to work out the best way for fixing the body to the chassis, but this is a minor worry. A later job will be to fit etched grills and wire handrails. Anyone know if Shawplan do them, I can't find any conversion kits on their website, the fittings page was last updated on 24 February 2004 .
I have now found what I need at M.G.Sharp. A1 models bodyside and roof grills plus the airhorns. What is the correct shade of green on these in their early days Would it be Phoenix P124 B.R. Electric stock green 1959-66. And what colour is the pale green stripe along the bottom, would it be the same as on the Hymeks
Right, well I've given it a bit of a cure close to a radiator and decided to get the two parts joined back together.
Side plates added for extra strength. Pretty much all I will get done today now. Leaving it over a radiator again for 2-3-hours to make sure the epoxy is well cured. I may just give it a quick once over with matt black. Tomorrow I will start putting it back together. Although the first job is to put the side frames onto the bogies.
It's been a while since I posted here and having to warm the shed up before working out there in this weather has led to a loss of enthusiasm . However I have not been completely idle. I have coverted one of my Hornby Stanier firsts into 'porthole' type. Comet sides. Quite pleased with the outcome and may do one of the old Mainline 60' ones.
Few odds and ends to do yet. Grab handles, extra footsteps on corridor side and I need to adjust the compartment arrangement. Not sure if they ever carried roundels and yellow first class stripe, but I like it and it adds a little more variety to the train.
The other thing I will be doing over the next couple of weeks, is to convert my Lima ED to all wheel drive. For this I have purchased a Bachmann class 20 chassis. As this new chassis is the 21 pin type, it will be going into my class 20 and the old one will be converted. The bogie wheelbase is the same as the Lima one, though I understand it should be 1mm out. The wheels are also 1mm too big, but this is closer than the Lima wheels which are 1.2mm undersize, once fitted the bogie sideframes will disguise this. The biggest descrepancy is the bogies centres, 24' for the 20 and 32' for the ED. Hopefully this will not be too noticable . No, this is one of the reasons I chose a 20 chassis. It will be easier to cut than some chassis on account of less metal and the footplate make fitting the extension bars somewhat easier. 4mm square brass tube has been procured for this and will be epoxyed (ied ?)in place, with brass plate on the sides. Only one end will be extended and a longer cardan shaft has been sourced from Bachmann, though this may need extending as well, but easier than the ones on it already. I will endeavor to post progress in this blog.
Meanwhile, one more day to work before Christmas. I just hope it is a little less hectic than today . I'm off to Pompey again.
I am beginning to wonder whether to keep this blog up, or whether to go back to the old style and put it in layout topics. Personally I find the blogs a great way of updating progress and the latest are always at the top of the pile. But I don't seem to be getting as much feedback as before. Sure, people are reading it, but there is just not the comments there was before. And looking at other's blogs, it seems that this is the case across them all. I do enjoy reading other's comments and criticisms of my efforts, so that I don't go blindly down the wrong alley.
It will be interesting to see if this brings any comments. But anyway. One more day to work on the layout, then it's 8 straight days at work.
First up, we have the brewery kit.
Yes, it is a big kit. Bought it many years ago because I had a plan for it. And now, all these, years later I have a use for it.
The bridge is only resting in position, It will be level. And a loading bay between the main buildings.
I will be putting floors into the building to give it some strength and so it doesn't look like an empty shell. I have yet to decide on a name for it, but I have a few in mind: Starkey, Knight & Ford, active into the mid '60s before being absorbed into Whitbread. They had breweries in Bridgewater and Tiverton. So maybe another in Somercombe . Another name I may have is Wilkins Bros. Again a real brewery, this time in Bradford-on-Avon and distant relatives of mine. Or it may just be Somercombe.
A few now of Griffin & Fudge(Engineers) and the timber yard. Some work to do here, but it shows their location in relation to the station.
Looking towards the station from behind the works.
The building that can be seen here are only to give an impression. The bungalow goes elsewhere and the mill/warehouse will go towards the signal box.
Picked this up on ebay a couple of years back. Someone has made a lovely job of painting it.
Mostly working actually. But I did spend a little time on Somercombe and now I have a week of annual leave starting tomorrow, I hope to get more done.
Firstly I purchased a granite pestle and mortar from Tesco for the princely sum of ??7. Then, in return for a helping hand, I got hold of a tubfull of fine coal from one of my neighbours. Some of this has been ground up and graded, first through a cheap metal tea-strainer to get the dust out, then through some 1mm mesh for something that can be used to represent anthracite or phurnacite nuts, the rest can be used as household coal, with any larger pieces going back to the pestle and mortar.
Then different grades were put into the coal staithes.
On the truck I have used Pecoscene(Ex-Merit) coal sacks, glued in place with Bostik, dry brushed with a dark brown. When dry I lightly brush the tops with PVA and sprinkled some of the 1mm coal over.
The coal in these wagons is the same grade glued over the top of either the Dapol/Airfix coal load or the ones from Parkside.
Made a start on putting real coal in all my steam loco's
St4 2-6-0, Fairburn tank behind.
T9
Westward Ho!
Super D
I have used a mixture of sizes on these. I am about halfway through the fleet at present. I think the most diehard enemy of coal must admit that the real thing scales very well and looks so much better than any of the artificial alternatives.
Finally, my one modern loco has to haul something. For this I have a rake of 7 HHAs. I have added weight using liquid lead, put in plasticard tops for the false load, represented the humps using modelling clay then PVA'd it when dry and used the finest coal dust over it with just the odd bits of larger sizes. Also added a little spillage over the sides and ends. They now weigh-in at 250gms and do sound the real deal rumbling around the layout.
I would just like to add that when grinding and sieving the coal, it is best done outdoors so as not to breath in the dust.
Built my ground signals yesterday and got them painted up and fitted last night. For the position of them and the type I am very much indebted to Beast 66606 for his advice. These have been made using the Ratio kit. I still need to fit operating cables, but this will done when the main signals have been built and placed. The same goes for point rods.
Here we have the calling on signal at the exit to the yard.
Next we have the triple signal which controls the movement to the bay, down main and the movement to the next ground signal.
And the double that control movement to up main and to the yard.
OK the pictures don't show them very large, but it was a compromise between showing the signal itself and it's position.
I am in the process of copying over my Somercombe thread. I will be editing post on the way so things may seem a bit fra g me nt ed. But bear with me, I havn't gone and pulled it up and started again.
Finally getting some work done on the layout. It's been a while, but I have had a few ideas to get on with now. The last thing I wanted to do was to put something down and then be dissapointed with it. For the brewery/timberyard area I have looked out an old Humbrol/Euromodel wooden kit. This will be used as a workshop for the timberyard. I will build an open, roofed area to the front of this where a Woodland Scenics steam powered circular saw will go. Attached to the side will be a forge, probably Will's, for shoeing the brewery's horses and making the bands for the cooperage, the brewery and timber yard being one business. Pictures to follow.
While I've been pondering these things, I have been getting other things done. Finally put the finishing touches to my DJH S15. Some frustration with this. It is my first ground up steam loco' kit and it went together fairly well until I connected the motor. It was then I found a tight spot somewhere. Disconnected the final drive and all was smooth again, the chassis would roll down a gradient and the motor and gearbox ran smoothly. But when the grubscrew in the final gear was tightened, the tight spot appeared again. Finally overcame it by giving it an extended run in on a test jig. Last week I fitted a decoder and pick-ups and tried it out on the track. After an hour on it's own I put a few carriages behind it. Disaster. It slipped to a standstill with 5 Bachmann Mk1s. Problem now was the tender. The axles sit in a U- shaped slot in the bogies and despite making sure the axle ran free and was well lubricated, the weight of the heavy tender created too much drag. This morning I fitted bogies from a spare Lord Nelson tender and now it runs happily with nine on.
What else. Finally fitted a decoder to my 7F. This a Golden Arrow kit on a Hornby 8F chassis. I've done another chassis conversion on a Lima ED. Finished it in blue but JZjr now wants to use it with a SWT liveried body for a project he is doing.
Picked up a few Hawkswoth carriages for the diverted service. And finally got a class 15. You may think this is abit off region, but CK assures me that they were regulars on the S&D.
And finally I have been doing a bit of work on Scourie Harbour. Shipbuilding mainly. I have an invite for the Frome show next April, if it goes ahead.
Thoughts are turning to how I should fill in this corner. From the road bridge to a tunnel mouth it will run through a cutting. What type of cutting is what I am pondering over. Should I go for a normal type with 45º banks, or perhaps a retaining wal about 5' to 6' high or a full height walled cutting. In real life there are factors to consider like land use and geology. It could be that I end up with a combination of all three on the inside of the curve and a walled one on the outside as this is dictated by the side of the shed.
Not quite decided where the tunnel mouth will go. I had originally planned for it to go where the ballasting ends. This would give a longer tunnel section and hence darker tunnel. Where it stands at the moment, it is next to the lift out section for the doorway. The garage is inspired by a couple in and around Bradford-on-Avon, Keates Garage on the Frome Road and Winsley Garages in Winsley. Both had a hotchpotch of buildings, car and truck / coach workshops and were coach operators. Keates also had a small car showroom. Winsley Garage was, so I have been told, is the Crump and Pearce garage in The Titfield Thunderbolt. Though I remember it from around 15 years later when one of my first loves was the owners daughter.
