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S.A.C Martin

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Blog Entries posted by S.A.C Martin

  1. S.A.C Martin

    'No.1' in the Works

    By S.A.C Martin,

    It seems rather fitting that my first actual modelling update on the new forum should involve a locomotive very, very close to my heart. It's numbered one, but its not Thomas!!!
     
    In 1994 I saw Flying Scotsman for the first time, at Llangollen in Wales. I was awe-struck by this machine: I remember with incredible clarity looking up at the black & gold nameplate and just studying its polished finish for several minutes.
     
    It very quickly became my favourite locomotive (and in my heart of hearts, it still is, despite the lustre of Tornado, an engine I support monetarily). My dad then bet me that he could show me a locomotive that would change my mind about Flying Scotsman. I didn't believe him, being seven.
     
    A few weeks later my father took me to the National Railway Museum to see one of his favourite engines. She was sitting on the turntable, and had been recently polished.
     
    I remember my first glance up at those incredible driving wheels with such clarity. That memory has stayed with me all my days. Apple green, polished, with a black nose and incredibly intricate white, black, and red lining.
     
    Patrick Stirling's 8ft Single. No.1, Great Northern Railway.
     
    That locomotive has held an fascination for me. Whenever I see a photograph of it, I pause to remember briefly that strange sensation - the open mouth, the "wow" factor of the real thing on the turntable, surrounded by other highly polished steam locomotives and rolling stock. I'm only sorry I've never seen it in steam. If the NRM ever wanted to steam it (and I won the lottery), a cheque would be making its way to York instantly...
     
    That being said, I have always wanted a model of this engine. I've missed out on a few kitmaster models, but after seeing "Emily" in the Bachmann Thomas range (hows that for a subtle irony) well, how could I resist the chance to carve one up to make no.1?
     
    Here's a recap of where we left no.1 on the old forum:
     

     
    To begin with, we have the Bachmann Emily Model, minus face, and with a Kitmaster stirling single tender attached. The tender came as part of a strange lot of engine plus trucks (and the Triang 3F which was paired with the tender became my J17). The Bachmann Emily needed some carving, and I am most grateful to the LNER Encyclopedia forum for some tips as to where and how to carve the body up.
     

     

     

     
    So, a few weeks later, the engine's body had a few changes made. I had drilled out the cab spectacles, cut down the running plate on both sides, removed the moulded handrails and added a suitable smokebox door. The tender at this point was still in its form from when it had been built by its previous owner. There was an obvious problem with the heights between the cab and tender (see above).
     
    Then I had an idea, mainly caused by a suggestion on the old RMweb of carving the Bachmann Emily tender up to make the GNR pattern one I wanted so much...brace yourselves...
     
    I decided to carve up the Kitmaster tender and mix 'n' match the components from the Emily tender to make one tender which was distinctly more GNR like. This also meant I'd have a better ride height, and it also meant that I could attach the tender in the original (more efficient) arrangement. However, I came across this:
     

     
    Could someone please explain to me what the white stuff is??? It's not white tack, and its not chewing gum, but it was used to hold the tender together (!!!)
     
    In fact, I discovered that the only thing which had held any of the tender pieces together, was my previous attempt at replacing the cracked bufferbeam, using a defunct bufferbeam from the spares box and supergluing it in place. If I dropped the tender it would have come apart really, really easily...!!!
     
    I then started bashing the Emily tender frames about. The idea is to graft the kitmaster side frames on top of these to present the illusion of the kitmaster sides actually carrying the wheels (and I hope no one ever looks at the model from behind the tender, as the frames look very fat when finished!)
     
    Carving up the frames:
     

     

     
    At which point I used some real white tack to attach the kitmaster tender sides and top to the frames in order to see how it all looks. It doesn't look too bad, the biggest downer being the width of the tender in all honesty. This gives a very over wide running plate either side of the tender tank, and gives it a look of strange proportions. Still, see what you make of it (and any and all suggestions are welcome!)
     

     
    At this point I decided to humour myself a little. I've been debating whether or not I can do justice to the real locomotive with this kitbash. I decided to paint out the white running plate and paint the smokebox hinges, just for tonight to see if the model is looking any more like the real thing and less like a toy:
     

     

     
    I think I might just about be able to do this. Next job is to finish the tender, then turn my attention to the driving wheel splashers, cab and handrails. I am also considering trying to source a suitable chimney as I hate the look of the Emily one.
     
    Until next time!
     

  2. S.A.C Martin
    I have a friend who is very much a Southern Region fan, so hopefully this blog post will go someway to redressing the "Eastern Bias" somewhat!!!
     
    I've had a Hornby Watersmeet West Country model for some time. The reason behind buying it was originally for use in a friend's university project. I did a mockup of his project using a Dapol kit instead, in the event, and this loco has sat around doing nothing for a number of years.
     
    Then I had a brainwave - I wanted to model real life, preserved (barely!) 249 Squadron as I think it should be rebuilt - caprotti valve gear, giesl ejector and various other additions. So the nameplates and number came off Watersmeet, and I bought the nameplates and numbers accordingly.
     
    Unfortunately...not being aux fait with the Bulleid Pacifics as much as I'd like, I had neglected to check which cab/tender combination 249 Squadron had. as it happens, Watersmeet is only suitable for certain light pacifics, and not 34073. D'oh!
     

     
    However, a change of heart with the name and the numbers led me to recreate Brighton favourite 34055, Fighter Pilot (a malachite green model of which was my father's third ever model, and resides in the cabinet above the desk).
     
    The headcode is specific to our home town and railway line - the "Dartford Loop" as it is called, and hopefully is not too unrealistic to be noticed at a rivet counter's level!
     

     
    I removed the nameplates using a scalpel, and remove the Hornby printed West Country plates at the bottom using careful rubbing with some varnish remover and a cotton bud.
     
    I then weathered the body and tender using Tamiya weathering powders - combinations of mud, gunmetal and rust to keep the green apparent but create a working engine thereafter. I then sealed the weathering using Gamesworkshops' extremely useful "Purity Seal", with careful and light coats of the latter sealing the weathering and making the overall appearance darker.
     
    Fox Transfers nameplates were applied prior to weathering, the number plate and cabside numbers applied prior to weathering.
     

     
    The result is as seen above. Mind, I removed the body from the chassis to do the weathering - I am going to weather the chassis of both loco and tender separately, as I want to make this a fairly decent representation of a working locomotive.
     
    Until next time.
  3. S.A.C Martin

    "45742, Connaught"

    By S.A.C Martin,

    Was experimenting with some weathering techniques on my repainted Jubilee, 45742 Connaught (nameplates ordered and to be fitted when they arrive).
     
    Overall I wanted the weathering to look darker and grimier than I've done previously, but my experiment hasn't really worked. However, the real coal in the tender does look the part better than the moulded coal, even if it's a little higher than it should be.




     
    See what you think - it needs nameplates and front piping to finish, and maybe a going over with the airbrush again!
     
    Until next time.
  4. S.A.C Martin
    Furthering the debate on the Hornby 4VEP thread elsewhere, another problem found was that the trailing bogies at each end had been designed incorrectly. The damper should face inwards, towards the centre of the train, and the guard irons were also on the wrong end, as shown below:



     
     
    This had another affect, as moving turning the bogie around and putting the guard irons on the opposite end would mean that both the steps and the 3rd rail shoes would be in the wrong position - in the former, they would be on the wrong end of the bogie, and no longer under the door, and in the case of the latter, they would be facing the wrong way.
     
    The solution was to cut the steps out and remount them carefully at the opposite end, and with the 3rd rail shoes, to simply swap them from side to another to get the correct orientation.



     
     
    My thanks to everyone on the 4VEP thread, firstly for discovering this inaccuracy, and secondly for helping me fix it! The bogies are now correct orientated throughout the train, and both trailing bogies have been suitably modified.
     
    The next stage was a little weathering using Tamiya weathering powders, to try and make the bogies and underframes look a lot less like black moulded plastic and more like heavy duty metal.
     
    I started with the bogies, dusting on Tamiya "Gunmetal" and "Mud" to give the bogies a little relief, before a light sprinking of the Tamiya "Orange Rust" in specific areas to bring out the colour more. Sealed with Gamesworkshops "Purity Seal", the bogies were returned to the trailer end for photographing:



     
     
    This was also repeated at the opposite end of the coach with the other bogie, along with an attempt at weathering the corridor connection to look a little more workstained: I remember the brown dirt and rust used to seem to converge on the centre of the partition, so checking a few photographs and careful applications of weathering powders resulted in this, after sealing:



     
    Overall I think it is getting there. I am awaiting a few components before I start on the next "fix" for the 4VEP - roof horns, vents and piping to replace in the next week or two, along with a continuation of the weathering I started this weekend.
     
    Until next time!
  5. S.A.C Martin
    A few more modifications!
     
    Firstly, both ends of the 4VEP have had yellow warning panel paint applied to remove the peak, and the cantrails - which were orange - painted to their correct red shade:
     



     
    The cantrails are now correct on every single coach in the train.
     
    Sadly, I managed to break the fine handrails on the trailing coach, so I have replaced it with wire. Overhead warning flashes were removed, as were the numbers for renumbering, and the cab ends weathered further:
     



     
     
    Sadly, I feel the remotoring plan will be going ahead:
     



     
     
    Duff traction tyres, to add to my problems of power and relability.
     
    Still, at least the unit is starting to look the part, weathering wise. Next time I'll have the roof vents, pipes and various other pieces to fit to this Hornby 4VEP.
     
    I will not be beaten by it - all other NSE projects on hold until it runs properly....!
  6. S.A.C Martin
    How else to describe this particular conversion, but "emotional". There's a lot of emotion behind this one.
     
    It all began on a family holiday to Canada. We had met up with my Uncle Edwin and Aunty Grace in Toronto, and taken a variety of transport to arrive in Quebec. Saint-Constant, specifically. Uncle Edwin, or "Uncle Ed", wasn't actually relative by blood, he had married my maternal grandmother's younger sister, but he had always been a close member of the family, and such a wonderfully informed and gentle individual.
     
    I had no idea what was in store for me at the age of seven. I had been much enthralled with my Uncle's work on the Canadian Heritage Museum's Lysander, a World War Two spy plane, and in that amazing trip around Canada I had seen some incredible engineering ranging from that beautiful, part restored aircraft to the old Cadillac my uncle Ed ran around in.
     
    I gazed up at a particular Canadian steam locomotive - I think it was CNR no.4100 (one time most powerful locomotive in the Commonwealth), and heard my father saying those immortal words "I thought you chaps had a Gresley?"
     
    My Uncle went and spoke with a member of the museum, and we were ushered away from the main exhibits, and into a different hall. I can't remember exactly whether we walked, how far we walked if we did, or where it was in relation to CNR no.4100, but all I can remember was seeing shafts of light bursting from a section of roof onto a big, dark, gloomy hulk at the back of the shed.
     
    As we approached, I could hear my Uncle correcting my father that "It's just a headboard - we haven't taken Flying Scotsman!" and as I looked away from them to the engine, I saw the word Canada shine gold for a brief second, before the sun outside faded, and the nameplate become a dull and dusty black and tarnished bronze colour.
     
    It clicked into place only when I stood back from the dark hulk. I had seen this shape before; three times before, in fact, one in the museum at York, one in steam that was visiting the Mid Hants railway, and one in the Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the United States the year before.
     
    "It's an A4" I said, and I remember Uncle Edwin beaming. "Yes - it's our little piece of British Railways", and he went on to describe Dominion of Canada's working life, its preservation years, and the eventual plans for further restoration in the years to come.
     
    "Of course", he said, speaking to my father, "I have always wanted to see it in that beautiful french blue - garter? Garter it is then. Garter blue with the maroon wheels. It's how I remember it, in my last days in Britain. It was a comfort to see this engine during, and after the war. It felt like a piece of Canada I could take comfort in, away from home".
     



     
    He went on to describe the functioning of the bell, how he'd like to see it restored one day with both the bell and the Canadian whistle it had originally had - but "it has to have the valances off. It looks better without the valances, more functional". We all stood there for a few moments longer.
     
    60010 looked, to me, like it had just come straight out of service and into the shed. It still smelled of coal and oil, and though the paintwork was worn and there were patches of rust in places, 60010 looked majestic. A great streak, seemingly forgot by time.
     
    Over the next decade and a half, that conversation faded from memory, until I got the call in early 2007 that my Uncle Ed didn't have long to live. I had started an Aeronautical Engineering degree at Loughborough, which had been almost entirely his influence, and whilst the mathematics was getting me down, the fascinating theory behind the principles of flight had kept me going.
     
    My last phone call with Uncle Ed talked over some portions of gas turbine theory, his work at Pratt & Whitney, the restoration of the Lysander, which was nearly complete and ready to fly; and to my surprise, a few railway anecdotes that I wrote down and filed away, including this one.
     
    I didn't really believe - because I didn't want to - that he was dying. By the time I'd got the money together to fly over there, he had already passed on.
     
    I don't think I've ever fully forgiven myself for not spending more time out in Canada over my formative years, seeing Uncle Ed. I am in a way grateful that he didn't live to see me change my degree from Aeronautical Engineering to English, for I fear he would have been disappointed.
     
    He would never have shown it - he was that sort of a person, always very glass half full, but I lived to hear the pride in his voice when we used to talk about aircraft. He didn't have any children of his own, and in myself and my cousin Mark, he had what was probably closest to grandchildren.
     
    When I found a bell, a turned brass whistle of a size and shape suitable for 60010 in 1949, and managed to get a Hornby model of LNER liveried Kingfisher (single chimney) off eBay - well, I followed the same method I used in making 60022 previously.
     
    I made a slight change to my method this time. I had no spare Hornby bracket for the smokebox numberplate, so I stuck the etched nameplate onto a bit of spare brass, and filed/bent it to shape for fitting on the smokebox.
     
    I then added the bell (which ironically, has come off a scrap Canadian Pacific locomotive I got off eBay as a spares or repair job) and the turned brass whistle to get 60010 - not as I remember it - but as my Uncle Ed remembered it.
     
    And through it, I will always remember him, and the good times we had together.
     



  7. S.A.C Martin
    You will recall that recently, I had been indulging in some conversions of Hornby garter blue A4 Pacifics in order to gain 1949 condition A4s. I identified a few problems with this approach, went away, had a think, and came up with a solution; a set of etches that makes the removal of the valances easier, and also caters for missing components and/or damage.
     
    Peter Harvey of PH Designs recently finished a set of test etches for a conversion kit I had specified. Unfortunately, it's taken me a few weeks to find the time to now get around to using them. One of those things - but the wait was well worth it, in my opinion...
     
    So in this first instance, we have the donor A4 Pacific; a Hornby Kingfisher which has been split from a Flying Scotsman trainset.
     



     
    Now we bring in the etches for the conversion. The first one includes the shaping tool, which you attach to the valances, along with a few components such as the reverser and AWS plate which Hornby's fully valanced models do not have.
     



     
    The second set of etches have replacement lamp irons, doors, numberplate brackets and the crucial missing access hatch (which goes directly below the nameplates on the front end of the streamlined casing).
     



     
    All in all, it looks terrific. Will it work as well?
     
    In short, yes. I attached the valancing shaping tool to the valances through a few careful drops of superglue - since the valances are coming off, it matters not that it ruins the plastic it's attached to! And then ran a sharp scalpel over the length of the shape. Once this was done, I removed the shaping tool carefully, and have soaked it in some meths to clean it off for reuse. The wonders of brass, and the ingenuity of Peter's solution to my problem.
     



     



     
    Using a set of pliers, I carefully bent the valances at the scalpel cuts, until they came clean away. It was so easy that it surprised me when it was all over within five minutes! It took me a good hour to remove Mallard's valances previously.
     
    So here we have the current state of play - missing all of the accoutrements for now, as it's late and I need my sleep! Valances now fully "defrocked" and awaiting some filing down and rubbing with a wet'n'dry pad to finish the job off. I don't think that's come out too badly at all. Spare Kingfisher shown for comparison.
     



     



     
    So there we have it - one set of valances removed in a half hour on a Saturday night. My first bit of modelling for weeks, and I loved it!
     
    Until next time - when I'll be tackling the rest of the test etches for this conversion. Night all!
  8. S.A.C Martin
    For some time I had wondered whether I was always going to be an "also ran".
     
    By that, I mean someone who is happy to buy ready to run engines, have kits built for them, even maybe weathered for them, and on occasion produce a diorama of sorts which looks more or less the part - but hasn't challenged himself enough.
     
    Always that nagging fear, looking at the sheer depth and breadth of modelling on this forum and elsewhere, that I was never going to be anything more than a tinkerer, so to speak, changing numbers and adding some weathering powders, but nothing much else.
     
    I've always had this fear that I somehow wasn't good enough to call myself a modeller. There's been some dire projects I have worked on in years gone by, from when I first started modelling seven years ago (which were good to try, and fail in some cases), and even now I know I am not a good modeller...yet.
     
    But I think I can now actually call myself a modeller with this particular project. I haven't felt this satisfied with anything I've done in terms of modelling for a long, long time. The whole trial and error of the A4 conversions has finally yielded some results I am happy with.
     
    More than, actually. There's one modification to the etches that needs to be done, but on the whole the whole package is superb, and Peter Harvey of PH Designs needs to take a bow for this one. Fantastic design work which results in what I think is a terrific product.
     
    I completed the "de-frocking" of the Hornby Kingfisher this afternoon, adding the rest of the etched parts to complete my 1948/49 based A4 Pacific.
     
    (Incidentally, this conversion kit is also suitable for 1980s era Sir Nigel Gresley or Bittern, if you use a Hornby Mallard model and find an appropriate tender).
     
    So here are the results;
     



     
    First up, adding the missing access hatches on the streamlined casing, and the blank smokebox numberplate bracket (which allows the modeller to add an etched replacement, or put a transfer on for the locomotive of their choice), along with an upper lamp bracket replacement (for which the kit also caters for the lower ones, and tender lamp irons. Very handy to have a few spare if there's a model with any damage!)
     
    Seen below is a comparison between the modified and unmodified Kingfisher models.
     



     
    Then there's the next set of etches to add, on the right hand side the lower firebox sides, and on the left hand side, the same again but with the reverser too (Hornby don't include this on the models with valances, understandably, as it simply wouldn't be seen under the valances).
     



     



     
    It's the reverser to lower firebox arrangement where there needs to be a modification. There is a notch on the left hand side lower firebox bracket for the reverser to go through, but on the etches it is at the bottom, rather than the top, and consequently some modification is required on these etches to allow the reverser to sit in its correct position. A minor discrepancy which didn't take long to sort and also doesn't detract particularly from the quality of the conversion kit.
     
    So there we have it; the end of this particular portion of the overall trial. There's a few more bits which I will address next week in Part 3, but for the moment, that's all to report. Next time I'll go through the final bits and pieces along with painting the brass components, cleaning up the valances a little more, then naming and numbering the A4 Pacific test candidate - who is Kingfisher for now but won't be next time...
     
    Thanks for reading, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
     
    Simon
  9. S.A.C Martin
    Sorting out my stocklist, I looked over my two valance conversions and spotted that something was amiss compared to my Walter K. Whigham A4 Pacific. The problem lies directly with the use of either Kingfisher or Mallard models as the donor locomotives for these conversions.
     
    The short access hatches at the front end under the nameplates, are wrong - they should be the double length ones as seen on the Walter K. Whigham model, and any of the BR green liveried A4s that Hornby produce.
     
     



     
    So the dillemma is simple - the choice is, cut the valances from the same donor models - but modify the hatches, or repaint BR liveried A4s garter blue with coronation red wheels.
     
    Hornby have not offered an A4 Pacific in the garter blue/single chimney/long access hatches form yet, so it is up to me to decide whether I can live with the knowledge of this fairly minor physical discrepancy, or want to repaint a vast number of A4 Pacifics in the forms I want.
     
    I do know that at this point in time, I am not comfortable repainting a vast number of A4s - so am leaning towards ignoring the discrepancy, OR...
     
    ...designing an etched replacement access hatch to fit onto the A4 bodies which need it. Good idea, bad idea...?
     
    It really can be thoroughly infuriating finding a new problem once you think you've cracked the method!
     
    In terms of the stocklist, I am debating adding Dwight D. Eisenhower and removing Sir Nigel Gresley, as Dwight D. Eisenhower was the only A4 to remain in LNER livery through to 1949. Albeit, I believe as E8 and not 4496 as it was post-war. This would add something a little different to the other planned garter blue A4s.
     
    Until next time.
  10. S.A.C Martin
    So many projects on the go, it simply isn't funny. However, thankfully life is returning to normality shortly, so some updates on my plethora of coaching stock to be finished, and a few locomotives (one in particular) will be forthcoming.
     
    That, and I have to think of a 2011 entry. Surely I can start and finish one this time around...!!!
  11. S.A.C Martin
    My main aim for Copley Hill is to eventually be able to run and showcase a decent stock of locomotives, which portray as accurate as possible (or within the realms of my fantasy) locomotive classes which would have been found at Copley Hill. This means - as the shed was in the West Riding in Yorkshire - that I need a whole host of Great Central and Great Northern Railway classes, including, but not limited to, N1s, N5s, C1s, C12s, C14s, J6s, and so on and so forth.
     
    I decided that this year would be the year of the "Pacific and the Atlantic" in terms of filling the gaps in my stocklist for these locomotive wheelbases.
     
    So this portion of stocklist filling began about a month ago. An acquaintance of mine handed me a list. "A friend is breaking up his collection - anything you quite like the look of on there?"
     
    I took some time to look through the list - totalling well over a hundred locomotives. This was, apparentally, a tenth of the collection.
     
    It had engines from almost every region, most in pre-grouping, or grouping, liveries.
     
    Then I got to a section where there were a few engines beginning with the letter C. Castle, City, Coronation, and then...C1, C12.
     
    I emailed him back straight away, asking for photographs. He said it would be a few weeks, and so I waited patiently. Then one day,
     
    "They need some work. Been sitting on the layout for some time".
     
    And that was that. I had to have them. I paid up, and soon enough, two beautiful pre-grouping Atlantic locomotives of Great Northern heritage were sitting on Copley Hill.
     
    I can't remember the last time a purchase made me genuinely happy to be a modeller. I am genuinely happy to have two more restoration projects, to add to the workload. Particularly when so little needs to be done to bring the models up to scratch.
     



     
    The first, is a C1 Atlantic. I have always loved the look of these engines: genuinely brilliant and beautiful machines, which, like the Stirling Single, grabbed my interest at a young age, and have stayed there ever since. This is a DJH kit, I believe, and is it perfectly built? No, it needs some work to bring it up to scratch, but the mechanism has been built beautifully. There is a wonderful smoothness to its motion.
     
    To my surprise, rather than having flanged cartazzi wheels, it has flangeless ones. This meant it could negotiate my severe curvature with no problems - and it has done so, continuously, for hours on end this week. It's such a brilliant runner, I am over the moon with this second hand purchase.
     
    It will eventually become 62822, in the unlined locomotive and lined tender combination of 1949/50 when it became the last working ex-LNER Atlantic.
     



     
    Next, we have a pair of C12s...which was originally supposed to be just the one! My purchase, from the same collection as the C1, is in front, but behind that C12 is another which a group of friends got together to purchase for me. I was rendered rather last speechless week - I have been going on about building a C12 kit for about a year for my Copley Hill stocklist, and along comes two at once! To say I was moved by their gesture is an understatement.
     
    I am very grateful - it is an excellent runner and, like its compatriot, will be repainted in early 1949 British Railways unlined black livery to suit my layout's intended period. So I have ended up, somehow, over the last month, with a gorgeous and beautifully built C1, two nicely built and decent running C12s, and two more C12s...albeit, not built as yet (bought second hand, cheap, as kits! Like the two before them, they are South East Finecast kits).
     
    So I think these, coupled with my A2/2 and A4 conversion projects, will give me enough to do until the summer, don't you?
     
    And on that bombshell...time to get some sleep. Goodnight.
  12. S.A.C Martin
    There's something rather magical about Graeme King's modelling. The ability to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse - such as a commission he took on for me, making a Hornby Railroad A4 into a Gresley W1 last year.
     



     
    This time around, it really is just amazing. I suggested to Graeme quite a while back that an A2/3 could be made from the latest Bachmann A2, and he agreed; he had been thinking on similar lines. We came to an agreement, whereby I would supply a Bachmann A2 for him to use as the prototype for a conversion kit, and I would in return get said prototype to add to my collection when done. Over the coming months Graeme wove his magic to create this fabulous machine, which I christened Edward Thompson this morning.
     



     
    The model uses most of the Bachmann A2 model, with the cab and front running plate removed, a smokebox extension ring added, Comet V2 valve gear, and various other details which complete the transformation. It's now available as a conversion kit, details of which you can find here - I am but a very grateful and delighted customer!
     



     
    I haven't made my mind up whether it will go (as intended) into BR Dark Green or stay in apple green, but for the time being I am simply enjoying its presence on Copley Hill. Oh, and by the way - it gets round second radius curves without derailing. Simply brilliant modelling from Graeme, as always, and I get one more class to add to my Copley Hill stud that adds to the intended realistic atmosphere of the yard.
     



     
    Did I mention we've had a brief discussion about a possible A2/2 conversion kit as well?
     
    The one thing about this build which is hugely advantageous is that you can have one for roughly a third of the price of PDK or DJH A2/3 kit, and it's been designed to be extremely simple to convert. I personally think the conversion is much more convincing than either of the aforementioned brands, but that's just one man's opinion!
     
    Until next time!
     



  13. S.A.C Martin
    The above is where we were yesterday, test fitting certain components prior to gluing down.
     



     
    I filed down the smokebox on the V2 bodyshell, and removed the outer ring on the Hornby A3 smokebox door, as per that on Tom's V2 (see Bachmann V2 thread).
     



     
    This next picture shows the front end of the cylinder after the torpedo ends have been removed. The torpedo ends are the pair on the left, on the right are a spare set from a Hornby A4 set of cylinders (and correct for my chosen V2, 60903).
     



     
    I filed down the original Torpedo ends enough so that the Hornby set could be stuck on top. This has two benefits - firstly, it allows the torpedo ends to simply be slotted back into the cylinders without fuss (and they fit very well, a snug fit into a square hole), and secondly it gives the Hornby ends the correct length from the cylinders.
     



     
    Here they are as fully modified...
     



     
    ...and as fitted to the cylinders. In my view, a modification well worth doing and improves the overall look no end.
     



     
    I simply removed the dome from my spare St. Gatien bodyshell and glued it into position on my bodyshell. It required filing down of the dome enough so that the dome literally fits over the top. Using the small notches Hornby provide for placing over their boiler bands, it was easy enough to line up the dome perfectly.
     



     
    With A3 buffers, front coupling and smokebox door fitted, and brass lamp irons left over from my recent A4 projects, and the handrail wire clipped to the right length, along with the Margate A3 chimney fitted, the front end looks much better in my view and confirms what we already know from Tom's excellent model.
     



     
    I cut the plastic moulded coal so I could add real coal later. My excuse is that King's Cross locomotives nearly always went back for more coal anyway...!
     



     
    The finished model, with the cylinder draincocks as supplied attached. Personally I think they are acceptable enough to use, and the overall model is definitely much improved from the original. Also note the cab doors - taken from an older Bachmann V2 model (for which I have no idea where these excellent plastic doors came from).
     
    Next time I'll renumber, repaint, weather and finish this model, but I've run out of time this weekend prior to departing on my next business trip.
     
    Hope this blog has been of some interest and help - until next time!
  14. S.A.C Martin
    Final bits and bobs. Chaos Black acrylic paint was used to patch up any areas of black paintwork damaged through the modifications. Fox Transfers numerals were applied individually onto the numberplate to form "60903".
     
    One thing I should note. I have been examining a whole range of photographs of the V2s. My chosen example, 60903 appears to have had only two smokebox door types throughout its life, and strictly speaking my use of an A3 type door is only accurate for a time between 1950-54.
     
    60903 had the more standard type, with flush riveted smokebox straps and door dart for most of its life. 1950 is not out of my selected time period technically, but it shouldn't in theory be run alongside any models from 1948/49 as it wouldn't have had this smokebox door type then!
     



     
    The cylinder ends were modified slightly to be straighter, and were refitted. The overall improvement to the front end is clear and it's a modification I think is well worth doing. I shall certainly be doing so to all of the planned V2 fleet.




     
    Cabside numerals are from the Fox Transfers range and were applied as per the usual methods, but Johnson's Klear was used to seal the numerals and also give the boiler and tender the glossy finish I was after for a King's Cross based V2. This was also brush applied to the driving wheels and pony truck set.




     
    If you're wondering why this blog was so quick after the other, my work (due to start yesterday evening) was cancelled until Wednesday this week, so I'm sunning myself in the garden whilst the weather holds up in Sidcup!
     
    Next time I'll work on the weathering, intended to show a clean example of a Top Shed V2.
  15. S.A.C Martin
    I thought my post might be better served here.
     



     
    The latest Bachmann V2 after Hornby A3 buffers, chimney and coupling are trial-fitted, using blue tack. Bachmann buffers, chimney and coupling hook removed.
     
    The next stage is to remove the smokebox door and door, to replace with Hornby components, taken from a donor A3 bought for spares.
     
    This model will become top shed's 60903 and will have "British Railways" on the tender in place of the cycling lion. I will attempt to portray a clean, but work a day V2 appearance depicting one of King's Cross' finest.
     
    Until next time.
  16. S.A.C Martin
    I'm working on bringing up to date all of my three blogs. There's this one here, with the current standard of black/red/white, then the external Copley Hill blog, and The British Railway Series blog, all of which have different designs while conveying similar information.
     
    I'm working on the external Copley Hill blog first, working on a new template to try and freshen everything up:
     
    Copley Hill Blog
     
    See what you think - as always, feedback greatly appreciated.
  17. S.A.C Martin

    "Chimneys!"

    By S.A.C Martin,

    To make this abundantly clear, the Bachmann Peppercorn A1 model is fantastic. None of the nine member strong fleet I own have been anything but exceptional runners, and have always looked very much like the prototype whilst maintaining a rugged, purposeful look as a model.
     
    That is, in all but one area: the chimney. Bachmann decided, for reasons as yet unknown, to make the chimney a two piece moulding, where the top half is either the stovepipe or the rimmed chimney, and the lower portion is moulded into the smokebox.
     
    I absolutely despise this arrangement. I loathe it! For me, it has been the strongest bug bear of any model I have owned, and for years I have put up with this strange look at the front end of my favourite locomotive class.
     
    I can only ask "why" this arrangement was thought a good idea, when everywhere else you look, alternate chimneys on other models have been one piece mouldings straight onto smokeboxes. None of this two piece nonsense!
     
    Well, I will put up with it no more! Thanks to Graeme King of the LNER forum, I am going to change all that, by replacing each and every chimney with a cast resin alternative. Graeme has provided for me at little cost, a total of twenty chimneys (and some spare/off cuts too) made out of resin.
     
    My guinea pig for today's first event was old favourite, 60119, which was a renumbered model of 60114.


     
    As you can see, the offending chimney is sliced in half, and this looks distinctly odd compared to photographs of the prototype. I disassembled 60119 down to the boiler, and pulled off the top of the chimney with a set of pliers (the top pops off quite easily), and then set to work filing down the moulded bottom half. In under a few minutes, you are left with this:


     
    Careful fettling of the resin chimney to shape, and drilling out the holes, is vital for a good fit and authentic look.


     
    Which leaves us with this. The smokebox was sanded down with wet'n'dry sandpaper prior to the final gluing down with a few drops of superglue - applied from inside the firebox after sticking the chimney down and into position with a little Pritt Stick. Surprisingly effective.



    So the question is: was it worth it? Here's the side by side comparison of the unmodified 60114 against the modified 60119. I think it makes a great difference to the overall look of the front end.
     




    I think it's a modification well worth the effort.




     
    Only eight more A1s to go! Until next time!
  18. S.A.C Martin

    "Class 29 - D6130"

    By S.A.C Martin,

    The class 29 is starting to take shape - it is destined to become a two-tone green example, D6130, which was seen at Dundee Tay Bridge on occasion.
     



     
     
    There's very little I have had to do to the model other than fit the etched (shawplan?) windows, which greatly improve the look of the cabs, then re-prime and paint using Railmatch British Railways Locomotive Green.
     
    I have only done one yellow warning panel so far, and it needs stripping really and starting again, it's too thick but I think the shade is okay. Certainly it'll be different once it's under weathering anyway!
     



     
    Overall I am loving this model. I need to do the band of green, and strip of grey for the full livery, source transfers and glazing, but other than that, this class 29 is coming along nicely and I have had very little to do with it as a project!
     
    Until next time.
  19. S.A.C Martin

    "Class 29"

    By S.A.C Martin,

    I was extremely fortuitous to stumble across a "for sale" thread on RMweb recently. I had been collecting parts and various items to make a British Railways Class 29 diesel/electric, using the Hornby model as a base, and a Bachmann class 24 or 25 chassis to power it.
     
    When one came up, partly finished, I took a chance, and I am glad I did as the model is stunning in the flesh. Yes, there's more to do, but the level of modelling is excellent and has produced something very special.
     



     
    I was well aware of the Dapol Class 29 announcement, but chose to ignore it. Cost was the major factor in my decision to try and make my own, and the purchase of this model, with its sundries (two spare bodies and etched grills and windows) has made my project an awful lot easier!
     
    So with thanks to Joe, I leave you with one last photo of the class 29 on Copley Hill - I will be researching which specific member of the class I will recreate in due course.
     
    Until next time!
     



  20. S.A.C Martin
    I've recently had a spate of budget-purchases in terms of coaching stock, and a few surprise gifts from the missus in the same vein!
     
    Charlie forgot Valentine's Day this year - not really a crime, she is starting her PGCE and is at the highest of stress levels. However, she found the time to shop around, and while attending Ally Pally on Sunday, bought me the three coaches seen below:
     



     
    They are a set of three Airfix LMS Suburban coaches, and they have a terrific finish on them - not sure whether it's factory printed or someone extremely good with an airbrush and transfers!
     



     
    Either way, they are the wrong livery so they will have to go into a suitable British Railways Livery.
     



     
    I am, however, a little torn on repainting them. Having fitted the correct Hornby metal disc wheels (14.1 sets) to all of the coaches, they run extremely smoothly, and look rather lovely.
     
    Though it must be said, the shade of maroon (crimson lake?) seems too dark.
     
    I am mulling it over as to whether to go for a full repaint, or see if someone has a set of BR liveried examples they'd be willing to swap.
     
    Then we have these sorry examples I found in a charity shop for £0.25 each (!)
     



     
    They are Triang Thompson coaches, in various states of disrepair. For £0.25 each, I was wondering if I could go the whole hog and restore these three coaches into carmine, in much the same way I've been fiddling around with the Hornby GWR clerestories these last two weeks.
     



     
    Some are missing buffers, but to be fair I'd have been replacing all of them anyway with the correct pattern buffers.
     
    Any suggestions and comments gratefully received for all of the above!
     
    Until next time - I leave you with this photograph of my Hornby L1 posed with two of the clerestories - hoping to have them all finished by this time next week.
     



  21. S.A.C Martin
    Part three of this blog sees Sean's entry into the proceedings. He's taken the basic bodyshell, and is remaking it and including the full detailing of the model as he goes along. The model is based on a Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST, and Sean is working from drawings and photographs I've collated to get the final look "spot on".
     
    There's a lot to do here - the chimney will need reprofiling, the smokebox surround is missing, the wingplates are not quite the right shape, and of course there's the handrails and similar to take into account.
     
    The back sheet to the cab, by the way, is being made as a separate item - this allows us to make different variants, and it allows modellers to get at the cab for painting and detailing purposes.
     
    The basic bodyshell we hope, will be suitable for children to have a go, and make their own little saddletank from an older (or perhaps damaged) Hornby 0-4-0 model.
     
    Until next time.
  22. S.A.C Martin
    Sean's done a little more work on the front end - sadly we've both been busy with various other projects, but Sean is quietly confident we'll have a pre-production sample for tinkering with very soon. Note, the smokebox surround, reworked smokebox door, handrail and the running plate, all much improved from my original concept model.
     
    Until next time!
  23. S.A.C Martin
    "Proof of Concept"


     



     
    It's become a buzzword here in the Copley Hill Works. I am currently working on a venture with a friend, and our discussion which started over a beer whilst on a trip to York, is starting to come together with very serious discussion and much thought on the way in which we proceed from this point on.
     
    I have become increasingly fed up of plastic kits, designed for railway modeling, which look easy enough for the beginner to the hobby, but ultimately end up proving rather poor in practice. Therefore, our first thought turned to a simple bodyshell kit, which could simply replace that on a "ready to run" chassis, most likely the "Railroad" small tank engines, that could be simply plonked on, and painted, to the delight of its young owner.
     
    I firmly believe the future of this hobby, in modeling, lies in allowing the youngest members the ability to try their hand at things like painting, and putting together kits, and if they are introduced to plastic kits which break, warp, or are otherwise difficult for the average modeler to put together, they will be turned off the hobby altogether.
     
    Sean and I thrashed out a business plan of sorts (which is always being revised to reflect our observations on the various forums, and magazines we read), and we have reached the stage where we are - separately, for the time being - designing and producing a "proof of concept" bodyshell to see if our theory can bear some fruit. Sean is developing a traditional outline Saddletank, to fit on one particular chassis, and I am developing a more quirky model to fit onto another chassis.
     
    So, a change of medium in modeling this month. 3D modeling, using Google Sketchup, a surprisingly powerful program considering it's completely free (the full package does have a cost to it, but for the purposes of this proof of concept test, this will do for now). The idea is simple - a "Ready to Plonk" bodyshell to put onto a "ready to run" that will offer some customization for younger modelers, wanting to add something different to their growing collection of model trains.
     
    The chosen test subject was a Vertical Boiler Tank (VBT) engine, "Musketeer", a Sentinel steam locomotive. The bodyshell has been designed in this "proof of concept" to fit a ready to run chassis - the standard Hornby 0-4-0 (on which the Holden bodyshell usually resides). The reason for choosing this one is simple - it is readily available, and everyone and their mother has had one at some stage of their early modeling career.
     
    So, bearing the above in mind: a disclaimer. This is in no way 100% accurate. In order to fit the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis, the proportions of the prototype have been stretched in several areas - length of running plate and height of bonnet most noticeably. I have however tried to keep to the measurements in everything else, including the leaf springs/oil pots/bufferbeams/and so on.
     
    This is also my first 3D model - ever! So mistakes are likely and not unexpected. However, accuracy was not the point of this model - it is to see if the idea has merit, and can be taken beyond the 3D design stage.
     
    To start with, I modeled the running plate:
     



     
    It has been measured and designed to fit exactly onto the Hornby chassis. At this stage, I saved the running plate as a separate item - it could in theory be reused for other projects as a template for how it all fits together on that particular chassis.
     



     
    The leaf springs - extremely crude I might add, as this is my first venture - are at least, in overall size and proportions, close to the real thing. I am always learning, and Sean - my partner in crime - is significantly superior in his detailing that I am always learning how to improve on my modeling. Here's an example of Sean's work:
     



     
    So as you can see, I do have a lot of catching up to do! However, the best way to learn is to try, and with this attempt at the Sentinel, I feel I have experienced a great deal of problems along the way that I have, for the most part, overcome.
     



     
    The next job was to add the cab - whose proportions are correct in height and width, but not in length, due to the fitting of this bodyshell to the chosen chassis.
     



     
    After this, it was a case of creating the "bonnet" to fit on top of the running plate. This is where the model really suffers - to clear the motor, the bonnet had to be made taller, thus changing the proportions of the cab to bonnet quite significantly. In retrospect, by raising the cab roof a little more, the overall look would have been better (but significantly out of scale in height).
     
    Colouring the model (as below) shows up the proportions compared to the real thing even more.
     



     



     
    However, accuracy is not the fundamental point of this 3D model. It is to prove that a bodyshell can be designed and manufactured, at a reasonable cost, to offer younger modelers a way in which to customize their models, and learn how to paint, at a very basic level. The next stage would be to create a simple four piece kit, to be put together with plastic cement or similar, that would give a further success in building up the confidence of a young modeler.
     
    This as an exercise into how to 3D model for the first time, has opened my eyes to what can be done, and the limits of the exercise. The next stage is choosing the prototype to follow through with a prototype bodyshell, and following the same stages as outlined here in its development.
     
    Until next time.
  24. S.A.C Martin
    A little recap of the "Proof of Concept": I am embarking on a joint endeavor with a friend to produce a range of bodyshell and basic model kits to try and encourage younger modellers and beginners of all ages into the hobby. Something more basic than the old Airfix kits, and more durable than the current plastic Dapol kits of varying heritage.
     



     
    The above picture has had a great deal of care and attention to get it to this stage, though it looks simplistic in the extreme, and very plain. This is what I have termed the "template" on which Sean O'Connor and I are designing some preliminary bodyshell kits for beginners to modelling. This template has been designed to fit the standard Hornby 0-4-0 chassis (with cylinders). I am also developing a template for the 0-4-0 chassis sans cylinders, but that will have to wait for another day.
     
    Part of the development of our long-running project to produce bodyshell kits for beginners, is producing a pair of shunting engines: one steam, and one diesel, as our first attempts. In the last update, I showed how we had worked though a previous Sentinel mesh for some time, and learned a lot from developing it to the stage of a proving model, to fit on a specific 00 gauge chassis.
     
    The Sentinel appeals to me greatly as it looks very different, unusual and very unique - the light blue paintwork I picked (taken from my photographs of Musketeer, the locomotive we based the original mesh on) was striking and gave the mesh a certain appeal. In this respect, if we were trying to produce an all singing, all dancing, ready-to-run locomotive then I'd be looking over the plans for the little geared engine much more closely. I can fully understand why Model Rail picked a Sentinel themselves - the locomotives have a certain "Je ne sais quoi" about them.
     
    However, given that our intended market will have little knowledge of the prototype, but recognize various forms of tank engine, we decided to change our chosen prototype for our first steam model to something more conventional looking.
     
    Sean and I spent several months discussing the choice, and throwing ideas into the mixing pot and thinking it through. We looked at what was available, and what wasn't, and what sort of chassis would be most likely to suit a bodyshell kit for a beginner to the hobby. We ended up back at the standard Hornby 0-4-0s quite often, and finally made a decision to get some drawings of a particular type of locomotive, and take a few photographs in order to develop a first new mesh.
     



     
    The above is our new "Proof of Concept" for the proposed steam engine bodyshell kit. It is a simple industrial shunter, based on a Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST. It's not one hundred per cent accurate to prototype, as it has been designed to fit onto the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis (and therefore there is a little stretching in the proportions, although not as much as I had initially feared). It is based on a few scale drawings, and several hundred photographs I took of the Hawthorn Leslie locomotive in question!
     
    The way Sean and I are developing the meshes is as thus: I design and create a basic bodyshell, minus details, that will fit onto a specific chassis. Once satisfied with the overall dimensions and proportions, I send the mesh onto Sean who uses it as a further template for one with better detail (as we did with the Sentinel shunter before).
     
    The final mesh is checked carefully, and - hopefully in this case - will produce a physical first prototype in order to gauge the next step - a full reworking or minor modifications. I do not envisage not having problems of some form in the prototype: no one is infallible and certainly not me!
     
    Overall the project is giving me greater insight into the trials and tribulations of model railway manufacturers: though admittedly on a much smaller scale, and done in one's spare time rather than as a business...yet.
     
    This week Sean is working on the next stage of the mesh's development, so hopefully will have a little more to show and develop in the next update.
     
    Until next time.
  25. S.A.C Martin

    "Crane Crazy"

    By S.A.C Martin,

    I dare you to try and say that blog title out loud. It's harder than it looks!
     
    I've wanted to get a crane for the layout and film set for a while now. Adds some form of operational interest in the background for scenes, and if I ever film a crash or similar...good for shots showing the aftermath!
     
    However, at £35 a pop, the standard Hornby crane I favoured was looking too expensive - and I wanted two of them...
     
    So I decided to invest in the bright yellow "Railroad" crane (got for £12, an absolute steal) - and put it in a fictitious livery, that would better suit the overall look of The British Railway Series, and give me something to play around with.
     
    I removed the British Railway double arrows, and a few other bits of printed detail (as I have ordered some generic numbering from Fox Transfers and will give it a fictional identity), using nail varnish remover. Potent stuff, use it sparingly with a cotton bud. I then masked up the wasp stripes - something I wanted to keep - and sprayed the rest of the model "Chaos Black" (from the Gamesworkshops range of Citadel Paints - it's an acrylic paint, and an extremely useful base paint).
     



     
    I then added the BR cycling lion logo, then varnished it using Ardcoat (a varnish, again from the Citadel Paint range), before turning to my trusty mix of Tamiya weathering powders for a quick going over. The final stage was to add light sprays of "Purity Seal" - a sealant, again from the Citadel range - seal the powders and tone down the black paintwork. What has resulted is, I hope, a well work look that doesn't look destined for the scrapyard.
     



     
    Overall I am chuffed to bit with how cheap the project was. At £12, I am planning to get another and do the same method all over again. I know it's not accurate in any sense of the word, but when you're strapped for cash, and an alternative presents itself, you go for it. Plus, I happen to think it's a handsome modification that looks tonnes better than the yellow corporate blue alternative!
     



     
    Until next time.
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