03060

On 24/02/2024 at 21:16, westie7 said:

 

Really authentic weathering, that first one had me double take. 

I shudder to think how long we have been talking about these wagons, I think it was when I had a full head of hair 😂

Can't wait for them to be announced in N gauge (hint, hint .... please, before I start cutting up Farish Metalair cement wagons and sticking them on peco 15'chassis !!)

Well some progress made with the fish van yesterday but not until I had realised that I had made a bit of a mistake (also spotted by @Phil Mason) with the solebar overlay ethches which should have had the top couple of millimeters bent over at 90' which I had originally been aware of but had managed to either forget or convince myself not to do as there was no fold line in the etches, this can be seen in the first photo ... the solebars being much deeper than the buffer beams ... having filled the swear box I decided that I needed to remove them again, bend them and refit them which lost me an hour or so but looks better for it (see 2nd photo.)

I did manage to fit the small bracket details onto one side only, one of these took nearly as long as the solebar rectification as it just wouldn't take for some unknown reason.

There is also a flaw with kit that I am aware of and still need to address. 
 

This flaw is that the initial 5 sided etch (including floor) folds up to make a lovely square, open box BUT the etched side and end detail overlays have unfortunately been etched to the same size as face they are to fit onto when they should have been a tad bigger to give butt joints where they meet, as it is there is a roughly 0.5 mm recess on the outside of all 4 corners. The instructions did mention this area would need fettling with brass strip (so the designer was aware of the flaw) but  had I fully understood why this was then I think that I would have cut down (rather than folded up) the original 5 sided etch into separate pieces, filed them down a little before soldering back into a box shape that would then be slightly smaller than the overlay lengths and allow them to butt up to each other.

My options now are to try filling the recesses with either wire or strip and then file to shape, fill with a filler (not sure that this would work) or more drastically seperate all of the sides and floor using a piercing saw and do what I should maybe have done in the first place ! I'm still undecided about this but might as well try option 1 first and see how it looks ... who knows, it might even work !!

I was hoping to do this tonight but a late and tired return home from a visit to Newcastle has convinced me to get a good nights sleep and see if I can pinch a couple of hours in the morning before I prepare for a night's OT shift with a very quick turnaround back onto days for the rest of the week. I'm conscious that I don't have much useable time in which to finish this wagon before it is needed for display (Mar 16th) but I'll try.

Hopefully more positive news later in the week to report.

Regards,

Ian.

1 hour ago, queensquare said:

Hi Ian, pretty sure it’s D385. It a Worsley etch I picked up years ago so shouldn’t be a problem getting one in 3mm. The combination of the blue S&D set with the LNW full brake and MR through coaches takes some beating in my opinion 

 

Jerry

Thanks Jerry and all for the info, one added to the shopping list ... and an etched chassis ... and some buffers ... and some axleboxes ... and some roof vents ... LoL.

Much appreciated.

Regards,

Ian.

I don't suppose that you know the dia. number of the L&NWR van do you Jerry, please ? I have a few L&NWR milk vans in my 3mm scale flat pack stash but none that look the van that you've modelled. We've got a meeting coming up shortly where I may be able to get hold of one.

Any idea of date regarding the photo, please ?

Regards,

Ian.

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

 

 

Why did 'Thunder in the Mountains' by Toyah just spring into my head ?? LoL

An expensive week but I am now in possession of 5/6 Executive FOs, 2 WCR FOs and a Departmental exSECR brake van which all arrived a little sooner but very gratefully than I was anticipating. The last Exec FO should arrive next week but was a late addition to my pre-order at my local model shop (FMR) where I also found yet another split headcode Class 37 to buy.

Volunteered for Mon night OT to help pay for it all !! LoL

Prompted by @TT100 Diesels the L&Y Fish Van makes slow but steady progress, several etches being fitted at least twice until I was happy with their positions.

Thanks to Alan Smith (torpedo vents) and @Phil Mason of this parish (black transfers) I now have all the items to complete this little project and just need a good day tomorrow to get it as near to the painting stage as possible by the end of the w/end.

It now sits temporarily on it's wheels which are removed and kept well out of the way whilst soldering takes place.

Before I recommence work on the S&DJR Mail Van  remind me to grow my finger nails a bit longer as trying to solder those long end vents on square blooming well hurt !! LoL

Love the Peak, one of my favourite diesel classes and still amazed at how well the Class 37 is appearing before our very eyes out of plasticard.

Best wishes to all connected with this 3mm workbench thread (even if you're just making a passing visit) ... it really is a great scale to work in.

Regards,

Ian.

(Who also has a large N gauge collection and dabbles with other larger scales.)

3 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

 

I’ve also laid my first stretch of point rodding.
 

 

 

This is the Wills OO product, which everyone says is over scale for OO. So I thought I’d try it in O gauge. To my untrained eye it looks OK. But it was very fiddly, so before I do any more, I’d welcome other peoples thoughts on it.

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

That looks spot on to me, Andy, little bit of paint and weathering to blend it in with the trackwork and done. The trees and gorse look good to me also, showing them in the earlier stages of their lives.

Regards,

Ian.

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

37017 is allocated to 1B11, 12.54 Glasgow to Oban seen arriving at Ardlui where it passes a southbound engineering working.

 

 

Complete with an Observation Saloon on the rear for the passengers to enjoy the views back down Loch Awe ... marvellous !

I like the plan but (and I don't wish to sound negative here) the obvious concern to me would be the weight of turning up to 6 'O' gauge trains on each turntable. I once owned a Heljan Class 26 which was pretty heavy on it's own.

I'm quite sure that you are comfortable with the size of your 'O' gauge stock, so you will have a much better idea of the feasibility of this than me and I'd certainly go out of my way to see Glenfinnan at an exhibition so I hope that it works, Andy.

Regards,

Ian.

I've rather hastily started this Jidenco kit of a dia.72 L&YR Fish Van this afternoon which is making slow but steady progress.

I say hastily because I don't have much information about them other than a side on photo  and a couple of drawings that I've found.

Both the photo and the instructions suggest that the livery is white with black lettering in both L&Y and LMS days which I'm not sure if I can get transfers for, there were no castings either with the etches so I'll have to source some or maybe modify some others from my small spare stock.

I'm hoping that CCT may do some transfers ?

I only got the kit last Sat so it's definitely 'queue jumping' in my to build list but is needed for a friend's train in March. First time that the soldering iron has been weilded for a while as well so I might just try and finish off my S&DJR Mail van that is at a similar stage whilst I'm at it.

Best wishes,

Ian. (Who is watching the Class 37 build with fascinated interest !)

Just to bring this slight thread deviation back onto a Glenfinnan relevance I thought it might be useful to show the two ends of the stationary double headed 9 coach 1985 at rest at Glenfinnan station from ee20213's Flickr album. I hope that you don't mind Andy.

I've also seen a collection of photos from around 1990 showing the run around of a 9 coach Landcruiser train which concurs with the previous description of the Mallaig manoeuvre described earlier. Sorry for this deviation Andy.

Regards,

Ian.

I think Option 2 as described by @Fishplate is the way to go as I think a joint on the summit will always be a 'weak' point with potential to change in the future (ie such as with differences between summer and winter temperatures) however does this section need a joint for maintenence removal purposes ?

Regards,

Ian.

1 hour ago, thegreenhowards said:

Hi Stuart,

 

That fits with my understanding. I think two six coach trains can pass at Glenfinnan, but anything longer won’t fit in the loop. I also understood that the run round at Mallaig would only take six, but I can’t remember where I read that. The Jacobite now runs to seven coaches so presumably the run round has been lengthened.

 

Would pilot engines have come off at Glenfinnan?  I’d have thought that they would work through from Mallaig to Fort William. It would be an interesting thing to include on the layout sequence if it did happen.

 

Regards

 

Andy

Hello Andy,

Double headed 9 coach specials were not unknown on the Mallaig Line as shown in this May 31st 1985 shot (again from ee20213's Flickr album) so somebody somewhere had a plan for running around these lengthy trains (and also for passing them en-route.) Incidentally the coach on the left must be one of the original blue/greys used in 1984 for the steam services (note the terrier on the side) even though the first set of green/cream coaches were now being used ... I always thought that it was these blue/greys that were repainted but obviously not (I've never been able to find out the numbers of the original coaches.)

Regards,

Ian.

Hello Andy,

I'm sure that you've already come to this conclusion but just in case there is any doubt remaining about the colour of the headboard in 1985 ...

.... photo by ee20213's Dad, from his SLOA Tour Flickr album, june 2nd 1985, which is well worth a look through.

2 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

Looks more like one undergoing an overhaul than being scrapped.

 

If it's the one I'm thinking of then it's still with us.

 

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7169-wd-71515-68005-mechanical-navvy/

 

 

 

Jason

Interesting pair of wagons that the bodywork is sitting on, wooden solebars, anybody any ideas ? 

(Maybe one to repost in one of the wagon threads ??)

I'd be interested to know how you cut through the rails Andy, please, I'm assuming slitting disc in a mini drill but that always makes me feel that the cut will be on an arc due to the body diameter of the drill being larger than the fragile slitting discs ?? (Or do you cut diagonally downwards so that one part of the cut sits above the other ?? .... Hmmmm ?)

In the past I've used a piercing saw between the two boards but I've only been cutting say a couple of tracks worth unlike your project.

Or am I just over-thinking this ?

Regards,

Ian.

Just looking through 'The North British Type 2' book by Anthony Sayer which has the first blue Class 21/29 as being D6109, first noted 13/01/67 (not on the WHL I might add) so your wariness of the date published in the MLI issue is again supported as being 1968 and not '66.

(D6109 was apparently a Class 21 with several Class 29 fittings but couldn't be fitted with a Paxman engine due to it's bedplate so was refitted with a refurbished MAN engine and didn't last very long due to minor collision damage.)

2 hours ago, Bob Hordern said:

Maybe this was a rash purchase! I was beguiled by the Hatton’s price reduction. I’ll probably sell it on. It is a super loco with full sound but I should have spent the funds more wisely.🤨

You are not alone, Bob, I've got a room full of such purchases that I question myself about on a regular basis, agree that sometimes things just have to be bought when they are available .... but I now can't get into the room to do what I should have been doing originally and could probably have afforded to retire a couple of years sooner !! LoL.

Regards,

Ian.

It seems that Colour-rail.com may be the place to find some 1966 West Highland shots having just looked at MLI Plus No.251 which features an article entitled 'Troublesome NBL Type 2s' in it.

On p.25 there is a colour photo dated 15 Aug 1966 showing blue D6119, a 12T van, Maroon SO, Blue Grey CK and a Maroon BSK approaching Morar heading to Mallaig .

Hope that this answers one of your questions.

Regards,

Ian.

(PS - PM sent.)

As a result of the PM sent and a check on the Colour-rail website the 1966 date may well be a typo for 1968.

Came across this photo yesterday whilst looking for something else in Fred Castor's 'Bargain Bucket Finds' Flickr album (photographer unknown.) Thought I'd post it here if only to help me decide which version to order before it's too late, have spent too much lately and they don't really fit into any of my current projects but somebody mentioned earlier about 151xxs being at a certain Welsh docks which with a bit of a stretch of the imagination may have been lent to another Welsh dockyard ... just for testing you understand.

(Hmmm ... 1 or 6 ??)

As usual ... late to the party ... despite carrying my BRM showguide around all Sat afternoon and supposedly 'reading' the contents on Sun I failed to pick up on this very welcome news until this morning !

965006 a definite for me and one other yet to be decided as I've loved these little locos for years and have enjoyed watching the clips that people have posted. Not used at the place I am basing a little shunting puzzle project on but as my version will be under a different name I can easily make room for the fireless locos as they were used in the same industry elsewhere.

Looking forward to these arriving. Well done Rapido.

Regards,

Ian.

I've got one !! (Well nearly)

The photo is by an unknown photographer but posted on Flickr courtesy of Fred Castor in his 'Bargain Bucket' album. This is the only definite 1966 image that I've found so far with a connection to the West Highland and whilst not actually taken on the WHL it does at least tell you what livery this particular loco was in that year (being taken in Nov.) There are two other WHL photos in this album which 'could' have been taken by the same photographer on the same trip but both are undated, one showing a Class 20 in FW shed, the other being of a Green Class 27 being passed at Corrour by the photographer's train in which it seems he is travelling in a blue/grey coach .... but I'm afraid with no date given it's just supposition on my part.

For some reason there don't seem to have been many photographers out and about on the WHL in 1966, either chasing the last of steam down south .... or watching the World Cup !

I'll keep looking,

Regards,

Ian.

12 hours ago, Barry O said:

Could be.. but it could be something similar...

 

Baz

Jet car ??

BTW ... I was in 2ktechnologies model shop today, Hipperholme .... there's another 7 of the orange 'Hoveringham' lorries in there just waiting for redeployment to Hargreaves !! LoL.