airnimal

Dave, it was good to meet you and the rest of the Scale 7 clan today with so many friendly people in the group. I agree with the comments after the AGM about the need for more members and spreading the word that modelling to Scale 7 standards is as easy as modelling in any of the other standards, it just works and looks better. And as for the myth that modelling to S7 standards is elitist made me laugh because they let me join the group ! I started modelling over 55 years ago trying OO, finescale O before doing S7. I couldn't get anything to work for me until I started S7. I wish I could claim responsibility for the coaches but I couldn't paint and build to that standard no matter how hard I tried. They were the work of John Petcher who allowed me to buy them when he retired and downsized to a retirement flat. I feel very privileged to be the custodian of such fine models. I wish I had taken more photographs of them on the Ellerton Road layout.

I got early and did a bit of modelling. The corner straps are an interesting feature being half round. There is still a fair amount of work to do and I don't think I will have time to do a lot more because the next few days are fully taken up. And then on Monday the dreaded dec........... I believe some people like it.

Some of my models I build go right straight away and others fight me from the off. This one is the later. Perhaps I have to much going on besides modelling that I should just concentrate on one topic at a time until I have plenty of free time to model. I rebuilt this wagon with new sides but keeping the ends. Because I had to break the original wagon into bits and rebuilt it I made another dreadful mistake. I fitted the end with the door outside the sides instead of inside. So after we got back from dinner out , i had to fill the groves for the plank lines in with filler and describe them in the right place. Now I very rarely use filler preferring to start again. But after investing so many hours already I got my tube of Perfect Plastic Putty out and filled in the offending lines. I dont know if this will past muster only time will tell when it's time for painting. Mentioned at dinner was the need to choose new carpets and curtains as well as the wallpaper. Deep joy !

Well I have managed to dodge the dreaded dec.............. until Monday. It has cost me a meal out though. So I rebuilt this wagon with new sides and reused the ends. It's not perfect and I wish I had started all over again but it is better with the door the right width. One corner plate looks as it has had a bit of damage so I have followed the photograph. The crown plates are an inverted V instead of the usual half round.

The bridge of the Mersey is just down the road from where I live. The photograph of the signal box was the one controlling the entrance to Heaton Mersey shed. The M60 runs through here now . The other photograph is the tunnel at Brinnington with a class 60 heading towards Woodley on a winter's day.

It was all going so well ............ When I started to sketch in the lettering to check the spacing it quickly became apparent the door wasn't wide enough. I can't blame anyone else for this mistake because I did the simple drawing with a lot of guesswork and looking at other examples. Obviously I didn't check enough of what had gone before. I may be able to put new bodywork on the chassis with a revised layout. I won't get a lot done today because we have one of our grandsons as well the deliverer of new bedroom furniture which will need assembling. Tomorrow sees the start of the decorating again ............... I do have a pass out for the S7 AGM on Saturday at the Warley club. I maybe able to run some of my stuff as well as selling some surplus parts I that I will probably never use.

I bought a new book at Doncaster on Saturday with Bryn Hall in it but I haven't had time to digest it yet.

Inbetween housework to ready it for the influx of the Australian clan in July I have made the body for this latest dumb buffer wagon. It's not all been plain sailing because I got one side out of kilter and had to remove it and add a bit one end before removing the same amount at the other end. It was only about 15 thou but it made one door not quite in the centre. I did think about leaving as it was but I would look at it everytime and wish I had done something about it. The sketch was done before I found out the word Ince was Bryn but I haven't got any tippex to correct it.

Although I haven't finished this last brake van I have started yet another wagon. This is one I have attempted before but when I was down at the S7 meeting a couple of weeks ago i was taking with Antony Watts who wrote the brilliant book on Ince wagons for the HMRS about wagons from the Wigan area. I have a very blurred photograph of this wagon from Park Lane Colliery but i couldn't work out the lettering between the words Park Lane and Wigan. We have come to the conclusion the word is Bryn which is where the colliery was situated at Bryn Hall on the LNWR. So I couldn't resist building another dumb buffer wagon. There is a certain amount of quess work involved but we do have drawings available of similar wagon from the Wigan area so if anyone can prove me wrong after over 140 years I would love to hear from you. We went to the O Gauge show at Doncaster on Saturday and stocked up on lots of goodies to keep me going for a few years yet. I resisted buying some coach kits mainly because after examining them I came to the conclusion the work involved in building them to S7 standards work take to long and with my past experience of building kits it was probably a wise move. I did look at baseboard kits with the veiw to getting something going soon before winter comes again but I will have to work out a track plan go fit the available space which isn't very large. Plans are afoot to decorate the last bedroom before the Australian clan to to stay in July. Plus there is the cycling which I have done a bit of recently. Who said retirement was boring !

The buffers and screw couplings have been in the Birchwood chemical black. I looked for the cast brass chimney without success so I turned up a new one from a small length of brass rod. I just need to sort the roof and windows out along with the numberplates and tare weight.

ap131, Thank you for your kind offer. I would be delighted to accept a printed brake wheel. I am not in any great hurry as my models only sit in my cabinet. I will gladly cover your costs. I have painted the brake support bracket but as yet I haven't made a cross shaft. The buffer heads need going in the Birchwood black as do the screw couplings. After that it needs the numberplates and tare weight adding before I tackle the roof and glass for the windows.

I have added all the painted parts and the tranfers for the diamonds and home depot. I now have van's for Liverpool, Buxton, Crewe and Longsight. The tranfers for Longsight broke up when I applied them so I had to retouch them with ink using a old fashion knibb. The roof is on temporary until I make a better one. Other things to complete it are buffers and screw couplings along with windows. One thing I haven't got is a hand brake wheel on the veranda. You would think that I would have plenty because it was my own kit. But when I made some models for friends I double up the etch to make the wheels a lot thicker. So I used all I had and now I don't have enough for myself. I have some casting left but I don't have any etchings left which is a bit of a nuisance.

After finishing the Buxton lime wagon I have been having a clear out of parts and bits I am never likely to use. But how to dispose of surplus unused model components ? I don't do E-bay or take the main stream model magazines only MRJ and they generally don't have classified ads. I need to prune a lot of my railway books as well as storage is getting to be a nightmare particular as my good lady wants the third bedroom rearranging. I have one of my book cases in there and she wants more storage for our grandchildren toys and a new bed settee for when the Australian clan come to stay in August. I had another clear out of clothes from our wardrobe as well with several things I haven't worn for some time. One such item was one of my suits which has only been worn about 3 times but the waist has shrunk ! Honest. Still it's not that bad because I still could get into the other 4. After the clear out I thought I would finish one of my brake van's that I started a couple of years ago. This is the one I modified to have a open door on the veranda. So I prepared all the castings and etched parts and spray painted them with a Halfords rattle can. This is so much easier than trying to paint a full assembled wagon with a paint brush. I will leave them for a day for the paint to go hard before putting it all back together tomorrow. I have prepared a list of things to buy at the GOG meeting at Doncaster on Saturday which I am looking forward to. We always go on the train and have a few beers after.

Thanks Jim, All shading is done in pencil and i must have caught the plank belowe doing letter O. I have got to the stage where I am now fed up with doing this wagon because I have rubbed the lettering down so many times my patience is giving up. So after another attempt I have removed most of the second side and given it a badly weathered finish. There is a photograph in one of Bill Hudson's book of a wagon at Buxton with the White letters completely gone and just leaving the shading behind. So I have made a poor attempt of something similar to hide my bad workmanship. I have still to add the door chains to this second side but then I am giving up. No doubt when I post these last photographs I will see something that horrifies me !

I am now trying to do the lettering on the other side. I have had several goes at it but it is not going very well but I will keep at it. As Simon said there is something about the letter X on the first side that's not quite correct. For a start the paint is far to thick so I may try and rub it down and go back over it with several thin coats . I am pleased with the interior woodwork and the tarpaulin sheet.

I am unhappy with both sides of the lettering on the second row down. Now what do I do about it. I could paint over with a wood colour as a new plank and try harder on the other side ? Or rub it down and try and make a better job of it. ? Or I could ignore the faults and apply a heavy weather coat of grime and try and disguise my poor lettering. ? I will ponder overnight and make my decision tomorrow. I have tried to alter the letter X but I think the better option is to rub the planks down and start again.

I have made some progress this morning while my good lady has gone shopping. I have made up the door chains and weathered the first side before starting to letter the other side. I do realise that I should letter both side before doing the weathering but as I said earlier, I am impatient. The thing that stands out as not being correct is the letters on Buxton. The relationship between the X and the T is wrong. I think I have got the letters to close together and it jumps out at me. I keep looking at the photograph of the wagon I am building and it is starting to rattle me. The weathering is not over done and is more or less as the photograph.

Sorry the light wasn't very good so I have got my big sheets of card and taken the photographs again. I think the lettering is getting better.

I have rubbed all the letters off rather than waiting till tomorrow because I'm impatient and started again. It's a little better so will keep going for the time being. The photograph was taken with the early evening sunshine pouring through the window.

Steve, yes I repaired most of the damage with just a small amount to do. I have tried to letter both with paint and with ink but I haven't got the shape of some of these right. I also tried to do the shading with the same combination with mixed results. What I think I will do is let it dry until tomorrow and then give it a slight rub down and try and correct the letters. The reason that the last picture is on a background with spots is because I was painting at the dining table when I knocked over my new tin of Matt White paint. This was on our one and only table cloth. My good lady was out at the time so I cleaned it the best I could with turpentine which of course left it smelling of turps so I put it in the washing machine and hung it outside to dry. Of course as soon as she came home the words rang out what have you spilled ! I am in the dog house so much I am thinking of calling our house " Cruffs "

Wagonbasher, which of the many ailments that I suffer from would be best to fend off friends asking for favours. Like most people over 70 years old I have plenty to choose from. I have started to letter the first side using drawing ink with a old fashion pen knib. I think the basic spacing is not to far off but the shape of the letters is not quite right yet and the Buxton is pretty bad and it will be rubbed off and I will make a second attempt. I will probably use some Humbrol matt White with a fine brush when I can get a new tin to sharpen up the letters before attempting to do the shading.

After the paper tarpaulin had dried out overnight I brushed it to remove any loose lime dust. Having looked at the photograph I have draped mine over the other end but as rule 1 say this was on another day. I have just got to get my signwriter skills out before I weather everything.

Only a small amount of progress because of family matters as well as a bit of cycling. All the bolts had been glued in and painted and the lettering set out on the sides in pencil to gauge the layout before I commit to paint. The tarpaulin has been draped over one end and into the centre of the wagon as per photograph and dusted with crushed limestone dust. This was sprinkled on the wet paper that had been soaked in Resin-W and will be left to dry before I attempt to brush off the surplus.

Steamport Southport, again I don't have any knowledge on how to do a full security scan. If I have to anything with computers I have to ask my children who all have left home many years ago. I am the original Luddite. Mike

AY mod, sorry I'm not very well up on modern technology. I just knew it should not be on a model forum. Apologies again. Mike