westernviscount

The track plan is decided and templates from templot put in position. There are five points to build in total. I set Templot gauge to DOGA intermediate which gives the normal 16.5 gauge with a 1mm flangeway. I have decided to build the points in situ. The template was glued down firmly in place, carefully getting the correct alignment. 4mm copperclad point timbers are used and the rail will be soldered to the copper. Once the copperclad is in place some of the template information is obsured. A second template can used to form the blades, wings etc. I have made use of a template printed onto tracing paper to check position from above the timbers and rail which is handy.

I would perhaps use the tender to do the transition between the intercity loco colours and the coach colours like the class 91 and HST power cars. Looks quite nice. Of course, I think this is the best BR livery of them all.

Thanks Stewart. There are pics of these vans with the side mirrors mounted on the doors and wings, one or two with both wing and door mounted mirrors. Of course, most pics are of restored vehicles which one has to be aware of. Chrome, wing mounted mirrors would fit in with idealised representations of the 60s of course which many are aiming for.

I'm working on an oxford van. I have found a coat of matt varnish is the main way to uplift the model. Here I ja e also bent the front wheels, added wing mirrors and replaced the glazing with clearfix.not the best finish but flusher than the moulding. Not apparent in this photo is gently heating the tyres and pressing onto a flat surface to give the impression of the weight of the vehicle. I am yet to perfect this.

Thanks Rugd. The Hawksworth is the comet kit. My logic was that by the time I source a Hornby one, strip it and repaint it, I might as well have a go at a coach kit.

Hey Steve, many thanks. I recieved a box of track and copperclad today from Marcway so track laying and building can commence!! I am really pleased with the coach. I havent got many photos of the original and I think there are multiple discrepancies but I am aimimg for a flavour in terms od stock ans the actual location.

Hi Simon, I have posted lots on this thread. Since you asked, here are a couple of Templefield post 1969... Apologies for repetition.

Iain, your work is superb! Due to a recent change in modelling era I have had to do some lining on a Comet A44 auto trailer I just finished. Thinking about your HMRS issue, I used my Dad's stock which is probably in excess of 30 years old. They still have a Waltons of Chester label on them.

Hi Mike, Caia Road Goods was between Wrexham Central and Hightown Halt on the Wrexham to Ellesmere line (Cambrian Railways then Gw the BR(w). Bottom right on the map which is on disused stations site.

And a comparison pair of photos...

Posing at Templefield.

Hi @The Johnster. Ithought you might be interested in progress on the a44. It is virtually finished but for the glazing on the other side and cab details. I have been photographing and playing with it on my home layout and am at risk of not "crossing the finish line" with it. Must press on tomorrow. Whilst playing, I took a few of the 14xx as well...

My visits to Templefield were mostly in the early 70s. However, I did find some earlier shots online taken in about 1962 apparently.

Here is the trailer on my layout, Templefield. Despite being modelled for blue diesels, the coach fits in nicely.

I have completed the main carpentry now and here is a pic from the Marchwiel end. Tonight is club night and I am going armed with some templot prints to try and finalise the plan before getting the track down. I am recording the progress on the A44 auto eleswhere but here it is as of now... Still some interior bits and window wiper to do.

I have glazed one side of the coach with reasonably pleasing results. It is amazing how much a transparent piece of plastic can change the look of a model. The reflection makes it look more believable and reduces the visability of the interior. Luckily the finish is not so pink in reality. The odd window has the permenant marker visible but I think I can live with that for now. Further jobs include... Glaze t'other side Sort a neater coupling to perhaps including a vac pipe and screwlink mockup Cab detail including internal handrail across window and regulator. Passenger (I have painted the seats) I didnt really document the interior that well but it is not glued in so will give a more detailed record when I carry on.

All my modelling is a compromise and some compromises are made because of exhibitions. My layout is much truncated to fit in a fiesta for a start! I went 3 link one year and was miserable for most of an exhibition so went back to spratt and winkle. They are almost as obtrusive as tension lock but the auto feature makes me happy. These examples may be more than a tweak. Frequency of service is the big one. If I ran my layout prototypically my tea break would be quite lengthy! All this said, you cannot please everyone. We must remember that there are folk who are entertained just by the standard and care that has gone into the making of something. Some folk still enjoy subtlety. One lady announced that "there isnt much to this one" when glancing at my efforts. I duly apologised.

I added door grabs tonight. I decided to use a mk1 etch for consistency along the coach side and they look close enough to the original. I have also provisionally added some glazing to see how this will look. 2 sheets of clear styrene come with the kit and I guess it is normal to add the glazing to the inside of the coach as the brass sides are thin enough, however I feel it doesnt look as good as it can do. So I have cut windows individually and use a black marker pen around the edge to reduce "prisming." The panes will be held in by thinned gloss varnish bled in through the inside edges.

It also appears to have arrived through the station building! I believe this was Victor's Escher period. This thread is not so much about triggering serious enthusiasts, more triggering anyone with a reasonable sense of basic perspective.

I was looking forward to taking it to the club and seeing the coach on it's rightful home which also motivated the quick action! Yes it is not as neat as it was and I was quite angry with myself for the mistake, I am still pleased with the model generally and "lessons have been learned." Nearly forty more windows to go!

I must say I was very proud of the cab front and the lining so proceeded with the cab window. As has become pretty standard for my modelling I knock up something I am really pleased with and promptly ruin it. This time, the pleasing results barely lasted 12 hours!! I added the front window, cut to size to allow flush glazing. Whilst trying to achieve the pressure fit, I pressed from the inside out and was appalled to feel the top of the cab face move forward, cracking the paint along the upper lining which is where the brass meets the aluminium roof!! The lining crinkled up amd chips of paint fell away. The two images above show the window in place and the top of the cab resprayed, re-lined and matt varnished. I Knew I had to just fix it straight away or there was a risk that the model would have gone in a drawer and ignored, possibly having been stamped on!!

So far I was a little disappointed with my painting. It is by far my weakest area of modelling, mostly due to my impatience in terms of prep and waiting for optimal conditions. Lining out was completed as best I could using the few photos I have of the vehicle I am modelling (there seem to be very few). An ancient HMRS pressfix sheet was used for all elements. I had never used them before and realise that perhaps teh age of them worked against me and my lack of understanding of how they work. I moved them an awful lot after initial placement which made the adhesive cover larger areas than I wanted. The lining over the can window was a bit tricky, needing to be sliced incrementally to form the curve. This can be easily spotted but not bad I don't think. The numbers are placed individually perhaps need to be spaced better but what is done is done! The thing that satisfied me about the paint job was the coat of halfords matt lacquer. The lack of reflection makes the pitted finish of the maroon less visible. Oh the roof was airbrushed Humbrol satin 163 I think. Lots more work to follow including glazing and the interior...oh and weathering!

Onward to painting. I used Halfords etch spray which I used in what I now feel was the completely wrong way. I went for very thin coats which seemed to build up as a powdery surface. I think applying wetter would be better. Much sanding was needed and more than I ended up doing to be honest. A coat of Halfords Ford Burgundy over the top made things look slightly better but I was not happy with the texture. I also would mask the roof in future. The chassis is Halford Matt black which is more satin than matt but this suits me at this stage. A test run on my Dad's layout led to a total shorting out or everything. Turns out I had not taken note of how I inserted the wheels, these being insulted only on one side! A screen grab from the bfi player shows the vehicle no. as W 6818 W.

Further to the above, the model proceeded onwards rather nicely... buffers come with the kit and I added additional coupling hook and vacum hose by LMS and my own steam heat pipe using guitar string. The join between the roof and end is filled and sanded in an attempt to make it as flush as possible. The electrical connectors come with the kit but the alarm gear is made fir .5mm wire and the handles (i think they are handles) are part of the extra detailing fret. The end steps are also part of this fret and I think really set things off! Here you can barely see the dynamo belt which I made from brass fret waste. I can confirm that now the chassis is sprayed black the belt is impossible to see. Also, in this shot I had had to move the dynamo back away from the bogie and here there is now plenty of clearance...with the bogie casting on! Another move followed shortly.

I am going to record a couple of recent projects here involving kit-built rolling stock. The items are built specifically for a new project, Caia Road Goods Yard in Wrexham circa 1960. This is a change in era for me which means the requirement for new stock items. So far I have renovated an airfix 14xx which were the main motive power for passengers trains with them being paired with an auto-trailer or two. Hawksworth and collet autocoaches were the norm for my selected time period but there is a lovely video on the bfi website of the Wrexham Ellesmere branch, which Caia Road is part of, with footage of a 14xx paired with a BR autocoach, diagram A44. Comet coaches do a kit for this vehicle so I thought is proper to give it a go. Here is the free film on the bfi player which is great! Watch Wrexham Central to Ellesmere Line 1962 online - BFI Player So to the model... The end are soldered to a box which is folded up to form the structure which will join the body to the chassis. Here, I have "sweated" the regulator mounting to the outside of the cab end. Notches are etched to map out where the handrails and step will go and also the gong. Sadly, the placement of the gong, regulator mount and window wiper hole are positioned as a mirror image to reality (unless I have totally misread how to build this). I have chosen to add handrails and steps early on. The drawback of this is that the detail hinders use of a square when soldering to the sides and also lining out later is more difficult as two handrails are on the line of the central lining. I enjoyed doing the steps as I used .4mm wire to form the rivets which I think looks rather neat, Details are added to the sides. handrails at the ends using .4mm wire. Door bumpers are .4mm wire cut and filed to make small protrusions. Door handles/turns come with the kit but sadly in my case not enough. To the scrap etch box!! Hinges come on the additional detailing fret. Short ones used for the upper and middle and the bigger ones for the bottom on teh tumblehome. The tumblehome is preformed but to my eye is incorrect against the ends and I had to reform it. I still didn't get this right but I was a little nervous of ruining everything. Here, the sides have been soldered to the ends with the sides mounted outside the ends as per the instructions. The roof was cut slightly too long to allow it to be filed back flush with the end as per the real thing. The roof is glued in place using impact glue. I made a rather huge mistake building the chassis, cutting where I should have been folding! there is an upward fold which makes the chassis rigid and register with the body. I thought I had ruined it but some patient soldering averted the problem. The trusses needed cutting the right size and the lateral supports between the queen posts are not part of the kit so added them myself with L angle 1mm brass. I do not know if this is prototypical and there are likely more central posts. Details are whitemetal and these were soldered as per the diagram which was another mistake as the battery box, brake gear and dynamo all fouled the bogies so the placement here is of my own decision making.