The Bigbee Line

Here is the second lever. Bent and clamped to set after some solvent was flowed into the slight cracks at the bend points. The brake push rods are flat. Ok for brakes with a cross shaft. But double brakes have angled push rods. Here with the original V hanger and safety loops removed. Here cemented in place.

Made some slow progress. I’ve cut V hangers to the RCH pattern from styrene sheet. Marking the hole.... Cutting out. ... Outer V hangers lined up.... 3H brake lever re-shaped...

Bay platform buffers stops.

For something different I printed off an LBSC wooden post signal. Here as a place marker. Looks good. Need to print the rail built signal for the main platform starter.

I was working on Hayling Island tonight. The latest wagon had a push along session with a friend. Quite rewarding....

I’d tried a cobalt motor. It was OK but the set up was a faff. Previously I’d purchased some Hankscraft Switchmotors on eBay. During a recent sorting session they were unearthed. They arrived with pipe brackets to secure them. So an easy fix with 2 large countersunk wood screws. Line it up above the board and mark where the screw will go. Make pilot holes right through. Then screw up from underneath. Piece of cake. 10 minutes max per motor. Here I’m lining up the motor... Here after it’s screwed into position.

Work, garden and the layout have eaten my time. I had a fiddle with some door bangers, made from Parkside coupling shanks. Fitted through a hole and secured with thin black styrene courtesy of my stash of cup lids.

Nice. What’s the method of working the empty / loads to the colliery. Which I’m sure has a selection of private locos. Will the colliery be NCB or private.

The construction continues. I have to face the fact that this wagon will always be a ‘sows ear’. But I can give it a polish... So the buffers were replaced with some Parkside RCH style. The three haitch buffers are overscale. Finally a Peco drawhook has been bonded into the headstock.

I use the Revell cement for most things. It stays wet to allow a little working. No good for ABS but OK for most. It is particularly good with the plastic of the Three Aitch kits, softens it quickly, then makes a solid bond. Here I’m on the third corner. The priority being to get a body with no twist and to be nice and square. In about half an hour I’ll do the last corner.

Tonight I decided to scribe some planks on the inside of the body. An adjustable square was set up to the plank width. Turn over and scribe. I’ve only done the top three as the wagon will be loaded. Here are the sides ready to glue. Finally the underframe needs bearings added.

A recent eBay purchase was a brand new, never raced or rallied, Three Aitch 12 ton Mineral. I have a soft spot for these kits. Recent online spotting showed one with a load of new planks. So I thought I’d have a go. I’ve set the solebars at prototype spacing. This pushed them out slightly from the kit dimensions One side is stuck on. The other is removable. The locating tab is setting up. I will use the RCH drawings for detailing.

Whilst my main efforts are in O gauge. I have a few items that I’ll keep for old times sake. Here is an Athearn Bay Window Caboose. I’ve lowered to to look more like the prototype. To get the couplers at the right height I spliced then into the verandas. I have a plan to “southernise” the steps. I think a good paint job to start with. In the workshop I’ve got some etched end rails etc.

The shed shuffle continues. Not directly connected to the layout I’ve erected shelves to assist the sorting etc. On the layout I’ve been stabilising the sub base. The longitudinals are having 13.5” crosspieces added. Plus a couple of legs have been added in strategic places. Here is a typical cross piece...... Here is another. You can see the ikea legs. Plus in this shot you are looking the other way.

I am listing 00 maunsell coaches as part of my cull. Shame as they’re great coaches. Before they go I’m using one as a guide to use parts from an Ian Kirk Low Window kit. I’m planning to create a Driving Brake Compo that was part of a 2 coach Push Pull set. Here is my first shuffle of parts....

Over the weekend the layout was relocated within the workshop. It's previous re-erection was to allow me access to one side and to try out the sub frame principle. Being square on I ran out of room regarding length. So decided to have a grand shuffle.. I started by building the replacement support frame. Using IVAR shelf supports as the legs. The 2 main longitudinals are supported on a couple of shelf brackets, then spanning out to the first set of legs. The longitudinals are screwed to the legs and given a diagonal brace to stop wobble. I'm going to cut some cross members that will create a kind of ladder to make the sub base as stable as possible. The location of the layout will be to cut across the workshop diagonally, so a series of 'duck unders' are required. They say that 'Order springs from Chaos' or did I just imagine that.... So here is my 'chaos'....

Good afternoon I have been puzzling over the size if doors on railway structures. I the days of lockdown it is more difficult to get a ruler out and measure a door. Here is an Exmouth Junction product... It scales out at approx 6'3" x 2'8". I'll add this to my information library. Interestingly the signal box started the 50's with a door complete with braces, the replacement door had no braces, I wonder why?

Regarding the painting of wagons, each workshop and each painter would have there own style. Even wagon builds could vary between workshops. As mentioned before, paint was mixed on site with material that was available at the time. Ironwork would have been fabricated on site, so the opportunity for 'individual flair'. Where does that get us... Look at pictures, colour ones if you can get them. Take care that come colour emulsions show colours in different shades... But above all, do what YOU think looks right. By the way, it is a lovely model, thanks

The first coloured version looked OK but the door was too wide. So I took the squarest shot I had and looked at where diagonal lines would fall. I then decided to squash the width. Actually really easy to do. This was then PDF’d and printed. Here is it scored and tabbed... The random width at the top was marked to make a roof. Just to test the principle. I was able to assemble with pieces of sellotape easily. I think the proportions look better. Here is the 6 pane end....... Here is the door....... Finally the 8 pane end........ Looks much better. Here shown with the signal box.

I’ve just drawn in the remaining 2 walls, with the wall to its total height, including the bit hidden under the eaves. it was then “printed” as a pdf. Here shown on the screen.... I then printed out at 100% in black and white. Not too bad, but a bit large. So reduced to 90% and printed in colour. Trimmed with tabs to be assembled...

I thought I would be a bit more scientific with the mess room. Drawing it in 'paint', ready to print onto an A4 label, which in turn will be stuck to some shellaced cornflake box... It won't be printed in colour. It will be black and white. The main boarding will have the joints scribed and then painted cream. The green timber corners will be a green painted business card overlay.

Busy at work, so still have 2 windows to make for the signal box. I thought it might be good to make the mess room windows at the same time. Here’s the rough plan...

Any suggestions for a small LED to represent a gas mantle. In size and illumination.

Started on the frames....

Preview of the latest iteration of windows. Quite pleased with these. Just need to think about and start on the frames.