60012 Commonwealth of Australia

Well I haven't been posting much, but have some news. The first two baseboards are complete, but don't have backscenes and the legs need bolts before I can fit them. I have almost finished the shelf diorama, and have taken progress shots throughout the construction but need to transfer them over from my phone. I'm just about to go out to put grass on, so will post photos of the build when I get back. I may also build the third baseboard (I have framework for it) which will mean the main Dunoon station will have all the baseboards it needs. Hopefully (with the exception of water) the diorama will be finished by the end of tomorrow. Peter

Ah yes, I forgot about those

Different? Scottish Highlands branch line with blue A3's and crimson/cream coaches?

Well I happen to know I'm getting an SK in Maroon for my party today (got a train-filled day, going up to a tourist railway for the day). One of my friends forgot to get my present, and we both went to the hobby shop yesterday so he pretty much went "stuff it" and let me choose And I think I'm getting a BG from another friend, but will have to see. I have decided on a number for the RMB when it arrives - Sc1833 I found a photo on Flickr, as I wanted a Scottish Region coach, so, google is my friend, scrolled through "BR Mk1 RMB" images until I found this one - https://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/8106418375/in/photostream/ I'm also starting a small P4 shelf diorama, to display rolling stock on (and if im bored run an 03 and wagon back and forth!) Peter

Any updates? Looking forward to seeing some more progress! Peter

Well thanks to the currently low (0.50 pounds to aud as opposed to 0.45-0.40 it has been over the last while according to dad), an order has been placed to Hattons for - 1 Bachmann FO 1 Bachmann RMB 2 Hornby CK 2 Hornby BSK These will all go in a consist with my SO and TSO. The consists I'm thinking of (subject to realism) are - BSK-CK-FO-RMB-CK-TSO-SO-BSK BSK-CK-CK-FO-RMB-TSO-SO-BSK I may also be getting a BG on Sunday (and maybe a Crimson and Cream CK or BSK to start my crimson/cream rake) Peter

I have made a few purchases this week, including a BR Mk1 SO, a TSO, a 7 plank wagon and a 6 plank wagon. Here is what I have for Dunoon so far Hornby LMS Duchess 6229 "Duchess of Hamilton" - LMS Crimson Hornby LNER/BR A4 60??? "???" - RailRoad, under reconstruction, yet to be named/numbered/painted Bachmann LNER/BR A4 60012 "Commonwealth of Australia - BR Blue Hornby L1 67777 - Under reconstruction Hornby Mk1 SO M4473 - Maroon (P4) Hornby Mk1 TSO E4458 - Maroon (P4) Hornby Gresley FK E11018E - Crimson and Cream (P4) Hornby Gresley Sleeper E1210 - Crimson and Cream (P4) Hornby Gresley Sleeper E1268 - Maroon (P4) Hornby Hawksworth BFK W1773 - Crimson and Cream (P4) Bachmann Stanier BG M30968 - Crimson and Cream (P4) Dapol Gunpowder Wagon "Chance & Hunt Ltd, No.171" - weathered Bauxite and Black (P4) Bachmann BR 20T Brake Van B950358 - Bauxite (P4) Hornby 7 Plank Wagon "Foster & Co, No.17" - Red (Under conversion) Hornby 6 Plank Wagon "J. Hackett & Co, No.410" - Grey (Under Conversion) None of the locos are on P4 yet :/ but I WILL change that soon!!! Peter

Neither had I, however they were in the magazine under "Non Passenger Vehicles" (or a title like that) so I put them here anyway. Peter

First and foremost, I hope it is OK to put this up here. Recently I had been looking through RM-Web for BR Mk1 coach info and consists. Turns out there isn't a dedicated thread to Mk1's?! There are multiple smaller threads, i.e. on liveries, specific variants, specific region consists, but no "general" Mk1 thread! Surprising, given they are essential for any model layout with passenger facilities from 1951 onwards, let alone for people interested in what there was and how many there were! I thought I would start this as a dedicated "BR Mk1" thread, for liveries, consists, interesting details etc. I don't know that much - what I do know comes out of the May 2015 issue of "Model Rail", which has a fascinating set of articles on the BR Mk1 coach - "Masterclass: Mk1 Coaches", "Marking Up" (on detailing Bachmann coaches), "Messing around with Mk 1s (Hornby Mk1 coaches), "Eating Out" (Mk1 catering vehicles). For anyone interested, this magazine is certainly worth buying a back-issue of. So, I thought I would start this off with some basic info which I have found out over the years - The first Mk1 coaches were introduced in 1951. Now I am unaware of which type of coach this was. There are a number of different types of coach, which I will try and cover (there may be some I miss) a bit later on. Going by the May 2015 Model Rail, the first type could be the Mk1 FO (First Open, i.e. no compartments) - I am presuming this as it has the earliest diagram no. of the coaches covered, Diagrams 71-73. It also has the earliest coach numbers - number 3000-3002 being the first coaches, followed by 3003-3080 and so on. Not all coaches followed the same number series, presumably due to different batches. i.e. coach 3720 is a TSO (Tourist Second Open), with 3721 being an SO (Second Open). Later on, it reverts back, with coach 4487 being an SO and 4488 a TSO. A number of coaches were designed. Gangwayed Passenger vehicles - FK (First Corridor) CK (Composite Corridor) SK (Second Corridor) FO (First Open) SO (Second Open) TSO (Tourist Second Open) BFK (Brake First Corridor) BCK (Brake Composite Corridor) BSK (Brake Second Corridor) BSO (Brake Second Open) Non-Gangwayed (Suburban) coaches - C (Composite) CL (Composite Lavatory) S (Second) SO (Second Open) SLO (Second Lavatory Open) BS (Brake Second) Mk1 Pullman Coaches - PFP (Pullman First Parlour) PSP (Pullman Second Parlour) PFK (Pullman First Kitchen) PSK (Pullman Second Kitchen) Bar Car (No code?) Sleeper Coaches - SLF (Sleeper First) SLSTP (Sleeper Second with Pantry) SLC (Sleeper Composite) SLEP (Sleeper Either Class with Pantry, converted from SLSTP) and finally the Non-Passenger vehicles - CCT (Covered Carriage Truck) GUV (General Utility Van) BG (Brake Gangway) HB (Horse Box) FrD (Fruit D) SPV (Insulated Fish) CCT (E) (Covered Carriage Truck, Eastern Region) TCV (Tierweg Car Vehicle) TPO (Travelling Post Office) POS (Post Office Storage) EDIT - I knew I had missed something! Catering Vehicles - RU (Restaurant Unclassified) RKB (Restaurant Kitchen Buffet) RB (Restaurant Buffet) RF (Restaurant First) RFO (Restaurant First Open) RTO (Restaurant Third Open, redesignated RSO in 1956) RB(K) (Restaurant Buffet with large kitchen, FK conversions) RK (Restaurant Kitchen) RSO (Restaurant Second Open, SO conversions) RUO (Restaurant Unclassified Opens, SO/TSO conversions) RMB (Restaurant Mini Buffet?) As for coach combinations, one which has stuck in my head is a BR (S) consist - (Loco) - BSK - SK - CK - SK - BSK I am not certain if this is accurate, however I have certainly read it in a few places. I know there are those out there who are far more knowledgeable than me on the subject, so it would be great to see more information on the Mk1 coaches on this thread in the future! Peter

Purchased a BR Mk1 TSO in BR Maroon the other day. Originally thought it was a SO, clearly I didn't look properly! A closer look reveals something interesting. According to the May 2015 Model Rail issue (in the article Masterclass: Mk1 Coaches), it turns out that only 207 BR Mk1 SO coaches were made. Why is this relevant? Because 653 TSO coaches were made! Mine is one of the fourth batches (Coach numbers 4488-4636), being coach E 4558. All the coach combinations I have seen are "SO". I assume, that this also means TSO depending on the number? Given there are over 3 times the number of TSO vs SO coaches, I assume this is correct. Also an order from Hattons is pending waiting for one thing. In the Crimson and Cream era, would a BR Mk1 CK be used more often, or a Mk1 SK (according to the magazine 2164 Mk1 SK coaches were built, but only 1266 CK coaches were built) I assume the SK (given the rough 2 CK to 3 SK ratio) but can anyone confirm this? Not much progress on Dunoon. Am planning to buy at least some legs and bolts (if not also baseboards and frames) on the weekend to build a couple more baseboards. Thanks! Peter

Well my birthday today has produced two lovely new locos. A Bachmann model of 60012 Commonwealth of Australia in BR Blue (Limited Edition No.425, missing original box as came in a set of 3). Sadly not DCC but will have a new Hornby chassis put under it (or a kitbuilt chassis if anyone can recommend a good one.) And as something to remind me of my trip to Europe last year (and upcoming one at the end of this year!!) a Hornby model of the Duchess of Hamilton. The gloss finish on this model is REALLY nice! And here are photos - (Reviews of both models to follow!) First of all a full fleet shot. None of the locos are on P4 but I also have an L1 and A4 (Hornby Railroad) waiting for P4 wheelsets which aren't shown. Left to Right - Hornby Double-Tender Bittern 60019 in BR Green Late Crest (Not mine) Bachmann Commonwealth of Australia 60012 in BR Blue Hornby Duchess of Hamilton 6229 in LMS Crimson and Gold Hornby class J15 65474 in BR Black Early Emblem (Not mine) Hornby class J83 (Yet to be numbered) Hornby 0F Pug 56025 BR Black Smokey Joe Hornby 0F Pug 56032 BR Black no emblem/crest Bachmann class 03 D2383 in BR Green Late Crest weathered Commonwealth of Australia - Duchess of Hamilton - Bittern; Commonwealth of Australia; Duchess of Hamilton - Commonwealth of Australia and Duchess of Hamilton - I put both A4's and Duchess in front of what will become the London-Dunoon sleeper train (not all at once of course!) so images will follow shortly. Peter

Thanks Martin! And thanks for developing Templot as well! Without it I certainly wouldn't have even considered going over to P4! Regards, Peter

Thanks! One of the things which I will do, but am a bit too lazy to do on Templot, is put the whole layout on a slight angle on the boards. I first saw this in a 1980s Lima catalogue which showed how to build a basic (like really really basic) layout, and suggested putting it on an angle. As I'm still figuring everything with Templot out, I'm not yet going to do that (for me shifting the entire trackplan down when I started too high was a pain!) Good thought on the throat, I'll have a play around on Anyrail (much much easier to use!) and see what I get. Peter

Well having gone back and looked at the original plan for Dunoon North and Shed 65L, I have decided to leave it for now, and head off for the night. Templot is brilliant, but sometimes I get halfway through a plan, take a break, but when I go back I lack the original motivation to get it done. Should have more progress to report tomorrow night. Peter

Well I finally have some progress to report on Dunoon Mk7 (I know Mk6 was only designed a month or so ago!!) Here is the trackplan. The diamond-crossing is actually a double-slip. All turnouts are B8, except for one C8 (No prizes for spotting which!). The minimum radius (at the end of the yard) is 1200mm, or a scale 300'. I would have liked to have closer to 500' but space restrictions mean I can't. Dunoon North and the MPD (Shed 65L Dunoon Shed) trackplans will be added soon, and I will decide on the Dunoon Colliery track plan later. Let me know what you think! Peter

Absolutely exceptional modelling here! Every now and again I had to remind myself it was N scale, and not a larger one! It's amazing the amount of detail you have put in! Keep up the good work! Peter

Any updates on the layout? Not starting my version of Aviemore yet (already have N, P4 and O scale stuff on the go!!) but would love to watch how this one progress's! Regards, Peter

Nothing happened on Dunoon over the long weekend, as have spent the entire time either out (friday - sunday afternoon) or building my new O scale kit (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/112039-building-a-motive-power-developements-o-scale-johnson-class-1f/?p=2336620) from yesterday (sunday) afternoon to now.

Just read through the thread. Looks amazing already! I would go down the 2mm-fs path, but I'm already modelling in P4 and not sure whether it would get too expensive modelling in both P4 and 2mmfs as opposed to P4 and N scale. Also, are you going to be leaving the Rapido couplers on, or replacing them with Dapol Easi-Shunt or other styles of knuckle coupler for more realism? Bit off-topic here, but not sure where else to ask. For anyone who might know, is there a way I can convert a Dapol GWR 45xx and a GWR B set to 2mm-fs, and the cost? If it's not too expensive I reckon I'll probably do 2mm-fs as well, to compliment the P4 I'm already doing. Thanks, and keep up the great work on Euston! (I went to Euston for the Caledonian Sleeper last year as part of my trip to Europe with my family. Going again at the end of the year! Different era, but will certainly recognise a lot!) Peter

That's very true about the trackplan. Recently I have been contemplating a few track plan changes, including removing the turntable in order to have longer sidings at the "north" end of the yard (the South being the end of the line). As for P4, for me, I prefer to have the compromises such as slightly overscale motion and get the perfectly accurate track.. On most locos and conversions which I've seen there haven't been problems, except the platform seems a bit further back than usual. I'll make some track plan changes over the next few days and post them here for clarification.\ Regards, Peter

Alright, I'll do that. Thanks!

Yeah, I had done a bit of reading on Brunel's site and read about how 70 degree solder is better for whitemetal. I'll end up getting a collection of different solders and fluxes, probably the 70, 140 and maybe the 2?? degree solder for brass. As for the fluxes Brunel reccomend the No.1 flux for low-melt and whitemetal; and the No.2 flux for brass, nickel silver etc. I'm definitely planning on joining BRMA and I'm going to the Waverley exhibition on Sunday, cause I'm going on the SRHC tour to Echuca on Saturday. There's also a general modelling expo at Sandown Park which I'm going to on Monday. Got a train filled weekend - going to Puffing Billy on Friday, SRHC tour with B74 and P22 on Saturday, the Waverley expo on Sunday, and the Sandown expo on Monday!! Peter

Thanks! I have already built one, a B6, but it's not complete yet (the sleepers with slide-chairs didn't stick properly, and the tiebar isn't done yet. I'm not really happy with it though. I'll put some photos up later for me to compare with later builds! Peter

Thanks. I have my birthday coming up soon (June 18) so I'll see if I can get a new soldering iron then, save me a bit of money! I'll get some of the solder and flux when I'm at Brunel next (very soon, I need some more P4 track and a turnout kit!). Good idea about the flux, I'll do that.

I have a question for all the experienced model makers out there, in particular those who build locomotive kits. I am going to get into loco kit building (I am buying an old MPD O scale kit of a MR Johnson 1F as I figure O will be easier to start in than OO), however I am not sure what sort of soldering iron I should use. I currently have a small one (no idea what type, i think it might be a 25W one or whatever that means), however I figure I will need something slightly more sophisticated for loco kit building. What sort of iron should I get, and also what type of solder/flux? It currently takes ages to get my current iron/flux/solder to work, I have to hold the iron down for 30 seconds before the solder starts to flow, and often the solder, if I try to reheat it, sticks to the iron and stops me from moving the iron, instead of melting. Thanks!