Right Away

4 hours ago, Rocketman54 said:

Grimy corners - that overgrowth will fill quite a few barrow loads.

 

 

 

Clutter, clutter, luvverly clutter! Two smashing images. Well done.

1 hour ago, Fishplate said:

 

Superb picture. I thought it was the real thing and I was on a different topic until I looked very closely.

 

Is this layout on RMweb? Please could you add a link if so ? 

Thanks for your kind comment. There is no topic of the layout itself, however I’ve posted quite a few photos on this thread over the last couple of years or so.

1 hour ago, Philou said:

 

Like the smoke - rather better than some - the steam less so. I know it's very difficult to reproduce smoke or steam ..................

Thanks; steam locomotive emission added to photographs is something of a “Marmite” taste for many.

In this instance I was attempting to portray a coasting Standard with steam passing through a “cracked” regulator tinged with the haze of cylinder oil. As in many aspects of modelling, I find my 74 years a little trying, especially editing photos with the tip of my index finger, 

Here’s a rough scan of Bomo in ‘65.

You could select from these, (probably the 15x6mm). Remove after ballasting/gluing if needed.

https://www.dccconcepts.com/?s=screws

          Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)

• For wheels, apply with Tamiya Extra Small Cotton Swabs (triangular/round).
• For rail heads I wrap a small off cut of waste soft material (old T-shirts, sheets etc) around a piece of plastic a little wider than the track gauge and apply the IPA to this with a pipette. Rub along track to clean.
• For rail heads on third rail electrified lines I use a (pencil length) of 5mm square Plastruct rod with the end cut around 45° and a small groove slightly wider than rail cut with hacksaw. Again a piece of material wrapped over the grooved end is dosed with IPA from a pipette (avoids waste). This is wiped along the rail head next to the conductor rail without disturbing the latter. It is also very useful to reach where trackside objects might be disturbed.
• Point work is also cleaned with this makeshift tool, being extra gentle over turnout blades. 
  NOTE: When cleaning stock rails I clean in the “trailing” direction to avoid the chance of the material catching on an open point blade.

You’re on the right track (!) by referring to photographs of the prototype. However, preserved examples may exhibit a certain lustre not readily achieved back in the day. A consideration is in what condition you would like your Britannia. Bare copper pipework can soon loose the burnished glow after a few trips. In many photos of the engines in their prime, the water feeds are unpainted but later images can show as if painted - but that could just be an accumulation of dirt!

Here’s a few roughly scanned photos and a couple at the bottom showing my Hornby version. I’ve not painted the feeds to the clacks in copper due to (un) steadiness of hand; on reflection, there is still more that can be done to the model.

20 hours ago, PeterStiles said:

I tell ya what would be useful

 

If the boxes/basic information for a SR coach include the set number that it was used in. I know sometimes "its complicated" but mostly that would allow someone browsing to think "hey I can buy a set!" instead of "darn now I need to read something complicated to see whether I'm going to embarrass myself buying these coaches together."

 

Admittedly I'd also like "Was in this build/livery between XX and YY" too but as we know how useful that would be to EVERYTHING we know its never going to happen...

 

 

I agree that sort of printed information would be extremely useful when considering a purchase, especially as SR/BR(SR) coaches are now being produced for set compilation in a given era.

Meanwhile, BR (SR) coaching stock information can be found on the SREMG website: 

https://sremg.org.uk/home.shtml 

and their spreadsheet:  

https://sremg.org.uk/coach/CoachSets.xls 

and the excellent Blood & Custard website:

https:// bloodandcustard.com

For precise information some cross-referencing would be advised. 

On 26/03/2023 at 10:39, RFS said:

 ..... So you can still get a set of 3 for around £80.

Exactly what I did.

I have three Hornby S15 4-6-0s, the first one was purchased when the model was released, the last in 2020; all are lovely runners.

Only one issue and that was with the last one bought, when a valve gear pin fell out and was lost. I repaired using an “N” gauge track pin.

* A word of caution at this point might not be amiss regarding the potential detriment to vision by UV light sources; use with caution!

I used this to fill an oversized gap between rails on a crossover. Good quick solution, allowing immediate filing to shape etc.

Had a rethink on the original bogies and today have come up with a working solution that others might find useful if confronted with a similar issue.

Essentially, I drilled a 0.5mm hole in the top of the bogie frame each side at the end where it can splay outwards and then used 0.5mm piano wire to form a curved cross brace with the ends bent to 90° - please see attached piccies. This was then fixed with superglue gel into the holes. The curve  in the wire is required to avoid fouling the coupling. When refitting the bogie there is sufficient space to ease the tension lock behind the wire.

Hope it all makes sense.

RW

Wire cross brace and fixing holes

Cross brace in position

Bogie refitted.

Thanks Guys. 

Don’t laugh but the reason for the bogie swaps is that the pickup strips keep scraping the weathering off the wheel rims in places leaving them shiny and me not happy!

I took a bogie apart, cutting out the pickup strips but retaining the bearing cup part, glueing it back in the frame. Trouble is, the bogie is very flimsy when this is done, resulting in an intolerable amount of side play, especially the outer (end) axle 

Not too fussed at all with coach lighting but do like wheels that look as though they’ve done a few miles.

Could any member advise of a suitably correct alternative LMS bogie without electrical pick ups to replace those fitted to Bachmann “Porthole” stock.

Ideally, one which can be fitted without too much surgery.

Thanks.

Following on from The Johnster’s recommendations vis-à-vis running in, I run new locomotives on my circle of track CLOCKWISE for 15 minutes chimney first and 15 minutes tender/bunker first. The locomotive is turned around and then run ANTICLOCKWISE, again running for a further 15 minutes chimney first and 15 minutes tender/bunker first. I do this for all manufactures’ models regardless whether running in is recommended or not.

It may appear a little OTT but this method has served me well for many years.

12 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

On Youtube in two parts.  Cattle loading begins at 6m 12s in part one with no sign of tethering horned beasts that I could see. I'd guess this is the 1950s so may be different from earlier practice of course.

 

 

 

Wonderful, simply wonderful! Thanks for posting.

Still a bit chilly for operating in the garage, so following on from the Mk1 coach mods posted earlier I turned my attention to a task that’s been hanging around for a few years now; namely the provision of front footsteps to a Bachmann Fairburn tank (32-882). (Idealy, Bachmann might have offered the steps as an optional accessory.) I had previously renumbered the locomotive and fitted SR smokebox lamp irons made from flattened nickel silver wire, but had not got around to the front steps.

As mentioned in my previous post, my  modification efforts can be somewhat fraught with the undesirable effects of “high mileage”.

The footsteps were simply fashioned from Peco Code 60 nickel silver conductor rail, filed flat and then reduced in width. Scaled from photographs, the nickel silver which is quite strong, was bent to a rectangle and soldered and the middle step soldered into position. After painting the step were affixed with a tiny dab of superglue gel. The result is not too shabby at “normal” viewing distances.

It is worth noting my curves are generous enough to allow clearance for the leading truck wheels.

For reference, here’s a quick pic of the engine.

Here’s a couple of photos of my portable track for testing and running-in etc. Built from spare T & G boards and Hornby large radius curves, it stacks away quite nicely when not required.

Here’s a photo of BSK No S34613 (Hornby R4713) which has been “under the knife. ”Please note in reality this coach was a member of Set No 532)

Am I in the minority who cannot help but wince when narrators are heard referring to a steam locomotive on its own (in this case the 9F) as a “train”? 😴