37Oban

Hi, just had another thought re: level crossing. If the road only leads to the goods yard the gates would be opened by the people, carriers etc using the crossing, and the gates would then open back across the road and not the tracks. They would have one of those "penalty for improper use" signs affixed. There used to be a pair of gates at Pasture Road crossing here in Barton like that on a road leading to fishing ponds, tile yard and yachting lake. Nobody took any notice of the penalty fine, I believe it was 40 shillings, and the gates were always left open and had weeds growing through them in the summer! Roja

Hi, here's my thoughts on your track plan. The signal box would be near the level crossing so the signal man can see road traffic when closing the gates, and not just the trains. This was a safety feature and there are still numerous examples of this, even if the crossing has been updated to barriers. If the signal box is moved then a crossing keepers hut needs to be provided, unless a member of station staff is used to operate the crossing, as the run of the rodding to operate the gates and locks would be too far for manual operation from the box, as well as the safety aspect mentioned. The private siding would, most likely, be gated and padlocked, with a hand lever to operate the point and the facing point lock. The levers would need to be unlocked before use with a key obtained from the signalman. This key would only be returned once the shunt had been completed and the point returned to normal running. The maximum length for a run of point rodding was 350 yards, which is over 4 metres in OO so your signal box is fine near the level crossing. Roja

Hi, regarding footbridges, Goxhill, Thornton Abbey, Ulceby, Stallingborough, Healing and Great Coates on the line between Barton upon Humber and Grimsby don't have footbridges. However, they all have a nearby level crossing and foot crossing. Habrough is a special case because it has staggered platforms either side of a main road and used to have a footbridge to allow access to the up platform when the crossing was closed to road traffic but this removed some time ago. Roja

Hi, blame it on the Victorians! They could anthropomorphise anything and hard, dirty work was considered heroic and good for the soul, especially if it benefited your "betters"! Roja

Hi Bob, there's no hard and fast rules to ballasting, just do what works for you, and if you enjoy it as well many would consider that a bonus! Roja

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. For the first week I had my youngest daughter staying with me as a "punishment" by mother! Don't ask how that works because we get on like a house on fire, but for the duration of her stay my modelling table was turned into an art workshop as she prepared items for a craft sale. During the second week I've been flitting from one thing to another, including a wee bit of modelling! Some Tri-and wagongs, including a teirwag, have been converted to EM and repainted, and the wires from the point crossings to a hex juicer soldered on my N gauge layout, but those are threads for another time and place! There has been some progress on the original blue 303. The bogies have been fitted, but not until after a bit of cursing! I really could have used two hands, and I nearly gave up and ordered a set from DC Kits, which I still might do for one of the others, but I struggled on, The easy bit was folding down one side frame and gluing a couple of triangular pieces of card in place to keep it square. Once this was dry the second side was folded down and two more pieces glued in whilst holding the wheels in place and keeping it square so they ran true whilst they dried! Once they had dried I then added the two end cross pieces, which helped strengthen the bogies. They were then attached to the chassis using 6BA bolts. A 6BA washer was glued either side of the central pivot hole to act as bearing and to help wear of the hole. The bolt was then passed through from underneath and the bogie attached to the chassis with the bolt passing through bushed hole and screwed into the fixed nut. Simple and effective. The observant of you will have noticed the missing saloon sides! Every time I looked at the bodies of the dtso's something was nagging me, and it took me a while to twig what it was, and when I did it was so obvious, especially to anyone who knew the units, that I just had to change it: I'd fitted the pieces the wrong way round, meaning the wider section where the sliding door was recessed when open was at the wrong end! Fortunately it only took a few minutes work with a scalpel to remove the offending pieces and tidy up before printing off new ones, fitting the glazing and inner piece then gluing them in place, this time making sure they were correct. You can see the difference here, Th lower one is correct. So that's all I've been up to, apart from researching Scottish railway buildings for my EM project, and joining the EM Gauge society. Next on the list is to fit seats and get the cabs painted. that'll be fun! Roja

Hi Clive, I wonder if the original builder assembled them all in one go then used rubber bands to hold it altogether as the glue dried? The top of the ends could be easily forced inwards causing the sides to bow. If all the parts are square and the correct size it would seem possible. Roja

Hi Clive, is it possible the sides are not exactly true and square? Or maybe the ends were attached to the floor first and the sides force-fitted? roja

I think further clarification is needed before my imagination leads to a brain meltdown! Roja

Hi Clive, I've got some vacuum form food packaging. Can't remember what was in it but it was probably delicious! Roja

Hi, I'm back again! firstly, thanks for all the kind comments. It hasn't been easy at times, but I've found there are solutions to most problems, sometimes in unexpected places! Also, I do things at my own pace. Call it mojo or whatever, if I feel like modelling I model and if I don't I don't! The only deadline I have is in my head, and it can be a bit flexible! Right, back to modelling! I haven't been idle this past week. In fact there has been quite a bit of cutting out and sticking, but not enough to show until now. I now have the body shells for the original Blue Train, 2 DTOS's and a MBSO. It may sound like it was simple, but I found I had made an error, which accounted for a problem I experienced with the ends of the 2 previous MBSO's, namely, the sides were 2mm too deep. This only became apparent when I checked a cab moulding against the end of a MBSO! Oops! It was a simple matter to remove 2mm from the sides that I'd yet to assemble, but what about the 2 previous MBSO'S? In the end I decided to leave them alone rather than struggle trying to make a neat edge. The MBSO is only resting on a coach underframe so I could photograph it, whilst the DTSO's have their sides fixed to the underframe. There is still a lot of work to be done, not least modifying the cab windscreen and finding suitable curved glazing, of which I've got an idea or two, but I'm getting there! I've also decided to slightly modify one of the other sets too. I believe unit 045 ran for awhile with Peter's external sliding doors before being converted back to match the rest of the class so I'm modelling this, even though it is outside my time frame. Rule 1 applies! The doors will be colour-matched and weathered using coloured pencils. I was also hoping to start wiring my wee N gauge terminus. Guess who couldn't find his wire strippers? Roja

Always worth it, even if it doesn't work out as expected. Part of the learning curve! Can always try a different way! Roja

Hi Clive, thanks for your kind comments. I had a serious stroke 16 years ago come 4th August that affected my right side which, when you're right-handed, isn't good! Taught myself to use my left hand for writing, soldering etc. Walking is difficult, but you just have to crack on and make the best of it, although I now have a buggy, my open top sports car as a friend calls it, so I can go shopping and terrorise the local area! I find modelling great fun, and overcoming challenges just makes the sense of achievement more satisfying! For example, because I can only use one hand standard baseboards are a challenge to move, even small ones, so I'm experimenting with corrugated card and postal tubes! Initial tests are good so I hope to have a small N gauge terminus up and running in the next month followed by an EM one in the autumn. 'Though I must admit N gauge is getting a bit fiddly to detail, hence the move to EM! Roja Roja

Hi Clive, there's still a few of us about! I'm currently scratch-building 3 cl303 emu's, to be followed by a cl120, cl126 and cl100 dmu's! You can see my progress, such as it is, on my scratch and kitbuilding thread, Roja's EM bits and bobs! I also modify wagons for use on a future layout, currently working on a pair of Tri-ang trestrols, a weltrol and tierwag. Plans are in-hand to build a cl84 from scratch. Not bad for some-one who can only use one hand! Toodle pip!

Hi, I think it's fair to say that if I had a brain I would be dangerous! You'll see why as I progress. I've ordered a couple of bits from DC Kits so, as I wait for them to arrive I'd thought I'd crack on with my model of the original Blue Train and get partitions and ends. So, out with the card, end template and pen and drawing commenced. Remembering the gap I had between the end and the roof I drew, freehand, the revised end and started to cut them out. That's when I realised I was a numpty, hence my comment that if I had a brain I would be dangerous! I realised that if I drew a line 2mm up from the base I could use the the brass end template to get the curve accurate! After cutting out 24 of these I printed of the sides for the Blue Train and started to cut out the windows. That's when I had my second realisation! I'm waiting for two sets of 303 cabs from DC Kits and as I cut out the windows I had the realisation that I needed to colour-match the cabs to the sides! Bigger numpty! If I'd thought it through I'd have painted the cabs first then colour-matched the sides before printing them out. Oh well, we live and learn! Anyway, I cut out the windows, ready to add the acetate strip and backing card and found I was out of Evostik! Guess who's going shopping tomorrow? So, such is the life of a modeller! Minor setbacks to be over-come, which make modelling enjoyable! Roja

Well, it's been a wee while since my last post, but I haven't been idle, just had other things happening! Further work has been done on the mbso's. The sliding lights on the windows have been fitted. These are printed onto 160 gsm card then cut out. I waste quite a few but that isn't a problem as card is cheap and the duff ones go into the recycling bin! The best are test fitted then carefully glued into place with glue & glaze applied to the widow with a pin, the sliding light roughly positioned with tweezers and teased into place with a scalpel tip. The cutting out takes time but i found that applying them to all the windows on each side only took a few minutes. The end details have been added using various bits of plastic strip and rod. As is my wont the jumper sockets are representations as they can barely been seen when the three car train is assembled. I still need to add some wire details to the pantograph end, but this will be one of the last things I do. Don't worry, I filed the filler and trimmed the end of the side before painting! Next I added the roof vents. I thought these were going to be a problem, as they have distinctive shape but the solution turned out to be quite simple. I simply glued a piece of 6mm x 4mm x 2mm plastic strip in position on the roof, using a template, then, when dry, filed the sides to shape. If you look at photographs of the actual roof of the prototype you'll see what I mean. The roof was then painted diesel roof grey, the ends weathered black and then the body was lightly weathered, using either frame dirt or artists pencils, the pencils giving a lighter effect, although it took a bit more time. Seating still needs to be sorted, and I've got an idea about that, but it's not a priority at the moment. First I need to get the driving trailers built! Then I need somewhere to run them! Plans are in-hand for that: an outer suburban Glasgow terminus measuring 5'6! x 1'3", commencing later this summer, good luck and a fair wind allowing! Roja

Hi, I've just read the part article. Seems these car carriers were an entirely new build. Maybe they'd hoped that the problems with the tierwags hoist system had been ironed out! Roja

Hi Mike, It is! Cracking photograph, and answers my question about how the bottom section was raised. Not, as I suspected, a jack mechanism but actual cable hoists, as can be seen in the photo! What I didn't realise was that the bottom section was in two parts. Interesting modelling opportunity! Many thanks, Roja

Hi, I'm waiting for the arrival of a Hornby tierwag bought from a well known auction site. I can justify one on a forthcoming EM layout I shall be building later this year. However, I'm having a wee bit of trouble trying to find photographs of these, late in their careers, to help with weathering! In fact, I haven't found one yet, which, considering their rarity and when they taken out of service, isn't really surprising, but I was wondering if anyone here could point me in the right direction? So far I've found out they were built in 3 batches: 6 to lot no. 3260, then 13 for British MAT Transport and a further 12, also for British MAT Transport and it's one of the second batch mine will be numbered as. I see from the drawings, available from the Barrowmore Group, there were a few detail differences between the first and subsequent batches, but I'm not bothered about them. Then again... What I am interested in is the lifting mechanism used to raise the bottom section for loading/unloading. Looking at the drawings it looks like a scissor jack arrangement activated by either hydraulics or screw. Can anyone enlighten me? Apparently this mechanism gave endless problems and lead to their withdrawal, in 1970, for the first batch at least. Thanks in advance, Roja

Fortune favours the brave! Roja

Hi, it's been a few days since my last post, but I've managed to get some modelling done! The saga of the filler continues. My milliput arrived so I set about filling the gaps after first cutting a piece of card to fit between the arc roof and flat roof over the where the pantograph fits. All seemed well, and after leaving it 24 hrs, just to make sure, I started to sand it only to discover the same problem I had with the Squadron filler, ie it broke free of the gaps. After a little investigation I put this down to the flexing of the card. Next time I will add more internal support but it didn't help now. After a bit of head scratching I came up with using araldite, so some was duly mixed and applied with a cocktail stick and left. I have still to sand this, so I'm hoping it works, but if it doesn't I've got another idea to try. However, this gave me a chance to crack on with a couple of other jobs. As mentioned in the previous post I added extra pieces to the bogie frames to increase their stiffness. Holes were 2mm holes were drilled for the brass bearings and these were glued into place from the rear. The Gresley bogies don't have an external box but just a circular cover and the ends of the bearings give an impression of this. Then rivet details added using small pieces of microstrip same as the power bogie side frames, the whole frame sides being flooded with solvent and left to dry before painting with weathered black. At this point I discovered that some of the bits hadn't fully attached so a few repairs were made. These were then left to dry before drilling the central pivot hole to clear a 6BA bolt, which I shall use for fixing. The bogies were then cut out and put away until I get some wheel sets for them and can complete their assembly and mounting. I also did a wee bit of work on the driving trailer chassis. The hole for the pivot is too large a diameter for a 6BA bolt so this was sleeved with a small piece of suitable plastic tube and a 6BA nut glued in to all the bolt to be fixed. That's it for now. Hopefully the aradilite filler will do the job, and I have to source suitable pantographs, buffers as well as see if Charley at DC Kits has any 303 cabs going. I have made one in the past, and will try casting, or making others if I have too, but let's see if the easy option works first? Roja

Hi, best laid plans of mice and all that! As i mentioned in my previous post, today I was going to fill in the gaps before fitting the roof, so out came the filler, which was duly applied and left to dry. When dry I started to gently smooth it down, but found it hadn't really stuck to the card. Squadron green doesn't like sticking to card. Not a problem, these things happen, so I went to get my milliput. Which, as I went to get it, I remembered, I'd used up, but still not a problem as I had another box. Which I couldn't find no matter where I looked! Typical! So, went on-line to order some more, but what to do in the meantime until it arrived? Instead of waiting, I decided to fix the roofs to the two bodies I'd built. For this I used just a touch of superglue as the roofs will not be removed. This only took a few minutes to do both, after making the necessary modifications to get the second one to fit properly. All this didn't take long, but decided to stop and have a think what to do next. When I made my first mbso (see first posts) I scratchbuilt the bogies out of plasticard, so I decided to see if I could do the same with card. After a wee bit of experimenting, I think I've got a method which will work. Hopefully! Apart from all the detailing pieces, each bogie is made from 5 main parts. These are the main stretcher with blank sides, inner frame and outer frame. The inner frame is drawn with the position for the fixing bolt marked and printed onto 0.5mm card: the inner and outer frames drawn, with the position for the axle bearings drawn and printed onto 166gm card. The inner and outer frames are then cut out and glued to the blank sides of the bogie, weighted, then left to dry. When dry the bearing holes were drilled with a 2mm drill and most of the frames, except where they are attached to the stretcher, where cut out. I wont cut out the stretcher until the central hole as been drilled and the frame details added. Much easier to do this on the flat. Bogie stretcher. The filled area is where the frame pieces are glued. I think I may have to glue a second stretcher piece, minus the frames, to increase rigidity of the bogie. When I fold the sides down I shall also add some small triangular fillets to help with this too. Roja

Hi, time to put a lid on it, in a manner of speaking! As much as I like scratch-building, I'm not above using commercial parts when necessary, or easier and quicker than building my own, and roofs are a case in point. I was lucky in that Ken Gibbon, of this parish, kindly gave me 4 roofs he had left over from building DC Kits 303's, and then I bought a further 6 mk1 coach roofs from a second hand trader at this years York show at Easter. The roof of the mbso needs to be shortened as the pantograph is situated on a flat roof over the guards section, so I placed a roof on the body to mark where to cut, and discovered a wee problem! There was a gap, only of a couple of millimetres, between to roof and the top of the end! Annoying, but not too difficult to correct, I hoped! The solution proved simple, but a little fiddly. I cut the top curved section from a separate end and glued inside the end and approx 3mm higher. While this was drying I cut a curved piece of card to fill the gap. This took a couple of attempts before I glued it into place. When this was thoroughly dry I used a sharp scalpel blade to gradually carve the end to shape, continually checking the roof for fit until happy with it. Then I marked the roof for length, and for the position of the doors. The doors are inset from the sides, so I had to remove a short section of material from inside the roof to enable it to sit properly. The flat section of the roof is a section, or rather, two sections (guess who cut it just a wee bit too short?) glued into place. At this point I decided it might be best if I waited until tomorrow before permanently,attaching the roof and making good any gaps. In the picture the roof is just resting in place! And I forgot to photograph the modifications to the roof to allow it to fit properly! Tomorrow is another day! Roja

Hi, forgot to take these yesterday! Without and with body. Starting to look like a cl303 mbso but still a long way to go! Roja

Hi, back to modelling after spending Saturday morning at the Immingham show with my brother. The £3 entry fee an absolute bargain, with some layouts we hadn't seen before along with some we had, and not forgetting Immingham museum's own diplay layouts of the docks' mpd in 4mm and Barnetby in N. The museum is worth a visit just to these! Anyway, back to my 303! As is my usual practise, I drew these up then printed them onto card. these were then cut out to use as a template and bonded to some 0.5 mm plasticard, left to dry thoroughly then cut and trimmed to shape using the template. I use plasticard for the outer face of the frames to make detailing easier. For the flanges, rivet heads and bearing ends I use various sizes of microstrip, especially 0.5mm x 0.5mm for the rivets. Now, if I was building these as totally accurate models, and in 7mm, I would mark the exact number and position of each rivet, cut each one to size then attach in place, but I'm not that sort of modeller. I have a more artistic temperment to modelling which is, "if you can't see it, don't model it!" I appreciate the lengths some modellers go to, and I am in awe of their work, but it's not for me. So the number of rivets is wrong, and most are only approximately in the right position, but once painted, weathered and on the layout no-one notices unless they look really, really closely. Yes, I did fit the 4 missing central rivets on the lower frame! The frames were then given a quick coat of weathered black. I then took the frame supports, supplied with the chassis, filed off the two small pips on their front then superglued the cosmetic frames to. Once these were dry the frames were plugged onto the bogie fixing points. Easy peasy, if a little time consuming fixing all the wee parts. Onwards and upwards, Roja