Barclay

Grant, Ritchie 0-4-2ST? Outside motion of course. https://content-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_01_2010/post-7313-12624618384641.jpg

Finally finished the GWR 1361 - it's only taken 10 months, not including a couple of bits still on order, and it's not even a 'proper' loco i.e. industrial! That's a tryptic of K's kits built now and I think I need a break from them, so I can make something from my stash that will hopefully put up less of a fight.

Pretty close to done now. The loco was lettered with HMRS Pressfix transfers, and then weathered with a dilute mix of black/tan/grey sprayed on, followed by weathering powders. It's only when I see the photo of it un-weathered that I realise how dirty it is, but the photo I have found online shows it very grubby in 1948. The last few odds and ends included whistles from brass tube and wire, glazing, handrails, tank balance pipe, a fire iron on the bunker brackets, coal in the bunker, and crew, from Airfix as always. There's more I could have done but I know when to stop, even if it's before most people would! To be ordered are numberplates - I bought the Brassmasters 'make up your own' type, but my skills just weren't up to it, and they came out not good enough. After a 10 month build I'm too impatient to wait for Narrow Planet etched plates so will probably try Railtec this time. Also on order are some lamps from Modelu. I also realised that I have forgotten the vac pipes - as a mostly industrial modeller I don't have to use use them very often, that's my excuse...

As an avid watcher of "Moonshiners" all I can say is put me down for a bottle from the first batch! Dry January's nearly over anyway. It is, isn't it? Oh, please say it is...

I always use the Pressfix transfers from HMRS. Much better than waterslide.

Anyone who has actually read all of my drivel regarding this layout will be aware that I have made a definitive decision regarding the intended method of point control on at least 4 or 5 occasions! It's odd for me to be unable to make up my mind, at least regarding the toy trains, which are, of course, quite irrelevant in the scheme of things - it's one of the things I like about the hobby. The latest fad in my loft is the hacked servo, which I seriously considered a while back before deciding it was too complicated. However I made a prototype, and it works, plus I have all the bits, and my friend Chris said just install it and see how it works. Good advice... I must stress that the hacked servo is very much not my idea, just a great notion that I picked up on RMWeb. It's not for everyone - techie people will not understand why anyone would not want a fully functional servo, but it suits my low-tech approach to things and my aversion to complexity. You basically take all of the clever stuff out of the servo, leaving it as a simple motor/gearbox, which you wire up and physically connect to, a DPDT switch so as it throws, it switches itself off again. Throw the control switch the other way and it throws back, switching itself off again. The spare 'side' of the switch changes the polarity of the crossing. The photo's probably explain it better: The idea is to fit it underneath, with the top of the arm projecting slightly above the baseboard, and operate the point via a short wire. A representation of the cast iron switch covers would hide the works from view but allow maintenance. Time to install the prototype and then report back!

Brings back memories of my old Matchbox King Size Hoveringham Foden 8 wheel tipper. Just bought some decals to refurbish it, by chance.

Perfect, thank you.

Brass over white metal every time for me. Now if only I could stop buying old K's kits on ebay! As to the newer materials, not really interested. Some are badly compromised and there's not enough modelling in them anyway.

I 'made' this variable frequency PWM controller using one of those very cheap DC motor controllers you can get on ebay for a few quid. I have found that 15-20KHz seems to give the best result with my mostly Mashima powered loco's.

But what colour is it going to be? Looks like you got that wheelset in the nick of time, as I don't think they'll be doing those brass gears any more when they downsize their operation. Looking forward to seeing the layout, hopefully twice, this year !

There are clearly very different types of modeller, as there are different types of people everywhere. The clearest division it seems to me is between builders and operators - some people want a complete layout that works and looks good. Back in the day they built kits because RTR was rubbish. Now they mostly buy RTR because it is so good and supplies what they need. Then there are others who simply enjoy the building of things, and just dust off the layout from time to time to prove it still works. I fit into this group, and for me, buying modern, quality RTR is quite pointless - it just has no purpose, from my point of view in the hobby, I stress. People like me will always buy kits etc. and I can't be alone. Can I ?.... It's not black and white of course, it's a spectrum, and Tony is one of those slightly rarer and more rounded individuals, who builds stuff and plays with his trains on a regular basis!

What a shame that they can't at least make their cheap loco's look like something that actually existed - Nellie was far more believable than that ! Not to mention that at least 2 of Tri-ang's wagons were half-decent replicas of pre-grouping prototypes - I like that, they actually cared even though no-one probably guessed at the time.

Mainline/Bachman 03 ?

Just 10 months since you started the baseboards! It's an absolutely lovely piece of work. The textures and colours of the ground surfaces I find particularly convincing.

Paint? I'll be finishing it at this rate! This is Precision post-1928 GWR green, applied through the Expo airbrush. Next weekend will hopefully see the other colours added, plus final details in due course - there is still a list to complete - handrails, reversing rod, tank balance pipe, guard irons, glazing, drain cocks, whistles. Then there's lamps - I mostly build industrials, but have heard that 'proper' engines had things called lamps that some people get very worked up about! Will I need red ones for GWR? I'll be stopping at some point as I struggle with fine detail so in my case less is more... Then lettering, and after at least another week, weathering. I do hope that I can get it finished before it is 12 months in the making, this has been on my workbench too long, and I'm already thinking ahead to the next project.

Oh, dear - does that mean I've affected the re-sale value of this Hornby Caley Pug?! Seriously, in my view do whatever you need to do to improve the look of your models. As others have said, mint boxed, unopened, will always attract the best values anyway.

Hi I tend to only use 1 bit - it has a flat end similar in size and shape to that of an electrical screwdriver.

Looks like a good project. That small segment of boiler that shows forward of the tanks could perhaps be sawn off the chassis/weight block, and glued into place, with the gaps smoothed out with filler. Alternatively a piece of plasticard or brass can be shaped to the right size and installed. I have never used lead-free solder, and those who have don't seem to recommend it. However temperature wise I find that to solder effectively you need to go well over the melting point. For example working with 145 and 188 solder I always use 400 degrees. 300 just doesn't cut it. It will melt the solder but joints are much harder to make. I suppose the extra temp. helps bring the workpiece up to temperature that much more quickly. For the cab roof, and anything else really, making an item finer always helps. I replaced the roof on my current project because the cast white metal roof looked a little clumsy. The rain strips are very fine L-section brass, and I can't remember where I got it but Hobby Holidays sell brass in all kinds of sizes and shapes. Hard to bend to shape, but worth it for a more delicate look, at least in my opinion. Edit - the safety valve on my loco is from Alan Gibson, and, checking their website, they do one for a GWR coned boiler, which might be suitable, but I'm far from an expert on these things. Brassmasters will also sell fittings from their kits and may be able to sell you one from a GWR Prairie tank that looks similar to me, but, again, not an expert!

Wow if you're not already doing that then I can't imagine how many you are going to build this year! I agree with other comments and am quite sure those kits aren't beyond you, but do understand the economics of the matter. As to the 'stash', or 'cupboard of shame' as I have heard it called, well I am not ashamed of mine - that promise of enjoyment to be had in the future is actually most satisfying, indeed even re-assuring, and an item will regularly be pulled from the drawer and built. The trouble is, of course, in the time it takes to build it I will probably have acquired 2 more!

If the coupling rods are fully functional then you might get away with swapping the front and rear drivers over and not having gear drive to the front. Alternatively I have had good service from a Norfolk company called 'Bearing Boys' that makes oodles of Delrin spur gears. You would have to know the size but this can be worked out if you know the diameter and number of teeth, guides are available on the net. Regards

For me it's the usual 6" square of useable space and the rest full of junk. It does get an occasional tidy up. The drawer underneath is the 'cupboard of shame' (full of unbuilt kits). I can heartily recommend the metal cabinet to the left of the bench, it is great for storage of tools and materials. I got this from a closed down office where it was due to be skipped and it has pretty much revolutionised my modelling. You think the workbench is untidy? You should have seen it before!

Absolutely amazing how good it looked before you started cutting into it. Reminds me of my first car!

OK I couldn't see the reversing lever on photo's but it's there on the RHS on the Heljan loco, so that's it then!

Can I ask a really daft question? In my defence I don't know a great deal about the GWR... Right or Left hand drive? It's all about where the driver goes you see!