Caley 439

And the Highland Jones 8 ton van complete now - a little bit more painting on the brake lever and ratchet, but other than that all done

Looking more like a NBR 4-4-0 now (if you close one eye and squint the other ). I've stuck with the crude 3D printed chimney and dome I did previously, using Milliput to improve them once glued in position

Started marking out an 8" cakeboard. been mulling over a few ideas, liked the idea of having some water - a canal interchange or passing through, but the though of a harbour railway also ticked the boxes. Printed out the parts for a model of the goods shed which used to be at Peterhead (don't know if the prototype is still standing), from a disc I bought from the GNSR association stand at the Perth show at the end of June - this has been shortened in length slightly. Figured that the shed can be where fish is loaded, and coal etc for the drifters/trawlers can be brought down the line near the edge of the quayside. Going to use balsa to give the drop down to the water, maybe incorporate some steps down the side too as found on older harbour walls, as opposed to metal ladders on more modern examples!

I have been to the Mitchell for loco plans before, though I didn't find it as simple to search for plans there - as far as I'm aware the NB side is split between them and the GU Archives, which maybe makes it more difficult too.

Should add, the body is currently in Humbrol No 48, gloss Mediterranean blue, but this will be given an undercoat in matt varnish once lining has been done

Picked up some chassis components from the post office this morning (before anyone asks what sort of post office sells 4mm loco parts, I was out when they tried delivery yesterday ). A small amount of body hacking will be required at the forward end of the boiler underside up to the smokebox, then some light chassis hacking (it is cast metal so want to do a minimum of that). A little bit of filing inside the firebox region too, but should be ok here

A slight deviation from 4-4-0s, picked up this rather nice 3D printed body kit. Will be scratch building a tender based on my success with the tender for Glen Douglas. The electrics with Glen Douglas seem to be working ok but need to sort out the screw underneath which holds the pick-ups in place, the thread on the holes is stripped so maybe some milliput or epoxy to sort that out

Many years ago when still at school an LMS maroon Jinty (with syncrosmoke) was picked up from my late local model shop, for a princely £23. Nice condition and a 3 month warranty from the shop. This could literally pull the wall off a house, and whilst not the most detailed spent many years happily chuffing round my layout - it's just as well the Mainline J72 wheels fell off when given a test run at the shop before purchase, and this was chosen instead. On shed it sat next to a then new Sir Harry le fis Lake, a lovely model full of detailing, and on the next line a Triang M7 converted into a Caley class 19 0-4-4T. I've found that many of the old Triang locos are built like the proverbial brick No 2 house, but this is at the cost of a low level of detailing. Some Mainline locos have lovely detailing too (the 2P), whist others are a bit cruder (the 4MT and J72). Some retailers at exhibitions also have a length of track so you can see a 2nd hand loco running before purchasing from them which is handy. Peter's Spares are great for spare parts, but I would also recommend others (Lendons of Cardiff being another - supplying spare carbon brushes!). Have used both and very happy with the parts. Also try your local model shop if there is one - I picked up a lot of 2nd hand bits and pieces (locos and stock) and got on well with the owners, picking up various locos and stock (mostly Triang) over the years.

Lovely quality of print, I'm planning to finish mine as 828 - paint is only an initial layer (blue is only to be an undercoat). A great way to make a start on a Caley 0-6-0 (ok there is a chassis to source but still), and might hopefully order more once this is done. The spare parts (different safety valves, buffers and spare whistles) will also be very handy for future scratchbuilds/bodges

Now just to find a clean cakebox - I do have one with a slice of cake remaining in it, but there's icing stuck to the box. Not sure if it is 8" by 8" either....Now to find the back of an envelope to plan.

Just caught up on catch up (having been at Elsecar for the Yorkshire Garden Railway show yesterday, managed escape being interviewed by Phil Parker but might have been caught on camera ), and agree that Rail Men of Kent deserved to win with that impressive model of St Pancras, as well as the faultless running that they had. My only quibble is that on the theme "Best of Britain" I felt that it was more centered around the South-East/London as opposed to the other teams - Cambrian Coasters having something from all round the UK (Leek soup, Yorkshire puddings and Haggis) and the Loco Ladies whose layout I thought was a fantastic generic representation of the UK

Should add - if anyone is looking for drawings for locos from Neilson/Neilson Reid & Co, Dubs & Co. and Sharp Stewart & Co. as well as Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. I would fully recommend the Glasgow University archives - a quick email can be helpful as they might already have a scan of the drawing you are looking for (as I found with the Barclay 60cm gauge 0-6-0s built for the WDLR)

GA drawing for the GNSR V/F class (well really it was the V class, but they look essentially the same) received today from the University of Glasgow Archives - was visiting someone there so was able to get some assistance with finding the required drawing, I knew that they had the drawings for Barclay, Sons & Co. but didn't realise they also have a good bit of the NBL and NBL precursors. Whilst waiting on the V class drawing being brought out I I looked through the Neilson & Co. list, and it was a case of "I know that engine" (Kelton Fell, Maude (or her batch of locos), 123....). Still to modify the 2nd B12 chassis though may have a go at CAD for the frames and laser cut the parts instead. Would give more flexibility for fitting in the motor. That will be a Christmas job though, as currently back at college with no machine access and only a few modelling bits and pieces......

I think Dave John said previously he used Plasticote red oxide primer @Compound2632 I've done my colours to 'look right', that Midland wagon looks a little too dark for Caley wagon red oxide, more (in my mind) akin to the purple on the coaches - I think non-passenger coaching stock was also painted this colour all over? I think it's fair to say that all pre-grouping colours are liable to lead to some form of disagreement...... Yes they are the HMRS Scottish pre-grouping ones - very handy, after my first application (and first time use) of them on the Diagram 22 I've not had any issues - might just have been that the paint and surface on the D22 is different that on the D3, D59 and 50 ton bogie wagon. Going to use a few of the Highland ones on my attempt at a Drummond-era coal wagon.

Loch Tay now has her roof (drawn and 3D printed this morning). Just to make a drawbar so she can actually run

The Jones van with a Caledonian counterpart. This has turned out really nicely, though I do think that the (Highland) red oxide a little bright looking - the inside of the body was painted black before the roof was stuck on, and this does help to tone it down a little though.

For future reference in case anyone else has a similar issue, 12BA bolts arrived today, similar size to what the crankpin should be but a different thread.

Ta da.... North British lining and N B lettering finished on the saddle tank. Pictured with a Caley version for comparison

The Jones van is essentially complete, and as I have half a tin of my Highland red oxide mix left I'm having a go at some Highland Railway open wagons, based on images on the Am Baile website - this is a fantastic resource for the images of stock in Highland, LMS and BR days. The LMS constituents are going to be well represented with goods stock it will seem .....need to build some NB or GNSR to balance it. And can't forget the GSW either Motive power (or more lack of) is now more noticeable

Pick ups and wiring fitted today, and whilst ' it's alive!', will play around as testing on a short length of straight track tonight didn't fill me with much confidence. May have bitten off a bit much with this.

Pick ups still the bane of this project - may just stick a strip of copper either side of the plastic motor bracket with the ends bent out to touch the metal wheel rims and then have a short length of wire from the copper to the wire on the motor, it will all be concealed once the splashers are finished. Otherwise loco bodywork going well, may get on to lining the tender today which will be an interesting exercise - using three lots of HMRS general purpose lining (red, black and yellow) to try and achieve something close to North British lining

I had that with the Hornby J36 - albeit is was 5 or 6 years before they announced their model. A poor innocent J83 was hacked about for that, unfortunately that project came to a halt for a number of reasons (mostly lack of my own skill then). At least this Glen class will save me needing to go and buy a Glen if they ever get released in rtr form - I was going to buy a J36 from my local (where I used to do my new loco purchases, as well as browse (or more often purchase from) their impressive 2nd hand range) when I returned from sea the first time, only to find it had closed while I had been away! Had thought exactly the same......

Alternatively another Glen, or a Scott, could be done. A lot of possible options

Boiler parts for Glen Douglas cut and assembly begun (after redrawing the parts to bring the boiler slightly lower!). It has made me realise though that I may have an issue using the other chassis for Gordon Highlander as the boiler may not be able to contain the motor - a wide cab T9 might be better for building a D40. 2nd option for the B12 chassis might be a Caley 72 or 113 class instead, or even a Caley 4-6-0?.

Thanks Jim, I have a pdf copy for both the Triang and Hornby service sheets and have consulted them, as well as having a look at a couple of Triang/Triang-Hornby B12 chassis . I've searched Peter's spares, and x8626 (coupling rods and crankpins) doesn't show up, but x8407b shows up in the B12 search, though out of stock. At the worst case I can drill out and tap to 10BA or 12BA but had thought I'd see if anyone knows the thread, which I'm guessing might be some M thread?