Firecracker

Having gone back to the original photo and examined it under a glass, it’s 1X36. Owain

Something a little different, insinuating a chip into a Dapol pug. This little beastie is actually the first brand new loco I bought with my own money (in 199-something, in a long closed model shop in Penrith). It’s spent the last 15 years in a box, so let’s see if it can be resurrected. First up, chip location. I don’t want it in the cab, plus we’re using a Hornby chip. Saddle tank? Offer it up. Yes, it’ll fit with a bit out of the ballast weight. So attack that with hacksaw and file. And check the wires will fit past the motor. Complete all four connections (remembering to thread the heat shrink on first). Onto the program track, check the address, reset to last two digits of loco number (my personal house style). Then try it out and because we’re sure it’s OK, video it at the same time! The chip is just sat on top for the test (the motor isn’t screwed down either). Then wrap the chip in heat shrink, insinuate into the tank, refit the cab and another loco is outshopped. Or it would be, if further test running didn’t show up a back to back issue (there’s a clue in the sligh waddle the hind end has as well) on the trailing wheel set (incidentally, these aren’t the original wheel sets, they’re Hornby replacements obtained after the original drive gear stripped). So for it to run through my points, it needs a little further fettling. Stay tuned... Owain

1 Cheers matey (and everyone else who chipped in). That makes perfect sense. I’m modelling LMR (arbeit as a preserved line) so that makes it nice and easy. The upshot is that I can probably get away with B2 as a all-stopper (if I’ve understood that correctly?). Thanks again one and all. Owain

Maybe not the best title, but here goes. Early DMU’s and rail buses carry a 2 character ‘headcode’ (A2, B2, etc.). How do these work? Are they just the first two characters of a 4 digit train reporting number (1T17 for example) or is there more to them? Photo nicked from Westerns ‘The Ingleton branch’ to illustrate. Thanks in advance Owain

Popped in here on the way back from holiday last Friday. Fantastic, went in after a 21 pin decoder for a DMU I’d got in Porthmadog, came out with a bag full of goodies. Well worth the trip off the A55. Owain

Just found this thread, popped in on the way back from N. Wales last Friday. Very much still in business, rummage boxes of assorted goodies plus books and cabinets full (the sort of shop I love). Keith was sound, had I not been parked in the Aldi car park opposite I could have stood and happily nattered all afternoon. If you’re in the area, pop in. Owain

And some more, mostly featuring the latest additions. The bodging seen above seems to have worked, with the latest addition to the diner rake. As mentioned earlier, in my mind the BG has been fitted out as a kitchen/pantry whilst retaining the guards box and handbrake (the Bluebell have done similar with IIRC, a stove R). So the new addition, being a parlour, gets coupled on the opposite end to the met-cams. The DMU has been chipped, run in and a driver plus passengers inserted into the trailer car. Because I can’t ever see it being coupled to anythinge else, the full bufferbeam details have been fitted. First impressions, lovely model (I know there’s bodyside dimensional issues, but they don’t jump out at me. It’s a lot better than I could do from a kit, so I can live with it), nice runner and not too bad to get into. However, the gap between the cars. What’s the point of fitting a close coupling mechanism and leaving this gap? So, two questions. First up, sorting the gap. I know the coupling needs the electrical connections for the lights, so a) is there an alternative coupling bar or b) has anyone shortened the coupling bar supplied (of which mine has two. I’ve got an idea for shortening one, but no point reinventing the wheel and all that). Second, what’s the best bet for altering the destination blinds on these (and also how does the 2 character headcode work? On the Shrewsbury -Aberystwyth run it’s (assuming it’s correct) B2, I’ve got photographic evidence of a ramblers special carring A2 running into Sedbergh). Owain

And for a bit of light entertainment, Hornby, what the @&?£ is this supposed to be? But despair ye not! The botching will rise to the occasion. This is just a jury rig to get a feeling for length and height , something more suited to the load of a 4 car train will follow (the Kaydee tails are just trapped under the screw head) Owain

Right. I think it’s Fairlie obvious where I’ve been on holiday. Ba-DUM.....Tish.... But I did pick up a few souvenirs. Because they’d had it in stock for a while, we haggled and the price came down a bit. Then on the way home I diverted via Clwyd Models (mostly secondhand, lovely owner, rummage boxes of goodies galore, was I not parked in the Aldi car park opposite I could have stayed and nattered all day) and Rhuddlan models (another Aladdin’s cave, only went in for a 21 pin decoder and came out with a bag full of goodies ). Should keep me out of trouble for a while. Owain

A bit more work, some remedial! First up, let’s offer a figure up to that door. Yes, it’s an HO door. How that ended up in my bits box, lord alone knows, but there you are. So with it removed and the opening enlarged, that’s better. The pencil marks are for how far the valance will come down (scaled off photos). It’s about right. The goods shed has acquired the base for a roof, a temporary door and a few little bits. The hole it sits into needs a slight enlargement, hence why it’s sitting pissed, but it’s getting there. That provendor store is a page holder, it’s too short by 4 bays, so kitbashing one of those is the next job. Owain

And the more I look at it, the more I think both roofs are at the wrong angle, one too steep, the other too shallow! I’m also convincing myself over the height of the building, I’m not sure that isn’t a HO door I’ve fitted. Also I think the door on the prototype had a fanlight above it (if so, that would correct the proportions of the door to the roof). Stay tuned.... Owain

And a bit more, with my attempt to replicate the photograph above (which I suspect was a view for a postcard, it’s a very commonly published view of the station). Ignore the gaps in the platform, the roof gaps (which is currently just sat in place) and the missing detail. The structure is currently in three pieces, this is for ease of handling during construction. It’ll eventually become one structure for painting. Owain

And a couple more, started to convert the mock-up station buildings into something a bit more realistic. It isn’t an exact replica, due to a mistake when laying the track out the platform is too narrow, hence the station house gable end is closer than it should be to the track (plus the building isn’t quite as deep as it should be). Materials used are styrene, (both plain and wills embossed) and various windows (some Ratio, some unknown). Building scaled by working off photos, mostly from Western’s book. It’s intended to be semi low relief, hence the truncated walls. And what it should look like. Walls are a mixture of cement render and stone. Owain

A bit more paint has been wafted over the track with the airbrush (which I’m slowly getting the hang of, both operating and cleaning). Colours used are a mixture of games workshop Dryad Bark and Abaddon Black with more black added for the dirtier regions, let down 50% with thinners. Air pressure 15psi and rather pleased with the results. On the running line, the idea is to suggest that the concrete sleeper track has been relaid recently, hence the clean ballast. The ballast shoulder on the far side still needs a little work. The bridge girder has has more detail added and given a coat of primer. Billy Armstrong’s cattle float is on the list of things that need a little weathering. Need a gate as well. Owain

Thanks Corbs, Keighley is definitely one of the influences (weed growth in the goods yard was actually based on photos of Oakworth yard). There’s a bit of NYMR, Embsay, L&HR and SVR as well. Next big hit is to get some buildings sorted, the goods shed has been sat on top of the spray booth for three weeks now (and precisely nothing has been achieved on it). On the plus side, the photos Ian pointed me at above have finally yielded a photo of the trackside wall, so the model also needs slight modifications, to add some windows. I also need to start to convert the foam core board mock-up into a station building. Those platforms need finishing (anyone got any of those platform edging strips scale model scenery (I think) released that I saw reviewed in on of the comics?) (again Ian’s photos have shown the detail of the original platform walls), that 350 is steadily infuriating me with its pickups, the track needs weathering, coaches sorting, locos weathering and I keep thinking of a fourth board to go onto the north end of the station. It makes sense, except that it won’t fit in the garage then. In short, I need an eighth day in the week. There’s nothing for it... Owain

As if one wasn’t enough, there’s more moving pictures! The rail bus trundles into Sedbergh, then once tokens are exchanged the pannier departs with a southbound passenger. Enjoy. Owain

A few more piccies. The standard tank brings in the lunchtime Westmorland Pullman (the idea is the BG is a pantry/store/brake, the Mk1FO is added to give none-dining accommodation) The repair on that JCB’s still ongoing. Did Mr Saxon win? (If you didn’t watch Tennant era Who, this means exactly nothing) And a pigeons eye view. Owain

And now for something a little different (if it works), moving pictures. A short video of the pannier on a southbound passenger train departing Sedbergh. Enjoy. More videos to follow... Owain

Ian, Thank’ee, too kind. It’s not too bad, it’ll do! Thanks for the link to those photos, the name Peter Robinson vaguely rings a bell, but those photos are mostly new to me (and have answered several questions). I try to update when reallife(tm) doesn’t get too far in the way, glad you like it. Owain

And a bit more. First up, the bank seen earlier has had its first coat of static grass. The point rodding in front has been gently breathed on. This needs to turn through a right angle, cross the running line, and join the rodding in the 6 foot between the platform roads. At this point I realised the angle cranks to do this would be exactly where you’d stand to operate the water crane. As a result, I decided these would be hidden under a deck of sleepers. So find some strip wood and trim to suitable sizes. Just needs the rodding under the rails and another bank of angle cranks (incidentally, the logic behind three runs of rodding is that one’s a point lock, the second operates the points and the third is linked to a detector bar, due to the crossover being out of sight from the box - based on the north end of Goathland). On the opposite side of the line, the ground frame (yard access) has shifted slightly (note the earlier hole filled with clay) and the rodding has started to be linked up (just the point lock run to add). Finally a start has been made on the second platform. The idea is that the flags are the original platform (when built these were only 2 cars-ish long) so some Wills York stone paving is sliced up to give the edging stones and the paving. The cutout is for the station building. The extension to this platform and the opposite platform are intended as new build tarmac. They need edging adding, it’s on the list. Owain

And finally, some of the figures seen earlier have been planted. First up, the state of the nation, the lamb prices at Kendal mart and who’s paying for what with these drainage repairs. Grabbing a selfie Working up to some precision agricultural engineering (ie heat it to cherry red and beat the stuffing out of it). Finally, the chicken hut seen earlier found its way to here. Rather like it. Owain

And a couple more. A bit more static grass around the hut and the headshunt (plus some rail chairs dumped in the long grass) The start of the bridge - plasticard girders based on a design found on the web for the ‘Network rail box girder bridge’. I’ve decided to use this design on the basis of the bridge is a relatively new build, so it’ll probably follow a modern design. Plus it’s something different and has track laid in ballast over it, so I don’t need to relay the track on waybeams. Owain

Right, a bit more. First up (and no photos) but a bit of light civil engineering, rectifying some minor lumps and bumps in the track, mostly due to expansion with the garage being warmer and a lack of glue in stray spots. So wait until it’s nice and warm (ie it’s expanded as far as it’s going to) then ease up the track, add suitable glue and relay with plenty of weight to make sure the little tinker goes down and (hopefully) stays there. So that ski jump on the shed line should be gone (plus a slalom course that appeared at the end of plat 1.) Also, as mentioned on my blog, I’ve got another new toy And I’ve been playing with it. Think the line in plat 2. needs to be a little blacker and more blending on the points, but love the effect. Next, inspired by the superb Shwt, I’ve been playing with the static grass again. I’ve changed to Green Scene’s flock cement, works far better than PVA. So making the headshunt look a bit more overgrown and a bit round the platform ramp (plus fence) just needs an anti-trespass grid at the track edge, plus some kerb stones on the platform edge. Owain

So, the saga continues! Off we go. Practice, practice, juggle air pressure, paint viscosity, clogs. Slowly getting there, just about got it sorted.....sort of, in the right light...if you don’t look too closely. Really taken with it for track weathering, gives a lovely effect. Owain

I’ve fancied a decent airbrush since me teens. So when I was offered a brand new Paasche talon at a very good price, I couldn’t resist. So, there’s already a compressor lurking in the garage (just slight overkill, 2hp 3 phase motor, 30l tank, supplies 8cfm, so that should keep up with the brush) Next, an air regulator and water trap. Got one of those too, just need to adapt the output down to 1/8”BSP. So rummage the box of random air fittings and fire up the lathe! And here we are! Oh yes, knew I’d missed something out. Paint. Back in a mo... Owain