Graham T

I did have my young daughters building some Ikea furniture for me on one of their visits, does that count?  (Probably not as they actually enjoyed the experience!)

11 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Well Graham I've managed to catch up and all I can say is that it was well worth the effort.

Superb modeling and to see how you have come on in leaps and bounds is a true credit to you.

Well I think you deserve some sort of award for ploughing through that lot!  Thanks for the comment.  I must confess that I occasionally glance back at some of my earliest posts here and cringe at my lack of knowledge!

In addition to all the very good advice already given, I'd recommend taking a look at the track plans produced by @Harlequin, which are excellent, and also to get hold of a copy of Iain Rice's "Mainlines in Modest Spaces".  It's on Amazon, naturally!

Really enjoyed seeing how you built up the bridges Nick, thanks.

27 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

It's alright Graham I don't think he was really on to you in the first place.

Let’s hope not!  Also, I shall have to post more to keep you from catching up 🙂

My thoughts were two fairly thick sheets of plasticard.  First as a base, then the curve of the handrail marked and cut on a second sheet.  Cut out and smooth the curve on the top sheet, then glue them both together.  Drill a hole at the bottom of the curve to hold the end of the wire, then form against the plastic curve.  Finally add the U-shaped curve at the top end of the handrail using a rat-tail file, and trim the excess end to length.  It's clear in my mind's eye anyway!

12 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

 

I was taught to do loco handrails in two halves which join in the smokebox top handrail knob.

 

 

That's a neat solution, I like it.

8 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

That's what I thought when I went on my first loco build course and needed to do the handrail. And the advice was use a former and  your fingers!

Normally I'd agree Andy, but the issue here is having to make four that all look the same, hence the leaning towards a jig.

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Thanks Andy, that seems like an awful lot of wire going to waste!

 

But of the Missenden guys are saying that, clearly thats the way to go. I was hoping someone would say "but there is a Jig" - company xyz sell it 🤣

 

Instead, I will have to practice.

 

Thanks again, Neal.

I think I'll try to make a jig when I make a start on the other coach.  An idea is germinating...

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

Solder? Comes undone much more easily, and can be chased down to a sacrifical end/'solder-sucker'd off...?

 I thought that I might be able to burn the glue off after?  Maybe I'm being mad!

Very sad news.

The handrails are now on and painted.  I formed the curves at the top ends first, bending the wire around a rat tail file, and then tried (not very successfully) to match up the curves for the longest sections.  The four are certainly all individuals... 

For the next toplight kit I'm wondering if it would be possible to superglue a couple of lengths of brass wire together, form them into shape as a pair, and then separate them.

Next step will be to add the lettering from HMRS, and then weather the roof and underframe.  I think I'll use powders there, and then seal with a spray of matt varnish - having masked the sides first!

Thanks very much Scott.  It's been quite a challenging build, but I'm quite pleased with how the coach is looking so far.  I have another one to build, which hopefully will go a bit more smoothly!

Rather you than me!

37 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

That toplight looks really good Graham, the extra details make the sides seem 3d. Seeing it in a train is typical Great Western, making up rakes seemingly from whatever was handy.

 

I've had the opposite problem with the handrails I made for my clerestory cut and shuts, slightly over long so ended up with too sharp a bend in them.....🤬

Danke schon Herr W.  I think I've now got the curve about right - just have to make three more that look vaguely similar!  The instructions in the kit are very helpful:  "Make four end handrails from wire".  Reminds me a bit of the old Haynes manual gag along the lines of "reassembly is simply the reverse of all the previous steps"...

13 minutes ago, Schooner said:

 

Agreed. If you wouldn't mind doing CR all over again in 7mm that'd be great, thanks.

 

😇

Har dee har.  You can go off people, you know 🙃

All the grab handles and door handles have now been fitted - although the latter are pretty hard to see!  And I've made a start on forming up the end handrails.  Ugh, horrible job!  This is the first one, I think it needs more of a curve before I commit to fitting it permanently though.

13 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

Those coaches are really good!

I see what you mean about the couplings though - the one on the end in the last photo looks like a droopy TT:120 affair. Have you considered Hunt Magnetic Couplings?

Thanks BL.  I’ll add Hunt to the list of possible solutions!

11 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

My experience of those Bachmann pipe couplings is the gap is still significant when used on some coaches, trial some and see what looks satisfactory Graham.

Thanks for that Robin.  I'll do some experimenting when they arrive.  Matters aren't helped by my having cut the NEM pockets off some of my coaches, with the thought at the time that "I'll never go back to tension locks, so those boxes can go".  Not being aware then of the other options...  Never mind!

Well here we are back in a cold and rather bleak Vienna.  Feeling a tad low as my girls went back to the US on New Year's Day and I won't see them again until March.  Here are a few more pics of our visit to the SVR.  Excuse the rather strange ICE powered interloper, but seeing as it's named after the ship that I went frontline with then I thought it shouldn't be missed!

Really like the scenic work James.  Are the trees hand made?

1 hour ago, gwrrob said:

 

To recap.

 

They are planning SIX types initially :

 

D56 Brake Third , both left and right versions.

 

C32 All Third

 

E98/103 Composite , both left and right versions.

 

And wait for it.....

 

K22 Full Brake.😇

 

Optional later releases could include 

 

E95 Brake Composite

 

E88 Composite

 

These two would be panelled.

I definitely need to find a job then to finance some of those!

Looking good John, and tempting me to take a look at my motley collection of clerestory coaches.