The Fatadder

The current state of 37057 after a fair bit of time yesterday evening applying transfers for the OHLE stripe, bottom yellow stripe and the OHLE flashes.  Once the new transfers arrive for the numbers / EW&S logos it will be finished off in the week and can be reassembled.   

11 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Yes. Why can they not be bothered to do a decent render of their CAD? It’s really easy and they’ve had ages to do something that would promote the model much better than this carp. It shows a lax attitude that probably permeates everything they do.

Probably the same reason they lack the ability to actually design anything to a decent standard of accuracy, they just lack the skills for the job....

Yet more rework on 37057 this evening, followed by a coat of satin varnish to successfully blend it all together.  I am finding the EWS red is very easy to scratch (I’m assuming either I got the paint mix wrong or it’s too old paint). Either way it’s looking good now.  This was followed by fitting the nameplates (Extreme Etchings removed from the old body),  picking out the handrails in silver and the windscreen grommets in black.

I have now ordered the transfers for the numbers/ logos with the usual Railtec custom offering.  Thanks to @railtec-models for spotting the typo in my requested loco and letting me know so I didn’t end up with 37056!  I already have the Railtec OHLE and lower reflective stripe.

Next up work moved to the ends, the previous model was (too) heavily weathered to hide the mistake with the lower reflective stripe.  So the noses needed the majority of the weathering removing.  A cotton bud in IPA did the job nicely, leaving a little dirt around the detail.  For 1999 the roof and chassis were dirty but the side / ends were pretty clean. 

the final job this evening was to paint the black bars on the cab side windows in EWS red.  I have cheated a little here and used Vallejo burnt red, it’s pretty close to EWS red after a coat of clear and avoids the risk of damaging the glass (as the acrylic paint will just rub off the glazing)

with some buffers fitted and some more black paint on the underframe, there’s not a lot more to do on the car carrier until the transfers are ready.

makes a bit of a contrast between a green 47 and intercity mk2s 

A little update on 37057, 

I managed to get out between the showers and spray the EWS red on the model over lunch today, annoyingly the Tamiya masking tape has been a bit of a failure leaving an imperfect edge.  So yesterday evening I set to work trying to save it, touching up a couple of the impacted areas by hand to deal with the bigger marks.   This was followed by taking a length of Tamiya tape and cutting along the centre line with a fresh scalpel blade, masking the damaged areas of the stripe and again cutting in with a 0000 brush.   Looking at the end result I think its done the job, (or at least based on past performance I think it will have once it has been given a coat of varnish to blend everything together.)  But before I can do that I need to order some transfers from Railtec

roof/ends sprayed last night, will sort out the underframe painting later and reattach the bogies and buffers at which point it can go back in the stock box until the transfers are ready 

a little rework on the car carrier this evening, cutting in the corners of the white band along with minor repairs where I was unhappy with the masking.  It’s now ready for masking up and spraying the black roof / ends.

1 hour ago, kintbury jon said:

am a little put off the latest IC ones because of the CDL fitting which is a bit modern for me.  I assume they can't be removed easily?

Depends on your definition of easy, it will have 4 holes in the body for the light to pass through.  Not the most difficult job, but does take some effort to get a flush finish.  I haven’t removed the CDLs (I’ve been adding them to batch 1 intercity bodies), but I have filled windows on some that I’ve converted to 2ds and it takes a lot of time to get it fully flush

Looks like the earlier version of the tank that Rainbow released (running on leaf springs)

Some successful spraying this afternoon, with 37057 now in ews gold and the GWT motorail van resprayed in a different (more accurate) shade of blue. 

the latter needs a bit of cleaning up along masking lines before I move on to the ends / roof masking.  I also need to touch in the curved corners to the white panel by hand.  A job I’d be doing now if I hadn’t left the paint in the garage!

Is the match truck based on a revenue earning wagon or a specific (or worse generic) build for the crane?

mine will be redundant once I convert the crane into the GW version, but if there is something useful it could be converted into that would be a bonus 

Next some work on the other side of the building, the raised area for the two tanks has been removed (the joint with the building had bowed upwards) and won’t be refitted until the building is in situ on the layout.

windows have been added along with another door, I decided to reduce the number of windows vs the original build as one was located pretty much where I wanted the ladder to go.   This was replaced using leftover evergreen sheet from the original build 16 years ago!

more leftover sheet was used for a repair where the original middle platform had broken off and for the end (where there was a big gap due to the lower second building).

a new platform and I beam support was added from plasticard, which of course still needs ladders and barriers adding (after painting).  The final job for now was to scribe on the panel lines in advance of painting and detailing.

As with the other building I want to rebuild the roof with a contrasting material (more rounded), though I still need to find something suitable.

its a big and imposing structure, the aim is to have quite a contrast between this and the more rural scene the other side do the tracks.

moving onto a new loco project, earlier in the week @Southwich directed me towards a cheap 2022 Kernow 37 body missing its ends.  Annoyingly it was a split box (given I have spares for a centre box) but I put in an opportunistic best offer and moments later owned another 37 project…

the intention is to use parts from my current 37057 to build an upgraded model.   Given the price I paid I’m not too worried about recovery of the old body which will be providing the nrn pod, plates, along with windscreens and roof grill for 902.

the model was stripped last night and rebuilt this morning.  Work included fitting the roof pod, plating over the boiler port (I used some half etched stainless from my scrap box and my rivet press to add the detail).   On my original 057 I had to fill a bodyside cutaway step on one sides tumblehome, on this one I needed to do the opposite and cut out the step on the other side!

it’s now primed and drying ready for a coat of EWS gold tomorrow weather permitting 

Latest Bachmann 37 body left in 99% IPA for about 3 hours soak

glazing was left in place while it was soaked, the removed (without damage) as part of the clean up.

After a bit of work this evening here is the left hand half of the building.

Window frames added, shortened the height of the metal sheeting in the right half, new shorter grill, window sills added, first weathering coat distressing the rendered finish, sliding door shifted to the end and a new exit door added to the front. 
 

it still needs gutters adding and a new roof. it will also need the windows weathering with a ton of clay dust 

 

 Moving on, I’ve started repairing the main structure of the other part of the building with the first two joints currently drying. 

The other option for improving the buffers on these (along with improving the rest of the underframe) is to mount the old Triang tanks onto a Bachmann TTA chassis.  It is many years since I did the conversion (and ive since sold them on), but from memory once you cut off the Triang fixing clips it was pretty much a direct fit glued onto the Bachmann chassis.

After shortening the left hand half of the building by 35mm, I think this gives a better proportion between the two halves.  I don’t know what the max single span ladder height would be under 1990s H&S rules, but comparing a CDA with the photo of the real thing along side a real CDA I think it’s getting there.  I may need to take maybe 10mm off the bottom of this side, but I’m half tempted to wait until I can see it on a baseboard before making the cut.  
At any rate something needs adjusting on the RH half as it’s not sitting flat anymore!

56 minutes ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Problem now with 2nd Signed For is that compensation is now reduced to £20

does that change happen on April 1st?

RM website still shows signed for (1st or 2nd) as £50 compensation and standard 1st/2nd class as £20

still not as good as tracked 48, but proving useful to me as I have a huge amount of stamps to use up 

For the layout extension I want to make use of the last clay works building that was left over from my old Blackcombe Torr layout, (this will mean that once the extension is built pretty much everything from my first exhibition layout will have been rebuilt and repurposed as part of Wheal Imogen.)

This building is based on a structure at Goonbarrow, and has been in storage in the loft since Blackcombe was dismantled several years ago.  During that time it has suffered somewhat, with damage to the roof and ladders (with a side platform completely missing).

Looking at it closer something doesnt look quite right with the proportions of the building on the left in particular looking wrong (with too much of a gap in the middle between the two sets of windows.  I have separated the two halves of the model, to start investigating exactly how I am going to manage this, my thinking is to cut an inch, maybe two inches off the bottom, before redoing the windows (finally adding the missing window frames).

Other work will include scribing on the missing panel gaps, adding the contrasting perspex panels, gutters / lamps etc and of course some weathering.  It will also need a new roof and replacements for the missing platform and ladders.   I will be replacing all of the pipework for the two tanks with new 3d prints (along with adding the missing valves etc.)

The first step however will be returning to photos of the prototype at Goonbarrow to confirm the height of the main building.

10 minutes ago, Reorte said:

What? I'd not heard that, about sequels and DLC. That's very disappointing (and very odd considering what a success it's been).

Larrian CEO in an interview with gamespot last week, along the lines of “we will continue to work on quality of life fixes for the game, and then move onto our next project which won’t be BG4 or D&D licences, nor will it be Divinity Original Sin 3”

He also said the next project will follow the same approach as BG3, releasing in early access once a sizeable chunk is finished and using the feedback from that to direct how they finish the game.  So no doubt what ever it is, it will be a long wait.    There was also mention that the characters and plot is now considered part of D&D lore, and remains in Wizards of the Coast’s ownership, so the potential is at least there that someone could pick it up.  The worry would be that whoever did pick it up is just trying to cash in on Larrian’s work and releases a pile of rubbish 

Finally completed Baulders Gate 3 last night, one of the few games that has truly lived up to my expectations.  Had the disappointment earlier in the week with Larian coming out saying not only will there not be a sequel, the much hinted at DLC also wont be happening.   

To be honest given some of the end game dialog strongly hinting at continued adventures  I am quite glad that I had herd the news about the future before getting my hopes up.  From the sounds of it there is still a chance that BG4 will end up picked up by another developer going forward, whether they can live up to this standard will be another question though. 

Really liked some of the little nods to the original series throughout the game, makes for a very nice touch!

23 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Yes, signal cables could be well over 100 yards.

 

It could be an electrically-operated point, powered by a hand generator in the signal box but by your era a proper electric point motor would probably be more likely. Alternatively, a ground frame? Let's ask @5BarVT.

that certainly makes sense, doesn’t help most of my knowledge of this sort of thing developed for Brent…. Given the semaphore signalling and point rodding at Goonbarrow the concepts would be similar.  

7 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

330 yards as far as I am aware.

Thanks, that was along the lines of what I expected, might need a bit of a rethink. 
 

So I would say it’s much more likely to be a mechanical point machine controlled by the Goonbarrow box, which would also control the signals (I’m assuming a signal cable could be a lot longer than a point rod?)

More thoughts on signalling, my logic is that everything would be signalled from Goonbarrow box, so I have added the required point rodding and signals to the templot output below.  I am assuming that for the double slip you would have a hand leaver frame controlling both sides from one position, with rodding between it and the switches (but if that assumption is incorrect it will of course be easy to just have leavers directly aligned with each switch on the slip.   Thinking some more I will probably shift this to the other side of the track to keep it away from the running line.

The signal protecting the approach to the switch from the right would be just off scene, I guess a question would be whether the shunt signal would be mounted on the same post as the through signal pushing it off scene as well.  (A situation I wouldnt be completely adverse to seeing as it would be one less working shunt signal to build!)

All of which does involve shifting the layouts location slightly further up the line, I always had it located somewhere around Luxulyan (part because of it has provided a lot of the inspiration for the station, but also having Goonbarrow down line gives more interesting through traffic.)  This throws me a bit of a dilemma, in that ideally I do not want to be having to lay point rodding on the existing Wheal Imogen board.  Its been enough of a pain in the backside layout rodding on Brent post ballasting where I had at least laid the slabs for it in advance.  It will be much worse doing it  here!)     Which either means shifting the location past Goonbarrow, or flipping the orientation so that Newquay is on the right of the layout not the left.   I am less convinced by this given that looking at the prototype the point to enter the works at Goonbarrow was aligned to the direction of travel so that a train from Par would head straight into the works, not pass the point and propel in.    I will dig out the 2mm Assoc. book later and see if it confirms what the absolute maximum length of one rod (inc compensators etc) would be to double check there is no chance  this could have been controlled from Par (as the crow flies Luxulyan to Par is about 2 1/4 miles) 

Would welcome thoughts from those who understand the topic better than I. 

I think the tracking with what was recorded delivery, is more a service for the seller than the buyer.  It gives you as a seller proof that the item has reached the buyer, protecting you from unscrupulous buyers claiming that your item has not been delivered to get a refund.

Of course post Covid it doesnt really help when Royal Mail have an irritating habit of just leaving parcels on doorsteps/behind bins etc even when you click the "do not leave in safe place" button...   Which would still result in the parcel being marked as delivered on the tracking...

There are a couple of laser cutting companies who would be able to produce it as a kit, I have ordered the goods shed for Brent from Intentio, definitely has the quality from what Ive seen of deliveries to others (but their lead times are quite long due to a backlog)

I had the signalbox for Brent cut by Railmodel.co.uk, I had it made to my design however their website does mention they do custom work.