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Dave Holt

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  1. Dave Holt
    Faced with the daunting task of laying the ballast, I've taken a break from the layout and have picked up a loco project which I started ages ago but didn't get very far.
    It is a Stanier (Ivatt!) Caprotti Black 5 based on a Comet kit. Previously, I'd built up the basic footplate and cab, but without the splashers, and soldered the frames together and marked out for the compensation beam pivots, but that's about it. Anyway, I've knuckled down over the past few weeks and now have a wheeled chassis and footplate/boiler unit, as shown below.
     
    First the chassis from above, showing the compensation beams (twin at the rear and single at the front. This transmits weight direct to the fron bogies wheel sets, so the bogie frames pivot and slide on side bearers, without any vertical movement, as on the real thing) and the High Level gearbox, complete with torque reaction link (at the rear):
     

     
     
    A shot from underneath showing the keeper plate with the dummy springs and ash pan sides, and the front bogie (which uses various Brassmasters bits):
     

     
    A couple of shots with the body attached. There was a lot of adjustment and filling with low-melt solder to get the boiler and firebox something like. There will be some minor filling required to the firebox over the wheel splashers. The dark blotches on the boiler are where I splashed excess phosphoric flux on the castings and didn't wash it off quickly enough:
     

     

     
    The coupling rods are already made, so the next job will be to open up the crankpin holes and sort out the crankpin bushes. Then I'll find out if the quartering is OK or not. I used a GW wheel press/quartering tool to press the wheels on, but there's a pit of play between the wheel locating stubs and the axle bore in the wheel which allows some slight variation between wheel sets.
     
    Dave.
  2. Dave Holt
    I've previously posted about my ex-LMS Crab model, which uses a Bachmann body on a much modified Comet chassis with a Comet tender. The previous photos showed it with the un-painted tender but it has now been painted and lined, the number changed and the whole thing weathered by good friend David Clarke. Here it is more-or-less complete.
     

     
    Since the photo, the odd bend in the brake ejector pipe has been improved by correctly locating the vertical pipe through the hole in the running plate.
    Front AJ coupling to make and fit, then conversion to DCC and coal in the tender.
     
    Dave.
  3. Dave Holt
    After putting this off for ages and some fairly inconclusive test pannels, I've bitten the bullet and started laying ballast. To ease into the process and learn on the job, so to speak, I've chosen the easyest board first - the one with the single track approach, some of which disappears into a deep cutting and long over-bridge/short tunnel to hide any disasters!
    I've used C+L ash for the cess and 2 mm scale light grey for the track. Originally, I intended to use a rubber based carpet adhesive to provide a bit of give in the track-bed, for sound deadening, but that's one clear result from the test pieces. Perhaps I'd kept the adhesive too long, but it just didn't work for me, so diluted PVA has been used. Doing the ballast after track laying allows electrical testing of the track and trial running whilst adjustments and additional connections are easier, but it does result in a rather laborious process for ballasting as the glue has to be carefully brushed into every individual sleeper bay, in short sections, and the ballast sprinkled on whilst the glue is still wet. The section shown was done over 2 days, allowing other domestic activities and drying time between application and vacuuming up the excess for re-use. I bought a small, hand-held vacuum specifically for this!
    I'm quite pleased with the results, although taking the board out into the garden today for the photos revealed a number of bald patches, especially on the ballast shoulders, that I hadn't spotted in the house. I'm not sure whether to patch these up with more ballast or just rely on disguising them when the track is finally weathered.
     
    Anyway, here are a few shots of the finished result (taken this afternoon in the back garden), seen with and without the over-bridge structure.
     
    Looking towards the station area, without the bridge:

     
    Looking away from the station area, without the bridge, including the buffer stop at the end of the run-round loop head shunt:

     
    Operating end of the FPL:

     
    Two views with the bridge in place:

     

     
    Now to the station throat board. I think this will take a bit longer!
     
    Dave.
  4. Dave Holt
    Following on from my last entry, I've started work on the over-bridge which forms part of the scenic break between the station and the fiddle yard.
    The bridge is based on Bridge No. 4 which was (is) actually located in Dobcross, a mile or so along the branch from Delph, but which, together with the nearby group of cottages, forms an effective scenic break. A photo of the real thing appears on page 23 of Larry Goddard's excellent Delph book. The bridge - at about 81 feet long, more a short tunnel - carries Mount Lane over the railway. Mount Lane actually leads off Wall Hill Lane, but in my version it connects directly to Delph (Holt) New Road, which runs along the front of the layout past the coal drops and up to the station.
    I had formed the base for Mount Lane as part of the base-board structure but found that I hadn't made it high enough to cross the railway with sufficient clearance, so additional packing pieces have been added and similar levels incorporated into the bridge structure. This latter is made from plastic sheet, with a basic core clad in embossed sheet to represent the different types of stone used in the bridge wing walls and parapet.
    The photos show work in progress. I'm currently waiting for further supplies of plastic card and some additional tools to help finish the bridge.
    The final road surface will be 2 mm higher than the supports, but as yet, I haven't decided on the best material for this or for the ground in-fill between the (quite narrow) road and the widely spaced parapets.
     
    First a view through the bridge, looking towards the station:
     

     
    Now a view from roughly the same view-point as the photo in Larry's book:
     

     
    Finally, the station side of the bridge. Judging by photos I took some years ago, the stonework of the wing walls on this side of the bridge is quite different from the random style used on the other side. Strictly, none of the embossed card is exactly right, but these are somewhere near. The proper way would be individually engraved stones cut into plain card - as per Geoff Kent's lovely bridges recently illustrated in his MRJ article - but perhaps I'm not that dedicated!:
     

  5. Dave Holt

    Rebuilt Royal Scot, 46109

    By Dave Holt,


    4 mm, P4
    Previously posted as a future project, this has turned into the current project.
    Quite a bit of progress has been made with the chassis which now has the wheel sets in. Still rather a lot to do, but it is coming along.
    Here are some views of the frames with the wheel sets, including the inside crank.

     

     

     

    Dave.
  6. Dave Holt

    Delph - FPL lock bar

    By Dave Holt,

    Following on from my previous post on point rodding, I've now got stuck into the facing point lock lock bar. This is located immediately in advance of the king point to prevent the FPL being withdrawn if any stock was standing over the bar.
    Using information from the Scalefour Society manual and further information and photos from Robin Whittle (of Barrow Road fame) I've made good progress with my 4 mm scale representation.
    The bar is slightly the wrong proportions being a length of 0.82 x 0.82 mm Tee section but not too far out. It's mounted on wire pins set into the base board top adjacent to the rail. The pivot levers are from an Ambis FPL etch but I didn't bother with the associated support brackets as they're barely visible behind the pivots. I set the top of the bar 0.75 mm below the rail head to make sure that my 0.5 mm deep wheel flanges would be clear of it. This is perhaps a bit generous clearance as the real thing is about level with the bottom of the rail head in the lowered position. To get the bar to the required height I had to file the top of the inside chairs to 1.57 mm below top of rail and trim the bottom of the pivot levers which will be below ballast level when all is finished.
    A minor inconvenience is that the bar crosses a base board joint, so the total length (50' - 6") is split with 140 mm on one board and the remaining 62 mm on the next.
    Here's a photo of the longer section in position. Also visible (just) are the cranks for the operating rods (rods not yet done). The drive from the signal box lever is to the far (left hand) end of the bar.
     

     
    At the other end of the bar is the attachment to the FPL bolt mechanism. This arrangement meant that any failure/breakage in the lock bar arrangement prevented the FPL (and hence the point blades) from being moved.
  7. Dave Holt
    I've made some further progress with my PenBits sprung bogies for the Class 40. The modified Bachmann drive gears have been fitted to the new Gibson axles and the pony truck frames have had the axle bushes opened out to 2.4 mm ( from 2 mm) to accept the extended axles that I recovered from my part-completed Lima Class 40.
     
    Here are the three driving and pony truck axle (for the second bogie) The gears have been drilled out by a friend to be a good push fit on the axles, but I applied a smear of Loctite Bush Retainer, as a precaution. The pony truck axle has been reduced to 2 mm diameter in the centre to make sure it clears the truck retaining wire:
     

     
    Next, the first bogie with the wheel sets and springs fitted. I'm pleased to report that it pushes along very freely, so all that hacking about of the gear train, which caused some trepidation, appears to have been successful. Mind you, testing under power will be the key. Regarding power, the kit instructions describe a pick up system using shorted out wheels on opposite sides of the two bogies, but I don't really fancy trying to solder wire to the wheel rims (seems like a recipe for melted wheel centres to me) so I'm going to fit conventional wiper pick ups. Two pick up mounting bus-bars have been attached to copper clad pads to facilitate the pick up wires (still to be made and fitted). These bus-bars have to be in two parts because of the articulated inner chassis, hence the blue insulated wire loops connecting the two sections. There will also be a further jumper wire on each side to take the power up to the bogie mounting piece. From there, the original Bachmann arrangement connects to the loco circuit board via sprung contacts:
     

     

     
    The second bogie has now been assembled to the same stage, so they have been fitted to the loco for trial pushing through some point work, prior to fitting the pick-ups. Here are three shots of it at the yard throat on the layout. After an initial derailment, possible due to not having all the wheels properly on the rails, it has pushed successfully through the double slip and even round the extremely tight connection to the mill siding. It wouldn't be expected to go round there during operation.
     

     

     

     
    No excuses not to move on to the pick-ups now and then test under power.
     
    Dave.
     
    Dave.
  8. Dave Holt
    As far as I know, no DMU ever visited the real Delph, but in my model version (Holt), a Cravens power twin unit is being trialed as a potential replacement for the steam powered ex-LNWR push-pull trains.....a trail doomed to fail I predict!
    Anyway, a converted Bachmann set is seen arriving past the head-shunt buffer stops. Behind the unit is a template for the extended over-bridge I have relocated from Dobcross. Also seen is a photo of the actual bridge (with my late wife, Sue, acting as a 5' - 2" tape measure!).
    The final shot shows the space for a group of cottages from Dobcross which will form part of the scenic break to the fiddle yard and the steep lane rising to cross the aforementioned bridge. You can just make out a photo of the real location in the copy of Larry Goddard's Delph book, open in front.
     
    First the DMU with the bridge portal behind:

     

     
    Now with the photo of the actual bridge - the tack-bed at this point is now a footpath:

     
    And finally, the cottage/lane feature:

     
    Regular readers might note that for a change, the base-board is not on the lounge floor! No - I haven't finally got round to assembling part of the support structure - in this case, it's carefully balanced on the backs of two dining chairs!!!
  9. Dave Holt

    Delph - 9F visits

    By Dave Holt,

    BR 9F 92037 paid a brief visit to Delph today following major repairs. Here she is seen close to the recently installed FPL and signal detector.
     

     
    The loco last saw use at Scalefour North a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, it shed a con rod big end (due to the return crank unscrewing) which locked up the chassis at full tilt and doing a fair bit of mischief to the mechanism. The loco was stripped down and now everything appears OK, although not tried under power, in anticipation of an appearance on Robin Whittle's fabulous Barrow Road layout at the forthcoming S4North show in about 10 days time.
    Even if now fully restored, I don't think 92037 will get much use on Delph - holiday excursion perhaps?
     
    Dave.
  10. Dave Holt
    As part of the scenic work for the station board, the right-hand wing wall has been completed. I'd cut the stone facing pieces from Wills sheets some time ago but have now completed the wall by assembling the two pieces and adding the capping. The assembly has been painted using the sooted stone technique explained to me by Peter Leyland - paint the basic stone colour all over, when thoroughly dry, paint matt black and wipe off using kitchen roll with a vertical action.
    This new angled section of wall is on the station board whilst the remainder of the coal drops is on the adjacent coal-drop board. You can see the joint in one of the photos, just below the edge of the coal drop deck. Overall, I think I've managed to match the colouring across the joint and then gradually have less blackening progressively along the wing wall where less dirt and coal dust would have been flying about.
    Behind the wing wall and then along the front of the goods yard, there is an extended low retaining wall holding back an embankment. I'm debating the best way of producuing the retaining wall - which is curved in both plan and in the vertical plane along its length and has an appearance which is not replicated by any of the embossed/printed products I can find - and also the embankment itself. For this I'm hovering between some sort of closed foam material and wire mesh with plaster bandage construction. Any thoughts and suggestions would be most welcome for both the wall and the embankment.
     

     

     
    Cheers,
     
    Dave.
  11. Dave Holt
    Unfortunately, I will be taking a forced break from modelling for a few weeks, having broken my right arm, just below the shoulder joint, when I tripped and fell heavily on concrete, on Tuesday. Never to be recommended, but this does seam to be a particularly bad time to be incapacitated, what with the build up to Christmas and New Year.
    Prior to my accident, I had progressed the Std 2 tank by fitting the cab glazing and adding coal to the bunker and had started to paint the [Modelu] crew members. Here's a dilemma with a push-pull fitted loco. Does one have both driver and fireman in the cab or just the fireman? It can only be right for one direction of travel, unless someone knows how to make the drive pop up/disappear dependent on whether pulling or pushing. The same issue applies to the driving trailer of the train.
    Here are a couple of rather poor quality photos of the loco, one including part of a typical Delph push-pull train from the mid 1950's - ex-LNWR motor coaches in LMS or BR livery.
     

     

     
    Dave.
  12. Dave Holt
    Now that the Jubilee has gone off to be weathered, I've started to prepare my Stanier Caprotti Black 5 for painting. This entails stripping it down for degreasing and to give access for painting. The disassembly is quite complicated and has to be done in a specific sequence to get access to various fixing screws. Due to the short cab sides and exposed, open type steps, the pipework under the cab has had to be split between the footplate unit, the chassis mainframes and a separate carrier plate at the rear end. In order to dismantle the loco, first the tender is disconnected, then the pipe carrier plate is removed to reveal the screw which hold the footplate to the chassis. As built, the boiler can then be removed from the footplate as it was fixed by two screws under the saddle and by a pin engaging in the cab front at the firebox end.
     
    Here are the main components after separation. The chassis will be broken down into its component parts for me to paint shortly.
     

     
    The separate pipe carrier also has the rear section of the brake rigging attached. The brake pull rod and the exhaust steam injector pipe plug into their mating parts on the chassis brake rigging and keeper plate, respectively.
     

     
    Here's the footplate unit. You can just about make out the Caprotti drive shaft sloping up towards the saddle area. Also visible, with the circular spiral on the end is the valve actuating pipe running from the dome to the cylinders. In a previous post, I explained the thinking behind fixing the cylinders and slide bars to the footplate, rather than to the chassis, as one might expect.
     

     
    My friend, David Clarke, who is going to paint and line the body, has advised that he would prefer the boiler and footplate to be supplied as a single unit so I have now fixed them together with Araldite, which is curing as I write. Once set sufficiently, I'll trim off the excess which has squeezed out and fill any remaining gaps.
     
    Dave.
  13. Dave Holt
    Further to my last posting, the motor has now been fitted and the DZ126 chip fitted and all wired up. Pleasingly, the loco ran the correct way, so there was no need to change CV29. After changing the chip address to 4741 (loco number 44741) I've set the acceleration to 20 (out of 31) and deceleration to 3 (out of 31). This enables a fairly smooth acceleration whilst retaining good control over slowing and stopping. Experience has shown that excessive deceleration values makes fine control on a dead-end layout rather hazardous!
    In the photo, the chip is attached to the rear of the motor body by a thin layer of Bluetac(?) and the wires well tucked in to fit withing the loco firebox. The tin of paint balanced on the front of the chassis is simply ballast to compress the light springs within the front bogie, to avoid short circuits via the brake blocks. Normally, this function is performed by the loco body.
     

     
    Dave.
  14. Dave Holt
    The chassis for my Caprotti Black 5 has now been painted and re-assembled, apart from fitting the motor and DCC chip. The latter will be a Digitrax DZ126, a tiny, fully encapsulated item, which will be held to the motor with some Bluetack.
    A couple of similar looking shots of the painted chassis are shown below:
     

     

     
    Close examination reveals one of the twin rear equalising beams and the single front one extending from the front coupled axle to the centre of the front bogie. The gearbox is an extended High Level driving the centre axle and prevented from rotating round the axle by the loose anchor point behind the rear axle. Various pipes can be seen between the frames, which match up with continuations either under the chassis or under the boiler/footplate unit.
    The cetre crank pin retainer on the side seen has not been painted as the lubricator drive return crank screws on, outboard of it.
    The body/footplate unit and tender body are off the be painted and lined next week, so it's all coming along quite well.
     
    Dave.
  15. Dave Holt

    Delph max

    By Dave Holt,

    As a follow-up to my entry the other day, I've added the next board along - with the coal drops. This is the maximum length of the layout I can erect on the floor without moving furniture around, so the station platform board is not attached. I haven't started the fiddle yard.
    In use, the layout is high enough (1400 mm to rail level - quite high) to go over the furniture, but I haven't made a start on the support structure so far.
    Having these boards connected allows the point rodding runs and crank, compensator and stool positions to be determined.
     
    Similar shots as last time, but with the extra board - beginning to give a sense of the overall size and space.
     

     

     
    Dave.
  16. Dave Holt
    Yesterday was just one of those days. A little progress with the Jubillee but a series of set-backs, sufficient to make me want a few days away from it!
    The progress was in successfully cutting back the rear edge of the cab footplate to clear the front of the tender, fitting the fall plates and some guide pins that hold the pivoted tender doors in place whilst allowing movement on curves. I also fitted the whistle to the cab front, although that bit leads into one of the set-backs.
     
    In anticipation of the painting and weathering of the loco, I have been refreshing my memory of the necessary assembly sequence and found that the motor must be attached to the gearbox before fitting through the footplate/cab, then the motor wiring attached and finally, the boiler fitted over the motor, plugged into the cab front and fixed to the smokebox saddle from underneath. I also needed to find a suitable space for the DCC chip - not easy as the resin boiler is packed with lead sheet to give tractive weight and balance on the locomotive springs.
    I had dallied with connecting the motor up for DC operation initially and fitting the chip later. However, I decided to fit the chip straight away as I have had the loco running successfully on DC previously. In the end, I was quite pleased with the motor/chip installation, although the soldering wasn't my best after struggling with bits coming adrift when I added the next wire. These photos show the arrangement without the boiler. The tender is not coupled in the first shot and fits closer to the loco than illustrated.
     

     

     
    The first set-back came when I tried to programme the chip with its proper address (5701) which involves first setting CV29 to accept four digit addresses. On doing this, after swatting up from the various instruction manuals, I got an error message. Furthermore, the chip appears to be totally unresponsive despite trying both the new address and the factory default address of 03. Now I'm not sure if there's a chip fault - nether had any previous trouble with the Digitrax DZ123 type, before, or if the problem lies in my Lentz DCC control unit or throttle. Further checking of wiring, etc., is in order before I rip the chip out.
    The second set-back resulted from fitting the whistle as this now prevents fitting of the boiler till I've ground away loads more of the inside of the firebox. Previously, the boiler just squeezed over the motor with the back end clear of the cab front. Now, with the whistle protruding from the cab, the boiler has to be about six or seven millimeters further forward, to clear the end of the whistle and the thinned down firebox sides no longer coincide with the motor body. Oh well, out with the rotary burr.
    The final set-back was the disintegration of my illuminated magnifying glass that I need to see what I'm doing. The mazac castings that grip the lens/light unit broke, causing the lens to fall down, suspended only by the power cable, luckily without hitting anything but effectively ending any use of the unit. A smaller, cheaper replacement has been ordered but will take a week or so to arrive. I do have an Optivisor head set, but find it hard to get on with and also a lack of bright illumination to see the detail in my modelling room.
     
    Hopefully, all these issues will prove no too difficult to overcome, in the end.
     
    Dave.
  17. Dave Holt

    Taw Valley

    By Dave Holt,

    Not often seen at Delph, but Ijust happen to like modified Bulleid pacifics! This is my effort at Taw Valley. Based on a Model Loco Co (DJH under a different name) kit. It is in P4, with full floating compensated chassis using hand sawn frames, Gibson wheels and valve gear from kit, Comet and some bits left over from a Brassmasters black 5! What can't be seen is the crank axle, inside con rod and full valvegear - but it is all there.
    Lined and numbered by Ian Rathbone.
    Photo at Scvaleforum by Phil Hall.
     

  18. Dave Holt
    The final bit of point rodding in front of the signal box has now been completed and is shown in these photos.
     
    A general view:
     

     
    and just in front of the box:
     

     
    Unfortunately, I've now created a problem with the wonderful signal box made by Gravy Train. The original had a walk-way in front which was removed because the rodding cranks and signal wire pulleys are in the way. However, there is no slot above ballast level for the rods, etc., to enter the box, so I'm faced with having to create one without wrecking the finished box. This is to accommodate the support of the inner ends of the rods going under the box, which are above the false bottom in the box. I hoped I might be able to carefully carve a suitable opening in the floor and front of the box but it appears to be made from a grade of plastic card closely related to armour plate and the front face of the box is several thicknesses laminated together. I'll have to find a way to achieve the necessary openings somehow.
  19. Dave Holt
    My Caprotti Black 5 has gone for some finishing details and David Clarke has kindly sent me some rather enlarged views of the loco, prior to the work. Overall, I think the model stands up quite well to these larger than full size photos, although there are a few blemishes and omissions apparent.
     

     

     

     
    Best wishes for Christmas and New Year,
     
    Dave.
  20. Dave Holt
    The signal box has been modified to overcome the problem mentioned in the previous entry. A 3 mm wide slot was gouged in the underside using a custom made chisel (ground up from a screwdriver). Slots to accommodate the point rods were then cut in the front wall - very carefully, so as not to damage the paint finish applied by Gravy Train.
    I had been rather apprehensive about hacking at a fully finished model but it proved not as difficult as I'd anticipated. Let's hope that also applied to the forthcoming ballasting!
    Here's a photo of the box in situ with the rods entering via the new slots. Presumably there would be similar openings for the signal wires, but these have not been attempted. Best not to tempt fate.
     

  21. Dave Holt
    The replacement side has now been affixed to the tender using Araldite Rapid. I'm pleased to say that the new side is completely flat, with no visible ripples or indentations. In fact, it's better than the other side, so should paint up nicely. Phew! That was all a lot easier and quicker to put right than I had feared.
    The new side is shown below:
     

     
    side on, and
     

     
    at an angle, hopefully showing the side completely flat.
     
    Dave.
  22. Dave Holt
    Apologies to those who managed to find this update and request for help in the history during the recent posting problems, but here it is again. Better luck this time?
     
     
     
    A bit more progress with the coal drops, this week.
     
    For the first time since before Christmas, I've been able to access the workshop and trial fit the coal drop deck with the rails attached. Fortunately, the alignment with the track already fixed either end was very good, although a packing shim (.020" plasticard) was required at the LH end to get the top of the rails level at the joint. The trial fitting also allowed re-checking of some dimensions which affect the scenic part of the drops - the retaining walls. These photos show the deck in position.
     

     

     
    I've also cut the LH end stone retaining wall from Wills coarse stone sheet. This is shown below, with a photo of the real thing behind. I really could do with a bit of help here from someone who remembers the drops in working order.
    In the 1991 photo, there are obviously modern concrete steps leading from the coal yard area (then a car park - now a road/houses) up to the goods yard level, complete with a right-angle turn near the bottom. The capping stones on the upper part of the wall look original, so my questions are:
    - were there earth or stone steps originally, or just a steep path?
    - was the right-angle turn there or did the original just carry on straight down next to the wall to ground level?
    I have a copy of an old photo which shows some sort of access way up the side of the drops, but I can't make out if there were steps or not and the lower section is obscured.
    Any help answer these queies would be most gratefully received.
     
    Anyway, here's my effort so far.
     

     
    Finally, I've finished the wall at the RH end where the deck sat. This wall is split, with the inner section, directly under the deck, on the base-board which carries the drops and the outer section on the adjacent (station) board. Hopefully, the joint won't be too visible when the boards are assembled.
     

     
    This post seems to have dropped off the end, so please forgive me re-posting as I really would appreciate any help with the questions raised.
     
     
    Unfortunately, no one seems to remember any details of these drops, so I'll plough on with something "in the spirit of" rather than a scale model - which will fit in with my "model based on Delph", not an exact replica approach.
     
    I've now made the cosmetic brick support pillars which took the deck and divided the cells. The structural supports are MDF and built into the layout, as previously illustrated, so these are made from plastic sheet to replicate the bricks with stone block bearing pad inserts. Being white cards at present, the details don't show up too well in the photos, but these might give some idea of progress.

    Here's the deck balanced loosely on the 5 pillars which are more or less in the right positions. At this stage, the ends of the pillard had not had the brick card applied
     

    A closer shot of one end, where a bit more detail is visible
     

    Two of the pillars with the end faces completed.
     
    Next job is to paint (or crayon - see Barrowroad blog) to represent a sooty, coal dust encrusted condition. Help!!!!!
     
    Dave.
  23. Dave Holt
    I recently had a near disaster with the Caprotti Black 5 when I accidentally knocked off and nearly lost part of the rather delicate lubricator drive mechanism at my local club meeting. Fortunately, a colleague spotted the missing parts under a table - I was convinced it had come off at home whilst packing the body up, otherwise quite a bit of extra work would have been necessary. Anyway, it turned out not to be as hard to put right as I had feared and, indeed, the repaired drive is both stronger and actually more realistic than before, as I have added an internal stiffening rib missing from my original effort. Silver linings and all that.
     
    Buoyed up by the success with the lubricator drive repair, the chassis has been completely disassembled and given a coat of Precision Paints single pack grey etch primer. The instructions stress the need to be sparing with it, but the paint in the (brand new) tin has the consistency of syrup, so constant dipping of the brush in thinners was necessary to get a thin coating. Here are all the bits, except the motor and screws, laid out after priming. Mating surfaces and parts invisible on the finished loco have been left unpainted.
     

     
    Dave.
  24. Dave Holt
    The plastic structure of the bridge is now complete - parapets clad, capping stones added, etc and I've sprayed it with Halfords grey plastic primer in preparation for painting the stone surfaces.
    Whilst most of the local buildings, including the station and coal drops are millstone grit, my colour photos of the actual bridge show it to be made of a grey coloured stone. I'm not sure whether to try to replicate this or adopt a similar colour to the other stone-work, for a more consistent appearance, especially as I've moved the bridge much nearer to the station features than the real thing.
     
    Two shots from the Greenfield side.....
     

     

     
    ...and one from the station side. The short extension at ground level is a small retaining wall at the bottom of the cutting.
     

     
    Next job is to paint and ballast the track through the bridge, which has already been primed, so it can be permanently fixed to the base-board.
  25. Dave Holt
    Not too much progress with the layout or locos recently, although I have painted the cobbled area in the goods yard. I've been putting this off, fearing I'd wreck all the effort of hand scribing the setts. The initial results confirmed my fears had been well founded, but a couple more washes with very diluted black have blended the patches in a bit. I'm still not completely happy but hope it doesn't look too bad to others.
    In the lull, I've posed my Jubilee on the part of the layout currently erected, to illustrate a future operation. In the photos below, the Newton Heath shedded loco, in unusually clean condition, has arrive running tender first, with the stock for a sea-side excursion train and is seen in the process of running round its train, prior to departure......
     

     

     

     

     
    The loco will be going off to be weathered shortly.
     
    Dave.
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