MrSimon

Hi Ben, I saw the advice and had loosened the bogies on the wagons, I’ve still got one or two ‘troublesome trucks’ but I’m waiting to see what happens when I get them on Gresby - an oval of Unitrack on the floor is never going to be as good a test as well laid track on sturdy baseboards! That said, they ran much better today with larger radius curves: This mornings post! I think some of my existing unitrack had pretty tight corners which made some things hard to test, so I got some more! It’s ideal for setting out on the floor. Today’s test running found a few things to add to the ‘to fix’ list: The Dapol voyager I’ve got is rubbish, I need to sort the couplings on my pretendolino, and I need to take a look at the class 60. I think it’s the first time I’ve properly run the Porterbrook class 47. In other news I finished the transfers of the NSE/Parcels 47, I’m just touching up the last of the paint and it’ll be ready to weather and finish off. Lots to do (and time to do it!) Simon

Thanks Dave! This was the first rake I’ve bought, it took a bit of planning and saving (and took up a lot of my budget for 5-6 months last year). They’re excellent looking models, I just need to have some time on the layout to get them running right. I’ve just got a bit of painting left to do on the one that’s been on my desk for a week: This is the first time I’ve used a Modelu modern image lamp - I think it looks better than the ones I’ve been using before (so I might start to switch over to these). Hello everybody! I haven’t really felt like much modelling this week, but I’ve been doing plenty of thinking about modelling and decided to get notes of everything in one place - mostly because I get to exhibitions, see the trade stands and forget what I wanted from them - so I decided to use some software I use at work. Trello: Here’s one of the lists I put together on my Trello board showing all the things I’m sort of working on but not actually doing anything at the moment. Each of the cards (eg. Portabrook 47) can be moved between different lists and can hold checklists, etc., and I can access it on my phone anywhere I’ve got a signal. There’s a ‘to repair’ list which should hopefully stop me pulling out a loco that’s failed and wondering what’s up with it... Today I crossed off two things from the Parcels coloured 47’s card: I fitted the mesh and painted the roof: I won’t keep showing the trello (because it’s quite dull) but I’ll give it a few months to see how its going/if it helps. Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! Plenty of modelling time yesterday, I was on leave but my plans were cancelled, so I did a load of painting: Visible are: the four tipplers I put the transfers on had their first coat of matt varnish, I fixed the bolster wagon I broke at Leamington, I gave the driving cars their last coat of green before I can varnish and transfer them, orange ends on the next three tipplers to transfer and the first coat of orange on the ends of the next 7 tipplers. Before I got started with the painting I stuck pipes into the end of those two hoppers. I can honestly say I’ve never known a set of pipes slide into their holes so effortlessly as on a Revolution HOA... Normally they’re a right old wrestle to get the detail pack in! Just goes to show what’s possible. I didn’t dig out the modelu lights for this yet, I’m in two minds about using the pre-printed Dapol ones...? Finally last night (which I recognise is a bit of a back-to-front way of doing things) I stuck the ladders on the first set of tipplers. Looking back I should have put them on before painting... and I should maybe have marshalled all the ones with ladders already fitted into the same set of 7 before doing the transfers/finalising the painting. Meh, oh well. Lots more to get done, and with home working coming in I’ll have plenty of time to get cracking! Simon

Hello everybody, After two weekends exhibiting I’ve had an unexpected weekend at home, I thought I’d get plenty of modelling done but instead I had some pretty big naps instead... Here’s a video of the class 108 at Leamington: I haven’t managed to do any of the painting on this yet - or even got it out the box yet. One bit of modelling I did manage was the transfers on the other side of these wagons. They took less time than the first side but they still took forever... and I’ve got three others to do from scratch! Next I got the unitrack out and gave my newest wagons a run: I think the curves weren’t quite right for the HOAs, I’ll give them a go on Gresby before seeing if there’s anything I need to do to them - they’re great models though! The HIAs need their couplings sorting, they come apart and the gaps are large. The rear wagons are on my desk for pipes etc to be added. Lots to do! Simon

I’m going (unless it’s cancelled or I get it) - assume there’ll be somewhere to properly wash my hands/some sanitiser? If anyone needs a hand operating for an hour or two I’m game

Hi LT, I used the Fleischmann 3 axle chassis but you have to cut it at 1/3 and 2/3 to reduce the distance between the wheels. There’s some pictures of how that coach was made on my workbench thread, here: Cheers Simon

Thanks Duncan, It was an ok show, everything worked once the hall dried out after the Friday set up. This weekend we’re at Leamington Spa show with the same layout, but during the week I’ve been painting the rest of the class 108. The driving cars were both stripped, primed two coats of green, put back together and had two colours painted on the roof: I was hoping to be able to buy roof coloured paint this weekend, but it’s looking like I’ll have to wait till Ally Pally. The driving cars both need a third coat of green to be as green as the other cars, then I need to transfer it, paint the underframes and give it a light weather... but it’s run all day in this condition and no ones said anything! There’s a lot of stock I’ve worked on in this picture... Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody, Here’s some pics and a video of the 108 on test: it’s not running this weekend, but maybe next weekend at Leammington Ready to go for tomorrow - Newark Showground from 10 Saturday and Sunday See you there! Simon

Hello everybody! Some bits done despite a weird week of interviews and work drinks: I started work on the driving cars for the 108, I was surprised that the route indicator boxes were so bulky, and I might have even made these a bit fine - but here’s some evergreen strip on the front of a 108... Both driving cars The 4 car unit, it’s going up to Newark at the weekend to be tested and then I’ll see about painting/finishing the transfers. Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody, Lots of transfers today, the biggest job being these: Before I varnish them there are a few letters that need straightening up before I varnish them and do the other side (a T an R and a couple of Es so far, I’m going to have to stop staring at this picture). I thought I’d got lucky with the transfer sheet, but it must have been designed for different wagons so the BRITISH STEEL letters weren’t spaced out very well. The class 47s are almost finished, I ordered the numbers this weekend and applied the cantrail transfers. Yesterday I painted the handrails... they’ve been a long project! I’m not going to have the 108 ready for Lincoln Show at Newark this weekend, but I’ll have other steam stock there. Lots to do! Simon

Thanks Jo - I never think to just google what I’m looking for when it comes to modelling stuff! I’ll give it a try when I’m past peak condensation time, I’ve bought some new but yellowing transfers from Fox recently... After a few weeks in the box the yellow doesn’t seem to have got any better on the Porterbrook (ignore the number though, I’m ordering a new one) I did some more transfers today: Both engines have had the transfers put on the ends. I’ll varnish them on Tuesday or Wednesday and then will be able to get on with the rest of finishing them off. The 108 is progressing (endless coats of green and ‘roof’ are boring, so I won’t show it again until it gets interesting) - this week I fitted floors to the tipplers that had massive holes left from when I re-sided some I bought on eBay: The floors are quite thick plasticard, these two are still quite bowed so I think they’re getting the boiling water and balsa wood before I put the transfers on. You can see the gap between the floor and side on the top wagon. I don’t know if this train will be on the inner or outer track of Gresby yet - I need to see how the rest of the stock is shaping up as being inner or outer only, and that’ll determine if it runs loaded or empty; but the slightly differing floor levels won’t be noticeable when the train is moving (I hope) Lots to do! Simon

They look great Duncan! Where are the transfers from?

Thanks guys, I never saw either of the class 47s/the Deltic, but I used to see the barrier wagons going down the East Coast from Doncaster, and the class 170 in the purple/white was a regular around Nottingham. I never really got on well with rub down ones - I’m in two minds about seeing whether Railtec or Precision have anything suitable, I’d had the transfers for a few years and I think Fox has had them in stock for quite a while. Great tip, thanks Jo! Unfortunately, it’s too late for this engine, but I’ve got plenty of others that are turning yellow - do you know if it would work taped on the window in a sealed bag? I’ve only got one sunny window and that’s always condensated... The yellow has faded a little since I put it on but I’m not in a hurry to varnish the transfer down. The other class 47 in my ‘painting box’ got varnished for transfers today, this is the blank end - as soon as I’ve got the headlamp and flashes on I’ll be able to matt varnish it and finish the painting. It’s not a standard order to do things but it’ll be easier to transfer on to a flat surface. I also varnished the first four tipplers, but they’re not photogenic yet... First coat of green on the 108 car. I did end up taking another 1-2mm out of the centre, then I filled the gaps, smoothed the filler and painted a few coats of different coloured enamel over the join, sanding them smooth each time. After a coat of grey primer the join was invisible so it’s time to paint. It’ll need two more thin coats. Lots to do! Simon

The shed shots look very realistic Duncan - they look very ‘white’ though, when I worked in a shed (doing admin for Northern, years ago) the lighting was dimmer and more yellow - that was Newton Heath, I never saw inside Shirebrook... but that’s nit-picking an excellent scene! The clutter looks right and the engines ‘loom’ like trains do in depots with the activity going on around them. You’re doing a great job on the seacows - they’re a pretty painful build, I could never get the middle section right where the instructions just say ‘bend it round’ with no useful picture... but the good thing is you’ve got the hand wheel to go over it and then the mesh cage over the top, so you’ll never notice!! Cheers Simon

Hello everybody! Not much done over the last few weeks, but I got a few minutes to fit some transfers: I’m not sure if I’m impressed with how they turned out (just the porterbrook letters/numbers) - they seem to have gone yellow! Normally i ignore the yellow but as this is on stark white it’s pretty noticeable - is there a way of getting rid? Thanks Simon

I remember visiting when I was a kid (it was still the Rutland railway museum then) it was a great afternoon out! The day we went Christopher Awdry was there, and there was a massive crane, and a row of engines, and we had a brake an ride - the only one I ever had.

I can’t believe that’s been 7 years! Welcome back! Looks like it’s going to be an interesting layout, definitely one to watch

Great news Bernard! The last version of the class 37 detail kit was great, hope it becomes available again (and the dummy screw couplings) Cheers Simon

Hi Dave, No need to apologise, always welcome! It’s so long since I fitted them to this 47 I probably bought them direct from TPM before the website changed in 2013. Any else I’ve bought have been off eBay or sometimes they come up in Hattons pre-owned or in boxes of odd bits on stalls at exhibitions. I’ve got in my head that BH Enterprises are going to start producing the TPM etches, I’m 90% sure I read it somewhere before Christmas, but I can’t remember whether I read it somewhere reliable and their website hasn’t been updated (I also read that some of the kits are going to be available through the NGS but I don’t know if that includes the detailing parts). How many sets do you need? I might have some. Cheers Simon

I could never work out why putting the rods on backwards helped - and now it’s just clicked in my brain! So simple, thanks Tim!! Simon

I sometimes worry about modelling too many none-standard things, but sometimes they’re right for a region. There were 18 4car 101s with a trailer brake, but the 111 buffet car made it 1of 10. The other 101 (With 2 Trailers and a normal Driver Brake) was also 1 of 10... both right for NE region layouts though. But we can go a rarer than that after today... The NE region also had some class 108s, and I’m making 1 of the 6 4car 108s. Today I cut a pair of spare body shells up to make the Trailer Brake Second: I’m not sure what the story was with the paint, but it made the original unit cheap. I found the drawings on railcar.co.uk and worked out where to cut. It fits. More or less. I tacked it with superglue, then I stripped the kinda-privatised livery off. Weirdly for me I primed it straight away, doing the NMT proved it was easier to sort gaps and things if it was white. I’m going to measure it against the plan and against the TC it’ll run with before either filling the crack or taking another half mil from the roof. Everything else today just got a second coat, which is dull. Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody, It’s been a while! I’ve been doing a bit of post-Christmas sorting out of stock. First, fresh from running Christmas Specials to Gresby this 108 got the start of some TLC. On the un-powered car I took the buffers off the gangway end and set them about 1mm further in - this should make the unit more reliable on sharp corners. I also stuck the detailing pack on (as much as I didn’t loose), it’ll go back in its box until I work out if I want a larger roof-top box/black windscreen surrounds/a white roof dome/etc. Next up, actually did a tiny bit of modelling. I decided I had to model the two different ends of the loco, took the etches off the end, filled it with milliput and sanded it smooth. Now I can get on with the painting. Speaking of painting, I bought some British Steel blue at Warley and started to paint the tipplers. Here they are after 2 coats of orange and one of blue - good to see them all the same colour after 2-3 years of them in every colour. I’d got this sent home to meet me at Christmas. I’d actually ordered 2 freightliners but the box contained 1 and this. Here it is fresh out the box, I’ve never liked that Farish didn’t get the plastic stairs to match the body colour... So I painted it. And I painted the stairs - I just need to put a dirty wash on the underframe and it’ll be at the same pre-weathered stage as the rest of the train. (I want to see about weathering the train this year). Finally, I gave this a good run over Christmas. I’ve got an issue with the pantograph car - putting the new livery and old on the different sides backfired slightly because it wouldn’t stay coupled while the right way round to show the same style livery as the other coaches... definitely something to investigate. The rest of the train ran well so I can get on with weathering and finishing it off. I’ve got some more stuff on the go, I just need to take pictures... Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! Today I took a long sharp knife to the pub, it needed to be 37mm front to back where the side chimney joins (not including the chimney) I took 2mm off the back, another mm off the front, and up to 4-5mm out of the middle. Now the building sits flat (it wasn’t flat at Christmas), but I won’t know if it’ll fit until the next work session. There’s rebuilding work to do, unfortunately I demolished a window while trimming it down. I’ll also bring the door slightly closer to the window and I need to redo the top part of the roof where I got a bit knife-happy. It all needs painting still... These are done, and I matt-varnished it so it looks more like Galvanised Steel. In the background is the 47, I couldn’t resist and have milliputted over the headlamp panel. Finally, does anyone know if we get cake for this: I hit 100,000 views last night - they’re not all me going back to correct my spelling either, so thanks everyone for checking in at Gresby! Lots to do! Simon

Good progress Duncan! I found the hopper hand wheels were the hardest bit. How long until you’re back at work? Cheers Simon

Thanks both! I think I’ve always enjoyed building the buildings more than the rest of it - maybe a tramway layout would be ideal for me as it’s all buildings! Im still no closer to explaining what happened with the pub being so wrong - the template was much too short! I remembered to pick the old pub out the bin before the collection so I can measure the width again, and I think the big chimney will have to shrink... Today I sat down to build the flight of Network Rail access steps I didn’t build at my parents on Boxing Day. I’m glad I built it here, I needed so many tools! First up, the sides bent up in shape. I thought they’d be handed but they’re not - these are three identical lefts! You’re supposed to just use one upside down. It took a while to get it sorted in my head. I’m glad I didn’t solder it in the end. The stair treads were really hard to bend to shape, and then they didn’t sit very straight. But I managed it... somehow... it took me 3 hours! In the background you’ll also notice I’ve made a start painting the Ore Tipplers I made last year. I don’t know if the full train will be blue or if I’ll do a portion in black/grey. Tomorrow I’m sorting the pub out. Lots to do, thanks again! Simon