MrSimon

Thanks Steve, I'll drop them an email. It's great news that you'll be making them - the loco numbers and NMT transfers I got from you have been really high quality, I keep reading references to peeling the film off, but I've never managed it - it must be an urban legend :p Yep, know what you mean, on both points! I keep looking at the Farish & Dapol announcements and feel relieved that there's nothing I really want... then I remember everything that's on the way from Revolution and C Rail - and now the Cavalex tankers! I've been making beginner mistakes for 25 years now, I try to write as much as I can remember on here so I can remember what I've done! It's still fun after all this time too Cheers Simon

Thanks Dave! The strapping was all Duncan from Shirebrook - it's a pain to fit, but with a few blobs of Humbrol metalcote (27001) and a coat of Matt varnish (on coloured side and the bits of sticky side that aren't stuck to the load, to stop the dust/fibres sticking to it). The end details are a brake pipe from a RTR wagon (handy now they all come with them) and a coupling hook and dummy screw coupling from Taylor. I'm pretty sure the lamp is PS Systems, the last place I saw them was BH Enterprises, but it's a few years ago - I got some printed ones from Modelu, but I've not tried them yet, so this one might end up being replaced with one of those. Loving all the work going on on Maids Morton at the moment! Cheers Simon

Hello everybody! I'm not sure where the month has gone, but I've got some bits done - even some bits I can show I got transfers from the N Gauge Society - I'm not very impressed with them, the carrier film is massive (making the transfers bigger than the bits they're meant to fit on) and really really visible... I think I've got too used to the Railtec transfers. Also, you get transfers for all liveries on one sheet, but you get a maximum of two numbers for each livery and only enough 'other markings' to do one wagon per sheet. I think it would have been better to have one sheet for pre-privatisation and one for post (with EWS and Loadhaul on). I should probably feedback to the NGS. I finished the 2mm wagon chassis and built three more: Two 16T mineral wagons the same as the other five from a few pages back. Now I've got a ten wagon coal train (with nowhere to run it) The chassis I started to build is under the 21T wagon on the left. This was the first 2mm wagon I'd built using separate axle-boxes and springs. Also, it's the first time I've used cast metal buffers. The LNER van is on an under frame I'd 'built' probably 10 years ago - and in true Simon-style I'd decided that just putting the brake shoes on was enough and I didn't need all the rest... I still had all the bits I'd missed off on the original etch. I added all the brake rigging, levers, and the vacuum cylinder. I need to finish all the wagons off. I've also nearly got the J94 running freely (without the motor), it's currently a 040 because I'd bent one of the wheels and had to order a new pair... Lots to do! Simon

Hi, yep it’s got wheels with slightly longer axels and slightly thicker wheels: The kit only had one bearing, I think I can guess why it was never built! Reading all the comments above I agree it’s definitely an etch for the bits box. Thanks for your help everyone! Cheers Simon

Hi, A few months back I saw the bits from one of the starter wagon packs online, and won it. At the weekend I got it out to build and it’s baffled me - there aren’t any instructions! The body was for one of the standard 16t mineral wagons, which I built as normal. There’s a bag with white metal axlebox/springs and buffers, and I can fit them just fine but there’s parts of the etch that have me stumped... Normally I just look on the assoc site and use them online but it’s not there. I can see that I need to solder on the solebars, the brake(s) go on the tabs that fold out the main chassis, I’m going to use the buffer beam that’s already on the plastic body, but what are the rectangular parts with the 4 etched lines and circular holes for? Thanks in advance! Simon

Yeah I can't get a decent signal in the bathroom either...

Hi Duncan - no idea what I pressed but it seems to be working now... explains why none of my messages have come through since the switchover to the new site! Cheers Simon I was hoping that the transfers I ordered for these would turn up in time for the weekend, but I fitted and secured the straps and painted buckles on them. I need to go over the straps with matt varnish and varnish the sticky side of the straps once I've picked the bits of fluff/dust off it. Once the transfers turn up I'll be able to matt varnish everything else. You know when you've got something to do but instead of doing it you pick something else out of the pile and do that instead? The 2mm J94 made it back onto the desk in place of the Las Vegas cake topper... I'd left the bearings sitting proud on the sides of the J94, because I didn't know that I shouldn't until I got that far through the making a Jubilee videos. So I filed them down, then I opened out the holes slightly - slightly larger on the leading two axles and so that the wheel turned freely on the geared axle. Then I fitted my first ever Simpson springs: They're the thin wires over the bearings. I'm not sure how well they'll run or what difference they'll make... but we'll see! This also formed part of this afternoons prevarication; I'm pretty sure I ordered axelboxes/springs but I don't know where I put them... there's a body kit somewhere too Lots to do! Simon

Hi Duncan, Box of etches is always a great thing to read - I've got a tiny shoe box of old 2mm bits that I've not got round to building yet. Let me know if you have any of the ladders/end platforms, I think I'm 1-2 wagon-worth of platforms down. When are you doing the 3 peaks? At least you've got plenty of hills to practice on in West Yorkshire! Cheers Simon

Hello everybody! Still keeping busy - I've been trying to get some things finished so I can get some other bits finished. This tanker has been on my desk for a while. I remember leaving it un-weathered for ages because I was definitely going to write an article for the NGS... 5 years ago... I think I've got Taylor detailing parts for the two more in my box and then I'd say that's the train complete. The new TEAs from Farish looked great at Ally Pally yesterday, but I'm sticking with these (if anyone's got any TPM detailing kits knocking around give me a shout if you're thinking of upgrading to the new model...) I've just got to paint over the door rods and this container will be done. It's very heavily ribbed which made putting the transfer on super tricky, even with Micro Set/Sol. I also stopped staring at the load straps on the bolster wagon and had another go at drilling holes: I need to glue the ends down and trim them to size, but I like how these have turned out. I'm also looking forward to the N Gauge Society producing transfers for these, I'd like to get them totally finished one day. Soon I'll be able to show progress on the 47 too. Lots to do! Simon

It's a limit for each message - bit of a pain if you prefer to take high-res pictures! Good idea putting a number in the unit Cheers Simon

Hello everybody I've been doing some bits last night and this morning, these are the most photogenic things I've done (not that that usually stops me) All the transfers (except those on the cab front) varnished down, snow ploughs fitted, and I re-did the cab from cantrail stripe. Still plenty to do on this, and at some stage I need to make the Vegas sign I've drawn out underneath... The buffer bean is complete except for weathering. Just the rest of the body and under frame to go... Lots to do! Simon

Thanks Duncan Yeah I put most things on here - it's quite handy for getting advice etc. on bits I'm stuck with, the threads basically 8 years of constant learning. All the modern stuff (except maybe the pretendolino/pendolino) will be (and has) run on Gresby - it's all been painted/weathered to be consistent with the painting/weathering on the layout. I should get on and finish some of the stuff on here that keeps popping up on here unfinished! Speaking of which: I worked from home this afternoon and my laptop battery went flat (it usually lasts the full day) so I fitted all the transfers to the class 20. I need to re-do the cab contrail line and I also need to go over the route indicator box in black (I have no idea why I spent so long painting it over in yellow), I also need to re-fit the cab glazing to actually fit, and then fit the snowploughs. Looking forward to giving this another run on the layout with the HAAs Lots to do! Simon

Thanks Steve, I'll give drilling some holes and fitting them that way a go tomorrow. I use string quite a lot for rope - have also tied/glued under the wagon on whole rakes with roped down tarps - the train I've been modelling only uses the coloured straps though. I want to bleach the wooden planks on the wagons, they all look far too dark. Hello everybody, This week I've spent an awful long time fitting the cutaway buffer beams to the class 47: The white end is the train end so I only added a coupling hook, an orange thing, and the buffers: I've been looking at lots of photos online and have found the buffer beam of 817 is 'busy'. I don't know what all the pipes etc are for, but I think I've fitted them all: Parts are from the Dapol detail pack, a Farish wagon, leftovers from the Taylor 47 detailing kit, and some bits of plasticard and wire from my drawer. I think it took me about 2 hours this afternoon to stick everything onto the front, but its all stuck on I can turn my attention to the paintwork and finishing it off. The transfers arrived for the class 20, I finished the painting today so I can varnish it and sort the transfers out this week maybe. I'm sure there was something else I was doing... Simon

Eugh that's a pain... Thanks Steve! Luckily I've only done three wagons. Did you drill holes through the floor for yours, do a sort of two part strap, or ignore it? Cheers Simon

Hello everybody! Despite having a 3 day weekend I didn't get much done, but with the help of Duncan and Janet (who built Shirebrook) I've finally found something that looks right for strapping down the big pipe loads: It's vinyl tape for putting speed stripes on cars. I've been after something since I first refurbished/loaded these wagons in 2012. There's plenty more I want to do to these wagons - I'm going to add some metal fastenings onto the straps and they're going to get a coat of matt varnish. I just need to find some suitable transfers (I'm hoping the NGS follow through with producing transfers for all the kits, but if not I'll have a look around at what's suitable). I thought I did a lot of work on the class 47 this weekend. What actually happened was I spent 45 minutes running it back and forth on my desk to see which direction ran better, bent up and fitted handrails to the ends, and then quickly painted the ends and the fans. I'm not sure about fitting wire handrails to the sides. I've painted the glazing surrounds and one they're dry and re-fitted I'll fit the buffer beams and then start to finish the paint job. The one thing I planned on doing this weekend was having another go at the milliput on the mark 3, but that didn't happen... Lots to do! Simon

There's also the pond in the Japanese Garden in Holland Park if you fancy a challenge...

Thanks Janet! I would never have thought to use vinyl tape but it's perfect for it. I'm going to give the bands a coat of matt varnish to take the shine off, but this tape's great. Thanks again Simon

Hi Duncan, What's Janet's secret for making the strapping? I've been scratching my head about what to use for mine for years! Thanks Simon

Hello everybody, I've got everything that's coming off the 47 off the 47 and have now started to add the new parts: The TPM details and Extreme Etchings fans. It was quite hard finding pictures of the roof of this exact 47, but when I did I found that it didn't use either of the patches included in the kit and I'd have to Milliput the steam vent away. I've cut off the front handrails (but will leave the side ones) and will fit the buffer beams once I've fitted the wire handrails and put the glazing back in. I've also been filling in the NMT coach windows: I thought I'd got them smooth but I've just sprayed it with a coat of white and they need much more filling. Never thought I'd be this eager to get a coat of yellow on a Mark3 before! The roof's looking really good though... Lots to do! Simon

Hi, don't know if it help: last time I was in the model shop in Eastbourne they had one of the Taylor MU motorising kits in the second hand box. It had been there about a year so you might still be lucky. Cheers Simon

Hi Simon The weathering on the cargowaggons looks great, apologies if I've missed it: how did you weather them? Cheers Simon

Part 2! More new stuff I started this week... I've been having issues getting my set of coal containers to run well. This one ran freely with the container off and barely ran at all, turns out I hadn't followed the instructions on the container and set the bottom of the container slightly away from the bottom: So I ugly-dug some grooves out of the bottom with a file, now it runs fine so I glued the container down. Now I've started I should stick down the containers and sort out the rest of the rake. The final thing I've started is the Porterbrook 47, it's been in the box for 5 or 6 years: Jobs to do include touching up the paintwork where there's big marks on it. It's also having the relevant bits of the TPM detailing kit added, wire hand-rails, extreme etchings fans and a cut-away buffer beam. I should also fit a long-range fuel tank but I can't seem to find anyone who produces them - maybe something to scratch build...! This afternoon I cut holes in the body and cut the buffer beams off. Next will be the handrails and then I can start to rebuild. Looks like I'm going to be posting loads more posts with the new limit (cos Ive no idea how to shrink the size of pictures on a Mac) Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! So I've fallen foul of the 10MB upload rule today, so this is a two-parter of the last weeks activity... First up, I've got the stove finished, it'll go back into Dad's stock-box at the Wheeley show in March. The MOD containers are finished and are now in a bag waiting for a KFA to run them on. They're going to form the core of an occasional varying-length MOD train on Gresby. Some more containers... promise I'm not going to show you every one I do I started to finish this too, so far all I've done is paint over the head code in white. The final NMT coach, the new window frames are already fitted and I've primed the sides and roof. Next I need to finish filling the blanked off windows with some milliput... then I can start with the endless coats of yellow that these take. And now for part 2!

The 25 looks good - maybe add a bit more black around the exhaust and wipe some of the weathering off the windscreens and side windows... just so the driver can see the signals!

Hello everybody! Thought I'd best see how the new RM web works - so far so easy to upload pictures (not sure how I'm going to cope with the 10MB rule haha) First things first: I dug out some spare buffer heads from one of my boxes and fitted them to the Stove (I think they're Parkside Dundas), they're much sturdier than the original plastic buffers which should be fine for life with Dad. They've been painted now and I'll give it a rub over with some dirt before sending it back. I've started giving some more containers a touch of dirt, I've been aiming for lighter dirt on the roof to show fading and darker dirt towards the bottom to show as what's been kicked up by the train/a lorry ride. I've been reading James Makin again and some or two will definitely get much more battered than this first batch. Last weekend I got the test track out (it was too dark to film anything or I'd be testing how easy it is to link to videos too) and gave the NMT a run in it's current form. Today I fitted some missing windows to one of the coaches and sorted the couplings out. The last coach has now come out for conversion then I'll turn my attention to the power cars. Some excitement last week was the arrival of a pack from BR Lines - I'd decided the only way to get the 37 running was a new motor, seen here already fitted. I think it might need a new Cardan shaft. Next will be work on the body, but I'm not sure about the livery. etc. The other thing that came last week was a pair of class 101 body shells - these turn the last of the random spare chassis into a single unit that can be sold. I had to weather the power car chassis because the spare trailer chassis had been weathered. If I was keeping it for myself I'd paint the headlamp and head code box surrounds too. Other than 19 coats of yellow paint for the last NMT coach there's nothing very exciting on the bench at the moment... This is much easier to upload on now though, so that's a win! Cheers Simon