Pugsley

I now understand what you're saying, but I can't see it in these pictures: http://stevesrailpics.fotopic.net/p46209944.html http://www.johnwhite.fotopic.net/p46203561.html I thought you meant that the light often shines though the black on models, which it doesn't so much on the real thing, although there is a hint of that on this pic: http://47829.fotopic.net/p53387059.html

Thanks everyone - it was nice to spend a little bit of time on something and actually finish it! Well, one side is finished, I've left the other side up to Dad

Thanks Mike B) B) Rich - I didn't realise that gears could be dyed. I haven't assembled the rest yet - could you give me an idea of the products and/or methods involved, please?

leave it alone.... Having my Dad over for Christmas has been an ideal opportunity to give him a bit of tuition in weathering. Using one of his Christmas presents, I've demonstrated a few basic techniques using gouache. Before: After: The clean patches on the Kernow models are just that little bit too clean. Both of the patches were brushed over with a grime mix made from raw and burnt umber and black gouache. When dry, they were brushed over with a large, soft flat brush to add subtle streaking. Once satisfied with that finish, the white spillage was added and run over with the same brush, imparting a dirty tint to the white. This was repeated a couple of times to build up the finish. Twenty minutes later, you have a wagon that is a little bit different to the rest. Go on, give it a go.

Happy Christmas T&M from M&M!

I think that would most probably work, it might even need a couple of layers front and back.

Thanks everyone! B) Yes Mike, they have to be the other way round for everything to fit in, and so I could use the same mount, with only minor adjustments to the artwork. I've gone well past the point of no return with this one, so I have to make it work one way or another!

Progress is at it's usual snails pace, but it is progress none the less! I've managed to get the first of the traction motor/axle assemblies complete, and it all fits between the wheels. I knew it would... The R on the top of this one denotes that it is the innermost unit of the bogie, and as such has the motor mounted the other way round, so is wired to run in the opposite direction to the other two on the bogie, whilst keeping the wire colours consistent. A view of another, partially assembled, unit, waiting to have the other wheel pressed on: Another view of the completed unit: I need to work out a way of blackening the gears, possibly using permanent marker, but they shouldn't be too visible once the frames are all in place. Meanwhile, work continues on assembling and cleaning up the main bogie frames. More anon!

Top quality rhubarb CK! The building is looking rather nice as well Scalescenes, or excellently weathered?

I'll be watching this with interest - I've got one of their 108's on the 'to build' pile.

As cunning as a fox with two tails! What a great idea. The fact that you still refer to the banana as Elvis makes me smile.

Thanks Brian. So that scales out to 2436mm, which is smaller than the 2676mm diameter barrel of the average class A TTA. Fortunately, it is a mere 3 inches more than the diameter of the tank I have in mind, approx 2mm in 7mm scale, so that's really quite useful! I'll definitely be having a closer look at them in January now.

That's what I wondered, looking at the photo of yours by the 20. Ironically, that might make it suitable for a little project that I have in mind - would you be able to measure the barrel diameter, please? It'd be a great help if you could.

Thanks everyone :blush: Jamie - I'm hoping that an article about it will appear at some point, not sure when or where though! A miniature 12CSVT and genset would be great - maybe I'll re-engineer it when nanotechnology becomes advanced enough Mike - I hope it will be ready by then, it might even be painted! James - Yes, DCC sound and lights etc, but not smoke. I'm looking forward to running it down some rough track as well. I've got some pink foam left over fom Chittle, so will be giving that a go at some point as a trial for the layout, and to give the 37 something to run on. Richard - Thanks, I'm quite humbled by that comment I like to encourage people to have a go at things - if I can do it, so can most people is the attitude I adopt, because it's true, it just takes a little time to develop the required skills, and that's mostly about observation.

Out of interest, if you don't mind me asking, what is that conclusion, please? I've noticed that it is a bit chunky in terms of some of the detail, particularly ladders and the edge of the solebars, but haven't had a really good look at one. Something doesn't look quite right in the picture of it above, by the 20, but that could just be the angle of the photo. Could the barrel be a touch small? I like the idea of the axleboxes travelling in the W irons, but don't like the idea of whitemetal W irons. I'll have to take a closer look at the Bristol show in January.

As per the title, really. The 'third time lucky' parts are in the process of assembly, and I've now got to the stage where I'm testing that it all works before I get too far in the process. It all fits where it should, although I have made a bit of a mis-calculation with the positioning of the cross-members, in relation to the traction motor gears. Nothing that cutting a bit out can't cure! The cosmetic sideframe is loosely attached to the assembly, just to check everything is as it should be: I'm also checking the relative positioning of the equalising beams in comparison to the spring mounts on the sideframe. I think I'll need to extend the faces of the axleboxes to mount the stirrups on, but I have factored that into the design, and included parts for it. The method of assembly, the cross members are secured to the main frames with 10BA screws and bolts, seems to have worked well in getting the assembly square - the axles have fitted into the axleboxes without any trouble. I'll probably solder the parts together once I'm satisfied that everything is square and true. It's pretty much there now - it was screwed together on a polished, square, slab of marble. A trial axle assembly in place, just to check that the clearances have turned out as designed, which they have (thankfully!). It's all a bit tight, but again, I'm fairly sure it's going to work, which is a bit of a relief. In the pictures the wheels are set roughly to the correct back-to-back measurements, but the traction motor is not in the final position. That will be located by retainers on top of the cross members. I now need to dismantle the assembly, before making up all of the secondary spring mount parts and soldering them to the cross-members. It's nice that it's all coming together, at last! There's been times when I've questioned the sanity of what I was trying to do and I have been worried that I was trying to do something that I wasn't capable of. It seems that I'm scraping through OK!

Yes, that's looking very cool indeed.

It feels like I'm finally getting somewhere with this project now. The revised parts are back, and I've assembled the first of the bogie frames. The guides are now separate pieces that are soldered to the main frame etch on top of a 0.25mm spacer. Of course, I did the usual and didn't put quite as many spacers on the etch fret so had to make a few myself. The picture above shows how the parts are assembled (it needs tidying up yet!). A 0.7mm hole is drilled through all of the parts and 0.7mm wire used both as a guide to ensure everything is lined up, but is left in place as a pin to provide additional support. A couple of shots of the axleboxes in place give an idea of how the whole thing will sit together. One down, three to go!

Well done James B)

I do wonder if kit designers test build their products some times! You'd think that the supplied tube would fit between the tanks...

Thanks Will, you've made appreciate that I am, in fact, quite tidy!

Yes, and no.

Have you narrowed the bogies on this one, James? If the steps are the correct prototype size then they will stick out a bit further than they should due to the width over the bogies. The brake cylinders make a big difference B)