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ullypug

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  1. ullypug

    57xx part 1

    By ullypug,

    Afternoon one and all and complements of the season to you. Hope Santa brought you lots of lovely modelling stuff.
    Now the mince pies have been eaten and the turkey mostly digested, I've turned my attention to the next modelling project. Let's face it, there's not much on the telly to be distracted by. Not that I watch much of it anyway...
    So, having acquired a second hand pannier body off eBay for a fiver, I've had the perfect opportunity to build one of the rather splendid High Level Chassis kits. This is the third one I've built and I'm hoping it will be as good as the 03 and the 14xx, both of which were an absolute pleasure to do. The body itself needed a few bits and pieces so a chimney was purchased from 247 and buffers from Alan Gibson. I see I will need some water filler vents too.
    This kit has been covered before on RMWeb so I'm not going to do a blow by blow build, but the progress below shows how much can be achieved in a good couple of sessions (as well as track laying on Cheddar, but more of that later). Listening to Test Match Special makes the time fly by!
    The chassis is being built for compensation as per the instructions and the engine will eventually be finished as 5757 in BR black.

  2. ullypug
    I have finally finished the first B set for Cheddar. Little did I know that this was going to be quite so involved when I started, what now seems a very long time ago.
    The origin was a set of sides, roofs and ends from the Ks kit, kindly given to me by Tim Venton. These coaches were prevalent in the Bristol division after nationalisation so I was always going to have a set on Cheddar.
     
    When it came to start, I’d lost one of the ends so ended up making a blank from plasticard. The sides were glued together and married up to a Comet under frame and Bill Bedford sprung bogies. Under frame detail is a mixture of Comet and MJT. The bogie sides were originally the incorrect 9ft pressed steel type before I swapped to the 9ft fishbelly bogies and added lots of extra step details.
     
    I also made the mistake of painting carmine and cream before being corrected and advised that this wouldn’t have been applied to non gangway stock. Easily rectified and painted chocolate and cream to match the photos in Russell. Lining is HMRS. Numbering and end lettering is from Railtec.
     
    Seating is Ratio, handles Comet and an unmarked bag of unknown origin.
     
    Glazing… Hmm. This was individually flush glazed with perspex and yes it did take an age but I’m out of therapy now.
    I’m never, ever doing this again. Thank goodness for Rapido’s E140/5. I’ve an E129 and E147 to do from Comet kits but at least they’re brass. Whether I’ll ever use the shawplan extreme etching flush glazing on the Airfix b sets remains to be seen. At least they’re pre-cut.
     
    These coaches have taken over a year to complete and yes there are plenty of things I could have done better. Apart from some weathering they’ll have to do for now.














  3. ullypug
    Gosh. Another year has arrived and the layout still isn’t finished!
    This time of year is always busy with various family birthdays but I have managed to find time to get a bit of modelling done. It doesn’t help that my progress this time isn’t really progress, rather the correction of things I didn’t get right in the first, second or even third case. Ho hum…
     
    The camping coach is all but finished, it just needs weathering down slightly and detailing added. Transfers were from Fox and I’m pretty happy with how it’s come together. The steps are made and I’ve a collection of figures to add a little cameo here when it’s all done.

    Progress with the E116 B set has been glacial at times, but both coaches have been resprayed chocolate and cream and one coach is now flush glazed. Lots of individual pieces of 0.5mm perspex cut and filed to shape before being secured with Klear.
    Now there’s just the small matter of changing the bogies, since it would appear the set had 9ft fish belly type and not the pressed steel type which I’ve modelled. I’ll have to swap them out and use them for something else.
    I’ve got some Bristol Division transfers from Railtec for the ends too yet to do.
     


    Lastly, having never ever seen a photo of the bridge on Station Road prior to its demolition, two turned up on the local Facebook history page which, yes you’ve guessed it, showed the bridge looked nothing like the first, second and third one I have built. So with suitably sized underwear on, out came the mini drill and circular saw and I did the best I could without destroying everything and bearing in mind there’s a piece of 12mm ply acting as a track base which obviously I can’t do anything about. I think we’ve got there and a little more weathering and maybe a little filler will finish it off.
     


    Tonight I’ve been sizing up the signals required for the layout and next I real want to get the whole layout up for some testing, oh and sorting out the fiddle yards. 
     
     
  4. ullypug

    Cheddar P4 - February 2023 update

    By ullypug,


    Cheddar
    Took advantage of a sunny day to swap the boards round on Cheddar at lunchtime. Board 5 comprising the goods shed and signal box is now sufficiently complete to allow it to be put away until the final assembly, when I can add details, signalling and a level of weathering to the entire layout in one hit.
     
    Board 6 was moved up one and board 7 dropped into place. This last saw the light of day in 2016 and has survived surprisingly well given the track was originally laid in 2015. I always knew it was going to be a long term project. Quite how long I'm not so sure! The track across the board joint is going to need a tweak since there is now a level difference in rail height. Not sure what that is but it is fixable. Looks like the rail is sitting up on the rivets to me rather than a swelling of the ply, but I'll sort it out whatever.
     
    Board 7 comprises the Wells end of the platforms and station approaches. As such it shouldn't take too long to do as most of the work is scenic.
     
    The end of the mileage sidings on the down side will need to be completed and I've plans for a camping coach here in one of them, along with a coal yard in the other, all as per the prototype.
     
    As previously, much use will be made of extruded polystyrene sheet. This will form the roadways and platforms. Nice thing is it can be sanded to induce a camber.
     
    I'll start by finishing off the station building first though, adding platform details, lights and signage, then moving onto the station approach.
     
    Before I put it away, I took some photos of board 6 with the addition of clutter around the permanent way sheds. I've plans for a cameo of a wagon under repair here as the siding was used to store red carded wagons and make repairs before they were released back to traffic.
     
    For a relatively insignificant station, Cheddar certainly had a lot going on.










  5. ullypug
    So as 2022 draws to a close, I've been reflecting on what has been a pretty good year all in all. Cheddar has a place where it can be worked on when the mood takes me and whilst I don't have as much time as I did, I'm still managing to make progress.
    I've done a couple of shows and really enjoyed exhibiting at Warley last month. Even better as Rapido have announced a range new E140 B set. That's saved me a job. I now have a surfeit of 7 airfix B set coaches I won't be needing! I have started preparing a pair of E116 K's sides instead.
     
    Progress is limited this time, but in summary:
     
    The 6 tonne yard crane was finished off with hook and chain, painted and duly plonked on the layout. I'm quite pleased with it.
    The station masters house is presently under construction and I decided after making a few mock ups to model it at 3.25 mm/ft to give an illusion of distance. I'm using PECO 2mm embossed plastic sheet for the stone rather than my usual source of Green Stuff World.
    The stone loading point has been cut down a bit after I discovered a photo showing me I'd not quite got it right.
    There was a large permanent way hut in the up yard and I always knew I wouldn't be able to fit it all in due to its width. I toyed with the idea of building half of it but the mock up just looked wrong. I'm going to have to compromise and use a few smaller huts instead. Luckily I have one of the Springside white metal kits so will use that and cobble up some others. I've laid a couple out to gauge this. There were often red carded wagons stored here for repair so maybe there will be a cameo of some sort. 





  6. ullypug

    Cheddar P4 - October 2022 update

    By ullypug,


    Layout
    Good evening.
    Well it's been a while hasn't it?
    I had a fantastic weekend at the Portishead WCPR show last weekend which has certainly given the modelling mojo a bit of a boost.
    This has come at the right time too, because after some 9 months in the new gaff, I've finally got to the stage where I could actually fish some bits out of their various storage boxes and put a couple of boards up in what I hope will be the 'layout workshop'. This will be somewhere I can have the boards up whilst I work on them in relative comfort.
     
    These were the two that I was last working on at the back end of 2019 and at that time honestly didn't think it was going to be almost 3 years before I'd get a chance to work on them again. But happily, here we are again!
     
    I'm happy to say that on first inspection at least, the boards seem to have survived their period in storage. Of course there are some things that haven't quite survived unscathed. The train shed roof seems to have picked up a slight warp. Not surprising when you consider it's 2ft long and a composite structure of metal, MDF and plastic. It should be easily fixed with some form of clamping.
     
    The signal box has been placed for the first time on the layout. As it was built remotely, I deliberately didn't cut the leadaway out. It was covered anyway at Cheddar so that's good.
     
    The goods shed has been plonked on too. As you can see I was in the process of terraforming the ground with a recess for all of the buildings to drop into.
     
    The motor bus shed seems to have survived unscathed.
     
    Heaven knows where the platform surfaces have gone though! They were cut from Palight. Thankfully I've still got the remains of the sheets they were cut from!
     
    So, where to start? Maybe with the platforms and possible the yard crane.
     
    These boards will take a fair bit of work to complete as I'll want to finish the signal box board before I can move to the Wells end of the station. The station master's house will also have to be built at some point. Don't know where the mock up for that ended up either!
     
    So, hopefully updates will be posted more regularly from here. Hope so, because January will be the 10th anniversary of me starting its construction. Ouch!














  7. ullypug
    As I've posted in the exhibition thread, the Weston Clevedon and Portishead railway Group are holding another exhibition in Portishead, some 5 years after the last one.
    Details here: https://www.wcprgroup.org.uk/exhibition2022.html
     
    It's the only time I'll contemplate exhibiting my EM Weston and Clevedon layouts simultaneously and probably the last time Weston will go out ever. It hasn't been operated since the last exhibition so I've got a little over a month to get both layouts out and dusted down. In the intervening period they've been moved numerous times, been put into storage and relocated to my new home. I've yet to locate one of the lighting rigs. It'll turn up somewhere...
     
    One of the to-do jobs that's been niggling me for some time is the ex LSWR set of 4 wheel coaches, these being numbers 15, 16. & 17. For some reason when I built these many, many years ago I painted them the wrong colour! Green instead of a darkish brown. Many exhibitions later, I've finally got round to correcting it. Nothing drastic, just hand painted with Vallejo acrylic. Transfers are a mixture of HMRS and some custom printed WC&PR lettering from Railtec. I've no idea where the colour photo came from. I think it's from a slide at the Weston museum I scanned 20 odd years ago.
     
    It is funny when you look at your previous modelling efforts. Two of the coaches are scratch built, the other is a Bill Bedford kit. All are about 20 years old. I think they've held up well.
     
    I've also increased the wagon fleet with another Slaters ex MR D299 5 plank, again with Railtec transfers. Well it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?
     
    If you're of a light railway persuasion, please do pop by and say hello. I'll be the one looking worried.




  8. ullypug

    Dapol B4 to EM conversion

    By ullypug,


    EM Conversion
    I recently found a few photos of a recent conversion I did a while back of the Dapol B4 to EM for my Covid shunting layout.
    I've been working quite a bit on Guernsey in the Channel Islands so this was originally an impulse purchase.
    I decided the LSWR would have loaned it from Southampton Docks to work the Stonehouse branch in Plymouth in my universe anyway.
     
    The B4 is a tricky thing to convert by the usual standards. I didn't want to change the wheels as there isn't a 100% accurate wheel available from Gibson. There's also very little room between the con rods and the front steps.
    There is a chassis kit and full white metal body kit available for the B4 tank from Nucast Partners and I've one of these in the cupboard to do at some point.
    After a bit of head scratching I decided to put the wheels in a lathe and skim down to 2.1mm thickness. It means you lose the wheel boss on the front but the good news is everything can be retained.
    The wheels have a plastic boss on the rear which means they can be reset on the axles once skimmed.
    Apologies to purists but my method was to use a 6BA bolt and nut fixed through the wheel and skimmed down. The remaining centre 'boss' was filed down afterwards. I took it very slowly over a couple of sessions.
    All went back together using the original crank pins and rods. Pick ups were tweaked and all runs well.
     
    Not much else to say really so here are some photos
     
    original wheel and axle

     
    skimming in lathe

     
    the central 'boss' is then filed down

     
    rewheeled

     
    Wheels painted and all done


  9. ullypug
    After an enjoyable day at the EMGS AGM in Cardiff a couple of weeks ago, I felt suitably enthused about starting terraforming around the station building. It’s no where near finished yet but is at a state where I could form the socket it’s going to sit in. I’m using layers of 5mm craft foam (extruded polystyrene sheet) to work but the subtle changes I need. The slight compression I had to adopt in the yards makes things a little more interesting but nothing insurmountable. I’m really liking how it’s looking though there’s still a lot more to do. Couldn’t resist taking a few snaps.
    the building is coming on. The rear facing walls have had a layer of filler rubbed into the mortar courses and a few washes applied. Still need to dry brush some lighter colour back into the wall face though.








  10. ullypug

    Wagon bashing

    By ullypug,

    Just a quick update. Most of the main modelling activity has concentrated on the layout at the moment, but with a couple of trips away and a recent holiday in the Lake District over Easter, I had the opportunity of building a few wagons. Nothing particular exciting, just a selection of Cambrian, Chivers and Parkside kits. In no particular order these are an ex LNER lowfit, ex LNER goods van in BR condition, ex LNER fruit van, BR Palvan and BR Fruit van, diag 1/109 mineral, ex SR Tunney, ex GW Tunney and two Cambrian Starfish. All have Bill Bedford sprung W irons and either have replacement springs or re-hashed existing kit ones if I could get away with it. Otherwise pretty much built as per the instructions.
    A rather inspirational trip to Scalefour North yesterday meant I acquired some buffer heads, coupling hooks and 3 links so these wagons should be joining the paint shop queue soon. I think there will be quite a few to do when the weather warms up a bit.
    I mentioned S4North inspiration, the result of which I've made a start on my Mitchell 43xx mogul, but more of that later. It'll be fully sprung with CSB's and I've been doing the High Level horn blocks and making the necessary modifications to the chassis this afternoon.

  11. ullypug
    Haven't really achieved much of late, more kind of working on bits and pieces when I've time.
    The brake van has been painted and lettered. I'll give it a little weathering before it enters service and must put the stove chimney on and find a suitable guard to stand on the veranda.
    The ECC wagon has turned out nicely, once I'd scraped all the old glue off and rebuilt it on a Craig Welsh underframe. In my youth, I'd managed to put the end door on upside down. It's only taken 35 years to correct!
    Other wagons on the tinking table are an ABS LMS 5 plank and a Coopercraft V4 van. Lurking in the background is a Starfish, an open C and a couple of Private Owners. Some more Coopercraft opens didn't make it into the picture.
    Otherwise it's on with the wiring of the next Cheddar board which is really slow progress. I may post a picture in that blog.

  12. ullypug
    I've been off work, staying the week with the family up on the North Yorkshire Moors. I managed to sneak a small modelling box of bits and pieces in the car 'in case of rainy days' etc. In-between chasing real trains and trips out, I've been busy at the kitchen table.
    The prototype in question is a PD&SWJR brake van, purely because I do have a soft spot for light railways and I recently acquired the Southern Railway wagons book with a drawing of it.
    I've also got one of Roger Slade's CSP kits for A S Harris (the line's 0-6-0 tank) because I saw it on his stand and liked it.
    So with a collection of Evergreen sheet and section, I've spent some evenings cutting, glueing, filing and assembling it to resemble the drawings as closely as I can.
    I've sprung with Bill Bedford's W irons and added coupling hooks from Ambis. Brake gear is modified Cambrian off on odd sprue I had lurking about. Handrails are 0.3mm brass wire. Individual bolt/rivets are small cubes of plastic rod.
    I've not fitted buffers as I didn't bring the right size drill bit and there are still lamp brackets, foot boards and a brake wheel to fit, along with a vacuum cylinder and the roof of course. Oh, and some more details, chimney, 3 links, pipes... The list goes on!
    Livery is red apparently and I'm not sure how I'll do the lettering. HMRS transfers possibly.
    And I've noticed the end vertical handrail stantions are not quite right. They'll have to be re-done at some point.
    And there we are for the time being. Home tomorrow via the York show.
    Just need a layout to run it on now!

  13. ullypug
    Alas it seems that the 21st century has finally caught up with this little part of Cornwall and the works will be closing on the weekend of 12/13 March after the Nailsea show. The wharfinger, Mr Ebeneezer Blugwort is confident that the works will be sold as a going concern and job losses will be kept to a minimum.
    An enthusiasts special will be run on the afternoon of Sunday 13 March. It is thought that a single brake van will suffice as there are not expected to be that many to worry about.
    After 35 shows, it's time to move on. Come and say hello (or goodbye if you prefer) if you're passing.

  14. ullypug

    A miscellany

    By ullypug,

    Having had some time off, I've been trying to get finished a number of projects that have stalled at various states of completion.
    With Wheal Elizabeth's forthcoming appearance at Warley, I've made a bit of an effort to detail the pair of Hawksworth coaches that form the WR set.
    These use the Masokits etches for the sprung bogies, corridor connections and miscellaneous brake gear. I got to the point of wondering whether all the faff was worth the effort, but then I remembered it was P4 and I should try to be bothered about it. Still not convinced that the 3ft rule would have saved me a lot of hassle (i.e. can it be seen from 3ft) but at least I know it's all there, even if I'm not.
     
    Next I got around to lettering the wagons that have been lurking in dark corners of the work bench and making frequent appearances on the various Cheddar track laying updates. Still a bit to go but with some 3 links we should just about be ready for the NEC, not that I've got anywhere to actually put the things. Might need to consider a new stock box at some point (or just take less stuff...).
     
    I also took the autocoach to the spray shop and it no longer sits in the display cabinet in white primer, now it's BR carmine all over but I've now got to glaze the thing. This might get done for Warley but I rather suspect it won't as I'm now back on track laying with Cheddar, doing battle with the single slip. It appears to be going well, but I'll post pictures of that on the other blog.

  16. ullypug

    Shed Complex

    By ullypug,

    Have rediscovered the modelling mojo and engaged on Clevedon.
     
    Firstly, the water tank panels have been soldered together resulting in a pretty good representation of the WC&PR tanks. Does anybody know whether Braithwaite tanks were open topped or did they have a lid? My guess is the latter.

    Having spent a considerable time trying to work out how the various shed buildings and water tank interact, I came to the conclusion (surprisingly) that as the engine and original carriage shed were there first, that would be the logical sequence to constructing the model.
     
    So a drawing was sketched up and plastic (Evergreen Car siding) duly cut.

    The sides are two layers of 20thou, fixed with Limonene solvent with the planking facing outwards as both faces would be visible. Uprights, cross beams and diagonals from Evergreen strip.
     
    This shows the rough construction sequence.

    The rear wall has some added detail in the form of door through to the workshop. I presume the corrugated iron was a repair measure. Thankfully I have a couple of good photos taken inside the shed.

     
    I fixed the shed slab down to the baseboard with pva and constructed a rudimentary pit from 30thou. As far as I can see the pit walls are concrete, so all has been given a basecoat of Sandex exterior paint. This will be weathered after final assembly. I'm going to use air clay for the track infill to the original carriage shed.

    The sides for the engine shed have been placed together for the photo. Next step is to paint the shed sides before final assembly.

    I'm enjoying this!
  17. ullypug
    I'm not quite getting to the point where I wish I'd gone down the etched chassis route, but I'm beginning to wonder...
     
    So, I sorted the keeper plate issue by chucking it away and replacing with a new one fabricated from double sided copperclad. The benefit being the pick ups could be soldered to the underside. Gaps cut obviously for isolation.

    I chiselled out a route for the pick up wires in the upper keeper plate and countersunk the hole through. Wires are 7/0.2mm.

    The whole thing reassembled with the bogie temporarily fitted. I think some form of spring is going to be needed, but it happily ran up and down the test track before I removed the idler gear.

    The slide bars have been fitted and held with cyano. Here is (as predicted) where we start to have a problem. The additional crank throw of the Gibson wheels does indeed cause a problem, which I initially thought was limited to the crosshead in the slide bar. You can see if here pretty much in its full forward position, yet the crank pin on the wheel is not yet at 9 o'clock. There's a definite movement in the cylinders, though I'm not sure if that's being transferred from the piston, or it's actually catching something inside. I'll take the cylinders off again and see where we go.

    Somewhat trying, but the end result I'm sure will be worth it. I've put the body on to see how it's going and it's already starting to look the part.

    I've also cut out a replacement tender drawbar from copperclad and will use this with the transferred Hornby bits. No photo of that though.
  18. ullypug

    Clevedon wiring

    By ullypug,

    Hmm. New month. Must be time for an update.
    Wheal Elizabeth's modifications are virtually complete. All boards are wired up and last few scenic bits to finish off in time for the Cheltenham exhibition next month. Not that the layout will be running in end to end format.
    Having completed that, my thoughts and soldering iron have turned towards Clevedon again.
     
    I'd not previously installed the electromagnets and had been putting the job off for a number of reasons. Firstly, because it involves routing out sections of (already wired) foam baseboards. Secondly because the extra electromagnet feeds would mean reconfiguring all the various board plugs and there are a lot of sections switches as I'm doing this in traditional DC. And thirdly, wiring really is the most monotonous part of the model making process (for me anyway).
     
    Also, not being content with all the extra work I was already creating, I decided to replace all the previously installed topside turnout switches (a mixture of Caboose Industries ground throws and SPST slider switches see previous instalments) with the same Exactoscale TOUs and rocker switches I'd already used. Anyway, all three boards are complete with the exception of a couple of din jack plugs to be added for the controllers, of which there will be 2. The layout will be cab controlled so each operator can control the yard.
    Some piccies follow but they're not that exciting.

    Told you.
     
    The principle of installation is quite easy for foam boards; just stick a piece of ply to the board using No more nails or something similar and screw into it.

     
    It's a lot of work for very little visible progress. You can how wiring is involved when you look at the panel top. All those circles are switch locations. I've laminated this and intend to stick to a plywood box for the panel top. Turnouts will have rods extending to the baseboard front.

    So the last job to complete will be the panel, after which I can do some proper modelling, oh and run some trains when the mood takes me.
  19. ullypug
    The ongoing addition of a running line continues. Here you can see the new bridge with a bubble car where the new platform will be on the viewing side.

    A shot without the bubble car and the addition of a background blocker. No photoshop here! The bridge was made from cut and shut sections of the existing retaining wall, so the colours match the original bridge exactly. I didn't fancy trying to replicate the stonework from fresh.
     
    The change in levels from the original to new bridge is unfortunate, but I didn't want to destroy the original. I'm debating what to put in the foreground between the two. One of Kernow's Type 4 stone LSWR signal boxes would fit but would be a bit over the top and would have no realistic reason to be there.

    At the other end of the layout, I'm planning to relocate the original clay slurry loading point and add a couple of tanks as scenic blockers. Both lines behind will extend onto the fiddle yard meaning we can load a rake of tanks, rather than a couple in the original location which will be used as a coal siding/loading bank and occasional stabling point for the works shunter.

    One of the bubble car just to prove it's green!
  20. ullypug

    O2.12

    By ullypug,

    Final assembly tonight. I'm quite pleased with this. A few details to add, crew, coal, route discs and a few spots of paint required, then I can call it done. May have to tweak the chassis a bit when I get it out on the layout for a good run in (the crossover on Wheal Elizabeth's always the killer). Something to haul coaches when I get round to converting the Hornby Maunsells.
  21. ullypug

    O2.9 & other stuff

    By ullypug,

    Slow progress at the moment due to a succession of family birthdays and the odd exhibition, but we are getting somewhere...
    O2 is starting to come together as I add bits and pieces. Some are included with the kit, most are not.
    I had a slight hiccup when I discovered my choice of motor wasn't going to fit inside the boiler. Must've measured it wrong. Anyway as soon as the replacement arrives from High Level we'll be back in business. The body's not far off its final clean up and spray. Then I can look forward to the lining!
     
    As a small distraction, I've built the new fiddle yard board for the eventual conversion of Wheal Elizabeth to through running. This will be the off stage right hand end. What more can I say, it's several pieces of plywood?
     
    I have made up a template for the turnout operating units for Clevedon and the wire in tube has arrived. Needless to say I didn't take a photo of this. Once the O2 is somewhere near finished I'll make a start wiring the layout.
  22. ullypug

    O2.6 and other stuff

    By ullypug,

    Right
    Thanks to all who came and said hello at Wigan last weekend. Nice to hear kind things said about the layout. Although enjoyable, the show was a bit of a killer for me with a nightmare journey home on the Sunday evening. I've done too many shows this year (no surprises there Mr Venton!) and subsequently i've decided that I won't be accepting any more invitations for Wheal Elizabeth as I've got sufficient up to and including 2013. I want to get on with Clevedon and want to have it finished before then.
     
    Returning to the O2, I've ground the rivets off the mark 2 smokebox and added 2 new wrappers - one of 10 thou and another wrapper with smaller, more widely spaced rivets. Oh and I ground off the kit's smokebox door as I acquired one from South East Finescast which has a larger diameter.
    I've reattached the sandbox/splashers to align with the wheels. I've also a cunning plan to lift the front drivers in their springs. Only mocked up for now but it sits nicely. Should reduce the likelihood of wheels touching the underside of the splashers. Some filler will be necessary before it's all painted up but I think this is a marked improvement on O2.5.
  23. ullypug
    Evening all
     
    I've sorted out a shortage of fitted brake vans highlighted at the last show with a view for York next weekend. Always amazing what a deadline does. It was made up from a Connoisseur kit which has been lurking in the cupboard for ages. Sprung with Bill Bedford w irons and packed with lead.
    Also gave the R&H a run out this afternoon. It's a flight of fancy really but will end up being a works shunter. I'll probably paint it red (it's going to be called James) though it really should be blue or yellow.
    Boards are also ongoing for Clevedon. The main board is done and has a pair of folding legs which interlace and are contained under the board top. The other boards, being a variety of shapes and sizes piggy back off the main one. All board tops are done but not all the legs are finished yet, so I can't post a shot of the entire set up.
     
    Anyway, photos attached. Now back to the wheel cleaning...
  24. ullypug

    new layout

    By ullypug,

    Modelling progress has been made, I'm pleased to say, in many forms. The show last weekend was a blast. Really enjoyed Rochdale and didn't get back too late.
     
    Also, I've built a new layout. This took almost all of last Monday morning and comprises a 1.5m x 1.0m board with an oval, loop and couple of sidings. Oh and some grass mat. I painted the board grey first and then cut away trackbed and roadways. All this was duly presented to my son on his birthday on Tuesday and was a big success. The fact that daddy's now got somewhere to test any rtr offerings before they get converted to P4/EM has got nothing to do with it (ok maybe a little). Doesn't have a name yet though and I somehow doubt it'll ever get out on to the exhibition circuit, but you never know. I'd post the picture I took if I could find my camera. Anyway, we've had fun playing with the blue engine and some of my old stuff.
     
    Wheal Elizabeth will be out next Saturday at the EM member's day in Chippenham. Bit of a blow if you're not a member I suppose, but you could come along and join... It's just on the Saturday and I don't think it will an intensive experience.
     
    Coin's come down on the side of Clevedon, but at the moment I fully intend to build Cheddar afterwards. I want to make some progress on this before Easter so hopefully will get around to ordering materials for the baseboards.
  25. ullypug

    Class 03 Update

    By ullypug,

    With a new computer to get to know, modelling's taken a bit of a back seat. Until now that is.
     
    I've been flush glazing the 03, adding a new horn (!) transfers etc and getting things pretty much ready for the final weathering. Just the AJ's to fit and lamp lenses to add from epoxy or PVA. Photos attached now that I've sussed the down load on the mac (which I have to say is being an absolute pleasure - I can see why people love them so much). Not pictured are a couple of Grampuses (Grampii?) which I built whilst staying in a hotel the other week on business.
     
    ttfn
     
    Andrew
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