Bill

souvenir silver spoons

engine finally expired

onto the floor...

bank only with

jobs from Chinese

jelly on Jupiter...

en route from...

night frolics. When...

the local pub...

Many thanks for the feed back from everyone - It is gratifying to know that this blog entry is useful to someone - It makes the effort in putting together more worthwhile -

crimes said constable...

Having begun and almost finished a white metal kit from Duncan Models - Henry - the Shunting Horse... There was one more kit left to attempt - the Springside Signal Box Detailing Kit... It is all white metal and requires a great deal of time, focus and concentration. It is, I think, well worth the effort - even if its never going to be seen again, hidden in the signal box, once made. It forced me to consider the layout in terms of a working railway. There was research needed into how the signalling systems of the GWR worked - something I knew nothing about when I began... and only precious little more after gleaning just enough information to make up the kit. Signalbox.org proved to be an invaluable resource, they have a photograph of the interior of the old signal box at Sarnau in Carmarthenshire on their site. http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/w/sarnau.php It makes for a good starting point. It shows the wheel that operated the level crossing gates and locking levers. Plus a fair bit of the rest of the levers and the shelf of instruments above them... So before beginning the kit I needed to make a full schematic of the layout - not just the part that could be built but the rest that could not be because of lack of space. It would appear that every signal box has a schematic of its particular block above the instrument shelf. This needed to be drawn up in Photoshop complete with signalling... my best guess and hopefully not too far from reality First I emptied out the plastic bag the kit came in, cleaned the excess metal off the castings and checked the contents - the stove was missing they had included an extra cupboard instead - Springside were absolutely excellent in response and will be sending the missing stove. The signalman does after all need to keep warm and more importantly needs his cup of tea.. Second I needed to figure out how many levers and of what kind were needed. The signal box is the 7mm Bachmann model of Highley Signal Box and is too small for 32 or so levers - it maxes out at 25. This figure allows for two locking levers for the level crossing - Two yellow distant signal levers for each end of the block - a detonator lever (they exist so why not?). 8 points levers in black, 10 red levers for all the other signals the remaining two were for two blue coloured locking levers. There probably should have been more of these but there was not enough space. Third - having worked all this out I then made up the 25 lever frame from the bits supplied and painted it black. This required some enterprise... Next - the levers were painted according to the pre-determined scheme and fitted into the frames - this requires great patience - but the levers definitely need to be fully painted before assembly. Springside provide a painting guide but it is best to also take a peek at the real thing and make up your own mind. Next before gluing in place make sure the lever ends fit in the frame - very important this...believe me Super glue was used for the fixing - Springside recommend quick setting epoxy but this stuff in this situation does not work well for me. Super glue sets firm in seconds and allows one to zip along fitting the levers - to describe fully how it was done would take pages... But good pre-thought and planning is of the essence. Once the frame and levers had been completed it was a breeze to do the instruments and instrument shelf, plus all the furniture - notice board, chair, stool, desk, cupboards, fire bucket, coal bucket, clock , telephones etc., and fix them in place in the signal box - which also needed renaming from Highley to Barcoombe. Springside also supply two forms of equipment for single line working - staff and tablet. Having done further research I opted for the staff system on this occasion. There is a photograph of the equipment on this site. http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/CumduCollieryKey.htm And quarter-way down this interesting page.. http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page33.htm Well once its all painted and put together it looks quite good, feels better - I would reserve good or very good for someone who has a steadier hand and more patience than I.. The kit comes with a signalman - but I preferred the signalman from border miniatures and have used him instead... If anyone wants to know more about the kit and how it went together - do ask... P.S. A Dundas-Parkside Kit of a GWR Toad Guards Van has just arrived in the post... Now what on earth possessed me to order that?

clubs, spades and

and Stalin organs...

wormholes are key...

The transfers from Fox miraculously appeared in the post thus introducing me to my worst nightmare, 'Applying Transfers'... So I carefully read and re-read the instructions that came with them... ... and dutifully gloss varnished the areas where the transfers were to be applied Then as test of skills decided to first place the XP - having found out where it was supposed to go. The first attempt was an abject failure as the transfer simply rolled around the backing paper and stuck to it, rather than depositing itself on the model... And likewise the second attempt.. Then, a brilliant idea - perhaps the transfer needs to soak longer? somehow be wetter?... And thus it was that the third XP came off a treat, but ran into difficulties getting it to become mobile so it could be properly located. The solution was to add yet more water to the location where it needed to be placed.. That seemed to do the trick... Plenty of water, flood the model! Emboldened by this success the rest of the transfers were added - except for the 6 digit numbers... The six digit numbers, long and thin seemed to be disasters waiting to happen... And true to form they were.. I thought I had it beat when the first number went on with no real problems.. But the second - the second one decided to somehow curl and stick to my thumb rather than the model. Anything but go where needed Now Fox whilst supplying an abundance of ready assembled 6 digit numbers only supplies 2 of each - After another attempt I think I got the knack but nonetheless ended up with two different 6 digit numbers on each side of the van... This irritated me for some reason - somehow the numbers really needed to be identical even if they did not fit this particular diagram... On the next day having slept on it... I learned how to remove transfers - but I had a disaster adding the new one - it folded over on itself. So now I needed to start all over and add two new identical numbers... Success! So the current situation is that there are at last two identical numbers on the van... B783446 However, after a little research on the internet I discovered that they belong on a Vanwide - diagram 217...oops! .... But at least there are 'some numbers' on the model and they look the part... ... According to Salter's B763446 would be a suitable number for a diagram 208 So now I am trying to figure out a way to alter the 8 to a 6... The plan so far is to varnish the 7 and the 3446 and wait until the varnish hardens. Then to apply some microset to the 8, let it soften and then remove it - Then next, carefully add the essential 6... etc.. Hopefully performing the task in such a skillful way that I do not end up using all the available 6s ... Fox supplies you with 8 of them... I think the plan has a reasonable chance of success.. ... But before doing that I shall have to mentally and psychologically prepare and steel my nerves to tackle the task... Please note - Fox Transfers are excellent and would highly recommend them - It's my lack of experience and skill that is the problem here

I bought several Hornby Maunsells form a well known box shifter in Liverpool - they were missing a few torpedo vents which had either fallen off or never inserted. I asked for replacements and they were duly sent - I may even have a spare one somewhere as they sent extras. So the answer is yes they are separate - the expensive solution is to source a few Maunsells and remove their vents - they would most likely just pop off...

even for mice

parts, alerted customs...

dreaming pink elephants...

Thanks for the comments - It sat square right from the off - So it was nothing I did

The Slater's BR Van kit, which arrived here over a year ago has now been built. The last plastic model I ever built was an Airfix Sunderland Flying Boat way back in 1960... So I have had to resurrect and improve my modelling skills to tackle this job... Here is an image of the finished van - all that is missing are the transfers which, hopefully, are on their way from Fox. The build seems to be quite straight forward, but if one has never done anything like this before, very slow.. very,very slow. It also is full of unexpected twists and turns and surprises. The box the kit came in was opened over a year ago - and after inspecting the contents and instructions - buried in haste! Along with a number of white-metal kits. The whole project having recently awakened from dormancy, it became imperative to finish all the various model kits. So... (1) One night about two weeks ago I opened the box and removed all the plastic bits that were needed from the various frets. (2) Not as easy as it appears - some are very delicate and shattered in the removal process. These had to be put on one side for further consideration as to how they might be repaired or rebuilt. In fact it would have been much better had Slater's made them from brass (3) Then hid the whole lot away for further contemplation and a rainy day - which was not long in coming. (4) On Monday its was raining so I steeled myself to begin construction. Got out an orphaned circular glass table top useful as a working surface and began the construction... (5) Quickly found out that MEK and I have a mutual distrust of each other and went back to using aeroplane glue - sticks every time. (6) During assembly some interesting discoveries came to light - ... (a) That the sub-frame needs some trimming in order to fit the ends square. (b.) That there may be a predrilled hole here or there but what is supposed to fit in it might not. E.g. The 'W' irons needed to be drilled out in order to fit the wheel bearings. etc.. This is especially difficult to do if it has all been glued together. Fortunately I spotted the W iron problem before any glue was applied. (c.) The brake shoes as supplied rub on the wheels - these needed to be made thinner. A process that needed to happen before gluing! (d) There are brackets that hold a tube, that houses a rod that acts as a bearing for the brake levers and Morton cam arrangement. The hole in these brackets needs to be made larger - this was not discovered until after gluing. Managed to break said bracket in the re-drilling process. Fortunately Slater's provide an abundance of plastic strip of different sizes that can be used to repair things - including broken stirrups and brake lever holders etc.. (e) Completely misunderstood were the buffer assembly instructions (it must have been the antibiotics :-) - they are now no longer sprung buffers as the designers intended. It is rather complicated to explain but somehow I felt I needed to drill out the buffer holders (I wonder what their actual name is?). These are bronze castings - These holders needed cleaning out - they come partially blocked with what appears to be chalk. But not drilling out - oops!. Also unfortunately one of the castings was a little bent and does not sit flush on the model. Nothing much could be done about that... (f) The mini blackboards on either end of the van come with four pegs - there are only two holes, diagonally set, so two pegs need to be removed. However the result does not sit square so it is best to remove three - and also check that the right ones are removed as they are handed. (g) The gubbins that hold the brake levers if put on as shown on the assembly diagram seem to be in the wrong place for the levers, but in the right place according to photographs of actual vans - it could be the levers are too long? It is a puzzle needing to be resolved. (h) The kit came with only one vacuum pipe - a bronze casting. A second one, you need two, was improvised from a piece of industrial strength copper wire... Only one pipe seemed odd but having no experience assumed Slater's know best. Its too late now to ask them for the missing one. (I) The curved roof does not fit well - this is because the doors jog out and are at the same level as the walls a supplied in the kit. IMPORTANT - the modeller needs to chamfer the top of the doors so the roof can be fitted. Only a little needs to be removed - but removed it needs to be. (j) It would have been better to have pre-painted the chassis - painting it once assembled complete with wheels is a pain. It was decided to paint it using semi-gloss black Tamiya acrylic paint. This turns out to produce a rather streaky and lumpy result due to the constriction of painting a sub-frame that is already assembled, and it was also far too shiny - After much experimentation, a coat of matt varnish was found to satisfactorily reduce the shiny-ness factor -which also accentuated the lumpiness of the applied paint. The matt varnish left the paint with a more satin like finish and a smoother looking result, which is what was being sought - Flat black on its own seems well - too flat. (probably a matter of individual preference.) (k) For North American modellers the paint used for the body of the van was Model Master Acrylic RUST - it is an exact match with the paint colour used by Bachmann on their OO gauge BR vans - whether or not his corresponds with reality I do not know! But for me it works well. (l) The roof was spray painted with a grey primer as the final colour before fitting... (m) It would have been a good idea to follow Slater's advice and get a good look at a diagram 208 van before starting out on this enterprise. Not to do so is a bit like sailing across the Atlantic in hurricane season without a map. (n) Not forgetting to clean the paint off the wheels... (o) It might be a good idea to source some better looking 3 link couplings. ... (7) On the whole it was a very enjoyable, if not fraught at times, build. The kit cannot be assembled as supplied - it needs some fettling. A good tool kit is a must before setting out on such a venture or misery will follow. (Some (at least 6) nice square cut 2x2 finished pieces of pine/fir about 6 inches long will also prove to be an indispensable aid...) (8.) Would I build another? Having learned the ways of this Slater Kit - I do feel ready to tackle another. The steepest part of the learning curve has been accomplished - "Better the Slater's you know than the Dundas you don't." (9) Building ones own rolling stock is definitely very satisfying and helps one to engage at a deeper level with the modelling process.

The authorities were definitely not amused - but behaved well!

And here is the result notified in the last post... Introducing - Jock the shunter, signalman Dave and naturally Andy the guard - more to come... Including engine drivers, a fireman and a passenger.. It was quite enjoyable painting them - not exactly professional... The was a minor disaster with the water crane, leaving a it little out of plumb... Somehow the epoxy resin took longer to dry than it should Jock's shunting pole lost its prong and was repaired using a bit of copper wire and far too much glue. Somehow in the middle of all this painting a bottle of black paint wound up on the carpet - oops! New painting protocols have been put in place which should prevent this from happening in the future. The station shelter came ready made from Skytrex - Some Slater's GWR canopy edging has been added... It will need some painting so that the browns match up. The next project is well under way, which is to build a Slater's Diagram 208 Vent Van... I am waiting for some transfers to arrive from Fox so it can be completed. The whole saga will be the subject of the next post...

rye. When Harold...