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rovex

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  1. rovex
    These are the coaches after the first visit to the paint shop, lining and numbering to be done. Have you noticed they don't give you enough "W"s on the transfer sheets. I'm gonna be left with tons of left over lettering and numbering from these transfer sheets. I wonder if I can sell partly used sheets on ebay .
     
    Rovex
     

  2. rovex

    The odd Hornby Composite

    By rovex,

    Apropos of nothing in particular I was wondering why Hornby decided to model the 57ft GWR collett composite coach and get the compartment dimensions wrong. For those not in the know it is supposed to have four first class compartments and three third class. Now, whilst the division in the corridor side is in the correct place in the coach one of the first class compartments is actually the wrong size. Its got third class dimensions.
     
    It has occured to me that this coach shares the same chassis as the old (rather ghastly) LMS corridor composite. I wonder if the internal piece that represents the compartments was actually made for the LMS coach and rather than manufacture a new interior, the GWR coach was fiddled to fit the one already available. This would also explain the toilets at each end - yes I know the GWR coach has toilets at each end - but it doesn't have end vestibule doors and the interior is obviously meant for a coach that has.
     
    Well there it is - not exactly earth shattering and probably not news but it has puzzled me why a manufacturer would go out of its way to make a coach with such an obvious error. Hopefully Hornby will take pity on us Western modellers and give us some new state of the art coaching stock, I'd rather have that then a new all singing Castle (I seem to havea few of these already and have no intention of replacing them).
     
    Is it too early to start the New Year wishlist - hehe
     
    Rovex
  3. rovex
    Those who have been following my long winded efforts to build my model railway may remember that I lifted all the trackwork following a failed experiment in securing both the cork underlay and the track using spray adhesive. The warm weather saw expansion which resulted in track lifting and the cork bubbling. As the track had not been pinned the adhesive didn't prove up to the job.
     
    So reluctantly the whole lot was lifted and I decided that I had to start again. Well the starting was delayed until recently when I received the last of the major pointwork items required. All pointwork has been made by Hayfield and he has been good enough to share some of his work on his own blog.
     
    This time around I have adopted a much more old fashioned method. Cork underlay has been glued down to the baseboard using PVA glue (and copious amounts of it. The cork underlay is 4mm thick and came in a huge roll bought of a certain internet auction site. It worked out quite cheap compared to buying the usual stuff sold specifically model railways.
     
    The layout, which had been designed using Templot (when you still had to pay for it), was printed out onto slightly heavier duty printer paper and then glued on top of the cork using wall paper paste.
     
    The track abnd pointwork was then laid on top of this. Each peice of track has had drop wires soldered to it and these will then be soldered to the bus wires which will be under the layout. My previous layout have always suffered from terrible running quality and I think in part this has been caused by reliance on fishplates for electrical connectivity.
     
    I hope that with each separate piece of track having its own supply this will to some extent be ameliorated.
     
    Almost all the track at the North end of the station has now been relaid, with just a couple of bay tracks and platform 1 (or is it 12) to be laid.
     
    Next will the South end (under the Great Western Hotel) which thanksfully is somewhat simpler.
     
    Then starts the process of dusting off my old DCC controller and starting to attach power and point motors (i'm trying to buy 10 each month just after payday).
     
    My thoughts are also turning to the storage facility. I've swung between a traversr ( decided not to) a traditional fan of sidings and a casette system.
     
    Currently I'm thinking a mixture of traditional fan and casette may be the answer. My thought is to have the fast lines run into a fan of sidings where the crack expresses can be kept. The slow lines would then run into a casette system where the suburban trains and freight trains could be kept.
     
    Well enough words here are some pictures.


     
    Here is the station looking towards Paddington. From left to right we be through line (platform 12 and 11), two bays (platforms 10 and 9), through line (platform 8 and 7), two avoiding lines (up and down), through line (platform 6 and 5), two bays (platforms 4 and 3) and finally through line (platform 2 and 1). Although the station has been compressed it is still possible to get two trains onto the through platforms and the scissor crossings in the middle allow trains on the central platforms to cross each other.
     
    The bays are large enough for five or six coach trains if necessary - so you can see why I am desperate for Hornby to bring out some non-corridor Western coaching stock.
     

     
    a view striaght across the station throat.
     


     
    and now looking towards Wolverhampton (which I think I shall rename Worford for the layout).
     
    Although you can't see it in the background by the large tub of PVA glue are the four running lines (slow lines on the inside of the curve - the fast lines on the outside). The pointwork is such that any train arriving on a slow line can access any of the platforms and all four bays. Any train arriving on the fast line can access the main through platforms and the bays at platform 10 and 11.
     
    In reverse trains heading out this way can all leave by the slow lines and trains from platform 10, 11 and 5 and 6 can leave by the fast line.
  4. rovex
    track laying has recommenced. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but following an expansion problem and an experimental track fixing method I lifted all the track on my layout and decided to start again.
     
    This time 4mm cork underlay has been glued down with copious amounts of undiluted PVA glue. On top of this the track plan has been pasted. It was printed out on heavy duty printer paper and then pasted down with wallpaper paste. This should ensure that the track is in the right place. I'm starting in the middle but before the scissor crossings which were such a feature of the original Snow Hill go down, I've decidd to try and make a representation of Great George St Bridge. The photos show the attemprts so far. The cork underlay is cut out and a 20 thou plasticard peice fitted to shape. track chairs are fitted to two pieces of 4mm square plastic strip from evergreen, using a lenght of track to ensure there are in a striaght line. With sleepers attached to each end these are glued down to the 20 thou sheet. Cross timbers are then added and the whole sprayed grey, the timbers picked out and then the sides of the rails painted brick red to represent the rust. All will be suitably weathered once in situ.
     
    I am also taking the opportunity to paint the sides of all the rails to represent rust. I only hope my patience lasts.
     



     
    Now for a question. This time around I intend to wire up as I go along, including the numerous point motors that will be needed, but where to put them. The point motors that is. Obviously they will have to be beneath the track, but do I cut out a small hole and feed a rod up, or cut out a larger whole and fit the point motor directly below the track.
     
    If the motors go immediately belowthe point I was thinking as all points are handmade I would fit a plasticard rectangle beneath the tiebar and then fit the point motor to that - I intend to use peco point motors operated using old Hornby passing contact switches (assuming that will work).
     
    Do any one have any thoughts, opinions etc?
  5. rovex
    I have been a busy bee today and have got the carcases for both the 70 ft brake third and the corridor all third roughly cut out and glued together.
     
    The brake is made up from three of the Hornby 57 ft brake thirds - it could probably be more economically done, the only real difference is that the luggage compartment is bigger - having three sets of double doors and a greater space between them. However nothing has been wasted as the bits left obver from the compartments from two of the brake thirds where just right for the all third. On the corridor side I opened up the two small windows between the compartment doors and the guards door (does that make sense)
     
    One of the photos shows the various cuts I made for the brake third.
     
    Next job is filling and sanding, also the brake third ends will need squaring off as I believe that these had flat ends rather than bowed.

    The work never ends.
     
    It has suddenly occurred to me that with all this coach building I'm gonna have to have a lot of room to build a station big enough to handle all these cross country services - Oh dear
     
    rovex
  6. rovex

    Further building work

    By rovex,

    Heres a few photos of the concourse as mocked up.
     
    Its made from 80 thou plastic sheet, supported beneath by 80 thou strips cut 10 mm wide. On top of this will go scribed paving to bring it up to the level of the building and metcalfe cobbles for the road surface.
     



     
    And here's one of the main entrance to the GWR offices
     

     
    Well, back to work
     
    Rovex
  7. rovex
    With the aid of the annual bonus from work I've purchased teh home for Brackhampton. Its at the end of the Garden and thus allows the long suffering other half to be free of all things model railway. It was put up surprisingly quickly on Saturday and once boarded out will give approximately 21ft by 14.5 ft to fit the railway in.
     


     
    Right, where did I leave that number of the builders yard
     
    Rovex
  8. rovex

    A repaint

    By rovex,

    Having discovered that my brickwork should have been white, I got my spray can out and whited out the brickwork again. Once completely dried I gave this a wash over with diluted black enamel, varying the mix so as not to give a variation in colour. Areas were washed down with more white spirit (like the front of the columns) to add greater variety.
     
    Have also started building both attic pavilions. The arched heads were done with a 10 mm flat drill to make sure there were equal. Ordinary drill bits just chewed up the plastic - very infuriating.
     
    Tell me what you think of the paintwork
     
    Regards
     
    Rovex
     

  9. rovex
    It being too cold to be in the shed, I have spent the day playing with Sketchup.
     
    Opposite the entrance to Snow Hill id the Great Western Arcade. It was built over the tunnel carrying the tracks from Moor Street to Snow Hill. Originally it had a very impressive facade but this fell victim to enemy action and was burnt out. Rather than restore it after the war it was demolished and for a long time the arcade was somewhat truncated.
     
    A modern building now occupies the site but the original arcade exists behind this building - albeit with a more simplified roof.
     
    I have decided that I would like to have the original building and so began my search for photographs etc. Surprisingly I've only found a very small handful of photographs.
     
    This is progress to date. Still some more to do and the original carved stonework will have to be reproduced in Milliput, my Sketchup skills aren't up to it.
     



  10. rovex

    70 foot stock

    By rovex,

    This is a continuation of my topic about GWR coaches and increasing passenger choice - (very topical - lol)
     
    I will try to put a link to the old topic when the sites back up and running - though at the moment I'm still trying to work my way round the new site - as a bear of very little brain I'm easily confused but as Basil Fawlty says "now we're in I'm determined to make it work".
     
    Anyway with the articulated suburban stock taking a back burner for a while, I'm trying my hand at the South Wales 70 ft stock.
     
    The first two examples are the composite restaurant car and the corridor composite (stock numbers to follow) the body shells are from Hornby originals and I'm going to try scratchbuilding the underframes as I feel this will be more robust then cutting up and regluing the old Hornby ones.
     
    The first couple of photos represent the body shell for the composite


     
    This requires two composite coaches and the insertion of an extra first and third compartment in the middle. The work also allows you to sort out incorrect spacing of the corridor windows.
     
    These next two photos are the body shell for the restaurant car.
     


     
    This was done by adding an extra window to each end, from a second restaurant car and then as the kitchen appears to be on the other side of the coah swapping the kitchen windows and the corridor windows around.
     
    I think the photos show where the cuts have been made.
     
    and finally I'm not bothering trying to upgrade the Hornby ends, I cut two many slices out of my fingers the last time I tried this, So I've just replaced them with plastic card and added the relevant details

     
    Obviously a long way to go, I also plan to try the 70 brake third and will then see if I have enough bits left over to try the all third - though this might be simpler to buy the Comet sides.
     
    Again inspiration copmes from Allan Tidders website GW Works linked to from the previous topic.
     
    Rovex
  11. rovex
    The latest CAD ramblings.
     
    I've been playing with the canopy parts to see if construction could be made simpler by putting all the parts together and this is the result.
     


     
    I've ordered three of these to test out the modular design and see if it works. if it does I shall be selling a lot of unopened ratio canopy kits.
     
    The eagle eyed amogst you will have spotted that one of the arms on the support has lost its detail. I don't know why this keeps happening, but it does not look like this on the Shapeways site. We shall have to see what it looks like when it arrives. I am expecting it any day now.
     
    If this works then I shall need a canopy end piece and here it is
     


     
    So you can see with these two parts and a spare support canopies of any length of a tolerable GWR design can be built for reasonable outlay - lol
     
    for example
     


     
    Though seriously I am wondering if there is a market for these. We shall have to see what the actual products look like.
     
    Finally as a bit of fun (who am I trying to kid) this is the entrance from livery street.
     

     
    Still a bit of work to do on the brickwork and the crest above the door will have to be added in modelling clay. Again the rivet counters will have noticed that the inner door is not arched. I have done this because the topology of my Livery Street is a little lower than the actual one which has resulted in me stretching the door downwards to meet the proposed pavement. This made the door too tall and narrow for my liking, so I lowered the lintel by adding the inner archway.
     
    Still some brickwork to add - and my goodness that is laborious.
     
    Dean
  12. rovex

    Letting things slip

    By rovex,

    I recently purchased an old MTK kit of Ebay of a Sunshine stock slip coach to diagram F24. I'm not a great fan of MTK kits, for those who don't know they come with the sides and roof and solebars all folded up from one sheet of aluminium and they usually have badly fitting ends.
     
    It was described as an unknown kit but resarch before I bid allowed me to discover the coach type and for £12 I didn't think I could go far wrong. The Ebay photo suggested brass sides and so I thought perhaps the previous owner had bought replacement sides from Comet. They hadn't .
     
    But the usual aluminium had been given a brass or copper plating and the dorrs had been etched/gouged out which is unusal - well unusual to my limited knowledge of these kits.
     
    Anyway after a bit of fettling which has included a lot of filling to hide the joins between the ends and the sides, cutting away the moulded on lamp irons, fitting seperate handrails new shell vents from Comet and door hinges from plastic card, it has now received a coat of undercoat.
     
    This should help highlight those areas that still need a bit of work such as where the ends meet the roof.
     
    Not looking so bad for £12 especially when you consider the same kit from Comet is over £40.
     
    I'll let you judge for yourselves.
     



  13. rovex
    Work has progressed apace, the supporting girder work has been finished including the curved bracing to support the box floor. In order to try to get these as identical as possible, 14 pieces of 20 thou plasticard (20mm by 15 mm) were glued along the edges. the shape marked out on the top sheet and then the curved bottom part cut and sanded on all 14 sheets at once. the sheets were drilled to provide the inner curve then seperated and cut and trimmed to fit and glued in place.
     
    The relay and storage boxes between the legs have been fitted and wire draped beneath the box to represent some of the underslung cabling.
     
    The roof was leaded and so this avoided the need for laying loads of slates.

    The stairs currently stop well short of the ground, as I'm awaiting receipt of the other set, but the eagle eyed amongst you will recognise the steps from the Hornby Signal Box.
     
    Some filling to do and a little bit more work before I consider the paint job.

    I'm giving myself a bit of a headache about the actual paint scheme, all the photos I've got are black and white and all relatively late in the box's life. They seem to show it in an all over light colour including the supporting girder work.

    As my model is meant to be about 1950, this would suggest GWR light and dark stone, but what colour would the girders be? Any thoughts anyone?
     
    Rovex
  14. rovex
    Whilst I await some decent weather so that I can order the materials to line out the new shed without them getting soaked I've been dabbling with building the North Box for the station. This is based on the old one at Birmingham Snow Hill, which was some 50ft by 10 ft and stood on girder stilts because of the restricted site.
     
    The basis of the cabin are some butchered sides from a number of the Hornby GWR Dunster Signal boxes, the windows whilst typucally GWR do not match those of the prototype but life's too short to get overly concerned with such matters. The photos give an indication of the work so far.
     
    The box was electrically operated so no locking bars to model just lots and lots of cabling. The photos I've managed to dig up show lots of cables slung beneath the box and carried down the side of the stairs.
     

    This shows the parts from the Hornby kit which are going to be used. I used four kits to get the necessary parts, I could have used fewer but that would have meant more joints. The windows from the remaining parts will be used on the South Box, whilst the level crossings I'll stick back on ebay.
     

     
    These are the parts, with all but one trimmed and butchered. The windows turned out to be finer than I thought, obviously thicker than etched ones, but with a little work thinning the back of the frames down quite acceptable.
     

     
    With the sides fitted to a new base, and some stregthening of the back wall. The only photo I have of the rear of the box, which because of the way it will be placed on the layout will be the public face of the box was unusual (well to me at least) in that several of the panels of windows were painted out. Perhaps even stranger whilst there is an obvious soil pipe for the toilet facilities, these appear to have been behind one of these painted out window panels (in this case the first one after the access door).
     

     
    And now it sprouts legs. I was concerned that the girders looked strong enough to support the structure, and having glued them in place (evergreen plastic mouldings), was becoming a bit worried that I'd gone over the top.
     

     
    cross girders start to go in.
     

     
    Final shot for this post. Most of the girders are in place. There are two cross girders to go in at the ends to give "X" bracing. Between the other legs were a series of cabinets with sliding doors for stores so far as I can work out, and a panel carrying cables. Braces also need to be added from the top of the legs to the edge of the Box. These will be fun to try and cut.
     
    The roof is loose for now to allow access to glaze the box after painting and because of the large number of windos to allow me to fit some kind of interior.
     
    Rovex
  15. rovex

    Getting back to Work

    By rovex,

    Well we've been moved almost three months now and tonight was the first night I've done any modelling - althoug whether you can call daubing a bit of paint about modelling is questionable.
     
    I've not been idle the last three months, but unfortunately other things have been keeping me busy. Including trying to sort out the garden (it now looks like the Somme - whatever happened to GroundForce - I must have a birthday surprise coming up), extending the old pond, starting a new one. Once we can afford some bricks I'm going to have a go at building some brick walls. I've already built some breeze block walls for the new pond. It must be the builder gene I've inherited from my father. I only hope it looks alright when they done.
     
    I've also investigated the cost of a new shed the size I can fit in is about 16ft by 24ft, and a local firm can supply one for £2,000 (that was before the VAT increase). So I've got a lot of saving up to do. Although I'm currently thinking about having a go at building it myself - subject to planning and building control
     
    But the reason for tonight's modelling is to keep me off ebay. I'm spending far too much on things I WANT (in fact I don't know how I've managed to live without them all this time). So far I've bought a K's 42xx kit, lots of ratio canopy kits a lot of engines (well Brackhampton will be a busy station) and lots of scalelink cars and vans and coach kits.
     
    I've also bought a couple of the old Graham Farish composite suburban coaches. I think with a repaint, new underframe, detailed ends and roof , I might make a passable representation of a GWR 55ft suburban all third. I'll let you know how I get on.
     
    Anyway I've been daubing the brick colour on the station building, some touching up to do and then it needs a lot of weathering to capture all that city centre grime so redolent of the 50's. Hopefully I can get some actual modelling done soon and start on the attic storeys. I'm experimenting with a hand drill and some double sided sticky tape to try and get all the arches equal, but more of that later.
     
    So to the photos.
     
    A couple of the front

     
    and two close ups of the Snow Hill end pavilion. The columns are made from ink cartridges and the capitals are made from milliput (still got four more to make)

     
    now the Snow Hill side
     

     
    The concourse side, I made a start on the ticket office side before moving, and the arches have all been cut out but a long way to go yet.
     

     
    and that just leaves the Livery Street side.
     

     
    Finally I've been trying to decipher the platform signs which hung at end side of the concourse on the original Snow Hill, I've got two decent photos of the one for London bound trains but only one photo of the one for North bound trains. I've guessed most of the destinations but two remain a puzzle, I think they are "Manchester" and "Crewe", but I wasn't aware that those towns were served by the GWR, of course it could have been through trains. A colleague whose father travelled from the station has said her father thinks I'm right but if anyone can give confirmation I'd be grateful.
     
    Regards Rovex
     
    Edit - having just checked my reference material, it lloks like the hotel was faced in white brick (###### ), so I might spray it all white again and then give it plenty of dirty black washes for the soot, more so perhaps on the brickwork. If I do I'll leave the back brick colour as the Victorians tended to user cheaper materials round the back where it didn't show. ###### again.
  16. rovex

    Moving House

    By rovex,

    Not much modelling to report as over the last week or so we've been moving house. This house at least is ours (well mainly the bank's) and so I can start proper modelling.
     
    Well I could if I actually had somewhere to build the layout.
     
    For the time being the railway is all in boxes in storage, whilst I save up to build a big shed at the bottom of the garden.
     
    Site of the new shed (hopefully)
     


     
    Till then and once the house has stopped looking like a furniture repository, I can carry on building.
     
    Rovex
  18. rovex
    The brake third is now finished, I've added the missing "W"s to the coach number, lining has all been done and the coach given a coat of varnish to protect the transfers from coming off on my fingers.
     
    The flushglazing has been added. Rather than paint round the window frames, I tried painting round the glazing before fitting, seems to work ok. Grab handles are from Comet and seem a little on the thick side, though I can imagine any finer and they would be prone to damage. Corridor connections have been added and all it needs now is a layout!!!!!!
     
    The photos show the coach alongside a 57ft all third - made from kitbashing more Hornby coaches. Really gives an idea of the length of these coaches. More photos will follow as I finish off the others.
     

     
     
    Rovex
  19. rovex
    Modelling progress has been non-existent for the last couple of months as I broke my thumb during some very heavy gardening. I managed to drop several stone paving slabs on it, and when the swelling hadn't gone down after a week I went along to A and E. There were very impressed with the break and I've had to have a pin put in. All in all very painful and not to be recommended.
     
    Anyway I hope to get back to work on things soon, but with two new puppies demanding most of my spare time, things may be slow (very slow).
     
    In the meantime I have consoled myself by attempting a track plan. I decided early on that the track was going to have be hand made for the layout. I tried marking it out using peco track but it just wasn't going to work. Whilst I don't trust myself to make the track myself, I'm hoping I can find a willing volunteer (well - a paid volunteer anyway). I've purchased templot track design program which I must say has been a struggle to use ( steep learning curve doesn't come into it) and if anyone can tell me how I attach a trackplan from templot I'll let you have a look at my efforts so far.
     
    As the railway room is going to have to be built, any kind of construction is a long long way off, but the plan currently allows for the main platforms to be 3.7 metres long which should allow for a decent length express train. And whilst I'm building up stcok and scenery, I can get some of the pointwork made.
     
    Belated Happy New year to you all.
     
    Rovex
  20. rovex
    Building work continues a pace. The shells of the East and West pavilions have been fashioned and work has started on the front of the central section. The following photos show the ground floor cut out and glued in place. This piece has been scratch built from a large sheet of 80 thou. It has been scored to match the ground floors of the end buildings. The floor of the passage way has also been scribed to represent Victorian Paving slabs (3ft by 2ft). Three porticos will need to be built one for the entrance to the concourse, a cental one for the entrance to the old hotel and then one on the far right next to the east pavilion.
     
    Works stopped for the moment as I've run out of glue. Got some on order - thank goodness for ebay.
     


     
    Rovex
     
    PS Have been working on the main concourse entrance and here are a few photos to show progress.
     


     
    The carving is made up of milliput moulded into rough shapes and then pushed into place. The quoins round the arch shown in the original will be put in place when I glue it onto the model, the arch will also be beefed up at the same time. The parabola for the arch was marked out on card and then cut out using scissors, this means I can use it as a template for the other side of the station as well. There's a very good book called "Bridges for modellers" which shows how parabolas are formed - something to do with drawing out two circles and then joining points on each circle - Not the best description but honestly the book makes it much clearer - lol
  21. rovex

    Brackhampton Snow Hill

    By rovex,

    As one does when you don't have a railway I've been thinking about what to build next, I want to utilise as much of the saved buildings from the old railway as possible, so this would mean it has to be quite a size, (so hopuse hunting has been a bit difficult what with prices in Redditch being somewhat higher than my backwater in Leeds. So as well as a house that has room for large Victorian furniture, I also need a large garage, or play room or a garden big enough to allow me to build one and still allow Kevin room to have the dog he's always wanted.
     
    Being so close to Birmingham my thoughts turned to Snow Hill (nothing like being ambitious and to be honest I was somewhat inspired by this thread from the old RMweb (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=40583) called Solsbury Hill but based on the pre 1908 Snow Hill - actually I'd love to know how this is coming along)
     
    I spent Saturday in Birmingham City Archives seeing what plans they have of Birmingham Snow Hill. The answer seems to be very little - Railways apparently being exempt from the old planing process. Any model would be very loosely based on it - thus Brackhampton and not Birmingham - that and my love for Agatha Christie novels. I've got plenty of photos and plans for the platform buildings I was trying to find something useful about the Ticket Hall and Station Hotel as well as tryiung to understand the layout of the offices and access roads above the station. I've only got a few photos. I'm stuck between scratch building the hotel or kit bashing the Vollmer Kit for the Palais apartments (3775). I intend using one of the faller train sheds for the roof of the ticket hall
     
    This is the Vollmer kit
     

     
    and this is the real thing
     

     
    it's not a bit like the real thing, but i hoped if I increased the height of the ground floor, added a few columns to the end bays, stretched out the middle, got rid of those rather nasty bay windows and removed the roof and those great curved dormers adding an extra storey to the ends and those rather trade mark chimneys I might be able to make something that would at least have the right scale and be passable, well at least in the dark with the lights off.
     
    If anyones got some decent photos or better still access to plans - I understand that BR sold most of them off in the 80's I'd be grateful. I think I've probably got most of whats readily available - (two books specifically about Snow Hill and of course that textbook on GWR architecture which has a very comprehensive section on the platform buildings)
     
    Cheers
     
    Rovex
  22. rovex

    A Saint?

    By rovex,

    I've posted this here as well as in the topic on the Hornby Saint and hope the administrators will forgive me the duplication, on reflection it seemd more appropriate here on my blog.
     
    I think I may also have to change the blog title if thats permitted, since I seem to be straying from the title topic, how about "building all things GW"?
     
    Anyway I've been doing a bit of thinking and am wondering whether I can make a hash at a model of a Saint as follows.
     
    Bachman Hall - rewheeled with correct or approaching correct size wheels.
     
    Cut off the cab and cut out the boiler, discard running plate. keep boiler - might have to use the older modified Hall as running plate on new Hall I seem to recall is metal - Course this depends on the modified Hall having the right wheelbase.
     
    Use footplate of Hornby Castle (I've got a spare body. This gives the correct depth to the curve on the front of the footplate. Probably cut of splashers, make good and refit in correct place and probably cut down a bit, remove and filler where the inside pistons project onto footplate
     
    Extend firebox on Hall boiler by about 2 mm, this should give it the correct length, rest of boiler dimensions seem OK.
     
    Replace cab with correct pattern (probably old 4-4-0 County one).
     
    Replace buffers, chimney and saftey valve as required.
     
    It probably wouldn't win any prizes but I think it might give a passable representation, the cost might be prohibitive, but I'd try and pick up the bits off ebay. And given the costs of even badly built saints on ebay is in excess of 70/80 quid (and there are based on the old B12 chassis and thus incorrect) it might work out cheaper
     
    Any thoughts?
     
    Rovex
  23. rovex
    Work has commenced on laying the pointwork at the North end of Brackhampton. I've been waiting until Hayfield of this parish (who has been very patient with me and long suiffering) had built enough of the various pointwork to allow me to lay the mainline almost all at once. I didn't want to lay each piece as it was built only to find I had miscalculated and it didn't fit. These first two photos shopw the point work for the mainlines with the trackwork leading to the eastern bay platforms.
     
    This next photo shows the crossover between the main and relief lines. These haven't yet been laid but will be the next to go down.

    the pointwork for the rest of the eastern bays and the relief lines as they feed into the western bays has yet to be built.
     
    For the technically minded the track is laid on 1/8 inch cork sheet and is stuck down with Evostic spray glue, care being taken to protect the moving parts of any pointwork.
     
    Soon I will start building the platforms starting at the South end and working North. As the platforms will be scribed to show the paving, I've been puting this job off.
  24. rovex

    A Star is born

    By rovex,

    Not a GWR coach at all - but it didn't seem worthwhile starting a new thread for one picture. I'd asked elsewhere about problems with the old Hornby Saint - and wow was that a case of lighting the blue touch paper and retiring.
     
    Anyway it stirred me into having a go at knocking up a Star (Saint to Star? Don't ask) I can't claim any credit for the process as its all detailed elsewhere on other threads - have a look at the thread on the Hornby Saint for the links.
     
    This is based on the old Airfix Castle, but I've been lucky enough to get hold of a Hogwarts Castle for under ??20 of ebay and will be using the motorised chassis and tender from that to put under the Airfix body, and dispensing with the Airfix tender drive. I'm intending to model "Glastonbury Abbey" as I quite like the sound of it and it also had the larger style tender. A paint job for this and the red hogwarts tender awaits but I'm in a quandary as to whether these engines carried BR black in the early BR days, or lined green. They were after all express locos which would suggest green but the only colour photo I've come across (and believe me finding any photos of Stars is a challenge) would seem suggest black? Alternatively as the proposed railway is meant to be 1950, I might go for a late GWR livery.
     
    Anyone any thoughts on livery?
     
    Rovex
     

  25. rovex

    full train

    By rovex,

    Not the best quality photo, I think the enlarging hasn't done me any favours but then its difficult to know what to expect when you're trying to get fout foot of model carriages into one photo - but anyway I'm posting it for what its worth.
     
    Please excuse all the mess on the mantelshelf.
     
    Rovex
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