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rovex

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  1. 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
  2. rovex

    Brackhampton back

    By rovex,

    I've started work on the back of the old hotel at Snow Hill, unfortunately I've found very few photos of the back wall of the concourse (plenty - well enough - of the ticket office side and the two side walls but not the back) so i'm winging it a bit, but at least I know what the back wall looks like above the glazed roof
     
    By the way the plasticard is that blue colour, I've not painted yet
     

     
    Rovex
  3. rovex
    Following on from last nights post, here's the same thing after ten years of wear and tear.
     




     
    Weathering has been done with some Humbrol white weathering powder and some old cars weathering powders, mainly black, brown and rust. The leadroof was first washed with the white powder and white spirit. Lead tends to whiten as it ages and then it was given a wash of the black and whiote white spirit. This took the edge of the white and added the soot.
     
    The sides were done in a mixture of the brown and black. whit copious amounts of white spirit to prevent it looking to extreme.
     
    Finally the girders were done in rust. This has been washed down a couple of times and I may do it again, as I had forgotten just how far a little rust powder goes.
     
    Dean
  4. rovex
    I have got around to painting the model of Brackhampton (pronounced Birmingham) North Signal Box I made several moons ago. I have been unable to find any decent colour pictures showing how the box was painted in real life and the girder supports were causing me some heartache. "black" seemed too stark and dark stone didn't seem appropriate either.
     
    Anyway, last week I was leafing through a new book of GWR structure colours in Ian Allan's Brum bookstore when I found out that some features on GWR buildings were painted "chocolate" and this was before BR(W) region adopted it for surviving GWR buildings - and so I seed was planted.
     
    The girders would be painted "chocolate", the rest would be painted in typical light and dark stone colours. So was born what must be one of the most colourful of buildings to grace the layout - Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen would be proud. Of course the whole thing is going to be weathered considerably. I want to aim for a building that hasn't been painted since before the war and has been standing out in Brum's sooty atmosphere for ten years.
     




     
    railings and a door need to be added, and I shall have to dig out my Coopercraft Signal box name kits and add a name to front and back (it appears to have had plates on both sides - although that on the back looks more like an enamel one on one photo I've seen.
     
    With all those windows some representation of an interior will need to be added - as it was an electrical box this means I can avoid having lots of levers.
     
    EDIT
     
    Some work done on an interior - as its not pianted yet the camera tends to bleach things. But I've built the 37ft electrical lever frame with lots of little levers (thank you Station master ).
     

     
    The photos I;ve seen show a writing slope and two benches at the back. Also a number of cast iron radiators along the front - I'm going to see what I can do to represent these. The false roof I've inserted means I've lost some of the space where block instruments fitted, but again I'll have to see what I can do.
     
    Some of the interior photos (http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1772.htm) show some extra instruments added in front of the lever frame. They look like black cylinders about a foot long - one of top of another - anyone know what these were for?
     
    A final shot showing a badly painted signalman enyoying some fresh air now the platform is safely railed off.
     

  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. rovex
    I couldn't help myself - I had to upload a few photos of my latest ebay purchase. This is a model of GWr railcars 35 and 36 made from three Hornby railcars. Not my work I have to admit. Very well made and needs only a little bit of fillering and sanding to complete the bodies.
     
    I intend to replace the plastic handrails and install flushglazing and other details.
     
    I can now sell the Westward kit I bought of this train many years ago.
     
    So now my Brackhampton has a suitable train for its express service to Cardiff.
     




  9. rovex
    Whilst I await the delivery of some more GWR dark stone paint to paint the girderwork on the Signal Box, I've been cracking on with the water tower for the station. The original one at Snow Hill stood on the Southern approach to the station, on the opposite side of the tracks to the South signal box and next to a typical GWR overgirder turntable (very good article in the RM last month on how to make one of these).
     
    I have only a few photos of the tank and its supporting brickwork and so once again I've kit bashed rather than try to make an accurate model.
     
    the base is from some cut down parts from a Kibri factory kit. The tank is 80" styrene, with 20 tho glued on top once the rivets have been embossed on it.
     
    The curved top is made up from three layers, one layer is 80 thou ribs and strips, overlaid with 30 thou styrene to give the curve and finally overlaid with slaters corrugated plastic card.
     
    The last shot (sorry its a bit blurry) shows the model with only the bottom row of bricks waiting to be applied before it is painted and then detailed with the usual clutter lamps signs etc. The windows have been placed in temporarily to give an idea of the what the finished article will look like.
     
    Rovex
     




  10. rovex
    I've been in Leeds for the last couple of weeks doing some 12 inch to the foot modelling - that is decorating my old house in an effort to make it presentable to potential buyers.
     
    My partner and I have found somewhere we want to buy here in Redditch but we need to sell the old homestead first. Hopefully all will go smoothly and as soon as I'm allowed I can start building a layout to run these trains on.
     
    Anyway having got back last Sunday I've been busy building the two dining cars for the centenary stock that I dug out of my father's garage (much to everyone's disgust - "Is that what we moved all this stuff for!!!" - some people have no understanding - lol). I also found a kit for another all third which i didn't realise I had. Once all are built I should be able to run something approaching a proper centenary train, with all coach variations provided. (God I only hope Hornby don't announce new Centenaries as coaching stock that wouldn't be funny .
     
    So for those interested here are the five new coaches after initial painting - For a change no bits of paint have come away having permanently attached themselves to the masking tape. I lightly sanded the aluminium sides of the old BSL kits which I think helped. And very little paint beleding - miracles will never cease.
     
    The two brakes are the Airfix conversions shown elsewhere on this blog. Still plenty to do - so will keep me occupied over the Xmas hols.
     
    Happy Xmas and New Year everyone
     
    Rovex
     

  11. rovex

    chimneys galore

    By rovex,

    Thanks for all the kind comments to my last Blog entry.
     
    Having had my two nephews (4 and 7) and their mum stopping with us for the last week the opportunities for modelling have been limited.
     
    Anyway with them packed off back to Leeds, I've been catching up by mass producing chimneys and roofing the central portion of the hotel. The roof has been made as a separate unit so that it can be lifted off to allow me access to the building to finish making all those windows. I've installed some (being those that came with the original Kibri kit, but lots more windows will be needed especially for the back of the hotel. As these are made up from a frame and two sashes, I've been putting it off.
     
    Here's the progress on the front
     

     
    The white structure in front of one of the windows is going to be a newsagents and tobacconists. The original building ended its days festooned with at least three such structures. I've decided to model just the one. I am however intending to add the huge lettering which adorned the front, advertising the fact that this was the Great Western Railways Snow Hill station and the several signs advertising refreshments. I've also bought a large stock of posters to put in the concourse. GWR/BR(WR) didn't seem to mind that these blocked many of the groundfloor windows.
     
    Heres an arial shot, to give an idea of the eventual size of this part of the station. The arched structure supported by the speaker will eventually form the ticket office wall.
     

     
    Right, back to work
     
    Rovex
  12. rovex

    Dreaming of the Day

    By rovex,

    With the shed half lined out, and me awaiting more plywood to finish the job (hopefully this August bank holiday weekend), I 've printed off the track plan and laid it out in the shed to make sure it fits.
     
    Bit put out when it didn't look like it did, until I realised that I had made too little allowance for the overlap between sheets. With the sheets stuck together all was well.
     
    I've been inspired by the skill shown not only in track building but in baseboard ideas and construction on the Eastwood blog on this site and will try and follow his style of construction.
     
    This will mean an open frame sub base on which the track baseboards will rest, with at least at the city end a top baseboard to carry the town centre and a possible tram circuit. This will also allow for the undulating nature of the site with the ground falling away from the station buildings abnd then rising again at the other end of the station. Should also allow me to build a very slight gradient in as the train arrive and leave the station.
     
    The plans have been laid out on a couple of sheets of ply and a couple of buildings placed on to allow me to gauge how much space is needed at the back of the layout.

    The boxes laid out behind the station are intended to represent the footbridges and access to the tracks
     
    Now I mustn't spend to much time day dreaming.
     
    Rovex
  13. rovex
    As I was in the shed this evening tidying round I thought I would take a few shots of the fiddleyard baseboards.

    These are made of 12mm ply with 3inch wide strips of 12 mm ply for the edges and strapping. I've used this method before (although in that case it was 9mm ply) and found it generally quite sturdy as long as the boards are adequately braced underneath.

    I'm particularly pleased with the hatch (I know sad isn't it). I added the diagonal brace as it was flexing too much when opened and this seemed to have solved that problem.

    The last shot just shows the final gap to be filled, might be a bit more obvious if everything wasn't ply coloured.

     
    As cash is a little short at the moment (when isn't it) I'm trying to concentrate on what I can do with whats around, so any tracklaying on this ection will have to wait. However as power is now down to the shed I might start wiring that part of the station that is laid and start working out what what wires need placing where etc.
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. rovex
    Having got a tad bored of drilling little holes in my 70 ft stock in order to attach grab handles I've put them to one side - I'm very easily distracted as well which doesn't help. I've done a bit more work on the BSL Centenary all third, it's has door hinges, handles and door handles fitted and the roof has been cut to size and the requisite vents added. Now needs masking for the blood to be added. The photo shows it next to an airfix composite to give an idea of the actual differences in the coaches. I intend using some cut up interiors from the composite to make the required seven compartments. I should have plenty as I'm going to use the frames of two coaches when I make the BSL restaurant cars which I'll do when I find the kits I've got squat away.
     

     
    The other centenary I've had a go at- I couldn't resist seeing if it was possible - is the left handed brake third. The Hornby (ex-airfix) model is the right handed version. Its quite straightforward to get the sides right - you cut out an equal amount of each side - I think it was about 96 mm, splice each side up to move the windows around, glue them back together in the right order and then insert back into the coach sides. The luggage section of each was identical (or seems to be). I sanded the new side pieces on the table before gluing them back in, as this seemed easier. The problem is going to be ensuring you have smooth sides (there are no door frames to hide the cuts) I think I'm getting there but I've just given the resulting coach a spray of undercoat which will I am sure reveal all.
     
    The roof was changed by splicing off the vents and putting each one on the opposite side of the roof. Effectively mirroring their old positions. Any moulded handrails have been cut off and the coach drilled to accept new wire ones. I've not added these yet pending any more sanding that needs doing.
     
    Any way here are the pictures along with some of the original coach showing that right and left handed versions are mere mirror images.
     

     
    I'm looking at the drawings for the brake composite and wondering if i can do this by cutting up a composite and a brake third but I'm inclined to think I'll have more success with the BSL kit, unless the Comet sides will fit the Hornby coaches - now there's a thought.
     
    And I promise I will get those grab handles on the 70 ft stock.
     
    Rovex
  17. rovex
    Having sanded and filled the sides for the centenary brake third and being quite please with the result I thought I'd have a go at the brake composite using the same cut and shunt methods of which more in a mo.
     
    The brake third has now had its grey undercoat, this highlighted those areas which needed some more filling and I think it now looks quite smooth. I tried taking a few close up shots but there are so blurred I couldn't tell whether it was smooth or not from the photos, so I've not bothered posting them.
     
    In the brake third it was only the compartment and guards section that was cut out so the luggage section remained unharmed. The new sections were glued together one at a time using small amounts superglue kept solely on the edges. The bottom of each side was presed against a steel rule to keep them all square, any gaps would later be filled. These pieces were sanded smooth, but not filled before gluing back into the gap in the coach side making sure that the bottom of the coach side remained in line and that the transition between old side and new section was also flat. Again superglue was used sparingly to ensure that the glue set quickly. Once solid more glue was applied from behind and allowed to run down inside and along the top edge to fill any glaring gaps but making sure it was kept off the front face.
     
    Once this was all set the sides were filled with milliput, then sanded and filled again. Sanded once again, given an initial spray. This helped to highlight where more work was needed and these areas were given a final fillering, using small amounts of milliput and plenty of spit !! It has proved easier to hide the joins then I thought (though I'll let you judge when I post pictures of the finished result), I think the reason for this has something to do with the lack of doors and extra details, so I haven't had to worry about sanding off door hinges etc.
     
    The same process was used for the brake compo, which as you see from the photos is at the pre filler stage. I used the composite as the main coach with donor parts from two brake thirds (you need two to get enough little corridor windows). Wasteful I know and so unless you happen to have lots of spare coaches lying around I would recommend either getting hold of the phoenix/BSL kits or the the Comet sides. As I am going to have a lot of coach bodies going spare when I finally build the dining car kits, I wasn't so bothered by the waste.
     
    Here are the photos
     

     
    Anyway Leeds next week and I will hopefully find where those dining car kits are I keep going on about.
     
    Rovex
  18. 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.
  19. rovex
    Just a series of shots showing the baseboards as they start to creep along the back of the shed. The main basebaords are made from 3 inch strips of 12 mm ply, two are glued together to form L girders and two of these girders form the sides of each section. Single 3 inch strips then span between these. The track will be laid on 12 mill ply boards with 6 mm mdf stips along the sides, (just like Eastwood blog - sort of). Part of the trackbed has already had this treatment, which explains the earthquake zone along the middle of the boards where the trackbed falls 3 inch
     
    This allows an open baseboard and plenty of space under the tracks for wiring etc. Also allows me to have the road on either side of the station rise and fall.
     
    Just waiting for a bisciut router to arrive (bargain off ebay - well, will be if it works), this is going to be used to join the track beds together.
     
    Still deciding whether to model the slopes into and out of the station. Snow Hill was built on a hill (doh) which meant that both the access tracks from North and South fell away from the station. Apparently Snow Hill tunnel was quite steep and it wasn'y unknown for a train to fail to make it up the slope and have to be rescued. I don't intend modelling this, the slopes on my last layout were a bit too steep in parts, although modelling a rescue will add interest to operations.
     

  20. 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
  21. rovex
    I've got the design of the facade finished and so thought I would share a few more pictures with you.
     




     
    Its succesfully loaded up to Shapeways - though that doesn't mean much until you try to print it. As the cost of likely to be 125 Euros I'm gonna wait until their next sale. I'll share the results with you
     
    In the meantime for those interested here is a link to one of the few images of the original
     
    regards
     
    Rovex
  22. rovex
    As promised this is the link to my topic on the ols rmweb site
     
    http://www.rmweb.co....php?f=8&t=49301
     
    Hope to post some pics soon of the underframes for the restauarnt car and composite.
     
    Have decided to build the restaurant car with six wheel bogies, using the bogies from the LMS 12 wheeler - got these as spares from East Kent Models - not accurate I know but more likely to run smoothly then me trying to build a kit of some and probably cheaper in the long run.
     
    Hopefully should have a few more Hornby 57 ft brake coach donors soon - purchased cheap on ebay, should allow me to have a go at the 70 ft brake and the third - which I think I've worked out how to do.
     
    Rovex
  23. rovex

    latest on 70 footers

    By rovex,

    Not been upto much lately, but have given the latest two coaches an undercoat of grey primer, which is brilliant for showing where you need to do more sanding and filling . Added all the end details handles steps etc. I've got the underframes built (just need some more vacuum cylinders) and the interiors bashed together from Hornby remnants.
     
    The brake third just needed a luggage compartment building, the all third was made by cutting and splicing the four third class compartments from the brakes (you lose the guards compartment as its too large) and a further two compartments came from a spare composite interior.
     
    The photos show the coaches mocked up with bogies but these still need fitting. I'm gonna fit some new grab handles (etched ones from comet) but I'm wondering if I could make a jig up to make these from brass wire.
     
    I'm gonna fit flushglazing. When originally built these ran in rakes of seven, two brakes, two thirds, two composites and a restaurant car, and its very tempting to make another three coaches (i've already got two spare composites) however by the time I'm modelling, the original sets had long been broken up and it would probably be more interesting seeing these coaches mixed in with 60ft and 57 ft stock and whatever Hornby eventually decide to grace us GWR modellers with.
     
    So heres the photos
     
    Some rather fuzzy ones of the underframes and the interiors but I think they give you the idea of how the compartments were put together. The underframes themselves were made of 80 thou plasticard, edged by two strips of 20 thou. Running boards were added from more stips of 20 thou. Be careful with the glue - I'm always a little heavy handed and its easy to end up warping the whole thing. This is why I glued the compartments on with small dobs of superglue. In fact I used this for gluing the coach bodies together, its very good for filling gaps and gives a stronger bond then liquid poly.
     
    Now two of the all third and finally the brake third..
     
    Oh by the way i didn't win the auction on ebay for the BSL kits of the 70 footers, but I did get a centenary all third (I've got the kitchen first car and third diner in store somewhere) and I also got the restaurant composite to go with the kitchen car in the Cornish Riviera stock. One thing you can say my passengers will be well fed.
     
    Rovex
  24. rovex

    Let there be light

    By rovex,

    Not much to report on the modelling front, but over the weekend I finally got power supplied to the shed. A heavily armoured cable has been laid down the garden from the mains fuse box to a separate fuse box in the shed, this has then been wired into the wiring I had already put in the shed for the security lightin, the ordinary lighting and a small ring mains with more sockets then I am ever going to need. Both the main fuse box and the shed box are protected with RCD breakers. I have also taken the opportunity to update all the wiring to the two garden ponds.
     
    The wiring in this house is a nightmare and over the past couple of months I have been slowly getting it all replaced. Is was interesting to see what fuses controled what circuits. Upstairs only had three sockets each on different fuses!!! Its amazing the place hasn't burnt down before now. Only a little bit of the old wiring still remains and this will have to wait until the kitchen is replaced.
     
    I have also been building the baseboards for the fiddle yards. I have dropped the idea of having a traverser, mainly because I have never built one before, and will be going for the traditional ladder of sidings. I think I have worked out who to allow the mainlines to access almost all the tracks of the sidings but its going to be a bit heavy in double slips. I plan to use peco code 75 for the sidings as opposed to the finescale SMP tflexitrack and handbuilt points used on the scenic boards.
     
    Have also built a flap section - another first for me, which seems to line up alright but will only really be tested once some track is laid over it.
     
    Now I have power I must start wiring the layout and get some trains moving.
     
    Rovex
  25. 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.
     



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