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2 hours ago, bcnPete said:

Good makeover that Mark.

 

Reassuring to know the spare parts fitted the other model so scale wise must be spot on.

 

Are you keeping it for yourself or will it be dispatched to your friend after completing? 
 

No FFS moments this time then...

Thanks Pete,. 

It was good the Dapol parts fitted nicely. They are certainly more finescale and detailed than the kit parts. Progress I guess. 

I'd imagine the Sentinel will be returning to its owner but he runs DCC. I believe there is a Sentinel sound chip IIRC. 

I never got my FFS at the weekend....

Cheers, 

Mark 

4 hours ago, 1722 said:

 

Likewise, or a new layout for these models to work on!

There is a new layout planned and I was about to purchase the timber when the current situation halted proceedings. 

All being well once things begin to return to normal then I can crack on and get the timber cut. 

Once more I am going to return to my East Northamptonshire roots with another ironstone themed layout. 

The plan is to base it around Burton Latimer/Cranford or even Stanwick. 

Watch this space so to speak. Rolling stock and buildings are essentially completed for the project but will need a few more ironstone tipper wagons. 

Cheers, 

Mark

1 hour ago, bcnPete said:

More good stuff Mark - like the matt finish on the black kettle

 

For some reason I now have a craving to have a fish finger sandwich 

Thanks once more Pete, 

Do like the finish on the 1F. It's a lovely model and a few weathering tweaks should lift it nicely. 

Totally agree. A FFS would be a suitable Saturday indulgence... 

12 hours ago, bcnPete said:

Tell us more about the photo plank...Is that a turnout I see in the background?

 

Are you sure this is not an extract of a new layout simmering away on the back burner? 

Thanks Pete, 

The photo plank has been around for a few years now. It never had a backscene so with some old hardboard and a photographic backscene mounted with 3M photo mount it has now been completed. 

It certainly looks better for it

Cheers, 

Mark 

Nice work Jeff. 

A kit I've always been tempted with purchasing. 

Cambrian Kits are good value for money as well. Try Eileen's Emporium or H&A Models for good stocks. 

Cheers, 

Mark

Nice photo montage Pete. 

Some soul searching and digging deep by the sounds of things through a difficult time but a good decision to concentrate on Wenford Dries. 

As with Kyle, Wenford is going to be a 'Proper Job'

Pleased the layout is coming together nicely and the addition of those cement effects has already brought life to the layout. 

Be good to see an 08 pottering around on the layout eventually. 

I'm sure Wenford had a tractor also?

Cheers, 

Mark

Thanks Pete

Can't beat a bit of pre-shading for effect. 

I do have a photo plank with no lighting sadly so outdoor use only. 

I thought I'd got away with it using 009 trackwork...

Cheers, 

Mark

1 hour ago, bcnPete said:

 

....assuming you are not regauging them to 009 

Could always put them on a roll-wagon to run on 009..

1 hour ago, bcnPete said:

Some very nice mods there Mark.

 

Once these are finished, painted and weathered using your techniques they should look fab.

 

Look forwards to see the write up as to which layout they will be running on...assuming you are not regauging them to 009 

Thanks Pete, 

A nice retro 80's modelling experience influenced by Keith Allen's articles in the Railway Modeller. 

Looking forwards to weathering them. They should have plenty of character.

As for layout options they may appear on the new Northamptonshire project. Watch this space for further details. 

Cheers, 

Mark 

14 hours ago, griffgriff said:

Tie bars? Have you fitted vacuum brakes?
 

Griff

Not yet but I will be.

See the earlier blog entry on this build for more information. 

Cheers, 

Mark

14 hours ago, Jamie said:

Hi Mark

 

1mm x 1mm brass angle from Eileen's is my choice for tie bars.  

 

Can't remember who put me onto it but it is a bit more robust than flat strip, and hard to see the difference if you put the horizontal leg pointing inwards, at the bottom.

 

 

Thanks Jamie, 

Sounds like a more robust option. I'll have a look on the Eillien's site. 

Good to hear from you by the way. 

Cheers, 

Mark

9 hours ago, DavidLong said:

 

The gentleman was called Keith Allen and the articles were published in Railway Modeller at intervals between November 1980 and January 1983.

 

David

Thanks David. 

Not the Keith Allen? 

I'll have to find some copies of these articles. 

Cheers, 

Mark 

10 hours ago, down the sdjr said:

They look great, looking forward to seeing some paint.

I have just recently got into kit wagon building and i love all the extra bits that people do to the kit

 

Thankyou as well kind Sir.

Much appreciated. 

Look forward to seeing your builds. 

Mark 

On 19/01/2020 at 20:55, gwrrob said:

Nice work as usual Mark. H & A models sell etched tiebars from Cambrian in different wheel bases.

Thankyou kind Sir. I fancied a bit of retro modelling. 

Thanks for the top tip re: H&A and those Cambrian tie bars. 

One to investigate. 

Cheers, 

Mark

5 hours ago, DavidLong said:

Hi Mark,

 

Attached are some photos that I took at the Ribble Steam Railway in 2013. They are of B575554 which was built with Morton unfitted brake gear by Pressed Steel in 1956. Its condition at Preston shows it to have been rebodied at some point and also given four shoe fitted brake gear with two brake cylinders. These were, I believe, to be of slightly different diameters but under a 4mm wagon I wouldn't worry too much about that! The more puzzling aspect for me about such an arrangement is that, unlike their 21T counterparts with two cylinders there is no changeover lever for loaded/unloaded conditions nor a self-adjusting brake to achieve the same result. Perhaps Paul could come up with an answer.

It had obviously spent its final years carrying spent ballast for the civils as it has the twin cuts in the sides to prevent overloading. It also has a distinctly non-standard end-door stripe! As Paul has mentioned it shows the curved bottom edge to the side which was a feature of many rebodies. The end-door is at the 'wrong' end compared to when it was built where on the clutch side of the brake gear the door would be to the left. Also note that the tie-bar between the axleguards is made of angle and not flat strip and the hand levers also have reinforcement for part of their length.

Coincidentally there is a photo of B569425 from the same Pressed Steel lot in BR Wagons Volume 1. It is in traffic use in 1978 and shows all the features of B575554 apart, obviously, from the cut-outs and that odd white stripe.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

David

Hi David, 

Great images and most useful.

Those door shots have given me a few ideas. The L section tie rods are interesting. I wonder whether 'L' section plastic strip would fit the bill?

Cheers,

Mark 

21 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

Couldn't edit. Should add that not all had the turned under bottom, such as https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e2eb19b1f

 

PAul

A very useful picture Paul. 

Thanks for the link. Much appreciated. 

Cheers, 

Mark

21 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

There were lots of rebuild methods. The full rebuild has the bottom of the sides curved under -Bachmann do this.

 

Your original would have been fine for the type of simple rebuild where the alteration was to remove the top door and weld a steel sheet in place https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brmineralweld/e3dc0fa4c

 

Paul

Thanks Paul. 

I never knew such a simple conversion existed. Definitley one to model and a nice 16T variance. 

Cheers, 

Mark

22 hours ago, brossard said:

This looks like a fun project.  I'm doing one in 7mm from an old kit.

 

You might find useful snippets here:

 

Can I be a bit pedantic, looking at the brakes, in the picture shown, that should be the clutch side (compare to the linked photo).  I have got my brakes back to front countless times. 

 

1mm brass strip should be about right for the tie bar.  Attaching it is another story.  I think CA is about the best bet.  The existing W iron keeper will need to be removed.

 

John

Evening John, 

Thanks for your indepth reply. Very useful and thanks for all the info. 

In some ways it's a bit of retro modelling using the old Railway Modeller article as inspiration. These old Airfix kits have their place still and perhaps a good place to start kit building. Everything other than glue, paint and patience is there.

Thanks for the tip re: tie bars and also the brake levers. 

Cheers, 

Mark 

22 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I remember those articles in RM and still have my sand tippler, vacuum brake and 'top flap removed' versions in a box somewhere. I must admit I also left the bar across the top of the side door, probably the article was a bit misleading and we didn't have Paul Bartlett's pictures.... Or the internet!

 

Thanks Rich. Glad someone also remembered those articles. I wonder who the author was and which copy they were published in. Very inspirational for the time. 

Kind of brings back happy memories of a more inoccent time. 

Be good to see your conversions by the way. I'm contemplating a few Iron Ore tippers in the near future. 

Cheers, 

Mark 

Lovely work and something I will be doing with my SR example. 

Thanks for the top tips. 

Is the other one getting the same treatment? 

Great modelling. 

Have a soft spot for the 508's. Remember them new standing out against the EPB's etc at Waterloo. 

Cheers, 

Mark

20 minutes ago, 57xx said:

 

Ahah, that would explain the "hot hatch" vans where they look like the rear end is jacked up lol (pic 2 & 4)

2 minutes ago, bcnPete said:

Go faster vent vans you mean...

Can't beat a nice Ford Escort XR3i inspired 12T Vent Van... 

Nice set of Hella Rallye 2000 driving lights to finish them off... 

12 hours ago, bcnPete said:

Very nice work Mark,

 

At first glance I thought “where’s this new layout sprung from” ....then I clicked after a double take...crafty use of front wheel sets aligned to rail edge 

Nice fleet of wagons and kettle there in progress - thanks for tips re pledge too

 

Waiting to see the new layout blog now

Amazing the powers of agent 009...

Thanks Pete. Nice to get on finishing a few kits off that have been needing painting. 

New layout will be nice and simple with 2 turnouts and the truth..

There's going to be a twist mind...

Can't beat a bit of Pledge either..

Cheers, 

Mark 

1 hour ago, 57xx said:

I've got a couple of bottles of original clear Klear but only used it on cheap wagon kits so far before applying lettering. Haven't summoned the strength to apply it to relatively expensive locos yet!

Agree. It does take a bit of nerve so perhaps not on your best loco. I picked the tip up from Tim who weathers a lot of Gilbert's locos on Peterborough North. 

The only disasters have been with the Humbrol type Klear which bloomed and also with applying Methfix transfers over the Pledge cloudy Klear. Again resulting in blooming and I need rectify this on my Kernow SR Gate Stock. 

Cheers, 

Mark 

1 hour ago, 57xx said:

Did you paint or spray the Klear on the Mogul? It certainly does the trick in adding a sheen to the paint.

The Klear was brush painted with the new cloudy formula Johnson's Pledge which dries clear. I use a nice flat brush with downward strokes. 

Be careful with the Humbrol replica of Klear as it can dry with a bloom. 

Hope that helps. 

Cheers, 

Mark