TimC

Ah yes, I will take some photos next week, for some reason I don't have any photos of the cassettes (probably because the fiddle yard is our dumping ground for odds and ends........). They are a custom build by Jim and much easier to explain with pictures. Thanks, Dave.

Ground work is continuing around the bridge. This is still work in progress and we'll tone those greens down a bit in due course. I've nearly finished the low relief good shed. It is another concrete framed building. I would have preferred a pitched roof structure but the mocks ups just didn't look right next to the MPD shed - it again uses Scalescene's brickpaper. The etched window is from Geoff Taylor's range, it only arrived in the post yesterday but its now sprayed and I'll fit it next week. There is a concrete lintel, sides and cill to fit around the window and a small canopy to go over the loading dock on the side of the goods shed. I toned down the concrete colour to better match the other structures on the layout in the photo below. After the goods shed, I got to find an industrial/factory building to do to hide the control panel and cover the bare space along the back of the layout up to the bridge. Paul is going to do a fence and a small back yard along the front (about where that little shed is on the top photo above).

All quiet on the western (or should that be Great Eastern) front at the moment. Holidays and next years club exhibition have tied myself and Jim up but Paul has made good progress on the bridge. There is now a distressed disused track across the structure and ground works are progressing - pics to follow (guess who didn't take his camera to club this morning,,,,,, )

Not had a lot of time to get the JLTRT CCT progressed but he is where I am at the moment. The instructions are a series of photos with some basic narrative. I'm not too keen on them as they jump around a bit and things like putting in the window bars before painting will mean that fitting the glazing will then not be easy, especially as I have some Shawplan Laserglaze for these vehicles and it needs to be carefully manipulated to get in right. Hence, I've not really followed them and just approached it logically - roof, sides, ends, underframe etc. The roof is not too challenging, - just stick the ventilators on. However, when I was looking at pictures of the vehicle ends, I noticed that my chosen vehicles had BR shell vents and not the BR dome vents supplied. Having had a good look on the net, I can't find any CCTs with all dome vents, so off they came and I fitted some Sidelines ones I had in another (unstarted) kit. Having had a look in my other two kits, one has BR dome vents and the other has what looks like the ridged BR dome vents, ho-hum.... Anyway not too difficutl to fix. The ends of the JLTRT CCT are missing the vertical locking bar and handle. I've added some brass strip and wire to represent these. I''ve been trying to get the clips around the locking bar to look right but everything I've tried to date looks too chunky so I'll revisit this later (I haven't yet tried a sliver of sticky paper label and hope that the paint seals it and keeps it fixed in the years to come). I used some Laurie Griffin cast lamp irons rather than the whitemetal ones that come in the kit, they are not really 100% accurate but they look the part. Not much to do to the sides except add the hand rails. It is a bit strange that there are no drilling marks for the hand rails - its up to you to work out where they go. I've worked off photos and have noted the measurements that I've used so thet other two will be consistent. Also there is a hand rail on the extreme right hand end of the sides that is really part of the vehicle end (that is not mentioned in the instructions). The underframe castings have taken quite a bit of cleaning up, the buffers especially. There are some components missing that Brian Daniels highlighted in his build. Thats about where I'm at, I need to scratch build these fittings to complete the brake linkages.

A quick update. Paul has made a start on toning down and weathering the bridge that forms the scenic break. The brickwork has been painted in Precision Paints engineering blue brick and a B&Q tester 'Light Rain' has been dabbed on/off in varying quantities to break up the base colour. More layers of other subtle colours to follow. He has also applied some textured paint on the bare areas of baseboard, again this will be built up upon in the coming weeks. Jim has started to roof the goods shed. There should be sufficient skylight to get a good impression of all his work on the roof structure. I've made a start (and a couple of false starts too) on the low relief shed that goes with the loading dock.

A few of the resident shunting locos were found on shed this morning. Currently, Paul is sorting out some electrical alterations to the control panel while I've been making mock ups of the low relief goods shed that goes next to the loading dock (note: plural as I can't get something I really like - I'll have another go this evening).

Thanks Stephen!

A good week on the BG, the bank holiday rain kept us in and then some sun to get back out to the patio....... I didn't like the effect of the sprayed weathering on the windows - I did a test piece and well, it looked too much like sprayed windows! The glazing was therefore left out as I weathered the vehicle with the usual mix of Railmatch enamels. After the glazing was fitted I put in a new set of window bars and added a couple of interior bulkheads either side of the guards area (this stops you being able to see from one side at one end out to a window at the far end on the other side - you don't get this sight line in photos and I didn't want it on the model). As you'd expect the heavily weathered vehicle looked a bit odd with bright clean windows (except for the odd finger print or three). Mig Powder (industrial city dirt) was then applied to each window with a cotton bud and any excess brushed off. Hopefully the second pic shows the difference (and one of the finger prints ). I'm much happier with this effect but this powder has not been sealed and will no doubt come off in time with handling (note to self: must tell the wife to only pick the coach up at the buffers or at the ducket). However, it can easily be re-applied as required. I've not fitted any vac brake or steam heat pipes. I'm sure that at some time in the future all my parcels stock will end up with some sort of auto coupling and until then I'm not going to fit any buffer beam detail that will potentially just get removed. Overall, a satisfying project, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some dimensional and detail inaccuracies but it looks the part and for me that is what counts. The LMS BG is the start of a rake of parcels vehicles, next up are some BR CCTs (3x JLTRT kits), I'll build one, sort out any pitfalls and then knock out the other two. I've just made a start cleaning up the castings.........

Chris - Now one day, there is every chance of a big blue 40 but with discs (JLTRT 40047) - no split box 40 planned currently - though if I were to buy another kit it would probably be 40129. Currently all pennies are being saved up for a Heljan 31. I have periods of work when I can accumulate stuff but currently I'm not working so I'm enjoying building from the stockpile. I've just started on a mixed rake of parcels vehicles so I guess that no locos will see the workbench for quite a while.........and who knows what I'll then pick but my guess is that the 31 will have arrived by then . The Somerset Lane goods shed is a real work of art the pictures don't do it justice.

Quiet progress over the last week as Easter holidays have reduced team availability with only a few incidental jobs undertaken (like painting the back of the backscene (i.e non-viewing side) a neutral slate colour). However, Jim's been busy with his goods shed. This is the wooden part of the shed and it all sits on a brick base and deck (see earlier in the thread). All the 'iron work' around the joints in the roof are of plasticard. Jim was hunting around for some 10thou black sheet but soon found out that black is only readily available in 20thou upwards. Unperturbed he got some 20thou and soon had it skimmed down to 10thou on his milling machine . It seems a real pity to put a slate roof on the structure and hide all the detail - people will just have to bend down to see up into the roof.

Thanks guys! Well a blue era Somerset Lane requires blue diesels and that is only me in the group (except Paul's 03). I'm a relatively recent convert to 7mm so while I've a few kits under the bed the 33 is the only finished one to date in Blue (I don't think my Ruston 48DS will get to see much action on SL ). The layout is quite small too and anything bigger than a 33 dominates it. The layout was really designed for showing off Paul's shunters and smaller GE diesels - 15/20 plus 16 (not yet built) with guest appearances from his 33/37/47 (it's his layout after all). We are building up to a fleet test and verification (make sure they all go through all the points) in the next week or two so lots more traction photos soon.

Fantastic Brian! Thanks.

Brian A couple of quick questions/requests: Where did you get your wagon/coach label clips? (as on your MTH LMS BG). I seem to remember you mentioning them before but can't find the reference now. Also by any chance have you got a photo of the underside of S94135 (the Oxford CCT) that shows the 'pear shaped' brake adjuster and the bracket/lever that is in the centre line of the brake rigging (i.e. the missing bits from the JLTRT BR CCT kit). Thanks in advance.

In-between the wind and showers, I've managed to get the LMS BG so far: The blue in the photos is a bit bright, the model is darker but its damp outside so I took the photo in the kitchen (the longer exposure brightens the blue on my cheapie modelling camera). I used JLTRT Sprayaway BR Blue and Halfords Satin Black - its quicker with the cans rather than faff around getting the airbrush out in the available weather windows. However, I'll do all the weathering with the airbrush. The roof (not in the photos) has been given the wash on/wipe off treatment with Railmatch roof dirt and weathered black - a mist over with roof dirt will finish it off. The roof on these coaches has screws at the corners and catches along the length of the coach. I found it a bit of a game to get off so its not going back on until the point where it definitely doesn't need to come off again. The sole bars were a right devil. The primer showed all the flaws where I had removed the original step board and required a lot of rubbing down to get it half reasonable (its not perfect now but it'll do!). I'm very glad I didn't attempt to remove the moulding trim on the bodyside as that would have been a real nightmare. Transfers next and then I want to test how the glazing copes with weathering over-spray - I don't want the clear plastic 'misting up' from the thinners in the weak weathering mix. That require the airbrush so it'll have to wait for a suitable weather window. In the meantime, I've got a JLTRT BR CCT to start...............

Jeez! That is some wiring job.

Thanks, Pete!

We tested the track this morning and all was OK after a little bit of fettling here and there. Ironically, neither of the test engines will feature as part of the actual Somerset Lane fleet - Paul's Bachmann 03 (which he won in a raffle at the Bristol O Gauge Show a few years ago) and my Heljan 33. A few spurious wagons also found their way onto the layout so we could find the uncoupling magnets. We'll have a good session after Easter to test the actual fleet - they are all green or black, no blue unfortunately. The bridge that forms the scenic break is nearly there. It just needs a good weather and painting of the cap stones - these have been made from filler on plasticard bases. The bridge carries a single track and the plan is to make this 'disused' and overgrown. The water tank is a laser cut MDF kit purchased off eBay a while ago - it's a bit chunky but gives the layout some height at the front and adds a scenic barrier. The hut behind the water tank is from Skytrex and the shed by the birdge is scratchbuilt - all still very much work in progress. There will be a low relief factory to hide the control panel and form the back-scene between the fuel point and the bridge. Still a bit to do but the layout is coming together.

The MTH LMS BG is shaping up. I've blanked off the gangways with 5thou plasticard (I have filled the gangway hole itself so hopefully, I will not get any 'shadow' in the blanking plate); added the handrails on the ends; replaced the footsteps and fitted the battery box/regulator/dynamo. The job I wasn't looking forward to was the 'flush' glazing which I've made up from some 1mm clear plastic sheet. However, it only took a couple of hours to do the 16 windows and it is certainly worth the effort - once I got the dividers set up for the correct width/height of the two types of windows, they were cut easily with just the minimum of cleaning up required. They are a tight fit at the moment and will be removed and refitted after the body has been painted. The windows bars are next and then I can think about a coat of primer to see where any filler is required - cue wind and rain............... (and yes, my workbench is well overdue a tidy up!)

The MTH LMS BG has come onto the workbench for some attention. Most of which to date has been destructive! It will eventually be in 'end of life' condition - gangways removed, BR Blue and on its last legs. After dismantling the coach, I've removed the on-board lighting, removed the lining and numbering (it was LMS liveried), removed the end steps (though the bottom one will be refitted prior to painting), removed the gangways and doors, removed the door ventilators (these are just extras that fit in a slot at the top of the doors - I was going to leave them but one came off when I was rubbing out the lining so off they all came), removed the moulded regulator on the framing and done a bit of filling. Brian Daniels suggested that the foot boards (which are too long) could be removed in sections but this didn't work for me so the lot has come off. The rubbing down looks a bit vicious in the photo but its just dried residue that needs to be washed off. The mould lines on the body are going to stay though by rights these had been removed by the late 1970s on the survivors. However, I'm not too confident that I could get the sides 100% smooth after any attempt to remove them so they can stay. I've got some Sidelines components for the battery box, dynamo and regulator. I'm going to investigate flush glazing the vehicle as the sides are quite thick. Well after a lot of REMOVING, time to think about ADDING some bits...............

Brian When you did your MTH LMS BG did you remove the lining and numbering prior to respraying it blue? If so what did you use. Thanks in advance.

Thanks guys! Jeff freed up all the points and cleaned up the track last night so I'll have to get Paul to bring something suitable down next week for a photo opportunity......

Thanks 32a. We'll get some stock on there soon - we don't keep any down the clubrooms and currently the track is all PVA'ed up after the ballasting.

A quick update. The sectioned goods shed is progressing well. Jim brought his work in for another test-fit this morning. It is made from individual pieces of wood and is all jointed - it looks fantastic! (the pictures don't do it full justice) The real pity is that you'll never see the outside wall (below). The enlarged shed offices are nearing completion. Just need to make the cladding trim to fit between shed and office and blend the concrete colours on the shed to match the offices. The structure is supposed to be relatively new so it might retain its very clean appearance but we'll see once everything else is done, it might get a lighting weathering job. I plan to move onto the low relief goods shed that goes with the loading dock next. The bridge (our scenic break) is getting there too - pictures to follow in due course. Paul has also started to free up the point work after ballasting so we can run the layout once again, so hopefully, we'll get some shots featuring some appropriate traction soon too.

Brian - Sounds good! For the next demonstrator - If I was Heljan then I'd say GSYE but, to be different, I'd like to see one in experimental Orange (and I don't mean Load-Haul) unless you doing the Pete Harvey etch mods then I'd go for Dutch Grey/Yellow. Will watch with interest.

Thanks Brian. I'm certainly looking forward to the Heljan 31. Though hiding the steps to the high level water filler and plating over the nose doors maybe 'fun'......