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Dad-1

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  1. Dad-1

    Still much to do

    By Dad-1,

    'Fifi' the 0-4-0 yard loco together and passed a running test. It is strange though how it runs much better in reverse
    than forward. How can that be ? a 24.5 mm wheelbase had me expecting stalls on insulated frog points, however it
    crosses fine at a very low speed in reverse, but needs quite a bit more 'welly' when going forward. A lengthy train,
    way beyond anything this would be expected to pull, or push makes no difference. It'll work with 10 wagons no problem.
     
    Here it is alongside my 06, the comparison shows just how small it is. Being white metal it is rather heavy, yet I'll still add
    some ballast under the front because the weight sits heavily to the cab end. I have tried some white lining using an old
    reclaimed bow-pen, it's rubbish, but I have to learn on something !! I can always re-paint the whole thing !!
     

     
    Dad-1
  2. Dad-1
    I always rush on with my ideas, then when it's 90% done I tend to leave
    and start something else - Just like a kid in a sweet shop !!
    This is the diorama from my posting of 23rd April, getting nearer, but also
    shows in the siding another reason for being so slow. Not only the birdcage
    brake van of recent postings, but also this Ratio 12 ton Southern van. It was
    another of my friend Derek's kits, but I have replenished some kit stocks so I
    shouldn't go 'stir crazy' if we have a few wet weeks this summer.
     

     
    No major work required, my stream hidden in this view, more garden shrubs &
    perhaps some bean sticks with small seedlings. The front fence & gates need
    sorting to keep the sheep out ...... and should I add a dotted white line in the
    road ?
     
    Oh and I really MUST weather that cottage.
     
    Dad-1
  3. Dad-1

    Stuck in Slow Jobs.

    By Dad-1,

    Almost 3 months since my last posting, although I've not idle during the ensuing period.
    There are so many little slow jobs, the worst from that point of view has been making up
    Ratio signals, basic making no problem, but painting is so fiddly and 18 of them ...........
    that is without a currently unspecified amount of ground signals, 20 currently on my table.
     

     
    I've also added working platform lights, noting as I did so that I must add bodge tape over
    all my hanging wiring to secure thereby reducing the chance of wires being pulled off when
    handling - a penalty from not being as tidy as I should underneath boards !!
     

     
    Lighting can enhance even simple scenes
     

     
    Dad-1
  4. Dad-1
    Because I grew up in the days of King Coal and was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne it's not surprising that
    I fancied a few of these new coal hoppers. They didn't last too long in the required sector, but were used
    for many other products, even sugar beet ?
    In my opinion a super little kit, very little to complain about and I'm currently running 2 without any decals.
    Must road test before finishing, partially while trying to decide what loads to add, be it sand, coal, iron ore,
    sugar beet. The load will help regarding the very light weight, with nowhere to add much invisible ballast.
    They weigh in at 11.06 grams, with a shred of lead in the voids behind the buffers I've reached 12.46 grams.
    Much to my surprise one in lightest form was able to pull 33 wagons around my garage layout that has some
    1st radius curves. A bonus from trying to run my stock in it's lightest reliable condition, having said that the
    Bachmann 3F Jinty couldn't pull the train, but a Hornby J94 could !!.
    Seen in a much shorter train :-
     

     
    Geoff T.
  5. Dad-1
    It was a once a year outing, Castell Mawr back in the shed again.
    While it does everything I wanted at the time, it has become something of a white elephant. Too big to have up and running
    at home. I can just assemble on our patio which is high and catches wind, easily enough to take stock off !!
    I really don't know what to do with it ? Jamie one of the original group of 4 builders/planners came down to Dorset from Cambridge
    just to run it for a day, he had a great day and so did I.
    Seriously though what do I do ?? I'm too old to hire just a van, so I need to have a van and driver to take it anywhere and with just
    me and one helper it takes over 4 hours to set up. No it's not that complex, but to keep storage requirements under controlthe boards
    are all packed tightly into pods. This prevents any but the smallest buildings being attached. Every vehicle, person, building, signal
    has to be attached after initially getting all on it's legs and checking all electrics are working
    Last year it was voted best in our show and this year missed out by just 3 votes, so people DO like it, but practicallities of something
    this size when you're 77 say it's cloe to the end.
     
    My Fiddle Yard is scenic exchange sidings
     

     
    A busy builders materials yard
     

     
    An overall view taken during set-up and testing.
     

     
    Could you break this up ??
     
    Dad-1
    .
  6. Dad-1
    Well I suppose you can always add a little touch here and there, but as far as this one goes
    it's reached the end. Today I brought in from the shed to add reeds along the back of my pond.
    The PVA still wet, but by tomorrow morning it'll be back in the shed until later in December when
    it'll be entered into the clubs annual diorama competition.
     
    A bit Photo heavy. Out of interest this 'picture' has cost me just over £5 for the bridge, everything
    else was laying around from previous projects, or even club member 'give aways'
     


     

     

     

     

     
    Time to think about 2020
     
    Geoff T.
  7. Dad-1
    So far 'Castell Mawr' has proceeded at a steady crawl, but those gentle steps now give me 10 working layout boards with all 7 point decoders fully functional working my selection of points. The last posting shows the North end cutting taking on it's base plaster in preparation for adding grass and asorted other greenery.
    What I have done is to forget the Southern 180 degree section on two boards that sit just shy of 6 inches lower than the rest of the layout. On these I want a resin river, water meadow, main road running close to the river edge with the railway crossing the river and road twice.
    I began today ..... and the height at first looks almost frightening.
    Here we have my first 'artistic' planning ...... you know, put it down and see what it looks like !!
    My lorry is in a layby, the road outline is clearly seen. Where the joining beams are the road section will be cut down to around 1" high.
     

     
    Now here with a photo taken at river surface level you can see how high my tracks will be.
     

     
    It may look high, but I'm certain it should look right when all the surrounding landscape is added (I live in hope)
     
    Getting these boards right is something of a test, but I wanted a reasonable rise & fall of landscape over the 21 feet of layout. I've managed about 1 foot from the highest fields above the cutting to river surface ...... Oh and 4 bridges to dream up, this will take some time.
     
    Geoff T.
  8. Dad-1
    I can make excuses, but a little sunshine gave me a chance to start the final base boards. I needed the space outdoors to arrange the swap around, stripping the two high end boards out and getting the two low end boards
    on legs in place.
    That started with a small garage clear up. Now I have to cut the track-bed board and risers of 140mm on which the track-bed will be fixed.
     

     
    This should enable me to get track wiring in which will not link between these two boards. It would seem that feeding the DCC bus from the other end, having it run roughly 22 feet each side of the feed will be fine, but to join up into a ring may cause signal errors. There are times (a few) when I heed advice !
     
    While it was raining last week I got my plasticard out and made a lane under bridge that will take a road from board edge under the tracks, down a hill to join the main road. So far so good .....
     

     
    I still have to make the main road under bridge and the railways river bridge, but these need to be built to fit the track-bed. Anyway my plasticard is getting low so tonight I re-ordered stock from Slaters.
     
    Geoff T.
  9. Dad-1

    Things get left and lost

    By Dad-1,

    I know I'm not alone. Most of us start things that get left behind, sometimes for years while others
    get priority.
    Back in August when I took the clubs new layout home to work on it I'd already started a Dapol
    BR brake van kit. It has sat on my small 'coupling height' track section ever since, quietly mocking
    me.
    Well club layout gone, so time to finish ?
    Now added a TrainTech motion activated tail lamp. I can now finish if and when I find the rest of the kit !!
     
    I'm struggling a little with the new format, I put the above in and lost my way. When I closed out I thought all
    would be deleted. However here it is when I come back, but I can't seem to find out if the pictures are still around ?
    I fear I'm an old bumbler, certainly not IT savy, hence hating change (usually just for the sake of it !)
     
    Dad-1
  10. Dad-1
    My move to a new home has had it's problems. The broken down removal lorry that split my delivery in two, part 1 arriving next day as
    expected on the 3rd, part 2 coming 2 days later.
    Then when the man came to fit a water meter it indicated a leak. The water company dug a couple of holes and then decided it was
    leaking under the bungalow. We have cut off the old supply pipe & laid in a shorter more direct one and have stopped the water loss.
     
    At the same time I was trying to board out the loft and place supports between trusses to have a layout on one side and extra storage
    on the other. I also had to wait for my Son to come & help lift two 6 foot long boards through the loft hatch. Managed to get it working
    as the old year slipped away.
     

     
    Designed for blue diesels this layout used insulated frog points & a couple of slips. Now trying to run steam locos at slow speeds I
    having regular stalling over frogs. This Bachmann Collett goods is probably the best, I would like virtuall stall speeds to be possible,
    but fear I can't get that. Strange that the 0-6-0 Collett goods are fine, yet a Jubilee 4-6-0 can't get anywhere near as slow before
    it stalls, yet the basic chassis pickup is through the 6 coupled driving wheels .... the same as the Colletts ? Wheels cleaned, track
    deep cleaned, pickup wipers cleaned and contact pressure increased, checked that at maximum deflection all wipers have good
    contact and wheel backs cleaned ????? Is it a weight balance difference ?? Oh & I don't bother with B2B settings as wheel thicknesses
    can vary, I adjusted so the tyre to flange measurement is 16.40 mm (as the Collett goods).
     
    Apart from re-building with live frog points anyone any further ideas ????
     
    Geoff T.
  11. Dad-1

    Time For New Skills

    By Dad-1,

    My butterfly personality means I like to switch from subject to subject, at times without always fully finishing a previous project.
    For that reason I have a siding full of wagons awaiting weathering, but heck I've done that and got the 'T' shirt.
    My two little Roxey yard locos are done .... to a level where they work fine doing what I want, weathering ? that can wait.
     
    I've plans for a local yard layout, this will need tight dock & factory yard turnouts. They must however be live-frog and I'm finding
    even short streamline longer than I want and I want irregular turnout angles. That leaves one answer, make my own. Ahhh not for
    the faint hearted. So with a minimum of tools, some old re-claimed track from which I could strip rails, and a mixture of 3 & 4 mm
    copperclad PCB why not just try.
     
    No Templot, No template even, just an opposite side Peco curved set-track point and a minimum of tools. Oh and a piece of cardboard
    where I did have a rough plan I'd drawn. This was the tools and my working desk !!
     

     
    Here is the part finished point. It still needs a tie bar and my hinged attachments for the switch rails.
     

     
    It works as can be seen at
     

     
    Now I have to try again to do it better !!
     
    Dad-1
  12. Dad-1
    The Wagon Works has been active since the end of January when I last posted in my Blog thread.
    I'll have to check through exactly how much as once a project is finished, or nearly finished I just
    get on with the next thing and forget what's already gone under the bridge.
     
    One I have done half-cock as per usual is a Cambrian 10 ton ballast wagon. I thought I'd add some
    spoil from a small job, but was too impatient to await weathering first.
     

     
    I should add some more 'stuff', but this wagon is on my 'new' shunting layout that I've probably not mentioned on RMWeb
    An interesting project to drive, but also difficult to get the required slow running through Peco insulated Set-Track points.
    Then sorting out the Kadees. Nearly there, I think.
     
    Geoff T.
     
  13. Dad-1

    Time to tidy up

    By Dad-1,

    What's a skeleton in a cupboard ? .......... For too many railway modellers it's hidden, half, perhaps in some cases completely forgotten
    project and, probably half built !!
     
    Well a recent one of mine was and still is a Parkside PC86 Z2 gunpowder van. Started towards the end of April, but bypassed by the recent
    multi build of V12 - 16 vans shown in the last two blog entries. While watching the 'test' train circle slowly my eyes fell on this part finished
    wagon. Last evening I decided to number and add tare and tonnage stencils.
    Much to my annoyance I'm still stuck. I require some smallish red decals G P and V, these were mounted on both ends and the left-hand of
    each side. Probably time to search all my RAF WWII decals to see if Bomber Command used these letter in red, but will I have 4 of each ??
     

     

     

     
    I don't want to do detail painting, or weather until I can find and fix the missing letters. While I can print decals at home the one thing you can't
    do is match the paint colour of the surrounding area and would you fancy your chances of cutting neatly around small letters ?
     
    Sensible suggestions welcomed !!
     
    Dad-1
  14. Dad-1

    Try to be Tidy !

    By Dad-1,

    Oh dear, I'm on here as I can't continue with my conversion build - modelling's better than computers !!
     
    The story is thus :- I bought a Killin Pug conversion kit from Dean Sidings, the build up went easy to start with, but if you've ever used a Hornby 0-4-0 then you'll understand their running tends to be doubtful ! So much time & effort went into sorting the chassis.
    Now I want to continue I can't find the cab floor and firebox ....... looked most places, even moved furniture 'just in case' ..... I can't have looked everywhere, or I should have found it ? It would have taken less time to have kept everything tidy rather than searching the house, garage, shed, car, wardrobe, aircraft model kit boxes ??????
     
    Looks like I'll have to come back later to fix the photo ?
     

     
    Geoff T.
  15. Dad-1
    Following my last posting here is the other side of the main road bridge.
     

     
    Road painted, but awaiting white lining. Heavy traffic on a busy holiday wekend. I use several vehicles to judge if the road width gives me what I want. One day, after grassing all the embankments this side I'll be able to start on the river. I wonder how much resin water this will take !!??
     
    Dad-1
  16. Dad-1

    Wagons Rolling Again

    By Dad-1,

    My last posting, after our exhibition was stating I'd be back to wagon building.
    While I build too many I do so often move on before weathering and gather a backlog of almost there projects.
    After getting some secondhand kits I decided to make up the Airfix Presflo. I already had one made in 2015 still
    unfinished, well at least without weathering and these did get very dirty with white cement dust.
     
    At last not only the new build, but my old one made to look like a working wagon. Seen here alongside Bachmann
    models in the two later colourings used by Blue Circle.
     

     

     
    One thing I didn't do was add the wire grab-rails at the ladder tops. I decided they looked O.K without
     
    What next ? Perhaps a couple of very old Cambrian kits, so old they include plastic two part wheel sets that I will NOT
    be using.
     
    Dad-1
  17. Dad-1
    Rotten cold, don't dare doing anything, or it'll go wrong.
    Still, nice to just run a train around, and video it.
     
     
    I have loads of trees to add, but welcome to my small cornish backwater.
     
    Dad-1
  18. Dad-1
    Nothing posted since the first week of January.
    In truth not a great deal of railway modelling done since then.
    Getting settled into a new home after some 35 years in the old one takes longer than expected,
    in fact still a long way to go. My new garden shed arrives later this month and I've been struggling
    to demolish the old leaking rotten one that came with the bungalow. Nothing to do with the shed,
    but more the weather, we live just 1 mile from the sea at West Bay & driving rain and severe gale
    force winds are not what you want. I even tried to use the weather by loosening roofing felt in the
    hope that wind would finish ripping it off for me - no such luck !!
     
    The only half decent picture is showing the Railway Modeller February issue free shed with it's
    initial paint work sitting on the end of Two Short Planks my only working track at present.
     

     
    Although this will probably be permanently in the loft it's still portable & could be taken out to a show.
    I am adding some boarding behind to give some depth as well as being a storage space for many of
    my 'spare' buildings.
     
    Now rushing around to find all I need to take to MKMRS Exhibition next Saturday.
     
    Dad-1
  19. Dad-1
    Sometimes although not everything is on top form a photograph
    shows exactly the ambience you're looking for in a layout scene.
     

     
    Self indulgent I know and the straggling fencing wire behind my
    coach detracts, but I really like this. No doubt when those raw
    fence posts are painted it'll look better but .......
     
    Dad-1
  20. Dad-1

    Why Do Old People Moan So Much ?

    By Dad-1,


    Blog Entry
    I'm talking about Moaning and not Groaning, the latter always arrives with age and most noticeable when having to return to standing
    after sitting down for a while.
    I think we moan more than younger people because we've been around a long time and seen things done better. When you're young
    it's easier to accept crap as you don't know better. Please discuss and comment on any supplementary reasons.
     
    Decals, transfers ? be more specific Waterslide Transfers. The use of Americanised Decal will not cause an international incident.
    The story is :- I inherited half a dozen Ratio GWR 5 plank wagons, in individual plastic bags, but no decals, or instructions. I don't need instructions
    having already build quite a few. I contacted Peco who confirmed they could do me 6 sheets, but they wouldn't be posted out until the New Year.
    All very efficient and customer friendly as is the usual Peco way.
    The Transfers arrived on a strip, as if they were made on a roll, great !
     
    Now I'm using Railmatch paints more than ever because Humbrol has turned into sludge. Can you really call it paint if on first opening a new tinlet you
    could invert without the contents spilling out !
    The new transfers are very highly glossy and printed on a full carrier film, requiring individual items to be cut out before use. Not that unusual.
    My wagon sides were raw Railmatch finish, this is a fine satin sheen and usually takes transfers directly without any problem. To just help bedding
    in I use a little Micro-sol and leave to dry out overnight.
    The next day the transfers were barely hanging on, in fact a 'G' had fallen off !! I added more Micro-sol around the 'W' and on standing the wagon back on
    it's wheels I saw gravity pull the 'W' to the lowest part of the fluid bubble - UHhh what is going on !
    I do have in the emergency set a couple of bottles of Tamiya varnish, 1 gloss & 1 Matt.  I painted all the wagon sides with gloss varnish. Next day all set the
    finish was hardly any more glossy than the original raw Railmatch finish. This time I proceeded with a full Micro fluid application. Adding the decals onto
    a patch wet with Micro-set. When almost dry patted softly to remove any remaining moisture, when all transfers on one side gave a coat of Micro-sol.
    This time it seems to have worked, more from the Tamiya varnish than anything else.
     
    As I have so many of these wagons I needed to make up my own numbers from individual digits. These needed to stick well first time because of all the
    additional numbers that have to aligned tightly alongside. I wouldn't even try with the new decals, but managed to find enough left from previous builds
    to meet my needs. They were a dream, SO MUCH better to work with. What has gone wrong ?? Perhaps I should have guessed problems were coming
    when I saw the super glossy finish. I did a couple of 'New' Ratio Iron Mink kits last year. For numbers and livery markings I used HMRS pressfix, but used the
    Tare & tonnage marking from the Ratio transfers and yes they dried out and fell off !!
     
    I've seen the odd bad transfers before from the hundreds of aircraft models I've made.  I doubt few people will have used more than me in my lifetime (78)
    and I probably have in excess of £1K worth of aircraft transfers in my stash. What Ratio/Peco used to use were fine, these are just not up to standard. Faults ?
     
    Too inflexible enough carrier film
    Take a long time to release from backing paper
    Inadequate adhesive
     
    Are they from a new, more efficient, cheaper, source ? Another retrograde quality move !!!!
     
    I feel better for letting that out - sent much the same to Peco, wonder if I'll get a reply ?
     
    Post transfer line up behind the 7 mm wagon.
     

     
    Geoff T.
  21. Dad-1
    Winters more or less ended and I can at last spend a few hours in the garage without freezing !
    Mind you , can't show what I'm doing there because it's still too early in the building stages for
    these hallowed walls !!
     
    What I've enjoyed doing this winter is another diorama. What I like about these is the short span from
    start to finish. The ability to be creative with modelling ideas at minimal cost and little difficulty in finding
    somewhere to keep them.
    So here is an almost finished 'Carsons Quay' just 15" x 9.5" with the backboard about 14" high.
    Representing the end of a small harbour quay which was once used for fish docks, but now in the
    early 1960's finding other uses for workshops. Chose the name Clark in rememberance of the
    great Jim & Roger.
     

     
    The full 'on cost' of making this has been around £7 ....... good value for money !
     
    Geoff T.
  22. Dad-1
    I have this thing about wagons, I don't think there's a locomotive here I wouldn't swap for a clutch of good wagons.
    But wagons have/had a tough old life and the 'as bought' condition tends to turn me off any layout, they just
    spoil the effect. I think it strange so many modellers spend a fortune on re-naming and re-numbering locomotives
    yet put up with basic factory finish stock. Not all thank heavens and we do see some superb weathering.
     
    My latest play is some Dapol 21 ton coal hoppers, I'm a little frustrated by certain inaccuracies within the models
    and regret that life is too short to modify beyond their as bought state, other than weathering and adding an improved
    load. At least this can be done indoors where I can work close to a radiator all warm and comfy.
     
    These were bought a two 5 wagon sets with different running numbers. I am worried about removing the riveted in
    weight for those that will remain empty, something not planned by Dapol. If they prove too light I'll add a little length
    of lead between the two hopper discharge chutes.
     

     
    Flash has also highlighted the plastic body locating clips that I'll have to paint either very dark grey, or black !!
     
    I'd like 15 empty & 15 loaded, but fear life is too short and perhaps pocket not quite deep enough !!
     
    Dad-1
  23. Dad-1
    Having added my diorama in Dorset I checked back to see what was last posted about Castell Mawr.
    I've probably moved forward enough to post a couple of photographs. This layout offers a 45 foot twin track oval with a scenic substitute for a fiddle yard in the form of two sidings beside each line, these are long enough to hold 2 trains in each although not if running an 8 coach set.
     
    Here we go showing the two central siding boards :-
     

     

     
    Today I started adding some grass on the level crossing end edging and had a little 'play' by placing some stock on the track.
     

     

     
    At my current rate of progress I think there are two more years work on this layout. For those that wish for a big layout, beware of what you wish for. They need several years of work and my track, points, motors, frog switches, point decoders has cost around £1 K.
     
    Geoff T.
  24. Dad-1
    Well although I've not been posting it dosen't mean I've not been working on anything.
     
    I started a small diorama in January that was finished by the Spring Equinox. The idea
    was similar to Andy Y's 2011 competition in as much it was in limited space. In the end
    I settled on 9.1/2 inches wide by 15 inches long and made to represent a corner of a
    small town quay.
    By trying to be non-specific it allowed me to 'set the stage' with anything I fancied. These
    small dioramas allow experimenting and if they work out O.K make ideal photo plinths.
    Thought I'd add a couple of pictures - One from early BR days when there was still some
    fishing going on. The second from the '70's when holiday makers were the main visitors.
     
    Perhaps be back before too long.
     
    Geoff T.


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