milkman matt

Now that my life is returning to something resembling normality, I have managed to get more done in the train room! I have roped my cabinet maker neighbour into constructing the bridge piece for my layout (he rarely says no to a cash job) so I may actually make some headway with the layout in the not too distant future. I probably should think about laying some track eventually! I have moved forward with the MMS white metal Hilman kit though. It has been given a (Hand painted) coat of paint and I have started assembling it at last. I'd forgotten the joys of small kits until I found myself on my hands and knees looking for the headlight (about 3mm in diameter) that pinged out of the tweezers as I was trying to place it on the model. Initially, I was using Araldite 5 minute 2 part epoxy to assemble this (I don't have a soldering iron) but I found this was getting wasteful as I would have to mix more than I could possibly use before it set hard on the card it was mixed on and would, consequently, have to throw it out. I have since discovered UHU "Super glue" in small 1g tubes which is much more convenient and user friendly. Quick tip though. It may not dry fast enough for you on the model but it will dry INSTANTLY on your fingers! No I didn't stick anything I shouldn't have but it was close! Meanwhile, the grounded coach now has a roof on it! In the end I just used a sheet of plasticard formed to shape and held firmly in place with a generous amount of "Super Glue". It was then that I realised that the interior was almost impossible to see owing to it being very dark inside. I may be able to rectify that with a light in it but it will take some careful planning to retro fit one. But, for now, It will just have to be. Time to start on some outside detailing. I've added a window box for now and will eventually mount it on some sleepers cut from some old track. I may look at adding roof details such as vents and lamp tops. Maybe even give the roof a coating to resemble canvas or bitumen. I'm open to suggestions here. I was thinking of adding rain gutters and downpipes but, when I offered them up to the model, they just didn't seem right. I think I will just add rain strips which would be more in keeping with a railway carriage. Speaking of adding different parts to kits, I've made a final addition to the Metcalfe coaching inn that I built while on "Light duties" after the heart attack. Instead of using the supplied paper to make up the chimney pots, I ordered the large castellated ones manufactured by Dart Castings (L67C). After a coat of Humbrol stone (121) and a wash of Model Masters Black acrylic Detail wash, I think they are far superior to the rolled up tubes of red paper that are offered in the kit. This leads very nicely onto the subject of paints. I realised, tonight, that I had a lot of Humbrol paints that I had not even opened in a good many years. Although tightly sealed, they still don't last forever it seems. After examining the contents of approximately 15 tins, I have had to throw about 9 away as they had either hardened or separated in a such a way that they could not be saved without more effort than I care to make at this time. That said, most of them were colours that I, most likely, wouldn't use in the next ten years anyway. To close this missive out tonight, I was looking through a draw in the train room the other day and came across a Hornby "Town and Country" Victorian semi detached terrace still in it's original box. I immediately started thinking of how much fun the grounded carriage has been........... The Hillman kit. Araldite v UHU. Spot the difference. The grounded coach with roof! Definitely look the part in my book. Hmmm, I wonder.........

I was about to say, if you hadn't mentioned the different shade on paint, I wouldn't have noticed it at all. Great job Steve. You're a braver man than I!

What about a light in the doorway?

Hi All I am toying with the idea of fitting a smoke unit to one of my Metcalfe kits and was wondering if anyone has tried it. I did find an old topic on fitting one to a plastic kit and the subject of heat seemed to be the main concern as, I suspect, it may be with card kits. Your thoughts and ideas would be welcome.

To quote Douglas Addams (or more precisely, Ford Prefect), "Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."

Small steps are the best place to start!

Ok, this is getting ridiculous now. Those of you who have been following this saga would know of my heart attack in January. Well, 4 Weeks ago, I found myself in hospital once again but, this time, it was a bleed in the bowel. The remedy this time was for the doctors to remove 1/3 of my bowel. Hopefully, that will be the last time for a good while to come. However, I digress. The grounded carriage project has been coming along nicely and I'm quite happy with it in general. During this recent brief interruption, I received a delivery of Noch set 14832 (Bedroom / Living room furniture) from AJM Railways. Admittedly, a lot of the furniture in the set doesn't quite suit the decor I'm thinking But the sofa is close and that was all I was really after. This, more or less, completes the interior so I can move onto the exterior finishes now. I have also installed the external entry lights which are quite impressive (although tiny) when lit. I have also received a delivery of assorted chimney pots and vents from Dart Castings. I was thinking of adding one to the carriage but I'm not so sure now. I actually have a few things planned for the exterior but there still may be some "organic" components to it. I don't know about anyone else but, I'm really curious to see how this turns out now! One thing I do need to figure out is the roof and how it will look. If anyone has a spare 4 wheel coach roof they don't need, I'd happily take it of their hands! Another delivery I've had recently is a product called "Micro Kristal Klear" which is a clear adhesive and window forming solution. The idea is that you can use it as a glue for clear parts or to form "windows" in small apertures by the simple expedient of applying it around the outside of the frame and then use a toothpick or similar to draw it across the opening to form a window. I have tried it out but I think I need a bit more practice on it! So far, this little project has been quite a lot of fun and a bit of a learning curve for me. For those of you who have never tried kit bashing, I suggest you give it a go. This is my first attempt and I have really enjoyed it. There have been some frustrating moments along the way but those are the times that you just have to sit back and stretch and think about things for a while. The best advice I can give anyone wanting to try this is to not put any deadlines on the project and just let it happen as it happens! The furniture set from Noch The couch is all I really needed The entry lamps from the Wills "Just plug" range Quite impressive in the dark too! The Window forming fluid mentioned My first attempt at forming windows

In amongst my raspberry canes as I was cutting them back after summer. Mum has a mob of 12 of these that show up twice a day for handouts.

Not trying to be condescending but, have you got both wheel sets the same way round (insulated wheels on the same side)? I've made that mistake before.

Was thinking a spot of Araldite as I don't have a soldering iron or the experience yet. Knowing my luck, I'd melt it! Of course, if I practised a little patience, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!

With apologies to Monty Python! Received a couple of packages last week which has helped move things along a bit. First up, I received two white metal kits from MMS models which I ordered about 3 weeks back. Apparently the delay was caused by the ABF (Australian Customs) wanting to take a look inside the package. Maybe one of them is thinking of taking up the hobby! The second package contained the Noch furniture that I was waiting on for the grounded coach body project so a little more progress has been made there. First up was the floor covering in the kitchen. this was acheived using with a piece of graph paper and a 0.5mm pencil to colour alternate squares giving a tiled effect. Then after some messing about and indecision regarding the layout, I finally have the kitchen sorted. That now leaves the "Sitting" room.......or is it the bedroom? Either way, another purchase may be necessary. For a project that started out as a bit of a folly, it seems to have taken on a life of it's own! I also intend to add a chimney, gutters and down pipes and a few other items of interest as time goes on. Now my biggest issue is where am I going to place it? I guess the answer will come as the railway progresses. Or maybe I might just make it a diorama of it's own. Taking a break from the carriage, I had a look at the MMS Hillman Van kit that arrived (the other was a Superpoise Lorry) and decided to clear out the window apertures. The kit itself is fairly straightforward and being white metal I figured it would be reasonably robust.........rookie mistake I guess. Whilst I was clearing the area near the top of the windscreen pillar and the roof, I managed to break the pillar off. Hopefully, the neighbours didn't hear what I had to say on the subject of my clumsiness. I should be able to save it though. Time will tell. For those who read this blog through my Facebook page, here is the scale of the carriage project. The completed bathroom. The "curtains" are a piece of a single ply of kitchen towel stuck to a piece of 0.5mm plastic rod. Kitchen Layout Mk1 The final layout of the kitchen showing the graph paper "Floor covering" The MMS Hilman Van kit and instructions as delivered. OOPS! Again, for my Facebook readers, that broken piece is a little over 5mm long.

Ok. The MMS kits have arrived. They look simple enough to assemble although I have managed to break the windscreen pillar while clearing the window aperture. Oh well, Live and learn.

Here's a set that works.

This was posted on a facebook group. Apparently it's at Chester station. Is it a new form of track joint or is there another purpose?

It seems that, if you wait long enough you will find more than you need. In my last entry, I mentioned that I need to keep an eye out for a cooker for the grounded carriage project. By some happy coincidence this week, I found a set of interior furniture by Noch (set 14833) that includes not one but three different cookers! It's a puzzle as to why they would have three cookers in a set that only has one of everything else but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I have ordered said set from AJM railways and it will hopefully be here within the next 2 weeks. Meanwhile I have been slowly progressing with the coach. The "sitting room" has had wallpaper added courtesy of the Pola donor kit as well as "Carpet" in the form of self adhesive felt from one of our large fabric stores here. The kitchen area has had a coat of paint (I believe the colour to be called duck egg blue) and I have rebuilt the wall between it and the "Sitting room" using components from an american lumber kit which I originally bought for a different purpose. I have also bought a couple of entry lights from the "Just Plug" range which I will mount on the outside of the carriage. There are still a few ideas floating around in the back of my head which will require further purchase from O/S but that will have to wait until next week. A lot of time is being spent on waiting for parts to arrive or for paint to dry but that's what the hobby is all about sometimes, isn't it? The Noch set in question! The lovely wallpaper in the sitting room! Cutting out the window apertures required some thought. My solution was to place the paper on the inside of the carriage and trace the opening with a pencil whilst using a coffee stirrer to give support. The result is an easy to follow outline. These are the self adhesive felt sheets I found in the fabric store. They cost about $3 AU each but they will go a long way. The "Just Plug" wall mounted entrance lights. Possibly the most expensive part of the project thus far. Where it all stands at the minute. The kitchen has since had another coat of paint (I'm typing this while waiting for it to dry) so the streaks shouldn't be so obvious. The arrow indicates the 1.2mm hole on the wall for the wires that will lead to the entry light outside.

I have just ordered 2 kits from the MMS "Civvy street" range. I've never built a metal kit before so this should be an interesting exercise. Hopefully, the kits are as good as they look on their website.

I didn't know that about flexi track. I'm glad I read this before I actually start track laying on my layout. Which is the right way?

Strange and exciting things are afoot in the train room this week. First up, I took delivery of a custom made book case thanks again to my neighbour. He also made those modifications to my work bench that I alluded to in one of my previous entries. I now have all of my books in one place and not spread throughout the house (Believe me, they were!) and a work bench that stays put and nothing can fall off the back of. Seems I could use some more books though! Now for the strange bit. I went out to the train room today to think out a few construction points for the layout. Next thing I know, I was looking at some long forgotten projects that never really got off the ground. Amongst them was a pair of Hornby 4 wheel coaches that I picked up off Ebay some years back as spares/repairs units. I had cut open the centre door of one of them with a view to using it as a grounded van somewhere. However, that idea changed somewhat today when I also found a Pola kit of a building under demolition. The kit has a sprue of some interesting items of interior fittings so I though to myself, "why don't we have some fun here?" What was going to be a workman's hut and store is now in danger of becoming a three room dwelling! A quick rummage through the bits box produced 2 doors (1 of which is actually 2 sided) and a few other interesting bits and pieces. Some hours later, the coach has a solid floor, 2 internal walls have been cut out and the interior has been planned out including a bath room. I only wish I could find a 1:76 scale cooker or stove for the kitchen. I'll just have to keep my ear to the ground for now. The book case. We planned it with 6 shelves but it only needed 4 it seems. I guess I could always get more books! One of the 2 Hornby coaches I picked up on Ebay. I don't remember the provenance of these but the white plastic is unusual. Maybe I shouldn't be cutting one up. But cut it up I did. This is the second of the 2 which has also had the lugs removed from the bottom. The donor kit for interior bits. Strangely there are no doors in this kit which I thought a little odd. Maybe the demolition company sold them first. However, You'd think they'd sell some of the other fittings as well. The kit had 2 of these sprues in them. A quick mapping out of the van to get a feel of the spaces. The chairs and table, I think came from another kit for a cafe that I had many years back. I might repaint the table though. A quick floor made from a piece of styrene sheet to cover the various holes moulded into the floor of the coach. Test fitting the bathroom wall and door. The lovely wallpaper also came from the Pola kit. I'm going to have to find a sofa for the sitting room too. I will have to assume it to be a sofa bed as there is no actual bedroom. I'll post more as the project continues. I'm not sure where this s going to lead so it will be just as much a surprise/disappointment for me as it will be for everyone else!

Thanks for the comment, David. Unless I run a "Double stack" through here (Not likely), there is ample headroom for the stock I have to get through. It took me a minute to understand that you were talking about using 2X1 framing in an orientation that I would call "on the flat" but that would only mean that I could make the upper level even lower and thus lessen the gradient even more. As you would have seen in the text, I had already reduced the clearance by 16mm for the purpose of reducing the gradient. Most of the track work on the upper level will be toward the centre of the boards so I'm reasonably confident that any errant stock will remain on the board.

Well, only two levels actually. Baseboard construction has been proceeding apace now and I feel that I'm on the home straight. With the exception of the bridging piece, today saw the last of the lower level frames completed and supports for the upper level built. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Carpenter/joiner but, I am quite happy with the results thus far. As for now, there will be a short pause in construction to allow funds to regenerate and then I shall push on. I have decided to create a hidden fiddle yard under the upper level as it seemed a waste space to have 6 ft of 2 ft wide base board with just 2 lines of track Running on it. "But you won't be able to reach the far tracks," I hear people cry. Thought about that already. The only real problem would be when it comes to cleaning them. On that point, dear reader, I seek your sage advice on the best method of cleaning hidden track work. As to retrieving trains from the far lines, it would be a simple matter of shunting the train from one side to the other via the double slip in the station (See plan on last entry) so that it ends up on the closest line Which will run just above my workbench! Of course, I could just run out into the open but, where's the fun in that? After all, isn't the hobby about running trains as often and for as long as you can? As to region and era that I am modelling, I have gained quite a collection of LMS and GWR stock from various eras over the years so I don't think I'll be too specific about era but if pushed, I would say around nationalisation....ish! For region, I'm thinking GWR line with share arrangements with LMS. Partly because I like both and partly because I recently obtained one of Metcalfes Wayside station kit. I know a number of people are cringing at this idea but, as they say, it's my railway and I'll run what I like! Besides, didn't the GWR have the APT first? Here are some progress photos for those playing at home! The final section of frame work nearly completed. The more observant will notice the front edge dips back over my workbench. More on that anon! General view of the support structures showing their height. Originally, they were actually about 16mm taller but I wanted to keep the gradient to the upper level as light as possible over the 10 or so feet that I have to work with. To that end, the height from the lower board to the top of the upper board is now 130mm. A quick mock up of the hidden fiddle yard for planning purposes. he point that leads straight into the support will, of course, not be there in the finished product. It just happened to be the right length of straight track for the job! Back to the front frame that I have set back over the work bench. Here is why. The rail just happens to be deep enough and the frames high enough to create the perfect shelf for little things like my rolling road, Audio remote and mobile phone. which helps keep some of the clutter off my bench! A quick mock up to show approximately where the nearest line in the fiddle yard will run above my desk.

One is now a bit more 21st century Chinese .... just need to make her a bit shorter! DSC_0225.JPG Just chop her ankles off!