Skinnylinny

More like too thin to print - I was thinking a mostly half-etched frame with some full-thickness raised detail to represent the moulding. Certainly this has been done before on etched carriage kits. For 3D printing I wouldn't want to print anything thinner than half a millimetre (20 thou-ish) and I'd be worried about it warping and getting it off the supports.

Given that the Hornby 6-wheelers aren't actually models of any Stroudley designs (more... inspired by a combination of Stroudley and Billinton designs, taking many dimensions from the 4-wheelers), I rather suspect someone in Margate has much to answer for!

One wonders if an etched bolection moulding part to fit the Hornby coaches could be produced - it seems that most (all) of the quarter lights are the same size and shape. Add to that the fact that the bolection mouldings could be painted before gluing on, making for a lovely neat edge... I know I would be in the market for some for some of the GSR's 4- and 6-wheel stock! 128mm over body (32')

Right, last photo of the A12 until it's fully finished (including numberplates, which are on order from 247 developments). Pity about the backdrop, but the only layout available at the club for photography at the moment is a 21st Century TMD ("Traction Maintenance Depot" - what happened to "shed"?). Still, it's very satisfying seeing a matching pre-grouping train coming together - loco, horsebox, and two carriages. This is one side of the loco (and the cab front) fully lined now. The plan is to leave it a day for the transfers to fully dry and harden, then a coat of varnish before working on the other side.

Nearly there with *one side* of the A12's lining... just the loco footsteps, and the tender valance to do. Oh, and one more boiler band, and tidying up the not-perfect one by the dome. 'm really pleased with how this project is turning out, even if some of the smaller lining transfers have led to me questioning my own sanity (before remembering that I was never sane!).

The LSWR horsebox has also gained lettering. Poring over Southern Style and Weddell there seems to be some confusion over whether these received white or gold lettering. I've assumed gold, as the consensus seems to be that they were painted carriage brown rather than wagon brown. The underframe wasn't painted with gloss black, honest! It'll be getting a coat of matt varnish to tone that down...

Fair point, well made! Indeed, Rapido/NRM managed it with the Stirling Single, and that didn't even make it to the Grouping! At least the Jubilee has several colourful liveries it can wear, but I suspect that the T3 would have an advantage in that there is a preserved one being returned (rather nicely!) to steam in Drummond livery by the 563 Locomotive Group, after the loco was donated by the NRM. Image source: https://563locomotivegroup.co.uk/restoration/563-has-been-re-wheeled/ Some matching LSWR carriages would be nice, too, with the Hornby 58' rebuilt stock not being suitable for repainting in LSWR condition without major surgery (including the loss of 10' of body length!). Granted, we have the Hornby "not-Stroudleys-honest-guv'" and the forthcoming Hattons Genesis carriages in LSWR livery, but neither is really befitting of such a large express engine!

Thanks Chris! Sadly I suspect not an ideal model for Rapido to do - only four lasted into BR ownership, of which all were withdrawn within a year (except DS3191 (formerly LSWR 612), and even that only made it to '51!). None wore a BR number. There would be plenty of variations, to do though - screw or lever reverser, Adams or Drummond boiler and chimney, vac' or dual-fitted, with or without Adams cast numberplates and/or splasher beading, Beyer Peacock or Adams tender... And then the liveries - LSWR: Adams pea green, Drummond green (as above), Urie green, and then Southern lined green or black with Sunshine lettering... As for the T3, sadly the comment about not lasting to BR days applies again (although at least there is the preserved T3 here!) - all but two were withdrawn by 1937, with the last one surviving until August 1945. Many of the same variations as the A12 (and more!) apply here.

Aaaaand heading back towards British pre-grouping modelling, some transfers arrived this morning from @Corbs, which means that it's time to start lining out the A12! The transfers fit beautifully, almost as though he had worked from the drawings I sent him from the CAD file. There are still a fair few to add on this side of the loco alone, and then there'll be the cab front, the tender (including frames and rear), and I have a couple of spots to just nick with a scalpel to let the lining sit flat around handrail knobs. Still, it's really starting to come together now! Should look even better once attacked with Micro Set and given a coat of varnish.

In a very different style, work has been continuing on the Baldwin 8/18C. With the cowcatcher pilot added, as well as a lot of other details, and some (basic for now!) tender bogies, plus some of the fancy tender lining, Eureka is definitely starting to look more complete. The loco, as built, was unbraked, having a handbrake on the tender. Figuring out tender-top detail is turning out to be surprisingly hard, as almost all of the photographs of the preserved locomotive either don't show the tender top, or show it entirely covered with firewood (including hiding the water filler cap!) I'm definitely not looking forward to having to add the tender lining to the finished model, once printed. Or the lined-out wheel spokes (not shown), or the sand dome lining, or... And here I thought that British pre-grouping liveries were complicated! Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/19908866@N03/25842824041

At the time the newsletter went out, we believed that for manufacturing reasons the roof would have to be glued as well as clip-fitted. However, we now know that the roof just will be a clip-fit, allowing it to be removed for the fitting of passengers.

The signwriters have been busy! Compartment markings and ownership lettering have been added to one side of the pull-push set, although not the running numbers or set number yet, as the Carriage and Wagon Superintendent has been remiss and left the reference book with the set numbers elsewhere. Ah well, it'll show up soon enough. Lettering is by Fox. I'm looking forward to getting these coupled to a P class and giving them a proper run on a layout when one is next set up at the clubroom. They'd certainly make a change from the DMU that usually occupies the bay platform on Glendevon!

Painting and lining is now well underway on the 6-wheel pull-push set. I wasn't happy with how thick the lining had come out on the first attempt, and then disaster struck! While opening the cross-joint on the ruling pen, the handle snapped off unexpectedly. I got in touch with Chris at Golden Arrow Models, from whom I'd bought it at the Uckfield show last year, and he's agreed to take it back to have a look and see if it can be salvaged. In the meantime, as I'd just had an income tax refund, I splashed a little cash on a finer pen, and now I'm really getting somewhere with things. Still a little tidying up to do, but I'm going to let this attempt dry fully before "trimming" back to the required line width with a very fine brush and some more crimson. Lettering transfers have been ordered from Fox, so these are still a fair distance from finished. Even so, from two feet away the lining makes a huge difference to the appearance of the set: The addition of 20g of weight per carriage has significantly improved how smoothly they roll, while hopefully remaining within the haulage capacity of a Hattons P class. There is also some warping to the bodysides and chassis (my fault - I didn't strengthen the design files enough!) but nothing that I don't think can be corrected with hot water and some gentle persuasion.

Hmmmm, possibly even four liveries if you count Drummond with and without brass splasher beading as different liveries!

Rapido have posted this on their Facebook page here. Text and image below for those who don't use Facebook: Did you know that since ‘Lion’ was rescued and restored it has undergone a number of physical and cosmetic changes? During its spells of operation since 1930 the engine has had different styles of pressure gauge, additional tool boxes, exposed tender springs, modified coal spaces and additional safety chains fitted (to name a few). However the most noticeable difference is the livery. In 1930 the engine carried a different look with a different shade of green and red brown frames. No colour images survive of this livery but after extensive research and speaking to recognised experts we now have the most accurate information available to create the look. Our models will feature all of the relevant physical and livery details to create the perfect 1930s or 1980s ‘Lion’. The orderbook closes on September 1st - order yours today!

I think, with some gold paint, the effect is convincing enough for me! Still a tiny spot of tidying up to do but the joys of enamel paints meaning that nothing is quite dry even this morning. Ah well!

Going back to the Southern... The LSWR horsebox has now been painted and awaits lettering and numbering. Horseboxes and carriage trucks on the LSWR were painted (as far as can be determined) in carriage brown with white lettering. Details still need to be picked out, such as the door and commode handle, as well as the end handrails. These are printed "solid", with the intention being to paint the "gaps" behind them matt black, and then dry-brush a suitable metallic colour over the rails themselves. With as dark a livery as LSWR carriage brown, I think this should look perfectly good enough, while being much stronger than trying to print separate handrails. I did consider wire, but given how close to the corners they are, I don't think I could have modelled a hole in the end to take the rails, due to the minimum thickness of resin required to be printable. And yes, I still need to repair that footboard support at the far end!

Technically speaking, converted to pull-push, not push-pull. 😜 And post-amalgamation, but still...

And speaking of the bow pen... it may only be a start, but it's a decent start, I think! The lining should strictly be on, rather than inside the beading, but this was much easier to keep consistent.

The horsebox is now mostly cleaned up (I've left the supports holding up the upper footboard, as it's a bit vulnerable while painting). Removing the printing supports was a bit fraught, and a few small bits got damaged, so I need to make up a couple of footboard supports and two axleguard tie-bars from Plastruct, which shouldn't take long. There's also a slight bow to it, but I'm going to give it a few more days for that to finish developing, before using the "soak in hot water and gently bend back to square" trick that works so well. Once completed, it will also have a floor and wall glued inside which should help hold things straight and true. As I'm visiting Gary, he's been encouraging me to finish the design of the SECR 3-carriage 6-wheel pull-push set, and we now have a test print of the complete train. It's looking rather nice, although the photo is out of date - currently the train is on its second coat of Phoenix SE&CR carriage lake and still looking a little patchy. There are a couple of warping issues still to be solved (mainly on the bodies, and I reckon I know where to add strengthening beams and ribs to achieve that) The next two days are going to be rest days, before a Big Day Out on Sunday, going to the Bluebell for their terrier gala event. Sadly Fenchurch won't be in steam, but there will still be a terrier in Improved Engine Green (Poplar) running about, as well as W11 from across the Solent.

I suppose it's similar to the difference between buying ready-to-run, and kit/scratchbuilding? It's somewhere on the spectrum, anyway. I *could* build a layout and run only RTR out-of-the-box locos and stock (certainly I could put together a reasonable LBSC branchline train from a Hornby or Rails terrier, some Hornby 4-wheelers, with an SECR goods train from Rapido, an LSWR goods train with an Oxford/Hornby Adams Radial and some private owners, finished off with a Kernow road van, with passenger stock being perhaps provided by Hattons Genesis carriages. However, one of the main things I like about the late Victorian/Edwardian pre-grouping period is the variety, both in colours and designs of stock, and this simply isn't available ready-to-run. So I make do with what I can. I have a few ready-to-run locomotives, but very few that haven't been modified (my Bachmann LB&SCR E4 for example has been un-superheated, with different safety valve arrangement, and a complete repaint). It's still a time- and energy-saver over scratchbuilding, and it suits me. Where there isn't something available that'll meet my requirements with a bit of work (for example, open carriage trucks), I use the 3D printing. I have the greatest of respect for those who can manage to scratchbuild in traditional materials, but with my shaky hands and the chronic fatigue, gluing together tiny bits of plasticard or cutting and soldering sheet brass is not something I've been able to really do much of over the last year or two. I am doing my best though - I'm still learning to use the ruling pen to do lining, and for example. It's not perfect, but it keeps slowly getting better, and eventually I hope to be able to produce lining I'm happy with!

It's certainly a different approach from designing for laser-cutting or etching!

I have to say, I agree with Andy here. It's true that the modelling itself is done on the computer, rather than with scalpel and ruler. That being said, I'll still be hand-painting, applying lettering transfers etc. in the traditional way. I find it interesting to see peoples' reactions when I present a train with 3D-printed locomotive and tender, laser-cut card carriages... and then tell them I'm still studying the use of ruling pen for lining! There are definitely parts of the layout that will be old-fashioned and labour-intensive - the embossed DAS clay setts around the goods yard for example. Using @Giles' excellent tool (which speeds things up while still allowing curving of the road surface and different angles of edging setts) this will hopefully save me a fair amount of time and energy, which is very important when one has chronic fatigue. For me, the use of the 3D printer has the advantages that if I want multiple of something (for example, the dumb-buffered open wagon I designed many months back) I don't have to batch-produce, and make the same mistakes (and corrections) multiple times over. I can also re-use bits that I already have designed (I think I've used my LSWR Panter axleboxes under several wagons). I can also offer copies to friends who express an interest in the models (converting more to the joys of the pre-grouping period), and I've gained a fair few other models through trading of CAD files. Finally, I don't have to spend valuable energy at the start and end of each modelling session finding the bits I was working on and the appropriate tools, and then tidy up at the end. In the end, is it really all that different from a resin-cast bodyshell, such as the Gramodels LSWR stone wagon seen at Farthing? It will still need some fettling (removing of supports and tidying up), painting, lettering and (where appropriate) lining. Except, of course, that I had to design it myself!

I mean, with print quality like this, you'd better believe I'll tell folks about it! Even the ribbing on the vacuum pipe has come out!

Minor update: the LCDR open is now done, and will be going to Gary this evening!