Colin parks

###### is not a 'naughty word' Andy C Colin Parks

Hi James, As a postscript to my previous questions, I have now found all the pictures of the Electrostar's construction on your website. It looks like a lot of chopping of the body to the point where a scratch-built shell might have been easier incorporating the Bachmann doors and glazing. What a lot of work and two years in the makin! The transfers for the 377 are reall impressiveI must also congratulate you on the repainted Hornby 4 VEP in Connex livery. You have done a marvellous job on the model, even the cab fronts don't look so bad! I must have missed your posts on the VEP in May due to exhibition commitments. Apologies that there is not much 'layout' content in my reply. All the best, Colin

Hi James, Having seen pictures of your resin cabs, I am now sorely tempted to have a go at a 377 Eletrostar! A few questions though: Is there any prototype information/drawing available for these units? I note that you said the 377s have a 20m long bodyshell, so, just how much needs cutting off the Bachamnn model? Did you take any step-by-step pictures of the conversion process? These units are indeed very handsome in their Southern livery and are still trundling up and down the Seaford branch along with class 313s at 20 minute intervals.

Hi Jon, Considering that the designed card seating also serves to reduce weigth in the coaches, it is an elegant solution. Perhaps you'll need to add the seated figures after the seating is installed, or ones that are cut in half at waist level and have their legs and torsos re-united once inside! Colin

Hi John, Those seats look well designed. Very neat work. I admire you for being able to calculate alll the folds like that. The painted coach looks the part too. I somehow missed your post a few days ago. The LMS coaches caught rushing past in the background are rather amusing! All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, As you say, the couplings on that wagon could well have been changed. I would imagine that you will easily find photos of wagon with substitute axleboxes too. I have even modelled some of my wagons with two RCH and two Kooler type boxes ( where photos support this on specific wagons). Then there are cases of wagons with split-spoke wheels, or even one axle with disc wheels and one with split-spokes. The list of variations goes on... All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, A very good match to the photo I'd say! It does go to show the parlous state of the railways, with minmal maintenance and only enough paint allowed to cover the welded joints on the repaired sides. All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, That's a good attempt at lettering. It must be absolutely tiny. Did you use some kind of visual aid? All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, Really nice work on the wagons. Re. transfers: Perhaps you could have a good think about all the wagons you are likely to make in the future that will require transfers not covered by the trade. Then you could get some sheets of lettering for mixed wagon types printed to suit your specific needs and spread the cost. All the best, Colin

Hi Sandside, I really like watching your progress on this project. This is going to be a very fine layout when completed. You are doing something more unusual than most of us do in modelling a town with a railway running through it. I suppose that is the advantage of modelling, or being inspired by, a real location. All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, I can see what you mean re. partitions, having looked at your photos in the link. What a work of art these old LBSC carriages were, with their complex timber-framed constuction. I presume the match-boarded wooden ceiling was all there was between the passengers and the elements . It must have been cold in the winter! All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, Those partitions look good. You can stain and varnish them just like the real thing. Laser cutting does seem very tempting for producing components. Just imagine if laser cutters ever became as cheap as inkjet printers, we could churn out all sorts of things. All the best, Colin

Hi Castle, I've only just had a look at our topic, being otherwise engaged recently! The 1361 tank looks a very handsome loco and well constructed. I enjoyed the posts about the lMS vans too. All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, Really nice work on the coaches. It will be a pity to paint those lovely polished brass bodies! All the best, Colin

Hi Jon, Congratulations on a most enjoyable topic to read through. Your step-by-step photography is really sharp and the pictures well composed, making it quite clear how you are going about building these coaches. It is going to be a very handsome rake when finished. Colin

Hi Sandside, I do look at your layout project's progress with great admiration. Not only for the care you are taking with the buildings, but the prodigious output of what look like quite time-consuming constructions. Enjoying the pictures with the stock too. Colin

Hi John, I must have missed the original post somehow. These are very well finished wagons! I am interested to see you use couplings which are either Hornby Dublo or the Peco equivalent. You don't see them used very often these days. All the best, Colin

If that is an ex- 4 CIG buffet car, why does it appear to have Mk6 power bogies?! It looks more like a conversion of a 4 CIG MBSO. Then again, is it a buffet car that has had its bogies swapped at some point? Glad to see the 4 CIGs are not quite extinct. Regards, Colin

Hi Adam, Sorry if I was being a littlle didactic re. lettering. Looking at the Medfit pictured in post #56, I can see I have nothing to teach you. The rusty buffer shanks are superb (as are the metal repair plates - th r/h one is even rusty - nice!). I shall be studying this photo for a while... Colin

Hi Adam, Nice wagon, I like your attention to detail. It's a bit late now for this wagon but: We have sign writer in the village. He has a trick for really neat lines of lettering etc. : Run a piece of masking tape at the top and bottom of your line of lettering (or white squares in this case), then all you have to worry about is getting the vertical edges correctly placed. Another trick is to gloss varnish the areas to be painted first, then any roughly painted edges can be corrected with a spirit-dampned brush - a la Ian Rathbone. (It doesn't work on matt painted surfaces though.) All the best, Colin

Hi Shedmaster, That is a very well-finished coach, whoever made it! Colin

Hi Adam, Now that the wagon is painted I can see what a remarkable piece of modelling you have done. As for reject sides, I know the feeling! The main thing is being able to admit to yourself that a part isn't good enough and make it again. Also, it looks like you have added capping strips to the top planks of the sides and ends from 5 thou. plastic strip - a very delicate job that must have been. I cheated on some of my wagons by adding just the capping strip clips (a small block of 20 thou. plastic inserted in a slot cut across the top of the plank). These details do show. Well, they do show when they are not there! All the best, Colin

Hi Adam, I forgot to ask how you attached the cosmetic bolt heads on the shock high wagon. Are they just tiny slices of plastic rod placed with the tip of a solvent-dampened brush or are they inserted into pre-drilled holes? Whichever way, they are very crisply done. You must have a lot of patience to hand-paint wagon under frames! I have been messsing around with a borrowed air brush this week and found that it will deliver quite small amounts of paint into tight spaces by restricting the paint flow Might be worth a try. I can see that painting a model underframe that is not just made of black plastic is a much more difficult proposition. Colin

Hi Stefan, The loco looks rather fetching in the GWR lined green livery. Are you intending to add some extra weight in the loco for better traction? Regards, Colin

Hi Adam, The latest picture of the shock high is very impressive - all those bolt heads! I especially admire the way you have represented the door pin chains. Looking forward to seeing pictures of the finished article. Colin