Sylvian Tennant

So finally I have gotten round to finishing (I beleive) the add on work to my Mucky Duck (or Rubber Duck as my partner beleives them to be called!). In addition to the things I described in my previous blog. I have since lowered the central spring on the pony truck (and not replaced wth coiled copper wire it as I felt it look adequate enough once it had been lowered). Added stop cocks to the heating pipes. I have replaced the flimsy bended rod going to the cab with brass rod and finally opened the filler cap which was a slightly pain in the glory hole. Unfortunatly it sits slightly lower due to my using a junior hack saw! (The sensible little critter Iam!) Oh and put a coupling on the front hook by drilling a small hole in the hook and carefully prizing away at it with a scalple. It isn't prototypical since Ivatts had their hook bolted on but it will suffice. Anyway I hope it was prove satifactory amongst you giants of model steam. I can still see greeny yellow super glue on the front heating pipe and the filler cap looks like it's already had a splash of water! Next up, replace the damaged lining and that "3", add smoke box number, immitate "51E/L" shedcode and weather.

Mainly the steam heat pipe on the loco. The wonderful thing about photos is they can hide some horrific problems! Still a bit of work to do tho. Thank you though Shame I have to paint the green lamp iron

As well as modifying my spikey thinhs (as my partner calls them!) I had a crack at modifying my first locomotive! Ivatt 4MT which, when finished shall be 43073 a local (Teesside) Clodhopper which has spurred an interesting debate about it's allocation some say it was Thornby I say it was Stockton for three months. Anyway using a modellers worst ally (assuption) I am going to base it on it's 51E allocation prior to it's transfer to the Midland region. Here's the inital results. Most of the work was inspired by Geroge Dent's article about a Year ago on Model Rail Mag. There's still a bit to work on, it want it to have an open filler cap plus there is a fair bit of cleaning up to do (blooming super glue) & possibly some reworking of bits (not too happy with the horizontal spring on the bogie, a wee bit small if you ask be). I'll crack on with it after I have returned from a weekend visit to my sister's dahn saaaaff But there's your lot. Have a good weekend chaps & chapesses

Ohhh she's pretty! typical though, you built two and Hatton's declares making one!

erm a thousands pounds... no sorry just been watching some Blackadder. Yeah, I'll think of some quotes, since it'll be a little while before I'm considered fully professional (if at all!) the price won't be too bad. Is there any legal implcations in any of this. A BTEC in Business Studies never really saw me through this!

Wow, I saw his original at Hartlepool and made a impressed comment about it unaware the very man was directly behind me. Very humble he was. A joy to chat to, great modeller as well! Have you seen his P10! If he can do a P2/2 I may be looking for a comssion as well!

Danke missy, I just did some touch ups afterward off to show it my friend soon. By the way the my oil tankers are almost done, just a bit of reworking to make them run better and couple better is needed.

That's the DCC chip, it's a shame that the cab bulkhead was around at the time, I would like to have had a crack at a cab interior. I can relate to off putting remark, but I'm not a massive fan of DCC and it's the owners discression to have what they want on their locomotive.

Thank you, not just the unfitted type. I mostly model early to mid fifties. I have modified some Bachmann wagons to be vac-fitted though. I'll get on to those in due time. It's a shame no one but lima have produced a rtr one of these! mind you, I'll finish these and low and behold. Ohh interesting. Thank you for the link. Currently I was thinking of keeping the bogies as bought but in the future I may try to make them less GWR! Or even add an LMS wagon to it, I miss out the oppotunity to buy a diamond frame one at Hartlepool!

lol, that's for the clients, I've just worked with what I've got. But yeah the numbers are the printed ones on the cab. Thank you very much.

Okay I'll refrain form silly titles... nah I'll continue really. Anyway, my little stint weathering my friends pannier got me in the modelling mood again. So, rather than sitting there idle dreaming about my modelling future. I did something. And here's the result. I'm planning four different types of block freigt trains for possible future use on my clubs layout. An oil trian, coal train, van train and finally a bolster train. As with most of BR steam era trains, despite being a block working wagons were always different, this I aim to represent by building kits & modifying rtr. Which I have done here. A Bogie Bolster C from good ole Wachy Bachy, modified to be a BR built example. You can see the full difference between the un-modified one and the new and "improved one" The photo explain themselves about the modifications I did. But I used different bits, stipes and rods of plasticard and rearraging the v hangers and original braking gear. If you have any more specific questions please don't hesitate to ask.

So a friend of mine saw my work and though, "By jove that's good" I don't know why though, I always seem to find something I could have done better. Well anyway a brief conversation ensued followed by delivery of the package. The package turned out to be a second hand Wachy Bachy 87xx Pannier in post war GWR livery. The task was To give it a worked in look ,noot too dirty but must have looked like an engine in use. So I set about ruining his poor model. Here are the results. All the work was done using Humbrol paints, metalcote and gloss cote. I've described bits elsewhere in my other blog so I'd be generally going over what I've done before. Only I've given the engine a novie fireman who needs to learn how to use a water crane! Unfortunatly I didn't take a photograph of the represenation of the inner frame which I had painted red (humbrol 60) and washed with black & leather mixed together. The fireirons (which you can get for tank engines...and I didn;t use in my wisdom!) are from springside (and provided by the client) and painted the leather and black mix followed by a dabing of almost driend leather from a cotton bud. Wooden bits such as handles and most of the broom are painted revell 87 (I tell a lie I used a revell painted too!) and washed in the said mix. the cab wasn't provided nor was a crew but the client knows best. If you have any specific questions please don't hestate to ask. Now back to job searching

That's mental man

Well, considering they're near enough finished... a bit pointless. Plus I wanted to waste as little with the kit as possible. It's amazing for a fair bit of weathering can disguse

Oh here are some of the tanker mods I made. I used a dark plastic one for clarity. Some bracing on the supports made from plastic strip, brake connections made from micro strip (found out that this melts which is good… but just be careful with it!) Some brake show retaining rods made from 020†brass rod and bracings made from staples drilled through the top of the chassis which will be hidden by the tank. About it really. Maybe need some new wheels and more weight but they can be done eventually. Thank you

Aww thank you I've wanted to set up a Gothic Rock band which wrote songs about trains