What's on your workbench?

[atom3624]

Going through another 'Stanier moment' and pulled out my old Duchess of Sutherland - another of my favourites despite not being the newest kid on the block - super smooth and fast enough with it.

 

Front bogie wheels were locking, which turned out, after checking, then I decided to remove clean, dab of oil again, to be the B2B - was too tight, and was binding - easily resolved.

 

I set it going, then saw the speedo cable was broken!!

(They're not easily replaced!)

I've a couple of these spare 'for a rainy day', which it wasn't, but nevertheless ... tried being impatient and fitting with Superglue - not strong enough ....

Ended up with the 2-pack Araldite again, curing over time, on a radiator for a bit, in the sunshine ... 2 days later ... all seemed good and very solid.

 

Being new, straight and VERY springy, I started by bending in the correct direction before replacing the body, then a bit more ... then thought I'd go for it ...

2 days later and still holding strong - success!

I did have to 'gently tweak' the shape in-situ - bit of a risk - but to ensure it didn't catch.

That's 'all good'.

 

6233 DoS is running extremely well, as expected, again.

 

Al.

[Puffed Out]

I haven't got a bench, so to speak.  But I have a very, very large amount of track that needs cleaning and sorting.

Some is new, and the rest range from extremey good, to beyond repair. I need to sort out some Peco track from what is mostly Hornby, and wlll be using my magnet for the steel variety. There are also some Austrian made track pieces.

I have also some Southern Rail coaches that need a clean, along side some Red and Cream items.  Tobbaco smoke is not my idea of weathering. There are also some couplings that need replacing, and some hooks need straightening.

So it's more like housekeeping rather anything really major.

The only major thing has been farmed out to someone elses workbench, that being my minor troublesome Princess Albert of Connaught Loco. (This has been partialy covered in another thread). 

/

[96RAF]

Just finished a Metcalfe single road engine shed. Here it is being tried for size on the layout.

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[81F]

 Just respraying two coaches Malachite green. The first was a formally olive Hornby Maunsel Resturant car while the second was a Lima LMS Mk1 BSK.

 

I have just one query with the latter, would this have been carried on B2 bogies when in BR Southern Green or would I be better off using one of the earlier type of Mk1 bogie?

[96RAF]

Ordered up some components last evening to make bus snubbers and some single sided copper clad boards to make track board rail joints and they turned up today.

 

My 8-way solid state relay panel that will replace my oversized car relay points panel is due from China by end on May, so plenty of time to plan where on track I will hide those. If they work well then I will order up some more, as I need to replace 32 relays.

[The Duke 71000]

The infamous Hornby 4VEP !

Many modellers on this website, are I'm sure, aware that Hornby had a few problems with this model.  Exactly why the model reached the shops with so many design faults, I really wouldn't like to guess. Whatever it did, and certainly most EMU fans quickly noticed the worst mistakes.

The main faults.

These were that the compartment internal wall in the Driving Trailer Composites (x2) was missing the internal windows and doors. So you couldn't see through this part of these two vehicles. The next problem was that the motor bogie mechanism had been installed the wrong way around in the Motor Brake Second (MBS) coach, so it was highly visible in the open saloon area instead of being hidden in the brake van/Guards area. Other smaller faults included curtains in windows next to gangway doors that didn't in reality have curtains as they would have been quickly damaged. And the cab interior had been modelled in the condition it is in, only when units are coupled together, so you couldn't see light through the cab). The headcode panel although illuminated came with stickers designed to go on the outside of the perspex, not inside.

All this resulted in slow sales of the model. However this opened up a little opportunity for me, as I strolled into that nice model shop on the Dorset/Devon border called "Buffers", and was as usual entertained by the nice ladies with the offer of a cup of tea. Whilst sipping the tea, I noticed they had a stack of these 4VEP sets on a shelf, and one of the ladies admitted they weren't selling too well due to a few "design faults". To cut a long story short, I bought a set for a reasonable price in view of the problems, the biggest of which I had noticed immediately as I used to drive these units many years ago. As I need one of the original 20 units (7701-7720) in original blue livery for my layout Basingstoke (1958-67), one of these went in the car. I therefore ensured like every good 4VEP it could still do a steady 90mph down the French motorway back to Spain !

When I finally got around to this model I dismantled the whole unit down to its component parts. In addition to the design faults already mentioned there are a few other items I wasn't keen on. You'll see from the photos below many of the modifications I made:

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Above: The Driving Cabs of the DTC vehicles as seen, were stripped out to correct the interior to the way it should be when the unit is NOT coupled to another set. As these units on the Bournemouth line from 1967, operated the Waterloo-Bournemouth hourly stopping service, normally as just one 4 car set. Especially on Saturdays which is the day I specifically model. This required removal of some cab internal wall sections, a new floor to remount all the parts to be retained, and new underfloor parts to shield the flexi-coupling mechanism from interference from the above floor, as seen glued to the black chassis. Note also that the internal drivers cab door has acquired the missing window, as has the door through to the compartment saloon behind it.   

 

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Above: Stage 2 of the DTC vehicles reconstruction, required the missing windows in the first class corridor internal wall section to be marked out. Then the corners drilled out to provide a starting point for the scalpel used to cut out the windows, here seen partially complete.

 

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Above: Having completed the window removal the DTC has been re-assembled and you can now clearly see through the first class section, just as it should be, and makes the coach look more interesting. The one odd thing about this and certain other internal walls, was that they were actually covered in an almost white Formica, which certainly helps brighten up this section internally.

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Above: Moving now to the central Motor Brake Second (MBS), and having first dismantled this vehicle. Careful study of all the part revealed that the this coach had in fact been partially designed for the mechanism to be hidden in the brake area, but other parts had been moulded for it to go the wrong way around. As a result of this confusion it actually meant it would not be so difficult to put the motor where it would best be hidden, in the large brake van area. There was another mistake here involving another internal wall, which in real life is just a floor to ceiling mess cage. I simply removed that wall and much of the Brakevan floor to make way for the chassis to be reversed and provide the necessary space for the mechanism. The partial hole now left in the saloon seating area, required the most awkward bit of work. That of building new matching seating to fill in the two missing seating bays. Another problem was the interior seating colour. In the real units the first class seating was almost black. but having painted the seating in that area black it make the compartment interior so dark you couldn't see a thing. So I decided to make it Blue which had been the usual 1st class seating colour in virtually all earlier stock. This unfortunately meant I couldn't keep the blue colour in the second class areas, even though it was the correct colour. Red another option looked to garish, so brown has had to surfice. Not that it shows up in the re-assembled vehicle. To help lighten all the interiors I also painted the interior of all the roofs gloss white, which helps. 

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Above: The MBS now reassembled, with seats where seats should be, and note the small window to the left of the Guards door has lost that incorrect curtain.   

 

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Above: A final shot revealing the cab front. Both cab fronts are now fitted with Kadee Buckeye couplings, which can be automatically uncoupled using hidden under track fixed magnets or electro-magnets. These couplings although an American product are virtually identical to the real couplings all British Rail Post 1951 Southern EMU's were fitted with. The headcode panel problems were also rectified and a correct 93 (Waterloo-Bournemouth stopping service) internal headcode provided. The vehicles within the set had the original overlong plastic couplings cut shorter, and brass hook & eyes fitted to the remaining stubs. As real Southern units couldn't be uncoupled within a set in service, the hook and eyes ensure vehicles are set up in the right order, and can't become uncoupled whilst working on the layout. The shorter length also ensures the corridor connections actually touch. I can do this to virtually all my stock, as my minimum radius curve is a far more realistic 5ft radius.

The Duke 71000           

[The Duke 71000]

Signals - MAS (Multi-Aspect Signals).

On the workbench, and shown below are some of the Colour light signals necessary for my exhibition layout Basingstoke 1958-67. There will be around 75 colour light signals and about 25 semaphores. All my signals are copies of the signals found at the real life locations around Basingstoke in 1964-66. They are not just functional but work exactly as per their real life counterparts using track circuits to interlock them with relevant points, other signals and the AWS system. This is all part of the TCC (Track Circuit Control) wiring system used on this layout. 

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Above: Signal WJ3 (Worting Junction No 3) a 3 aspect controlled signal, with "Feather" lights in Position 4. This signal is positioned on the Up Southampton line approaching Worting Junction, and controlled by that signal box. As seen it can allow trains to proceed onto the 4 track section Up Slow line if showing a yellow or green. If the finger of 5 white lights is also illuminated with either a yellow or green, it tells the Driver he will be turning right onto the now parallel Up Fast track towards Basingstoke a mile or so ahead. The model is an Eckon 3 aspect signal kit, with the right hand junction "Feathers" accessory added, illuminated by 1.5v 2mm LED's . Also important is the signal number plate which only shows a signal number, no underlining or additional words, meaning the signal is a "Controlled" type. Below the number plate is a white diamond. This means that Section K (trains detained at signals) of the BR Rule book is modified from "Contact signalman within 2 minutes" to "Within 8 minutes". At the bottom of the mast is the necessary telephone to contact the signalman marked by a black X on a white background.  

/media/tinymce_upload/6bcf98f3fe46370822f2a59d0da05a1a.jpg              Above: Under construction on the workbench can be seen two scratchbuilt signal gantries, one almost complete and the other under construction revealing these gantries are made in plasticard with 0.4mm brass wire for the handrails, and Model Signal Engineering (MSE) scale brass ladders. The 4 track line through Basingstoke is laid out Up Slow - Up Fast - Down Fast - Down Slow, so gantries not available commercially must be scratchbuilt for this layout. 

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Above: The almost complete pair of signals (BA5 & BA6 Basingstoke "A" Box Nos 5 & 6) seen in the previous photo are now in the process of having their wiring added. For these gantry signals I only need to buy Eckons 3 aspect signal heads. Adding the wiring can take a couple of hours, as each wire is carefully superglued to keep each wire straight and parallel to its neighbour. When all the wires are installed (8 wires for these two signals) then I spray paint them in Halfords primer grey to match the mast, and they become virtually invisible. The wires are long enough to reach down the gantry and through 5mm of cork and the 12mm Marine Plywood Baseboard decking. Beneath I connect the wires into a "chocolate block" screw terminal. 

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Above: Signals HK1 & HK2 (Hook station signalbox Nos 1 & 2). This pair of signals will be positioned on the Up Slow & Up Fast lines approaching Hook Station. Signal HK2 has a junction "Feather" in position 1. This signal controls the Up Fast, but there is a crossover to allow fast trains to cross to the slow line if they are booked to call at Hook. By my era (1958-67) the island platform for the fast lines had been closed and taken out of use, so fast trains in either direction were provided with crossovers to access the slow line platforms and if necessary cross back to the Fast lines when they departed. This is still the situation today at Hook !  

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Above: Here we have signal BA3 (Basingstoke "A" box No 3), which is being test fitted on the London end of Platform 2 (the Down slow platform). This platform has a facility to reverse trains coming from London, so when they are to return in the "Up" direction this signal acts as the platform starter. Because of the complex pointwork at the London end of the station this 3 aspect Eckon signal required some additional scratchbuilt parts. The main item on top of the signal is known as a "Theatre" box, because it can display in this case a number of letters, for various routes. When a route is set up, and the signal cleared by the signalman, it will display a yellow or green on the main signal head, and in addition either a letter "M" for Up Main/fast, or "S" for Up Slow. However beneath the main signal head is a smaller triangular little signal with just 2 white lights. This little signal can illuminate only when the main signal red is displayed. It then allows a train in the platform to proceeed to the carriage sidings, and a letter "C" in the box on the top of the signal will also be shown, or if the route is set for a shunt movement to the East Sidings a letter "E" will also be displayed in the box above. This is the most complicated signal on the layout as it has to be interlocked with six other signals, 12 points, through 18 relays.

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Above: Probably the most complex looking set of signals on the layout, but not the most complex to wire up, are the signals (BA1 & BA2) on this scratchbuit gantry.  BA1 controls trains leaving the Up slow platform nearest, and BA2 the Up Fast platform behind. (The platforms have yet to have their surface finishing applied). Leaving the Up slow platform trains can continue straight ahead on the Up Slow, turn left onto the Western Region line to Reading, or turn right and cross to the parallel Up Fast, hence the two Feathers on top of this signal. They can also go to the carriage sidings, which is controlled by the little triangular signal next to the main one. Leaving the Up Fast platform trains can continue straight ahead on the Up Fast for London, turn 1st left to cross to the Up Slow or turn 2nd left and continue across to the line to Reading. The shunting signal necessary to go to the carriage sidings was unusually in this situation positioned on the ground, (not on the gantry) and is not included in this picture, but will be seen below. 

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Above: Last but not least, is this recently (last couple of years) produced product by "Train Tech". This being a model of the classic BR colour light shunting signal. It is cleverly made so that it can be wired for the pre 1985 version with a red & white stop aspect, or the post 1985 double red stop aspect. It was also very reasonable at around £5.50. It comes as a simple kit with just 5 clip together parts. I glued mine together and also added the white plastic part to help protect the head from being broken off if a locomotive crashes into it. It requires a 10mm diameter hole in the baseboard and then plug fits. The 0.8mm LED's on this model are also perfect, bright enough to be seen in an exhibition hall, but not so bright that they look like searchlights.

In real life all these colour light signal types, when used on passenger carrying lines work to what is known as "Track Circuit Block rules". In other words if you don't have "track circuits" on your layout it is impossible to get them to work exactly as their real life counter-parts do. Food for thought !!!  

 

The Duke 71000    

[matt_mcnulty]

Three things on my workbench currently. 

Just finishing a kit built windmill, modified to be working and powered and controlled via DCC - Thats coming together nicely. 

I'm in the process of upgrading a horny autocoach to elctrify it - this started as a project simply to add more pickups to supply power to the accompanying DJ Models 14xx, which seems to have power problems on bends, but then looked like a missed opportunity, so i've added pick up springs, painted the inside of the autocoach, added some passengers and connected lighting.  All I havent done yet is the original reason for starting - connect the power to the loco.  Funny how priorities change. 

Third project is building a new modular control panel that can feed both my 00 gauge DCC layout and an ambition for a dc 009 layout.  Thats got to empty wooden box stage so far.  Could be a while... 

[The Duke 71000]

What's next on "What's on your workbench" ?

In the last couple of days I have covered "Curing the Hornby 4VEP faults" &

"Scratchbuilt colour light signals" both with pictures (see previous posts).

Now I have a few more items ready:

"Converting a Hornby N15 King Arthur into an H15". (The Mixed traffic version of the King Arthur) which is a fairly simple conversion with pictures.

 

"Converting a Maunsell 2 cylinder N class 2-6-0 into the 3 cylinder U1 larger wheeled type" which is a more complex rebuild, again with pictures.

 

"Super-detailing a BR Standard class 4 2-6-0" (DJH kit with coreless motor) including flexible loco-tender screens.

 

Hornby GWR Halls both railroad range and normal items and super-detailing both including a working fall plate !

 

LSWR/SR/BR "Gate stock" (DJ Models) correcting faults and further improvements.

 

Converting a Bachmann Bulleid coach into a Bulleid Corridor 1st (FK).

 

Converting Bachmann Bulleids into the Bulleid Restaurant Buffet (RB).

 

Converting Bachmann Bulleids into the Restaurant Composite Open (RCO)dining car. 

 

Upgrading the Hornby King Arthurs: added weight for improved pulling power, simplifying the wiring to reduce problems and allowing for simpler loco wheel cleaning (for non DCC fans).   

 

Any preferences anyone ?

The Duke 71000

[cowolter]

Converting a Bachmann Southern Pacific GS-4 into a GS-6. Already cut off the skirts, built new pilot steps, now to finish putting it all back together and then get started on detailing and paint.

[The Duke 71000]

Converting Coaching Stock.

The problem of coaching stock for my huge exhibition layout is that I need to re-create complete scale length 10-13 coach express trains, in addition to semi-fast formations (5-8 coaches) and locals (2-4 coaches).

 

One of the main reasons for choosing to model Basingstoke on the South Western 4 track mainline from Waterloo to the West Country during the last ten years of steam (1958-67), is because this location in that era had the greatest diversity of trains anywhere in Britain. A sort of modellers paradise, especially on Summer Saturdays, the day chosen to specifically model.

 

In addition to the vast numbers of Southern Expresses, Ocean Liner Expresses, Isle of Wight Boat trains; Semi-fasts and Locals. There was the Inter-regional line from Reading that brought a host of regular expresses from other parts of Britain, in addition to the numerous “Merrymakers” “Bucket & Spade” specials and even the “Glasgow fortnight specials”. Virtually all of them heading to the South Coast resorts in the days before the “Overseas package holiday”.  These “other regions” trains brought coaching stock from all these other regions. Ex Great Western Collett & Hawksworth types intermingled with trains formed of ex LMS Stanier & Fowler stock and even ex LNER Gresley & Thompson types. All the types mentioned are modelled to a greater or lesser extent. There are however one or two holes !

 

When copying full length real train formations of this era, there were far more types of coaching stock than today. Particularly catering vehicles and Dining cars, all of which are needed for the layout. There are also a host of rules covering train formations in my era, as two types of coupling and two types of corridor connection existed, in addition to different sizes and widths of coaches, some of which were banned from the Southern Region.

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 Above: The easy bit. For Bournemouth special 6-set No 805, is this modified Bachmann Mk 1 Tourist Second Open (TSO) resprayed in the correct Southern shade of green, and renumbered S3846 which was the number carried by the Mk1 in this unique set. Also modified is the Bachmann brake hose type coupling, so corridor connections now touch. 

Train formations. 

The Southern Regions own locomotive hauled passenger trains were formed in a different way to all the other Regions. The Southern had “multiple units” on the brain, and so it operated the vast majority of its passenger coaches in “fixed set” formations of anything from 2 to 12 coaches. Each set had its “Set Numbers” painted on the outer ends of the set.

 

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Above: Set 805: One of the two Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon (BRCW) built Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Seconds S4229S needed each end of this Bournemouth Special 6-set. Note the vertical welded panel lines on the bodyside a feature of these BRCW built Bulleids. This has "Wizard Models" etched brass sides, white metal ends, new scratchbuilt roof and underfloor detail, along with a reorganised Bachmann interior on a donor Bachmann Bulleid chassis. Note the Kadee Buckeye magnetic coupling on the brake end.   

 

For example a typical express from London Waterloo to Bournemouth, Swanage & Weymouth, would be made up of at least three “Sets”. At the front could be a 4 car Maunsell “Set” for Weymouth, made up of Brake Second Corridor (BSK); a First Corridor (FK); a Second Corridor (SK) and another Brake Second Corridor (BSK). Then would come a (Maunsell) 2-car “Set” for Swanage most likely made up of a Brake Second Corridor (BSK), and a Brake Composite Corridor (BCK). Following this would be the 6-car portion going to Bournemouth West, typically formed of a “Bulleid Bournemouth 6-set” (one of Set Nos 290-300). These were unusual in having catering vehicles permanently included in the set. All these 6-sets were formed: Semi-Open Brake Second (SOBS); Composite Corridor (CK); Restaurant First Open Dining (RFO); Restaurant Buffet Kitchen (RBK); Second Open (SO); and finally another Semi-Open Brake Second (SOBS).

  

This train would roar down the line to Bournemouth stopping only at Southampton Central to quench the thirst of the Bulleid Pacific, before continuing non-stop to Bournemouth Central, where the train would divide. Leaving the “6-set” behind, the Pacific would then continue with the front 6 to Wareham, where it would leave the 2-car set for Swanage behind. Finally continuing to Weymouth with the remaining 4-car set. The 6-set left at Bournemouth would find itself a loco coming from the adjacent loco shed, which would haul the 6-set around the corner to Bournemouth West Terminus. Down at Wareham, the 2-car set left there, would be attached to the regular branch train by the little M7 branch tank loco, and then poodle down the branch to Swanage.

 

Train operation in the steam era was itself an intriguing and complex game of chess. So train formations as exampled means all the right types of coach models are required. The “Bulleid Bournemouth 6-sets” Nos 290-300 already mentioned are not available in model form. They cannot be made up from any of the Bulleid models currently produced or any promised for production in the future. The reason being that these sets had one visual difference from all the regular Bulleid coaches, and this was that they had “skirts”. These sets were an important part of the daily scene on the Bournemouth line, and I need a set. The solution is of course to make my own, which is where “converting coaching stock” provides the answer.

Set 805 ! 

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Above: Set 805 Bulleid First Corridor (FK) S7622S almost complete on the workbench. This model also utilises Wizard Models etched brass sides, a re-organised Bachmann interior (wider compartments) and a total interior and exterior paint. Note the blue first class compartment window transfers, and blue first class seating.

   

Having a large library of reference material to draw on also helps. And in my old British Railways Carriage Working Notices Appendices (CWNA) I discovered that the 11 x “Bournemouth 6-sets” (290-300) were insufficient, for the services operated on Summer Saturdays. So another set  (805) had been formed using a pair of converted “Tavern Cars” from the Exeter line, a Bullied First Corridor, two BRCW built Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Seconds and a BR Mk1 Tourist Second Open (TSO). Ah ha, so first to tick off the list is a BR Mk1 TSO, and either Hornby or Bachmann can provide this. The other 5 vehicles would have to be built by converting Bachmann Bulleid models. (The new Hornby Bulleids are the “59ft Bulleid shorties” and as such too short). To help with the conversions a specialist kit manufacturer called “Comet Coaches” now part of “Wizard Models” have supplied all the other 5 vehicles in the form of new etched brass sides, white metal coach ends, roof vents and one or two other parts. So I simply began by hacking up 5 Bachmann Bulleid body shells. The sides and ends were dumped. The roofs sanded clean of plastic roof vents to allow for the new arrangements. And a lot of the underfloor gear removed to make way for more new arrangements. The Restaurant Buffet Kitchen (RBK) also needed a new scratchbuilt interior, as did the Restaurant Composite Open.

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Above: Set 805 Bulleid Restaurant Composite Open (RCO) S7838S originally built as "Tavern Cars". This conversion includes new etched brass sides (Note these coaches had extended skirts which hid the chassis). New scratchbuilt interior including the table lamps & curtains, new roof equipment, and new corridor connections.      

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Above: Set 805: The Bulleid Restaurant Buffet Kitchen (RBK) S7897S during construction. This model actually uses a chassis, bogies & basic roof from a now defunct plastic coach kit manufacturer. However Wizard Models etched brass sides, ends, & roof vents have been added. Interior and complex underfloor gear are scratchbuilt including the large gas tanks for the kitchen cooking range.  

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Above; Set 805, and the other side of the Bulleid RKB now nearly complete. Like the RCO these coaches also had extended bodyside "skirts", giving them a distinctive appearance.

Set 805 formation

S4229S BRCW built Semi-Open Brake Second (SOBS)

S7622S First Corridor (FK)

S7897S Restaurant Kitchen Buffet (RKB)

S7838S Restaurant Composite Open (RCO)

S3846 BR Mk1 Tourist Second Open (TSO)

S4230S BRCW built Semi-Open Brake Second (SOBS)

In traffic 6/58 to 5/67

The Duke 71000     

[37lover]

Duke,

Apologies but your posts are too long for me. I am sure there's some interesting stuff in them.

[Chrissaf]

Ditto ... me too.

.

I need to see some paragraph gaps to give my brain a chance to rest when reading it. Individual separate paras mean that my brain can take the information in ... in chunks. These long unbroken reams of text just switch me off ... sorry. I start reading, then just switch off having lost the 'will to live' less than half way through.

.

This comment is meant to be taken constructively, it is not derogatory.

[The Duke 71000]

Ditto ... me too.

.

I need to see some paragraph gaps to give my brain a chance to rest when reading it. Individual separate paras mean that my brain can take the information in ... in chunks. These long unbroken reams of text just switch me off ... sorry. I start reading, then just switch off having lost the 'will to live' less than half way through.

.

This comment is meant to be taken constructively, it is not derogatory.

Chrissaf,

I fully understand what you are saying, but the psychological implications of your comment, is itself supportive of the view by many well educated people that the Internet is the Worlds greatest "dumbing down" tool ever devised. So "sound bite" size sentences are now de rigour because the Human races concentration span is becoming more limited. "Twitter" being a prime example, and even the model railway hobby is not immune. Fair enough, no more intelligent modelling articles. 

The Duke 71000 

  

[walkingthedog]

I can read pages of info in a book or other type of document but not on the internet or a Kindle. 

Perhaps you should publish it in a magazine.  😆

[jane1707819582]

Fair enough, no more intelligent modelling articles. 

The Duke 71000 

  

That would be a real shame Duke .just because Two whinge .some of us have enjoyed your recent contributions .

[96RAF]

The content is interesting. All we are asking for is some white space on the page to make on screen reading easier.

[atom3624]

Just recently purchased a Super Detail Hornby Class 31.

 

It was only after receipt, I realised some of the sanders and sand boxes were missing - were visible on the sale photos, so my problem.

 

A replacement bogie covered that shortfall.

Fitting the sand boxes was easy, the sand feed pipes not quite so ....

After running a while I realised one pipe had been lost ... again!

 

I made one out of wire - shaping was easy, but placement took a little while - seems fine, but being wire I'll have to be careful - the Class 31 is very much a 'low rider' and those sanders and boxes very close to the wheels and rails!

 

Al.

[atom3624]

Sort-of on the bench - in the garage and worked on anyway.

 

I don't have a spraygun, despite having worked on R/C cars for several years - one of those 'always meant to but never got around to' things ... just rattle cans.

 

I had noticed that Humbrol lacquer is very difficult to get right - and had ruined the odd shell in the past.

This I had realised was mainly through viscosity, related to ambient temperature.

 

Matt seemed better than satin, better than gloss - which simply had given a drosting which was horrible and immovable - at the time.

I had tried the Satin during last week, and it was without fault ... so thought I'd bite the bullet, warm up a can in the direct sunlight for perhaps 10 minutes' time, give a really good shake, clean the surface, and test - light spray - perfect!

 

So, I sprayed by Clan Line - what a difference - looks superb!!

Then Britannia and Oliver Cromwell - still absolutely excellent, but there's a VERY fine line between just enough to get that gloss sheen, more akin to Bachmann satin, than real gloss, and stuffing it up - very nearly happened ... quite pleased nevertheless.

 

Al.

[atom3624]

Still pretty hot this evening - showing 25'C outside - when I got home, so gloss lacquer rattle can was returned to the direct sunlight - for 10' only - and R3443 Scottie was prepped - quick brush down, cab top, coal top, and smokebox masked off - rattle can shaken within an inch .... and several relatively light (not very amazingly) coats later, this is the outcome ....

 

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Not the brightest ambient lighting conditions, which would have shown her off better, but the overall effect I think has been superb - VERY pleasant surprise (as I've had a LOT of bad luck with lacquer in the past, but finally figured out where I was stuffing up - paint needs to be >22'C).

 

Al.

[atom3624]

Just received the stainless, blue enamelled nameplates for my Bachmann 44 006 Whernside - subtle difference but looks great - always think decent separate nameplates make a difference, if they've been well prepared and carefully cut.

 

I've continued by using black tack - just an extremely tiny piece, spread across the length of the rear of the plates - no need to cover, just be the full length - holds perfectly, no need to glue.

 

Al.

[Seacommander]

That would be a real shame Duke .just because Two whinge .some of us have enjoyed your recent contributions .

  

I'm with you on this one Jane. The Duke 71000 is to be congratulated rather than negatively commented on for his very interesting and informative contributions; especially, written as they are, in good clear English. If individuals are not keen on his style of presentation there is no need to make negative comments - just move on to something else. The article on the composition of SR trains was especially of interest to me as the grandson of a Top Link driver on the the Southern working in the 1950s and 60s on a daily basis on passenger duties on the Waterloo - Southampton - Bournemouth routes.

 

[Rana Temporia]

I like the Duke's articles just as I liked the ones MR used to put up. Having put up a couple of long ones myself I know it can be a bit frustrating, I assume he's doing it on a PC rather than an iPad Otherwise it would be round and round in circles. 

 

Please keep them coming.

[Rana Temporia]

I have recently been working on one of the BMR diesel shunter kits which should be OK on here as it uses an unmodified Hornby 040 chassis. As a 3D printed kit it wasn't too bad and I really enjoyed it. I just need to fix the roof on now that I've done the glazing. My only regret is using Tamiya paint, it's rubbish! It may be designed for airbrushing, I don't know but using a normal brush it dries way too quickly. I'm sticking to Humbrol and railmatch in future. 

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I have also managed to do some work on the fireless loco conversion I posted on here months ago. It still needs a bit of work but nearly done! I'm not 100% sure all those toolboxes can be justified but they were necessary to hide the Hornby mechanism. 

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[Jimbo1707820979]

Getting a diesel railcar to run properly. Earth wire found poorly connected and wheels with really stubborn deposits. Here the fibreglass pen came in very handy. Glasses worn.

While at it I am fitting crew and passengers and LED strip roof lighting. A pleasant way to pass a couple of 'shielded ' hours.