What's on your workbench?

[RDS]

@81F

Moderator Note:

Please be advised that there is no need to add extra carriage returns to your posts. This Forum automatically adds a carriage return when you press Enter. (I usually edit them out from your posts when I have approved your pictures but this time I have left them in so that you can see the additional blank line)

[Rana Temporia]

Just finished restoring the last of these three locos. From left to right the first one is an original Trackmaster loco which just needed the paint touching up a bit and the mechanism lubricating. Work 100% fine. The second and third locos are Tri-ang versions which seem to have used much poorer gloss paint than the Trackmaster satin finish. Both were stripped to bare metal and primed before painting. The first has been painted in high gloss and 1 added to the number. It has then been painted with gloss varnish to protect the transfers. It looks as I suspect the Tri-ang ones did when new, at least that is the intention. The final one is a Neverwazza as the clockwork loco was never produced by either manufacturer in LNER livery but I have used transfers intended to restore a Wrenn loco.

These locos are quite powerful but don’t run for very long. I still need to add the coal to them and fabricate a new brake lever for the middle one which snapped.

[Rana Temporia]

After the serious N2 clockwork locos here is a bit of fun. I recently got two clockwork Thomas locos for next to nothing so used the best bits off both to make a decent one. The other one has a new chimney and dome out of the spares box and a reclaimed Tri-ang clockwork chassis. There is also a clockwork Percy that has been upgraded a while ago to something more realistic with an appropriate outside cylindered Tri-ang chassis. The Thomas needs finishing off and both need lining. All good fun which for me is why I stick with model railways after fifty odd years.

[Fazy]

Banging my head against the wall trying to get the LNWR coach livery right. They’ve been stripped at least 4times one side a 5th it’s getting better but still not perfect and some bits will be redone.

[ellocoloco]

This years projects are nearing completion with the gloss coat today and hopefully decals and a top coat of Railmatch satin going on later in the week. Two on the left are Hornby Electrotren.

[81F]

Currently a Bachmann BR cattle wagon awaiting a short length of wire to replace one of the bars that fell off.

I have about a dozen of these and at least half dropped one of these rails when removed from the box - always the one to the left of the doors. - anyone elso noticed this?

[81F]

Just cleaning up a rake of maroon Mk1s and trying to reinstate the original; type wheels

[ellocoloco]

Alongside the Electrotren locos I've recently repainted - in the Int'l section - I've finished off a repaint of a Roco AVE loco into RENFE 319.409.

It matches 319.408 and (I think) stands up well against 319.402 which is an original Roco.

[Fazy]

Very nice work there ellicoloco,

[ellocoloco]

Thanks Fazy,

I have also just finished my last project for this year. Repainting a diecast ESU HO scale Class 66 into GBRf 66783 'Biffa'. This model has all the toys - sound, smoke, braking sparks, sprung buffers and is pretty much the most advanced model I have. Paint was from Railmatch, Humbrol and Rainbow Railways. Decals from Railtec. I am quite happy with how it turned and may look for another to do next year.

This is my third HO scale Class 66 having previously repainted Mehano models into GBRf 66789 and DRS 66301.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the OO/HO difference, here is Biffa next to my Hornby Capt. Tom.

[VESPA]

Nearly finished 9 Gresley Teaks from the Raiload range. All have had 3 coats of wash Citadel Seraphim Sepia. This was applied with a soft brush of high quality. It needed time to dry thoroughly between coats (about 2 hours for a safe guess) Failure to let it dry resulted in it coming off in the second coat. Then I applied two coats of Humbrol Gloss varnish to seal it. All the lettering is still fully legible but subdued. The newer coaches ie China made gave better results but all look fine. The chassis needs to be a brown directly under the bodywork so I chose Humbrol Leather as it looked closest to me, to the latest Hornby 6 wheeler chassis. All the wheels were changed to 14.1mm Hornby disc of which I had enough old stock except for one coach. This is the most expensive part of the job as for some reason they have jumped in price from £6.99 to £20 (daylight robbery). I also had to get a set of Gresley bogies (without wheels) for one £8 and a spare chassis £5.90 for another. The 9 coaches were all 2nd hand at £70 inc p+p, paints around £17 and wheels were £20 having already stockpiled 30 at £21. Each wheel centre was painted with "leather"matt Humbrol, the same as the chassis sides. I decided to avoid whitewalling the tyres as it takes forever.

New Railroad coaches are now about £23 each so would have cost £207 plus wheels £80 and paints £17 total approx. The new Gresley's if available would be nearer £70 each or 9 @ £560. Yes, I know the new coaches are superb but my wallet is not that big.

Tips. If you get newer stock be carful around the windows as the stain is hard to get off when dry. On old stock (Margate UK Made) make sure that the coaches have Gresley bogies and NOT BR type. The older stock have windows that are a removable one piece part, where as China made are glued into the body. I will try to get pics loaded at some point of an individual coach.

edit.... I remembered tthat one coach had black plastic ends. These were painted with the "leather" and a small dab of a darker brown until I thought it looked OK then the stain and varnish.

[Going Spare]

Do the 14.1mm wheels run without the flanges rubbing on the coach underframes or did you shim the bogie pivot posts? Does the 0.75mm increase in coupling height cause any problems running with other stock?

[VESPA]

Hello GS, no they run fine. I am getting a treat for Christmas of the Dynomomter car, so that will have the later coupling. I may also have that in had if necessary with a mod.

[Bulleidboy]

Pictures Vespa??

[Sams Boy]

For repainting hornby teak effect, this may be of use…..

https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=51755

and this……

https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/teak

I have tried the first method. A steady hand is required. Not Gresley but Thompson coaches.

[VESPA]

Here are a few quick phone taken photos............

[ColinB]

I am currently fixing Hornby Royal Scot/Patriot loco. This one has the infamous Mazak rot where the post that holds the motor clamp to the chassis shears off. Not a big fix just buy a new chassis and move things over. The thing that fascinates me about this loco is how badly it is designed. Why go with that over complicated cantilever clamp when they could have stuck with the same system they use on the A1/A3/A4 and Duchess locos. It would even be cheaper as it uses less metal. Even without the rot the post is not really big enough especially as it is cast. Then they clamp it with a self tapping screw which is not a good idea. I normally thread the post with a M2 thread which makes for a much more reliable clamp. Also with the DCC socket in the loco Hornby didn't allow enough clearance to get the chassis in and out easily without breaking things off, as the DCC socket is slightly wider than the gap.

[RDS]

Sorry, may be sent a few times as I forgot about approval.

 

 

@VESPA

I approved your pictures because at first glance they are different.

But on second glance - not all are different!

I can delete the duplicates if you wish, or you can do it?

[Bulleidboy]

They look very good - a lot better than what you started with. Well done.

[VESPA]

RDS, thank you I have deleted the 2nd lot as the first showed a bogie and new 14.1mm painted wheels.

[VESPA]

I am now pondering removing the goalpost couplings and replacing with finer ones. It may not be done initially on these coaches as it may be a mistake.

[81F]

Very nice Vespa, I might do the same with mine once I've found the sepia wash. Do the larger wheels affect the coupling or body height noticeably?

[ModelerXYZ]

Couple of Triang coaches that need new wheels and upgraded couplings.

XYZ

[threelink]

A mixed box of Triang power bogies - Hymek, Transcontinental and EM2 - and |I do mean mixed. None are complete, some are Frankensteins made from a mixture of Hymek and Trancontinental parts, and all need a lot of TLC. The only way forward is to dismantle the lot, sort all the parts and see what can be made.

[VESPA]

I have left the Gresley teaks to one side to concentrate on my breakdown train. There are a few things I am considering to do with them, such as new roof vents and coupling change. The revived project, consists of a Bachmann Ransomes Rapier steam crane, a Bachmann plate wagon for extras, a Hornby red engineers van, a Dapol banana van sprayed red and lettered as a tool van with suitable numbers and a Dapol ex LMS Brake coach sprayed red and lettered and numbered. Some windows are sprayed over to look as if plated and some small ones white, where light and privacy is required. I need to add a 16T coal wagon for coal in the steam and am pondering adding a water tanker to supply the crane. That may be red or black with modifications. I started this project 2 years ago and lost interest. I was totally lost with the numbering so decided they were having ficticious numbers. All tranfers were from Cambridge Custom Transfers and are extremely fine and delicate. It took a bit of practice to get them together, as numbers are 3 small sets of 3 eg ADE 565 681 as ADE565681. Getting them level as a row was difficult and then lining the start of another transfer above or below evenly spaced with a 3rd row.

Tool Van

DE515313

Em

I am going to try rusting up several parts of the wagons and coach.

Although there is a reasonable amount of photo reference, no two things are the same in many instances or not available RTR as breakdown trains, so it's a case of do what you want until you are happy with what the outcome is.