Westies Work Bench

[Tony West]

After lurking in the dark and murky recess's of this forum for a while it seems only right to show some of the sins Ive commited in the name of model making !.
The victim subject of this first foray is a 7mm GCR 9N coronation tank, bought cheaply at Telford in 2011. Its only virtue ..apart from the price was an ABC gearbox.
Anyway the superstructure was given a nice soothing bath in thinners....the black paint did as it was bid but not the primer !. It had to be removed with rotary wire brushes.
Early on I had decided that the framing either side of the smokebox would need replacing as the sloping section just in front of the water tanks was not right ...it was at this point that I began to realise that whoever had originally built it hadnt used a soldering iron that was hot enough for the job.....one tug and the boiler fell apart in my hands!.

Another decision was to model no450, the only one to receive a side window cab in GC days...so guess which one didnt have its photo taken in GC days ??!. Thankfully a photo was found of 450 at Nottingham vic in 1923, in LNE livery but with all its GC fittings .

GC chimney and dome were sourced from meteor models, the top feed and tall type ross pop valves from Gladiator . An attempt was made to represent the 'Reliostop' equipment that was fitted to this loco ( the gubbins by the cab steps).

Transfers !, the crests are by fox, the lettering is by Steam'n'things and the lining by Pressfix.
The astute amongst you will have spotted that the lining is far from complete, this is due to being lacking in talent...and poor !!.
So there we are nothing special, never win a prize but I like it !.
Cheers Tony.

 

[mickoo]

That's a rather handsome lady, Robinson certainly had a flair for flowing lines and simplicity in his designs, must confess to more than a partial passing interest in GC locos, the 9K for instance and the 9N but prefer them in lined BR black myself.

 

[28ten]

Thats very nice the lining ok looks from here

 

[Steph Dale]

Tony,

I assume this was an MSC or Meteor kit orginally (milled chassis?). And yes, like Mick and Cynric I too have a soft spot for GCR locos. One of the interlopers on our BR(S) layout will a be a D11, 'Prince Albert, prototypically on railtour duty...

Steph

 

[Tony West]

Many thanks chaps !!, always nice to have a compliment from proper modellers !!.
Steph, yes it is the old MSC/Meteor kit. Still got to finish the cab detailing but I am pleased with the result, anyway a few more photos ....and one of my 11D...from which the Directors were developed.
Cheers Tony.

 

[marsa69]

What he said

 

[Tony West]

Way off my radar, no idea what these locos are, and not sure my compliment will count (re "proper" modellers!!) but they look very smart indeed.
It always seems a pity that the real Pre-Grouping Railways were generally only photographed in black'n'white...

Jordan !...you are indeed a 'proper' modeller and without your input this forum would be a far less interesting place!!!.
To be honest scraping up the nerve to put a first posting together has not been helped by the ultra high standards of certain members but then I believe we all have a valid contribution to make, we cant all be Stan Beesons!!.
Cheers Tony.

 

[28ten]

Jordan !...you are indeed a 'proper' modeller and without your input this forum would be a far less interesting place!!!.
To be honest scraping up the nerve to put a first posting together has not been helped by the ultra high standards of certain members but then I believe we all have a valid contribution to make, we cant all be Stan Beesons!!.
Cheers Tony.

Amen to that
it looks as if you have got a good paint finish there, and it looks like proper modelling to me, when you have a messy bench covered in bits

 

[Tony West]

You should have seen it before I tidied it !!!..
The paint finish is basically a lot of prepping mainly with rotary wire brushes, its amazing how many bits of stray soldering etc come to light ! the main colour is Halfords acrylic , black is the good old humbrol 85 and the valance red a 30+ year old tin of Precision . The black and red are applied by brush. After applying transfers I seal the whole lot in with citadel purity seal satin acrylic laquer, simple straightforward and it works for me !.
Cheers Tony.

 

[mickoo]

Way off my radar, no idea what these locos are, and not sure my compliment will count (re "proper" modellers!!) but they look very smart indeed.
It always seems a pity that the real Pre-Grouping Railways were generally only photographed in black'n'white...

A lack of (affordable?) colour film might be a contributing factor towards that

 

[Rob Pulham]

They look mighty fine to me Tony.

 

[Tony West]

Many thanks for that Rob !!.
Currently going through an LNW phase !!, just going through the paintshop is a Webb 5ft 6 passenger tank. A rescue jobbie from fleabay....will I ever learn ??...the usual strippin, straightenin, replacin'n' paintin !!. It 'will' emerge as No 1468, an 1897 built loco in pre 1903 condition , that is no coal rails and no centre lamp sockets...all good fun !.
Cheers Tony.

 

[Tony West]

When I first got dragged towards the darkside my friend Simon kindly donated some goods stock, the only condition was that when I was finished with them , back they would go !.
Now then Simon has a 'certain' attitude towards what he considers fine details......he doesnt bother !. They arrived assembled and 'painted'....... the brake van had no handrails and the cattle van had 'reverse action' brakes and no safety loops !. In fact he went a little quiet when I mentioned that I was going to repaint them.......I havent mentioned the corrections ...yet !. So it turned into a painting and weathering exercise.
Having taken some photos I now see some details that I forgot to add...Doh!!!...always the way !.
Comments and suggestions are (cautiously) welcomed .

 

[dibateg]

Nice to see another Great Central man, and the11D 440, what an elegant loco that is.

The loco's look very tidy, nice work.

Regards

Tony

 

[Tony West]

Thanks for that Tony and yes , not many of us'poggy' men around !!.
Cheers Tony.

 

[john lewsey]

Hi Tony I like the wagons I've done the diag 33 & the diag 32 in two tone grey but need to do some in one colour

 

[Tony West]

Over the Xmas hols I decided to build a couple of JLTRT GCR D12 vans....a nice simple quick project !!.
What should have been an unremarkable story of two unremarkable vans was made a little more interesting by 'our Pete' marketing a kit that will not build into the basic unfitted or either of the fitted versions but will only produce a fictitious hybrid .
There is also a further caveat......I set out to install compensated brass W irons and only discovered that unlike every other wagon that Ive dealt with sofar...the moulded floor is not above the solebars but between them !!....and guess who found out the hard way !.
Anyway I had to purchase a couple of sets of Haywoods GC buffers and some Ambis etched crown plates to complete them , as although two types of buffers were included ...both were for fitted versions also the moulding for the solebars/ floor was for the fitted version ( flitch plated solebars)....but the brakes and (grease)axleboxes are for the unfitted version....you even get an extra set of springs for ....yes the fitted version !!!.
I should point out that whilst moaning about this (me!?) on the GCRS forum a certain member of this parish sent me a photo of the solebars supplied in his kit ...the correct wooden type !...typically the day after I had installed the Ambis etched crown plates .
Cheers Tony.

 

[Dog Star]

I should point out that whilst moaning about this (me!?) on the GCRS forum a certain member of this parish sent me a photo of the solebars supplied in his kit ...the correct wooden type...

So apart from you, me, Adrian M... there is another WTer with a GCR-anorak?

 

[Tony West]

Hmmmm, possibly ! but my discretion was assured with half a pkt of unused spangles !!.
No in this instance you need to look a little nearer to home ...possibly hiding behind Sid Snot's statue.

 

[Tony West]

Right then a few photos showing the building of a couple of GCR open carriage trucks in 7mm, these being the latest offering from S&T wagonworks ( for sale on the GCRS stand at Kettering tomorrow!!). QRM now have an add on kit which provide all the missing bits plus many detailing parts to enhance them.
Cheers Tony