Having a go - on a budget

[Herb Garden]

Greetings fellow Western Thunderers

Some of you will have been involved in the does anything change thread, which discussed the issues facing new modelers getting in to the hobby.

On of the things that was commented on was that it's pretty daunting even thinking about modifying a £200+ RTR model or building a complex etched kit from the off.

So what we propose here is a selection of 'having a go projects' that don't cost the earth. Hopefully that will provide inspiration to new and old modellers alike to have a go and do something.

Unlike a typical work bench thread this should NOT be the work of one modeller and I would ask all reading this to post some of Thier 'have a go' projects regardless of scale, era or subject all are very much welcome. Please also like to your own workbench thread if appropriate.

So here's a few to kick us off.




The old grafar 9 compartment generic suburban coach a great basis for adding additional details to make an excellent coach out of a very cheap product there's a before and after shot for you.



Here's two budget locos for you. The first being a triang Nellie body on an old Hornby terrier chassis the other buying a yet unfinished angicaniseation of the jouef 0-6-0 starter loco. Both make rather nice industrial style locos.


And finally if you fancy something more prototypical here's a mainline LNER N2 with lots of scratch built detail parts.... this project is where I learnt a lot of my soldering/ scratch building skills.... and now look where. That's got me.

Anyway I hope those wet the appetite and encourage a few more of you to also post some material to inspire others to also have a go!

 

[robertm]

Ok, here’s one I did earlier. It’s a Connoisseur kit which someone had backdated to GER condition. I bought it in auction and worked it back to BR state. Still a few details to add,
Bob

 

[AJC]

I suppose Thomas qualifies - a bit box and eBay body special. Full, somewhat whimsical (even Rice would blush), story here: Scattergun - EM Whimsy, Sodor's No. 1

I suppose I should concoct a couple of carriages for him - he already has a suitable goods brake (though that's an etched kit so not really qualified for this thread) and @Herb Garden's Grafar bash prompts the germ of an idea...

Adam

 

[robertm]

Another one, E4, probably scratch built originally.

 

[jonte]

Certainly not in the Lime Street station league, but made simply from scrap rail and card in the main, with a masking tape roof covering:



jonte

 

[Jordan]

The conversation in the "changes?" thread drifted towards the detailing & repainting of Lima diesels that some (many?) of us did back in the 70s/80s.
So here's "one I did earlier", about 40-ish years ago : - the only photo I have of my favourite loco at the time, a Lima Western done as D1041 Western Prince. I didn't have the heart to weather it to how the real Prince looked circa 1976!!!

I remember it cost £7:00, second hand (hence the scuff under the cab side window)!! Prices to weep for, these days.
Of course with traction tyres & a pancake motor, it didn't run so well. Once I got hold of a flywheel fitted, all-axle drive Athearn loco, I was well on the slippery slope to the true Dark Side, and the end was nigh for my British diesels.
Edit - just noticed I took this photo before it was finished, as I did change the headcode to 1O41, as was done to many of the late-surviving Westerns.

 

[76043]

If we are on old diesel revamps, here is my Hornby Dublo type 1.

First off, gears changed.



New handrails and buffers, filled in screw in the roof.


Full four colour rattle can respray, nothing brush painted.


New ladder.


Finally hand made flush glazing.

Ok, so not really up to date modelling, but runs nicely and looks good.
Tony

 

[76043]

I've also been building up a collection of modern Bachmann wagons that were picked up for almost always £6 each. I only buy the ones with the newer chassis that have the nice brake gear, never the older one piece moulded varieties. Can't see the point in paying £30 each if you can buy them at this price. All will be weathered and/or repainted into 1950's condition.



The revamping old kit built wagons to EM standards.

Tony

 

[jonte]

Just a line to say thanks for all your kind ‘likes’ and perhaps to share one or two shots of it in the raw, so to speak, which demonstrates how I have a habit of making things up as I go along…..



Shown here with the intended barge boards, my realisation that the (thicker) ply construction necessary to ensure that the roof didn’t warp, soon saw me abandoning them for the thicker (and rather ungainly) boards it eventually sported. A ply construction of thick card with an obechi(?) core can just be made out at the rear.

The roof itself is that of Monks Ferry in Birkenhead, although for simplicity, I made the lower sections of the outer triangles horizontal rather than slightly angular.

This was destined for the bin not so long ago - where most of my stuff usually ends up - however, it will find a use on my grandchildren’s train set which I hope to commence in the next couple of weeks or so.

Thanks again.

jonte

 

[Peter Insole]

Gasp! Destined for the bin...???!!!

Pete.

 

[Tim Hale]

Jonte,

Well done, simply superb modelling.

I admit that I am rtr-biased simply because the bottom line for kits for German outline begins at €600+, so I acquire dubious older non-collectibles for my purposes and then bodge them into something better. I am currently obsessed with some rather thin coffee stir sticks that I ‘recycled’ whilst recovering in YDH, they are near perfect for HO buildings.

Tim

 

[jonte]

Gasp! Destined for the bin...???!!!

Pete.

Thanks, Pete.

It was simply too big as Steph hinted at some time ago. Originally intended to house the track plan for Birkenhead Woodside in ‘OO’ gauge, I then realised that I didn’t quite have the space to make it work (poor planning;again..) and I soon lost interest, so tried a couple more ‘ideas’ which, again, came to nothing.

Thought once or twice about slimming it down to say just the middle section, but the delicate code 40 rail crossmembers probably wouldn’t stand up to it, which you can see from the earlier shots distorted under the weight of the ‘weights’ I used to weight it down, to ensure the roof stuck to the uprights. I might just touch these with the iron to see if I can straighten them out again. That is, if I have the courage…..

I’ve opted for a drawn plan for the children’s train set, so I know this one won’t be as much of a bum steer without my input, and I think overall it should look okay in that sort of, non-serious, sort of setting. Fingers-crossed.

Cheer,

Jon

 

[jonte]

Jonte,

Well done, simply superb modelling.

I admit that I am rtr-biased simply because the bottom line for kits for German outline begins at €600+, so I acquire dubious older non-collectibles for my purposes and then bodge them into something better. I am currently obsessed with some rather thin coffee stir sticks that I ‘recycled’ whilst recovering in YDH, they are near perfect for HO buildings.

Tim

Most kind of you to say so, Tim. Thank you.

I think ‘bodging’ or kit-bashing is a skill of its own and you should give yourself more credit, Tim, as we’ve seen.

Funnily enough, the only model railway my wife complimented at the single exhibition she ever visited, was a Prussian based layout with blue(?) locos, and I have to admit, they really were appealing, so I recall checking them out at the time…….and the cost!!!

So I know where you’re coming from on that score, Tim.

Best,

Jon

 

[Neil]

Loco for six quid and a bit of elbow grease.



Rather taken with it so I dug out my forty year old Smokey Joe and did it all over again.

 

[Herb Garden]

Loving all the posts each one shows some excellent modelling!

 

[AJC]

If we are on old diesel revamps, here is my Hornby Dublo type 1.

First off, gears changed.

View attachment 195663

New handrails and buffers, filled in screw in the roof.
View attachment 195664

Full four colour rattle can respray, nothing brush painted.

View attachment 195666
New ladder.
View attachment 195661

Finally hand made flush glazing.
View attachment 195662
Ok, so not really up to date modelling, but runs nicely and looks good.
Tony

I love the chunky bearings on those mech's, lovely stuff.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Another example - an eBay special:

David Geen kit, obviously no longer in production. They tend to go for north of £30 (were it D&S, it'd be more), but this one was advertised as seen and picked up for a shade over a tenner. Obviously, there was a strip down to factor in, but since it was assembled with superglue (and lined with plastic sheet - no, no idea), that wasn't a big deal.

It now looks something like this (bit clean, but there's a weathering queue):



Adam

 

[WM183]

US based 0 scale can be really expensive, particularly for those of us in the EU who love their customs fees. However I bought a couple pairs of 0 scale trucks from the Modellspoor show a few years ago for 15 euro a pair, and plastic card and profile is cheap, so I dove in to scratchbuild a couple steam era boxcars with plans from "car builder's dictionary" issues found on HaithiTrust. So, a Pennsylvania Railroad x29 car and a USRA single sheathed boxcar emerged and look the business I think!

 

[AJC]

If you’re brave, and keep a careful eye on second hand listings, you may occasionally find a bargain. In this case, a batch of whitemetal wagons, two from D&S kits (both GNR opens, good luck and deep pockets needed to find unbuilt examples), and a David Geen, more of which anon.



This was the one in better shape, stuck together with I’m not sure what. It was brown, had bubbles in it, was applied liberally, and had to go.



One bath in cellulose thinners later (another pass will be required) and we have a complete kit, with usable wheels, for £7.50. It’ll join the queue for soldering back together.

Adam

 

[Scubaidh Dubh]

Just a line to say thanks for all your kind ‘likes’ and perhaps to share one or two shots of it in the raw, so to speak, which demonstrates how I have a habit of making things up as I go along…..

View attachment 195701View attachment 195702View attachment 195703

Shown here with the intended barge boards, my realisation that the (thicker) ply construction necessary to ensure that the roof didn’t warp, soon saw me abandoning them for the thicker (and rather ungainly) boards it eventually sported. A ply construction of thick card with an obechi(?) core can just be made out at the rear.

The roof itself is that of Monks Ferry in Birkenhead, although for simplicity, I made the lower sections of the outer triangles horizontal rather than slightly angular.

This was destined for the bin not so long ago - where most of my stuff usually ends up - however, it will find a use on my grandchildren’s train set which I hope to commence in the next couple of weeks or so.

Thanks again.

jonte

It's not "making it up as you go along", it's "developing organically"...