Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I’m not fitting the pipes. By the way, I think they’re vacuum pipes. They’re not wrapped for insulation like a steam heating pipe would be.

Excuses? Here are some.

I don’t have brass rod of the correct diameter in stock*, the Slater's rod is impossible to straighten (though experiments have shown it will more or less bend to the right angles I need), and whatever I use it refuses to nestle down into the loop in the step brackets.

No-one will notice they’re missing. Now I know what to look for in photos of the real thing, I’ve spotted the turnunders at the ends of a coach on maybe two or three.

*I could order some in, but I want to get on with painting this coming week.

Having got that off my chest, I shall probably end up trying to fit the slightly-too-large brass rod I do have after all.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I sympathise with you regarding Slater's plastic rod... terrible stuff to use for the intended purpose as the material seems to believe that all rod must have a curve at all times. On the other hand, if the kit includes the old-fashioned "red" rod... the stuff which is straight and has a fibrous nature... then that is just the stuff for making plastic rivets for wagons as per Mike's technique (@Michael Osborne , using heat to get the rod to form a dome head).

Evergreen plastic rod is supplied in straight sections and is ameanable to forming into those interesting and awkward shapes so beloved by the draughtsmen of railway drawing offices.

regards, Graham
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I’m dumb. I forgot I have an entire drawer of copper wire stocks.

I blame it on age and various real world occurrences that have turned my mood downwards.

Anyway, suitable copper stock located, trimmed, straightened, trimmed and straightened again, and with not quite so much force as the Metropolitan Police at a peaceful vigil, forced into place.

I’ll mix up some glue and let that set for the rest of the day.

Oh, also made up some cosmetic dynamo belts. They don’t reach into the bogie, because that doesn’t work with stiff material. All kinds of derailing fun would occur.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
59029F7F-7FA9-4161-BAA9-956722816B41.jpeg

Perhaps not the safest place, but it means the dynamo belts hang at the right angle while the epoxy resin sets. To be fair, they won’t go anywhere, leaning on the upper right end drawer as they are, and wedged by a pencil case and desk lamp base at the bottom!

Once the glue's gorn orff, I will no doubt find something crooked, but what can you do?

Life permitting, I’ll hopefully get grotty paint all over the underframes during next week.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Things were a bit random yesterday.

The epoxy had set nicely, and nothing had moved during the cure, so all the coaches were returned to their more orthodox orientation. I made up the compartments for the final coach, and I also did some adjustment of the solebar vacuum pipe ends. A final job was gluing the toilet vents in place, and I’m now wondering what still needs to be done before I can get primer and paint on things.

I suspect I should spend some time playing with magnets and roofs.

I get my first Covid vaccine dose on Thursday. Being a cautious type, I’ve assumed I may get the flu-like reaction to it. Progress here may well slow even further!
 

Deano747

Western Thunderer
Things were a bit random yesterday.

The epoxy had set nicely, and nothing had moved during the cure, so all the coaches were returned to their more orthodox orientation. I made up the compartments for the final coach, and I also did some adjustment of the solebar vacuum pipe ends. A final job was gluing the toilet vents in place, and I’m now wondering what still needs to be done before I can get primer and paint on things.

I suspect I should spend some time playing with magnets and roofs.

I get my first Covid vaccine dose on Thursday. Being a cautious type, I’ve assumed I may get the flu-like reaction to it. Progress here may well slow even further!

Hi Heather!

Wifey and I both had ours with no reactions apart from a dull ache in the arm, to be expected. I had the Pfeizer and she had Oxford.
There is a real mixed bag of reactions, as I'm sure you've read, so good luck!!

Regards, Rob.

ps Both her and her daughter had Covid in January but I managed to avoid it. Purely by chance as we didn't do anything different. Both had fairly mild symptoms, luckily!
 
Last edited:
More "final" details

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I’m still here. I’ve been plodding through odds and ends, like sorting out the buffer extension collars.

B0024384-A5DC-467D-A324-C50DA9641565.jpeg

I am still hazy about how these coaches will be made into a formation. I mean, I’ve got three brake coaches! The reasonable assumption is brake 3rd + Compo + Brake 3rd, with the Brake Compo as an ad hoc tacked on the end. So, each Brake 3rd has extended buffers at the brake end with collars deployed, compressed at t'other with collars stowed. The Compo will be all compressed and stowed, while the Brake Compo will be all extended. Extended ends will need the full pipework and coupling nonsense, while compressed ends still need to be decided.

I think that makes sense.

Anyway, Slater's provide a very fine chain for the collars. I still think it’s too heavy, so I’ve resorted to fine wire twisted up. It’ll be fine under a coat of gunk.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Cheers Chris.

My next task is making up the gangways, then I really should work out what I’m doing with the roofs. I had my first Covid jab yesterday, and it’s beginning to have some side effects. I’ve decided to be kind to myself for a couple of days and not work too hard on anything.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Hopefully your after effects will be as light as mine, or lighter. Sore arm, lethargic for a day. Fingers crossed.
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Progress, no piccies and very slow. It’s not very interesting, sadly.

I’ve assembled all the gangways. They’ll be fitted post painting. I made the mistake of looking at a photo that shows the end of a coach nicely. I really don’t want to go into bolts and latches on the doors, do I?

The strengthener brake compo has had vac brake and steam heating pipework added to both ends. I’m still a bit confused about couplings for this coach, and I’m think perhaps a full dropped buckeye each end, and include the extended loop that Slater's provide so it can be coupled with some faffing about.

The two brake thirds have had the pipework installed on the van ends, and a similar dilemma pertains for couplings. Again, I think hook and dropped buckeye. The other ends still need to be decided. I’m working on it. No, really, I am.

In other news, I’m fully recovered from my Covid jab. I had about three days of muscular aches, upper torso and thighs. Most odd. In other, other news, the wedding is back on. We were offered a series of dates, culminating in 1 April, so that’s the one we selected. All Fools indeed. :thumbs:
 
Top