4mm & 7mm Llanfair ....

[simond]

Which couplings do you 7mm guys use......?

I use Premier, same as yours, but I metal-black them - an alternative is a rub over with a permanent felt tip pen, anything to lose the brass / bright silver colours.

the other thing I do is to crimp the last couple of threads on the screw, prevents frustration, particularly on garden railways!

 

[Focalplane]

I have bought blackened couplers at Dapol’s shop in Chirk. I think they sell packs of 5, both screw and 3 link. And while there they can also supply lost parts such as buffer springs. Just don’t look at the expensive items,

Paul

 

[eldavo]

I have bought blackened couplers at Dapol’s shop in Chirk. I think they sell packs of 5, both screw and 3 link. And while there they can also supply lost parts such as buffer springs. Just don’t look at the expensive items,

Paul

Go careful with the Dapol couplings especially the screwlink versions. Some of them are only cosmetic and when you couple up a decent train the links start falling to bits!

Cheers
Dave

 

[Focalplane]

Dave, not sure how long a decent train is! I have rakes of 20 all Dapol vans wagons and bolsters on Moor Street, pulled along by a large Prairie with no problems. However, the springs supplied are too weak to be realistic with stretching taking place. Some regular maintenance is always a good idea, though.

 

[LarryG]

A decorated 6mm scale Corgi Bedford S lorry was rubbed down and given a coat of red oxide primer today. Two holes were drilled in the cab roof and a roof board shaped from brass sheet...


I considered the coal lorry would look neat in crimson lake with black trim. It was dismantled prior to spraying...


Midland Railway transfers were used...

 

[LarryG]

A lot more down to earth now. I have no road vehicle transfers and so it lacks address and phone number. Could do with some weathering too...

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Larry,

Looking really good, get in touch with John Peck at Precision Decals, he’ll sort out what you want.

regards

Mike

 

[MarkR]

A lot more down to earth now. I have no road vehicle transfers and so it lacks address and phone number. Could do with some weathering too...

That Bedford is almost exactly like the one my uncle drove, including the colour, for his coal merchants business in Bridport in the late 50's, early 60's.
They always used Bedfords.
Mark

 

[michael mott]

That looks great Larry I do like the look of the older lorries
Michael

 

[LarryG]

I'm building a GWR cattle wagon. I have used a hinge for years for forming handles, so I considered it worthwhile to make another hole to make four identical bars to go across the apertures. I close the hinge trapping the wire then fold it over the edge.....



The four bars in place ~ glued into the top holes from the outside of the truck...


The plastic was so brittle that the circled component just broke into bits so I used the second one to make brass ones from wire....


Instruction say punch out the rivets and fold over the stay with the fold line on the outside. However, when folding the W irons, the fold must be on the inside. Then run solder down fold lies for strength.........................One of the W irons is mounted on a rocking plate...

 

[michael mott]

Your handle folding jig is so simple I am wondering how come I never thought of it.
Michael

 

[LarryG]

It is times like this that I think back to when I rid my shelves of most of the wagon books that had accumulated over a lifetime. That's it, I thought. Wont be painting anymore wagons.

1½ hours were spent this morning on the darned computer sorting out a hack that my new firewall had highlighted. Of course, being new, it had diligently scanned my PC and found old 'breaches' dating from 2016-19! Of course, I didn't know this before I went through the rigmarole of changing passwords! Then I had to pay £3.50 unpaid postage on something that wont now turn up until next week ~ if they're not on strike!

Getting there very slowly. The etched brake safety loops were a neat touch in this Slaters kit. The parts are a good fit, when I work out what's what and where it goes... Yup, I'm at the brakegear stage....

 

[LarryG]

The door springs wouldn't have lasted two minutes on my layout if glued on, so I drilled and pinned them using Peco track spikes...




Vacuum-braked layout...

Slaters 7mm 7054 GWR Dia.W5 ready for the spray shop...

 

[Phil O]

Larry,

I have been thinking about your signal box and sighting, conundrum and a possible solution would be to attach the box to the goods shed, the box at Moretonhampstead was part of the loco shed, so not totally unprototypical.

 

[LarryG]

Larry,

I have been thinking about your signal box and sighting, conundrum and a possible solution would be to attach the box to the goods shed, the box at Moretonhampstead was part of the loco shed, so not totally unprototypical.

Thanks Phil, that's a new idea. But I'm thinking that moving the shed back that far would allow the signalman a decent view of the line from a platform-mounted box. Actually, it's what I've done. I decided to do the necessary and move the whole station and track set-up closer to the front of the baseboard to leave space at the back for a decent road into the goods yard.

 

[LarryG]

The cattle truck was sprayed with Halfords Red Oxide Plastic Primer and 2 hours later with my glossy cellulose red oxide. Gloss is used even on wagons because it is better for 'Methfix' and waterslide transfers...



Trying to mask vehicles such as this is an impossible task and so I over-mask with the aim of brush-painting the solebars and buffer plank afterwards.....


After the underframe was sprayed Halfords Matt Black, it was lightly over-sprayed with my weathering colour. As it happens the overspray has saved me hand painting the solebars....

 

[LarryG]

Finished a cattle truck for Llanfair Road 7mm. Transfers were 'Methfix' and Cambridge Custom. I'll stick with the latter from now on. Halfords Satin and Matt lacquers, plus diluted dirty black and powders for weathering. The eagle-eyed will note I fitted tiebars....

Yes I know, paint those ruddy couplings. They should be screw but I ain't got any. I like this Slaters wagon......Couldn't have asked for better....

 

[LarryG]

Next in line is an early LMS goods van. I did not follow the instructions concerning the vertical bodyside stanchions that project below the floor. Instead, they were carefully cut off and shaped them before gluing them back under the bodyside....

Removed where the purple rectangles are....

Each side was cut back with a sharp knife... Showing before & after....

Then the corners were rounded off....

Refitted below bodysides...

Van so far......

 

[Stephen Freeman]

Finished a cattle truck for Llanfair Road 7mm. Transfers were 'Methfix' and Cambridge Custom. I'll stick with the latter from now on. Halfords Satin and Matt lacquers, plus diluted dirty black and powders for weathering. The eagle-eyed will note I fitted tiebars....
View attachment 174325
Yes I know, paint those ruddy couplings. They should be screw but I ain't got any. I like this Slaters wagon......Couldn't have asked for better....
View attachment 174326

Yes, as the chassis has a compensated unit (one axle fixed the other rocks) fitting the tiebars imparts a springing effect and makes for improved running.

 

[LarryG]

The LMS goods van is in the paintshop, but before finishing construction, I removed the pips on the sliding doors and drilled out for wire handles...




Meantime, lost-wax brass castings arrived from CPL Products and so the 'T' door handles were fitted along with brass wire handles. Another item destined for winter hibernation until a layout is built...