4mm An EM Workbench: Mineral allsorts

[AJC]

No, nothing to do with Thursday. Having been so blasé about chassis painting up the thread, I realised that my little North British was missing some fairly substantial brackets behind the buffer beams. It also occurred to me that the brake standard was also a bit floppy and rectifying this would be a good idea so it was subjected to a bath in cellulose thinners and all the paint came off again...

On these locos, the sandboxes at the cab end also form seats for the driver and since they have quite a small area for gluing and resin does not take solder well I drilled a couple of holes through the cab floor to keep them in place. While I was at it I reshaped and detailed the resin control desk. As supplied I felt that it was both a bit big and not quite the correct shape based on the prototype shots so I cut the thing down, added some scraps of wire and plastic. The various control levers still want some blobs of epoxy on the ends to represent the appropriate knobs. I doubt anyone will actually be able to see all of this, of course, but in the scheme of things I reckon this is less bonkers than adding working inside motion to, say, a Jubilee.



The console will only go in properly after I've made the chassis work. Before that, I need to get the paint back on!

Adam

 

[iak63]

Its nae bonkers Adam, its called top quality attention to detail done with finesse and proper thought...

 

[AJC]

One of those 'did I actually do that?' moments. Here's my first attempt at a Red Panda shocvan, with the chassis as supplied, albeit with lots of bits of wire added. On balance, I still prefer the etched chassis, but with etched brake levers I don't suppose that there would be much to choose between them.



I had completely forgotten about it!

Adam

 

[iak63]

The choice twixt metal and plastic methinks Adam . I'll take Justin's chassis' mind, I feel the need for springs.
Have you seen his latest releases?
Tempting to have all the bits in one place.

 

[AJC]

Springs don't bother me - the one under way is rigid, after all - but having the detail 'built in' does make life easier. Yes, I had seen the new releases, but I'm under a self-imposed model expenditure moratorium until I've finished a few more things. By that time, Justin's Shochood B might be available and that will be much easier than scratchbuilding another!

Adam

 

[AJC]

Followed by the shock of the new, I suppose. Here's the second attempt:



I see that I've missed painting a chalkboard. There's a few more bits of detail painting and touching up to do, but the stripes are better on this one. In fact, I'm not sure that those on the earlier van are remotely entirely accurate (I've just been back to Paul Bartlett's pages). I may have to call it in for a refit. In a change from my usual Halfords red oxide, this one is in Humbrol matt 100.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Small news on the NBL front which has made a tiny step forward in the form of a little paint. North British painted anything below the waist of the cab in livery colour (cream above, black line between) so you now know that the loco will be a drab mid-green. The console is fairly obvious, the other item is the cab heater which sat bottom centre of the cab backsheet. Yes it's tiny, but I did go and model the cab door open, didn't I?





Adam

 

[Dikitriki]

That's another one of those outsize clothes pegs isn't it

 

[AJC]

That's another one of those outsize clothes pegs isn't it

Ha! Most of this will be hidden by the driver or in the gloom...

Adam

 

[Dikitriki]

Ha! Most of this will be hidden by the driver or in the gloom...

Adam

I know. I had the same thing with my LN Detroit lubricator. It's all about where you want to go with your modelling.

More power to your elbow I say!

I've just had a read of the previous few pages . It's nice to see the attention being given to wagons. It's only lately that I've been getting round to finishing a few off, and it's been a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Richard

 

[AJC]

Thanks Richard. You mean that there is more to railways than wagons?

Seriously that Detroit lubricator was fabulous. That's precisely the sort of thing that keeps me away from 7mm. I just know that I'd end up with detail paralysis! It's bad enough in 4mm...

Adam

 

[Pugsley]

Thanks Richard. You mean that there is more to railways than wagons?

Only locomotives - you do need something to pull the wagons, after all

 

[mickoo]

Only locomotives - you do need something to pull the wagons, after all

Horses or capstans spring to mind , quite difficult in miniature mind, but at least the effluent of the former is easier to clean up

I'm constantly amazed when reading through BRILL as to how late in the day horses were used to shunt and even later in the day capstans were used in goods depots and warehouse complexes, how you replicate that in model form would be quite a challenge but they do have a certain fascination along with those dinky wagon turntables you see in such establishments.

 

[Heather Kay]

Horses or capstans spring to mind , quite difficult in miniature mind, but at least the effluent of the former is easier to clean up

Blimey! I didn't realise capstans made bad effluent!

 

[AJC]

This sort of thing Mick?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/96859208@N07/9679056627

I've no idea how those lines in Exeter basin were shunted though. One day I'll do something that requires a shunting tractor...

Adam

 

[Buckjumper]

Horses or....capstans were used in goods depots and warehouse complexes, how you replicate that in model form would be quite a challenge but they do have a certain fascination along with those dinky wagon turntables you see in such establishments.

We did quite a bit of capstan & chain shunting on Trevor Nunn's East Lynn. Zoom forward to 7.40:

 

[mickoo]

This sort of thing Mick?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/96859208@N07/9679056627

I've no idea how those lines in Exeter basin were shunted though. One day I'll do something that requires a shunting tractor...

Adam

Them's the thingies

Shunting tractors are making a come back in the US (track mobile) and with their hydraulic drive can pack quite a punch for their size http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=97833

Nice work on the wagons and NBL BTW

 

[Pugsley]

Horses or capstans spring to mind

I just knew some smart a*se was going to mention those

Alternatively you could have one of these:

 

[tomstaf]

I just knew some smart a*se was going to mention those

Alternatively you could have one of these:

I want a go on one of them and I've got a normal driving licence. Does that count?

Cheers

Tom

 

[AJC]

I saw a couple of those Unimogs at the last Acton open day (LT Museum Depot), they look rather more imposing next to Tube stock! I remember seeing chain shunting on East Lynn a few years back and was captivated. This is the kind of thing that makes building a layout seem an attractive option. I quite fancy a go at the illicit practise of pole shunting...

After success in handpainting my Sentinel, I've decided to do the same to the NBL - more of that another time, but while I had the paint pots out:



Touch up bauxite, pick out vac pipe, buffer shanks, add multiple coats of Klear for transfers and, er, realise the transfers are in Somerset. All stop.

Adam