4mm An EM Workbench: Mini-Signwriting (rough)

[AJC]

Just an attempt at humour Jeff; if I were really clever I'd have made it the clue for something! I'm not sure that late '50s is especially early in terms of diesels - this was proven technology by then even if NBL weren't all that good at it. I rather like the boxiness of the thing and, from a modelling perspective, that the motor lives in the 'right' place, even if it is much bigger than it needs to be... Thanks for the 'likes' everyone.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Something a bit different from the earlier loco projects, in that it's a bit more dainty and rather older in origin. It's a Branchlines chassis for a Terrier, in this case destined to go under a much-detailed (well, it will be...) Hornby body. The compensation method is directly pinched from Tim Shackleton's example in his Plastic-Bodied Locos (Wild Swan, 1999) but is very similar to that Mike Edge employs in his kits and having built one of those in a Thomas Hill 0-6-0DH I know it works. The front axle rocks in the usual way about a pivot while the rear pair are linked together by twin beams resulting a a fully compensated 0-6-0. Not 'true' twin beam compensation, but it does what I want it too. Anyway, that's not what the post is about which is one of those little details that Brighton Terriers picked up over the years, namely, injectors. The lightweight nature of the frames mean that these are all too visible and besides, it's the fiddly kind of detail I like.



It's all quite simple, just bits of copper wire and brass tube. The cut-outs in the frame around the centre and rear axles are a bit big so since taking these pictures, I've added blanking plates to reduce the visual impact a bit. Behind the wheels no one will ever know...

Adam

 

[AJC]

A little further on. It all looks a bit crude at this juncture, but it's more or less complete and ready for priming and fitting out with all the working bits and sandboxes (which will be knocked up from plastic later). Painting properly, now, that will be a bit trickier for reasons that will become apparent...





Adam

 

[AJC]

Some snippets from the paintshop. Still in progress, my Clayliner tank, it's chassis painted, but with details still to add.



And the NBL, now finished.



Suffice to say I'm pleased.

Adam

 

[Steve Cook]

So you should be Adam, its come out lovely
Steve

 

[AJC]

Thanks Steve and to everyone who's clicked the 'like' button. I've not mastered taking decent pictures yet though. Still it's not the time of year for the best of light.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Talking of dodgy pictures, the layout some of this stuff sometimes runs on will, apparently, make an appearance in one of the monthlies in 2015.



Yeovil MRG's 'South Junction' has had a visit from Chris Nevard... this obviously isn't one of his (dad's shown me some, they're significantly better), but by way of a taster, one of my favourite views. Maybe if there's some light tomorrow, I'll take some work in progress shots.

Adam

PS - the wonky star on the Canadian Ford is deliberate: the Canadians weren't desperately happy about applying a 'US' symbol on their vehicles for identification purposes.

 

[AJC]

Back in Somerset for Christmas, two more projects are inching towards completion. The Shocvan has appeared before and is now fully lettered and partially weathered. The decaying and faded ICI fertilizer post is from Hollar Models and I'll probably add another when the weathering is further advanced, but it's a start.





As ever, the lettering is a right old mix of Woodhead (glued on with Klear), SMS and a couple of bits from a Modelmaster (ex-Cambrian) sheet. Once the Testor's Dulcote has gone off properly, I'll find the weathering paints. Below is much longer running project, a Brassmasters GWR Match truck, intended for a D&S crane, well, as an when Brassmasters actually release the upgrade kit for it. The transfers are from Fox (the sheet is a poor example of their output in terms of what it includes) and are a 'best guess' as regards the prototype, which finished its career at Newton Abbot. I've yet to see a photo taken from closer than a hundred yards or so but a similar vehicle served as an exemplar.

http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrdeptcoach/h1CA67166#h1ca67166

It's entirely possible the real thing was GW grey, relettered. Does anyone know? It matters to me...



Adam

 

[AJC]

Well that didn't stay clean for long.



With my first attempt at the same kit which I must have added additional dirt to at some point:



And finally, dad's kitbashed LMS-bodied example based on a Dave Larkin photo. Well, I say that it's dad's, I dropped it two or three years ago so the chassis is my work from Parkside bits as it was easier than repairing the original (which had axleguards from an ABS CCT - a bit over size).



Adam

 

[AJC]

So you've seen the body further up the thread, here's the complete, but not fully painted, wagon. It's far too cold to do anything about that here in Somerset at the minute.



It's a fairly standard build - #Dave built the 7mm version a while back and, like him, I tackled the rather under length brakes. I can understand why Robert (Thompson, the designer) did it as he has as getting the wheels in will be tricky now but far from impossible. Basically, the brakes are supplied in layers so using three of these, I snipped out the tumbler on all layers and the ends of the push rods on the middle. A bit of scrap etch was used to make a new tumbler and the brake hangers bent out a bit spacing the brakeshoes a bit wider. It's a bit ugly but the wheels are now in shouting distance.

Adam

 

[Osgood]

Am I the only one to have missed out on the regular updates to this thread?

I confess maybe it was the 4mm that caused me to prioritise my attention elsewhere - but having just caught up with recent posts (the HUDSON LEEDS in the title woke me up , this thread is a great example of why we should ignore the scale and just enjoy the content. Lovely results all round

 

[AJC]

Ha! I'm pleased you think so, and it's kind of you to say so. Your New Year's resolution for 2015 sorted then?

Adam

 

[AJC]

Towards the end of the holidays, dad and I have been out to Yeovil MRG's HQ to engage in a bit of playing trains on South Junction. The junction 'box has just had a full re-fit, including new signage, but I hadn't seen it reinstalled until now. Now, dad did the 'box, the LMS concrete quarter mile post and the relay case but the lamp hut and the overall scene have been fettled up by me on occasional trips to Somerset. The coal bunker is new, too, but the bobby has clearly cadged his coal off a careless loco crew or two judging by the state of the coping...





Anyhow, we were basically playing trains...



And load testing new locos [more here]...



For such purposes, one can never have enough wagons, so sometimes, you have to set back to collect some more...





For the record, the NBL managed 24 wagons and brake over the flying junction at the far end which isn't at all bad. I also had the chance to run a few other favourites including 'Carnarvon', a Bagnall, by Impetus.



Adam

 

[AJC]

Said flying junction, by the way, looks a bit like this:



A classic case of the fiddle yard being more interesting than the layout!

Adam

 

[Scale7JB]

Looks a lovely layout...

JB.

 

[AJC]

Looks a lovely layout...

JB.

Thanks JB - as I said above, I'm told that it will be in print (Model Rail) some time in 2015; it was in Hornby Magazine back in 2011 and there were a few shots of it in Railway Modeller sometime in the '80s. In other words, its about as old as I am. It's a club layout, a classic 'tail chaser' really meant to be 'anywhere' but, owing to the signalbox and a few other bits and pieces is somewhere 'Midland'. Dad is the member who looks after it and ensures that it stays in running order but many of the buildings were the work of Bob Alderman, as was much of the stock in its early days when it was built in the attic of a local stately home. The available space there defined its overall dimensions but it has since grown to about 30' long. Bob moved on to 7mm and sold his 4mm stock but there are some of us active in EM so it continues and is periodically updated and refurbished.

My favourite bit is this:



A crossover on the viaduct is worked by 4mm scale point rodding from Colin Waite etches. I think this was the work of Bob Phelps (of PECO). One day, we'll actually add some more, or possibly point machines. I've made some of these, somewhere...

Adam

 

[AJC]

The latest wagon project, the first for 2015, is another mineral wagon and after a good quantity of 'ordinary' 1/108 types I fancied a change and happened upon a picture of P 144303 in part 2 of the Modellers' Backtrack opus on steel mineral wagons. Now, P 144303 was a fairly unremarkable 1/100 built by Chas Roberts for its own hire fleet in 1947 and, unlike some of its earlier sisters, operated all its life on British metals before being withdrawn presumably shortly after it was photographed at Poole in 1967. Somewhere along the line it was partially replated along the sides and ends but the reversed channel solebars were original, if unusual.

All this makes its key distinguishing features - continental pattern 'W' irons - the more baffling. Body by Parkside, 'W' irons by Ambis Engineering, brakegear by ABS.



Adam

 

[AJC]

A near-complete wagon now, the Hudson tipper ready for final weathering; the grime applied thus far was to allow for the wheels to be added without awkward painting behind them. Most of the weathering will be completed before final assembly - a dab of epoxy at each end of the 'skip' - for much the same reasons.

​

Adam

 

[AJC]

A few little extras for the Chas Roberts mineral; axleboxes, inner vee hangers, blob of epoxy to secure the couplings, that sort of thing...





And, thanks to Hornby's 'Black Friday' (how I hate that term) sale, a Coil J breeding programme. I think that's up to 7 and one more that will be longer in gestation. More of that anon.



That and the Rumney Models Strip Coil and that should make a nice rake.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Brakegear complete, safety loops from staples, brake levers and guides 'Craig Welsh' via the Scalefour Society public e-shop, vee hangers by Masokits. Several tiny bits of 5 thou', 10 thou' and rod later...



The solebars need a selection of rivet heads and, obviously, some buffers but we're in shouting distance of a complete wagon.

Adam