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

[AJC]

This is - as with all your work - very nice, Adam.

Cheers

Jan

Thank you, Jan - the base material is so very good, of course. The only problem is that it needs a full repaint because none of the greys I have are a match. Not a problem, I have something else that needs spraying the same colour (nothing fancy, we're an airbrush-free household), but the weather is not conducive...

Adam

 

[Bigjohn]

As a question for discussion on wooden wagons………is it correct to assume body colour was applied both inside and underneath the vehicle? Leaving them bare wood could have saved a lot of paint!!!!!!

 

[AJC]

As a question for discussion on wooden wagons………is it correct to assume body colour was applied both inside and underneath the vehicle? Leaving them bare wood could have saved a lot of paint!!!!!!

I can’t speak for under the floor (who can tell?!), but interiors were bare wood. Lots of things might be tainted by a painted interior, no finish would survive regularly being bashed about by loads, so why bother?

Adam

 

[Tim Hale]

Sorry, but is the loco destined to be standard gauge EM?

Tim

 

[AJC]

Sorry, but is the loco destined to be standard gauge EM?

Tim

Not a problem. Yes, it is. Maybe even this year, I’m feeling quite positive about it…

Adam

 

[AJC]

Ah, I have one of these, it came in a job lot with some other items all marked NE (some correctly, some not) and I hadn't got round to figuring out what it was.

There is no D.44 listed in LNER Wagons Vol2 (NER Ds are all bolster wagons), but the match seems to be "E/004 Diag. C.8 Sleeper Wagon" from the 2016 Geen kit list. Pages 46-47 in Vol 2, morton braked with 2 shoe brakes on one side only, split spoke wheels. Batches built 1904-1913, 860 survivors into 1947.

Coming back to this, with different buffers and slightly different running gear, they look remarkably like the LNER version of the same thing (the Original Tatlow fig. 71 and plates 297 and 298). I suspect that's how this one will end up being completed, not least because I have some running numbers. Over on t'other channel, a pair in general traffic, seemingly, carrying iron pipes rather than sleepers:

Help with unidentified open wagons - early BR period

Good afternoon, Please can anyone help me identify the first two wagons behind the tender loaded with what I assume is a pipe load? They look superficially similar to an SR 8 plank wagon, but without the substantial metalwork around the doors. Many thanks, Simon

www.rmweb.co.uk

.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Some modelling, before doing battle with the dishwasher. An example of the ultimate version of the classic SR (ultimately derived from Lionel Lynes' work for Maunsell at the SECR - it began here: 4mm - An EM Workbench: end of the Lynes a couple of years ago), three-arc roof van turned out under BR (with B-prefixed numbers), as dia. 1/202. These were mostly plywood - though at least one in the number range was planked - and some with Morton brakes. The remainder, more excitingly, had the strange, asymmetrical SR brake, rendered in an etch from Masokits.





Said etch is not the last word in fidelity, to be honest, but like all Mike Clark’s designs, the fiddle factor is well advertised, the instructions are good, and it works as supplied. It’s as good now as it was when I joined this forum in 2012: 4mm - An EM Workbench: Sleeper Agent



Underneath you can see that I’ve melted the safety loops in using the soldering iron, and obviously, there are levers and vac’ cylinder to fit, but it’s no longer a shelf Queen and that’s what matters.

Adam

 

[AJC]

And now fully knitted, if not wholly complete:





The levers were a bit of a faff but yielded eventually. Some washer details and vac’ cylinder brackets to add and it can join the painting queue.

Adam

EDIT - PS, thanks for all the likes on this one, much appreciated (though why *this particular van*?! It's fairly mundane, I'd thought!).

 

[iak63]

EDIT - PS, thanks for all the likes on this one, much appreciated (though why *this particular van*?! It's fairly mundane, I'd thought!).

Your knitting is rather good...

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

EDIT - PS, thanks for all the likes on this one, much appreciated (though why *this particular van*?! It's fairly mundane, I'd thought!).

Perhaps is the fact it is the plywood version of the classic SECR/SR van rather than the more often modelled even planked or even/uneven planked version.

Then there are the 9', 9'6'', 10' wheelbase and Eastleigh, Ashford and Lancing variants of the SR style vans .

 

[AJC]

Perhaps is the fact it is the plywood version of the classic SECR/SR van rather than the more often modelled even planked or even/uneven planked version.

Then there are the 9', 9'6'', 10' wheelbase and Eastleigh, Ashford and Lancing variants of the SR style vans .

Naturally, I’ve done versions of all of these, and the ridged roof version too, though that’s a novelty too far, really. I’ll do one of the mix and match replanked ones that started out as uneven plank, some day…



Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Naturally, I’ve done versions of all of these, and the ridged roof version too, though that’s a novelty too far, really. I’ll do one of the mix and match replanked ones that started out as uneven plank, some day…

They'll have to dragged out for a line up .

And Oh! I forgot to mention the cross channel dual braked variant .

 

[AJC]

They'll have to dragged out for a line up .

And Oh! I forgot to mention the cross channel dual braked variant .

I'm not sure that they're all here, the 9' wb fitted one certainly isn't. I'll have a look through the boxes. I'm really not sure when the ferry variants were withdrawn so I've not been tempted. Yet.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Now onto the fiddly bits, almost all in 5 thou’. Strips along the eaves (which usually were quite wobbly), new door catches and some missing ironwork. On the ends, the characteristic (of later SR vans) pressed reinforcement on the vents. Just the door chains - and reworking the hinges - and a solebar bracket left to do now.





Adam

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Marvellous observation and translational fidelity, Adam.

Cheers

Jan

 

[AJC]

Marvellous observation and translational fidelity, Adam.

Cheers

Jan

Thanks, Jan - it's the result of having a really good, clear, picture (one of a batch from Hertford/Hitchin that was on eBay a while back). I didn't buy the negs so I can't, in all good conscience, share them publicly but it's helpful. I do need to be in the right mood for working with 5 thou' though.

Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Returning to the cross channel ferry variant (diag 1430) they were converted from diag 1428 with the 9' wheelbase. Additions were: axle guard tie bars, vacuum brakes, through Air Brake line, additional side vents, two lamp irons on the ends, different style screw couplers and buffers.

The hardest part will be finding post WWII photos of them.

 

[AJC]

The hardest part will be finding post WWII photos of them.

I've only ever seen one, ex-works, from the very early '50s, but as you say, the work in creating one is not hard. Being 9' wb, I would be surprised if they made it much past the very early '60s, but I must ask Mike King next time I see him. Lettering is the other hard bit (EDIT: actually, it isn't, the Ratio kit includes the transfers and the extra vents are on the sprues), but not impossible. That said, I did find two pictures of the pent-roofed van(s) in normal service in the early '60s - both vanished from Flickr now - and that was good enough for me to model one/it.

This plywood van is the bland balance to such exotica.

Adam

 

[AJC]

And here’s the van, post-primer and ready for top coats.



The yellow roof is down to remedial work needed on the cut and shut I carried out on the moulding in order to make it the correct width. A second pass fill (superglue!), rubbed back and filler primed (Halfords).

Adam

 

[Mike Garwood]

Lovely work Adam

Mike