Gadgie’s workbench (EM)

Pete55

Member
Great set of wagons there Richard, will have to be increasing the sidings in SP fiddleyard at this rate!

Pete
 
Tube and Pipes

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Adding to Pete’s anxiety … here are some more wagons to cram into the South Pelaw fiddleyard. All need some weathering.

First up is an LMS Tube, seen unpainted on the previous page, and finished like this one using some resurrected Woodhead transfers that have been lurking in my stash for some 30+ years.

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Running numbers were a custom set made up by Steve at Railtec, which arrived astonishingly quickly.

Next are a couple of Pipes, aiming to reproduce this one and this one. Again, running numbers from Railtec, and a variety of others. I’m a bit frustrated that the Empty to Cargo Fleet branding doesn’t quite match, but hey ho.

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As well as some weathering, I also plan to highlight the internal aspect of the stanchions between the side doors.

But all this, the WD, 03, B1, K1s, and Q6s, the enormous stash of wagon kits, and the 1/48 fast jets, will have to go on pause for a while. The reason is that we are moving house, and the workshop is being packed up and taken to my mum’s house for safekeeping.

On the plus side, there is space for a workshop in the new place. Even better, it will have natural light, which will be nice after nearly 10 years in the cellar. Better still, there will be space for a layout. Exciting times, as long as everything works out OK with the move.
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Thanks Pete! All a bit stressful at the moment, but I believe that’s par for the course.
 

Herb Garden

Western Thunderer
Isn't there a quote in that film 'the chain' that they use to describe house moving: "the biggest emotional upheaval money can buy"

As someone who moved accommodation every year for over a decade I can sympathize with anyone going through it and being bereft of their beloved workbench....
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
An apt quote. Especially the bit about money.

We’ve also been here 20 years and three kids, so there is a lot of, er, stuff in the loft that needs sorting out, and soon I’ll be on first name terms with the blokes at the dump. And then there’s the garage … :confused:
 

PeteT

Member
Hi Richard,
Dragging this back to page 1 for a question on the WD - I'm interesting that you fitted high level hornblocks & CSBs. Can you recall any unforseen consequences of doing this?

My WD may be short cutting its route to the workbench, if the thoughts for the S4 Society Jubilee Layout Competition continue in the current theme. I am sold on the concept of CSBs & have implemented a few, but also aware that Dave has put thought into how his kits are designed so if following his methods it will be known to work.

Cheers,
Pete
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Hi Pete,

There haven’t been any unforeseen consequences, yet — everything fits OK and the chassis (minus con-rods and valve gear) runs very smoothly and bounces in a gratifying way.

I’d certainly agree that Dave’s kits are exceedingly well thought out, and I’m sure that it will work very well with individual springs as designed — my J27 certainly does. However, although EM is a little more forgiving than P4 I found that adjusting the springs individually was tricky and I liked the basic idea of CSBs. We’ll see how it turns out.

I would be interested to know how you get on — you may well overtake me as all my modelling is in limbo with our house move, at least for the next month or so.

Incidentally, when I chatted to Dave at EM north in Wakefield a few weeks ago, he had one, just one, WD kit left. Its a great kit and I was very sorely tempted, but came away with one of his new MOD 21T hoppers instead.

Richard
 

PeteT

Member
Hi Richard,

Sounds promising, thanks! I know what you mean with Dave's springs, I've had the same on a J39 which I just need to finish off some detailing.

Good luck with the house move! I won't be starting mine immediately, but all being well will within the next couple of weeks. There is plenty of inspiration to crack on with it from your build, and John Chambers on the S4 forum, and will endeavour to share progress too.
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
So Gadgies workbench is now operational again. I’m still unpacking modelling stuff, and figuring how best to use the space. But all that is hold for a little bit because the urge to make things has taken over.

So here’s a festive photo of a Bogie Bolster C (last seen on page 3, back in May) improved with Rumney models bits, and now having couplings fitted, as well as a Bogie Bolster D. The D will be a diag 1/472 vac fitted version — the Cambrian kit is for the later diag 1/478, but Paul Bartlett’s photos indicate these were fitted with loads of support brackets under the sole bar, which looked like a lot of work so I wimped out. The vac brake gear and brake levers are cobbled together from kit parts, Rumney etches, and a Mainly Trains etch. After Christmas, I’ll order some appropriate bogies. And straighten out the dodgy lever guard.

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It’s great to be making stuff again, rather than putting up shelves. And other necessary domestic chores.

Merry Christmas all,

Richard
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
It’s been a while, but the Bogie Bolsters are almost finished. I still need to add some chains, and blow over with some matt varnish. And I couldn’t resist another Cambrian BBD. Only a Quint to go, and my stash of Cambrian bogie bolsters will be exhausted…

We’re taking South Pelaw to the York show in a couple of weeks, and I’m hoping they will have a chance to run round as part of one of the empty steels.

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In the background the eagle eyed may have noticed a BR standard brake van. I’ve had a Bradwell brake van chassis in the stash for a while, and it is nearly complete, along with a Dapol body. As usual the chassis went together very nicely. It seemed a shame not to build a properly vac-fitted van, given the wealth of detail that Dave Bradwell provides in the chassis kit. However, little did I realise the rabbit hole that would open once I started thinking about the combination of axle boxes, buffers, handrails and other details I would need for a van that actually had a vacuum cylinder. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

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Armed with a head full of brake van details, I have also begun re-furbing an Airfix model I built probably in the 1980s. This will be an unfitted and unpiped one from one of the early lots, and it will be interesting to compare side by side with the Bradwell chassis. It’s one of the ones moulded in ghastly red plastic, so it will be good to get a coat of paint on to cover it up. So far I have resisted the temptation to relocate the duckets on either model.

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(Edited to fix typos)

Richard
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Not much progress to report on the brake vans, but we're all set to head to York with South Pelaw tomorrow. Hopefully nothing will break or get dropped during transit or set up... Do come and say hello.

Richard
--
 

Herb Garden

Western Thunderer
Not much progress to report on the brake vans, but we're all set to head to York with South Pelaw tomorrow. Hopefully nothing will break or get dropped during transit or set up... Do come and say hello.

Richard
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See you on Saturday hopefully!
 

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Sorry to have missed you. We had a few fraught moments and random derailments early on; but things settled down as they often do, and hopefully it will run even better tomorrow.
 

Herb Garden

Western Thunderer
Sorry to have missed you. We had a few fraught moments and random derailments early on; but things settled down as they often do, and hopefully it will run even better tomorrow.
Don't worry about it.... You all looked run off your feet.... Caught up with Duncan around 3pm and he looked zonked....
 

timbowales

Western Thunderer
Regarding the Airfix brakevan in post #71 above, I note that you’ve shaved off the handrails and replaced the roof with a thinner plastikard one. Will you be glazing it?
Tim T
 
York 2024

Gadgie

Western Thunderer
Don't worry about it.... You all looked run off your feet.... Caught up with Duncan around 3pm and he looked zonked....
It was a tiring long weekend, but fun too. I’m not surprised Duncan was zonked — he’d just come off a long shift as signalman. As on the real thing, this is a demanding and busy role, and critical for the avoidance of disaster.
 
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