Salvation from Frustration

Not long after it was last seen here my O9 MG Models 'Classic' diesel vanished into the workshop, ostensibly for a few finishing touches like couplings, an air horn and a comfier seat for the driver. The works foreman declined to comment on suggestions it had been seen back in the paintshop, claiming he was using a corner of it as his "special projects workshop"... whatever that is...

Truth be told, there was a bit of a bodge in the original version of the coupler housings, adding them after painting was a daft idea, and the amount of handling the loco was getting resulted in a chip through to brass in the bonnet front paintwork. With the frustration of the bodged joint between bonnet and running plate fresh in my mind I opted to add new coupler housings before painting, which resulted in a rather drastic "touch-up" job...

One of my other frustration in recent weeks has been with what would have been rolling stock for the new O9 micro layout, specifically issues I was having re-gauging KB Scale skip frames to O9. With the project in limbo whilst I try and decide which direction to go, the worst victim of my experimentation (which had two melted axleboxes from a daft attempt at pushing the bearings in further), gained a couple of, ahem, modifications. A bit of mucky paint later and...

Colin

From Ashover with Love

Back in February I was given a Meridian Models Ashover coach for my birthday. Having ridden in the real thing a few times at the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway this is an item of interest for me. I had considered doing a build in true LCLR condition, but the more you look at the coaches at Winthorpe, the more the 60 years or more of use and (putting it politely) rebuild work, shows up. Early pictures of them at Humberston reveal that not a great deal could have been left in the 1960s when they were acquired, these are two of the vehicles used as spectator stands so probably lost a lot of material whilst at Clay Cross.

Looking at one of my 2013 pictures, the obvious changes are that the drop-windows are gone on sides and ends, the sliding doors are replaced by hinged doors on one side (fixed panels on the other), the steps are gone and even the underframe trussing is different - it was newly fitted at Humberston.

I have therefore resigned myself to a build of the kit that captures the essence of the LCLR but maybe not the details. I feared that taking great chunks out of the window frames would not end well (or neatly) and the doors seem essential to maintaining squareness. I know others have made very interesting conversions from these kits, but as a first-timer this is essentially a straight-build of the kit.

Further study of photos revealed that the LCLR coaches have no torpedo vents on the roof - of course I checked this after fitting them so off they came and the holes were filled in... The roof of the LCLR examples also looks somehow "heavier" so have used 20 thou material rather than the 15 thou material supplied.

I'm now considering a couple of changes to the build that ought to add some individuality. Having looked at the photos and drawings the handrails by the doors are rather prominent and I am considering adding these in 0.3mm wire. I'm also considering opening up the door windows as a halfway house between ALR and LCLR condition. We shall see...

 

Colin