A spot of Tree-cycling

Just over a year ago I constructed a wire-framed tree as something of an experiment, inspired by, but by no means anywhere as good as the writings of Gordon Gravett. 

Mooching around in the workshop at the weekend my eyes fell upon this tree in its resting place on a shelf. I was never quite happy with this, for it's size it didn't really have the bulk it should have and even adding in a couple of extra (not very well secured) branches didn't help. As it was collecting dust and showing some signs of decay I opted to strip off the foliage for potential reuse and cut my losses... except that as I stripped it back I started to wonder if with a little re-arrangement of the existing branches it might have enough bulk as a half-relief tree.

There was only one way to find out and having stripped back a lot of the old bark mix I was able to re-manipulate the branches to suit the half relief style. The two add-on branches had fallen off but were re-configured in new locations with much more secure attachment. New branches were also added in a similar fashion and everything secured with lashings of Araldite.

Feeling there still wasn't enough branch density I had a rummage in the scenics box and found some Hornby R8857 'Wire foliage branches'. The foliage was no great shakes and what there was of it was removed. I then unwound the bottom end of the branches and re-wound them around the branches, again securing with Araldite. These branches are the yucky brown ones in the image above. I also opted to add more fine wire branches to the existing branches to again improve the density.

The result feels a lot more satisfactory than the original arrangement, the next job will be to re-finish the trunk and work back up all the branches, I am intending to use DAS Stone for this, prior to a new mix of bark paint going on.

Colin

Unfinished Business

Just over a year ago I posted about a new build loco project that had stalled in December 2020. It didn't restart until some point in 2021, where a set of channel frames eventually emerged and changes were made to the cab. Although I cannot pin down when the 2021 work took place, it may have co-incided with receipt of the Kato 11-109 chassis on which the loco sits, my first of the new generation chassis. However the loco then went back in the drawer until late February 2022

The 2021 work had given it channel frames rather than plate ones and also a revised cab. I think at that point I had realised that it actually looked too like it's inspiration (SMR No.3), so I made changes to overcome this. Drawing more inspiration from the RH&DR's 'Redgauntlet' I looked towards the original build of that loco, where it sported round spectacle windows on the cab front. My spares box revealed an A1 Models 009 etch that I had attempted (and failed) to convert to O9 but the cab front and roof were salvageable, and were incorporated into the rebuild. All the Feb 2022 onwards work has built on this theme.

As well as the A1 etches I have used parts from the MG Models fret of grilles, louvres, hinges etc to make the hinged bonnet side doors and front grille. Other bonnet details include a RT Models headlight, and filler caps made from Dapol Drewery coupling rod pins. The exhaust was in the spares box, used in a previous test build. The air horn on the cab roof is No.3's original fitting, I think either a Crownline or early A1 Models casting.

A look from the other side reveals that I had to cut the etched grille down and this side of the surround is in fact styrene strip. Under the channel frame the suspension/axlebox units are cribbed from the Black Dog O&K design but with a few differences. I had hoped to use the original axlebox mouldings from No.3 on here but the started to disintegrate on clean up so instead I dug further back in my modelling career to find some etched ones last used on a model I made in my youth. I had to strip layers of Humbrol gloss paint off to clean them up!

Around the back of the cab can be seen the 2021 modifications made to open out the rear window to follow the roofline. Another RT Models headlight features here, the position still echoing No.3. The coupler blocks on the buffer beams are scratchbuilt, but retrieved from the scrap box having been recovered from a previous project.

With the cab and driver figure removed, we can see the rudimentary detailing. The control panel is from the Dapol Drewery kit with a Peco track pin as a control. The gearbox is represented using a Drewery sandbox with another pin. The original sand dispenser forms another lever, purpose unknown! A modified wagon handbrake forms a (brake?) lever at the rear of the cab, and the driver has a thin cushion to sit on. I'd offer more comfort but headroom is limited a little, commercial figures won't fit so he is a Chinese Prieser copy suitable cut about.

Next stop is the paint shop...

Colin

Conversion Potential

Having reassured myself that I was going to try and stick to O9 projects and not get distracted by 009, I have to reveal that I have bought an 009 kit this week. However, this is with good reason... I've always been a fan of Chivers Finelines kits, the mouldings are always well defined and detailed in the O-16.5 and O9 kits I've had and the 009 ones I've seen in the past. When Matt Chivers announced this week that there were two new bogie wagons released in 009, RC811 (flat ends) and RC812 (rounded ends), I took a look and immediately saw O9 potential.

The dimensions are 79mm long and 24mm wide, which in 7mm scale is approx 11 ft by 3 ft 6ins wide, which for a 15" gauge miniature railway is a reasonable size for a works wagon, possibly built on an old open coach chassis. 

This isn't a new idea - in the past I had obtained a Peco L&B bogie open with a similar aim in mind but had found that the detailing was too fine for it to work quickly and easily in O9. In these new Chivers kits the detailing is very suited to 7mm scale, again with a miniature railway eye on it father than heavy industry.

My RC812 will join the kit stockpile for future build, despite the temptation to jump straight in. I did however realise that I needed to add some suitable wheels to the stockpile too, so eBay was scoured for suitable Graham Farish ones, it is good to have then available again!

Colin