Distractions?

Whilst there have been a few O9 based projects on the O9 Modeller workbench recently, they haven't really been anything two blog about.  There have however been a few other projects in other scales and gauges.  This 4mm scale Parksde Dundas 'Vanwide' has been completed over the last few weeks, whilst it was built several years ago, it has remained unpainted ever since.  It missed out on being completed with several others early in 2010 due to missing axleboxes, however that issue is now resolved and the paint job completed.  The painting is largely washes of Games Workshop 'Citadel' paints over a red oxide base. Hopefully it will match up with it's sisters when it arrives at it's new home.

In fact, the 4mm scale project jumped the queue for the paintshop.  Back in August I had completed an A1 Models etched brass kit for an O-16.5 loco, one of their basic kits designed to fit around a Bachmann 'Underground Ernie' mechanism.  I'm not too experienced with brass so this was something of a test piece.  The body went together well, but I then decided to build a complete chassis unit in brass that could accommodate either the intended chassis or a Tenshodo 'Spud'.  This was really pushing at my brass working skills and I almost gave in, but in the end I persevered and the end result is satisfying.  Adding some bits and pieces from Black Dog Mining  and a scratchbuilt cab interior has completed the look of the loco.

The reason it hasn't got any further is simply one of colour - I can't decide what the final livery should be, but don't worry, experiments are in progress.... Having built this kit (and it's home brewed add-ons), I feel confident to tackle some O9 brass from Minimum Gauge Models, and you won't have to wait too long to see the first results.

As to what I plan to do with an O-16.5 loco... I haven't quite figured that bit out yet!

Colin

The ones that got away... No.6 'Big' Coaches

A long time ago, well, January 2005, my O9 modelling was in something of a state of turmoil.  Having found that my earlier models were perhaps too small to represent modern 15" gauge stock (and the more important issue of getting decent figures small enough to sit in them) I was searching for a way of creating larger models that were still 'miniature' in style but definitely more 'Minimum gauge' in size.  Everything before this point had been pretty much kit-bashed from Keil Kraft, Dapol and Tower Models kits, but this would be something new, all-scratchbuilt for the first time.

Compared to what went before, this was big!  It scaled out somewhere just over 20ft long, I did fret about this for some time, asking for some real dimensions via the 'UKminiaturerailways' Yahoo group got an informative answer from Michael Crofts, owner and operator of the Perrygrove Railway:

"Your coach length is fine.  Perrygrove coaches are based on standard steel stock so they are 6m long, near enough 20'. "

As can be seen in the picture, I was also building a diesel loco of matching proportions.  This eventually was completed and sold.  What happened next was that with growing confidence I started to build a replica of the Ravenglass & Eskdale tram loco 'Flower of the Forest' and the rest, as they say, is history.  When the final design for 'Shifting Sands' started to come together it became apparent that this coach was too big for the curved concept and it was  sadly scrapped.

Moving forward to May 2008, another 16 seat coach emerged from my workbench, but this time with a purpose.  Miniature railway enthusiast and engineer Craig Gluyas was drawing up several design proposals for real 15" gauge stock and sent me the CAD for a 16 seat coach design, featuring end 2-seat compartments.  In a rash of enthusiasm I built a version in O9, the excuse being that it could be shown to potential customers.

Again, this was not completed as planned and suffered from some warping in storage, so it had to go, although an attempt was made to rebuild it into something for 'Shifting Sands' first.  The bogies, which at some point after the photograph gained some axlebox covers, did survive and in much modified form have been used recently as cosmetic sideframes on MicroTrains bogies as a new set to go under the 'Shifting Sands' mess van.  It was during this process that I remembered these two coaches, prompting this ramble....

Colin

The day we went to Derby

Back in January 2009 we took 'Shifting Sands' to the 7mm NGA members day in Derby.  This friendly 1-day event gave me the opportunity to take some photos of the layout at a show, not something that I usually manage to do.  Looking through various pictures of the layout to illustrate a forthcoming article for an Association publication, I almost used a couple of shots from the day. Sadly they didn't make the final cut as they didn't fit the theme of the piece they were to accompany.  A shame really, especially as I had spent a little time in Photoshop on one of them....

Overall view of the layout at the Derby 7mm NGA event.

'Jay' ready to depart from the station.

'Pandora', 'Thunderbolt' and two 4w coaches outside the sheds.

'Thunderbolt' and Photoshop.

Colin

Bits and Pieces

A mixture of recent workbench happenings...


The various bits to fill the Sherwood Forest-style open wagon have now been added to the wagon.  The tool box is a Black Dog/Sidelines resin casting (depending on which scale you use it in!), as are the re-railing ramps. The spanner carelessly left on top of the box, and the hammer are Duncan Models castings.  The jerry can is a Cararama moulding from the garage set used as an interior to a building on the never-completed Misterton Fen Tramway.  The wagon load is now, well, loaded, I've used 'tacky wax' to fix things in place:

Turning to the out-of-use bogies, I spent some time treating and painting the Parkside wheels to make them look less model-like.  Rather than paint them all over I opted to blacken the axles using gun blue, then spent some time flicking rust colour paints at them using a toothbrush (as per a recent article in 'British Railway Modelling').  Whilst this didn't perhaps give the build up of colour I had hoped for, the effect is actually there, just very subtle.  A spray over with the Citadel 'Purity Spray' killed any shine and I actually think they do look like used, but not abandoned too long, bogies:

Just to prove that you do see this sort of thing lying around, I took this picture of a Severn-Lamb bogie frame in the engineering yard at Lightwater Valley last week (with permission):

Finally, a quick update on 'Kestrel' as the painting process draws to a close and the glazier is on stand-by....

I've added a little dry-brushing in places to overcome the slightly less than satisfactory after-effects of the varnish spray.  I think I'll get away with it....

Bogies!

A few weeks ago I was passed a quantity of Avalon Line coach bogies from a member of the NGRM Online forum and wondering what to do with them, I decided to have a play and see if I could produce 'spare' bogies that could sit in/outside a workshop or in a miniature railway yard.  Ironically these bogies are actually to my design, although I had only intended them as a demonstration piece they were deemed good enough to cast.  They aren't perfect by any means, but they do the job...

I created two bogies with wheels and two without, where I cut out each axlebox out with a razor saw and files, which was, er, fun....  Despite the apparent expense, I've used Parkside wheels as the metal axles look a lot more like the real thing than ones with 'PECO N' written on them.  No actual cost as they were in the spares box.  Two of the bogies were given a representation of a brake cylinder.  Each bogie has a locating pin on top made from Knightwing or Dapol oddments.

Work on 'Kestrel' was hit by a slight painting setback yesterday, when my comments I made elsewhere about using Citadel aerosol varnish came back to haunt me (basically I sprayed in too humid an atmosphere and got little white marks on parts of the paintwork).  Whilst that is well on the way to being resolved, coupled with a down-heartening soldering session yesterday became a bit of a grim day.

So this morning I decided on a 'quick win' to boost morale.  The bogie frames and some parts destined as a load for the SFR Hudson framed wagon were primed a few days ago so I decided to have a quick session with the acrylics and add some colour to them:

The eagle eyed may notice that I have moved the brake cylinders, this was based on a little personal observation at the Sherwood Forest Railway.  These have been given a coat of Citadel varnish with no ill effect, it was much warmer in the workshop which seems to have done the trick.... They need some light weathering before use but are well on the way.  Of course what I haven't remembered to do is prepare and paint the wheelsets!

Colin

Gilding the Kestrel

A quick progress report on the new 4w diesel as I have finally got around to adding the various metal detailing parts to the model.  These are a mixture of commercial parts and fabricated items.

The grilles are A1 Models etchings, the radiator grille is cut from a BR class 37 frost grille, whilst the side grilles from one of their assorted packs, I've no idea what they were originally intended for! The headlights are A1 Models turnings, sealed beam headlights intended for BR diesels in 4mm scale.  The exhaust is fabricated from two sections of brass tube whilst the cab door handles are bent up from wire.

The air horns are further A1 parts, these are turned with a recess to take a split pin to attach them to the model with.  I solder everything up to produce parts that can be painted away from the model. Most of the brass parts have been treated with Birchwood Casey 'Gun Blue' to aid paint adhesion and avoid any future paint chips going through to bare brass.

There are few tidying up jobs to do before painting but we are almost there...

The Kestrel Has Landed

I'm not always sure where the inspiration for new models comes from.  If I'm building a model of something that closely resembles a prototype, of course the inspiration comes from photographs, drawings and my own observation.  However, for freelance builds the inspiration is more likely to come from a kit left-over, or in this case, several kit left-overs!

I had been toying with the idea of another 4w diesel loco for some time, and searching through the bits boxes revealed half an Airfix Drewery bonnet top and some Black Dog Mining axleboxes that looked promising.  However, they were eclipsed by some Dapol (Airfix) Railbus underframe parts and Knightwing shunter bonnet top sections.  Add in Dapol Drewery cab sides with added styrene sliding doors, lots of styrene sheet and section and a good headwind (OK, a Sunday afternoon), the result was this:

It is what I like to call a 'Super-Jay', as it is the size of the Kirklees Light Railway's 'Jay', but with a larger cab.  A set of A1 Models nameplates are to hand for 'Kestrel' so a bird name seems appropriate.

A little further work added a cab roof, coupler pockets and some extra features under the chassisframe tro hide the ends of the Kato chassis (the loco is a good centimetre longer than the chassis):

I've also added some extra details to the bonnet, still to come are etched grilles (also A1 Models) and a host of other metal features - lights, exhaust, door handles etc.

Rumour has it that the Somerthorpe Miniature Railway workshop crew are considering an orange paint scheme inspired by the Bure Valley Railway's no. 4:

We shall see what the management think!

Colin