A very merry chassis

It's the day before the day before Christmas so I thought I'd finish off the year with a bit of a waffle. 

Here are 'Arkwright' and 'Granville'. 'Granville' was fine but a bit gutless which I was going to live with and then someone said it would look better with a chassis with con rods, such as a Bachmann 04. This niggled and I couldn't help but agree... more later.

Work has started on the new bit, well I've put 95% of the stock away and dismantled the fiddle yard. I've also bought the timber. However it's been so cold and damp that I haven't got any further yet.

Here are some of the foxgloves next to Sandy Brook bridge. I'm really pleased with how they look and have made and installed a second batch, more will follow.

So anyway, I found and purchased a second hand 04 on evilbay but unfortunately it didn't run very well and on closed inspection it was missing a screw from the con rod. I didn't notice this so completely dismantled and cleaned it and adjusted the pickups. The pickups are usually the problem on these chassis. On putting it back together it was better but not perfect. I have several of these under locos so I know how good they can be. 

I went ahead and adapted the body and slightly extended the chassis so it all fitted together. A good call and now much more convincing. Not much ROCO loco left now though.

With a bit of a touch up to the loco and a dash of red on the rods here it is down at the wharf. This evening I spent ages trying to find a screw of the correct thread to replace the missing con rod fastening. After much rummaging in a variety of boxes I finally found that the original n gauge body securing screws are just right . Much improved now and with some running in I think it will be a useful member of the fleet. Just needs a driver and a spot of dirt.

While I was looking for the previously mentioned screw I found the box with all my spare bits of Minitrix dock tank bits in it which included a motor which didn't run but which had fairly new brushes; inserting these into the motor of another brushless motor and then attaching the whole motor and pick up assembly into a fairly fresh chassis which had no motor I now have another working 0-6-0 to play with.

In the rummaging process I also found an old part built and then dismantled diesel loco. I can't remember what the chassis is but it is an 0-4-0 with a centre jackshaft.  The reason it never got finished was the poor running quality of the chassis but I figured that as I was on a roll I'd see if I could batter this one into submission too. In the end after much fiddling about I removed the jackshafts and it runs nicely now. I remembered that ages ago I bought a resin kit for a cab to convert a Bachmann brick chassis to 009 but never got round to using it. Not a perfect fit but with a bit of chopping and adding microstrip and a few bits and bobs the P Way dept seem to have acquired some sort of home made diesel to add to their roster. 

Obviously the roof isn't attached and it needs some paint but otherwise ta dah!

Here is the whole of my Christmas decoration layout in action as a decoration...

...and as a Christmas greeting from the Isle of Stoner Railway. Who knows what next year brings but hopefully there will be lots more 009 action and I'll get to meet some of my now only virtual modelling friends for real. Fingers crossed.

 

Coaching, plans and stuff

Not really been much going on in modelling world really but thought I'd round it up anyway.

I've bought the timber for the construction of the extension but it's been too cold in the garage to get started on building it. I have been thinking about the best way to use the space. Because I loose the fiddle yard in building this next part of the line I've been wondering if I could fit in a few hidden sidings. While wondering about this it occurred to me that I could run a line behind the backscene which could lead to a future fiddle yard. Not sure it will all fit properly but the baseboard would be the same anyway so a bit of 3D planning when the board is made.

Something like this.

I dug out the cheese factory to see what I might be able to run on it having melted my Portram/ROCO skip loco... Might build another one.

Having been curious to see a Bachmann TR coach I ordered one from Tootaly Thomas and it duly arrived with the replacement Percy, which works perfectly.

It is a nice model and the livery quite nicely applied, a bit shiny but a coat of matt varnish would sort that out. 

I started trying to paint over the Bachmann paint but as I guessed it would be, a coat of primer helped tremendously.

Here it is finished and with 'Dolgoch'. I had a problem with 'Dolgoch's chassis which was getting worse with the loco having developed a very lumpy gait. I took off the body applied a battery to the wheels and all was well; I put the body back on and it was fine so I guess something was rubbing somewhere.

Here they are in action on the layout, the coach fits with the kit built rake very well.

Another thing I've spent a surprising amount of time doing was making a few foxgloves a la Alan Ogden who models the Corris and whose foxgloves I admired, he explained how to make them. His are better than mine but they look ok on the layout.

When I modified the ROCO diesel to make it more British looking I ordered plates to finish it off, lo and behold they finally arrived and I have duly fitted them. Maybe a spot of weathering and it's finished.