Vans and trams

I've been continuing to try to finish off some things  that have been hanging around and this started with a couple of brake vans. I do have a bit of a thing for brake vans so a couple more joining the stock list isn't a surprise.

The first to be completed is a rather tidy 3D print of the TR van, I have a green version which runs with the IoSR rake of TR type coaches but I wanted a more prototypical looking one to go with Dolgoch and a probable No1 when Bachmann drop them. Not sure what colour I'll go for but it won't be the new and to my mind ghastly blue. This one is I think an MS models version and it looks great, I enjoyed painting it and am happy with the look of it; it will need weathering down a bit to look more at home with my 1950s Dolgoch.

I'm not sure where the second van came from but its a nice two balcony sort of GVT looking job. I went for a green finish and added a brake standard. Having just put an order into Tramfabriek for a KATO 109 I added three little battery powered carriage internal lights which switch on with a magnet. I thought one of these in a van might be a good idea so I fitted one and it looks nice. Then it occurred to me that a lit up tail light might be nice and I had a little 3D printed one with a tiny red LED. I attached the wires to the LED on the circuit board of the van light so that it comes on with the magnetic switch. It looks good but the whole lamp glows, a few more coats of paint and it should settle down.

On May 18th/19th I'm taking part in a little model show in the Gweithdy at Minffordd Station and my table will feature a variety of my little layout/dioramas and to demonstrate that 4mm scale narrow gauge doesn't need a huge space for a worthwhile set up. I decided that actually building a layout at the show might be fun so I've bought an MDF board to build something on. 

This is a loop of Busch HOf track which might be what I go with, I'd like to fit a circuit of 009 on it too. Watch this space and indeed come and see what happens in May.

This is a fairly old model which I actually really like, the idea being that it is a tram with an upright boiler at the front. What made me think about it was that the bell on the roof was an example of the generosity of the late, great Garry Whiting. I posted that I was making this tram and before I'd finished it a lovely little brass casting for the bell on the roof arrived, unbid but very welcome.

The original chassis has never been satisfactory so I decided that I could probably just shove a KATO 109 into it instead; so I did.

Here it is. It took a bit of trimming to fit it in but it actually fitted really well. It will now run nicely.

I'd like to see this in action at the show in May.