Herman moves forward (and backwards)

A while ago I started building a new railcar which would be useful for the Underhill branch, originally it was planned to have a Minitrains Gmeinder chassis as the power unit but that didn't work out and is now under my EuroNG NS2. The bits sat in a box unfinished and unloved until yesterday when I found a KATO 106 bogie chassis in my tool box and suddenly thought that it might be the answer to Herman's problems.

I enlarged the hole in the floor of the coach body and removed the unpowered bogie from the KATO, it made a nice push fit and clipped into place as if designed for the job.

 

From the picture you can see that I've used the rear coach bogie as intended but without couplings attached. This won't be powerful enough to pull extra vehicles. I am slightly concerned about the lack of pickups but so far it seems to run OK.

I've added some extra detailing to the ends like a headlight and horn and an exhaust pipe from styrene rod. I've also used a pair of narrow Planet castings for the buffer/couplers which look just the job.

The idea is that there is a driving position at either end so it just reverses without any messing about or the need for a driving trailer.

Green

Having a good weekend for modelling and as a result I've pretty much finished the new loco from CWR. It really only awaits plates and a little weathering. It will be named Titania and it's place in the history of the IoSR is that of first 'proper' locomotive after the DeWinton and Poppy the little 0-4-0 on the Japanese chassis.

As you can see I opted for snot green as a livery, this being early Stoner loco livery. As it isn't an exact copy of Townsend Hook I haven't worried too much about accuracy. From pictures I've seen it would appear that the Hull Red of the main IoSR fleet would probably have suited quite well too but i couldn't get the lid off that paint. I'm very pleased with how my latest loco has come out and I suspect that we may see quite a few of these little babies starting to appear.

The other green project which I've nearly completed is the modified Lilliput coach. This I am not quite as happy with. The new NP etched balcony ends are great but having done all the hard work and got it to the primer stage I thought 'I'll get a can of spray paint to make the finish look good'. I bought a can of spray green from The range and gave it a coat and it has come out almost grainy, I've managed to make it look like its a 3D print! I won't be using that paint again.

I've also painted the little TeeBee wagon which has come out rather nicely. I might have to get a few more.

Spray paint

Finally I've had some time off which I could do some modelling in. So what did I do? Well now... I started work on the new CWR Fletcher Jennings loco. It's coming on very well, I've added some bibs and bobs such as injectors and so on.

I got this one cheap from Chris as it needed a bit of filling

Details added and a waft of primer

I nicked the RT models Penrhyn couplings off Lady

Because I have no patience I stole the couplings from Lady to add to the new loco and I've added a spare set of Narrow Planet couplings to Lady which actually suit her better. I've got some new couplers ordered from Mr T but my guess is that I'll build some more locos.

At the 009 show I bought 2 Lilliput tram coaches which I intended to convert: one to a powered tram with a KATO chassis and one as a trailer. I also bought 2 sets of Narrow Planet Egger balcony ends to add to them, so far I've only done the trailer.

The other thing I acquired at the exhibition was a small wagon printed in ABS by TeeBee. He gave it to me to try out and so I have.

It is ABS so acetone is the solvent rather than the usual MEK. The kit comes as a chassis, a floor and four sides, they all needed very little cleaning up and it went together easily. The ABS is fragile as I found out when I tried to cut a groove in the buffer beam to fit a coupling. Fortunately a splosh of acetone and all was well. It has made up into a nice little wagon, a squirt of primer tomorrow and the I can paint it.

Rumours of my demise are much exagerated...

I've been very busy at work these last few weeks and have achieved very little railway modelling. I have reconfigured and completely rewired my music corner but that doesn't help the IoSR, except that I had a jolly good clear up and a hoover round.

At work one of the things keeping me busy is the coming and going of our F&WHR PECO wagons. I thought we might sell a few and I'd end up buying up the last few to repaint for the IoSR... well as history records repeatedly, I was wrong. JGF1 went on sale at about 11 am one day and all 50 had gone by the next lunchtime.

Here is my one in a train leaving Underhill

JGF1 having been such a success I have immediately ordered a larger quantity of JGF2s which should be on sale this week. I have had a sample already and took it to the 009 Society AGM where it was admired by many. It and a representative of JGF1 were handed over to the society to go into the archives. I'm proud to say I have left a slight stain on the page off 009 history.

JGF2 works photo

What I have done since my last post is finish Alice Morgan all bar name plates which are on their way. Also the rather splendid EuroNG LKM kit.

At the cheese factory with Eigiau

The LKM has had some weathering since this picture so looks a little more grubby, I haven't gone mad with the weathering as it is a loco in constant use as the cheese factory yard shunter.

At the 009 Society show and AGM I took along a small selection of goodies from Festy towers which was a good excuse to be there and to pick up a few goodies. Mostly bits and pieces but I did get the new Chris ward 3D loco body. It represents the Fletcher Jennings loco which now resides at Amberly. It is a characteristic little chap and will sit very happily on another Minitrains chassis. More on this project when I get a chance to do some work on it.

Here are pictures nicked from the CWR website

Home from home

Apart from shopping it was great to meet up with lots of like minded people and have a natter. As most of my modelling life is virtual it is always good to actually meet the real people behind the user names.





Locos everywhere

Since the trauma of smashing and coating Alice Morgan in woodchip I've been busy at work but today I had a chance to catch up and make some progress.

I'd restored the cab and given the nearly finished loco a coat of primer when it was pointed out that the couplings looked a bit clunky compared to the rest of the loco and I had to agree that they did.

I had some more subtle couplings in the form of a brass etching that had come with a kit so I removed the 3D printed couplings... This resulted in breaking the rear buffer beam so it looked dreadful. I decided that a styrene replacement was the answer.

I was much happier with this version and after some excellent advice about using Decalfix instead of water to apply Archer rivet transfers I added a row to the buffer beam.

All was going well until I recieved a parcel from the lovely chaps at Narrow Planet which included several sets of Borsna couplings. In the words of Homer, 'Doh'.

Another problem also arrived with the new couplings in the form of the much anticipated LKM NS2 kits. I know I should finish one thing before starting another but I didn't as usual.

The LKM uses a Minitrains Gmeinder chassis

The NS2 is a mixed media kit which uses the different materials to their best effect. It has a 3D printed basic body which then has etched nickle silver overlays to add detail. It went together in an evening on the lap tray, a nice kit which makes good use of the great Minitrains chassis but allows the toy like Egger style body to be discarded. the only change I made was to add the discarded etched couplings from Alice Morgan as the scale couplings didn't work well with BEMO or PECO style hoops.

Today I gave them both a coat of  primer in the morning and a first coat of acrylics this evening. 

 At the cheese factory with fellow NP loco Eigiau

First coats of the main colours

Calmer now

Well now, I'm calmer now. I rebuilt the cab using a styrene front and sections of strip to build up the sides, it's not perfect but considering the mess it was I'm pretty happy.

I had ordered some bits from Peter's Spares, a GWR whistle and a smoke box door handle. With their usual fantastic delivery speed they arrived yesterday so I fitted the smoke box bit. I'll add the whistle once the painting is finished although I have drilled the hole in the front plate.

In the rebuilding process some of the rivet detail has been lost so I tried out the archer rivet transfers I bought at Warley last year. The most noticeable area of missing rivets was the side of the back cab sheet. I fiddled about and swore some more but got them in place, they dried out and fell off. I think there isn't enough space for the adhesive to stick too so I gave up. The strip I put at the waist band on the back sheet stuck so i left that one.

With great trepidation I took the MK2 version to the garage and sprayed it with primer... this time I was more careful and all is well.

Pretty pleased with the results, Wondering whether to change the cab roof for a simple plainer version, I probably will. The other big question is that of colour; in theory the IoSR loco livery of hull red is on the cards but I'm wondering if a green of some kind might suit...

Bugger, bugger, bugger etc

It's been a mixed day. Up until this evening it had been most enjoyable, the rain lashed down and so I felt less guilt than usual for sitting on the sofa getting on with the new loco and half watching Time Team.

I changed the chimney for a double Fairlie one and added sand pots from the same. The coal bunker rails are, as usual, from Langley etched L&B seat etches. I added a layer of styrene around the cab top to give slightly more height as the new chimney was slightly taller than the original one. All nice and balanced, looking good so I gave it a test run. All was good.

So I'd made good progress and so this evening it was ready for a coat of primer. I took it out to the garage and set it up on my usual spray painting spigot and gave it a nice even coat of Mr Halford's grey primer. All was well, I turned round to check the coverage and dropped it onto the floor of the workshop.................................................. The cab smashed into numerous pieces and various other bits fell off. The floor of the workshop is covered in sawdust... wet paint... sawdust. I swore copiously and salvaged the bits I could find and tried to get as much of the paint/sawdust mixture off the bits worth saving, all the while swearing some more.

The sticky remains

The floor...

I gathered my self up and the bits of sticky mess and came back indoors. I didn't actually blub but I was tempted. Any old how I then spent a happy couple of hours of self flagellation whilst cleaning the mortal remains and evolving a strategy for restoration. 

The cab front was mostly missing and the rear was snapped in half just below the mid point. Apart from the woodchip wall paper effect I'd created this was the worst of the damage. One of the cab steps was missing and the coal rails were buggered but those can be replaced easily enough. I set about the cab by sawing the broken cab rear in half leaving the curved and broken bit with a straight edge. Plan A was to make a cabless version and so I cut the smashed bits off the front cab and stuck the rear bit back. 

I don't like the cabless option so plan B which is for tomorrow, will be to recreate the cab. The back sheet is salvageable and the roof wasn't involved in the accident. The glazing has also survived being nowhere near me to break.

I've had to file off some of the rivets so it will be an excuse to try out the archer transfers I bought at Warley last year.

What a twat.:(