009 Allsorts

 I haven't had a huge amount of time to get on with Port Lucy but I have purchased timber and track so in actual fact real progress has been made even if it seems it hasn't.

I join these two Scenecraft low relief buildings together and added a pavement and some details. The bay window has got a big grey face looking out if you look closely. I don't know why, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. This will be a part of the town above the station in Port Lucy.

A while ago I bought a couple of 'not working' locos from Tootaly Thomas as they were cheap and I figured they probably didn't have much wrong with them. Skarloey needs a motor and is another story abandoned in a small box for now, however Percy needed the quartering sorting out and one of the pins which hold the rods on had too big a hole in it so it kept falling to bits; I actually think this might have been what put the quartering out. Anyway, a new pin and a bit of a fiddle and it seems to be fine, it's still not quite smooth but it is certainly good enough to say that it works... now what to do with it?

My boss has aked me to make a diorama for the shop window with the new Scenecraft Harbour Station buildings so I've go this far so far. Some paint, ballast and tiny amount of greenery and it can go to the real Harbour Station. I did wonder if I should make a small model of the model to go inside in the style of Russian dolls.

This is 'Ned' the finished Fourdees Kerr Stuart on a Bachmann Peter Sam. I like the look of the loco and might add some lining at some point, unfortunately the chassis is slightly lumpy, not bad at line speed but a reluctant slow runner. Can't work it out at the moment, running in may make it better.

Passing 'Ned' and his train is 'Alice' the inevitable |Bachmann Hunslet. This runs very well and was having a trip out on the IoSR by way of a test. Very nice.

Next loco on the to be painted list is a delightful 3D print from Nigel Brooks. The GVT van in the train is also one of his prints which among the best I've seen. It is currently in the paint shop.

This is a world exclusive, The F&WHR were the first to commision special livery wagons from PECO and they have always been a great success so here is JGF4 which should be available in the next few weeks. Design by Dave Malton and I think it's a goody, in the vein of traditional FR wooden wagon liveries. We've only ordered fifty so I think they won't hang about long.

By way of a diversion from all the other things I have to do, I've decided to make a small diorama to feature the legendary but never built Portmeirion branch of the FR. This would have turned right at Pen Cob and run round the back of Boston Lodge out along the headland, through a tunnel and back left into a station on the foreshore near the hotel in Portmeirion. Who knows how the history of the FR would have turned out had it been built? I've painted and FR van in a nice pale blue which goes very nicely with the now static remains of 'Nadine' MK1. Also in the paint shop are a couple of four wheel coaches from the Colin Ashby stable, nearly small Birminghams but not quite. When I get around to it I'll build a diorama with the Portmeirion platform and room for a few coaches and the loco.

Another Hunslet and that

 Christmas was rather a modelling hiatus so thankfully all that jollity has been packed away and the lap tray has been restored to the lap.

'Nadine' above and 'Veronica' below are both now complete and attached to their chassis. 'Veronica' is next to have her crew painted and installed.

Another marvellous Fourdees print has had some attention including a bit of a rub down here and there and the replacement of the printed couplings with brass ones. I also managed to break the printed smokebox door handles so replaced them with a brass one I had in the box of bits. It had a trip to the ultrasonic bath this evening to remove any loose smoothing bits and hopefully tomorrow I will be able to get some primer on it.

'Alice' my Bachmann quarry Hunslet is now detailed, weathered and has mini me at the controls.

The weathering is just a light coat of a black wash with a little bit of rust added here and there. I added some real coal to this one and the two locos mentioned above.

'Charles' has also joined the fleet. It was a thank you gift from Bachmann for which I'm very grateful. In my usual way I've changed the couplings and added a few details like the bucket on the buffer beam; strictly speaking it should have a lid but I can live with it. I made some fire irons too, the loco has prominent brackets to hold them so they seemed obvious things to add. It is a beautiful model and I don't intend to do much else except add a crew.

Loadsa locos

 I had been so busy with buildings that the large pile of locomotives waiting to be finished had stalled however with the long evenings of winter and now the Xmas holidays upon us I’ve got my finger out and the results can be seen here. 

First to be finished (again) was Nadine mk2. The first version got spoiled by a cat based incident, Dan very kindly sent me another print and I’ve finished it off in the same livery etc of the first one. I think I’ve done a better job this time too. 

Next in the paint shop was ‘Veronica’, the younger sibling of ‘Nadine’ also from Fourdees and on. KATO England chassis. This one also got bounced by the cat but the only damage was the handrails which I replaced with brass ones. I’ve also changed both locos to have my standard RT models couplers. ‘Veronica’ needs a couple of touch ups here and there and the crew from Modelu which needs painting. 

Talking of Modelu figures here is mini me driving my new Bachmann ‘Alice’. 

I had a visit from these three this week and ‘Alice’ is definitely staying. I’ve done a few little additions but haven’t had the heart to weather it into quarry condition. All four of these tiny locomotives are absolutely gorgeous and I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Nesta’ comes home too. 

‘Dorothea’ with my kit built one.  

Last but not least is Corris No4, I decided I could do a better job on the paint finish and that I wanted to change the couplings. I’ve also ordered some number plates from LRS. 

At the Warley MRC show I was nattering to those lovely Hastie chaps on the Dundas stand when the Minitrains Schneider loco caught my attention. We had them at work and I even got as far as bringing one home but decided I couldn’t justify it at the time; having subsequently regretted this decision I relieved Dundas Models of one. It goes very well with my other maroon ics and here it is with glazing, a crew and some weathering. A nice loco and in my opinion one of the best Minitrains have made. It adds a little more Gallic charm to my channel island too. 

It will be named ‘Speedy’ after a sadly deceased French cat. 

Meanwhile PECO have released their Mk3 quarryman’s coach and the two vans in a rather fetching grey livery. It would make a good undercoat for freelance liveries but it occurred to me that there are pictures of the quarrymen’s train in a very tatty state and that this would be a good place to start attempting this from. 

So far I’ve only done the coach so you can see the grey van here, next to the painted coach alongside two factory finish vehicles. 

I painted individual planks starting with a brown that is close to the ‘proper’ colour and then painted most of the rest of the planks in three shades of grey and beige. The finishing touch was to dry brush the ‘proper’ brown on top to simulate tired and peeling paint. The genuine articles spent their lives either by the sea in Portmadoc or in a siding in Blaenau so no wonder they didn’t fare well. Anyway I think it looks the part and when I get round to it the vans will get the same treatment. 

More to come next year, hopefully Port Lucy will be in action by this time in 2023. Have a happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or whatever. See you next year. 

Painted and glazed

It doesn't look like I've done much but I've finished The Old Vicarage with a coat of Vallejo Ground Texture - Grey sand. It is virtually the same colour as the filler but has a fine sand in it so it now seems to have a painted pebbledash finish which is quite subtle and just the job.

Also now complete is the signal box, I wish I'd not glued the interior details into place before painting them but I did and so enjoyed a happy evening fiddling about making the inside a pleasant environment for the signalman.

Glazed and roof stuck on it now awaits it's place on the new layout.

The loco shed is also now complete, the machines are fitted and all looks well. I haven't painted the filler as it looks good as a rendered finish.

In addition to building new structures I am also renovating some previously used ones. This Skaledale product was the station building at StRuth. Not sure what it will be this time as I still find it attractive. It has had a clean up and the roof and sign board have been repainted.

 

Neither Port Lucy nor Rome were built in a day

Since the last post most of my modelling time has been spent progressing the buildings for Port Lucy.

The loco shed is finished with just painting to do, the machine tools for inside are also waiting for the paint brush to visit before they are fixed inside. The water tower is also complete and primed.

The house is also just in need of painting.

One bedroom is furnished and illuminated.

The signal box awaits the attention of the paintbrush too, then glazing and the roof fixing on.

This flight of stairs will join the station level to the street ascending at the rear.

Last weekend was the Warley MRC show at the NEC in Birmingham where we had a publicity and sales stand from work. This means two nights and two days away from home. This has plusses and minuses, plusses are meeting up with loads of folk that I hardly ever see and having long chats. 

I got myself scanned by Modelu as did Dave Malton, hopefully I'll be driving a Bachmann 'Alice' before long.

On the PECO stand an early (and wrong) green England was spotted, A darker shade will be used for the finished item; confirmed by Hiroshi Kato himself.

One of my longer chats, with the lovely chaps at Dundas Models resulted in me buying a Minitrains Schneider diesel home. I thought I'd missed the boat with these, it fits right in with the other two maroon diesels.

 

The final bonus of a weekend in Birmingham is the availability of excellent and plentiful curry.