Brinkly Works! Take-Two…

[41516]

13 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

which way around does one have the 'L'.....?

 

13 hours ago, Brinkly said:

so flat side showing, with the other flat side facing the track

 

There is at least one exception (and likely outside the scope of the modelling in the thread) - If you are modelling a 16T mineral retrofitted with vaccum brakes, then the tie bar was angled, with inner channel facing the outside. 

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/mineralmortonmxv/ea2c5405

 

I use 0.8mm angle for my tiebars, just a tiddly bit finer and then depending on my idleness, occasionally replace the missing bolts detail with some small blobs of superglue gel, rather than use expensive Archer decals.

Edited July 9, 2022 by 41516

[NHY 581]

11 minutes ago, 41516 said:

 

 

There is at least one exception (and likely outside the scope of the modelling in the thread) - If you are modelling at 16T mineral retrofitted with vaccum brakes, then the tie bar was angled, with inner channel facing the outside. 

 

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/mineralmortonmxv/ea2c5405

 

I use 0.8mm angle for my tiebars, just a tiddly bit finer and then depending on my idleness, occasionally replace the missing bolts detail with some small blobs of superglue gel, rather than use expensive Archer decals.

 

 

I've also used the gel method to replicate bolt heads.  Quick and easy. 

[Brinkly]

The District Supervisor (Lily) observers some running in trials… and I wonder why I don’t get much done! 🤣 How do you say no to a 15 year old collie? 
 

 

Anyway back to transfers. 
 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Is she watching a 'dog of a locomotive?'

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Sorry to interrupt, is that a custom made set of boards for a test track?

 

Very neat

 

StaySafe

[Brinkly]

13 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Is she watching a 'dog of a locomotive?'

 

 

She was indeed! It was a rather nice Southern liveried IoW Terrier. 

[Brinkly]

1 hour ago, Jack Benson said:

Sorry to interrupt, is that a custom made set of boards for a test track?

 

Very neat

 

StaySafe

 

No need to apologise for interrupting. 

 

Years ago, I was discussing the possibilities of making a forth radius 00 test track with Maurice Hopper. I had wondered at the time about using blue insulation board that many a good layout have been built from. At the time, Tim Horn was in his early days and Maurice had a quick conversation with him at a show. Maurice then produced a set of drawings and Tim very kindly drew it on CAD and produced this superb little circular layout. It has cabinet makers dowels for alignment and corresponding holes for bolts to slide through to secure each section. Truth be told, I have never used bolts simply as I usually put it on the floor when testing stock, but it means it isn't on the carpet or laminate flooring and keeps it up a bit (essentially away from pesky dog hair!). 

 

I'll take a few more photos of it later and post them. I believe Tim still has the CAD design - Maurice and I certainly don't own it as an idea and we were very happy for Tim to produce more for other modellers. Maurice has built an N gauge German layout on one set and retained a second as a 00/HO running in circuit. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick.

 

Edit - Typo

Edited July 10, 2022 by Brinkly

[Brinkly]

A few more photos of my test track.

 

Laser cut by Tim Horn, with the usual high-quality finish one would expect from him. 

The photos really speak for themselves construction wise, but a the reinforcement between the top and bottom pieces runs along as a zig-zag.
 

There are also different finishes to top and bottom. The top has holes pre-cut to enable wiring to be slotted through. The top section is made up of 2 sections, each 1/8 the side of the overall radius of the circle.
 

The bottom is made up of 3 sections; this provides a lot of strength within the boards.

Ends - great alignment.

 

Internal cross section.

 

Outer view.

 

Top surface - with holes cut for wiring.

 

Bottom surface - no holes and in 3 sections. 
 

I haven’t attached the track yet, simply as I stack these and without track means they sit better in the cupboard.

 

Hope this is of interest.

 

Nick

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Can you just remind me of the diameter of your circle of track, when on the test track baseboards, please Nick?

 

Thanks.

 

[Brinkly]

5 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Can you just remind me of the diameter of your circle of track, when on the test track baseboards, please Nick?

 

Thanks.

 

Peco fourth radius, so 22.5 inches I think.

[Brinkly]

In between liberally coating the transfers on 14 box vans and 2 cattle wagons with Micro Sol, I completed the chassis on a trio of box vans.

 

These three are all Hornby bodies and while while not as fine as Parkside, Ratio or Bachmann products, with a bit of work I think they still fit the title of ‘layout stock’.

 

The BR standard and one of the GWR vans had their fictitious liveries liveries stripped last summer and a coat of dark grey primer applied. I airbrushed Precision Bauxite over the top. These were purely going to be an experimental project to see how using a dark primer would provide shadowing in the planking; however, I felt they were too good not to compete properly. 
 

They were sealed with varnish and then transfers applied (all from fox). I’ve completed the chassis this afternoon. The two GWR vans have some spare Ratio 10ft RCH fitted, with black modifications to the brakes and a scratch built buffer beam. LMS buffers and vacuum pipes completed the build. Each weighs about 40grams.

White plasticard strips were fitted to provide a ledge for the chassis to sit on. 
 

Very crude closeup showing the modifications to the BR chassis (all left over parts from various kits which didn’t require them). 0.5mm wire was slotted through to represent the brake rodding.

 

Buffer beams under construction using plasticard strip and an Exactoscaled etched buffer beam as a template. 
 

Excuse the clutter in the background but essentially a finished van - I tend to fit the couplings after painting the buffer beams. 
 

One trio sat almost ready for revenue earning service… 

 

And if you have got this far, thanks for readying! Please do feel free to comment or ask anything. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick. 

[Brinkly]

 

I forgot to add this photo to the previous post - one van is built from the original V23 batch (vacuum fitted).
 

The other represent V33, which were non-vacuum fitted but subsequently fitted by BR during the 1950s. This one has the LMS/LNER pipe style, with buffers that have had collar extenders fitted. 

[Lacathedrale]

Really lovely stuff! 

 

I had used rocket card glue, but I think gel superglue for bolt heads has got to be a better shot. I tried the old 'slice up 10 thou round styrene rod and apply' and I felt like I was going to go mad! 

[Brinkly]

23 minutes ago, Lacathedrale said:

Really lovely stuff! 

 

I had used rocket card glue, but I think gel superglue for bolt heads has got to be a better shot. I tried the old 'slice up 10 thou round styrene rod and apply' and I felt like I was going to go mad! 

Thank you, William. Very kind words.

 

I must admit, I don’t bother with the bolts on the w-irons for stock like this. However, for some of the ‘on show’ stuff I’m building for Balcombe, I do try and get it as accurate as possible (on show means stuff left in the goods yard that probably won’t move for the duration of the exhibition).

 

All the best,

[Lacathedrale]

Yeah I was thinking selfishly about washer plates and solebar detail on scratchbuilds and the hint of texture is definitely worthwhile. i.e. the two wagons in this shot:

 

 

If it were more controlled that would make sense.

 

Balcombe /Ouse Viaduct is a wonderful layout, awesome to know somebody who is involved!

[41516]

15 hours ago, Brinkly said:

Please do feel free to comment or ask anything. 

 

I hope you don't mind me pointing this out - It's only when I've gone back and looked at prototype pictures I realised what was wrong with some of mine.

 

The Lanarkshire vertical pipes are a bit too long for GWR vans. Used out of the packet, the vertical pipe against the body comes up to the 4th plank, when really it should only come up to the 3rd plank up.

 

I shortened mine on the most recently built (but kept the wrong position of the fixing bracket to the body - life is only so long).  Ratio kit below with Lanarkshire pipes/buffers -  Ratio actually got that right with the kit parts!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by 41516

[Brinkly]

2 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

Yeah I was thinking selfishly about washer plates and solebar detail on scratchbuilds and the hint of texture is definitely worthwhile. i.e. the two wagons in this shot:

 

 

If it were more controlled that would make sense.

 

Balcombe /Ouse Viaduct is a wonderful layout, awesome to know somebody who is involved!

My contribution to Rod and John’s project really is just rolling stock - I should add all the models on the thread so far are Finescale 00 stock for my own layout! 
 

I think it is very easy to go mad with detailing, and if that’s what you like then great, but for big projects trying to do a ‘John Haynes’ spec for each 4-wheeled wagon just isn’t practical (I should add I greatly admire and envy his work. Such a shame he passed away). 

[Brinkly]

1 hour ago, 41516 said:

 

I hope you don't mind me pointing this out - It's only when I've gone back and looked at prototype pictures I realised what was wrong with some of mine.

 

The Lanarkshire vertical pipes are a bit too long for GWR vans. Used out of the packet, the vertical pipe against the body comes up to the 4th plank, when really it should only come up to the 3rd plank up.

 

I shortened mine on the most recently built (but kept the wrong position of the fixing bracket to the body - life is only so long).  Ratio kit below with Lanarkshire pipes/buffers -  Ratio actually got that right with the kit parts!

 

 

 

 

Oh ! How did I not spot that before!? I even had the diagram book out as a reference guide!

 

Noted for future GWR vans. 

[41516]

21 minutes ago, Brinkly said:

I even had the diagram book out as a reference guide!

 

I know the feeling well!    Why don't my cattle vans look quite right?......Ohhhh.

[Brinkly]

Ekkk! Has it really been almost two years since I updated this? 😬 It is fair to say I have been modelling in that time, just not sharing widely online. 

 

So what have I been up to? It is fair to say a lot of my time has been taken up with working on our local Scalefour Society area group's new Test Track (more on that another day), but also helping various friends with their modelling projects. 

 

 

This is about half the models I've been working on for Brian Pearce. He built most of the stock on the table; however, I offered to paint, number/letter, varnish and weather the items. A few needed rebuilding, too. Brian models in P4 and has done so since the formation of the Scalefour Society in the 1970s.  

 

I won't do a blow-by-blow account, as I've been working on these models for about eight months now. But some needed a fair amount of work to get them finished. 

 

I thought I would share the CCT/PMV work first. 

 

 

The first two photos are half of the Southern CCT/PMV fleet. The CCTs are Wrenn bodies with modified chassis (either compensated or sprung). Brian fits Alex Jackson (AJs) couplings to his stock. He has taught me how to do it - they are fiddly, but I must confess, easier to operate once you get the hang of them. My eyesight and back don't favour 3-links (however good they look!). 

 

 

The vans received an undercoat of Games Workshop Mechanicus Standard Grey primer. I like the Games Workshop range for priming, and the Mechanicus Grey and Precision Malachite complement each other well. It gives the Malachite a rich hue, which the lighter shades don't achieve. 

 

 

I commissioned Fox Transfers to produce a COVCAR sheet to make the vehicles a little more unique. My grateful thanks to Grahame Muz for helping me with the font size. This sheet included a small 's', which seemed to be the 'standard' way the Southern lettered its vehicles in the last year before Nationalisation. A couple of the vans have had this lettering style to add a bit of subtle variation. Thank you, too, to Fox for producing them so quickly. They really were fantastic to deal with as a firm. I don't think anyone else produces SR Sunshine COVCAR lettering. 

 

The next set of photos shows the finished items on Ian Harrison's Dulverton layout - a beautiful model in the making. Many thanks to Ian, as I don't have a P4 layout of my own yet to run stock on. All of the painting, varnishing and lettering was done with one of my airbrushes. I now use a Badger 150 with a large (0.5mm) needle for block painting and swap to either a fine (0.3mm) or medium (0.4mm) needle to do the weathering. I still have a Neo by Iwata with a 0.3mm needle. However, I have found the Badger 150 is far more reliable and consistent to use. Changing colour and keeping clean is also much easier compared to the Neo. I also have a Badger 200, which I have been experimenting with - I'm still learning how to use that one, as I have only ever used duel action, not single, brushes. Although, I can see the potential for some painting work. I was incredibly fortunate as I picked up the Badger 150 for £20 and the 200 for £15!  

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I'll share some more bits later if anyone is interested. Please feel free to comment or chat. I don't want a dull thread! 

 

Best wishes,

Nick.

[Brinkly]

Sticking with the Southern theme for now, whilst working on Brian's SR stock, I thought I would dig out the Maunsell P-Set I started working on during the first lockdown. 😳 As any long-term stuffers readers will know, I am working towards building Horrabridge on the former GWR line from Plymouth to Launceston. I have several photos of SR stock running on the branch. I believe (it is certainly hinted at in various publications) that between 1943 and 1946, SR crews had a few turns on the branch to retain knowledge as a diversionary route.

 

In 1943, a connection was made at Lydford, with similar arrangements being installed at Launceston and St. Budeaux to give flexibility should other lines be damaged due to wartime bombing. What isn't clear is whether GWR or SR motive power was used. Certainly, in the early 1950s, SR stock was used on the branch. There were similar arrangements with western crews, with one such working being the Plymouth-Lifton Sunday milk service, which was booked via Tavistock South on the down working, but the up return involved crossing from western to southern metals at Lydford Junction, and hence back to Plymouth on the SR route. During the winter, this western turn involved just the southern route. 

 

Ex-LSWR stock in the hands of 4658 at Yelverton. 

 

SR Mogul, on down Okehampton-Friary service, waits for the board to come off whilst a WR 4575 with a 3-coach set crosses from the Launceston branch to the up SR line. 1962

 

The rationale behind the P-Set is that it will be allocated to a Southern working as part of a turn for crew route knowledge and retention. Due to the nature of such workings, it runs depending on stock and crew availability. The turn is quite involved but follows the WR SO milk working.

 

Empty Stock Friary Yard/Carriage Sidings to North Road via Lipson Junction. 

Service working - North Road to Tavistock South, calling at Marshmills, Bickleigh, Yelverton, Horrabridge and Tavistock South (not calling at Plymbridge, Clearbrook Halt or Shaugh Bridge Platform). 

Then, form a non-advertised Tavistock South - Lydford GWR working (running as required). 

Empty Stock  - Lydford SR to Brentor. 

Service working - Brentor to Friary, all station stopper.  

 

Initially, a Southern M7 will be the motive power for this turn. However, in the long run, I would like to replace this with a kit-built O2. 

 

To the model!

 

The model will be based on a pair of Hornby Maunsell coaches, a BSK and BCK, respectively. Last summer, I repainted one coach fully, and the other just had the sides resprayed from Hornby SR green to Precision Post-War Malachite. This was the first 'proper' coach repaint I had done then, so I was very pleased with the result! The Iwata Neo was used, along with good-quality masking tape from Tamiya. I managed to get the glazing out without breaking it. This was fraught with difficulty! I opted, in the end, to cut each window section into smaller pieces and then using a plectrum ( @Re6/6 gave me that tip! Thank you, John) 'pinged' each section out. 

 

 

 

During the first lockdown, I modified the interiors following Peter Swift's article in MRJ. It is a lot of work for a few mm... would I do it again? Probably not! It is nice to know it is more accurate, mind. Compartment detailing was also fitted in the form of scanned Peco coach interiors. The passengers are from Modelu (again, painted during lockdown). Almost 20 were used... not the cheapest way to add figures, I know, but lots of character to a small project. 

 

 

At this point, thank you to @2ManySpams  for his assistance with carriage sets used in the West Country. Based on his excellent knowledge (thank you again, old boy), I opted for set 179, which was a true SR P-set, having been formed in the 1930s. Coach end transfers from CCT. I struggled more with these than Fox ones. Are they particularly tricky to use? I just couldn't get the paper to disappear as I could with Fox's. 

 

 

The Southern branding and numbers were from Fox, with the compartment class being HMRS Methfix products. Again, not used these before. A bit tricky, but I will preserver with them again in the future. 

 

 

There are a few little errors with them, but overall, I'm delighted! The next job will be full reassembly, followed by couplings and weathering. You can probably see a few other projects lurking in the background—more on those later. 

 

Thanks for reading! Do feel free to comment. 

 

Regards,

 

Nick.

[Metr0Land]

I use Micro Set (in the blue bottles) as my go-to solvent.  Works fine with Methfix for me

[Brinkly]

3 minutes ago, Metr0Land said:

I use Micro Set (in the blue bottles) as my go-to solvent.  Works fine with Methfix for me

 

Thank you. I didn't really have an issue with the Methfix (bar not getting one or two perfectly straight - weathering will hide it!) But I did find the Cambridge ones quite tricky. They lay flat on the gloss varnish, but you still see the carrier paper. 

 

It is worth knowing, mind, that Mirco Set can be used with Methfix. Is that instead of the Meth mix? 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick.

Edited June 30 by Brinkly
Typo

[John Isherwood]

50 minutes ago, Brinkly said:

Coach end transfers from CCT. I struggled more with these than Fox ones. Are they particularly tricky to use? I just couldn't get the paper to disappear as I could with Fox's.

 

Paper? I presume that you mean carrier film?

 

As per the instructions, the transfers MUST be applied to a high gloss finish.

 

If they are to go over any surface detail, even if just the edge of the carrier film, you should use MicroSOL (red-lettered bottle) to help the carrier film settle onto the model.

 

This is the correct application method for waterslide transfers over surface detail.

 

John Isherwood,

Cambridge Custom Transfers.

[Captain Kernow]

37 minutes ago, Brinkly said:

It is worth knowing, mind, that Mirco Set can be used with Methfix. Is that instead of the Meth mix? 

I wouldn't have thought it was instead of the meths, Nick. I've never had any particular problems with Methfix, although they are more difficult to ensure they are level compared to Pressfix.

 

Perhaps it's meant that any issues left after the Methfix transfers have been put on can be addressed with the use of the Micro Set?