Castle Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 Hi All, Great work. Excellent use of the Dapol chassis. I think you are right, the texture of the 3D printing gives a great aging effect to the paint work. Thanks No46! Like I said, it's quite a good effect that comes out but probably a little heavy handed for the age of the wagon as depicted. Still, not bad for £20+ and a few evenings work... You definitely used the surface texture of the WSF to your advantage. You would likely have had a smoother starting point with FUD, which is what i use for most of my 3D printing, but when painted and weathered, as you have shown, you can certainly get acceptable results from WSF if you understand the limitations and how far you can push the material. As someone doing effectively the same thing (modelling all the pieces in the collection of the museum i volunteer at), I always enjoy your ongoing project updates. Been a while since i've been to Didcot, i should try to get back the next time I'm in the UK! Stephen Hi Stephen, Thanks for the compliments. I have used FUD before as part of the build for the POLLEN Es as produced by the marvellous Noel and it would have been a better starting point but not for £40 for just a wagon body! All a learning curve at this stage though... Hopefully we can see you at Didcot sometime soon! Thanks to everyone who keeps pushing the like and other buttons and indeed for following my random jottings in this thread! All the best, Castle 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted February 24, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 24, 2017 Thanks Castle for that nicely illustrated build, and background info on the N20s too. I like this kind of conversion, you get something done in a reasonable time yet the resulting wagon feels "home made". Will you be modelling the annual RMweb visit to Didcot at some point? Alan from Modelu couldl help out with the figures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 Hi Mikkel, It's a great use of the technology isn't it? I have used fully 3D printed kits as per the Pollen Es from Hazelwood Models and now a part printed conversion kit as per the N34. I have no problem using the WSF for wagons as they are usually pretty far down the pecking order when it comes to both cleaning and repainting so it works for that. It needs a lot more work to use the same stuff for locos and coaches I suspect. Not impossible by any stretch of the imagination, just more work. Alan and I have conspired to get him to 81E - there was apparently much scanning... He had better not try to scan the RMWEB tour - I don't think my look is in any way authentic for anything other than "bloke in hat attempting to fix Castle Class locomotive No. 4079, suitable for GWR / BR(W) museum settings from the year 2000 onwards". I'm guessing there is a limited market for that kind of thing! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted February 26, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 26, 2017 Alan and I have conspired to get him to 81E - there was apparently much scanning... Intriguing! I don't think my look is in any way authentic for anything other than "bloke in hat attempting to fix Castle Class locomotive No. 4079, suitable for GWR / BR(W) museum settings from the year 2000 onwards". I'm guessing there is a limited market for that kind of thing! Well, you could dress up as a Peckett Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Intriguing! Well, you could dress up as a Peckett With a little bit of effort and imagination you could be 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 With a little bit of effort and imagination you could be 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'! No I'm too busy working like a Trojan! I'll get my coat... All the best, Castle 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 No I'm too busy working like a Trojan! I'll get my coat... All the best, Castle But the headgear wouldn't suit you. (and I notice you didn't include the hat as you left......) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 (and I notice you didn't include the hat as you left......) But I rarely take the hat off! All the best, Castle 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Another wagon kit?I MITE B... Hi All, Well, I enjoyed the N34 so much, I thought I would do another. They really are like Pringles aren't they?! So, this time we are going old school with the most senior freight wagons in the collection at Didcot. The twin MITE B bolster wagons No. 32337 & No. 32338 were built way back in 1881 to lot 220. They are built to diagram That eventually became known as J9. They were built in two distinct types. Those preserved at Didcot are a permanently coupled articulated pair that are used to carry long loads. In order to do this they have swivelling bolsters. These are the vehicles known collectively as MITE B. There was also a single version of the same basic design that can be coupled together to make a similar unit to the 81E duo or on their own as match wagons to enable vehicles to couple up to overhanging loads. There were actually two version of these. The single bolster wagon was the diagram J8, which was renamed (for some reason) as a MACAW. There was a 1934 program to rebuild other wagons to diagram L21 to become MATCH TRUCK as the J8 and J9 variants became rarer due to attrition. The J9 pair at Didcot were preserved by the 813 Fund in 1994 and quite rightly so! When you think about the fact that the GWR was still a dual gauge railway when this pair first saw service they really are time travellers! They do represent something of an anachronism in the Little Didcot model collection as they were actually first withdrawn from the GWR in 1917. Yes, that's right, 1917! They were withdrawn the same year that No. 5322 was built... They were actually converted for the MOD to carry motor boats during the First World War. They were then finally withdrawn on 13th March 1918 and subsequently sold to the Royal Navy where they served the senior service from then on. They entered preservation first on the Kent & East Sussex Railway and then later being transferred to Didcot. The axle boxes are now a mix of original grease and oil boxes and even the wheels have been swapped during their long life. We are going to have to flex the modeller's licence quite hard here! What I decided to do was to get it as close to a late GWR condition as would be reasonable, assuming that they remained in general traffic rather than being pensioned of to the Royal Navy. This means accepting* the kit's oil axle boxes, horse shunting rope holes in the sole bars and the metal lip around the wooden floor. *For accepting, read it's far too much hassle to cut that lot off and sort it out... So, on to the kit. This is one of those marvellous old whitemetal kits that comes with typed instructions. It's a Four Most Models kit that can be built as either 2 of the single versions or the twin pair. This means a wagon's worth of extra buffers are going into the spares box! The castings are pretty good. There is a little flash on the sole bar castings but it is very thin and easily cleared off. The metal is not too hard and not too soft. Easily workable. Files and scalpels at the ready people... The tension lock coupling posts have been snipped off and a little light drilling had resulted in some nicely fitting buffers and Slaters coupling. Here are all the bits for a MITE. The articulated coupling at the rear is the same type as fitted to the POLLEN Es. The first thing to do is to sweat the brass bearings in. The buffers were tacked in place and then the first sole bar is offered up and soldered on with a quite large fillet. As it can't be seen, we will go for strength over finesse I think... The worst bit about the kit is keeping it all square. A real pain in the proverbial as there really isn't much in the way of location bits and you can't use the floor as it's made of plastic! We shall carry on regardless - if it was easy, everyone would be doing it! Four sides together and the articulated coupling in place - phew! There we are! All together and solid. Spot the rookie mistake? Well done to those who have spotted the fact that I have put the brake bar all the way across. They have one sided brakes and if you had read the instructions properly or just taken half a look at a prototype photo (!), you would not need to spot that. I did, eventually. Still, that's all finished with none the less... ...except we are doing a pair so rinse and repeat! Mirror image! What to do about the articulation coupling? I got around this on the POLLENs by putting a massive girder on it which means I didn't have to think about it but these seem to have remained coupled when loaded. My limited photo library doesn't show otherwise but I am willing to be proved wrong by more knowledgable heads or extensive archives. The first stab at the job was as below. It was simple and easy to do but didn't keep the wagons close coupled. This does though! The Mk II version gives us close coupling and the ability to stretch out when needed. I have a lot of the springs and split pins from Slaters couplings as a lot of locomotives don't allow for it to be fitted. Waste not, want not say I. A lot of scribing with the assistance of the vernier gauge put some planks in the plastic card provided and with a bit of fettling of the soldered joints in the corners, they were fitted to the wagons. Then it was on to the bolsters. The thin wire provided in the kit was a bit too flexible so it was replaced with some harder brass wire I had in stock. The swivels were taken care of by using these servo somethings - I'm not quite sure what they are called but they have an M2 thread on them and they press fitted right into the pre drilled holes in the bottom of the bolsters. That's a win as far as I am concerned! The centre hole in the deck is just a pilot hole here but it will be bored out to about 2.5mm so that the wagon can take corners. Despite being having whitemetal frame, the wagons are not that heavy on their own. I like my wagons to be a little heavier to allow for the easier operation of the scale couplings. The liquid gravity is in progress here. A styrene stiffener has been added under the floor to give support for the bolster swivels and washers provided to account for the slightly larger holes. The brass pivots will be cut off to length during final assembly. The girders from a Bachmann wagon were pressed into service on the MITEs. First try was like this but there really wasn't enough glue area to make for a good joint. The second try was like this and MIGHT be a bit over the 10t load of the MITEs in scale but do look the business and give a firm foundation for the vehicle. I guess you have to think about this as a very thin bodied coach... I want them to be able to run in a train with my POLLEN Es and the long girders they are carrying. It seemed to work pretty well on test. It might be the case that both POLLEN pairs will need to be after the MITEs in the train as this is quite a bit heavier than they are and the model of AA3 TOAD No. 56400 is a brass kit. I fitted as much weight into the POLLENs as possible but there is only so much space and they are lighter that I would normally allow as a result. I don't want the weight of both the TOAD and the MITEs pulling the POLLENs off the road on the corners. Only time and a layout will tell I suppose... Still, as I understand it, the GWR expected freight guards to watch over exceptional loads such as is on the POLLEN models so having them both at the rear of the train is entirely prototypical. I guess the veranda on the TOAD will always have to be turned to face the loco in this case too. I digress... A little paint, weathering and a few scale chains and etched shackles from the ever useful range from Ambis Engineering completes the look. The lettering isn't quite right but it's close! Don't examine it too hard and, as I said, these are conjectural models anyhow as the real things were long withdrawn by this point on the real railway. Look, I won't tell anyone if you don't, ok? The wheels in this final version are smaller 10mm diameter jobs from Scale Link as the buffers rode just a little bit too high for comfort. So there we are, another interlude into the world of wagons completed. I do like a good wagon project! I have a few shackles and chains to fit to the second set of POLLEN Es and and then we will have a complete bridge engineer's train for Little Didcot's collection. I will post a few pictures when it is done. Little No. 3822 is nearly done which means my friend's No. 6866 can move into the paint shop for weathering. Pictures of those to follow too. Then we have to get back to No. 7202 I suppose... All the best, Castle 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrg1 Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Enjoyable read and photographs of the Mite build. If doing the same, I would have started by replacing the plastic floor with brass; squaring up and building the sides and ends would have been far easier-just my opinion. The result is very good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Hi Jrg, Good point and one I thought about right up to to point where it needed planking. I didn't fancy scribing the brass to a depth where the planking was convincing. Thanks for the compliments! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Weathering The Storm Hi All, Two engines recently went through Little Didcot's Locomotive Works. The first was a model of a much lamented machine, the GWR 68XX Class Grange. The Granges are one of the most fondly remember of the GWR classes. They were, along with the Manors, an attempt to largely replace the 43XX Moguls in traffic. The Moguls were the most numerous tender loco in GWR service but by the early 1930s, they were becoming a little overstretched in their more arduous duties. To this end, 100 of the 43XX locomotives were withdrawn between 1936 and 1939. A number of components were reused from the withdrawn locos including wheels and motion. These component were combined with new frames, cylinders, bogies and boilers to produce the first 20 78XX Manor Class engines and all of the 80 68XX Class Grange locos. Whereas the Manors were built with small boilers and a lightweight build to give a wide route availability, the Grange was given the Standard No. 1 boiler. This put them in the same size bracket as the Halls but the reduction in driving wheel size have the Granges a boost in tractive effort to 28,875lbs over the 27,275lbs of their more numerous cousins. Unlike the Manors, which needed a lot of development work to perfect, the 68XX Class proved an instant hit and the loco is remembered as the engineman's engine. There were plans to build more of these machines but the Second World War put pay to that. Despite more of the Manors being built by BR, 6879 Overton Grange was the last constructed in the steam era. Sadly, none of these fine machines made it into preservation but this wrong is being put right by the fine efforts of the Betton Grange team who are constructing the replica, No. 6880 as I write this. The model is depicting No. 6866 Morfa Grange as seen in the very early BR period. She was constructed in March 1939 and served faithfully until her untimely demise came in May 1965. She was mainly a Tyseley machine, throughout her career.A picture in the book The Power of the Granges showed this engine with the intermediate livery of BRITISH RAILWAYS in the Egyptian Serif font of the GWR. According to The Book of the Granges, the 3,500 gallon tender she had at the time was the only one to carry this style of lettering. The model is of course Hornby and this is a fine representation of the class. I started with a shirt button logo example and got to work with the decal and detail remover, the gloss varnish and some transfers from Fox. Weathering was done with layers of matt acrylic varnish and weathering powders in my usual fashion with the outbreak of firebox flicker LEDs, brass wire fire irons, real coal as per normal too! I was asked to fit a crew from the Bachmann range was de-flashed and repainted to a quite acceptable standard I think. There we are although I didn't get the fall plate in the right place in the first image - it's too late to take another picture now as it has gone back to its home shed! More tales of a heavy freight nature later in the week... All the best, Castle 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Fan Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 +Cambrian also do a pair of MITES. Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Great Bear Posted March 13, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2017 Unlike the Manors, which needed a lot of development work to perfect, the 68XX Class proved an instant hit and the loco is remembered as the engineman's engine. There were plans to build more of these machines but the Second World War put pay to that. Despite more of the Manors being built by BR, 6879 Overton Grange was the last constructed in the steam era. Wonder why they didn't build more, especially in war time you'd have thought the Granges would have been slightly more useful than the Halls which they continued to build. Guess the GWR was looking longer term? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Great Bear Posted March 13, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2017 Really nice, Drew. What do you use to remove the decals? My efforts so far, admittedly ham-fisted, tend to leave a mark. All the best Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hi Jon, Thanks for the compliments! The stuff I use is Joe's Model Trains Decal and Detail Remover which I get from Model Junction: http://www.modeljunction.info/estore/ The technique is really key. Put a thin layer of the stuff on the decal you wish to remove. Then be patient and leave it for 5 minutes. Then, GENTLY use a cotton bud or similar to remove the decal. The trick is to push down only gently. If it isn't coming off, carefully wipe off the spent remover and put on a little more fresh stuff. Repeat as necessary and rinse with clean water when finished. Once you have done that, make sure you use a little gloss varnish (I use a Humbrol acrylic rattle can) to give your transfers a fighting chance to stick down. Then, once dry, attach your transfers using the decal setting solution of your choice (I use Micro Sol and Mico Set also from Model Junction) and then a coat of the finish varnish of your choice on top. I use a matt acrylic from the same manufacturer as the gloss as I use weathering powders. I hope this helps! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrg1 Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hi Jrg, Good point and one I thought about right up to to point where it needed planking. I didn't fancy scribing the brass to a depth where the planking was convincing. Thanks for the compliments! All the best, Castle Hope I am not banging on too much about this, but I use an Olfa P45 cutter to scribe brass for planking, and also to prepare fold lines-a very useful tool 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hi JRG, No worries! Friendly advice like this is not banging on - it is most welcome, I'm always willing to learn! I think we have one of those around the place somewhere... Next time I'll give it a try! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 + Cambrian also do a pair of MITES. Noel Hi Noel, These might (or should that be MITE?!) have been a better starting point even though they are prototypes from another railway. We live and learn... Cheers for the heads up! All the best, Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 13, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2017 Thanks for two great posts, Castle, especially the background story and photos of the Mites. Time travellers indeed. It's a very nice build. I have the same kit and so the tips above and the way you did the bolsters is very useful. Thiose shackles and chains really add the last touch. As you say there is something special about a whitemetal kit and the typed instructions. Maybe we should have tdifferent ages for kits. E.g. the wooden age, the tinplate age, the whitemetal age, the plastic age, the brass age and the 3D age. As in geology and history, they overlap and it is only afterwards that we can see the change Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike 84C Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hi Castle, please never put your fireirons in the coal space, always on the rack with the loop on the upstand. I was a fireman at 84C and never saw the "fighting irons" on the coal! I would have got great grief from my driver, not " Western" you know. I enjoy your work, keep posting. Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium M.I.B Posted March 14, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 14, 2017 Mr Castle Stunning modelling as always. And still so inspirational. Most taken by the use of turnbuckles on the ends of the chains on the MITEs. Many many thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Hi All, Thanks for two great posts, Castle, especially the background story and photos of the Mites. Time travellers indeed. It's a very nice build. I have the same kit and so the tips above and the way you did the bolsters is very useful. Thiose shackles and chains really add the last touch. As you say there is something special about a whitemetal kit and the typed instructions. Maybe we should have tdifferent ages for kits. E.g. the wooden age, the tinplate age, the whitemetal age, the plastic age, the brass age and the 3D age. As in geology and history, they overlap and it is only afterwards that we can see the change Thanks Mikkel! The MITEs are unique in that at both extremities of our chosen time periods in which we both model, they have a place! I really like the idea of modelling ages like that and it is so true. It is a wierd thought to me even though I know how it works that models are now being plucked out of the ether by the process of 3D printing. In time it will be commonplace I suspect and when we both sit in our rocking chairs telling the youngsters the tales of what it was like back in the day, they will be horrified by the thought of burning your fingers with a soldering iron to make a brass kit and the fact that we made models with something as dangerous as whitemetal! Hi Castle, please never put your fireirons in the coal space, always on the rack with the loop on the upstand. I was a fireman at 84C and never saw the "fighting irons" on the coal! I would have got great grief from my driver, not " Western" you know. I enjoy your work, keep posting. Mick Thanks for that - my excuse is that the fireman is checking the fire in between pulling the coal forward with the rake. His driver is about to turn round and tell him off for his poor engineman's procedures. That's my excuse and I am sticking to it although there may be a modification to the tender the next time I see it being operated in person... Cheers for the advice and compliments Mick! Mr Castle Stunning modelling as always. And still so inspirational. Most taken by the use of turnbuckles on the ends of the chains on the MITEs. Many many thanks. Thanks to you for your attention and compliments as always good sir - glad you enjoy my random jottings! The Ambis Engineering range has several different types of shackles and turnbuckles and is heartily recommended (usual disclaimer). They have a website but it's not exactly user friendly. All the stuff I have from them is from show purchases. They do the chain too. I hope you are in good health and spirits! All the best, Castle 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzler Fan Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 + Doesn't the ubiquitous GWR Pollen E hold the record for time in service.- if not, the Frames do ! Regards Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) Hi Noel, If they don't, there can't be that many wagons that did better! Technically, there is a GWR wagon that is still in main line service at Didcot. It's not used as much as the fleet of OBA wagons that have been brought have taken over to a degree but the Chaired Sleeper / Taunton concrete wagon was built in 1939 and is still registered: http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/100682/100682.html It's got a little way to go to beat the POLLEN Es though! All the best, Castle Edited March 15, 2017 by Castle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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