Downendian details

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Downendian said:

7&8 ongoing at the moment, and thanks for the tips Mike. They don’t seem to be having problems with any of the pointwork, one spot where there is a barely perceptible camber on a curve is where they don’t like it, although all were fine with attention. 7 behaved impeccably without any mods needed, but 8 doesn’t, yet free running is perfect. Top hats needed moving with a bit of poly as they hadn’t bedded in properly, but only a couple so far. New issue is that no 1 has started derailing, one of the LNER braked versions I guess due to the extra stresses of the rake growing. It’s going to be a long but necessary task. No 1 has done literally hundreds of scale miles with no problems so another puzzle to solve.

 

I know the feeling!, I have a 12t van test train, (honestly I'm not just playing trains!), and through one certain curved turnout 2 or 3 or 4, it depends, just knock a bit, not derail, as they go through the frog area, the b to b's have been checked, and re-arranging the vans in a different order causes different ones to knock, bloody exasperating!

 

Mike.

[Downendian]

I’ve almost got the full rake of 21T stone hoppers running on the up line. Many have needed attention and especially the LNER brake versions. Handrails, brake levers, brakes, solebars wheels etc have all become detached in the resultant handling and needing repair. The key issue is to remove any part of the hopper chute that makes contact with wheel backs however brief it may be, as derailments occur when they do. With this mornings Accurascale announcement, I fully expect them to announce 21T hoppers - which would be very welcome. Without doubt the Parkside kits are a challenge especially with respect to wheel clearances, and I doubt if I’ll be building many more. The photo below is one of the four errant hoppers on the workbench with plastic shards around it after having surgery. To keep it company another 1/800 van and a Chivers SR Tunny ballast spoil wagon have been put together. The Tunny went together in around 2-3 hours, and now in paint booth with its final coat of BR black. I tend normally to paint solebar bits and pieces (black)  separate to wagon bodies (normally bauxite) then unite them after filing off painted surfaces where cementing is to take place. This avoids the faff of masking, and works well. However as the Tunny is all black the whole wagon can be built then sprayed. Only wheels to fit later today,

 

The 1/800 van saga continues, I’m 99% sure the WR versions were painted bauxite now. The Stephen Dowle image I posted earlier was put through colourising software, and the 1/800 and 1/801 vans come out bauxite. However it’s not 100% conclusive as D7017 has brown hues although clearly has an overall blue tinge. I won’t post this image due to copyright issues. I guess it’s quite difficult for the software to differentiate between brown and blue, but bauxite my vans will be.

 

finally my D1001 replica nameplate has been mounted on the wall in our back garden bar, which has had a good clear out. The wall needs painting but my suggestion it should be blue or maroon have been met with some domestic resistance! The slogans on the wall are via my daughter 1 who made the bar resemble  my old local the Rose & Crown in Yealmpton where we  often had Sunday lunch as a family. 

Neil 

 

Edited May 24 by Downendian

[Phil Bullock]

Sorry to hear about your father Neil. Here’s hoping he can get some stability restored…. 
 

The hopper kits certainly are a challenge both to build and run. Here’s hoping Accurascale come up with the goods although I guess slightly mixed views for you given your build productivity. 
 

That Pathfinder plate looks cracking! As for colour I didn’t dare try maroon or blue … our dining room was something akin to Brunswick green except for the pale patches where they had painted around the furniture…. But I did get away with a shed called California sand…. 😀

[Downendian]

thanks Phil - it’s my father in law who’s ill, hopefully will be out of hospital soon. 
Neil

[Phil Bullock]

12 minutes ago, Downendian said:

thanks Phil - it’s my father in law who’s ill, hopefully will be out of hospital soon. 
Neil

 
Ah apologies for my misread! The sentiments remain the same, hope Sharon is coping ok. 

[Downendian]

Well the 21T hopper stone rake appears now to behave, although I have my eye on number 4 (out of 22). Multiple rounds of my track circuit, removing miscreant wagons, wheels off adjustments (shaving of hopper chute and wheel “arch”; brakes, replacement of bits that have fallen off etc) and repeat. Took a while but got there I hope. If Phil gives permissive rights then D1059 will be hauling the 7V45 stone empties from Redditch to Stoke Gifford at Abbotswood’s next outing, along with hopefully a china clay rake.

 

Second project is detailing my class 20 fleet to represent all examples I saw in Bristol in the 1970s. I’ve just discovered that I saw another pair 20 054/059 sometime in 1978, so these go on the list. The first 20 as mentioned previously (20 177) has been fitted with a Hornby HM7000 sound chip, and the second chip arrived (for 20 031) this week. But disaster - it was unable to be programmed by Bluetooth, so I resorted to putting it on my ECoS programming track. When on reading the chip it shorted everything! Grr so Rails referred me to Hornby technical department and I’m waiting their response. Coupled to this 20 177 has suddenly dropped in its speed range, and I’m yet to figure out why. A further GFYE 20, 20 175 is progressing on the workbench.

 

Two locos renumbered this morning. A new Heljan 25 to 25 168, and 20 175 as mentioned above. I use my tried and tested sharpie pen method. Daub the number to be removed with acrylic thinner, wait a minute or two then gently rub the number away. Using a blue sharpie very quickly the thinner becomes white as the decal is removed. Rub only the decal, avoiding the surrounding area. Remove the residue with a cotton bud soaked in thinner and repeat until all traces are removed. It leaves a slight sheen, but by minimising the area attacked and the fact that all will be covered by weathering is not an issue. I’ve removed some of the factory weathering on the 20 (it’s just too “even”) but will apply some more to mask the decals a bit.

 

As always Railtec transfers - custom TOPs (cat no 9991) are always used, and thanks Steve for a very rapid service this week. I never go down the road of replacing just one or more decal -they rarely match and stick out like a sore thumb. The decal is applied directly to the model, soaked with decalfix and left for 2-3 min. Positioning is done with a cocktail stick and then pressed home with tissue paper removing excess decalfix in the process. On adding the boiler blanking plate a smudge of superglue found its way onto the plate somehow. I used the sharpie to remove it as well. A buffed area is still visible but will vanish hopefully with weathering. 25 168 was the first late body style 25 I saw on my first days spotting.

 

Edited May 27 by Downendian

[Downendian]

Quick video of recent running session with the Stone 21T hopper rake. Sound chip switched off!

 

 

[Phil Bullock]

3 hours ago, Downendian said:

Quick video of recent running session with the Stone 21T hopper rake. Sound chip switched off!

 

 

Very nice running there Neil. Abbotswood should certainly be a good try out… clays did well last time out, am sure these will too

[Downendian]

Three projects this week 

HM7000 chip fitting to a 8-pin mark 1 Bachmann 20. I bought this when they first came out, but this will be paired with 20 177. 20 172  was in the company of it on a foray to Bristol (well Avonmouth), July 1976. A very tight squeeze requiring some surgery but I got there. After several attempts of locating space for the chip, it was wrapped in Kapton tape (except the Bluetooth antenna) and placed alongside the motor- space just about. I also managed to fit a DCC concepts stay alive in the bonnet, and the speaker under the roof fan after removing the housing (the surgery bit) and gluing the fan to the rim of the grill with several dabs of glue and glaze. I like the Hornby HM7000 Bluetooth  system, but these 20s will need to form a consist so will be programmed for DCC using my ECoS.

 

Next I added 3 more Chivers LMS diag 1974 21T coal wagons which will be on my South Wales coal trains both loaded and empties. I’m awaiting Instanters and coupling hooks to complete then 2 will get coal loads. The diag 1974 wagons lasted until the mid 1970s so I intend to get away with it, and give the 21T mineral rake a bit of unfitted variety.

Finally a bit of weathering to the bauxite 1/800 vans with W-prefixed numbers. 2 more kits await attention plus 3 more on order. Again these await instanters and hooks. More weathering to be done especially the roofs.

All transfers were naturally from railtec using Steve’s excellent customisable range.

 

Neil

[Downendian]

This week was the turn of the MSV 26T stone opens (all Parkside kits, PC63 ex 1/185 iron ore tipplers). All 26 received weathering, instanters, adjustment to brakes etc and stone loads - a messy job. I probably still will do a bit of further weathering based on photos of examples of Paul Bartlett’s site, I’ll do this when I fit the vac pipes. All pool numbers TOPS panels were from railtec including STONE logo. I have four RTR Bachmann examples, but wish I hadn’t bought them - wrong chassis and ride higher than the excellent Parkside kit. The tail wagon is awaiting lamp fitment - a removable load has been made using one of the Bachmann inserts, suitably coated with the same mix as the rest of the rake. They look much better in the flesh- photography is a challenge in the garden room. Excuse the foreground mess a clean up is imminent.

I’m still tinkering with Hornby HM7000 Bluetooth sound chips - all have been fitted to Bachmann 20s, 3 so far with 2 more to do. The Hornby app does not yet allow consisting (essential for class 20s) so I’ve tried to program them on my ECoS using the switch to DCC control in the Hornby app. I’ve failed to do this, and despite 20 177 working on the ECoS temporarily it dropped out and was unresponsive. I’ve trawled the web for a solution and it seems to be CV settings on the Bluetooth app  I will get there eventually. If Hornby can sort the consist issue out then I’d happily use their app to control my 20 fleet. My first generation Bachmann 47s will be chipped next using HM7000 when all the glitches are sorted. If Hornby were to add hydraulics to their sound profiles (after all they have made models of them  in the past), then they may play a central role in running my layout.

 

I’ve test run the up Acton rake which comprises 21T, 24T minerals and 21T hoppers including the Stratford built “square” brake tender. All runs well with only minor tweaks needed to naughty step wagons. I’m adding Accurascale MDVs and MDOs to this rake which are a joy to weather as no bits fall off. The rake and its return working were a right mixture, and I’ll add some weird and wonderful wagons to it when I identify what they are from prototypical photos.

 

Neil

Edited June 16 by Downendian

[MJI]

1 hour ago, Downendian said:

This week was the turn of the MSV 26T stone opens (all Parkside kits, PC63 ex 1/185 iron ore tipplers). All 26 received weathering, instanters, adjustment to brakes etc and stone loads - a messy job. I probably still will do a bit of further weathering based on photos of examples of Paul Bartlett’s site, I’ll do this when I fit the vac pipes. All pool numbers TOPS panels were from railtec including STONE logo. I have four RTR Bachmann examples, but wish I hadn’t bought them - wrong chassis and ride higher than the excellent Parkside kit. The tail wagon is awaiting lamp fitment - a removable load has been made using one of the Bachmann inserts, suitably coated with the same mix as the rest of the rake. They look much better in the flesh- photography is a challenge in the garden room. Excuse the foreground mess a clean up is imminent.

I’m still tinkering with Hornby HM7000 Bluetooth sound chips - all have been fitted to Bachmann 20s, 3 so far with 2 more to do. The Hornby app does not yet allow consisting (essential for class 20s) so I’ve tried to program them on my ECoS using the switch to DCC control in the Hornby app. I’ve failed to do this, and despite 20 177 working on the ECoS temporarily it dropped out and was unresponsive. I’ve trawled the web for a solution and it seems to be CV settings on the Bluetooth app  I will get there eventually. If Hornby can sort the consist issue out then I’d happily use their app to control my 20 fleet. My first generation Bachmann 47s will be chipped next using HM7000 when all the glitches are sorted. If Hornby were to add hydraulics to their sound profiles (after all they have made models of them  in the past), then they may play a central role in running my layout.

 

I’ve test run the up Acton rake which comprises 21T, 24T minerals and 21T hoppers including the Stratford built “square” brake tender. All runs well with only minor tweaks needed to naughty step wagons. I’m adding Accurascale MDVs and MDOs to this rake which are a joy to weather as no bits fall off. The rake and its return working were a right mixture, and I’ll add some weird and wonderful wagons to it when I identify what they are from prototypical photos.

 

Neil

 

Looking very nice.

 

I have spent the last week building 4 more, and rebuffering the entire lot.

 

Waiting on a delivery from Precision Paints.

 

the supplied buffers are wrong, so been buying BP01 and B018, roughly 2/3rd B018 and 1/3 BP01.

 

Will do a build on my thread for the last few I need,  mine are a rake of 20, just need another 47  as well.

 

These are mine, I do have another entire pool somewhere

https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=11337

https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=11336

[Downendian]

Hi Martin and thanks,

yes I’ve put Lanarkshire buffers on a fair few but not all. I’ve put a 4th link on the Instanters as the buffer approach is too close with 3 even with shorter Lanarkshire buffers. I’ve found buffer lock to be an issue whilst running on the 21T hopper rakes.

Neil

[MJI]

1 hour ago, Downendian said:

Hi Martin and thanks,

yes I’ve put Lanarkshire buffers on a fair few but not all. I’ve put a 4th link on the Instanters as the buffer approach is too close with 3 even with shorter Lanarkshire buffers. I’ve found buffer lock to be an issue whilst running on the 21T hopper rakes.

Neil

Oops mine still on tension locks, i do need something better, but they are a fixed rake

[MJI]

I like your loads, what do you use?

[Downendian]

Martin a mix of woodland scenics fine and medium grey ballast with a sprinkling of green scenes N gauge ballast (GS408) as a topping!

Neil 

[Downendian]

Cleaned up the workbench this morning, and on to the next project- the Severnside- Haverton Hill/Immingham liquified ammonia tankers. Fauvet-Girel built these from 1972/4 for STS and the flows I remember well were all branded “Fisons fertilisers” and ran daily. A real signature train from my spotting days and always headed by a Thornaby or Immingham based brush 4 (although peaks have been known). I bought ten tanks in 2016 from Scale Studio models (Ireland) and are based on the Irish Fauvet-Girel prototype from as far as I can make out after hours of study (not much info out there unfortunately on 50 year old tanks) are more or less identical to the TC008A batch operated on BR. The only difference I can see is that the tank has six sections (British) compared to five (Eire). The wagons are indeed the same length, so any minor differences I can live with.

 

i put together the tanks several years ago, and the project was put on the backburner. This morning I folded together ten chassis brass etches and made a start on cleaning up the white metal parts. Hopefully another rake will emerge over the next month or so. So far seems straightforward enough, and I’m wondering why it’s taken me so long to get around to it. 

Edited June 17 by Downendian

[Phil Bullock]

19 minutes ago, Downendian said:

Cleaned up the workbench this morning, and on to the next project- the Severnside- Haverton Hill/Immingham liquified ammonia tankers. Fauvet-Girel built these from 1972/4 for STS and the flows I remember well were all branded “Fisons fertilisers” and ran daily. A real signature train from my spotting days and always headed by a Thornaby or Immingham based brush 4 (although peaks have been known). I bought ten tanks in 2016 from Scale Studio models (Ireland) and are based on the Irish Fauvet-Girel prototype from as far as I can make out after hours of study (not much info out there unfortunately on 50 year old tanks) are more or less identical to the TC008A batch operated on BR. The only difference I can see is that the tank has six sections (British) compared to five (Eire). The wagons are indeed the same length, so any minor differences I can live with.

 

i put together the tanks several years ago, and the project was put on the backburner. This morning I folded together ten chassis brass etches and made a start on cleaning up the white metal parts. Hopefully another rake will emerge over the next month or so. So far seems straightforward enough, and I’m wondering why it’s taken me so long to get around to it. 

You will have a spectacular and unique train there Neil! 

[Downendian]

Progress on the Anhydrous ammonia rake. Ten chassis put together this week, currently on the tanks which need a fair bit of work, filling, sanding, priming and repeat. This one is sat with another batch of filler applied waiting to dry- minor blemishes really but as the prototypes were always quite clean, I’m keen the tanks look good. Once I’m happy then it’s onto the yellow body side stripe and then spraying the chassis and bogies. All will be numbered as TCAs from the Eurolease batch and will be branded Fisons fertilizers, the way I remembered them - they were almost brand new when I first saw them. I’ll probably have to put together my own Fison’s transfers though. Strictly a Brush 4 diagram with relevant barrier wagons and brake van. Ten might be a tad excessive (they’re heavy wagons) and will struggle up my helix, but very much hope they will run on Abbotswood in the near future. 

The scale studio models kit is a joy to build, and the service I have received from Des has been exemplary.

Neil 

Edited June 29 by Downendian
Better photo

[Phil Bullock]

34 minutes ago, Downendian said:

Progress on the Anhydrous ammonia rake. Ten chassis put together this week, currently on the tanks which need a fair bit of work, filling, sanding, priming and repeat. This one is sat with another batch of filler applied waiting to dry- minor blemishes really but as the prototypes were always quite clean, I’m keen the tanks look good. Once I’m happy then it’s onto the yellow body side stripe and then spraying the chassis and bogies. All will be numbered as TCAs from the Eurolease batch and will be branded Fisons fertilizers, the way I remembered them - they were almost brand new when I first saw them. I’ll probably have to put together my own Fison’s transfers though. Strictly a Brush 4 diagram with relevant barrier wagons and brake van. Ten might be a tad excessive (they’re heavy wagons) and will struggle up my helix, but very much hope they will run on Abbotswood in the near future. 

The scale studio models kit is a joy to build, and the service I have received from Des has been exemplary.

Neil 

You know they will be welcome Neil! Must check back to my photos to see if the Peak with the Hazchem label is hauling these… 

[Downendian]

Abbotswood 2 was at Winchcombe on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire railway this weekend. I was helping out Thursday until Saturday. It gave me a chance to stretch the legs of a couple of my rakes, the empty stone 21T hoppers and the clayliner (again). The stones mostly behaved although one wagon on the naughty step. The clayliner rake needs a better connection loco/wagon 1 and some extra weight. 
 

I hope you agree it’s a stunning layout, and really captures the rolling landscape around Abbotswood and Norton junctions. More will be posted when Phil gets home in his dedicated thread.

 

D1048 does the honours- a great few days out and thanks to Phil and Teri for giving two nights lodgings

 

 

Neil 

Edited July 14 by Downendian

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Hmmm,   "No video with supported format and MIME type found."

 

Is it just me?

 

Mike.

[Downendian]

Strange - I can see it Mike I’ll try a different video format 

[MJI]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Hmmm,   "No video with supported format and MIME type found."

 

Is it just me?

 

Mike.

 

I had the same, wondered if it was a Firefox or Mint issue?

[Enterprisingwestern]

4 minutes ago, MJI said:

 

I had the same, wondered if it was a Firefox or Mint issue?

 

I'm on Firefox, so maybe?

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Got it now Neil, thanks.

Well worth waiting for!!

 

Mike.