Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[Andrew P]

28 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

And for Mr P it did happen despite the lack of photos.....there may be members of this forum that suffer from arachnophobia. 

And I'm one of the arraaachanofobiaks type, hate the dammed things, but I couldn't kill one, we have a wonderful Spider / bug catcher.

NOTE = These cannot be used to catch Orses mate.

 

[newbryford]

On 18/09/2019 at 00:22, Clive Mortimore said:

BR built 3 Mk1 based Inspection saloons, dia 1/552. These were WR based.

Somehow one has made it to Sheffield.

 

 

 

Do you know something I cannot recall an inspection saloon on the GER line during the period you model, except for sighting the SR General Managers Saloon (converted from a Hastings unit buffet car) being pushed by a class 33 where the Colchester line runs along side the A12 near Marks Tey, they were both in Notwork Southeast livery, early 90s. 

 

 

 

One of the Mk1 inspection saloons ended up in yellow use - 999508. It was modified as a track inspection coach with cutouts where a guy sat and looked out through the angled ducket windows. 

 I think the others were 999506/999507 - 999506 is in the WCRC fleet at Carnforth and sees occasional mainline use.

Here with yellow locos..

 

The prototype 999508 was retired about 3 years ago and the inspection cutouts are being (or have been) removed and the coach re-converted back to original configuration.

Pic is obviously just before painting - it's a Britannia Pacific kit on a Bachmann Mk1 BG underframe

 

 

 

The SR GM saloon is still in use - 975025 "Caroline". Traction is usually a DRS 37, as Cazzer now has a Blue Star control desk that was previously in a Class 31..... (Photo courtesy AY/BRM).

The coach is a modified MARC Models kit

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2019 by newbryford

[Clive Mortimore]

Apart form running trains and rehoming spiders I did some modelling. Not much to show but I cut out the windows on the Tourist Buffet. I am still in two minds about forming the tumbleholme. Do I make the sides thick, overlaying the 20 thou on a 40 backing and file the tumbleholme or do as Geoff Kent does and bend the 20 thou ? Or do one side one way and the other the other way and see which is best for future coaches?

[Stubby47]

Option 3 - do it both ways.

[31A]

When I used to scratch build coaches I used to make the sides from 20thou with a strip of 40thou laminated on the back below the windows, and filed / sanded the tumblehome into it.  I've got a scraper tool somewhere that I could use to initially roughly shape the curve. It's quite hard work and makes a mess, but I thought it would be stronger, and  another benefit is that the inside can be vertical so partitions etc. can be rectangular and be glued up to the insides of the sides to make a strong box.   I think I got the idea from reading David Jenkinson's articles about coach building.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Citadel-Mouldline-Remover?_requestid=9142815

 

I have had success at curving flat surfaces with one of these, but not tried a coach tumblehome though.

 

Mike.

[Clive Mortimore]

Thanks Steve and Mike

 

I am going to experiment with both methods on some parcels stock to start with, less windows to cut out so less time wasted if I mess it up. I am thinking a ex-Ilford stock CCT(E), the ones first used on the Anglo-Scottish Car Carrier and a Gresley steel body BG.

 

There was no modelling or running last night as I visited the Lincoln club again. A very enjoyable night.

[Clive Mortimore]

Work has commenced on the Gresley steel body BG. I am doing add more plastic card and file the shape method on this one.

 

The unaltered side

 

The reverse with a 12mm strip and another 4mm at the bottom. The 4mm was added because when working out how much I would be removing the bottom or the coach would be a knife edge and have very little strength.

 

The un altered side and the one I have filed off some material. 

 

Now two mock up shots, I am quite pleased with the progress and how it looks. The roof is from one of my cut and shuts, the chassis is a Trix Mk 1, and is the right length for a Gresley coach, mounted on Bachmann Thompson BG bogies borrowed from a Stratford square shaped brake tender, they are the right size at 8 ft wheelbase.

 

Despite how poor this photo is I hope it shows the tumbleholme and the coach is looking a bit like a Gresley steel body BG.

 

Rude comments are very welcome ......................................................on someone else's thread.

 

While I was butchering some plastic card, I got distracted. I had a Hornby Railroad coach play up, and discovered I could move the wheels on the axle to get the right back to back. That then lead me to have a look at a Hatchet coach, you cannot alter them, so I dug around in my coach bits boxes and found some Bachmann wheels, swapped them over and it ran better than it has before.

 

In raking around in the boxes I looked at the Trix Commonwealth bogies , they are about 3/4mm too short in wheelbase. I put some bigger wheels in, I think they are Dapol from their LMS coach kits. Cut the bogies off the Mk1 chassis under the Griddle Car and slapped on the Trix ones. They look great, the scale size wheels and being under a scale length coach improved the look of the bogies as well as the bogies making coach look better. It did look a tad daft when running behind a six coach suburban train.

 

I did run a few trains tonight and listened to

 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

Tonight's modelling did not go as well as expected. I cut the sides out for the Ango-Scottish Car Carrier. I found running the blunt end of my craft knife where the curve for the tumbleholme should I was able to get as good as I could curve in the plastic card. I then cut and shaped the ends and two bulkheads when gluing it all up the sides went all wibby-wobbly around the bulkheads. I am going to find Geoff Kent's article on scratch building coaches he wrote for MRJ and have another look at how Scott builds his.

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 03/09/2019 at 00:17, Clive Mortimore said:

Period one stock was withdrawn (sadly) just before the period I am modelling, except the ex ambulance BGs, I have a BTK sat next to me and I have bookmarked Robert Carol's photos of one and John Turner's photos ready to convert it.

Back to the subject of Ambulance Car BG conversions Robert Carroll has another here. 

https://flic.kr/p/2hhQzys

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by TheSignalEngineer
Trying to get link to work

[Clive Mortimore]

23 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Back to the subject of Ambulance Car BG conversions Robert Carroll has another here. 

https://flic.kr/p/2hhQzys

 

 

 

Thanks Eric

 

It is so dirty it is hard to tell what are plated up windows and which ones are glass.

[TheSignalEngineer]

11 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

It is so dirty it is hard to tell what are plated up windows and which ones are glass.

According to David Jenkinson's list it was originally no. 9879 which was a Two-window BTO to D1693, so the old Mainline one isn't a starting point for that. 

[Clive Mortimore]

Last night there was no modelling or running, just couldn't be bothered. Tonight I got on with the two coaches. The Steel body BG is going great. I have had problems again with the Car Carrier.

 

I filed the second side of the BG and it matches the first one I done so I am pleased with that. I have made the roof using the laminated steps method I use for my diesel locos. With coaches I am building the roofs as hollow as I think I can to reduce the top heavy weight. More skill is required as the 5mm strips it is built up from have to be the correct width apart. I have assembled the ends and sides together. I have not fixed the roof to the rest of the body as I am not too sure the body is up to heavy filing needed to shape the roof so I will do most the filing with the roof off only the final work with it all as one piece.

 

The under side showing how I built it up.

End view, as it is a Gresley design I have to try and make both domes look alike.

The false roof added, this will sit inside the top of the coach sides.

The roof plonked on just to show where I am at. Some filler will be needed on the ends.

 

I re-read Geoff Kent's coach article and Scott's thread. The CCT(E)'s sides were strengthened with a second curved strip of 20 thou as suggested by Geoff Kent, that was an improvement. I then added a false roof which straightened every thing up, and added the tops of the bulkheads I removed. I was going to use the method Scott uses to make the roof. I found I didn't have enough 20 thou microstrip so decided to cut my own, which normally works when adding details but not for the roof of the CCT(E). The strips of plastic kept dipping in between the formers. It was ripped off. I have cut the parts to make a laminated step roof, that is for tomorrow.

The Anglo Scottish Car Carrier before the roof disaster. The body has a nice shape to it.

 

Tonight's song mistresses.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

 

Tonight's song mistresses.

Five strings - how interesting.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Had a very restless night, and woke at 5.30am with this ear worm

 

 

no wonder I couldn't sleep, ahhhh Ms Grogan

[Enterprisingwestern]

16 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

Had a very restless night, and woke at 5.30am with this ear worm

 

 

no wonder I couldn't sleep, ahhhh Ms Grogan

 

 

 

Mike.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Who you calling old?!

[timbowilts]

4 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

Who you calling old?!

If the cap fits..........

Tim T

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

It doesn't fit any more, my head has shrunk as I've got older...

[Satan's Goldfish]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Five strings - how interesting.

 

5 string bass not uncommon, can get a whole string lower! (Or higher if you're that way inclined)

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

Had a very restless night, and woke at 5.30am with this ear worm

 

 

no wonder I couldn't sleep, ahhhh Ms Grogan

Thank you, on a day like today when it is raining and Mrs M is not happy, something nice to cheer me up is much appreciated.

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

 

 

Mike.

Now Wilfred Bramble was a real dirty old man but I am not sure that is a discussion we should be having here on a toy train forum.

[PaulCheffus]

9 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I was going to use the method Scott uses to make the roof. I found I didn't have enough 20 thou microstrip so decided to cut my own, which normally works when adding details but not for the roof of the CCT(E). The strips of plastic kept dipping in between the formers. It was ripped off. I have cut the parts to make a laminated step roof, that is for tomorrow.

 

Hi

 

Have you tried the plastic wrapped around a tube of the correct diameter and boiling water method? I use this for my van rooves in 0.010" plasticard and it works very well, admittedly they are a lot smaller than your coach roof.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Welchester]

20 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Now Wilfred Bramble was a real dirty old man but I am not sure that is a discussion we should be having here on a toy train forum.

 

He was apparently terrified of being found out to be gay, but I can't imagine why anyone would have thought that:

 

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/18/article-2219401-158E4289000005DC-708_634x641.jpg

[Clive Mortimore]

7 minutes ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

Have you tried the plastic wrapped around a tube of the correct diameter and boiling water method? I use this for my van rooves in 0.010" plasticard and it works very well, admittedly they are a lot smaller than your coach roof.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Hi Paul

 

LNER coach roofs were a series of radii, which means they would be best dunked in boiling water around a shaped piece of wood..................the last word is the problem, I can carve, plane etc it but not to the desired shape. Myself and it do not always get on well.