Jack P

It's funny you say that, I pulled one of my Schools out to have a look at the pipework on that, and guess what had come loose? On the schools it's actually the whole step + pipework. I did chuckle when I read this though. Did some weathering over the weekend, the camera actually softens the weathering a little. I thought the H was quite grubby but looking at it here, it actually looks like it's just been cleaned. Still waiting on a few things before I can finish these two off. I've been playing around with using a soft pencil on the cab handrails, smokebox dart and the coupling hook, trying to represent worn metal, as you move around the model it shows up much better in the light. Thoughts? Edit: Just noticed that the H's whistle has taken a knock - will need to sort that.

Hey guys, I know that in the build up to the D-Day landings there was a huge movement of all sorts of military appliances and personnel, what about after the war? I'm sure initially there would've been lots of movement as people and things came back, but what about in 1947? Would you still see military trains at all, or would everything have pretty much reverted back to the norm by now? Thanks in advance!

Little bits and pieces slowly getting done These are a little bit of a fiddle, but with some careful attention and a good amount of flux they go together nicely. This one has a lot of excess solder, the one in the next photo is a lot better! - of course i've just realized that the correct SR ones actually have a rounded lower portion and are not square. Sigh. Getting the clacks and the associated piping sorted is a bit of a job - they need to be removable for painting but also need to sit squarely. I think I'll glue them in place once the body is painted. These rather cruel close ups show the pipework under the cab is finished (for now) it's not 100% accurate, but I would much rather have something there than nothing, I may well re-address it later on though. I had a bit of a mishap with the tender - due to some fumbling on my part the wet paint ended up with a great big wipe mark across it. After a bath in simple green it was back to the bare shell - sadly this meant that everything i'd added so far (Plastikard details etc) had either come off or come apart. Which means that I need to start again. I'm sorely tempted by the PDK Tender kit - But hopefully once everything is back on, and i've figured out how to mount the steps, it should look the part! Oh, and somehow I've ended up with another kit..

Hey Tony, WD 2-8-0's were seen quite frequently during the war and there was actually an allocation post war - I've got a model of one that ended up being allocated to Brighton. Although from memory, you do actually have one (I think?). I would assume that the biggest time of activity for Non-SR locos would've been during the war! Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I can give some insight.

Looks excellent as usual Dave! It's certainly pleasing to see fat little engines and rolling stock on these skinny little tracks.

Still no massive progress, Gearbox/motor and Markits wheels should arrive soon and then it will be making sure the chassis is running smoothly, and fitting pickups. I spent last night soldering the lamp irons to the smokebox door, and in the process, breaking the smokebox dart - good thing there's another coming in my Markits order. I still need to figure out what i'm going to use for the top lamp iron. I then used some alraldite to fix the door to the smokebox front - although I still need to solder to it, so that might not have been the best idea. It's starting to come together though, which is exciting! I've also attached the first of the pipes that run below the footplate, I still need to figure out what i'm going to do for the ones directly below the cab, I might try and base it off the Schools pipework. There's still some cleaning up to do, but it's not too bad. Finally, here are two gratuitous shots of the Fox Transfers 'Third' lettering, to finish my gate stock set off. They are very, very crisp, and once again, I am super impressed!

I'll live, i'm sure, thank you for your sympathies! You're too kind Chris! (If you spot any inaccuracies, please sing out!) Hey Glen, Thank you! I think Hornby's Malachite green is very good, I've found that a lot of other renditions simply aren't blue enough! I see what you mean about the cowl, i'll see if I can have a play around with cotton-buds. - I invited a friend who knows more about cameras than I do, to come and take some photos on the club layout, Here are a few samples of his work! And here's a snap of my own doing, showing some 5amp fuse wire I added the pipes than run along the boiler of the N15x No huge progress, which seems to be my motto recently, But I'm working on another kit to keep myself busy!

Looks fantastic, and definitely very close to the prototype photo! I notice that it doesn't have a front coupling in the photo - there is no 'Not to be moved' board attached, as was mentioned before, I'm not sure if it was being cleaned or what, but it looks very convincing as usual!

I've quoted your whole post inc picture, because 1) I think it should come across to the new page, it's a very clear photo, and is making me very impatient for mine to arrive! And 2) I think this probably shows what Hornby is referring to when they say there are printing limitations which mean they cannot produced a lined version due to tooling, although my scope is pretty limited to Southern stuff, is there a coach on the market that is similar that is lined? (I did think maybe the new tooling teaks might be a close comparison) Regardless, it's a fantastic looking model, and lining certainly doesn't matter much to those modelling late SR/BR.

Hey Rob, i appreciate that, i'm sure it will be an alright outcome, it's just a pain and a worry until then. Luckily I can still get to work with the runabout! Too right, thank you for your comments on the WC, the one I was trying to represent was pretty fresh out of overhaul. It's also funny you mention the shed cameo, I'm currently in the middle of sketching some things out. Very similar to what you're suggesting, i'll definitely keep you updated. Thank you for the good suggestion though - great minds

Thank you so much guys! I've actually really impressed myself with how it's turning out - I expected a mess of castings and bits not on straight. Taking my time and assessing all my options before moving forward has been critical. DLT has also been key in providing very helpful advice - as well as all of the readers of this thread! Thank you for your likes and comments, your support has been immensely helpful! Surely I can't be the only one that confuses the 'Thank you' and the 'Craftsmanship/Clever' icons though! Been an interesting few days since I posted last, I had one of my cars stolen sometime between Sunday morning and Monday night, which isn't ideal. Police are on it, it's just a huge inconvenience. I did come home to mail from Fox transfers though, It's the lining for the tender, and hopefully the rest should line the cab/footplate. It also came with an etched smokebox plate for a WC/BOB with 1946 stamped on the bottom. I also started work on fabricating the various pipework runs under the cab, and footplate, there is still lots to do, but i'm happy to make a start! It's not the worlds best photo, but it shows off where the pipe will end up. I need to get my hands on some fuse wire to replicate the lubricating pipes that run along the front of the boiler. I decided to take my mind off things, and take a quick break from the N15x and weather up the WC the ring was destined to go on, I worked from a colour photo of another class member, there is still a few little bits that stick out that I need to do, but it's very nearly there, the bottom of the firebox/ash pan really sticks out to me here though, maybe i'll need to look at making a plastikard front for it. After weathering it, you can barely see the darn ring! Then I had a play in Snapseed to see if I could make it look a little bit more like the photo I was working off, how much better would it look against a proper background!

Progress has been made this weekend! Many things are sill placed/held in place with blu-tack. But the Boiler has been soldered to the footplate, and the smokebox has all been soldered up. Once i'm 100% sure I won't need to solder anything else, i'll start applying the rivet transfers, and glue on the chimney. I can already see from the photos there's one or two things I need to go over.

No worries Mark, i'm looking forward to seeing it! Dave, Brian Thank you both for your input! There actually happens to be some N15x frames on Ebay at the moment, so If I manage to win them i'll use them, although they might be a test-bed for building a compensated chassis. It's good to know that AG will cut them to suit, I don't really think the K will need compensation, i'm wary of the intricate nature of hornblocks in general and if I muck it up, I don't want to have abysmal running characteristics. I guess I still have some time to make my mind up though! Either way, they will be much better than the ones that come with the kit.

Yes, I know, I'm building an N15x at the moment. But I know he has one! Plus he included the T6, so here's me being cheeky hoping an amendment will be made

Hey Nile, A few quick questions if you please? (Sorry to dredge this up) 1. Are the front splashers at a right angle to the footplate or do they slope inwards slightly? 2. where did you get these stickers from, and what size are they? - They're perfect!

Tony, They look fantastic! everyone has their own style of weathering, you will find your rhythm and it will just be small tweaks - I am, of course, not an expert - but you should be very happy with what you've achieved so far! (I haven't forgotten you, work has just been hectic) Also, you missed the L class Tank engines (Brighton Baltics) in the A-Z!

How's 'Remembrance' coming along mate?

Hey Rob, I'll definitely be ordering the LBSC K class frames from AG, and probably the ones for the other locos I have to build - so you make a good point, I would rather do it now than later. That probably means the N15x will take a backseat while I work on something else, as AG doesn't open again till the 13th of august. Might have to look into the Comet Jig - Having dealt with wizard models, i'm confident that it will be very useful, and arrive promptly. As you can see here, the N15x frames are hardly 'bad' Especially when you compare them with the ones that come with the K class kit! I think that, seeing as i'm given the option with those frames, I might look at compensation, i'm not sure if it's a requirement to build them, or just an option (I'll ask when I order) Worst case I could possibly use them as overlays? Hey Mark! I am happy to oblige, I only have these at the moment of the Van C, I'll snap a few more pictures tonight, is there anything you'd like to see in particular? I have a few shots of the B4 from a few pages back, but i'm happy to repost them here, this is prior to me painting the flat surfaces and below the running plate with Humbrol Matt black and Tan leather. - Thank you for your kind words RE the weathering! I'm also still waiting on an order to add the rear 3 link coupling. I would also mention, If you haven't already got your hands on a B4, it's impossible to get the larger pattern buffers spare, so buy a BR liveried one for repainting into wartime black (no smokebox number-plate so no issues with trying to scrape it off). I've learnt this the hard way! Another word of warning is that the valve gear is very fiddly, so if you strip it down for repainting just be careful! - Sorry if you already know this Looking forward to seeing your attempts, if you would like, please share them here when you're done!

What an excellent line up. Very Jealous of your 2 U classes! I agree with DLT, the actual build of the T6 doesn't look too bad, the shonky lining accentuates the problem though, I think.

I'm a little bit hesitant to post this, just because it looks rubbish. I'm hoping that paint will hide a multitude of sins, Once the glass fibre pencil refills arrive I'll attempt to clean this up a little more, but this is all of the soldering done for the boiler back-head. If I was going to do this again, to try and make it a little tidier I would probably tin the copper and not the back-head itself. The rest of the details will be added with plastikard and some etched handwheels when they arrive. With some paint and a crew, hopefully this crude representation should pass muster. I have a feeling progress is going to slow right down now, I need the motor and gearbox to arrive before I push on with the chassis, then i'll need to get my hands on the right wheels and then when Alan Gibson opens again on the 13th of august, I'll need some of the OO frame spacers they stock. That way I can remove most of the screw in frame spacers, although I will probably solder one or two in place so that I can use the cross drilled holes to secure the body to the chassis, is there any good way of getting these square, I was thinking that I could use some lengths of rod on either side and use this to hold the spacer in place, then cut/file the rod back when it's secure. Then I need to figure out the best way of mounting the bogie. I'm also faced with a bit of a dilemma, after browsing the AG catalogue, I see Nickel Silver mainframes for the N15x, this leaves me in a position where I'm tossing up replacing the brass slab sides with these instead. I'm not sure if it's more hassle than it's worth, but it's not that expensive, and i'm not at a point where it will be much hassle to make this change either, i'm not particularly fussed about the compensation part - does anyone have any thoughts?

No worries mate, just let me know! Fox do replacement etched plates No connection, other than being very satisfied with the products they product and their level of customer service.

Progress is slowing again, while I wait for things to arrive. The Nameplates arrived though, and they are very fine indeed. I am using my time to make sure that everything is a good fit though. It may not look like it fits any better, but I've soldered in some chunks of whitemetal to the bottom of the boiler/firebox and them filed them to shape over the middle splasher. I think to get a really good fit, I'll need to solder the boiler assembly to the footplate, and make the deflectors removable. I also need to take material off the back of the firebox as the whole assembly needs to move backwards a bit more. I've removed the boiler bands and soldered the dome on, I'll be using a spare Hornby chimney, which will be fitted after I add the rivets to the smokebox. I also slightly amended the smokebox dart, as the stanchions were too long, the bottom of them come level with the bottom of the lower smokebox strap - i'll get a picture to explain, it's a small change, but makes a difference! I've decided to use LNER type wheels from Markits as they are closer to the prototype being 20 spoke, they are based on a 6'8" wheel, but are 26mm the same as the SR 6'9" offering (with 22 spokes), which should hopefully make a difference visually. I have been thinking about Gibson coupling rods, I think they look much nicer than the ones supplied by the kit, and they are bushed, which would hopefully offer better running characteristics. The question I have for people that have used them before is, will they work with Markits crankpins?

Woah, that looks fantastic, well worth the effort!

The joy of whitemetal is that a nice sharp scalpel blade is as useful as a file! I'm waiting on the FG pencil refills to arrive, and then I should be good to go. I do sometimes wonder what the hobby would look like if the correct scaling had been adopted from the beginning by all of the major manufacturers. Hey George, Thanks for your kind words mate! Maybe I can convince you to put Bulleid lettering on the O2 and D3? I think it's a pretty clear consensus to remove the boiler bands, hope to update with progress on this soon. Don't get me wrong, The comparison would probably be more akin to, set-track curves, and railroad models. Finescale OO with hand-built track can be just as convincing, I think from some angles though, you can really see difference with the wider track and wheelbase. from my brief research into EM, some RTR locos can have the original wheels re-used and just spaces out further on the axle, which reduces the cost right down. Thank you for your kind words regarding the N15x John, the idea of getting all of the parts seated correctly before I assemble them is proving to be the biggest help, and really makes the rest of the process very easy - 99% prep. That being said, DLT has been pivotal in helping me get to this stage, either through his direct help or his excellent workbench thread. There are so many people on here that offer input that is absolutely invaluable! I've just had a very fulfilling evening on the phone. I must also say, the two gentlemen I spoke to were fantastic. First I called Chris at High Level Kits, very informative and happy to help me with my inquiry and subsequent order. I've ended up with a 1428 and a Roadrunner+ for the N15x, which means very soon it should progress on to the powered stage, exciting! Then I called Dave at SEF, I needed a Maunsell pattern cab for my K class and he was happy to oblige me. There is something to be said about great customer service! I may have also ordered another kit from Dave. that means there's already 3 locos in the pile once the N15x is done. Oh dear, I think the bug is starting to bite, hard. I've spent a little bit of time tonight on the 'Face', you can see here that around the edges, the casting leaves a little to be desired. I have filed plenty of material off the back of the smokebox door, but it still needs to be filed back more, so there is only the domed section remaining, the lazer cut discs should help me sort the rest of this. One of the major things that I need/want to get right on this is the 'face', while most of it is obscured by the deflectors, it still needs to be as accurate as possible. I still need to add the lamp irons - i'm not sure if alraldite or solder is best for these fiddly details, any suggestions? I'll leave you with a gratuitous shot of the B4 and recently repainted Van C

I have a whole spare chassis, so if you need any parts let me know!