Jack P

Update! Nothing too exciting, took some photos on the club layout the other night. The finished H, had to remove the spacer in the rear bogie to get both drivers to sit level on the track, now she runs perfectly! Also working on getting this to look like it's in ex-works condition, the issue isn't as bad in person, but those wheels look so bad in photos. A repaint is needed I think. There are drain-cocks and front steps, but the loco won't negotiate the clubs corners with them in place so they're absent for the photo. LSWR gate stock: This is nearly finished externally, just waiting on the run of transfers from fox with the sunshine 'THIRD', I've painted the interiors, waiting on passengers to paint up and add, and a driver for the cab end. I also realized that the open third I have was missing one of the footsteps on the bogie. I made one out of plastic card last night, decided not to make the front bracket, as the angle was a bit tricky to form in plastic, and brass wire didn't look right. Once painted it should look ok though. I also tried a light weathering on the roof of the open third. That's all for now. Much of the same, need to start kit-building. Thanks for reading!

As a Southern fan, I'm just curious. There have been a lot of GWR prototypes, and the K is a favourite prototype, so I just want to see some examples! Not such a weird project - would be interested to see if you could find it!

That is very high praise from you tom, much appreciated. Your work is very inspirational! Tony, thank you, and that is a fantastic model! I am getting there with the weathering, not quite where I want it, but close. One of my big pet peeves about the Hornby Model is the lack of that splasher, was it part of the SEF kit or did you make it from scratch? I have been considering making my own, but as I need enough for 5 locos and i'm worried about the possible hazards of shorting on the wheels, Maybe 3D printing would be the way to go for such a small part. Just to add, it's really a shame your schools lives in its box! It's already been two pages since I've posted, but there are lots of interesting sentiments shared, glad to be part of such an active discussion!

Someone would do well to produce an original cab (from resin maybe), that acted as a direct replacement for the modified cabs that are the only ones available. I would certainly buy a few.. I know there are the whitemetal sides, but they are not as simple as they seem.

I know you did a guide for converting the Non-DCC ready Bachmann locos on this thread (on a LN I believe?) Do you happen to know which page it's on?

Tony, A personal example if I may, and I do apologize, because its the wrong shade of green! These are two slightly modified 'Schools' Hornby locos of mine. The front one was 'Wellington' (now Eton) and cost me £70, the rear one was a damaged 'Cheltenham' (now Downside) and cost me £54 initially + £40 for another damaged schools class from Hattons, so £164 in total. One of the lovely PDK kits is £106 and then + wheels, motor and gearbox, you probably wouldn't see much change from another £100. I am by no means adverse to kit building, and I am not suggesting the Hornby version is perfect, but as I have not yet started building my own kits, I doubt as my first I could come even close to what Hornby has produced, and the price of the learning experience (using this as the example) is a bit steep. To me, the Hornby version, which can be picked up cheaply, does the job, has no massively glaring errors or discrepancies, and is an excellent runner. Although strangely, with a cast boiler, it still has the dreaded traction tyre, again it's not perfect, but it certainly is a nice model. The question then, is why would I build the PDK model? I wouldn't. If you compare, £70, for a well detailed, RTR model, as opposed to a £200 (approx, for just the parts) for just the kit, I think it summarizes that the main factor in the decline of kit-building is simply the cost. I appreciate that once you are set up with the tools required for kit-building, (which can be a considerable outlay for quality items) they won't factor into the price of 'completing' a kit, but as a beginner, if you were to buy everything to get you started, and your first kit, it could be an outlay of £500+! Then if you factor in the cost of painting/lining/weathering - at this point some people have disregarded kit-building completely, and sadly, in some cases they have resigned themselves to wishlisting, due to what is probably not a lack of skill, but an unwillingness to go through the process to learn. I just want to point out that i'm not in the same boat, but I can empathize with people who can't afford this, or deem the learning of the 'black art' of kit- building to be too prohibitive. I don't know how much this will actually add to the discussion that's probably already been re-hashed a million times, but from a relative newbie, this is my take on things. I am lucky in that I am still relatively young, so I have time to learn, and hopefully make (and try to forget) a few expensive mistakes.

I hate to be the one to bump a topic after such a long spell. But does anyone have any news? Imminent seems not so, as just over two months on, nothing.

Anyone have photos of their K class, K's kit?

Those trees look excellent! very impressed with the willow, will have to try some of those techniques myself.

Looking forward to seeing the progress of the D3 George. How's the O2 coming?

Looks excellent! Sorry if I've missed it, the set of points leading to the goods shed, are they the new Peco ones or kitbuilt?

You are too kind, Photos might be ok, need to work on the quality of modelling next! I thought that too John! Looks a bit like Doncasters Apple green.. Will have another play around tonight to see what can be done. I think the lighting might need another look in, waiting on some more weathering supplies, hopefully to add some variety!

Looking excellent as usual Tony! (- I am getting around to replying to your email, busy time at work you see) I always thought the SECR E had really odd number placement on the rear splasher, it is a very handsome prototype though! Looking forward to see the rest of the E's!

I just wanted to bring this image forward, because it is a truly fantastic model. The thought of Hornby not producing one in malachite does make me sad, I am already sad at the H2 hasn't been announced in malachite (YET). I did see it noted before that malachite versions of things have been slow sellers, Including the N15, I'm not sure if I agree with this. Hornby have so far only released one in malachite, in 2007. This was the Urie cab version, I would argue that everyone that wants one of this variant, by now has probably got one. A Maunsell cabbed malachite green would be a nice addition, and I do struggle to think It would be a bad seller, being that it's been over 10 years since the release of one that is similar. Before I'm reprimanded for wishlisting, This is a very interesting thread, with lots of Southern discussion!

Looks fantastic Nile! If you're anything like me, you do occasionally start to get disheartened, repainting lovely complex liveries into all-over black (grey, even?). Please do not take that as an insult FYI - I do think the SECR wartime grey is a bit more complex and unique than black! How did you get the cab roof off, Does it just come off with a bit of wiggling?

Thanks Phil! The sad and sometimes sudden demise of steam was still, thankfully, nearly two decades away in the sunny south, 1947. Another quick update. Finally finished numbering the gate stock set, and got the 'Load 1 tons' transfer sorted with some cutting. All I really did was remove the 4 from 'load 14 tons'. Still waiting on Fox to print the sunshine style 'Third' transfers for me so I can fully finish these off. Also my etched plates for Schools class, 900 'Eton' arrived, remind me why I didn't order 912's at the same time? I also had another go at weathering 912, but I can now see she's barely visible - next post. Still not happy with the photos, so I may replace them in due course, need to sit down and properly figure out what settings/editing I need. Sorry it's more of the same, but that's all for now!

Thanks mate! It's been cleaned off again while I wait for some new weathering supplies, not happy with it as it was. Will update when it's finished Finally finished the H. Nothing else to report!

This is coming along really nicely! You say it will be painted black, I assume BR black, but I hope for Wartime black, Which black did you mean?

That Q looks lovely sitting in the sun! What's the wreath on the smokebox door for?

I hate to use my own work as an example, but it seems that all the sheets of Bulleid HMRS transfers are let down in one area, and that is the small 'SOUTHERN' for use on the coach sides, if you look at the lettering here, the outline is extremely faint, and it just looks blurry. No other transfers on the sheet seem to suffer from this. It's a shame, because i'm not aware of anyone else that produces this specific transfer in this size.

I thought I'd ask here, Has anyone mixed their own malachite from widely available paints? (Tamiya, Vallejo etc?)

That's a good suggestion, might be worth doing if he plans to assess the problem before returning it. I need to have another look at my H, the rear drivers aren't making full contact with the rail. This means It can barely manage two LSWR rebuild around a fairly decent corner, without slowing to a near dead halt. It was out-pulled by the P class, which could manage 3 LSWR rebuilds, a PMV and 2 Maunsells with no trouble,

Much appreciated! I don't suppose you have any recollection of when this was done? (Pre or post nationalisation) I can't seem to find much photo evidence on the subject.

Update: More of the same really, some weathering of another schools class, which on reflection, I'm not happy with the tender, so will be cleaned down with thinners and done again. Plus a venture out to the club this evening. I shall let the photos do the talking, as really it is just more of the same! That's all for now!

Tony, Far too much 'Olive Drab' for my liking That SECR D is gorgeous! (as is the real thing in lined SECR livery), I too am a big fan of the Brighton tanks, Chris P is a very talented builder. My next comment may be of unpopular opinion, but I think I like the PDK D15 more than the OO works version, which seems to have, a moulded smokebox dart, and no rivets, lining missing from the cab front, tender recess, and none from the footplate sides down. The wheels also appear to be black, although maybe that's just me not looking hard enough. That being said, it is by no means 'Bad', and no one else has produced a D15, so I must comment them for doing that (along with the L1). Looking forward to the E's!