Adam

Having had a slightly stressful week at work, I required something to take my mind off things a little and Justin Newitt has provided. Progress has been swift - as it should be; the methodology Justin uses is familiar to me now that I've built a few of his chassis kits, the instructions are good and the parts fit well. I struggled a little with the fold up brake shoes but this reflects my state of mind, I suspect, and the fact that the outer layers are half-etched and thus vulnerable to fat fingerisms. The end result looks reasonable if not exemplary and you'll note that I've spread solder around liberally, a fact that bothers me not one jot. Building this in between reading Iain Rice in the latest MRJ (250) got me thinking. Simon de Souza's - perhaps barbed? - mockquote of some hypothetical modern modeller and, I should add, making a joke against himself; "These days I find myself heading into TurboCAD to draw something long before I reach for brass sheet and piercing saw..." struck something of a chord with me. This chassis is lovely, only partly because of the CAD processes behind it, good, thoughtful design makes the difference. It's a lot of fun - for me, anyhow - but I could never reasonably populate a layout (What layout?! I hear you cry!) this way. That fact really doesn't matter. By the by, some detail shots of an anchor-mounted tank (a good match for the Bachmann one, I reckon) taken at Ropley the other weekend: Adam

Nice work Porcy. Comparing the ex-works picture with the shots in Paul Bartlett's gallery and the original length tank shown in Porcy's pictures suggests that these: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bsclackenby/h53b1b3f#h1288bde5 or http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bsclackenby/h10c18ce7#h10c18ce7 are represented by the Bachmann one as it comes. Good news? Adam

Hi Mark - Check your prototypes. I haven't looked all that closely at the class A types (the available models aren't in liveries I'm interested in) but my reckoning is that these are probably what the model was based on and are thus nearer the mark. If not, then a total repaint is probably essential. In black you can get away with it, more or less. Adam

While on a trip to the Mid-Hants the other weekend, I picked up one of Bachmann's new anchor-mounted tanks. These models are – inevitably, given the amount of variation in the prototypes – something of a compromise. This is most evident in the class B tanks such as this ESSO example, whose livery was clearly derived from this works photograph: http://www.modeljunction.com/webshop/viewitem.php?productid=1454 The barrel is certainly longer relative to the chassis and also of a greater diameter than that represented by Bachmann’s moulding. To tackle the latter would mean throwing away much of Bachmann’s good work for little visual benefit, but the former can be worked with. Because the barrel smaller in diameter than it might be, lengthening to something wholly accurate would be ill-advised – especially as I wanted to retain the lettering – but something can be done, as Pete Johnson has. The picture linked to below shows that the barrel should extend to the outer face of the headstocks with the ends protruding beyond them: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_10_2012/post-2065-0-86326800-1351459244.jpg My compromise is to extend the barrel using two discs of black 40 thou’ plastic which gives an impression of the required length while remaining in proportion with the diameter. I lopped the ends off with a combination of razor saw and piercing saw, the two discs being marked out oversize with my compass cutter. These were shaped and then glued in place and the resulting gaps (I really could have done this more tidily) filled with Miliput. The effect of the undersized barrel will be reduced further by replacing the ladder with something closer to scale later. Other details - fast traffic stars and registration plates - were taken from a Mainly Trains etch as the relief will show better that the neatly printed outline and lettering once weathered. The tiebars are my usual 0.75mm brass angle. I still have to add the outer vees for the brakes, but it's getting there. It ain’t perfect, but it’s much better. Adam

Thanks Ian, I've fabricated some which wasn't a huge challenge. I have now applied paint, taking care to retain the writing on the solebar. The lettering on the body is from Cambridge Custom Transfers: Obviously it must be weathered but that's for another time. Compare and contrast with the first one: Adam

First I've heard of these Baz, not that it matters immediately but I am out of cranked hopper door levers (though I have plenty of steps). Adam Adam

You pays your money and takes your choice; it would certainly want complete new artwork and is unlikely to be all that much cheaper. It's certainly a very efficient etch - most of the fiddly bits fill odd corners - and there are so many variants that you would struggle to leave much out - some end platforms perhaps bu that's all. I've used almost all the other bits on other models. Adam

These 21 tonners had lots of variations around the handrails at the ends - and Dave Bradwell's etches provide most of the bits required (except the wire and patience to execute them). This is probably the most involved and, mechanically, the way in which they were done is quite interesting since they all jig and bolt together: here's the 4mm version using five bits of wire for each set. In real life, all these components were separate. What these close ups show is that I haven't yet removed the part line of slight flash from the top flange; it also shows how rough the surface finish of the moulds for this wagon are. Horrid. Here's a rough sketch (and an even rougher scan), showing the trick bit as modelled. The key element is the handrail that forms the 'L', a right angle between the end and side. On the model this is one piece of wire - an 'L' with a slight joggle in it as the sketch shows. On the real thing this was clearly two pieces, with eyes formed on the outer ends which were secured to the top of the little drop link with a bolt. The transverse rail seems to have been threaded at the ends and a nut mounted inside the drop link and the last piece of the handrail that comes up from the deck. Basically, what I did was to do the top 'L's first, solder the drop links - simply a tiny etched piece with a couple of holes in (Dave Bradwell supplies these with his chassis and detailing etch) in place at a slight inward angle per the real thing. Then I added the transverse rod, with the brackets threaded on loose. Once I'd solder the wire in place I superglued the brackets to the hopper and once the glue had set, I soldered the brackets to the transverse wire. The last bit of the puzzle, the rails up from the deck, were glued to the deck first and then trimmed so as they sit behind the drop link. These were then - extremely carefully - soldered in place. This was much less of a fiddle than it sounds. Adam

And after an hour's work, some Archer's rivets and a start on the handrails: The Parkside hopper has also gained the first of its handrails and the vac' pipe. I made this in two parts with the joint hidden by the centre vertical strut. It was less fiddly than I suspected it might be - the bracket was cut from brass shim. The nearest strut failed to survive the assembly process so has been carefully reinstated with a bit of Evergreen strip (oversize and trimmed and sanded back): Meanwhile, the next mineral has been started, a dia. 1/107, reworked from a (very cheap) secondhand Parkside kit for a two-door MDO with the aid of a couple of venerable Airfix 16 tonners which gave up their side doors and end door. This one will go on a Rumney Models chassis, but eventually: I only started this because I was waiting for the rain to stop this morning. Adam

And so, 'something else' turns out to be hoppers again. The Parkside version inches onward and, although much of the work is invisible - a bit of filler on the insides, some tidying up of the top corners with scraps of plastic and superglue - you can see the first stage in the changes needed in the end hopper supports can be seen. And is joined by a Hornby version. As can be seen, this has been subject to a bit of redetailing so as to represent a Metro-Cammell-built vehicle with different plating arrangements and reinforced corners (strip cut from 5 thou' sheet superglued in place): Replicating the end handrails is a treat to look forward to. They will hopefully look a bit like this: North East trip 1966 by David Harvey, on Flickr That's all for now, Adam

You can definitely lose the 'probably', if only because the number of museums of various kinds is generally on the up. From a technical perspective, the logical part of a 442 to preserve would be one of the motor bogies as the last example of the pragmatic and traditional Southern approach; the recycling of running gear and traction components. Whether one might then stretch to a whole driving car is another question. That's probably the most you'll end up with and, broadly, that's probably a reasonable compromise, in my view, which is all it is. Much as we might like there to be a further use for at least the non-motor cars of the 442, I doubt we'll see it. Pity. As an aside, one of the great benefits of HLF funding for preservation projects is the greater heritage and historic awareness (for things that aren't locos) on the part of the preservation movement and, I should add, the HLF's insistence that what they fund should be sustainable: witness the North Norfolk's Quad Art shed as an example of how some things have been better looked after in recent years. Adam

It certainly looks like it, although, in an attempt to disguise this, it has some rather inaccurate diamond frame bogies installed. It's a bogie bolster C (GW name Macaw - details determine which sort). There's a gallery on Paul Bartlett's pages: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/gwrbolster Adam

All the gen I've found suggests that Lomas were based at Wilmslow, Cheshire. There's some catalogue images here: http://www.rtrehearn.plus.com/lomas_ambulances.htm The Navy had some of these ambulances so they could well have been delivered to Fratton? Searching for defunct commercial vehicle bodybuilders is not straightforward: I've found no end of information about gyms, but precious little about chassis cabs! Camper vans of various types have always been a popular use for redundant ambulances as well as minibuses - some more recent St John vehicles are intended to be convertible between the two uses, though for a variety of reasons - not least the earning potential as ambulances - it's generally cheaper to hire a minibus and train volunteers to drive them as required. Adam

Since I'm on a bit of a roll, here's yet another long-running project which has reached completion which is all the more embarrassing since so little needed doing to it! The subject is a nice little Oxford Diecast model of a Bedford J1, Lomas bodied ambulance, produced from the mid-60s for a decade or so. Matchbox did a version and it's remarkable, btw, how conservative ambulance design was. This was done up in St John Ambulance colours because I was a volunteer with them for about 10 years until, for a variety of reasons - commuting mainly - I had to give it up. Now, living in London, the siren call of free Lord's Test Matches may win me back! Anyhow, the livery was rather specific for Royston division so that had to be painted out and the elaborate double lining removed. I'll probably replate it at some point, but a coat of Halfords matt lacquer, some wing mirrors and some 'Glue 'n' Glaze' lenses for the lights will do. I've also fixed the axles and trimmed a flat on the bottom of the tyres to give an impression of mass. All this took minutes spread over three days: I've had the model for about five years! Obviously, it will be kept clean, but it does require some weathering. Adam

Ah, but they do fit into mine! That's interesting - and of course the wagons were of a similar size and the bolsters of a similar pattern - but how do we know that this is what happened? All the more reason to model one, well, once I've cleared my project backlog a little. Thanks, Adam

Here's another black and white image: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/305825/24647711 It was definitely yellow - I doubt that the paintjob was every posh enough to have bothered with undercoat. On the SEMG group there is a picture by David Mant showing the yellow end in a slightly less faded condition in February 1973. This link will probably only work if you're a member, but it's definitely yellow: https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SEmG/conversations/topics/144865 Adam

It's a hot day with good light and I'm working from home. So in my screen break, I've done a little weathering on things that are to be presented as 'clean' because recently built or converted. The Coil Rs, following running trials, have gained some rubbing blocks to level the bogies at one end and thus to keep the buffers level too. They seem to have been converted in the very late '60s and the Thomas Hill 0-6-0DH it's buffered up to was built from c. 1970 and thus exist at the very margin of my modelling period. Both are thus fairly clean. The weathering consists simply of washes of matt chocolate, metalcote gunmetal and a touch of matt leather, applied and then mostly cleaned away. So long as you're careful, keep the paint thin and are prepared to take a look in really good light to make sure that the treatment is even, without brush marks and puddles of pigment, it's a very effective way of weathering something simply. Adam

You and me both, Brian - and like you, I'd scanned the collection looking for precisely this sort of thing! Now we know, however, there is the question of building a model or two, sometime. Adam

That would be my assumption (I left it implicit originally). It's useful to know what the outside of the wagons looked like; the diagram makes the physical details obvious. Adam

Way back when (ok, 2014), I embarked on a hare-brained idea of kit bashing a couple of wagons. The end of a rather protracted project is always satisfying and so it is with this pair of rod coil conversions. These Coil S have led me a merry dance over the last few years requiring rebuilds, rethinks and several bouts of despair at ever starting the wretched things. The most recent round was brought about by the loads; coils of steel rod are the very devil to model and, having toyed with mucking about with fuse wire, I gave up and bought some very reasonable resin mouldings from DUHA (courtesy of P&H Models - usual disclaimer, but excellent service). These are designed for HO but are about the right size for my purposes. Here's one as supplied - the colouring is less than convincing as I'm modelling new coils! An idea of what they should look like can be had from Paul Bartlett's galleries: BR Rod Coil S - http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brrodcoilksv/h2c79f5fb#h2c79f5fb I've spliced several together and repainted them with Humbrol no. 53 gunmetal followed up with dark and rust coloured washes with abit of dry brushing to follow. My pair are modelled shortly after conversion in 1970 (my modelling era cut off) so are - relatively - clean. There will be no more. Adam

Aha! I've always wondered what these looked like, ever since I found the diagram for them. The cradles are very like those in the converted pig iron wagons (Coil Cs) with moveable bolsters: http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/BRBDocuments/BRFreight2Issue.pdf (pages 46 and 47 of the PDF) The diagram states that the end door was 'locked' (presumably welded up). There were 200 of these, with the numbers given - the second wagon from the camera (B266689, I think it is) looks interesting because it appears to be grey - the lettering is clearly on a black patch - but with what appears to be a vac' cylinder clearly visible and the inverted white triangle on the door indicating (actually, what does that indicate? Where the vac' release cord was?). being in the middle of the rake, I assume that it was vac' fitted. The plate affixed to the side looks a bit like this one attached to a 24 1/2 tonner: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/110665-return-to-plate-on-br-24-12-ton-mineral-wagon-oakdale-colliery/ So, more than enough gen to model the type now. Great! Adam

The one shown at Pen Mill was in service in 1974 - I doubt that it lasted all that much longer. I'll ask my dad if he can remember, but I suspect that they went about the time RCH type containers ceased to be used. Adam

It would be about the right time for the construction of Hinkley Point A (as Brian says) - work began there in 1957 - though there was quite a substantial amount of building and residential expansion under way in and around Bridgwater at about that time so it could be something else. That the tippers appear to have been modified with roofs suggests that this was regular work and the steel reinforcing rod (at least, I assume that's what it is) would tend towards power station construction work. Adam

That's a great find Bubbles - in addition to the Freightlifter, there's a Ransomes and Rapier electric crane, pair of Blue Circle liveried tippers (both Kew Dodges, I think), Scammell Mechanical Horse, a Presflo in early condition without the additional side struts, a rake of Conflat Ls with associated containers (one being discharged) and assorted bogie bolsters delivering steel rod. I especially like the wagon sheets draped over the buffer stops at the siding end. Wonderful! A little further south east, Yeovil Pen Mill had one and I'd be surprised if there weren't more at say, Taunton, Exeter and so on. https://www.flickr.com/photos/invader1009/14664462249/ Adam

Much better! And it was already really good, well worth the effort expended. Adam