esngblog

Well, here’s the end results of the last few week’s modelling.  A GWR bullion van and two LMS horseboxes.  All could be better, but all look pretty good to me.  I’ve really enjoyed building the etched bogies and chassis, and it’s wonderful how the multiple layers of etched detail give the right appearance.  I think the main bonuses are that the etched items are narrower than standard ‘N’ items, and more to scale that way, and that thin bits, like the W-irons on the horseboxes are suitable thin.

I did make a mess of some of the brake gear, but that was more detail than the original kit had anyway!

Elsewhere, the two Gresley full brakes are waiting for the roof to be painted and fitted and some touching up of paintwork.  And new buffers for one, as I broke one fitting the corridor connections.  Brass buffers look better and are stronger, even if they may not be quite the right type.

All the vehicles need numbering and lettering – simple enough if tiny for BR.  I must order some Fox transfers, I guess.  And they need couplings.  I seriously considered fitting these vehicles with DG or B&B couplings, but having tried making them, it was too much like hard work.  I can solder up a 2mm chassis, but those little couplings defeated me.  I reluctantly decided to stick with the standard ‘N’ Arnold style coupling.  Dapol knuckles look a little better, but are very expensive.  The horse boxes can easily have couplings fitted, using those in the kits or Dapol conversion kits.  The Gresley’s have NEM pockets.  I thought that the bogies for the bullion van could prove difficult, but it turns out that the NGS coupling pockets – rejected as useless for my Warwells – will work very well here.  Moral of the story, never throw anything away.

I must try and complete the Gresley’s tomorrow, then look to something new.  Perhaps one of these?  A 1991 London promotional vehicle for the then new TravelCards.  That’s what I call a real-life kit-bash!

Well, I’d hoped to show and tell a completed GWR bullion van today.  I’ve built the bogies, but when I looked at the body, there was a line of glue on the body side below the roof, where I’d reinforced the soldered joint.  It would have been obvious if I’d left if with such a slab-sided prototype, so I got the paint stripper out and took the body back to brass.  And then rubbed down the offending area.  After a coat of primer today, it looks a whole lot better.

I have made progress with the other workbench projects.  The two LMS horsebox bodies are primed, and one chassis complete.  And I went back to the Gresley full brakes to add the final details.  I confess that I left off a little bit of the pipework, especially after I found that it had broken on the sprue.  There’s now a little touching up of the paintwork needed, and these will be complete.

I’m also thinking of the next project.  I think that it might be a couple of these, though I have some more NGS and other plastic kits to build – this time of rather simpler vans.

Anyone spot the potential donor body and chassis?

I can, however, offer the usual modelling challenges.  Model of Newcastle, anyone?

And this colour picture of the quayside at Wells-next-Sea, Norfolk, in the 1930’s just oozes character and demands to be built.  The prototype used horses for shunting, but surely a tram engine could be excused?

And here’s one for the cameo modeller.  One for the high street (thank you N Gauge Forum.)  I understand that the sign was quickly replaced!

And one for the lineside. Who will be the first to ‘model’ this?? (Thanks, Paul.)

Nude sunbather mistaken for dead body near railway line in Essex

Currently on the workbench….

An ex-GWR bullion van, dating back to Churchward’s days.  In reality, it only ran from Paddington to Bristol (I think).  It lasted long enough to be repainted from crimson to maroon, and was withdrawn in the mid-1960’s.  Not my modelling area, really, but I saw this brass kit at a show, and fell for it.  It’s an early brass etch, sold by Kemp Models, and shot down from a 4mm etch.  It only has doors on one side, perhaps for obvious reasons!

The camera is, of course, cruel, and especially shows where I’ve creased the tumblehome in the thin brass.  But it was fun to build and good soldering practice.  The bogies provided were terrible, so I’ve invested in these very nice etched ones.  All on nickel-silver – that is easier to solder as it conducts less heat.  All those layers of detail will be a challenge, and some will probably go on with superglue.

Hopefully, there’ll be a completed picture soon.

It’s been good to get news that two ESNG members have been busy

Peter writes….

Good Afternoon

Hope everyone is keeping safe and well, although there seems to be some people who have no regards at all for the other people as the wife and I saw by the amount of rubbish left in two of our local parks yesterday.

Anyway, I thought I would just show that I have not been sitting around doing nothing whilst being in lockdown. The tram layout I am currently building is awaiting some street furniture which is on order. It’s in the garage at the moment, hence the stuff all round including the tumble dryer.

Unfortunately, when I took the photos, I had a power failure which turned to be a broken wire.

Note the high quality control panel bottom left of the third photo!

Incidentally, my club dashboard is currently undergoing some modifications including rebuilding part of the platforms. It can just be seen in the second photograph. Once satisfied, I will post a photo or two.

Kind regards

Peter

And Brian has also been busy…

Dear All,

Here’s the Tudela Veguin project (based on a Spanish station and major cement works) I’ve been working on this for some months now pre-lockdown and onwards.

You wondered where the toilet rolls went – some of them are featured 🙂 I’ve also had to eat a lot of Magnum ice creams for the cardboard …..

I know it’s not up to your high standards, but it’s been absorbing.

Enjoy, Cheers,

Brian

With the usual videos as evidence.

I also know that Mr Atfield has been building things at a rapid rate, but they will remain a mystery unless he enters the electronic age….

I did also notice on Brian’s YouTube channel, a video of the trains to the coast as lockdown rather crumbles…..

A burst of action has just about completed the Warwells and Warflats.  I realised that I needed to fit a coupling to join with Rapido’s at each end of the rake of wagons.  A little length of brass wire did a good job.

I was getting fed up making my own couplings, and had a bright idea – a permanent coupling between pairs of wagons.  A little fettling with some scrap brass (probably from an etched ‘O’ gauge kit of my father’s) and a coping saw, then a dip in brass black made three of this little item.  It screws into the bogie pivots instead of a retaining washer, and works fine.

And this is where I had got to last night.  Just a few odds and ends to do….

So project nearly complete!  I need to replace one home made coupling that works, but is too short.  Handwheels need to be white, and the bogies could do with a touch of dirty black.  And if I am brave, I have the transfers for the lettering on the wagons.  But for now, they’ll go into their box, together with the two Gresley coaches and an SR bogie brake van that complete the train.

Lessons learnt?  I think #1 item was how hard it is to fit Rapido/Dapol couplings, NEM or otherwise, to kits.  I am minded to have another go at making DG/B&B couplings again.  #2 is just how useful a set of magnifying glasses are.  And lastly #3, how much nicer brass is to work with than plastic.