The Brassgoggles Model Making Club (the second non-SP model making thread).

[James Harrison]

I have, for once, actually managed to do some modelling this weekend.  I want to repaint those 6-wheel carriages I showed a few weeks ago, but at £30-£40 each I'm not exactly thrilled at thinking about the outcome of a mishap with paintbrush. 

So to practice first, I've bought some old Mainline (ex Airfix?) 57' panelled bogie corridor carriages. £30 for three of them is a reasonable outlay and if they turn out OK I can use them as generic stock for the 1910 period.  If they don't, well they're not so close to proper GCR rolling stock that I'd miss them.  Work so far, I've disposed of the tension lock couplings, taken them apart and painted the seating.  Then I've applied a product I've not used before - a masking liquid- to the glazing and I've started to repaint the bodies.   

[James Harrison]

So, a few jobs this week. 

Firstly, the search for a decent replacement for trainset couplers carries on.  I have been using Kadee buckeye couplers but the number of variations of them is baffling and the cost is exorbitant.  So I've had a look at magnetic couplings as an alternative.



These particular couplers are intended to look like vacuum or steam heating pipes, well that's an immediate improvement over massive tension locks. 
Slight problem; these carriages have very long buffer shanks, and the buffers are unsprung.  Result?  They're now limited to 3rd radius (505mm) curves or greater.  Maybe look into after-market sprung buffers, at £10 for a set of four though (£70 to fit up the entire rake), maybe not. 



A £20 set of couplers was enough to do all seven carriages plus one of my locos. 



And then moving onto something else....

[/url]

The carriages I've bought to practice my painting and lining skills on. 



Well, that's what I can achieve freehand with a brush on 1980s tooling.  I think the panelling is finer on the six wheelers though.

[The Bullet]

Meeting last Saturday:
we wanted to run the Minx with a goods train. Injector did not work, so tapped the clack valve using the shovel.....and it fell off.
Made a blanking plug and off we went.

Trator went ok, some adjustments are necessary. I got it to run in first gear.

[Madasasteamfish]

Well, my mantra of 'At least it's not drugs.' has led to my credit card taking another hit. This time in the form of a kit for a ROD/former GCR 2-8-0. Now, the challenge is which livery/guise do I finish it in?

The kit itself is designed to make an GCR/LNER or GWR loco (the main difference being livery and the latter's fondness for brass). However, included with the kit was a pamphlet explaining the prototype's history, which shows them being used by not only the ROD/WD (in Britain and beyond) and LNER/GWR but also the LMS and surviving into BR ownership, the only difference between them over the course of their lifespans and varied ownership seems to have been minor modifications to certain parts (usually valve/brake gear and chimney/buffers).

Therefore I find myself pondering.....

I WAS intending to finish it in some form of LNER livery, however, with the Q7, and the Riddles WD 2-8-0/O7 (to be built)in LNER guise, and desire to obtain a standard class 9F (or 2) to supplement my other Ozzie I already feel I have enough LNER/BR motive power for heavy freight workings. The problem is, finishing it in LMS livery, would require the sourcing of appropriate chimney/buffers, and whilst part of me is tempted to succumb to Mr Harrison's enticements to join him in the days of pre-grouping, doing so would require obtaining some appropriate rolling stock.

[James Harrison]

The post-WWI careers of the RODs is... complex to say the least. 

The London & North Western bought 30 in 1919 but I believe they were used as-built, so didn't gain alternative boiler fittings (as this was quite close to the Grouping, I'm not certain if they were even repainted into LNWR livery- though they did gain LNWR numberplates).  Jeremy Clements in his book 'Robinson Eight-Coupled Locomotives' lists these as LNWR numbers 2800 to 2829 in September 1919.  There was then a renumbering scheme in 1920 and these were given random numbers... Then renumbered again as a block 9616 to 9645 in 1927, and again 9455 - 9476 in 1930.  The last of them was withdrawn in November 1932. Bachmann modelled one of these LNWR-owned examples, not sure if it is still available.  There is a photograph in Clement's work of LNWR 2400 fitted with LNWR-type front buffers.     

The LMS bought some more in 1927 however having spent the best part of a decade in locomotive dumps their mechanical condition must have been suspect at best.  Clements says that 20 were actually made ready for service from January 1927 onward but with the Depression they were withdrawn by February 1932.  These were numbered 9646 -  9665 under the 1927 numbering scheme.  The survivors became numbers 9477 - 9482 in 1930 but if I'm reading the tables correctly 9477 and 9478 were withdrawn in August 1931 without wearing their new numbers. 

A further 25 were bought by the LMS at the same time just for their tenders - they were summarily scrapped and the tenders used behind various ex-LNWR 4-6-0s, 4-4-0s and 0-8-0s.

I think what I'm saying is, your kit can be built pretty much as it is, maybe replace the front buffers? - photographic evidence of it being done to one loco doesn't imply it was done to all.  If you want to model post-1932 I'd be inclined to use handwavium and 'just suppose' 9477 or 9478 weren't scrapped. 

[Madasasteamfish]

Well, I've only had a quick flick through the pamphlet rather than an in depth dive, but the main mentions of those that saw service on the LNWR seem to be pictures of LMS no. 9616 (which is shown fitted with an L&YR design chimney and straight LMS style buffers), one hired out to the LNWR in 1921 in as built condition (which was later sold to the GWR) and another in as built condition with LMS shed plates but no numbers. So really I suppose it's a matter of 'do I care about catering rivet counters?'

At the moment I'm tempted to stick with GCR/early LNER livery I could use some handwavium and model it in LMS livery in as built condition, or have it as a "new" acquisition in ROD livery with an LMS shed plate. I think it's one for me to mull over and do some investigation...

[James Harrison]

There are two photos in Clements book of LMS RODS and they're both almost pure GC/ LNER. Aside from the safety valves, it's only the lettering and numbering that's different.

I wouldn't lose sleep over rivet counters. Amusingly I'm just finishing up something going the other way, repainting an LMS carriage in GC colours. I'm calling it the Pedants Apoplexy Express.

[James Harrison]

There's something about it that just looks right, even though it's totally wrong. 

They're certainly not these.

[Madasasteamfish]

A quick update from me today. I've managed to acquire another hornby PO coke wagon which I've converted to LMS livery (having already discussed similar efforts previously I won't bother repeating myself), however, also having taken delivery of some appropriate transfers I've been able to enhance my lowmac.





So, I think it's fair to expect a fair bit of rolling stock to come out of the works soon.

[Madasasteamfish]

Another quick update from me as I continue to round out my WWII armour collection...

I finally got around to finishing off my Japanese type 97 Chi-Ha tank.



I now only need one of the (few) Italian tanks and I've got every major army represented.

[The Bullet]

Found a 5" gauge tanker wagon on thingiverse, had the parts printed and...found out that the design only contains half the necessary parts.
The designer does not respond to any messages (oh great!) but has another 5" gauge wagon desing on thingiverse so I checked and downloaded parts from that one to fill the gaps.
Waiting for the printed parts to be delivered.

[The Bullet]

Things are getting better.
Today I drove my steam traction engine up and down the street in 3rd gear.
Still needs some work as the burner is weak and unstable but this is a bit of progress.

Think about it having been bought with a failed boiler as a static load for my 5" gauge Loriot wagon.

[Madasasteamfish]

So, another quick update from me with news of an experiment....

I've actually had the idea of a war memorial for Dukeswood floating around my head for a while, and whilst I could appropriate Mr Harrison's idea of a Mk. I-V tank on a plinth (and it would be fitting given the connection to their manufacture) I'm more tempted to try something more prototypical.

To that end, I purchased some 28mm scale military figures (although over scale for 4mm they work out at just over lifesize so work for my purposes) and have tried painting them as bronze statues. With this being the result (I deliberately used some Napoleonic infantry for purely experimental purposes)....



I'll admit the photo doesn't quite do them justice, but I think it could work quite well for something like an equestrian statue/figure group. I'm particularly pleased with the verdigris effect on the one on the left, and whilst I'm not quite as happy with the one on the right I think it could be improved with a different application of highlights.

[James Harrison]

So, another quick update from me with news of an experiment....

I've actually had the idea of a war memorial for Dukeswood floating around my head for a while, and whilst I could appropriate Mr Harrison's idea of a Mk. I-V tank on a plinth (and it would be fitting given the connection to their manufacture) I'm more tempted to try something more prototypical.

To that end, I purchased some 28mm scale military figures (although over scale for 4mm they work out at just over lifesize so work for my purposes) and have tried painting them as bronze statues. With this being the result (I deliberately used some Napoleonic infantry for purely experimental purposes)....



I'll admit the photo doesn't quite do them justice, but I think it could work quite well for something like an equestrian statue/figure group. I'm particularly pleased with the verdigris effect on the one on the left, and whilst I'm not quite as happy with the one on the right I think it could be improved with a different application of highlights.

You've got a good memory!  That was 5 or 6 years ago I built that tank.  I don't think my model war memorial will see light of day now that I've gone back to around 1910- 1912.  I think the Napoleonic figures are looking great.

[Madasasteamfish]

Thanks. If you're certain you won't be using it, I may appropriate it myself as the centre of a roundabout outside one of the termini buildings. However, I'm inclined more towards something like one of these fellows (these are just 2 of the riflemen who came along with enough other figures to make an entire battalion) as being more suited to for say a street corner or similar (or even forming some kind of memorial in a niche somewhere).

I've also found similar scaled figures of Nosey and other commanders, who I reckon would be a fitting choice for sitting on a plinth somewhere in the background (with or without a traffic cone on their heads...... ).

[The Bullet]

Here we are:





This is the 3d printed tank wagon I found on thingiverse.
Lots of parts were missing and as the designer did not answer to any mails I took his three wagon diesigns and substituted parts until a full set was achieved.
Except for the rodding, coupling chains, axles and some screws every part is 3d printed.

The brake shoes and rods did also not come with the design so I will make them myself.

[James Harrison]

That's impressive.  You can't see the layers.

How long did it take to print?

[The Bullet]

How long did it take to print?

I have no idea as I ordered the parts from a printing service where qou upload your stl files.
The tank is a section of downpipe.

The layers are visible on the wheel profile, spokes and brake lever. Painting smoothed out most of them.
I am planning to build a three plank wagon to complete that train.

[Madasasteamfish]

So I'm currently visiting the parental units and was asked to move some things around, which led to me having another 'Talking Heads/How did I get here?!' moment as one of the things I had to move was (part of) my reference library which currently looks like this:



One day soon I might get around to organising it properly....

[Sorontar]

Yeah, you'll need a bigger bed to store them on.

Sorontar

[Madasasteamfish]

Yeah, you'll need a bigger bed to store them on.

Sorontar

Well, with a little bit of luck (and if the powers that be are kind) I hopefully will have some more space soon...

In the meantime, I've been busy working on some more rolling stock....
Here's my rake of LMS coke wagons (thus far), and my ex-MR brake van. I know a rivet counter would complain about the difference in colour, but a) I can hide it with some weathering b) the nature of railway company paint shops (and how they worked) means there would be a general lack of consistency and c) DILLIGAF?

I've also applied some finishing touches to my LNER fish vans


Add into this my other BR standard 16 tonners and I'm pretty close to checking off another one of this year's objectives.

[Madasasteamfish]

Well, rolling stock continues to roll out of the works....


First the coke wagons have been weathered, giving them a more uniform look, and I'm a step closer to having a full train together.


I've added real coal loads to a range of my 16 toners and weather them....
Which gives me another task to check off my list of objectives, as I've now got a full train...


Apologies for the quality of the photos, but I'm happy to have made some progress.

[James Harrison]

Progress indeed.  Building up a full train can easily take much longer than building the locomotive to pull it.  (Which reminds me, I've got a set of I think 6 GC 5 or 7 plank open wagons sitting around somewhere to build...)

[Sir Henry]

If you want some soot for realistic weathering, I can send you as much as you want. I have an attic full of the stuff that has appeared since the roof is being retiled.

[Madasasteamfish]

I ended up visiting a local show on a slight whim and procured some bits which should help me with some bits and pieces going forwards.

First is a set of L&YR pattern sprung buffers which should (hopefully) give me the impetus to sort out my Robinson/ROD 8f kit.

The other is a cheap old Lima Praire which I intend to use a donor chassis for my V3 just to give the rivet counters another fit of apoplexy (I might have to adjust the draw bar(s) for the bogies and look to straighten out the cylinders, but it should work).