My Workbench - Potters Bar and South Mimms

[Phil Brighton]

Hi all,

Having posted on here a few times and found everybody very friendly, I though I would pop up some pictures of what I have been making over the last year. I am really just starting out and don't have a great deal of time so it can take me a while to get things done. In the hopefully not too distant future a layout will be built in the attic but until then here are some bits and bobs I have made, nearly all parts bought cheap off ebay. Sorry about the quality of the pictures all done on a phone camera which isn't much good.

A question before I start however. How do you measure a wheel? I don't mean with a ruler! I am re-wheeling a Hornby Jinty chassis to go under a Jaycraft J19. I think the wheels should be a shade under 20mm so I bought a couple (not a full set thankfully) off ebay. They arrived today and are massive! 23mm across not including the flanges. Am I being silly and measuring them wrong or are they just not 20mm wheels as advertised?

Cheers
Phil

[Phil Brighton]

First up a kirk full brake. Quite pleased with the teak effect I have got here, though it invloved quite a few coats and is topped off with ronseal wood stain. This awaits transfers and varnish. Also my first go with a lining pen, a £5 job off Amazon.

[Phil Brighton]

A repainted and slightly detailed Mainline J72 with a bunch of kit wagons which all need weathering.

[Phil Brighton]

The G5 I made from an old M7 which I have posted up before. Behind it are attempt at a Hornby clerestory conversion to a GCR coach following what Atlantic 3579 had done. The other a kirk full brake. This was an earlier attempt at teak and is ok but I am improving!

[Phil Brighton]

A scratchbuilt Y6 -again have posted this before.

[Phil Brighton]

Finally my current work in progress. A mailcoach coronation observation coach. Will be sprayed with primer tonight to see how the shape it looking. Looks a state at the moment but I think it will come out ok, all the paint you can see currently is on the inside.

[Manxman1831]

Looking rather nice there. Do you have many pictures of the original observation car? The steel beading around the windows can be a pig to pick out, I found out how much with mine and my dad did the same with his before me.

[Phil Brighton]

Quite a few pictures of it yes. The mailcoach kit is not spot on with the shape at the front but I think with some careful filling and sanding, plus a bit of work with the windows it will be alright. How did you do the beading? I was planning to use a silver paint pen.

[Manxman1831]

Good old silver pen, and leaving about a week for it to harden before going anywhere near it with varnish. I've been experimenting with Humbrol spray varnish for a while, and depending on the type of paint used as a base (enamel or acrylic), I'm getting fairly consistent results. Enamel base paint - leave for a few days - silver pen - leave for a week - spray over the model (light coats, just wafting the can over the model and leave for about half an hour and repeat as necessary).

[M Gair]

hi Phil,

Well done on the kit builds. I too have some parkside and Slaters kits to build as well as a Coronation set. The rear beavertail window is also not correct if you compare it with photos of the real thing. I will attempt to get the look by changing this, if it doesn't work I will order a second set of sides.

I built a Silver Jubilee set and used a Silver lining pen for windows and beading along the coach with a steady hand with plenty support. came up alright too.
Just as I finished a Kirk full brake, hornby announce theirs, but I lke mine because I built it and looks like yours.

keep up the good work
Mark in OZ

[jukebox]

hi Phil,

Well done on the kit builds. I too have some parkside and Slaters kits to build as well as a Coronation set. The rear beavertail window is also not correct if you compare it with photos of the real thing. I will attempt to get the look by changing this, if it doesn't work I will order a second set of sides.

I built a Silver Jubilee set and used a Silver lining pen for windows and beading along the coach with a steady hand with plenty support. came up alright too.
Just as I finished a Kirk full brake, hornby announce theirs, but I lke mine because I built it and looks like yours.

keep up the good work
Mark in OZ

Phil - nice job on your kits so far; you should be proud of those.

Mark - I never stopped to look just how far wrong that MC Beaver Tail is! The window, and even the rear carriage body itself, that should continue down on a face to the same level as the bottom of the coach side... that's a shame. Have to save the pennies for a MARC models version, or hope I can find a Danny Pinnock etch... (can afford to sell the first born for one of those, I think!)

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up Phil!

They're looking rather well!

Keep 'em coming, please! We like piccies!

[Phil Brighton]

Thanks guys.
Done quite a bit of work on the streamlined end with a file to try to make it a better shape, still more to be done though. I have masked off the windows on the side in a way to to try to create something like how the real windows wrap around the end and the sides but will have to wait until its all painted to see if it has worked.

[Phil Brighton]

Grumble... Painting and lining this thing is really hard. Here it is about half done but still not pleased with how clean the lines are around the windows. I knew these kits had a reputation as a bit of a pain but I didn't listen!

And some how despite being very careful some small spatters of paint are on the windows on the inside... Grumble...

[2002EarlMarischal]

You would have thought that with the number of garter blue A4s Hornby have sold over the years, they might have brought some Coronation stock out by now. (Sorry Phil, not what you want to hear I know!).

It's looking good to me! Remember we are all niggled by our own modelling imperfections that others probably never notice.