West End Workbench

[jwealleans]

Busy day today and it feels like progress. The last of the 6 wheeler bodies has been assembled and it's all starting to take shape.



As most of you will know, Mike Trice has released a kit for the D 303 full brake via Shapeways. These were always going to to together more quickly than the multisourced carriages and so it proved. A wash in IPA, a coat of filler primer, a rub down and a second coat and this is where you get to. I've made the paxolin floors for these but they may now have to wait for the revised solebars Mike has drawn up.

Just to encourage myself, here is the whole set of 7 posed with a Kitmaster Stirling Single.





In addition, while the glue set, I've been fiddling on with some wagons as you might expect. GN opens now started painting.



I bought this D & S GE General van last year at Middlesbrough Show. The louvres had all been removed and I've ended up using some diesel grilles to replace them, so don't look too closely. This will go into the Wickham Market pool (we have one on Grantham already.

[Atso]

That rake of coaches is shaping up to be something very special Jonathan, not that the GE van and GN wagons aren't very good too!

[Atlantic 3279]

Maybe there's a need for another negative in that last bit?

[Atso]

Maybe there's a need for another negative in that last bit?

Indeed, now corrected.

Thanks for pointing that out!

[jwealleans]

Thank you, Steve. They feel as if they've been dragging on a while, so I hope they are worth it in the end. I'm not sure what I'll do if the loco won't pull them.....

[JASd17]

Double-head with a scruffy D3??

John

[Atso]

Build a heavier loco?

(I'll get my coat)

[jwealleans]

I'm thinking very fat crew and lead fire irons. Or motorise one of these full brakes. Anyway, the loco has to get here first.

[drmditch]

Two weeks ago Locomotion (where I am a volunteer tour guide) used some of my 52' non-vestibule coaches to pose in some pictures of a Stirling single (having no more suitable coaches ready to hand). My coaches are reasonably free-running but quite heavy. The locomotive appeared to cope with them on the sharp curves of the SMRC Shildon layout without problem.

There is a video on Facebook. I can try to find the link if you like.

I have to say that, although a bit of a 'far south' prototype for me, it does look a nice model.

[jwealleans]

Thanks, Caroline. I was relying on reports of it having an impressive haulage capacity for its size and the majority of the train being different grades of plastic to ensure that it was able to cope. Proof is always in the pudding, but I'm confident.

[jwealleans]

Been a bit of a break both from modelling and the 6 wheelers, but with the loco allegedly in transit it's time to clear some space on the bench again.

We're off to Little Bytham and 1938 before too long, so like Mr. King I have also been attending to some goods stock. I had a thought some time ago about the long rakes of wagons you see in some photos, especially aerial ones, all with the same load. I found some bits - not sure what they are but they came from the cylinder head of a Mitsubishi forklift - which would comfortably fit in and weight down a 5 plank open, so I've been churning those out and adding the same load, with a sheet draped over it, to each one. I've actually built very few of these, most have been show buys.



Saying that I did build the first wagon, which is the new GC open from 51L. I liked it so much I've bought another. The one next to it is a 3H.



The GN 4 plank is by Mousa, one of Bill's resin casts and the LNER open another 3H.



GC 5 plank by Colin Ashby and the ex-LNWR open from Ratio.



GN Colwick open by D & S and the L & Y Long Low is MAJ.



Midland open is Slaters and the GW 5 plank from Coopercraft.



LMS D1666 open from Cambrian. The part visible bogie bolster is Nu-Cro - you'll get to see that when I've added the pins and shackles.

Finally proof that I have been attending to the 6 wheelers - I took delivery of some of Mike's combined solebar and footboard units last week and here are the first pair fitted to the leading luggage brake.

[Woodcock29]

Hi Jonathan
The wagons look great and the Dia 303 from MT is coming along well. I'm thinking about getting a couple of his coach kits once I get back from our Europe trip.

Have you had any difficulty getting anything from Dart Castings recently (eg MJT bogies) ? I put in an order some months ago and despite following up with an email or two have heard nothing.

Andrew

[jwealleans]

Hi Andrew,

I haven't ordered anything from Dart this year - I saw them at York and stocked up on what I expected to need.

They may be on holiday - this is a popular time to get away, just before the schools break up.

[Woodcock29]

Thanks for those comments Jonathan
What I did get today though was a GN tender and some chimneys and domes from LRM.
Currently I'm building a J3 - main body parts from an old Ks kit I got for a song, Mainly Trains scale J52 chassis and a LRM Stirling Type D tender (not the one I got today though which was an Ivatt Horsehoe tender).
Andrew

[Atlantic 3279]

I may get round to showing what wagon tidying / loading /finishing I've been up to - if I have time after getting all the work done!