Make do and Mend - Keeping going

[drmditch]

I have been using GT85 PTFE spray, (Bike lube, plastics compatible) on Bachmann and Hornby plastic moulded underframes since about 2002, with no ill effects to date. Miniscule application is all that is required. I expect everything to roll away from rest on a true 1 in 100, and this cures even the most stubborn resisters, Hornby tenders with the same style in 'bearings', (but only once the pick up wiper 'brakes' are ripped out).

Many thanks. I will deprive my bicycle (the cleaning of which was to have been a task for today) of a very small amount of the GT25 PTFE spray!

The second in (construction sequence) of my Parkside CCTs No.1286 nearly rolled of the table r when I was trying to photograph it yesterday. The best/worst of my recently constructed vehicles for this is the snowplough - can't put it down anywhere!

[Hatfield Shed]

The one I have used is GT85.

There is a GT25 lubricant, but I have never used it.

[drmditch]

The one I have used is GT85.

There is a GT25 lubricant, but I have never used it.

I did use GT85.
Just a small example of digital displacement.
Perhaps that could be the modern version of 'for want of a nail, a shoe was lost.....'

Since I'm not happy with the weathering on the CCTs and am still stuck on my control wiring, I need to make something nice and simple to cheer myself up. Might have to open the kits box!

[drmditch]

Nearly finished one stage of the new layout wiring, but that is too messy and uninteresting for this august forum, although there is a thread for it ..... here.....

To keep life a little more interesting, I did raid the kits box, and produced these vehicles of which the originals were all built at Shildon, or Faverdale, or Shildon and Faverdale.

The six-plank open to Dia 3 actually didn't come from the kits box but was a cheap buy at a show (I sometimes to emulate my betters who seem to do this regularly.) It was only £2 - 'because it had no couplings'. It actually had three-link couplings and didn't look too bad when I first saw it. However, upon further examination it had been assembled extremely badly, probably with plastic cement, (the sides and ends were not properly aligned) and was almost discarded. However, not for nothing is thread called 'make-do-and mend', so it was pulled apart, and tidied up and re-assembled. It hasn't come out too badly, but probably took more work than a new kit would have done. The buffers are from LMS, and the door bangers (I always find these tricky) were made in brass. Ref. Tatlow Vol.4a Page 33. I don't know where the original mouldings came from. They were in black plastic and had a moulded underframe. I made a similar vehicle (but Doncaster built) a while ago from a Cambrian kit. Those mouldings were in grey and were quite different. So, perhaps my No.95634 was originally meant to be something entirely different, but it's mine now and what I want it to be!

The five-plank fitted open to Dia 120 is straight Parkside, with some additional work on the brake gear, buffers, and again door bangers. The picture on Tatlow op.cit. Page 48 shows these as particularly prominent.

The Toad E No.175613 is again straight Parkside with just a few modifications. This has been described ....here.....
I could not remember having seen any models with the door bars in closed (horizontal) position. Mr Wealleans and others pointed out how wrong I was. Now all I have to do is re-work all my other Brake Vans - most of which are still packed away.

Now, you may say, these are just trucks! What else has been happening in all the rest of the modelling time provided by 'lockdown'?

[Woodcock29]

Black plastic suggests Three Aitch, the late Roy Jackson of Retford fame was one of those involved in producing these kits. The other kits being the Darlington built LNER std 9ft wb van, an LMS 5 plank and the LMS coke wagon.
Andrew

[JASd17]

Now, you may say, these are just trucks! What else has been happening in all the rest of the modelling time provided by 'lockdown'?

Now hang on a minute, JUST Trucks! drmditch?? What a statement. Your A type container model must be rattling at this. I have one, or two.

A nice train of sheeted opens with a couple of unfitted covered vans, come on, very few can pull-it-off with an understanding of the make up of the train. All trains had at least some structure, although our understanding of them at this distance can be hazy.

John

[drmditch]

Some serious modelling was needed to maintain (relative) sanity. I do quite like making signal boxes, even though I have so far only made one actual signal. My railway is built in and represents County Durham. It's (fictional) location is on the boundary between the Northern and Central Divisions of the NER. For the south end of my junction station I wanted a CD type signal box. So, with due examination of splendid reference materials (listed below) I am making a NERA type C2c Cabin, based on Darlington Springfield. Similiar Cabins were at Castleton on the Eskdale Line, and (one third as long again) at Battersby, also on the Eskdale Line.

Here is what I am trying to achieve:-

To fit my location the access porch has been moved to the opposite end, which in fact makes it like Castleton. The locking room door also needs to be at the opposite end. I am worried that I've placed it far too close to the front where it would conflict with the locking frame itself. I may yet try to change that.

Since it is quite a complex structure I thought of it as a kit, with the separate parts needing to be thought out and assembled 'flat', and then assembled into the built structure. This has to allow for the paneled brickwork and (as will be seen later) the elaborate hipped roof.

Materials used are:-

2mm acrylic sheet (I have a large sheet of this bought years ago. I think it was supplied for green houses.)
1.5mm acrylic sheet
The windows are modified from a laser-cut set of NER windows produced by ..Stoneybridge Structures.. - except for the locking room windows, which, as in the picture above had to be built up individually.
A variety of plastic sections and sheet from Evergreen have been used for the frames and the structure.
The advantage of these materials is that they will adhere using Plastic Weld.


The brickwork uses brickpaper glued to thin card with Rocket Card Glue, and then the brick layer is glued to the acrylic with a contact adhesive.

The card is mainly from cereal packets.(in my case Wheetabix (tm) and Shredded Wheat (tm)). This has the advantage of allowing for prototyping; 'bodged bits' to be discarded with no material cost!

Sharp scalpel blades are essential!

[greenglade]

I like that very much, excellent...

Pete

[drmditch]

The layering took a while to plan, at least two discards, and there is still a mistake which, if challenged, I would prefer not to admit to!

There has to be interior detail. The lever frame is built from plastic and very nice etched levers from Scalelink (branded Smiths). It should be a 32 lever frame for Springfield, but I miscounted somwhere and it's only got 31.

In the last few hot days I have been working on the roof. This is entirely re-cycled cardboard. The picture below shows the 'easy end'. I have now got most of the porch end done, and pictures will follow.

I have to say that I'm cautiously pleased so far, but there is still a lot to do.

Reference materials include:-
North Eastern Record No.1 (drawings by J F Addeyman)
A History of North Eastern Signalling - edited by Neil Mackay
Darlington - Leamside - Newcastle - by Roger R Darsley In the Middleton Press Eastern Main Line series
(pictures 11 and 12 partially used above)
Other publications by NERA
Other web sources.

[drmditch]

Now hang on a minute, JUST Trucks! drmditch?? What a statement. Your A type container model must be rattling at this. I have one, or two.

John

Yes, but I'm supposed to be working on a steel 'B' container that I discussed last year. I keep not quite working it out!

[JASd17]

Lovely modelling.

The difference between the Northern and Central Division signal boxes can be a challenge. Not sure I have it.

Excepting, I noticed Ferryhill No.3 in an image on ebay recently. It might still be there in a batch of A1 photos.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-OLD-ORIGI ... 3626893245

John

[Woodcock29]

Looks great. I am tasked with building a GN signal box at the moment and as I don't generally do buildings I'm finding it quite a challenge - but I'll get there. Then I have to continue with the MSE somersault signals!

Andrew

[Hatfield Shed]

Black plastic suggests Three Aitch, the late Roy Jackson of Retford fame was one of those involved in producing these kits. The other kits being the Darlington built LNER std 9ft wb van, an LMS 5 plank and the LMS coke wagon...

Underframe kit too, which was very economical indeed. Along with the late Adrian Swain's whitemetal kits these dominate my kitbuilt wagon selection, because the steam railway needs many general merchandise opens, and RTR manufacturers no like makey these, no pretty painty opportunity.

Along with the black plastic, the telltale of the 3H origin of the LNER open and van is that the corners are butt jointed.
( On the LNER open, file off flush the corner plate representations on the wagon ends, and replace with an overlay to conceal the joint.) By the time the slightly later LMS general merchandise opens appeared there had happily been a move to neatly mitred corners. Full make do and mend mode, I still buy these three models s/h whenever I see them, and rework them as required.

...There has to be interior detail. The lever frame is built from plastic and very nice etched levers from Scalelink (branded Smiths). It should be a 32 lever frame for Springfield, but I miscounted somewhere and it's only got 31...

Having them all standing truly parallel as they inevitably are in a mechanical lever frame is achievement enough. The appearance is very convincing when done right as here.

[Dave]

Thats a very nice model of the signal box.
What did you use for the brickwork ?.

[drmditch]

Thats a very nice model of the signal box.
What did you use for the brickwork ?.

Thank you. Not finished yet though!

The brickwork is conventional brickpaper. It's either from Howard Scenics (and quite elderly) or one of the products which can be downloaded and printed. I prepared a stock of sheets last year which I sprayed with acrylic varnish (which I think should be UV stable)

Actually I think it's the wrong bond for an NER cabin!