Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Ground Signals Again

[Atlantic 3279]

While the green paint was drying on the V4 I returned to the front buffer beam on the Stirling 0-6-0. As I have nothing to tell me whether No 174 ever had vacuum train braking fitted, including a front connection, I have not fitted a representation to the model so far, but the links on the later style of drawhook, the side chains and the number are now present. I made up the side chains using short handrail knobs and four links apiece from some Duncan Models 20 links-per-inch chain I have. That chain is actually a bit too fine for the purpose by my estimation, is rather flimsy once a link has been split, and the links are not quite wide enough to pivot freely when persuaded to pass through the handrail knob. If it proves convenient to do so at some stage, I'll try to replace with some 15 links-per-inch chain.

[kimballthurlow]

Hello Graeme,
I think I have the name right this time.
That front-on photo of a 1/76 Stirling 174 shows just how fine the modelling can be.
Great effort and thanks for showing.

Kimball

[drmditch]

Likewise.

[mick b]

Ditto, well done.

[Chas Levin]

Same again - beautiful looking frontage!

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Great bit of modelling.

manna

[Atlantic 3279]

The backdating of the V4 is proceeding, as and when convenient opportunities arise in between festive preparations. The lining of the lower extreme edge of the cab and tender sides is causing me concern at present. Owing to the original builder's work, which I certainly don't intend to undo to any real extent, the bottom edge of the cab on this side is neither dead-level nor parallel to the centre-line of the loco, and while I've tried to make the white line of the HMRS transfer truly level, I'm not sure that it gives the best effect. The tender soleplate also has slight waviness, and whilst I made sure that the edge transfer was dead straight as applied dry, once the backing paper was soaked off the transfer drew itself into alignment with the dips in the soleplate. I repeatedly teased it straight again, only to find that it then reverted to slightly wavy form! The main panel of lining on the tender is at least dead straight, its position and the positions of letters and numerals all being carefully scaled and plotted from an official photograph in Locomotives Illustrated No 170, so no matter what the look of them may suggest, they are faithful to the original.
The one aspect of the original construction that I felt compelled to meddle with was the one cast whitemetal boiler band that had been left in place, the one on the firebox which was not lined in BR livery, the others having been cleaned off and replaced with lined PVC tape (which I peeled off of course). The cast band on the firebox did not align correctly at the top joint of the boiler, had been filed down in width locally to try to eliminate the misalignment of its edges, passed right under the base of the forward Ross pop valve, and simply wasn't vertical as seen in side elevation. The simple answer was to clean off that cast band more fully too, and then represent it with just a lining transfer on the smooth surface. Even that wasn't straightforward, as the fixed sizes and positions of the various washout plugs, mudholes and Ross pops left no completely clear vertical straight line on which a transfer could lie. I had to notch the edges of the thing to fit as nearly as possible to the correct alignment.

[mick b]

Graeme

To my eye , the front of the Cab/or the decals leans to the right very slightly ? hard to tell from the photo, the footplate appears to be level .

Merry Xmas !!

Mick

[Atlantic 3279]

The compromise I've tried to strike with the lining of the bottom edge, and that band on the firebox, may be affecting our judgement regarding the vertical lining of the cab front edge.

Merry Christmas to you too Mick, and to others.

[Atlantic 3279]

Cab front edge lining compared to a small engineer's square on a flat surface:

I cannot see a significant departure from true vertical.

I cannot take a successful photograph to show the waviness of the lining of the bottom edge of the tender tank. It only shows up in a view along the line, and I cannot persuade my automatic camera to both stop-down as necessary to get depth of filed and focus mid-way along the line to make best use of that depth.

[mick b]

Perhaps when the other Cab end is lined out it may balance the look, as the eye is drawn to one side at the moment . Washout plugs, Cab windows and bottom of the Firebox to be done as well I presume?.

[Atlantic 3279]

Yes, much more still to be done.

[Woodcock29]

Hi Graeme
I'm very interested in how you get on with the V4 as I have secondhand kit with a built loco body and tender - purchased here some years ago for about 30GBP. Both of which are well built apart from the fact the handrails are hard up against boiler and have proven difficult to remove - I've done one side. Tender footplate is straight and footplate under cab appears level. Some damage to top rear corner of tender but easily fixed. The thickish boiler bands haven't been removed, I might leave them - normally I remove w/m bands.

Also the valve gear appears to have been chemically blackened. I was going to fit correct 5'8" Markits wheels but no clearance at rear for footplate/firebox so will use a set of old 22mm Romfords I have. Its stil in the roundtuit drawer and is likely to be for some years before I tackle it even though it doesn't really need too much effort.

Hope you can have a good Christmas in these trying times.

Regards

Andrew

[Mercator II]

Your V4 is looking the mutts Nutts Graeme

I have one tucked away somewhere from a horsetrade, it's black I think, so will have to go through the works

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and hopefully Santa's sack will bring you lots of joy

Thank you for all the posts in 2021 sharing your exploits, it's been most interesting, I might even get around to sharing some of my efforts once I work out a new sharing/hosting platform!!

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks again to all who have commented, and I hope we all have an enjoyable, safe Christmas.

Whilst a quick check on an old topic
https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic. ... 46#p139246
reveals that a similarly themed suggestion has already been made, I had lately been thinking that if I had not already fixed the identity of the V4, then a light-hearted and relatively neutral option might be Jonathan Ban-Tam, but the time may come when none of us really want to be reminded of the last 2 years.