West End Workbench

[Atlantic 3279]

How did you produce the rivets on your end platform surfaces? I am still to attend to mine, if I ever do it.

I cannot now decide whether the end platforms should be full body width, as mine are at present, or only as wide as the solebar edges, as per your version. A hard look at plates 350 & 351 in old Tatlow suggests to me (from the admittedly very unhelpful angle of observation) that the end platforms do not hide the outer parts of the bottom corner straps on the body ends, so the platforms could be narrow - unless they are notched in this area as the Airfix representations of the concrete slabs were. On the other hand, the line of shadow in the solebar channel in plate 350 is straight, suggesting that the body and the end plates overhang by equal amounts and without any notch at the body corner

[jwealleans]

The rivets are the Archer resin transfers which Mick found some time ago. An absolute godsend; I'd never have started scratchbuilding without them. They come on a backing film like waterslide transfers.

I confess I just made the end plates the same width as the solebars without giving it any thought. I'll have to have a look now you've started that train of thought although the chances of me altering them now are less than minimal.

[65447]

Gentleman,

You have previously been provided with an end view that shows the plates the same width as the top of the headstocks and angle brackets fixed to the solebar, and the pillars supporting the end of the veranda. The front lip of the plate was sometimes flush with the face of the headstock and other times set back a little - note also that the outer ends of the headstock are angled, not vertical. That photo (Forcett Quarry) also clearly shows the two-part vertical but one-part horizontal handrails, plus other useful bits and bobs.

On the subject of 'reversed' internal layouts, has anyone come across any illustrations that definitely confirm the stove was situated to the left of the door (looking from inside the cabin) rather than its the usual position to the right? Or is someone suggesting that the ventilators were the opposite way round, meaning one is next to the stove chimney...

[jwealleans]

Well perhaps that's why I made them that way... I can't check t the moment as my computer is stacked away while we have some major plumbing work done. Solebar brackets are the next job on the list and then I don't think this one will be far away. Graeme will probably have built 3 more by then. The angled buffer beam ends may have to be sacrificed on the altar of practicality... unless I can bond some 20 thou very strongly to the existing beam I suspect they may well fall off very quickly. I shall have a go and we'll see what happens. Tonight I have a Monday night at home so I can make a visit to Ormesby for a change and run some things.

I'm afraid the only internal views I have are the ones you so kindly supplied, so I can't offer any new ideas on the layout.

[65447]

I'm afraid the only internal views I have are the ones you so kindly supplied, so I can't offer any new ideas on the layout.

Jonathan,

You can tell the internal layout from the relative position of the fittings on the roof...

The reason that I brought that up again is that I was browsing through Goods Traffic of the LNER, Geoff Goslin, Wild Swan 2002. On p.7 is a downwards looking shot from a bridge of a Toad E with the stovepipe and vents in the usual places and, just to prove the point, the curved pattern rainstrips exactly as per the Airfix/Dapol kit.

For Graeme, if he's interested, in the double-page spread on pp.46-7 is an ex-NER V2 van (but very close to the spine of the book, which due to the usual binding will not open flat).

[jwealleans]

Well, almost a month without an update. I'd like to say I'd been really productive and wow you with a new project, but life just isn't like that.

I have had a good month with trips to Doncaster and Glasgow shows and the pleasure of meeting a few friends from here. What modelling I have done is mainly confined to ferry vans and a bit of half-hearted tinkering with things on the odd day I've been at home.

Some photos anyway; recent WB items in action at Glasgow.



Toad unglazed and still without running lamps. Graeme was spot on about the Dapol wheelset; persistent derailment forced a replacement before the show had even opened. Luckily I had taken spares with just that eventuality in mind.



Graeme was also asking offline about the Smallbrook Studios kit for the LSWR/WD 20T brake van. These were bought as surplus from the ROD after the Great War by the GE, the GC, the NE and NB. It's a resin kit which needs a bit of care to build but makes a slightly different model. Here's mine, built several years ago, alongside a Parkside Toad E.



I've brought it home with me, Graeme, so if you have any more questions about it I can probably answer them now.

I also thought I ought to bring this to everyone's attention; this is the chap who supplies those nice buffers to Nairnshire Models. http://www.lanarkshiremodels.com/index.html

[Atlantic 3279]

Hi Jonathan, nice to see the LSW pattern brake van. I may well ask more questions in due course. I can endorse the fact that the Nairnshire / Lanarkshire buffer castings are very nice too, in fact I may get some pictures of a couple of applications posted up on my thread fairly soon.

Should that Parkside brake actually be described as Toad B with timber duckets and timber end posts? I may however have a Toad E with steel duckets and short end angle-irons in the pipeline, made from a rather different source

[jwealleans]

B, E, toads, frogs.... It's still got a bent stepboard.

[jwealleans]

I almost forgot... I picked these up at Glasgow (well it was my birthday and it was the cheapest I'd seen one)



As yet untouched but will be a future project.

I've already seen Paul Gallon improve one of these on RMWeb and I have plans for this one which probably involve a BD container.



For comparison a Genesis version from several years ago - I'm not even sure it's still available. It holds up surprisingly well although it was hard work at the time.

[jwealleans]

Well, we're finally back in business. Fully reroofed, insulated, reboarded overhead and almost as before. A few items have vanished into oblivion - for the moment - and I'm still getting rid of the awful fine black dust of almost 80 years which has got into everything, but I have been able to do some modelling at last.

I have some plans for summer projects, but initially I thought I'd clear some decks and finish off a few things which have been hanging around for some time.

These coal wagons have sat in the drawer for a long time. They make a nice contrast in sizes.



The opens are also done. I did end up using the Cambrian brake gear (you get a spare set on the sprue) for the 3H wagon. Not a lot to choose between them otherwise.



Toads, of course. LNER one now lettered and has since been glazed. My cunning plan to use the Dapol running lamps has rather been stymied by their being one of the items which has vanished. I think I can make some more up from Evergreen section and rod, though. Thanks to Graeme I now have the major parts for a Toad E in the kit pile as well.



Like Mick, I couldn't resist this at York. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a horsebox.



It needs metal buffer heads when I next order from Andrew Hartshorne and the door handles have been carved off to be replaced with brass ones. Transfers from Cambridge Custom Transfers. I think Mick mentioned the toilet window is fiddly - one other problem I found with it is that the white paint from the window seeped through any gaps in the frame and I had to repaint round it on the other side. After all the years of wanting Parkside to do an LNER horsebox this may be the only one I buy as I have another two of these from D & S to build.

Finally I made a determined effort to complete this NE brake 3rd. The instructions had also vanished but thanks to an RMWeb contact I was able to obtain another copy and complete it on Friday night. It's now entered the paint shop.



They're a classy looking vehicle, these NER clerestories. There was a very nice rake on one of the 3mm layouts at York which was probably the best thing I saw there this year.

[manna]

G'day Gents

'fort you'd hemigrated,

Got carried away with your wagons a !! look good, those horse boxes are very nice

manna

[coachmann]

After seeing one of the Parkside LNER horseboxes on Mick B's thread, blow me here's another! No wonder they are popular. I picked up the phone yesterday and ordered one too. Those BR transfers from CCT are interesting........Are they waterslide?

That NER clerestory is very classy as you say. Not being well up on Eastern matters, I wonder if they lasted into BR days?

[jwealleans]

Hi Larry,

John Isherwood posts on RMWeb - I think his transfers are the best waterslide ones available and use them whenever I can. These are from sheet C64, which also does the GWR horsebox, Chivers BY and a number of other vehicles. I hope these have been flying off the Parkside stand to encourage them to do more horseboxes. They've been nagging (geddit) at me for years to do a hunt special for Thurston and I think I now have the kits to do it. Curiously the bext picture I have of one (BT + 14HB + BT) is composed entirely of LMS horseboxes between two Gresley BTs, even though it's in deepest Suffolk. Mine will be a bit more mixed.

I've just read through the instructions for that coach and a couple of others in the queue; I suspect they only just made BR, although some were transferred to the GE section and probably lasted longer down there than in the north east. Dan Pinnock doesn't gve any dates for this particular coach, but I have a compo and another BT which are more recent productions and both of those show withdrawal dates either side of the war with the last going in 1952. I'm sure I have seen them in BR days but obviously not far in.

[mick b]

JW
Nice work as usual. How did you fit the Clerestory Roof upper section. I have only built one D&S version and the upper section was a real pain to get to fit snug on the main roof curve.

I agree re the Horsebox glazing with paint seepage problems too. This part of the kit lets it down badly.It would have been much better if the whole window area is rebated and the whole lot could have been glazed with a single piece of clear plastic.
I would go for the D&S versions if I build any more , as I have said before Etched Brass beats Plastic every time , for me.

Mick

[jwealleans]

Hi Mick,

Peter, who gave me the kit part built, had rolled up a brass roof. I drilled out 3 holes and soldered small bolts to the inside of the clerestory. It bolts down through the main roof, although in the picture it's just placed on top. I think Dan suggests making a 3 part roof with the clerestory section over a void, which strikes me as much harder than it needs to be. The GE compo I built from Bill's kit last year was done the same way and I think there's a picture of it.