Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

Welcome back to a thread in which the original poster does actually attempt to spell correctly and punctuate for most of the time, along with even making the effort to write words in an order that might make sense to readers. I'm not trying to be elitist, but I'm ever more appalled at the total disregard by some for the basic rules of English that are necessary to make the whole language COMPREHENSIBLE. Surely these things are really not that difficult to get right if you bother to TRY?????

Sorry, I've finished my daily rant now.

The Bank Holiday rain has afforded the opportunity to make a little more progress towards the new master for the W1. Since taking the last picture above I'd completed the patching-in of the roof, scraped/filed/filled/rubbed down the joints, used a triangle of thin brass suitably rolled to create the longer sloping fairing behind the central roof ventilators, then hit everything with a first light coat of primer to reveal the remaining irregularities. Here's the next stage following further filling and rubbing down, reinstatement of rainstrips using micro-rod, application of the missing firebox cladding band using two layers of aluminium tape, and substitution of DMR oval mudholes for the original round moulded oddities which were in the wrong places for a W1.


After filling in the missing pieces of running plate under the cab, another waft or two of primer brings the work to this stage:


There are of course some bolt-heads to reinstate.

As the firebox needs a couple of new washout plugs, and my partner-in-crime certainly won't be anywhere near to producing etches for such items just yet (if at all), I've used a plasticine dam on a spare A4 body to allow me to start making a mini-mould in which I can cast resin washout plugs for the time being:

[Atlantic 3279]

I obviously pressed the wrong button somewhere or found a quirk in the website software in order to finish up with my revised post above appearing as a quote

There are one or two interesting miniature locos out to play at Waltham Windmill today. 5" gauge Large boilered Atlantic in GN livery, pulling a couple of panelled non-corridor coaches that have been given a teak make-over, although they look a bit GWR under the skin....

Also on the gauge 1 (?) demo track this morning was a B12 in early LNER condition, refusing to play ball, likewise a Hush-Hush. Sorry, no photos as I went without camera.

[Atlantic 3279]

Here's that simple washout plug mould as first pulled away from the firebox:

Remove plasticine, stand on flat surface, pour in a few drops of mixed resin, add a suitably curved top and a little weight. Duplicate washout plugs without drama.

I thought it would be helpful if the new resin body section for the W1, when finally made, incorporated a means of accurately aligning and firmly bonding it to any chopped Hornby A4 body on which the converted loco is to be based. Before cutting my master from the body on which I was initially working, I therefore built a substantial and close-fitting internal plastic ledge extending forward from the firebox into the boiler barrel area. I had prevented this from bonding to the body ahead of the eventual cut line by firstly applying a layer of sellotape to the internal boiler surface.

Here's the new rear end for the body almost complete. I've plotted new dimples for the horizontal cabside handrail holes, reinstated lost boltheads on the roof, added a new washout plug to each side of the firebox, sealed around the spectacle edges with PVA just in case my deliberate plastic "flash" pieces weren't a perfect fit, and I've inserted and sealed-in some brass safety valves. It will cause less mould attrition to cast the shallow details of just the valve tops rather than the deep sockets into which separate valves would fit. If user's MUST fit their own brass valves, they can drill out the moulded ones of course. As you'll also see at the left of this image, I've sawn the cab-firebox unit from the main body just aft of the relevant cladding band, leaving that band untouched as in BR livery that would be the final one of the officially lined bands.

A side view of the unit plugged back into the rest of the body. As I had hoped, it is dead easy to align the two.

The plan now, if the surface finish passes final daylight inspection, is to add a thin curved layer under the rear end of the cab roof as I did with the other V-front cab. I will then box both ends of this body piece with thin layers of plastic and will have a nice complete, hollow shape that can be reproduced in a two-part mould. Firstly I'll stick the bottom edges to the floor of a molding box and pour the mould for the outer faces. I can then invert that when set, strip off the floor of the box and pour a core too. It may need one or two additional feed/breather sprues, but I am hopeful of an easy route to success now. I'll need to provide a separate rear half to the cab floor combined with the drag beam, but that's not going to be difficult.

Rear frames and rear truck(s) are the next challenges to "master".

[Horsetan]

^
I do hope that internal plasticard sleeve will fit over the mechanism. I tried a similar sleeve with a hybrid Lima/Bachmann Class 40 bodyshell amalgam, then realised it wouldn't fit over the chassis / underframe, so ended up having to strip it all out and start all over again

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I'm sorely tempted by this....

[Atlantic 3279]

I do hope that internal plasticard sleeve will fit over the mechanism

Well done Pike! I was wondering who'd be first to spot that.

I'm just quietly filing out wheel clearance now

[marksouthcoast]

Is the w1 your next kit of parts. I would look forward to building one if you decide to make it avilable. And for us br eastern north eastern moddlers, and is ther a jig avilaible to enable the accurate removel of the vallances.Thanks.

[Saint Johnstoun]

When posting can we please use correct spelling and grammar! Perhaps a break from modelling and a keyboard course at the local technical college would help to stop annoying posters who go to the trouble of using the Queen's English.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

I have to admit, I'm not perfect in this matter meself.

Those who live in glass houses.....

[2002EarlMarischal]

Clearly some irritation has bubbled to the surface here!

I have to say that I am always embarrassed by spelling and grammatical mistakes when I make them, but then I am fortunate in having benefited from a good education, and should get things right!

The lack of a "spell checker" here does not help those not so fortunate of course. Having said that, a solution would be to type messages into "Word", spell check them there, and then copy and paste into the message window.

Tolerance is perhaps the order of the day, but I would advocate more care from those of us who realise our shortcomings. I try to read my posts through several times to avoid mistakes.

Anyway, back on topic...

More excellent work here, from the hugely useful wash-out plugs to the W1 cab - superb stuff!

[marksouthcoast]

Sir you are an insperation to all.

[Horsetan]

Sir you are an insperation to all.

I bet you're doing this deliberately now

[marksouthcoast]

No i am not, and i do think we sould kill this off now. I have read with intrest Atlantic and others endeviors in replicating the lner in model form, and it is inspiring.

[Atlantic 3279]

An A4 to W1 conversion kit of sorts is the objective of this exercise, although I was initially thinking of a "kit" that I could use myself to simplify further W1 commissions. If it turns out that others wish to buy the parts and have a go for themselves, then who am I to refuse? I don't think I'm treading on Hornby's toes by copying parts of their mouldings as they will only be of use to those who buy (or have already bought) a Hornby A4 as a basis for conversion. In that sense I'm increasing the potential for Hornby's sales.

Forum contributor S.A.C. Martin is I believe working on a valance profile jig for those who wish to cut them off. A spare post WW2 body would also do as a marking jig, and might serve other useful purposes if you have one, or care to buy one off say eBay.

P.S. I'm glad to see the arrival of capital letters at the start of sentences . Even if the order of the letters is problem that you cannot sort out, the use of capitals does help to demonstrate that yours is not just a lazy disregard for the rules of English.

[mick b]

The BR version also gives you much more detail ready made !! I personally would rather respray than adding new lubricators, reversing rod etc.