Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[S.A.C. Martin]

Looks absolutely terrific Graeme. The mods you've done to that Bachmann tender intrigues. How did you sort out that odd curve in the side sheets the Bachmann tender has at the cab ends?

[ten ten]

That aluminium tape for boiler bands looks interesting -please can you tell us more? It looks easier to use than other tapes.

[Atlantic 3279]

Mine is on a roll about 2 inches wide so needs to be cut to the desired width, but it is good as it doesn't stretch like PVC can. I bought it around three years ago from a small industrial / commercial supplier, who I think described it as aluminium ducting tape. The original reason for buying was as a desperate measure when trying to cheaply restore the function of some very badly dulled lamp beam reflectors. Silver paint was obviosly going to be inadequate and foil I thought would be two "crinkly" and difficult to attach securely, dead-flush to the surface. The stronger self-adhesive aluminium tape, which peels off a waxed paper backing, was easier to trim to size and to position without wrikles on the reflectors.It rubbed down with a soft cloth to a nice smooth shiny surface - but as a substitute for re-silvered reflectors it is a very poor second!

[Atlantic 3279]

Notes now added to preceding pictures.

How did you sort out that odd curve in the side sheets the Bachmann tender has at the cab ends?

I'd almost forgotten about narrowing this tender down Simon, but then I saw it in the cabinet yesterday while I was getting the A2/3 chassis out ready for re-trying the A2/2 body in place and the bells started ringing. I remembered that somebody somewhere had recently asked about me cutting down tenders, at which point I'd mainly thought about the Railroad one that I doctored for your W1. But to answer your actual question, I trimmed back the original front edges a little and chamfered them on the inside so that if I added layers on the outside the original front edges wouldn't show. I then filed the original outside double-curve profile to create a square rebate instead and added layers of plastikard to bring the surface up flush. Smoothed down and painted all was well. Of course, if you look behind the leading edges of the sidesheets now they are rather substantially braced, but if you paint the area black and don't go poking your nose in it doesn't get noticed!

[Atlantic 3279]

If you want to see in full the way that my (in fact THE) first completed resin based W1 conversion has gone together, and the overall appearance of the finished loco, with weathering too, then you'll need to look out for something in print "eight times annually" towards the middle of the year. However, so that you can all see that the job has been done, with good results, here's a somewhat limited preview of altered areas of the loco whilst still pristine.

[earlswood nob]

G'day all
It looks good Atlantic, almost good enough to make me forget that I have the SE Finecast kit waiting in the cupboard. I'll just say that it's not the right colour for me.
The sad thing is that my kit will cost a lot more to complete that an A4 with your conversion kit.
Now shall I get back to clearing out my spare bedroom to make it a total railway room or shall I sneak down the pub for a couple of pints of the real stuff.
Earlswood Nob

[mick b]

It will make a nice change to see something LNER in "that" publication been a long time since I bought it due to lack of interest in the articles.

[Atlantic 3279]

No further tremendous strides of progress with the A2/2 today but I've tackled one or two fiddly little bits that firstly had to be made and then set out in the right positions: Snifting valve (from plastic rod and tube telescoped together), sand-filler shields (my resin castings first produced for the A1/1), oval mudholes (some cheeky resin copies of my diminishing stock of etched ones which I dare not therefore in all fairness sell!) and some nice small washout plugs (slices of 2mm plastic rod which will in due course have a stub of thin rod or wire planted in their centres).

I still have to fit all of the handrails, the lamp irons, buffers, vac brake pipe, ejector pipe, lubricators (which I may cast), a reversing rod and the various trimmings for the cab, but it is coming along nicely now. I suppose I really ought to fit new wider steps to the upcurves of the running plate at the front, since there are no large smoke deflectors to clash with them on this loco. . If I were dedicating the chassis to A2/2 use I'd also need to add some representations of the side bearers for the Thompson bogie and additional details of the drop grate linkages and so on beneath the rear of the running plate.

[Horsetan]

....you'll need to look out for something in print "eight times annually" ...

Taking things Forward

[Atlantic 3279]

No, think of something produced by that which is not an ugly duckling.

[Tom F]

No, think of something produced by that which is not an ugly duckling.

And certainly not a tame duckling!

[Horsetan]

Ah....Domestic Duck.

[Atlantic 3279]

A bit of a non-entry on the record this evening. No work done save for fitting middles to the washout plugs. After spending four times the usual journey time to get home from work (because of "people", or so they claim to be, who certainly don't deserve driving licences at the best of times and who become absolutely ridiculously inept in a bit of snow), then eating, then clearing up from the weekend's resin casting activities, then packing parts for others, then waiting for this infernal electronic machine to stop f*****g around and simply get on with its job, there's just no motivation to start more modelling at this hour .

I'll be otherwise engaged for much of tomorrow evening too I suspect......

[earlswood nob]

Morning all
I have sympathy for you regarding all the crazy drivers who shouldn't be on the road. The stress of it all makes one want to relax and chill out as it drains so much energy from one's reserves.
I intend following your lead by resin casting in a small way. I did some casting many years ago, but not for railway objects. The supply of small bits for scratch building/kit bashing seems to be diminishing all the time, so I'm going through all my old kit boxes to catalogue spare chimneys, domes, and smokebox doors etc. It gives me a fix of railway modelliing when I can't get to my workbench due to preparation for redecorating which is my major occupation at the moment.
Earlswood Nob

[auldreekie]

Don't mention "drains", please. We've just had 4 parishes in East Suffolk bubbling up our drains for 12 hours. The garden WILL grow well come the spring...

Apologies for going off-thread. Just thought I might make Atlantic feel better with his lot.

auldreekie