Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks all. I'd reveal why I want to know, but I don't want to give the game away entirely at this stage as my intentions may prove abortive.

Simon: Thanks for the pictures of those plates, it is helpful to see those. Great Northern is looking good, with leccy lighting too I see. Is this to be a blue one, or Doncaster green with BR script?

[S.A.C. Martin]

Simon: Thanks for the pictures of those plates, it is helpful to see those. Great Northern is looking good, with leccy lighting too I see. Is this to be a blue one, or Doncaster green with BR script?

No problem Graeme, happy to help. I am working on one of each, but this one is to be express passenger blue, filling a void left by my scrapping of my original blue 60113 a few years back. It's going up to HWMRC soon to have some trial runs. I've established that its happier with the B1 bogie on 3rd radius and above than it was with the Gresley bogie, but it really does require 4th radius curves and above, more or less.

The electric lighting was done by resin casting a Nu Cast A2/1's electric lighting and then modifying for 60113's type.

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all
I have measured the three Isinglass drawings that I have covering streamliners (B17/5, P2 (2002 reb), and W1 (reb)) and they all have a smokebox width of 25mm (6'3) at nameplate level. As they were all the same, I guess the A4, as the first streamliner, was similiar.
Good luck, Atlantic, with your latest resin casting idea.
Earlswood Nob

[ArthurK]

Did you find the camera Simon?

Following the Nottingham show I've been doing a little bit of tidying up, and trying to catch up on some overdue resin casting work. I've been able to fit in no actually railway modelling this week, but I have been looking at some drawings. I shall have to get hold of a copy for study myself, but in the meantime does anybody have a good drawing of the A4, such as Isinglass, that they might be kind enough to consult for me? If so, what's the maximum overall width of the boiler clothing in the area of the smokebox please?

Why not obtain the Isinglass drawing 4/316. The dimensions you want are all on there. A second drawing 4/315 does not have this detail.

ArthurK

[Atlantic 3279]

It's handy to have your confirmation of which Isinglass drwg is the one to get, as that was my plan all along. I merely wondered if anybody could provide that one useful figure at this early stage.

[Mercator II]

Intriging, I would where our resident magician is going this time....

oOo

Brian

[Atlantic 3279]

Hoping for a bit of "easier than usual" modeling activity, I've been having a long-overdue bash at putting together a Smallbrook resin ex LSWR/WD/GER brake van today. The good bits were good, even VERY good in some ways, but I was rather "miffed" when I'd assembled floor, sides and inner ends as per instructions (adding plenty of glue as everything was convincingly square) to then find that the largely complete body was far too narrow to suit the outer ends. After contemplating various bodges, and even considering putting up with the ridiculous mis-match, I decided I'd have to split the sides from the assembly again and add strips of 30 thou plastic to the edges of the floor and inner ends in order to make widths agree. I'll get couplings, roof and primer on tomorrow, then post a picture or two.

[Atlantic 3279]

Here's the still-not-quite-fully-assembled Smallbrook brake van in primer, with an inset image showing the spacers I had to add within the core of the body to make the ends fit! I used 30 thou strips, but 40 would probably have been better still. It appears to me that the van body parts are cast in open-topped moulds, so that thickness is regulated only by accurate control of the amount of resin poured into (or allowed to remain in) the mould. I wonder if somebody decided to cast "neater" thinner sides without thinking about the consequeneces?

The one piece resin casting for the chassis is a rather fancy, and quite impressive piece of resin moulding, and it actually WORKS when the wheelsets are eased-in. Nice level, parallel, free-running wheelsets. I'm slightly tempted to wonder whether the "custom chassis" for this improved version of the kit (which I think used to require adaptation of an RTR wagon u/f) has been made in part using masters that were cut-and-shut parts of the Airfix/Dapol BR brake van underfame. Added 30/3/13: Now I've made proper comparison I can see that it is not an Airfix cut-and-shut, but there's definite evidence of a cut-and-shut of some sort, including a very obvious joint at the mid-point of the stepboards. Never mind, it works out okay in the end!
Sorry, original image not available for reinstatement 24/12/2018
Although you can't see in that image, I did also use new strips of plastic to replace the wonky strap hinge and beading at the bottom of one of the double doors on the van.


It's also about time I owned up to winning this rather posh tea tray at Nottingham, for my latest W1 built with Pete Hill's help on the EM chassis, although revelation of the full competition result to those who are not yet "in the know" would be a bit too embarassing for me. I can only say that I'm "dead chuffed" and extremely flattered to see my name on the same list as modelling wizards such as Geoff Kent, John Cockcroft, Tony Gee and the late and very much missed Malcolm Crawley, amongst others.
Forgive the image quality, it's a swine to photograph!

[S.A.C. Martin]

Well done Graeme, superb work. In esteemed company there indeed, but you more than deserve your place and recognition.

[2002EarlMarischal]

Congratulations Graeme! None on this forum will be surprised mind you, but it is nice to have the recognition of your peers. Splendid.

[Sylvian Tennant]

Nice work Graeme, and not before time too!

[earlswood nob]

Morning
Congratulations GK and many thanks for the help and advice.
Earlswood Nob

[jukebox]

Congratulations! Your effort deserves the recognition.

[mick b]

Well deserved Graeme, you should be proud of your success !!

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Congratulations, Well deserved, been an inspiration to a lot of people around the world.

manna