West End Workbench

[Bill Bedford]

I'll have to check the drawing, but OTTOMH they project about 2mm from the wheel boss, so we're looking at something roughly 22.5mm.

So you want a couple of 2mm P4 axles……….

[jwealleans]

Rather more than that when I went back to the drawings and photographs - they're almost as wide as the body, which is 8'. I've guesstimated a length and had a very kind offer to make some up from silver steel which should more than cover it.

[jwealleans]

Thanks to Morgan for the axles which are just the ticket. Now on its wheels and on the way to being rigged. David provided some rather nice chain from Ambis, 20 links per inch. It looks spot on to me, much finer than what came in the kit, but there isn't enough of it. I have used two packets and it doesn't quite reach so when he's back in circulation we'll have to source another one.



It's not sitting down on the carriage quite right, I see, but you get the general idea. The bit of wire at the back is through the links of two chains to prevent them unravelling.

Another little project crept onto the bench while I was painting the crane. I did two ex-POs for Thurston a while ago and was rather pleased with them. I happened to pick up a couple of Cambrian PO kits at a show (Doncaster, I think) and thought something similar might be in order. For lettering I thought Powsides - I have a very chequered record with their transfers, but if I make a complete dog's breakfast it won't matter in this instance. That said, I did OK with the last ones I tried.

Predictably, given what I intended doing to them, they came out perfectly.



However, distressed they will be, so I set about them.



Then planks were replaced



Both have now had the treatment.



You have to be a little careful as the Powsides tend to come off in lumps if you scrape too hard with the burnishing pen, so light and gentle is the way - not my usual weathering approach at all. They're now awaiting their own shades of grey.

I tried another Powsides while I was ordering and this one I am very pleased with.



They really do do some very attractive liveries indeed.

[earlswood nob]

Afternoon all

JW's conversions are also showing what one can do with Powsides.
POW sides is another name to put in the book, I had never heard of them, but their website lists a fantastic number of POW wagons.
The trouble with this forum is that one learns so much, but there only a limited amount of time to do everything. Perhaps I'll build a rake of PO wagons when I finish the latest batch of locos.
Earlswood Nob

[auldreekie]

duff post

[auldreekie]

Afternoon all

The trouble with this forum is that one learns so much, but there only a limited amount of time to do everything. Earlswood Nob

SNAP!

And SNAP! again

auldreekie

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all
I have been reading the very interesting early pages of this thread regarding coach construction. I am still tempted towards the PeterK 12 wheel clerestories, but don't want to waste money on something that I'm not competent enough to build. I am going to start by buildinig and detailing the Kirk Quad-Art set. If these turn out OK (for me), I may well look closer at the 12 wheel coaches.
Thanks JW for such interesting and informative postings.
Earlswood nob

[jwealleans]

Well, EN, that's really what they're there for. I wouldn't recommend the Peter K kits as a starting point but once you've built a couple of brass coaches there's nothing too complex in there.

You can make Kirks into clerestories - I have my workshop in an uproar at the moment while I rewire the rooms below, but once I'm straightened out I'll get out a Kirk conversion which Andy Rush of this parish sold me some time ago which will also be a 12 wheeler when I complete it. It's not a bad job either - a credit to the original builder.

[Atlantic 3279]

Interesting. You'll have my undivided attention at that stage.

[jwealleans]

Well, in among all this excitement about P2s, the WEW is now functional again, although the staff are still busy on other projects. I did get this out this evening for you, though.



I forget now what diagram it is - I did look it up to work out which were the dummy doors on the corridor side. It's two Kirk sides spliced together then a new roof made of plastikard. The clerestory is a bit wide, but it's a nice job and fits really well so I've left it alone. The clerestory windows gave me some thought, but after a failed attempt to make the frames from thin strip I've gone for a trompe l'oeil approach so the glazed area will be proud of the clerestory side.



I've removed the Kirk handles and drilled out for brass ones and added the beading on the end and that's really all I've achieved on it up to now. I did spend a long time pondering the roof. The hardest part of it would be opening out all those toplights above the doors - that's a solid moulding on a Kirk kit. TBH, if I was starting from scratch I'd look at one of Bill's etched sides and ends, but having got it this far it would be a shame not to finish it off.

[Atlantic 3279]

Nice. Various thoughts cross my mind such as:

Is it a full third?

Were these the most common of the GNR clerestory corridors, in both the GN period and as long-term survivors in revenue earning service?

How tempting / useful would it be to make a mould to allow the basic body and roof to be cast in one-piece in resin, making it easy to finish off to your own chosen level of detail as a handy way to add some variety to a train of Gresley-profile East Coast stock?

[earlswood nob]

Good morning all on a beautiful day in Surrey
That looks a terrific conversion JW. That's given me something to aspire to, I shall be happy when I can produce a conversion that approaches the look of your carriage.
Is it the 3rd corridor 12 wheeler ECJS Clerestory to Isinglass drawing 132 (diag ECJS 21/27 GNR 248)?
Which Kirk kit is it based on? It looks close to my 8 compartment full 3rd, but the coach ends are different. I shall have to look at Michael Harriss's book to see if I can spot the donor vehicle.
What a pleasant model to wake up to, and I'm not talking about the heavenly dragon (G/F).
Time to put the coffeepot on.
Earlswood nob

[jwealleans]

Ken Hoole's book shows it as ECJS D 27. I'm afraid I don't know what Kirk kits it's based on, but it doesn't look too far from a standard 3rd.

The ends are scratchbuilt. The end lights were usually boarded up by the LNER and that's an easier way to represent it. There's a D34 3rd towards the start of this thread which is shown like that. If you want the original windows then scratchbuilding is probably easiest.

[earlswood nob]

G'day all
Thanks for the info JW. I am not contemplating producing a clerestory carriage like your's yet, but I am filing the details in the dark cobwebs of my mind, for possible later use.
I found your production of a ECJS carriage early in your thread, the one with three large windows together, and it's another gem.
I just wish my modelling skills would enable me to produce smoething like your's. However, they are getting better, but they have a long way to go.
I am that bad as I have just found the Hornby clerestory roofs that I joined together, are not straight. I've just rebuilt them using brass wire in the clerestory section to ensure straightness.
Earlswood nob

[jwealleans]

Well, not much work on the bench for a few weeks, but today was the chance to take a few items out for a run. I was fortunate to be invited to visit a large layout under construction of Grantham, set around 1937. For those not familiar with it, there is a thread on RMWeb here. I did mean to take some panoramic shots to give an idea of the scale and scope of the project but I'm afraid I was having so much fun I forgot.

The layout is scenically a long way from complete, but much of it is functional and so trains can run. It also works to a timetable so we followed the sequence from the point we arrived and slotted in the odd unscheduled working when we fancied a change.

First up, although probably not prototypical, we used a Quad set for a local working. Presumably a means to get it back south behind this D3.



It had to wait as an A4 swept by on the main.



B16 - badly in need of a works visit to refurbish and restore to prewar condition - was on a lengthy parcels working. i videoed this and may try to get it onto YouTube later.



This lovely scratchbuilt large Atlantic (not mine) then came through on the up Queen of Scots.





Goods trains started to accumulate in the loops, indicating that something might be on the way down..



... and right on time it came belting through.



Nothing moved in the loops as a special moving empty fish vans followed the A4 north. The C7 is another which is due for a repaint and refurbish.





A new local addition to the stud was being given an outing for the first time. This is from the London Road kit.



Next down train was for Leeds. I was asked to make up the train but then told that it changed locos at Grantham so mine would be staying in the shed. They tried to fob me off with a tender drive B17! I see the fireman still hasn't removed that headboard. I also took the original tender as the replacement isn't painted yet.



Arthur's stock looked very much at home and attracted much attention and many compliments.



Finally, although 5 years gone by 1937, my Q1 on down mineral empties. We eventually built this train up to 52 although it did need some assistance with those on the back.