Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[mick b]

Graeme
They can be packed for height adjustment and superglue will hold them fine on metal . I can post a picture if needed and obviously they give a consistent shape as well. Never found bending metal to a consitent result easy without some kind of jig (if even then ).

[Atlantic 3279]

It's time I responded to Jonathan's super-update on rolling stock provision for Grantham at Barrow Hill. I almost managed to post an update early last evening, but then I fouled up on the computer, so that was that! I apologise in this case for having placed the information elsewhere, but doing so allowed me to take advantage of higher image resolution, so please feel free to have a look:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... try1285478

[Atlantic 3279]

I'm feeling a touch satisfied at present. I believe I've found a short cut to the kind of teak finish I like when starting from the "swirly biscuit colour" of the old Margate Gresleys. A result in two coats seems so much more appealing than the application of at least four and sometimes up to seven! I'll reveal the method when I've proven it by application to my recent conversions. The only snag for those who would like to copy is that I'm not sure that one of the products I use is still available in the original shade and formulation. Something similar probably exists.

[Atlantic 3279]

Here's a coach wearing one coat of my "short-cut teak base", a mixture of gloss paint and satin varnish with a colour in-the-pot just a little yellower than Railmatch teak 623. It brushes on as a nice translucent coat that is impossible to get perfectly even unless you pile it on, which you don't of course, you let the unevenness imitate distantly viewed subtle graining and overall colour variation:

STA79075

For some of the time in the last two evenings, when I daren't try to mix or apply "teak" paint because judging browns is impossible under tungsten light, I've had the razor saw, knife and files out on the start of another job, and I've not cut my fingers this time

There's a little more to do, obviously! Cab to swap, running plate to re-connect, boiler cut-out to tidy / minimise / disguise, smokebox features to restore, firebox furniture and some boiler bands to move, buffers and so on might help a little too. It is sitting on Tom's "new type" chassis at present, but I'll try it on my old version too. I think there's a fairly easy route to a V2 with the right shape of boiler and correctly widened running plate at the rear end here, although having the boiler as slim as it should be, and the running plate as low as it should be makes a gap around the lower edges of the boiler casing inevitable if Bachmann's mechanism is used. That seems to be why they cheated with their original moulded body, and it begs the question of whether they can just re-tool the body at some future stage without having to change the mechanism yet again. I apologise for not using that nice Jamieson brass boiler at this stage. With time limited for production of a proving model to run at Barrow Hill in February, this seemed the easiest way to go.

[Atlantic 3279]

This bit didn't hurt either:

[davidwest]

Hmm, that looks interesting

Additional resin parts coming too?

[LNER4479]

My goodness 3279 When you said you could provide a V2 for Barrow Hill I thought it was a simple re-numbering exercise; this is a Doncaster works full rebuild

Will be eagerly anticipating each stage in the step-by-step story and looking forward to proving trials in due course

[Atlantic 3279]

The further improved V2 has been hanging around on the list of aspirations for a while. A forthcoming show and no immediate prospect of a ready-made correct body from the big players made it "opportune" to try it out at this stage. If it works out satisfactorily, then it occurs to me that so little of the original body livery can be saved in this case that a full repaint has to be performed. That being the case, then if I can manage to convince myself that the chances of success are high enough, it seems sensible to attempt a one-piece resin moulding including all of the main body features. Gulp

[mick b]

Good luck with the casting.!!

Photos of V2 looks good.

[IAK]

The further improved V2 has been hanging around on the list of aspirations for a while. A forthcoming show and no immediate prospect of a ready-made correct body from the big players made it "opportune" to try it out at this stage. If it works out satisfactorily, then it occurs to me that so little of the original body livery can be saved in this case that a full repaint has to be performed. That being the case, then if I can manage to convince myself that the chances of success are high enough, it seems sensible to attempt a one-piece resin moulding including all of the main body features. Gulp

Hmmmm, serious project is this
A proper V2 bodywise has a LOT of uses/wishes/hopes etc - mind, its odd that we have never have had a proper one!
All power to your casting sir

[auldreekie]

Snap!

And snap again!


auldreekie

[52D]

Snap from me as well pity again theres no like button.

[Atso]

That GNR coach really looks the business Graeme, I'm having trouble believing it started life as a Hornby shorty coach!

You've V2 conversion has got me looking at my Farish V2. I've compared it to the it's OO sibling (one of my last items of 4mm scale stock) and it looks like Bachmann simply copied the body. Therefore the N gauge V2 shares all the faults of the OO gauge one but has the added eye sore of a horrible boiler skirt. I think these will need updating with a new body in the not too distant future now - look what you've started!

[S.A.C. Martin]

I think quite a few people are going to be ordering some V2 bodies from you Graeme!

Good on you Graeme, watching with interest.

[Atlantic 3279]

Newly converted GN stock in as yet unlined teak and with unfinished interiors, plus proof that the cross-breed V2 body will sit on the old Bachmann split chassis too:

I've had to add the image this way for the time being as Imageshack appears indisposed.