From a "Hunt" to a "Shire"

[Lachute]

[Ex-Pat]

A rather belated thanks Lachute .

In between further coats of paint to the coaling stage, I turned my attention to making a coaling tub similar to this actual one at Hawick.

I had no further information on it and could only find a photo of the GWR version at Didcot -

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 117084.jpg

The GWR Society very kindly gave me details of the dimensions of their tub, and from which I prepared a rough sketch, and marked out the sides of the tub on Plastikard.

Ian Kirk kits came to the rescue for the wheels – each kit usually has some spare pieces or pieces that I do not use because I prefer to use metal screws instead.

Here the orange-arrowed unused bogie pivots were just the right size for the wheels after turning them down in my mini-drill with a needle file.

Here I have drilled the 4 holes in the wheel that are evident in the Didcot photo.

All 4 are now ready.

T.B.C.

[Ex-Pat]

They are now fixed to the bottom of the tub.

It’s beginning to take shape now.

The pushbar and rivet strips have now been added.

Now primed

In its place in semi-laden state on the coaling platform – might give it a bit more black wash?

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Lovely little 'tub', are you going to motorize it ???????????

manna

[Ex-Pat]

Thanks manna.

Well, if you motorize that dog on the platform at Edgware then I might think about it!!

[glencairn]

G'Day Gents

Lovely little 'tub', are you going to motorize it ???????????

manna

If Ex-Pat puts a Hornby motor in it he will 'take out' half of Hawick.

Glencairn

[luckymucklebackit]

Lovely little model Ex-Pat, really adds the finishing touch to the building. On the prototype, was there a chain or other retaining device to prevent over enthusiastic manoeuvring of the tub resulting in it ending up in the tender of the locomotive?

Jim

[Dad-1]

It MUST have had rope, or a chain.
Otherwise it wouldn't have lived long enough to have a photo taken !!
Love it.

Geoff T.

[Ex-Pat]

Thanks Jim & Geoff - I don't know for certain but I think there would have simply been a bar of wood across the coaling platform to limit the travel of the tub.

I recall seeing a photo of one depot where the tubs ran on rails that were curved upwards at their ends, and railwayjim's Millsend incorporated that system, see:

https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/F ... 05#p651166

[Ex-Pat]

Methfix transfers don’t seem that widely used in comparison with Fox and Modelmaster types.

The problem with the latter is that they leave visible, what can sometimes be a rather ugly, transfer film (although Modelmaster claim that it can be removed, I can only recall success with one (out of hundreds of such transfer applications!)).

Methfix transfers on the other hand do not leave such a film, but they are more fiddly to apply.

The “equipment” I required was a cutting mat, a sharp scalpel type knife, methylated spirits, cocktail stick(s), small paint brush, block of wood, small container for the meths/water mix, pipette for measuring the 3 to 1 portions of meths and water, palette for water only and a tissue (not to mention plenty of patience!).

I obviously planned for this some 40 years ago as I had bought some transfers for the princely sum of 27p from Boydell Toys in Bolton circa 1977.

A line-up of 4 Ian Kirk coaches sandwiching a Hornby coach in the middle – the only one already with a number (E11018 E).

The fiddliest operation is peeling away the tissue from the backing paper (the wooden block makes it less difficult than trying to do it with the transfer lying on the cutting mat). It is important to remove the backing paper otherwise you will not be able to see the actual transfer for positioning purposes.

As the Hornby coach was to become a Scottish Region SC11012 E I started by scraping off the leading “E” and the “8”.

[Ex-Pat]

Here, the “2” has been applied and is waiting for the recommended 10 minutes to elapse before soaking off the carrier paper.

One tip is don’t try to make the meths/water mix last more than a couple of hours – it will go off and become ineffective.

The “SC” has been applied here in readiness for the remainder of SC18407 E

Here on the other side of that particular coach, the “4” has been applied and, after soaking with water for the recommended 10 minutes, the small tissue square has been teased away to the right with a cocktail stick.

Completed coaches SC18278 E & SC18407 E

Completed coaches SC16667 E, SC16543 E & SC11012 E

Bit of a boo-boo with the full brake as, whilst searching for a suitable Scottish Region number, I discovered that not only were none given an SC number but also none received blood & custard livery either – so I have a repaint to do!

Still got some suburbans to renumber as well.

Hope this account inspires somebody to give Methfix transfers a go

[Ex-Pat]

Sorry! Hit "Quote" instead of "Edit"!

[Ex-Pat]

Sorry! Hit "Quote" instead of "Edit"! (Again!)

[Ex-Pat]

Sorry! Hit "Quote" instead of "Edit"! (Yet again, but I finally woke up!)

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Not to difficult to use, all my wagons have methfix numbers, but didn't know you had to wait 10 mins. Thanks.

manna