Dad-1 - Workbench - West Bay Wagon Works

[luckymucklebackit]

I can just see a 4mm scale Dennis the Menace aiming his catapult at that greenhouse . Would make a nice wee cameo!

Jim

[Dad-1]

Sorry TimberSurf,

No paraffin heater !!
But, yes, I think guttering, down pipes, barrel water butt and a watering
can, but I do NOT intend making a watering can - must look for a white
metal version.

Told by the optician today I have the start of a cataract in my 'good' eye. One of
the reasons I'm doing less. Believe me old age is a damn nuisance !!

Geoff T.

[luckymucklebackit]

Sorry TimberSurf,

Told by the optician today I have the start of a cataract in my 'good' eye. One of
the reasons I'm doing less. Believe me old age is a damn nuisance !!

Geoff T.

Join the club - I am going in for my cataract op on the 4th of May, not looking forward to it but my mate had both eyes down and he tells me the improvement is amazing

Jim

[Dad-1]

Hi Jim,

Fingers crossed for both of us !!

At the moment I just need to rest my eyes after very close work.
I still have to finish one cold frame, probably today.

Then it's finishing off my ash & clinker wagon (PD45)

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Hi Geoff (and Jim)
My father had his cataracts done twenty odd years ago, when doing it in day clinics was in it's infancy. He was a bit sore and rough for the next couple of days but then there was no stopping him. I'll be getting my invite for my yearly retina scan anytime now, your name goes down for them as soon as you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Think positive refuse to let the effects of ageing spoil your fun.
John W

[Dad-1]

Nothing exciting, but a step nearer with the steel sided 13 Ton Medium Goods.
Currently sitting here with a drying gloss varnish alongside what was a Dapol
unpainted 2+2 planked van that is to become SR ownership !
I said I'd return to wagons, but I'm finding it difficult to raise enthusiasm, probably
because I'm almost waggoned out. Having said that I was looking at the latest
Bachmann wagon prices, am I glad my collection is as complete as it needs to be.



If you have not already done it I'd advise you to try a Dapol kit, or two, perhaps even
an unpainted item, at £6 each you can't go wrong.

What is getting me back into gear is the prospect of scenery modelling. I'm working
on a section of club layout and now want to do another country scene for myself.
This is today's ideas :-



I have to admit the small length of track is almost an afterthought. It gives me a place
to have the greenhouse and cold frames, plus the cottage. I remember about 5 years ago
someone asking "What's the point" - Simply the love of modelling and making up a 3D
scene, as opposed to painting a flat 2D image on paper.
Better than watching TV ...............

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Wagons now decalled up :-



Southern van from the HMRS pressfix wagon sheet with Fox
waterslide transfers used on the Parkside 13 ton medium goods.

On balance I think I get along better with the waterslide decals. perhaps
from more experience, but I find pressfix more difficult to line up, in
particular just dots to fit between the tare weight.

Now after an extended drying out period I'll need to weather, especially
that steel sided open which is going to be used for collecting ash & clinker.
Oh and to replace those droopy Dapol couplings !!

Geoff T.

[railwayjim]

Both look very good Geoff, 2 more for the ever growing collection!

Do you matt varnish (with a brush of course ) now the decals a fixed and then weather?

Jim.

[Dad-1]

Hi Jim,

Sequencing can be important, but being driven by the moment I do what
I feel like. Usually I add a matt varnish last, because to get the rusty mix
I usually use it includes mixing in some gloss brown. More often than not I
do more than one dirty wash, based simply on being able to add more, but
not take any off if it were too heavy !!

I must stop making wagons though, I'm running out of suitable storage space
and need to check my TOPS list on the computer to find any individual wagon.
Time to get a few more stock boxes, Bachmann collectors club issue out in
quantities of 5 ...... this will give me 22 !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I had to try something new on my latest little diorama board.
Dave of this parish was always dissatisfied with Peco track sleeper spacing.
Me being a heathen was happy enough with code 100 and used as it came. This
small diorama was almost made without any railway association, but in the end
decided on a siding at the bottom of the garden. An ideal place to try cutting all
the under rail web and increase sleeper spacing, small enough to not be a pain !



Now ballasted - Was it worth the effort ? Certainly I'll never do this on a layout,
simply too much work and wouldn't look right with unmodified points.
This is all very basic, but every small diorama I like to try something different.
Those 4 loose sleepers are what was removed on this small piece of track.

Geoff T.

[railwayjim]

That's a dream back garden Geoff, a siding at the bottom, when can I move in?

Lovely job in such a small space.

Jim.

[Dad-1]

At a price Jim !

O.K been quiet at the workbench - doing that challenge/competition
diorama, but last evening I wanted to do something familiar at the
kitchen table.
One last Parkside kit in stock, a ply sided van, simply because I don't
have a ply van in the yard.
No sequence of pictures, but here it is in current condition.



That box is a superb fit, only one funny quirk, you're advised to sand
0.25 mm off the back of the door mouldings ? I suppose after tooling was
done they decided those doors , either option, sat too far out. Now trying
to face off a flat surface by just 0.25 mm is fiddly and an inexact science,
but I'm happy enough with what I must have sanded off.

Probably finish this today although I should be grass laying on the diorama.
Building wagons and making small dioramas will keep me busy for many
years to come ...... But I need to BUY some more wagons !!

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

All done except couplings, painting & decalling.
One of the most exacting pieces of work required is cutting and fitting the brake cross shaft
where they supply a length of white plastic rod. This has to be cut into 3 pieces, a long section
with vacuum operating lever to fit between the brake mechanisms, then two short pieces
(always different lengths) to go between brake mechanisms and the A frames with brake levers
each side ......... will anyone notice if it's not there ?



One advance piece of advice is drill out the buffer housings as you'll not get your buffer heads to
fit in otherwise. In the same vein you need to open the Vacuum operating lever for that white rod
to fit through.



This was so easy and I like my results, have to buy another, or more ?

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Now for something the same, but different !!
A Cooper Craft ex-Slaters '00' NER Birdcage Van, didn't call them 'Brakes'
back in those days.
My almost Ex-buddy, Derek asked if I could make it for him. We were going
away for a few days and I looked in the packet and swore one fret was missing.
However just as we were leaving it turned up in the kitchen ? Did it stick to a
jumper sleeve ? Anyway while I was away he bought another, the jury's out on
if I build another.

Running chassis being tested for performance by running forwards and in reverse.





Now fitting foot-boards and measuring up for grab handles to glue down the
sides. Not a kit for the faint-hearted with all the brass wire grab handles which
they suggest you solder at joints !!





It was never my intention to have one of these ........... let's see how it turns out ?
At least I know the chassis is a good runner, tried in various places in a 13 wagon rake.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

That's it for today ......
Even now you see fingerprints from where I tried painting too much
in one go. Just hope the paint doesn't go off, I had to dig through a
thick skin add thinners & stir for ages. Rail Match is real paint though
a pleasure to use and I hope to finish this by the weekend.



Will be decalled as 'Thirsk' pre-grouping. IF I do another it'll be black
in LNER markings.
As this is Dereks model it'll be up to him to locate suitable goods stock
to run with it, either that, or it'll become an interesting siding queen !!

Geoff T.