Alexandra's Workbench.

What are you up to on your workbench
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kiwitram
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Alexandra's Workbench.

Post by kiwitram »

Hi everyone!
I've managed to sum up the courage to work on a few projects to run on my new layout Hermione Isle- follow the development here please - http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Fo ... 22&t=47864 - though I'm sure I'll end up asking more questions than answering any :oops:

As for the 'works' that are happening or have happened lately, here's what to expect:

When I was younger, I had a subscription to Thomas the Tank Engine magazine, which sometimes came with toys that rather conveniently fitted the ERTL system.I'm sure many of you will recognise it as Bill/Ben, or Alfred/Judy, the Bagnall shunter.

I had the thought of fitting this toy to an 0-4-0 chassis for a different little shunter, though finding a Dapol shunter chassis, or a Hornby chassis with a small enough motor, to fit is seeming quite a struggle. I unfortunately didn't take photos during its preparation, but I didn't do too much other than take it apart and file off any moulded detail and removed stickers by heating the glue with a hairdryer and then peeling them off. I also removed the toy couplings and sadly basic buffers.

When I find an appropriate chassis, I'll create a floor and running board out of plasticard (the body needs something to sit on, after all), and paint the model in a dark purple with white and silver lining... if I can manage that.My painting skills are notoriously poor.... but I can manage to paint the buffer beams red.

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My second project follows the toy theme (I seem to like taking things apart, or putting things together in new ways..)

On a visit to my grandparents years ago, we all went to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (Still one of my favourite places to be in Kent midsummer). My brother bought a die metal' pullback and go' tank locomotive that was good, we had a load of fun with it, but sadly the winding wore out, and so I was given it for tinkering.

Now, this model has been stripped of its paint, and I sadly lost the cowcatcher and smokebox door, and the funnel for it years ago, but I'm sure I'll find suitable replacements.

I used Wilkinsons paint and varnish stripper, and left it for the recommended hour to soak and eat through the paint.

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Following the instructions further, I scrubbed the bodywork under a hot water tap with an old toothbrush. This was followed by a rinse with washing up liquid, then the body was replaced in the tupperware box and covered with caustic oven cleaner, a little dishwasher rinse aid, and boiled water, and left to soak for about half an hour, then a repeat toothbrush scrub under hot water.

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Not all of the paint has come off, but that doesn't bother me. It's enough to apply a primer, which will be my first buy from Halfords! I'll fit it to a Hornby 0-6-0 chassis after I make a floor/buffer beams out of plasticard, glaze it with some clear shirt-collar plastic and try to source a funnel and a smokebox door (though I'm sure I can find one of the latter on a Hornby 0-4-0). As for the paint scheme, I might repeat the livery above, or employ something green... Or black. I don't know what to do colourwise!

I'll do a second post soon, this one seems to be growing exponentially and I don't want to get too carried away :oops:

Thanks, Alex!!
Last edited by kiwitram on Sat Jun 02, 2018 11:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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End2end
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by End2end »

I am way too inexperienced a modeller to use things like an airbrush let alone own one. (Although I get rattle can paints free from film studio model workshops via nepitism lol)
So my way of doing silver (or gold/brass or copper come to that) is to use EDDING pens. They work on glass, metal, plastic and paper.
Here's the gold version
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The nibs could be a little smaller at around 2mm but I just try to use as little as possible or use something even smaller with some of the coloured paint on by pushing down the nib to release some of the paint onto something else like a saucer or a plate and use that as my palette instead of direct from the pen.
Hope it helps
Thanks
End2end
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

That does look very useful, I'll look into them, thank you.

Grandad used to work for Letraset so he has all sorts of odds and ends littered around his house; the paper I used to do the bedroom/layout scale drawings are actually Pantone sample sheets haha! He usually gives me an assortment of things to take home, so let's hope this time it's some decent paints or pens/markers.

Alex
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

THE works, part two.

One of my first train sets was the Hogwarts Express. Sadly the locomotive was treated... Well, let's just say it's no longer with us.

The coaches, however, are a different story. I believe they're quite an old mould now, but I don't mind that. Detail isn't everything to me, in fact, if I'm entirely honest, I don't think I'd TRUST myself with detailed models. However, the coaches are a bit dull, and were rather cumbersome. I'd weighed them down with about £3-worth of copper coins but they were at that point too heavy, so I took out all the coins and began again. I also didn't like the abnormal distance created with the frankly HUGE 'D' coupling provided on the bogies, so I've cut them off and I'll hopefully replace them with NEM pocket smaller tension couplings.

Another thing I'd like to introduce to the old coaches is lighting. I'm useless at electrics, but I do know how to put a battery in, and on a visit to that wonderland, the pound shop (Other shops are of course available. Poundland, for instance.) I found some fairy lights attached to a battery box.

I measured the cord, and the strip overall is far too long, but if I ran the length through the coaches, and then doubled back it might work. I also have an EWS box van I run with the coaches, but I'll repaint this into another colour at some point. This van will be where the battery box is held. I just need to work out how to take the body on and off easily, and how to get the coaches to move about together without too much disruption... I think the plan would be to drill holes through the ends of each coach and tape or glue the lights to the roof of each. The wire between the corridor ends would be covered with the gangway kits available on eBay, the paper ones.

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One of the innumerable items I brought back with me from Kent the other year was a Hornby crane from the 1980s/90s. Sadly it's in a sorry state, half the wheels and buffers missing, and the chain snapped. I've already bought some new chain for it from a DIY store though it looks far too chunky...

I also need a new hook, and the wheelsets that spread or shift on the axle; any ideas on where to source these?

I'll aim to try and rebuild it and modify it slightly, possibly with bits from a Dapol diesel crane kit, and finish it in a dirty black colour. There are several conversion threads out there, some on here I believe, so there's something for me to follow rather than setting out in the dark.

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More later,

Alex
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by flying scotsman123 »

Sounds good - that crane can be made to look pretty good if painted in a nice black colour and toned down. Interesting thoughts about coach lighting. Have you seen the proper coach light conversion kits though, on eBay I think, These look very good and don't require wiring between coaches; as long as the coaches have metal wheels (if it's the same version as mine then they will) the pack comes with pickups, lights, resistors and instructions, so it's a doddle. There was a how to article on here a while ago, but sadly I think it has now gone to that great railway modelling forum in the sky...
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

I have, yes, I'll have a further look into it.

I only picked up the fairy lights as an experiment, if I'm completely honest, and if they don't work out then I can use them for buildings- my setting is winter, after all, so there's all sorts of potential for Christmas decorations.
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by flying scotsman123 »

Fair enough, nothing wrong with experimenting, and the contingency plan for use with buildings is definitely a good one, I've seen that work very well. :)
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

I have just remembered another project I have in mind!!

Last year I bought a Hornby Toby in Margate at the visitor's centre, rather modestly priced at £24 I believe... Or £34. One or the other. Anyway, I followed the video on YouTube to bash it into a W&U tram. It went reasonably well, though I didn't open the doors or windows very well, and I cut the planks at the bottom on an angle :oops: So now I have a slanted tram. No matter!

https://youtu.be/FneVuTYAnuc - the video that inspired the conversion

I'd like to tidy up the seams and repaint it, and that'd be it for the tram.

To accompany it, I have it in mind to buy two Tomy/Trackmaster Henrietta toy coaches, cut and shut them, and place them on a bogie chassis I have prepared.


The coach would be in some sort of red and cream livery, or chocolate and cream, to match my clerestory coach, and the tram, which will have a grey roof, black cow catcher/skirt and a chocolate body. I'm not sure what bogies to get yet as I'm not sure which ones would fit, but I'm thinking Bachmann Thompson outline coach bogies.

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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by Emettman »

The lady is a basher and bodger! All Hail!
kiwitram wrote:Hi everyone!
I had the thought of fitting this toy to an 0-4-0 chassis for a different little shunter, though finding a Dapol shunter chassis, or a Hornby chassis with a small enough motor, to fit is seeming quite a struggle.
Have you looked at the Bachmann Junior 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 mechanisms? They are pretty compact and run appreciably better than the Hornby 0-4-0's.

The metal body scrubdown has definite potential!


Out of almost nowhere: How about a Russian railway station? That could look good in snow.
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On purple railway livery, can I introduce you to the "Purple moods" Li-La-laune-Zug by Faller ?
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There were coaches to match.

Chris.
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

I always find the Bachmann little locos difficult to find secondhand, and I know the Hornby ones are a bit naff but I did find an article on improving their running... However, if that's my best bet, to go with Bachmann, I'll keep trying :)

I can't find the article, but I'm sure it was Hornby Magazine or Railway Modeller, entitled 'taming the Hornby Pug'.

As for that station building: WOW! I do love North European and Russian architecture, it looks timeless.


That livery is a bit... Plastic. Aha. I was thinking more LNWR Blackberry black or a darker purple with white boiler bands, lining and silver fixtures like the boiler and funnel cap, however, these might look better in copper.

Alex
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by Emettman »

kiwitram wrote: I can't find the article, but I'm sure it was Hornby Magazine or Railway Modeller, entitled 'taming the Hornby Pug'.
Alex
I've not had one where I didn't have to tweak something. Mainly the gear meshing, slightly, with a thin shim under one side of the motor mount. But when adjusted all have been wonderful runners.
On one occasion it was simply that the loco had been handled too much, with the coupling rods being bent inwards just enough to make them marginally short as against their proper straight length, giving the loco a jerky waddle.

Chris.
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by flying scotsman123 »

kiwitram wrote:
That livery is a bit... Plastic. Aha. I was thinking more LNWR Blackberry black or a darker purple with white boiler bands, lining and silver fixtures like the boiler and funnel cap, however, these might look better in copper.

Alex
Sorry to disapoint, but LNWR blackberry black is virtually identical to BR lined black:

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I thought of BR experimental purple but then remembered that was in fact blue! stupid colour names....

However a dark purple with perhaps LNER style lining would look very fetching indeed
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

I may well just scour around for Bachmann 0-4-0s, or some other brand. I'm happy to mix and match H0 with my models :)

I'm currently stripping the paint off a tender top, the Toby model and the chassis for the future W&U coach

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Last edited by kiwitram on Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by flying scotsman123 »

kiwitram wrote:I may well just scour around for Bachmann 0-4-0s, or some other brand. I'm happy to mix and match H0 with my models :)
Good things come to those who wait... if you look on eBay often enough, you'll usually eventually get one at a reasonable price; I've spent months watching particular items before I buy one!
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kiwitram
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Re: Alex's ''Hermione Isle'' Locomotive Works

Post by kiwitram »

Ebay is pretty much my second home, but sadly, I never get past ''I'll add you to my watch list *five days pass* b*gger you've ended."
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