Scattergun Distractions - Gadzooks, I appear to have gone normal

[Neil]

Distractions

In between getting in a furious temper with the computer and converting an Edwardian wardrobe into kitchen shelving I've been fiddling with some more narrow gauge stock.



It's another pugbash, though this time with some grip on reality being based on a Hudswell Clarke built for export to Spain. In its raw patchwork state you sholud be able to work out what's kit and what's not.

A coat of grey primer from the rattlecan and as Eric used to say 'can't see the join'. Now comes the hardest part, settling on a livery. As this too is for export (well e-bay) it won't be graced with the Ganllwyd Tram's pseudo NER colours but it will be something a bit spiffy as groovy shades and full lining seem to sell.

 

[Neil]

Distractions

Progress to date, not much on the loco, though a coat of cream has been applied to the cab interior. Test coats of the proposed livery have been sploshed over an old Hornby Smokey Joe body to see if I like the look. This is the biggest bugbear of freelance model making, trying to choose a suitable colour/shade combo that looks realistic without seeming to be a straight rip off of a mainline livery.

I have (perhaps foolishly) opened up a second front of carriage building. I'm hacking a batch of dinky little end balcony saloons from cheap German plastic promotional trams. I get two bodies from each tram and have hoovered up six trams from e-bay, so that's a total of twelve carriages. I'll probably keep a couple and flog the rest on. I plan to have some in UK format and some dressed for the warmer weather of the colonies.

Pictures to follow.

 

[Neil]

Distractions

Here are the promised photos of the saloons, starting with the raw material and the first bit of butchery.

A week later and this one, the most complete, is of a colonial pattern. There are four other bodies almost at this stage. Once all are complete enough to be sure all the snags have been encountered the remaining eight will rattle off the production line.

It's not just model railway matters that have proved distracting; I've been decorating the second guest bedroom and fashioning a rather groovy bed headboard from a dead Victorian harmonium.

 

[Simon]

Distractions

Funkarooney!

 

[Captain Kernow]

Distractions

Dreams of JS Bach will no doubt abound! 

 

[Jordan]

Distractions

Blimey!! Where's Dracula ?!?!  ??? 

 

[Neil]

Distractions

More progress on the narrow gauge carriages, four body styles all in primer.

The management wish to apologise for the non-appearance of the photos due to inadvertent deletion by the idiot of Aberllefenni

Actually they're not like this anymore, some colour has started to appear.

 

[Neil]

Distractions

Blimey!! Where's Dracula ?!?!  ??? 

Funny you should say that, we do have bats roosting in the attic.

 

[iploffy]

Distractions

OOOHHHHH er misses bats in the belfrey eh

Ian

 

[Neil]

Distractions - wheeling and dealing goes bad

Time to mention the 'C' word; collecting. After years of sneer I find myself partial to Airfix wagon kits in the type two box (paradoxically the first sort of box the kits came in) and thanks to e-bay a few examples now reside in the gloat cupboard. Just before Christmas I managed to fill a gap in my collection all too well. A set of three tankers came my way for well under the price of the Dapol re released examples, followed quickly by another at an even keener price. Never mind thought I, should be able to punt them out at a later date and cover the cost of the one I'd be keeping for the collection. Should have realised that the bargain basement prices I paid might indicate that it's not a sellers market. So after a failed attempt to generate much interest in them as pristine and un-built examples of the genre, it's time to add value.

Initial thoughts were for a quick and simple United Molasses version, but finding that the transfers were more than a fiver per wagon and with thoughts of the profit margins upping sticks and heading west I've gone for a pair of tankers with the oval Esso branding boards removed and showing the remains of the securing lugs.

After putting together the barrels, I drilled the pattern of eight holes per side, and stuck over length pieces of micro rod in the holes.



To drill the holes I used one of the oval boards as a template. I drilled four of the holes as accurately as possible round one of the edges. Top and bottom rows just require a repositioning of the jig, the lugs on the rear register the jig into the holes on the tank side. Once the holes for the lugs are drilled the holes for the boards can be filled and sanded back.



I had intended to cut and file the over-long micro rod stubs down to size however the microrod is a bugger to work with, and I snapped nearly as many as were successful so what we see next is a mixture of cut and filed with some pushed home to the correct length in slightly over-sized holes.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - narrow minded

Right, the tanks are stuck together and just await the right mood to settle upon me before I break out the paint. In the meantime I'm regaining momentum with the Ganllwyd tram, mainly because it may be called on to put in an appearance at the Corris Model Railway and Toy Exhibition this August bank holiday. As yet the layout exists only as a good intention, but there is some stock complete and yesterday I progressed a Stenning kit of the Corris Railway guards van to the state we see here.



There's more on both the Ganllwyd Tram and the van on my blog here; but if the click away seems like too much effort I can tell you that the moulded door was cut from the side with my piercing saw and a new door fashioned from scribed 20thou and microstrip. I've ideas for the interior that involve a small led and two tiny watch batteries, not sure how I'll camouflage the gubbins yet, it's at the experimental phase.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - narrow minded

Further along the narrow gauge tangent a Meridian Models Lancaster carriage kit has been built and painted ...



.... and I've been playing with some 3-D prints from Shapeways of 009 gunpowder vans.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - narrow minded

Oh dear my interests appear to be heading even deeper into area 51. I've another push button pizza to make, and the railways of Latin America and the Caribbean seem to be gaining hold. Here are a few things I made earlier that fit with the theme.



Of course I can't help but eye up some further goodies, this web page is a particularly inspiring find, as a result I find myself wanting one of these side skirt fitted Krauss locos. Click around on the pages linked to this one and there's much loveliness to be found, Cuba and Bolivia are particularly inspiring. I'm off exploring now, I may be some time.

 

[28ten]

Distractions - narrow minded

La Zafara ( about half way down) might tickle your fancy http://www.0-forum.be/Agenda/20060901/index.htm I remember it because of the Cuban music playing all day

 

[Neil]

Distractions - narrow minded

Thanks Cynric, it does. I've seen other photos of it circling the net but not this set. Mind you I rather like the French layout and the Belgian trams too. What a shocking lack of discipline, I'll never get anything finished at this rate.

 

[28ten]

Distractions - narrow minded

What I really liked was the way they supported the layout with music getting the atmosphere, and I do like the concept of a total layout, trains, social history and mucic tied together

 

[ceejaydee]

Distractions - narrow minded

I've always enjoyed looking at your work Neil  8)

I picked up the Middleton Press book 'Eastern Spain Narrow Gauge' last year and was surprised at the various countries that supplied locos and stock to these lines.

In addition to the Spanish locos there were also British, German, Swiss and Belgian built locos (and more).

The Krauss locos were (understandably) very similar to those you are so taken with on Haiti but there were also some very familiar looking locos from O&K, Falcon, Beyer-Peacock,and Black Hawthorne to name but a few.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - narrow minded

Well instead of the Krauss, I've ended up with a Crochat. I don't remember making a concious decision to put one to the side and pick up another project, it just sort of happened, honest.





It's built from half of one of those cheapo German trams that provided the raw material for the colonial coaches. I've enough bits, including the Kato mechanisms, to do three more that will finally exhaust my stock of trams.

 

[Neil]

Distractions - bodies

Funny how things coincide; Cynric's looking for images of BR drivers (60's - 70's) and I'm starting to put together a set of figures for the late Victorian, Ganllwyd Tramway. Here's a set that accompanied the Lledo horse tram ....



.... and here they are again after a pre primer thin coat of PVA followed by a blast of grey from the rattle can.



The near past also gets a look in with this set that might grace Morfa, a disarmed group of WWII resistance fighters.



Anyone else messing round with bodies?

 

[28ten]

Distractions - bodies

They look quite a decent set once the paving slabs come off their feet. I just think there are so many good models ruined by poor figures. Im puzzled how late victorian fits with Morfa  :scratch: