jonte
Western Thunderer
I’ve been wondering for some time about Precision’s/Phoenix dirty black for some time and intend to opt for one at some point so thank you, Nigel.
Jon
Elmham Market in EM
- Thread starter James Spooner
- Start date
I’ve been wondering for some time about Precision’s/Phoenix dirty black for some time and intend to opt for one at some point so thank you, Nigel.
Jon
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I have now glazed the cab, coaled the tender and, apart from affixing the smokebox plates when they arrive from Narrow Planet, I think that is a wrap. It has been an instructive build and, as my first soldered whitemetal kit, I have learned a lot from it. At times it did feel as though it was fighting me all the way, but I suspect some of that was my inexperience with the medium. Overall, I’m reasonably pleased that I have managed to turn a £25 purchase into a working loco, that bears at least a passing resemblance to an Ivatt 4MT.
Whilst waiting for paint to dry etc. I have also started some scenic treatment of the left hand board on Elmham Market. I attach photos both the of Ivatt and progress to date on the scenery.
Nigel
Whilst waiting for paint to dry etc. I have also started some scenic treatment of the left hand board on Elmham Market. I attach photos both the of Ivatt and progress to date on the scenery.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
The last few days have largely been spent on the dreaded M word (maintenance!). I had invited a fellow FR driver with railway modelling interests over for an operating session and when I tested the layout there were a couple more Fulgurex point motor failures (actually it doesn’t seem to be the motors themselves but the switches controlling the motor movement seem to go) so too much time was spent on my back under the baseboards replacing them with some of my supply of Cobalt motors, then fine tuning the movements. After all that effort, yesterday seemed to go reasonably well, with not too many glitches.
I have therefore today turned my attention back to scenery. Looking at old photos of the bridge over the line at Lavenham, there seemed to be a typical concrete post with something akin to two horizontal scaffolding bars fitting through holes cast in the concrete. I couldn’t find anything that replicated that in 4mm scale so dug out some Evergreen 60 thou by 80 thou plasticard rod, some 0.7mm (don’t we just love mixing Imperial and metric?!) brass rod and made up a simple jig to get the holes in a consistent place. The rest of the afternoon was spent happily drilling, sanding, gluing and painting so I now have a sufficiently long length of railing to suit my needs. A few photos show what I have been trying to explain.
Nigel
I have therefore today turned my attention back to scenery. Looking at old photos of the bridge over the line at Lavenham, there seemed to be a typical concrete post with something akin to two horizontal scaffolding bars fitting through holes cast in the concrete. I couldn’t find anything that replicated that in 4mm scale so dug out some Evergreen 60 thou by 80 thou plasticard rod, some 0.7mm (don’t we just love mixing Imperial and metric?!) brass rod and made up a simple jig to get the holes in a consistent place. The rest of the afternoon was spent happily drilling, sanding, gluing and painting so I now have a sufficiently long length of railing to suit my needs. A few photos show what I have been trying to explain.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
And I have trial fitted it…
Nigel
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I do entirely take your point, but I had the local EM area group over this evening and their view was that it looks more pronounced in the photo than in real life. I might just sit with it for a while and see if it becomes one of those things that, once pointed out can‘t be unseen (and so I will have to do something about it) or whether it will still look OK to the eye in a few weeks time…
Nigel
Bulldog3444
Active Member
Nigel
I think that once you 'know' something like that it's almost impossible to 'un-know' it!
I'd try putting a fine layer of matt black over one band to start with, to see if you can kill the sheen without totally obscuring the red.
Good luck!
Ian
I think that once you 'know' something like that it's almost impossible to 'un-know' it!
I'd try putting a fine layer of matt black over one band to start with, to see if you can kill the sheen without totally obscuring the red.
Good luck!
Ian
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thanks Bob! So far it isn’t grating in real life. I’m a bit leery of matt varnish as it doesn’t always seem to cover truly matt.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I spent most of yesterday explaining the undoubted benefits of EM gauge to anyone prepared to listen at the EM Gauge Society stand at Ally Pally. In between I did manage to get some quick views of people playing with their train sets and it gave me the urge to play with mine a bit this evening. I took a few photos whilst I was about it…
Firstly Claud 62618 on an early morning Colchester service arrives at, pauses and then departs Elmham Market…
Later in the day, a rather grubby F5 pauses with a local service, comprising some very elderly ex GER carriages…
And finally the Ivatt passes through with another Colchester service…
Firstly Claud 62618 on an early morning Colchester service arrives at, pauses and then departs Elmham Market…
Later in the day, a rather grubby F5 pauses with a local service, comprising some very elderly ex GER carriages…
And finally the Ivatt passes through with another Colchester service…
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Playtime over I thought I would try to nibble into my stash of unmade D&S kits by starting on the rebuilt Dia 30E ex GE restaurant car. Dan’s instructions clearly state these had Fix bogies on rebuilding but the etches are for standard GE bogies (but the castings are for the Fox bogies). I will need to give Dan a ring in the morning to see if we can sort it out.
Nigel
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
The ever kind Mr Pinnock has sent me a new etch for the Fox type bogies for the restaurant car so I can make a start on that now. In the meantime some figures I had ordered from Modelu had arrived. I carefully removed them from their 3D printing supports, drilled a 0.5mm hole in their heels to fix some wire for support and started painting. Horribly blown up here are some of the results. From a normal viewing distance I think they are quite acceptable.
Nigel
Nigel
Lyndhurstman
Western Thunderer
I would say that milkman is the crème de la crème. Gold (Top) standard 
A different stripe.
#illgetmycoat
Cheers
Jan
A different stripe. #illgetmycoat
Cheers
Jan
Are those really in 4mm scale? Less than an inch tall! Truly excellent.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I’m still pressing on with the scenery on the left hand side of the over bridge. The cart track to the field is coming on and I have started creating a wall (it needs to be cut up into sections to allow for gates to the houses, then finished with mortar etc). I have also made a footer for the houses to allow for the damp proof course and have engaged in significant civil engineering to create the foundations… A photo of the current state of play is attached…
Nigel
Nigel