Back to the DMU (III)

Well now that I’ve been joined at home by my other half and son, my rapid modelling through the day time has been curtailed a bit.

There has been some progress to the DMU but some of the recent stages have been a little bit slower.

I had to assemble some more partitions from brass etched sections and wire. I could have soldered these, but I’m a bit rubbish with a soldering iron so I glued them using a drop of cyano glue.

10 of these were made – 5 for each coach.

I then continued to fix white metal castings to both coaches to represent the engines, tanks and other equipement required by the DMU. It was really exciting to see these pieces being added as the model became more and more life-like. I also noted that the models also became quite heavy!

white metal castings for the under frame details

the buffers will be added after the model is painted.

Well there maybe just a few more details to add externally before I start making lots of chairs to go inside the DMU. These will need some seated passengers and a driver which I have given some thought to. I will also start cleaning up the exterior of the model using suoer fine emery paper and/or a fibre glass brush.

And finally…

In other news, my Shark wagon has had its handrails painted white. Having ruined the roof part which was supplied, I still need to finish this by fashioning a roof from plasticard. I’ve also remembered that I do need to paint the blades at each end a more rusty and dirty colour.

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Back to the DMU (part II)

Well it’s been quite a week for the DMU. I’m sitting beside the instructions for the Kit and concious that there are ony a few pages of instructions left. Some of those sections are big jobs such as the painting section but I am excited by the progress made this week.

One of the first things I did after the last stages was to drill the holes for the front pipes. I was a bit apprehensive about drilling into the model, but my worries didn’t last long and drilling into the front was really easy. The pipes were really easy to install and made a huge difference to the front of the model.

I had to make some partitions which would go behind the driver. These were done and put aside for later use.

I then worked on the drivers console which was partially constructed but not finished. I had to fix some pasticard to the bottom of the partitions shown in the above pic. A drivers chair was also put in place.

The drivers console had the controls put in place and I then decided to paint it as it was a complete assembly.

You can see in one of the pictures a DMU cab I used to help me with the painting.

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I’ve also made an other 10 partitions for the DMU and these have been put to one side – in the above butter container actually!. After this, I set about adding the under frame detail for the DMU trailer. I didn’t stop to take pictures as I had to concentrate so here is the one picture from that stage!

Back to the DMU!

Well it’s been quite a while since I’ve done anything to this particular project. I’d avoided the railway totally for 6 weeks at the beginning of the year due to some serious sciatica. I was then a bit apprehensive about what I did do. Some progress was made on the layout and then along came the Corona virus and social distancing. To be honest, I’ve been social distancing for years prefering to sit at home and make model trains.

Yesterday I showed you all recent wagon stock progress but I’ve also been in the garage and removed those smart blue boxes which housed my un-finished Class 105 DMU.

I’m not sure why I’ve avoided this model, I guess I’m aware of the cost of the kit and don’t want to mess it up!

SO….I re-read the instructions and familiarised myself with what I had done and what was next and in the future. Some stages were quite scary but I knew I had to give it a go. So here’s what’s happened this week so far!

THE ROOF

THE ROOF VENTILATORS CUT FROM THE SPRUE

…AND FITTED TO THE ROOF

THE WATER FEED PIPES

THE WATER FEED PIPES MADE FROM WIRE BENT INTO SHAPE AND STUCK TO ROOF

ALSO HELD IN PLACE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE END

BUFFER BEAM SUPPORT PIECES STUCK IN PLACE AT BOTH ENDS

ETCHED BRASS LAMP HOLDERS SHAPED AND BUFFERS PREPARED.

BUFFER BEAMS ADDED AT BOTH ENDS OF EACH COACH

SCREW LINKS ADDED AT BOTH ENDS OF EACH COACH

Well I didn’t do all of this in one day. I’m really pleased with the progress I’ve made and can’t wait to see it progress even more. One day it will be finished and play a prominent roll on my railway, but for now, I’ll have to imagine it’s finished.

Note the fence at the top of the wall made from coffee stirring sticks!

And that’s as far as I’ve got!

See you all soon. Keep safe and well.

Shaun

Kits, glorious Kits!

Well there’s a silver linning for some of us modellers. It means that staying at home gives us time to get on with some unfininshed projects

Let me try and think of some of the projects I’ve worked on in the last few days:

1. Skytrex TTA (x4) These have all had their ladders added, the spratt and winkle couplings have been added and they have been sprayed black. Yet to have transfers and weathering. Pictures to follow…
2. The Slaters Shock Abosrbing wagon has been built, sprat and winkle couplings added and painted into bauxite and black. Yet to be assembled, transfers or weathering. Pictures to follow…
3. Slaters LMS 20t brake van now built and sprayed into bauxite, chassis painted black by hand. Roof to be painted and fixed. Transfers to source and weathering to follow.
4. Shark Wagon. All hand rails in place, final painting to be done, transfers to follow, then weathering. I have no roof for this at the moment. Pictures to follow…
5. HUO wagons painted with 3 shades of acrylic rust. Next stage, wipe and wash with black enamel paint and other colours airbrushed to chassis parts.

The LMS 20 ton Brake Van in its separate painted sections ready for final assembly and weathering…

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HUO wagons after the first stage of the waethering process…

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And then there’s the DMU! Well this has made some giant leaps in the last few days so come back soon for another update. I’ve taken lots of pics and a video!

Keep well and safe…

Best wishes

Shaun

Time to hit the Piles (of kits)!

Well last Sunday was a day to stay at home. I had suffered a bit from back pain after standing up for a few hours at the March model railway show the previous day. So Sunday was a day to take it easy. I thought that I would try and get a little modelling done so decided to make some progress on my model of the shark wagon.

The above picture shows the Shark in its gray primer. It was painted olive green using my airbrush and that was as far as I got. My dear wife then caught the model which was on a shelf and a few pieces broke off.

So with a few hours available I fixed the wagon and put it back together. I decided that I would try and sort the handrails out. I managed to find enough wire to complete the job but only just!. Despite painting the wagon, I have managed to get some super glue on the olive green paint. I have started to remove this with a glass fibre brush. The wagon will then have another thing coat of paint before painting the handrails white. It will be varnished with a gloss varnish by Railmatch before adding the transfers which I have already obtained from Railtec. I really think this is going to make a nice little model to accompany the Sealion wagons.

I then decided to start another of the un-finished (or in this case un-started) kits. This is not my picture of a Slater’s shock absorbing van but mine should be finished to look something like this.

I started the model as advised, by assembling the sprung buffers. I then assembled the couplings and in my case, a Spratt and Winkle hook and link assembly. This was as far as I got as I was then instructed to clear my mess up! Oh well, I guess there’s another day! I will take some pictures of this, but at the moment there’s not much to show you.

I really must look at that DMU…

See you soon.

Shaun

Beware the Ides of March…

Well it was with a little bit of doubt that we set off for the March 2020 Model Railway show from our respective homes. Unfortunately John and Jaeson were unable to join us due to ill health – no not that problem! That virus was a talking point throughout the day…but we talked about trains too!

I was aked to bring a few items of stock by Kelvin and they were commented on by a number of people.

I was able to bring my 3 (almost finished) Sealion/Seacow hopper wagons. I have applied Sealion transfers so I will need to add brake cylinders one end. I was waiting for some parts for this final bit of work has yet to be done. Once this is done I shall add some more rust to the wagons as they did become very rusty in their lifetimes.

The Shark wagon pictured below was made by Graham from an etched brass kit and painted/weathered by Kelvin. I also have a shark wagon to add to my fleet, this being a 3d printed example. I shall finish mine in Olive Green to suit the era of my layout. and the rest of its stock.

The snowploughs were added to the stock for today and were a popular item on the layout promping a number of discussions. I do need to give them a small dusting with a matt/satin varnish to hidde the gloss varnish that was added prior to the application of the Transfers.

So we had a great time running some items that have been made which other people might not have – we like to have somethings that are a bit different…

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This was a show where I was a part of…

See you soon

Shaun

Ready for the Snow!

Or should it be Ready for the Show. My 2 MM1/JLTRT Snowploughs have been sitting around uncompleted for too long. With Morlock Heath being exhibited this weekend at March, Kelvin insisted that the snowploughs made an appearance and so there was a sense of urgency to get them completed.

As you can see from the above picture, the snowploughs have been to Morlock Heath before, but not in their completed state.

Well this Saturday coming, they will be finished with some decals by Fox transfers and Railtec transfers too.

I just hope I can get some satin varnish sprayed over the decals to seal them in. If you’re near March, Cambridgeshire on March 14th, come along to the show and say hello to me and members of our group.

Shaun

Dirty Crane

Last Sunday was bright and dry where I lived, so I didn’t waste any time and decided to get on with some airbrushing which I had needed to do. The snowploughs needed to get a coat of varnish so that they could have some decals applied, but I was also able to weather my excellent Bachmann Crane.

This had 3 applications of colour starting with frame dirt, then dark rust followed by weathered black. All of these paints were Railmatch enamels applied by airbrush.

I was also able to weather my 2 support coaches, an old fish van and what I think is a Gresley Brake. I do need to source some transfers for the coach if I can.

The Crane should make it’s exhibition debut at the Norwich Model Railway show on April 4th where it will be running on Kelvin’s layout Copsey. The crane will only be seen in the afternoon when we will feature stock more associated to the BR blue and grey era’s.

And another!

We have welcomed another person – Jaeson Pryer to our Model Syndicate. Jaeson  is primarily joining us as an operator as our Exhibition Diary gets too much for the four of us. Jaeson has been/is a member of several Model Railway Clubs and is experienced in most Railway and Modelling subjects including Exhibition Planning and Layout Operations. Jaeson does not have an Exhibition Layout at present and his main part of our very diverse hobby is LEGO trains and accessories so you may see some LEGO trains on my blog in the future.

Welcome to the ‘Norfolk Railway Modelling Syndicate’