Long Forgotten Hungarian

The 3D printed Hungarian centre cab loco is now all painted up and varnished.

It's still not finished, it needs a cab interior, glazing, oh, and a chassis. For now it sits in the stuff to be weathered pile.

Happy Easter!

Till next time.

A Make-Over for Susan

I've picked up a Tramfabriek motor upgrade to try put in either Susan or Miles. Susan was chosen as a first culprit, removing the chassis sadly saw the front buffer beam fall of and the join of the rear cab to the footplate sadly fail. Luckily all easy fixes with a quick bit of Slaters Mek Pak.

The only downside to this is it also 'metled' the originally Paint, so I made the decision to strip it and give Susan a 'make over'.

More next time.

Foto Friday 13

We've made it 13 weeks into the year and another Friday, so...

Quarry Hunslet 'Dolbardarn' heads for Llanberis Station on the Llanberis Lake Railway.

Till next time.

Stripping

Remember yhe VoR brake van covered in a Into the Archive a couple of posts back?

It now looks like this! I decided that rather sitting in the stock box looking sorry for itself, I might as well strip the paint and try and make something of it. A few hours sat in a pot of meths saw most of the paint fall off...

Till next time.

Meet Susan & Miles

Like many people I've followed Chris Fords Blog for many years, plus reading about his layouts in the modeling press. The 'infamous' Wood End is one that sticks in most OO9 Modellers minds. After sharing a photo of two locos in a Facebook group, I made the comment if they ever needed new homes....

So, I'd like to introduce 'Miles' and 'Susan'. Both have featured extensively on Chris' exhibition layouts and on his blog over the years. Both run, fairly happily, on Ibertran chassis, the holy grail of OO9 chassis!

'Miles' is the older of the two, possibly dating back 20+ years, and is the combination of a Falcon saddle tank and smokebox and scratchbuilt cab.

'Susan' is younger, and construction photos can be found on Chris' own blog. It's uses Chivers Finelines Bagnall parts, with again scratchbuilt cab. They both ooze OO9 character. Thanks very much to Chris for allowing to join my fleet!

Till next time.

Into The Archive - 3 - VoR Brakevan in OO9

I've been playing around in OO9 for more than half my life now, which is a scary thought! I've still got a handful of the earliest models, mostly orginating from a couple of family holidays to North Wales a couple of years on the trot.

One of the later items from the 'early' period is this Parkside Dundas VoR brakevan, seen above in a photo taken in 2009 not long after I built it. At the time I was very proud, especially as I'd weathered it!

It still very much looks the same today, tatty, badly painted, and a bit wonky! The hand painted number ten on the duckets is very delicately done...

I'm not sure if it ever gained couplings, these always seemed expensive when I was younger, but there does have remnants of something been glued under it. The only real damage its gained in the last 15 years is to the running boards.

And here it is compared to my latest build of the same kit, from 2020. I'd like to think I've come along in my talents!

Till next time.

Transfers

Three more OO9 wagons with transfers added. Time to make them mucky now.

Till next time.

A Look At - Ellis Clark Trains 2024 Catalouge

I'm a big fan of Ellis Clark Trains and sister company Clark Railworks. I'm fairly local to them and on my last trip in picked up a 2024 catalogue.

It's full of details of their in stock and upcoming models, in both 7mm scale and 4mm scale. There's even plenty of pretty pictures like the one of the Black 5 on the front cover.

Inside is fresh and stylish, a new and modern take on the model railway catalogue that I quite enjoy. As well as their own new products, there also always have plenty of very good second hand stock in all sorts of scale, so make sure to check them out, whether online, at a show or in showroom. Did I mention they also reasonably price things!

Till next time.

Gaining a Name

The little OO9 saddle tank now has a name, Rose.

I found the plates in my spares box, not a clue what they were ordered for originally, and attached them with a bit of gloss Varnish. I've given the entire loco a spray of Varnish now to seal everything in. Gotta make it mucky now.

Till next time.

Foto Friday 12

Another Friday, another photo.

A study in rust on the P&DLR, my old 16mm scale garden railway.

Till next time.

Threes A Crowd

Three wagons in OO9, done and dusted.

Two have featured here before the middle one is a OO9 Society kit which only needed a load and couplings fitted despite been built four years ago! The unfinished pile still remains bigger however...

Till next time.

Lining It Out

I've done some lining on the Brooks3D Contractors loco using some HMRS Pressfix transfers.

I've gone a little overboard, including lining all three panels of the cab backstreet and some lining to represent boiler bands.

If anything, I've made it look even more like Percy...

Till next time.

Boxing It Up

I'm feeling on a roll with trying to get some of the OO9 stuff finished I plucked another that didn't need much doing out of the box under my bench.

I'm not sure of its origin, clearly scratchbuilt. I think I got it in a cheap joblot many many years ago, but I can't be sure.

It's a fairly neat job, running on a peco wagon chassis, if a little basic. It was sat in red oxide primer, so I've sprayed it grey and picked out the metal work. 

I'll chuck some weathering on it and glue some couplings on, and for the sake of around an hours work it'll be one less thing in the unfinished pile!

Till next time.

Gone Square Eyed

To keep up the effort of getting stuff finished I've got all the metal work painted on the Dundas Models D Class wagon.

With that done it should be an easy job to finish it...

Till next time.

And Nearly Another One!

To get another unfinished thing finished I've stuck a coal load in the rebuilt E class that's been featured before. 

It's always the simple finish jobs like this and couplings that I never get round to.

Till next time.

Finally Finishing Something

In the effort of trying to get something finished, I've stuck some Bemo couplings to the Dundas Models L&B wagon.

With a load fitted, model varnished and couplings fitted it can officially be classed as done! It'll be placed into the completed OO9 stock box (which is rather empty...) awaiting the day I build a OO9 layout.

Till next time.

Foto Friday 11

It's Friday so we know what that means...

David Lloyd George, a Roundhouse Engineeeing Double Fairlie, takes the slate train for a trip around Brambleton Model Railway Clubs 32mm gauge track.

Till next time.

Been A Little Less Green

To stop the little Brooks3D Contractors loco been so green I've started brush painting on other colours.

Nothing fancy, just a small brush and acrylic paints. I've painted the front cab extension in a natural wood colour as if it's a wooden board that has been jammed across.

Some of the cab detail has been picked out. Sadly not all of it though as its very difficult to get to as the backhead is one piece with the cab!

Till next time.

Not Another Thing!

I've recently taken delivery of this Model Engine Works Sentinel style railcar.

Originally released around the 2016 time, I've always fancied one, but never got around to it. Since Shapeways postage prices to the UK have climbed over the years I get putting it off, luckily I've picked this one on 'second hand' for a very reasonable price. The Kato chassis required is already 'in stock' so hopefully this will be an easy and 'cheap' project to complete once I make a start.

Till next time.

Doing My Best Percy Impression

I've started getting some paint on the little OO9 Bagnall style locomotive. 

After a coat of primer I've opted for a favourite green colour, Humbrol Grass Green. Despite been a 3D print I've done zero cleaning up of the parts, and I'm very impressed.

Hopefully this shows the detail a little better. Yes, the solebar is a little wavy, but the rivet detail is well defined and there is hardly no evidence of the layers. The downside is, in green, its doing its best impression of a small green tank engine from Thomas and Friends!

Till next time.

Tidying Up

If you can't tell from this blog, I have way to many things on the go! Thos was becoming a bit overwhelming on the workbench so I've given it a bit of a tidy up.

Many unfinished jobs that I've lost interest in for now have been packed away, giving the bench more working area and a less daunting look! Now to finish those bits that remain.

Till next time.

That Bug Box Again

I'm calling it quits with the repainted OO9 Peco Bug Box. 

The roof has been painted, couplings and glazing refitted and I'm calling the thing done. The end result is OK, but I'm not totally happy, especially with making a mess of the weathering. So much so, as you read this the coach is on its way to a new home!

Till next time.

A Simple Saturday Job

A sinple Saturday morning job of adding the couplings to a Chivers Finelines O9 bogie coach, originally built by Colin Peake of Shifting Sands fame.

I've decided to standardise on the Peco OO9 couplings for my O9 stock, more for ease and availability above anything else. A NEM socket was added to the leg on the bogie and a Peco bogie used as a height gauge.

A little bit of material needed removing from underneath to clear the NEM pocket, but other than that it was an easy 20 minute job.

The usable, bar passengers, rake of O9 coaches has now reached three!

Till next time.

Foto Friday 10

Another week down so...

An overview of the 'Roundhouse' at the Statfold Barn Railway, a Narrow Gauge Disneyland!

Till next time.

Delivering the Coal

This little OO9 wagon built from a Dundas Models kit was put together at least 12 months ago. Based on the L&B prototype, I've finished it a freelance red oxide livery. This week I've decided to give it a weathering and added a coal load. 

Once this is set it'll be a simple case of adding coupling and popping the wheelsets back in.

With that, it'll be another unfinished thing finished! Just many more to go...

Till next time.

Baby Bagnall

I mentioned I already had an idea of what to put on the tiny Tu Koppel Chassis, and here it is!

A tiny little Bagnall inspired locomtove from Brooks 3D Models. Although no direct prototype its a fun little 3D printed model that I think I'll enjoy painting up.

The print itself is very clean and well thought out. The saddle tank/boiler is a separate piece to aid adding weight and the kit even includes a specially designed driver figure.

Till next time.

Ruining a Bug Box

I've shared a couple of posts about a Peco OO9 Bug Box I've been repainting. I've now got to a stage where I've been attempting to weather it and, in my opinion, I haven't been successful!

Weathering is often a subjective matter, however in this instance I believe the end outcome isn't what I wanted.

You may ask why share it then? It just goes to show things don't always go right. Other people might think it's come up OK and I'd be interested to hear what people think, but for now I'll press on and finish it.

Till next time.

Teeny Tiny Chassis

Another recent purchase is this teeny tiny N gauge chassis, not that I should be spending money!

A 'TU-KOPPEL A' chassis, I've picked this up second hand, although it's in like new condition! The chassis are known for not been quality runners but it was a fair price. Fitted with 3v or 6v motors they require careful 'driving'.

To give a sense of scale, here it is on my finger. Although, considering you don't know the size of my finger isn't a useful reference! I already have an idea on what will be put on this chassis, and hopefully it'll be a fun little project.

Till next time.

Mucky & Tatty

With the metal work picked out in black, I've given the Dundas Models E class wagon a weathering.

Mainly a black wash with some drybrushing of lighter dust and rust colours to highlight some of the detail. I've also had a chance to fit couplings to the bogies. Once this has had a load fitted I'll be able to call it finished!!

Till next time.

Clipping My Bogies

I picked up a pair of Peco OO9 archbar bogies from a local model shop the other day. Intended for a kit I haven't started yet, for around seven of your British pounds you get a small bag of parts.

Thirty seconds of work sees these clipped together, couplings in place and ready to roll.

Although the kit I'm intending to use these with has bogies, I need to supply wheels and couplings. Potentially using these Peco bogies gives me wheels and couplings, already set at the right height, for not much difference in price it would cost me for them parts separately. 

Till next time.

Foto Friday 9

The end of another working week so...

'Lord Mayor' and 'Nunlow' outside the Vintage Carriage Trust at Ingrow, July 2017

Till next time.