Another month with little progress on the railways- work has got in the way yet again. Two new locos - a second B1 and the latest B17 (61647 Helmingham Hall). The latter one came from Wendy's two days ago. Sadly she didn't have a D9555 "Teddy Bear" yet- it arrived yesterday at the shop.
The first of the B1s is now 61005 Bongo, while the second one will be 61018 Gnu once it has been run in. Bongo is waiting for me to get round to weathering it.
Cock O'The North on Farndon Road
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Dapol's B1
Collected my first replacement B1 from Wendy's yesterday. This is a Dapol one, very few dealers having a Farish one to compare it with yet. I ran it in today, and then tried a haulage test. As you can see I ran out of track, but there are 29 coaches behind the B1 without enough track left to add any more. Not a hint of any slipping.
A close-up of the B1. The lining is a little wide, but the loco itself looks good from this angle. This one is due for a renumber and weathering, which will tone down the lining a lot. Either 61018 Gnu or 61005 Bongo- the second B1 will take the other identity. These were the running numbers of the two Langley B1s i sold on.
Oddly enough the Union Mills D20 we tested on Moorcock Junction only took 28.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Time for a quick rant
This one is directed at my fellow modellers. It also includes a rant at myself. I belong to the N-gauge e-group. Every so often we get a thread on Quality control with posts along the lines of "I bought this model and had to do this, this and this to it before it would run" or "I had to glue this list of parts back" etc. They then go on about how poor the manufacturers' quality control is.
Of course it is poor- why should they get things right when idiots like us correct their mistakes and repair their duds for them without complaining in the first place. Modellers- we are our own worst enemies.
If it is wrong SEND IT BACK. Complain loudly and bitterly- preferably at a display stand in a public place. That way the manufacturer has some incentive to get the next one better.
Of course it is poor- why should they get things right when idiots like us correct their mistakes and repair their duds for them without complaining in the first place. Modellers- we are our own worst enemies.
If it is wrong SEND IT BACK. Complain loudly and bitterly- preferably at a display stand in a public place. That way the manufacturer has some incentive to get the next one better.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Some more locos
The second of the Britannias, 70004 William Shakespeare. This one was the last loco to be repaired at Darlington so I've dirtied it up a bit, though not as filthy as it was when it arrived for a bent right-hand deflector to be fixed.
A pair of new 3MT tanks by Graham Farish. 82028 is the Farish model straight out of the box apart from weathering and changing the offside lion for a heraldically incorrect one. 82027 was new as an early-crest 82016. Both of these locos were allocated to 51-group sheds for passenger service over the Stainmore line, where they replaced J21s. When these services finished they moved to the Whitby area then on to the Southern Region in 1963.
Rail-ex South West
Last weekend I have a really good excuse for not blogging- I was at Taunton all weekend. Trevor and Geoff set off at lunchtime with "Parnhams" in the back. I set off from school at 3.30 and got there at 7.45 after a reasonable run- not the best but making good time as far as Bristol.
Coming back only took about half-an-hour less, so not a bad run.
Rail-ex South West went very well. The fault on the layout we thought we'd fixed turned out not to have been, so we had a few problems finding locos that would run clockwise round the layout. Percy and Thomas put in appearances for small children, and were well received, especially by their parents.
Got a new Britannia. It will take 28 coaches on the test track- not enough track to add any more!
A very good show, and a really hospitable group of people who looked after us very well.
Coming back only took about half-an-hour less, so not a bad run.
Rail-ex South West went very well. The fault on the layout we thought we'd fixed turned out not to have been, so we had a few problems finding locos that would run clockwise round the layout. Percy and Thomas put in appearances for small children, and were well received, especially by their parents.
Got a new Britannia. It will take 28 coaches on the test track- not enough track to add any more!
A very good show, and a really hospitable group of people who looked after us very well.
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Two more Parnhams locos
2270 is a Plan-it kit by H.R. Mullineaux for a North Staffordshire Railway 0-6-2T, built by Simon (Mr Grumpy) on a Farish pannier tank chassis. Not too bad a runner, (it has a new chassis so should run well), it needs a deal of werathering as the real thing was out of service well before the 1939 of Parnhams.
Sir George is a repainted Dapol terrier, originally a plain SR one. It spends its life on the lower level of Parnhams, though might take a turn on the top with an brake van (going back from a repair by the LNER at Grantham).Merry Saturday
I've actually got some modelling done this week. Not much, but every little helps. The Union Mills tender I started to convert from an LMS type into an LNER one is now finished. Results are encouraging enough for me to think seriously about doing another.
Problem with it is that the coal rails round the back should be vertical, which is not how I modelled it. Still, once coupled to a D20 it looks the part rather more than the unrebuilt version did, so I'll leave it and make the back vertical on the next one I do. There's only about a dozen or so, which means plenty of chance to get the final version right! I'll photograph it when the varnish dries and post the result later.
A pair of very old Farish J67s arrived from Alan Cummings courtesy of eBay. The better of the two was already black, so I've removed the crest and relettered it as LNER 7337, which had a spell at Peterbrough at one time.
Problem with it is that the coal rails round the back should be vertical, which is not how I modelled it. Still, once coupled to a D20 it looks the part rather more than the unrebuilt version did, so I'll leave it and make the back vertical on the next one I do. There's only about a dozen or so, which means plenty of chance to get the final version right! I'll photograph it when the varnish dries and post the result later.
A pair of very old Farish J67s arrived from Alan Cummings courtesy of eBay. The better of the two was already black, so I've removed the crest and relettered it as LNER 7337, which had a spell at Peterbrough at one time.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
More excuses
12th October already and little done, particularly updating this.
Quiet time in modelling as the Bingham clubroom has been temporarily cut off by roadworks and things have been busy at home getting Simon (Mr Grumpy) and his chattels off to Helsinki. Might get some modelling done shortly.
Got rid of my two kitbuilt B1s as neither was up to the standard of the new ones by Bachfar or Dapol. While feeling in the mood also got rid of the Turbomotive and a Class 52, the King Arthur, one of the 45xxs and a 57xx, together with one of my big mistakes- a DP2 converted from a Lima Deltic.
Dapol's open day was interesting. No announcements of new models following being "bounced" by BachFar. However I may have got Dave interested in a J67/69 0-6-0T. Hopefully he will bite....
Wendy duly provided a 3MT tank, a 4MT tender and a Black Five. the 4MT has had its short tender drawbar fitted. Pics later.
Quiet time in modelling as the Bingham clubroom has been temporarily cut off by roadworks and things have been busy at home getting Simon (Mr Grumpy) and his chattels off to Helsinki. Might get some modelling done shortly.
Got rid of my two kitbuilt B1s as neither was up to the standard of the new ones by Bachfar or Dapol. While feeling in the mood also got rid of the Turbomotive and a Class 52, the King Arthur, one of the 45xxs and a 57xx, together with one of my big mistakes- a DP2 converted from a Lima Deltic.
Dapol's open day was interesting. No announcements of new models following being "bounced" by BachFar. However I may have got Dave interested in a J67/69 0-6-0T. Hopefully he will bite....
Wendy duly provided a 3MT tank, a 4MT tender and a Black Five. the 4MT has had its short tender drawbar fitted. Pics later.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Little doing....
Quiet few days, largely as I'm snowed under at work at the moment. I've got a few bits to do and need to get over to Wendy's next weekend to pick up some new Farish locos.
Went to a new exhibition in Hinckley on Sunday, took Simon (Mr Grumpy). He got bored very quickly and sat with a long face while I talked with one or two of the exhibitors. Show was small but well set out- I'd seen all the layouts before but the locals wouldn't have and they would have enjoyed it.
One thing that did seem incongruous (though it might just be me)- ACE Trains O-gauge Duchess class- very nice, and with smoke and digital sound- yet running on coarse scale 3-rail track. Very odd.
Went to a new exhibition in Hinckley on Sunday, took Simon (Mr Grumpy). He got bored very quickly and sat with a long face while I talked with one or two of the exhibitors. Show was small but well set out- I'd seen all the layouts before but the locals wouldn't have and they would have enjoyed it.
One thing that did seem incongruous (though it might just be me)- ACE Trains O-gauge Duchess class- very nice, and with smoke and digital sound- yet running on coarse scale 3-rail track. Very odd.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Some more small trains
limescale on the boiler was done from a picture of the real thing.
Another couple of weeks gone
What has been happening in the last few weeks? Not writing this up for a start.
First weekend in September was Grantham Model railway Show. Trevor and I, together with Simon and Geoff took Parnhams and had a good weekend. We were runners up in the "favourite layout" poll of visitors, second to "Rowlands Castle", which is a superb layout. I also got trained to operate Graham Dean's "Haltwhistle" layout.
First weekend in September was Grantham Model railway Show. Trevor and I, together with Simon and Geoff took Parnhams and had a good weekend. We were runners up in the "favourite layout" poll of visitors, second to "Rowlands Castle", which is a superb layout. I also got trained to operate Graham Dean's "Haltwhistle" layout.
The article on Parnhams in British Railway Modelling has been published, a shame that it came out three days after Grantham show, but at least we can put a sign up at Taunton. Wendy at Total N-gauge has got a free plug, as has Robbie's Rolling stock, so they should both be happy.
I had an email from Paul Martin asking at short notice if I could do a stint on the demonstration stand at the International N-Gauge Show at Leamington on Saturday. This is the first one I've done and I took some locos and wagons and covered basic weathering. Punters seemed more than happy with what they got, and I have more clag applied to some locos. The N-gauge Society seemed happy with the demo so I might get asked back some time.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Some loco pix.
It has been a while since I posted pictures of individual locos, so here are a few of the Parnhams collection.
LMS 3726 is the highest- numbered 2F in the original number series that I could find a picture of to confirm its status in about 1939. It is basically a standard Union Mills job but has been repainted and weathered. It did have a cab stanchion on this side but has lost it- another job to do before Grantham show!
5562 Alberta, a standard Peco Jubilee to look at but in fact a "Bitza" as it is made of the good parts of three and then has had the livery corrected- it was red when the body was bought- and an identity change.
LNER 3238 is a Graham Hughes kit on the wrong Pannier Tank chassis, which fits it better than the correct one!. It was started by me then finished by Mr Grumpy who also lettered it.
LMS 3726 is the highest- numbered 2F in the original number series that I could find a picture of to confirm its status in about 1939. It is basically a standard Union Mills job but has been repainted and weathered. It did have a cab stanchion on this side but has lost it- another job to do before Grantham show! More FR work
Thursday was day two of the big wiring and track bash on Farndon Road. Part of the original objective achieved- the Northbound yard now runs smoothly on all tracks, though the entry points are still manual- they are wired in but not tested as yet- this will have to wait for another day. The exit fan of the Southbound yard is relaid and checked for clearances etc. The Southbound yard will be rewired in October on a one-day bash.
Evening sessions resume next week with a partial rebuild of the Southbound panel to reflect the new fan.
Evening sessions resume next week with a partial rebuild of the Southbound panel to reflect the new fan.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
More work on Farndon Road
Spent much of the day up at Bingham clubhouse working on Farndon Road's fiddle yard. There were 5 of us working, the others being Trevor, Geoff, Alf (Mr Hasty) and Simon (Mr Grumpy). We were joined in the morning by Chairman Chris and I got an email when we got home from Secretary Chris asking if we were working this evening- tomorrow is the next session.
After a lot of debate Alf came up with a simple plan for easing the curves on the Southbound exit fan, and he and Geoff were given the task of implementing it. Trevor got on with track repairs on the middle board while Simon made a new D-connector for the first new wiring and I removed the call-on controller and associated redundant wire then worked out what needed connecting where.
After lunch I connected in the new D plug while Trevor and Smon made sure each section on the second board was connected and labelled as it should have been. Tomorrow we finish the new wiring on the Northbound side and test it.
FR is scheduled to appear at Cotgrave in April then we'll offer it to Nottingham, Leamington and Taunton for 2012.
After a lot of debate Alf came up with a simple plan for easing the curves on the Southbound exit fan, and he and Geoff were given the task of implementing it. Trevor got on with track repairs on the middle board while Simon made a new D-connector for the first new wiring and I removed the call-on controller and associated redundant wire then worked out what needed connecting where.
After lunch I connected in the new D plug while Trevor and Smon made sure each section on the second board was connected and labelled as it should have been. Tomorrow we finish the new wiring on the Northbound side and test it.
FR is scheduled to appear at Cotgrave in April then we'll offer it to Nottingham, Leamington and Taunton for 2012.
Monday, 23 August 2010
A long time later....
Summer has been and gone and little activity- or at least little blogging activity. In the real world things have been moving-
Farndon Road is progressing well and looks good as far as it goes. More on this later.
Parnhams went to Warley in November and Sileby in February, and was photographed and an article written for British Railway Modelling.
Outside of railway modelling I have announced my intention to retire next year. Hurrah!
Farndon Road is progressing well and looks good as far as it goes. More on this later.
Parnhams went to Warley in November and Sileby in February, and was photographed and an article written for British Railway Modelling.
Outside of railway modelling I have announced my intention to retire next year. Hurrah!
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