Paint Shop

[robert.]

I have run into these models a few time. many years ago i moved them in a barn. If you look up in the right hand corner of the last photo you'll see one more. It's a dual paddle wheel war ship. Seller wanted $385,000 each. I'm still looking for better photos. This vendor had on of the nicest hand carved wood statues i have every laid eyes on. On one side it was a mourning woman throwing a rose to the ground. Turn it 180 degrees and it is a minstrel playing a lute. The woman's hand tossing the rose was the head of a lute on the other side. I can't describe it well. It's something you need to see in person.

[sarge]

The latest project was this SW8, done as the one lone of this model amongst several SW1s that were serviced out of Beacon Park in Boston. That little fleet worked for PC both at Beacon Park and the various terminal environs of the old B&A.

The model came in the post from a good friend, so provided some needed relief from the hectic first week of waking OST back up. Anyway, kinda crap photos done with a pad, but...

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Back to work editing away, but these three vans await lettering, weathering, and couplings, so still have things to unwind with.

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[Robert]

Sarge...I always enjoy catching sight of that destroyer when it shows up in one of your photos. The USS Hale if I'm not mistaken right? Also what is that thingamajig at the end of that single rail track section?

Robert

[sarge]

The thingamajig is a Hayes wheelstop. What rides on that rail is a great whacking quayside crane.

Hale it is.

[Robert]

Ahh yes...I thought it looked like a wheel stop...but the single rail threw me off.

Robert

[De Bruin]

Nicely detailed SW-8 in the ad hoc austerity scheme. Excellent work ; please post away the British Rail stock and power as well, I never tire of seeing those either!

[sleepmac]

Brian, nice work as always!

Dan Weinhold

[sarge]

OK Pete. A shot of the vans, almost ready for service after a lettering, sealing, and weather.

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All:

Thanks for the kind words. Whats in your paint booth (or on your workbench)?

[Robert]

Sarge...Since its not the familiar Kadee coupler, I'd like ask how exactly do you manage the coupling/uncoupling activity?

Thanks

Robert

[sarge]

For trains that remain made up on the mainlines, I use a forcep for either the screw-coupling shown or three-link couplings both of which are models of the prototype.

For branchline and the quayside operations, where wagons are placed and exchanged during an operating session, I would use the same, but the rest of the lads who are used to kadees have trouble manipulating the above. It takes practice but once you get in practice they are OK. So, for those wagons I have substituted an auto-coupling called the Dinghams coupling.

To couple, you push the wagons together and the bail slides up the hook and under the latch to drop in.

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To uncouple, just lift the bail out of the hook, let the latch drop, release the bail atop the latch and pull away. If you want to push wagons in place and leave them in some inaccesible place, you do the same then push into place with the buffers.

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You can use these magneticaly by adding an iron dingus, but we use them manually with a wire "shunters pole" shown.

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They are very reliable and the rest of the crew likes using them.

[Robert]

Something learned...thank you for that explanation Sarge.

Robert

[De Bruin]

Nice looking vans there Brian thanks, the coupling clinic is interesting too; your hook and bail reminds me of a childhood pal's Marklin layout. He had the generic DB stock with the usual tank engine and red-black diesel. The cars could be automatically uncoupled using a manual or solenoid actuated lift lever or manually simply released with a small stick. As I recall the car switching was pretty reliable for HO.
I hope you'll post a shot of these goods vans behind one of your steam locomotives (the bigger the better) when you get an opportunity.

My bench has multiple things going on it;
I'm on the decal end of redoing some Ultraline Weaver FA2's in L&N's original cream and black for service on the downtown club. Getting the factory finish removed(AT&SF) and the bodies painted was an ordeal in the extreme, which knock on wood has past.
I have an ongoing five car late model T&NO Sunbeam that we're bashing out of some old Chesters, finished reworking the car sides, now assembling the chassis prior to full car assembly; liners, sides, ends, roofs etc to follow.
Also debugging the harness and reworking the finish on that CLW 4-8-4 for the club.

And then finally, my bench has another bench on it; I'm tearing out some shallow built-in wall cabinets in the Temple of Radon to give me room to double my work bench area and create yet an additional separate bench for the paint booth. That LWS project made me appreciate the efficacy of bench mounted sanders, drill presses and grinders over my old dremel and hand drill motor. Thanks for asking 8^)

[sarge]

I hope you'll post a shot of these goods vans behind one of your steam locomotives (the bigger the better) when you get an opportunity.

Locos you want? No worries!

So, a preamble. I model specifically the area around Edinburgh in 1944. That means pretty plain looking locos in very simplified wartime black, but a period that fascinates for the historical accomplishments.

So, first up is this LNER Gresley J39, an 0-6-0, leading those vans and more besides. 0-6-0s were the most numerous steam locos in Britain, and weren't plodders like in America. The J39 was actually a mixed traffic loco and could go around 50mph in passenger service.

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Next is an C15 4-4-2t. These were pre-LNER designs by a guy named Reid for the North British Railway, a Scottish road that became a component of the LNER. They ran in local passenger service around Edinburgh. This was a brass etched kit.

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This is a Gresley V2, one of my all-time favourites. They were the workhorse in fast goods and express passenger service, much like the Black Five for LMS. Not the glamour girls like the A-class Pacifics (which I also absolutely love but own no models of currently) they were a common express loco in Scotland.

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Lastly, here is another 0-6-0, a J35. Another Reid NBR design, they were a common goods loco in the area.

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I can put up more locos if interested.

[rex desilets]

Please do.
The J35, if I squint hard enough, looks somewhat like an LMS 4F.

[De Bruin]

I actually like the looks of these war-time British Railways locomotives; all business and functional. Though I have to say one knows they're not in Kansas when three of the four pictured have inside cylinders, that had to be hard work for the sheds to service?
The J39 is very interesting, a distinctively different looking 0-6-0, all drivers, BIG drivers, assume the wheel base and diameter were sufficiently long and large enough to minimize the hunting at speed one would otherwise expect from a 0-6-0? on top of a well-balanced driver design?
Likewise that clean lined V2 is a sleek looking thing, the rakish angled firebox makes it look like it wants to leap off the line.
Did you letter these based off photos? I was not aware the LNER was abbreviated to just NE.
On a related note regarding modeling mid century steam over in Britain; is one of the roads a predominant "fan" favorite
over there like LMS or GW or is the interest spread fairy evenly over all four of the consolidated "companies"? I'm sure a lot of it had to do with where one grew up as here.
Cool stuff thanks,keep it coming.