Vintage Interior

Productivity has been much improved at my end of the operation in recent weeks.

Over the course of a few evening sessions I have been able to complete the interior for the Worsley body for 15.

Unlike the styrene carriages where I attach the seating to the floor and it becomes a part for the chassis, on this one I have left it removable, which will certainly make it easier for Himself when he comes to paint it.

In its current condition this carriage is a tri-composite and so the two compartments with comfy looking seats towards the centre are, in fact, a first class and a second class.

(The upholstery in the First comes up slightly higher than the other if you look closely.)

The biggest challenge with compartment stock is with the dividers between them.

They have to be placed very accurately because the window pillars are very thin on this model, and you also want to ensure, as much as you can, that they remain vertical.

This is why I've chosen to use relatively thick 30" sheet and anchored them at the bottom with some chunky square section before I attached the seat bases on either side.

As always, the only true test will be time.

Out Of Hibernation

It would be foolish to declare the end of winter is in sight but we've enjoyed a comparatively warm spell on the Costa del Clyde in recent days, warm enough, in fact, for Himself to venture into the garage and resume work on the estate scene.

He has started work on landscaping around the final two bungalows (mostly) at the front of the layout, with the aid of some plaster.

The area towards the bottom of the picture above (in front of the conservatory) will be grassed over as the garden.

On the other side - facing the operators, so the bit most folk don't see - are the front entrances to the houses which will be mostly gravel or paving.

How much more gets done, and how soon, is very much in the hands of the weather systems I suspect, but Himself has plenty to keep him busy indoors and outdoors right now.

Another Obs

I can't put it off any longer, I have decided I'm going to have to begin work on a model of 152.

(My reluctance is on account of the fact that these are very complicated carriages to build)

I'm able to re-use most of the moulds I made for 150 so while I had the resin out for making the lamp holders for 19 I decided to cast a set.

The only major alteration on this carriage is that the front needs to have a very subtle curve on it.

So what I've done for that is very gently reshape the master I used for 150 - which was a composite piece with a brass backing and styrene moulding detail on the front - and I'm going to make a fresh mould from that.

It's not in the shot above because it's currently sitting in a bath of gooey RTV silicone rubber - I'll post a before and after pic once I've taken a casting from it.

Mr Fixit

Himself is cracking on with WHR saloon 2047 after I delivered it to him last week.

Already it's been primed and he's begun applying the top coat to the interior and the outside of the body.

Much to my embarrassment he discovered (another) error which I had made.

Somehow I had managed to fit the electrical connections on the wrong side on each end of the carriage - goodness only knows how I managed to do that because I was using 2046 as a guide alongside be.

I'm beginning to believe that this carriage is cursed!

He also did some delicate soldering to firm up the brass brake rigging underneath which had been secured (or indeed, unsecured) with superglue.

Despite the litany of errors during construction on my part I'm sure he'll turn out a carriage which looks as good as all the other ones.

Lilla

With the name and works plates from Narrow Planet fitted our Robex Lilla is ready at last.

We'll just leave these here.

Top Hat Tale

My contribution to the carriage 19 project is to try and come up with something to represent the reproduction lamp pots installed on the roof when the carriage was restored a few years back.

My plan was to try and make something out of styrene as a master which could be copied and cast.

I've made a guess about the dimensions based on what I can see from pictures and the sizes of styrene tube available and come up with this.

The close up, enlarged photograph is a little misleading, I hope, although it maybe that when I cast some copies we conclude that the top cover is a little to thick and should be a little smaller in diameter, but you'll have to take my word for it that it doesn't look like that with the naked eye.

Anyway, the RTV rubber is setting around it as I type so I shall update you when I have some cast.

Off My Hands

I've done as much as I can on 2047 and handed it over to Himself to finish off.

That innocent phrase - finish off - involves a lot more than you might first imagine.

There's the handrails which go either side of the entrance doors to be soldered together from brass wire, which probably Himself's least favourite job.

The bogies will need couplings fitted, which may well involve grafting on an extension to the shaft.

There is the glazing to cut and fit and the roof to glue into position.

Then, and only then, will he be able to begin to think about priming and painting it by hand.

It will be finished off with transfers, a coat of varnish and the interior populated with a few people.

(Only a few, mind. Have you see how pricey they are!)

So as you can see, it's a real team effort.