Wednesday, 8 September 2010
I've Created A Monster
A little melodramatic perhaps, but I just wanted to point out there's a monster entry over on the Boston Largs Works blog giving a blow by blow account of building a carriage, if anyone's interested....
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Airbrush Action
The ballast wagons have had some attention from Himself and his airbrush.
Here are a couple of ex-works shots.
And posed next to a (Worsley Works kit-built) B wagon for comparison..
The next stage will be to give these a good dose of weathering because these wagons are the humble and heavily-worked of the WHR fleet.
Here are a couple of ex-works shots.
And posed next to a (Worsley Works kit-built) B wagon for comparison..
The next stage will be to give these a good dose of weathering because these wagons are the humble and heavily-worked of the WHR fleet.
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Big Barn Farm
My work schedule has conspired against much modelling getting done in the last week. Most of the time I have had has been given over to another outside contract - a model of the FR observation carriage 100. You can read about progress on that over on the Boston Largs Works blog.
The slow painting of the cherry picker continues. Just some of the finer details remain to be touched in now.
Down south the tamper roof is completed and the Kato chassis has been wired up and tested. Apparently it goes like a rocket, but unusually combines this with good slow speed performance as well. Clever, those Japanese....
So in the absence of anything more interesting to report, dear reader, I thought I'd share a couple of pretty pictures with you.
This is the big modern barn from Bron Hebog which you may recall me blogging about a few weeks ago. The model was researched and made before we discovered the farmer has recently added an extension.
The original plan was for me to take the scalpel to it and graft on an extra section. After some reflection on this and other changes at Beddgelert for the 2010 season we decided to leave the layout frozen in 2009 condition.
The model has been returned to me with a view to making the changes and had been languishing in a box on the shelf. A few weeks ago I realised I still had it and took these snaps before sending it once more back to Oxforshire.
The slow painting of the cherry picker continues. Just some of the finer details remain to be touched in now.
Down south the tamper roof is completed and the Kato chassis has been wired up and tested. Apparently it goes like a rocket, but unusually combines this with good slow speed performance as well. Clever, those Japanese....
So in the absence of anything more interesting to report, dear reader, I thought I'd share a couple of pretty pictures with you.
This is the big modern barn from Bron Hebog which you may recall me blogging about a few weeks ago. The model was researched and made before we discovered the farmer has recently added an extension.
The original plan was for me to take the scalpel to it and graft on an extra section. After some reflection on this and other changes at Beddgelert for the 2010 season we decided to leave the layout frozen in 2009 condition.
The model has been returned to me with a view to making the changes and had been languishing in a box on the shelf. A few weeks ago I realised I still had it and took these snaps before sending it once more back to Oxforshire.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Painting The Picker
A sneak preview of the Cherry Picker in glorious technicolour.
Still some finishing touches to add, but it's a good impression of how it's going to look.
With so many different colours it's slow process waiting for one area to dry before moving on. Plus, the yellow and white areas have needed multiple coats.
Still some finishing touches to add, but it's a good impression of how it's going to look.
With so many different colours it's slow process waiting for one area to dry before moving on. Plus, the yellow and white areas have needed multiple coats.
Monday, 23 August 2010
A Roof Over My (Tamping) Head
Some images of the latest progress on the roof for the KMX tamper. Very impressed by Himself's ability with a sheet of brass. (Can't get on with the stuff myself.)
The next stage is to get it working. The Kato 'Shorty' has had a rather extreme stretch job done on it so we need to install some wires to restore the pick up feed from the unpowered bogie.
The next stage is to get it working. The Kato 'Shorty' has had a rather extreme stretch job done on it so we need to install some wires to restore the pick up feed from the unpowered bogie.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Tamper Progress
Some shots showing how Himself is getting on with the roof for the KMX tamper.
It's a really tricky design with lots of angles and curves to work out. And to make it more awkward still it's broken up into random length sections.
I think it's looking fanstastic.
Once the roof's done then it will back up to me to finish off the detailing like filling up that big empty space inside with all the tamping gear.
It's a really tricky design with lots of angles and curves to work out. And to make it more awkward still it's broken up into random length sections.
I think it's looking fanstastic.
Once the roof's done then it will back up to me to finish off the detailing like filling up that big empty space inside with all the tamping gear.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
More On The Moose
Musing about how best to go about modelling the Purple Moose Beer Wagon (see previous entry on this blog) reminded me that it's not the first time the Bron Hebog team have recreated an FR spoof.
A number of years ago the Society magazine carried an April Fool piece suggesting the FR was to follow the example of the Big Railway and start carrying advertising on the sides of the carriages. A doctored photo showed the Engine Side (*) of buffet carr. 103 decked out in Purple Moose branding.
We thought this would be a great joke to try out on the unsuspecting public at exhibitions with Dduallt.
The way we did it was very simple. We scanned the magazine photo and through trial end error managed to reduce the image to the exact dimensions of our model of 103. Then we simply printed it onto ordnary paper, cut it out and blu tacked it onto the side of the model (It didn't damage the paintwork at all).
It was only on the one side of the model and it stayed like that for many years giving much amusement to those 'in the know' who saw it at exhibitions.
* Engine Side. On the FR vehicles are said to have an Engine Side and a Clock Side. It relates to the interior of the Old Erecting Shop at Boston Lodge Works.
As you look in from the yard on the far right of the shop is where the original engine to power the line shafting was sited. And over towards the left hanging from the rafters is a clock. As locos and stock are rarely turned on the FR each side can be referred to as to which would be facing the Clock or the Engine as it would be as it sat in the works.
The clock also has an interesting history. The usual numerals
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Have been replaced with
J O L L Y G O O D F U N
Why? It's a long story, but the jist of it is during a bout of mild industrial discontent in the 1970's a very senior company figure told the staff that they shouldn't mind about long hours and low pay because, after all, it was "Jolly Good Fun". Un-impressed, to say the least, by this response a witty worker decided to alter the clock face thus and it has remained so to this day.
Another reminder of the unique spirit of the FR.
A number of years ago the Society magazine carried an April Fool piece suggesting the FR was to follow the example of the Big Railway and start carrying advertising on the sides of the carriages. A doctored photo showed the Engine Side (*) of buffet carr. 103 decked out in Purple Moose branding.
We thought this would be a great joke to try out on the unsuspecting public at exhibitions with Dduallt.
The way we did it was very simple. We scanned the magazine photo and through trial end error managed to reduce the image to the exact dimensions of our model of 103. Then we simply printed it onto ordnary paper, cut it out and blu tacked it onto the side of the model (It didn't damage the paintwork at all).
It was only on the one side of the model and it stayed like that for many years giving much amusement to those 'in the know' who saw it at exhibitions.
* Engine Side. On the FR vehicles are said to have an Engine Side and a Clock Side. It relates to the interior of the Old Erecting Shop at Boston Lodge Works.
As you look in from the yard on the far right of the shop is where the original engine to power the line shafting was sited. And over towards the left hanging from the rafters is a clock. As locos and stock are rarely turned on the FR each side can be referred to as to which would be facing the Clock or the Engine as it would be as it sat in the works.
The clock also has an interesting history. The usual numerals
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Have been replaced with
J O L L Y G O O D F U N
Why? It's a long story, but the jist of it is during a bout of mild industrial discontent in the 1970's a very senior company figure told the staff that they shouldn't mind about long hours and low pay because, after all, it was "Jolly Good Fun". Un-impressed, to say the least, by this response a witty worker decided to alter the clock face thus and it has remained so to this day.
Another reminder of the unique spirit of the FR.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
