Friday Update: Twenty-four Ten Twenty-five…

It is half term next week, where did that go?! Holidays (!) again yet work doesn’t stop here; whilst I look forward to a few train rides and occasional shared moments, it is equally a time of bored kids, cold, wet weather, oh and Halloween (I hate it). We’re not quite there yet though, so grab a coffee and biscuit and let’s take a look at what has been keeping me busy this week…

I present the hardest thing I’ve ever made. This Backwoods NGG16 009 kit arrived partially built. The bodywork that has been completed to a high standard but the chassis was a mess. Frames were assembled, without wheels. No motion and cylinders dismantled and partially in bits… every piece removed from the fret and all in unlabelled poly bags… from what I can gather from my customer two previous commission builders have tried and failed to make sense of the instructions and get this thing together. It didn’t bode well…

After studying what I had in front of me I decided to ignore the instructions (unless I needed a specific detail) and instead rely upon my previous experience, to approach things logically - well as logical as it is to lock all the parts in the frames before you can even test the motion… but kit design aside, things progressed slowly but steadily. At the end of the first day I had two gearboxes working and in the frames with their wheelsets. Day 2 saw the motion bracket and valve gear assembled. Day 3 had the remaining wheelsets fitted. Day 4 and flycranks were soldered on one side and then quartered by eye and tested with rods. Because some of the kit had been assembled already it wasn’t possible to remove the motor so all adjustments are done with the motor driving the wheels which is less than ideal. I managed to get things almost perfect but there are small binds once a rotation in each bogie, hopefully this will ease with running in and some oil. I can’t tell if this is quartering or a slight discrepancy in the frame assembly, or even a slight difference in the rod/axle spacing… it looks as if the etch artwork has hand drawn.

I finished the yesterday by mocking up this, above, trial fitting the repaired cylinders and the built up motion bracket and valve gear. I dared to apply power even though it was all loose, things moved roughly as they should… a few clearance issues to address and next time at the bench these will be together. Phew.

Despite all that, this week also saw the start of a few other commissions. Namely a 16mm Peldon restoration - which has been stripped, degreased and the wiring removed for work next week - if possible - and the arrival of a lot of wood for another layout build. I’ve got to find somewhere to store this now for the holiday, I didn’t think that through - and look how big the white backed 3mm hardboard sheet is, that won’t fit under the stairs! I also sent off my completed CAD work for laser cutting parts for the 16mm Ruston 30DL and Hudson GoGo - hopefully they’ll be back in a week or two…

I’ve enjoyed working on some N gauge models in evenings this week. A pair of Coventry Rail Works PAA/PAB wagons here, with lime (as built) left and alumina (reworked) right. Deliberately different colours first, then custom decals for the Procor/P/tops panels mixed with Fox labels and the start of weathering - a war on wet wash of 33/98 removed with a flat brush, gently, to not damage the lacquer applied to protect the wax inks in the custom decals. 

Whilst on the shelf behind me, Coalbridge Street has been evicted to a higher position to allow mock ups of next project ideas. There was a window last weekend where I considered something narrow gauge (more on that tomorrow) but in the end, this composition using my South Wales coal trains takes top spot, a yard and coal disposal point with old loading screens shielding a natty traverser to shuttle loads and empties off stage. I’ll try to assemble the basic cameo board whilst I’m building the customer layout. It is loosely based upon Cwmmawr but to play on the Cwmmawr/Coedbach, I’ll call it Cwmbach (Cwm is a steep sided hollow, typically at the head of a valley and Bach is small… so it still works as a literal translation). I was keen to include a little of the curve of the track in the prototype, this is quite subtle but introduces a non-linear element to counter the long nature of the board and trains, well relatively speaking! I intend to present the trains an inch or so off the base of the shelf too, to allow some variation in ground height as well as space for turnout motors… gosh this sounds serious!

Ribbons update - hopefully it has been printed this week so should be with us next week - then please give Steve and I a few weeks to process all the orders! 

 

As you read on Wednesday I had a day off and went riding trains - in the end I got no further than Crewe, and that was just right… in the few hours I was out I saw a pair of Colas 56s on a RHTT at Chester, the Balfour Beatty 20s at Crewe on a drain train (in the distance, I didn’t get close before they headed off), a Colas 70 running around a spoil train at Crewe, a DB 67 on the Manchester Cardiff express at Crewe and then a DRS 57 light engine at Chester… I rode on 158s to Chester, a new 805 to Crewe (very impressed) and then 197s home. A grand day out, no Sheds at all, a surprising amount of traction and a feeling of calm, one that I can find even now just by revisiting the memories. A few half decent shots too (above).

Today will see a general tidy up and perhaps a start on Peldon’s revival - I will be lining her as well as rewiring. A chance this weekend to see trains in the valley and then next week a trip to Penarth on the big railway, and another Ffestiniog trip. Not a hard life really, is it. I hope you’re well, wherever you are, thank you all for the kind support and lovely messages this week on email and Messenger. I really appreciate it, reminding me of just how much others value my daily meanderings here… so it will continue… until next time, more soon…

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