What happened at your workbench today?

In the end, a lot of the patina turned out to be workshop dust, which got brushed off before spraying...
20250913_153741.jpg
A bit of trimming of the cosmetic box girder sides, and I could install it, and run a train:
20250913_173511.jpg
It really needs a live steamers to christen it, so the formal opening will have to wait- but 13 months on, I've got a working railway once again! :party:
 
Northsider said:
In the end, a lot of the patina turned out to be workshop dust, which got brushed off before spraying...
View attachment 347559
A bit of trimming of the cosmetic box girder sides, and I could install it, and run a train:
View attachment 347560
It really needs a live steamers to christen it, so the formal opening will have to wait- but 13 months on, I've got a working railway once again! :party:
Click to expand...
Lovely. And such a pleasing shape, reminding me of the Southwold Railway's swingbridge (and Rik's Peckforton model thereof).
 

Attachments

  • southwold_br_1879.jpg
    southwold_br_1879.jpg
    68.5 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
viaEstrecha said:
Lovely. And such a pleasing shape, reminding me of the Southwold Railway's swingbridge (and Rik's Peckforton model thereof).
Click to expand...
It's a semi-ellipse. But lest we kid ourselves that if it looks right, it  is right, the original Basket Bridge was somewhat under-engineered and was viewed with suspicion by the IMR when then took over the MNR in 1905. They had it reinforced, then replaced it completely a couple of years later. The name refers to the hooped cross-brace, which looks like the handle of a wicker basket...
 
I’ve been slowly plodding on with my current project.

Fancied a dedicated guards/parcels van to run with my rake of starter set coaches

As per the running forum joke, clamps were needed.

Question for anyone who has done similar, for the coach windows was going to have them white like on some BR coaches, is it best to use white plasticard or paint the window?
Dan
IMG_2724.jpegIMG_2725.jpeg
 
For my 0 gauge lav windows, I used white placticard.
 
a98087 said:
Question for anyone who has done similar, for the coach windows was going to have them white like on some BR coaches, is it best to use white plasticard or paint the window?
Dan
Click to expand...
on my Harz coaches toilets, I used a fine grade sandpaper on the inside make the windows opaque
 
To make the white windows less stark consider a light shade of grey to take the edge off and move them more to the background.
 
For semi translucent windows, I used the flat sides from a milk carton behind the original glazing. Also works for toilet windows.
Malcolm
 
After rubbing down with some fine wet & dry and some coats of paint I have managed to finish the roof of footbridge -
IMG_20250913_163556865.jpg

But now I thought that it was too grey and needed the sides painting. I had hoped to leave the sides unpainted.

The sides have a slightly rippled surface from the 3D process which I thought didn't look too bad so the sides were only sanded lightly.

Because the glazing was already fitted, I had to blank off the glazing with some plasticard, masked the roof and started spraying the sides (spot the poor masking) -
IMG_20250915_125658207.jpg
IMG_20250915_125815908.jpg
 
Right, get yourself a brew, cos this might go on for a while...
Glen Auldyn used to have a five-lever frame, housed in a Modeltown signal box. So far, so good: but the new Glen Auldyn needs a nine-lever frame, and there's no way that would fit in the standard Modeltown box...
So I dismantled the existing box, and ordered a second one; we like cut'n'shut on the Northern, after all.
Trouble is, moulds wear out and get renewed, so although the model looks the same, each part is slightly different: the base is taller, the planking is wider, the windows altered, the stonework less finely-detailed...
20250920_090434.jpg
But, as all those training sessions tell us, a problem is just a challenge waiting to be solved...
So the new and old bases are cut, joined, and adapted20250920_091319.jpg
20250920_092326.jpg
..then the cut--outs made to accommodate the rodding:
20250920_100146.jpg
After which the walls are extended,
20250920_110605.jpg matching up old and new:
20250920_112940.jpg
but the appearance is more Frankenstein's monster than Helen of Troy.
20250920_112929.jpgFortunately I picked up a sheet of vac-formed timber cladding at GRS the other week, so this was added front and back, and the thin sliver of stonework removed earlier found a home on the front right of the box.
20250920_154621.jpg
and a first coat of paint applied.
20250920_203213.jpg
 
Last edited:
dunnyrail said:
Why not, I am sure the real thing may at times have needed to expand a box so may have used different stone as the original type had got more expensive newer cheeper stuff used.
Click to expand...
Yes! a lot of Boxes where rebuilt and sometimes moved about, I'm not sure if this correct, but Crossfields box on the low level line from Warrington to Ditton was part of Euston signal box before that was rebuilt.
 
Finishing off the signal box now: a plywood floor has been fitted (the box should be fairly weathertight!) and Mr Modeltown helpfully supplied enough glazing material for the whole of the enlarged building as standard!20250922_084348.jpg
20250922_084400.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom