Keep On Rolling...

Where does the time go? (Part 2)

If you ask my partner how many models I've collected and projects I've started she'd probably answer 'more than he knows what to do with' and to some extent she's correct. I have slowed down though on the model purchasing front - not only from a financial perspective but also from the point of being slightly more realistic in how long it would take me to get through and detail all of my stock - let alone build the layout and run it. However, every now and then the little modelling demon on my shoulder wins and I end up with a new purchase and these are a few items that have sneaked into the Cradley Bridges vault recently.

First off some Limited Edition Model Rail Satlink wagons.

I'm a late starter to the idea of limited edition models - to be honest I always thought they were overpriced and 9 times out of 10 they weren't of interest to me anyways as they were either wrong era or wrong livery, so kept clear of them full stop. Maybe I was a bit harsh with that decision and have probably (well I know I have for sure) missed out on some useful and unique models.  Skip forward a few years and I was at a model show and quietly watching the trains go by, when a short rake of wagons came past that caught my eye. After a quick chat with the operator it turns out that they were Satlink wagons from Model Rail magazine and they had been produced for a number of years. I'd obviously missed out on a few of the releases (and refuse to pay the inflated eBay prices that Ltd Editions attract) but managed to acquire a number of different wagons -  and pre order a further one, to enable me to make up a small rake. Despite them being Limited Editions, I'm a modeller first off, not a collector, so in time all of these will be weathered and detailed (I can hear the collectors out there screaming out now NOOOOOO!)

The only non limited edition Satlink wagon is Hornby's old 6 wheel milk tanker, which under the Satlink guise is used as a water bowser - not a bad model, but again can be made so much more realistic with a bit of detailing and weathering. Might go the whole hog with this one too and redo the side ladders as Hornby's are a little too 'toy like' for me - we'll have to see. Watch this space for updates on these models!!

Whilst still on the subject of Limited Editions, I also managed to secure some examples of a pair of Bachmann RTC MK1 coaches and a Bachmann RTC CCT from Invicta Models. This relatively new company seems to have taken over a lot of the preplanned Modelzone spec livery releases and rather nice that are too.

Again all will go through the Cradley Bridge workshops, get detail added and come out considerably grubbier but hopefully more realistic at the other end.

New in on the loco haulage front is this rather nice Hornby Sentinel shunter. Despite being in the rather fetching red Esso livery, I intend to strip and repaint this model into the typical work stained yellow examples you see dotted around yards/factories in this country. 

Hopefully I can also fit it with high intensity lights, flashing amber warning beacon and sound - no mean feat considering the size of the thing!! I may be tempted to buy another but for now lets see how I get on with this one. This photo shows the look I'm going to aim for…

I have a love hate relationship with Hornbys HST models… The old ones just didn't cut the mustard for me - I had one and intended to upgrade it, then Lima bought out their's so I ran one of those then finally the new ones were released - at last a detailed pretty accurate model could be had - admittedly for a price. I purchased a Virgin liveried example when they first came out but that was the start of a very slippery slope. I left it for a few months before I started to acquire Mk3 coaches to go with it and never finished the rake - they just seemed to disappear overnight - and Hornby's latest release of debranded overweathered poor examples just rubs salt in the wounds. So for now the Virgin HST set sits in a box with a couple of coaches not knowing if it will ever become a finished rake or will succumb to being eBay'd (and judging by the money some of these HST sets fetch that's probably what I'll do) as a non starter. I just wish that Hornby would plan their release policy of models so as to enable modellers to at least have a chance of building up a rake of likely coaches without either having to buy them all in one go or pay 3 times the price on internet sites!! However, its not all bad news for my HST experience. For a while I wanted to find the Hornby Network Rail HST version and after a couple of months I finally tracked one down, complete with extra coach pack so grabbed the chance to get it. 

Coupled with a recent Hornby release of 2 further NR Mk3's I can finally have an HST set to run that looks pretty prototypical (all be it the roof colours need changing on a couple of coaches) without too much hassle. Really looking forward to starting this project soon which will involve weathering (obviously) super detailing the coaches with lights and brake discs, detailing the power units and improving the lighting and (if i sell the Virgin branded HST) I think I'll fit both the power cars with DCC sound. 

Another recent acquisition has been Bachmann's Observation coach. This has been a much anticipated model if any of the internet forums are anything to go by. The first batch sold out quite quickly with pre ordered models. I managed to get one of the second batch but by then there had been a bit of a price increase - but then thats happened pretty much all over the Bachmann range (another reason to slow down buying models). I purchased the blue grey version and it has already entered the works to start being detailed.

At the moment it has had all its end detail added and painted, the panels over the door drop lights have been repainted rail blue, hand rails at either end have been painted warning yellow and the under fame has been given a weathering coat of frame dirt. The next stage will be weathering the roof, sides and ends to tie everything together. I'd love to get another one at some point and repaint it as the EWS observation coach.

Finally - well on the new purchase front anyway - every now and then something comes along which changes the game in 'out of the box' models and modelling. Step forward the Bachmann RTC test train coach pack. 

Considering this is factory weathering it is a superb representation of not only the real thing but actually most of the blue grey Mk1 stock I remember. Some lovely touches on the sides but the most impressive area is the roof. I will definitely be trying to copy this style on some of my other Mk1 coaches. Hope they bring out some other versions so as to enable a scale length train of these to be made up. No doubt I will add my own weathering and detail to these, but as a starting point they are just superb!!

Back On Track (Excuse the pun)

Where does the time go? (Part 1)

For some reason or another, I don't know why, but I haven't posted on here for so long. It's not like my modelling has stopped - far from it, but being my own boss and a freelancer (a euphemism for being frequently without work) I tend to find I have large parts of my time booked out for work, other times nothing on at all (then I have to go looking for more work) until finally life reverts to a happy medium again and I can get back to enjoying some quality modelling time. Happily we seem to be there again now, so hopefully as things settle back to normal, I can post up some of the projects I've been working on, finishing off, starting and maybe thinking of - something for everyone you could say…

So to start with - the ongoing Hornby MGR project. Well almost finished my complete rake and have to say I'm really pleased with the results. Had some good feedback from fellow modellers too - which is always nice as you do start to wonder if anyone ever reads your blog sometimes - so hopefully these newer photos will answer some of the questions asked.

The photos above show my rather crude but effective wire coupling method and attachment points. Both parts of the connector are fixed to the middle of the axle - this helps with keeping the axle aligned and reduces the 'wobble' that many of these wagons suffer from. The length of the wires is determined by how much slack or the gap you want between wagons and also the minimum radius of any of your layout curves.

Started working on a small rake of wagons to depict a Loadhaul engineers working. The consist is a couple of heavily weathered ballast wagons, a BDA bogie bolster, couple of limpets and a shark brake van bringing up the rear. Tried to depict them as a rake of well work-worn wagons (try saying that after a drink) but with full loads and some careful weathering rather than just spraying them with an all-over dirt application. I'm probably 90% satisfied with them now and they just need some minor tweaks to get them finished. Applied some graffiti transfers to the one ballast wagon as it seems in real life these are a popular target for 'tagging'. Sadly more and more rolling stock seems to be covered by this form of 'artwork' now - so I will add more to some of my models no doubt, however, I don't want my layout to look like a state of anarchy has swept thru it!!

A rather cruel close up showing the first stages of applying the graffiti transfer. This still needs to be bedded in and obviously weathered too.

Despite being interested in modern day rolling stock (well anything over the last 20 years) I still have an interest in models and rolling stock from earlier times and so decided that I'd also like to produce some models of earlier rolling stock that caught my eye. The purists will say that its not prototypical to run old and new models together and I'd agree to a point, but at the end of the day it's only a model railway (can't believe I've just said that) and I love making, detailing and running different types of rolling stock. The way I weather them is different too, as obviously the steam era threw out slightly different 'muck and dirt' to what diesels do - so slightly different paints and shades have been used to hopefully replicate this. 

One of the first trains I wanted to model was the old 'Condor' (so called as it stood for Container Door to Door) Express container train and was the forerunner of today's Freightliner block trains. Usually hauled by either a Class 24 or more frequently a couple of MetroVic Class 28's and consisting of BR Conflat wagons, it was one of the premier container trains to travel between London and Scotland. I figured it should be pretty easy to model using Bachmann or Heljan for the loco and Bachmann Conflat wagons (25 needed to be prototypical) for the rest of the train. 

The actual Condor freight train - here referred to as Night Freight was captured in all its glory in this painting by Terence Cuneo.

Over time I'd already collected a number of the Bachmann versions - different running numbers and various containers - and so set to work building my very own Condor Express. The wagons themselves had the NEM couplings removed and were then fitted with Smiths 3-link instanter couplings and vac pipes from Dart Castings. The wagons were then weathered with Tamiya XF10 Brown for the underfame and sides, whilst the deck used Tamiya XF55 Deck Tan which then had a couple of dirt washes to tone it all down and bring out the relief detail on the deck itself. 

The containers were treated to the same wash on the sides whereas the roof was painted with Tamiya XF69 Nato Black which is proving a very useful shade for me. The containers were then attached to the deck and then the fine detailing could begin. The way these containers were attached was to use chain and shackles on each corner which tethered the whole assembly together. To simulate this I used ultra fine brass chain and Roxey Mouldings brass shackle etchings. Once mocked up each length (4 per wagon) was dipped in a brass blackening solution and when it was dry I glued each one individually to the containers and wagons - painfully slow, yes, but gives just that little bit more extra detail.

So with 25 to do I'm roughly 25% way done at the moment and most containers have at least one chain attached. The loco has been sourced - a Heljan Class 28 - but unlike the real thing I'm using a single unit rather than double heading!!

Back to more up to date stuff now. I've finished my rake of Dapol KQA container rake and have fitted all of them with their relevant containers. Originally I was going to leave one empty but had a change of heart as I'd already got containers for them. If I pick up another one cheap then I will use that as the empty one.

Still on container rakes (honestly I have got other types) I've started to weather and detail some Hornby KFA wagons. Its a really nice wagon and once detailed and weathered looks far more realistic than when it comes out of the box. I have all 5 versions that were released and will probably get another couple of duplicates and just swap the containers over. Whilst on the subject of the containers, Hornby's aren't brilliant, but again with some subtle detailing and weathering they really do come to life. 

The wagons themselves were weathered using my stock base colour of Precision Paints Frame Dirt, with additional hints of rust, brake dust and black. Detail wise I added the air pipes that were supplied, changed the couplings over to the Bachmann Intermodal bars and also added brass lamp brackets. I also painted additional markings on the wagon sides which Hornby had left off. Again, once all these were done I was pretty much happy with the way they looked - just need to keep my eye open for the additional ones now!! More pictures will follow...

And my last comment for now, re containers, is regards my rake of Dapol Megafrets which when finished should represent a nice (but considerably shortened) rake of Stobart wagons.  Don't think I'll ever have the room to run a scale length train of this type. I did collect the Dapol Stobart liveried containers, but only have a few. Luckily I think Oxford are about to introduce a range of containers which should hopefully fill the gap - if not, may well leave a couple of wagons unloaded just for variety.