On The Workbench Today...

Catch Up Time Again!!

I really must make more of an effort to write about what I'm working on for this blog - the trouble is when you work on a computer all day the last thing you want to do is spend your evening doing the same thing and very occasionally some modelling gets in the way and I get carried away in the moment and forget to record what I'm doing - don't know wether that's my age or just sheer enthusiasm!! Anyway, enough excuses lets get this blog back on track (no pun intended)!

My rake of original Hornby MGR hoppers is coming on in leaps and bounds and I'm really pleased with how they've come out - just shows you that with a little work even outdated basic models can be made to look good. After my first initial trial with a few wagons I finally hit on the right 'ingredients' needed to make them look good enough and more importantly run well enough so as I can use them on Cradley Bridge. Firstly the undernourished buffers are removed and replaced with white metal Oleo versions. The versions I chose to use are shown below.

Next the oversize couplings are removed, a scale coupling hook and air pipe are installed and I add my own little adaptation to Hornby's self centering wheels. The wagons are then fitted with a small wire hook one end, hoop the other so as to enable a close coupled rake to be assembled very quickly.

Once painted, the hook and loop are almost invisible and seem to work very well at keeping the wagons inline and steady. I've renumbered the wagons using data panels and overhead wire flashes from Fox Transfers and once these were sealed with Klear floor polish the wagons were airbrushed with frame dirt and black.

This shows the first batch of 6 MGR's that I worked on - all with various levels of weathering and hopefully looking a lot better and more realistic than they did when they started out? I'm now working on the next batch of 6 with another 12 to do. The final rake of 24 is probably a good deal shorter than in real life but will be more than long enough for a rake on my layout and will look great being pulled by a work stained Heljan Class 58 or Hornby Class 56.

Of course MGR wagons would not be complete without a load of coal - a search through some of my modelling boxes turned up some plastic 'coal effect' inserts made by Parkside specifically for the Hornby MGR wagon. Although a perfect fit, the plastic coal looked awful and so i decided to use real fine grade coal to cover them. 

The plastic loads were inserted into the wagons, coated with matt varnish and then sprinkled with the coal - simple, effective and I think it looks great.

To finish off the wagons and tie everything together, black weathering powder was used on the sides and underframe to simulate coal dust and give the whole wagon a dirty 'in use' look. The last wagon in the rake was also fitted with a 3 link instanter coupling and a tail lamp for effect. Can't wait to see the whole rake of wagons together - whenever that will be!!

I've also started on another wagon rake - this time round its a container train - one of many I intend to model for Cradley Bridge. To start off with I have 5 of the Dapol KQA intermodal pocket wagons to work on. I intend to run 4 loaded and have 1 empty - which is the one I am working on first.

This has been given an initial weathering wash using my base pigment of Phoenix P960 frame dirt. The railings and hand wheels have been repainted white, 3 link instanter couplings fitted as well as brake pipes. Next thing to do will to be to add rust shading and damage/scraping marks to inside of wagon. Once I'm happy with the results I will roll the same set of techniques over to the other 4 wagons plus start on the containers themselves.