00 Gauge Railtec Transfers for WR Toad branding.

The new layout now has it's own brake van.

These are excellent, easy to cut and apply- you can really tell when the transfers are freshly made.

So, this one is ready for service,together with the Truro, St. Blazey and Par examples.

https://www.railtec-models.com/index.php

Railtec Transfers.

 I ordered some transfers from Railtec over the weekend, and after confirming what was wanted expected to wait a couple of weeks.

However, five days later they landed on the doormat.

The order was for numbering for a couple of BR&CW Type 3's in 3mm together with branding for a Toad Brake van in 4mm.

Helpfully, Steve produced them all on one sheet and each set includes a spare in case on becomes mucked up!

https://www.railtec-models.com/index.php

Petite Properties Station Road shop.

The final piece has been made, bar painting the roof and adding ridge tiles.

This is Jasmines Flower Pot named after my granddaughter. It has a full window display as well as detailed business signs.

These kits are a joy to put together being laser cut wood and card. Windows are also pre-printed which makes glazing so easy.

So, I should be able to add tram poles and street lighting soon with just the entry and exit points to finalise.

Tram layout- as yet unnamed.

I have made a backscene for the layout and have just about confirmed where everything will go.

The terrace has had the houses numbered, there is just the shop to complete and a few fences and gates to make.

The four trams currently available will soon number five as the bogie motorised chassis is now to hand.

OO Gauge LCUT Small Signal box.

This Western Region style signal box is just the right size for St Mewan.


The contents are excellently produced and easily assembled with Super Phatic glue from Delux Materials.

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/super-phatic

 The name for the signal box- not perfect but will do for me. The laser cut parts have been spray painted with white undercoat making it easier

http://www.lcut.co.uk/index.php?page=pages/products&title=Products

to assemble. Recommended kit.

OO scale 14XX 0-4-2T.

I recently aquired an elderly Airfix 14XX 0-4-2T loco together with an Autotrailer.

As the new layout, St Mewan, is located in Cornwall, a search was done to re-number the 14XX to a Cornish shedded version. There is only one 1419 which was allocated to St Blazey for it's entire existance.

However, 1419 wasn't fitted with a top feed as the Airfix model.

So out came the heavy duty knife and rough file.

Et voila- a removed top feed ready for painting.

 247  Developments were phoned and relevant plates were in stock together with a couple of other items were ordered. Brian said the post office would be visited later this week and the parts sent. In view of the present crisis this is excellent service.

 https://www.247developments.co.uk/

 All repainted in satin black. Once the masking (blue tack) is removed then the buffer beams can be touched up and the pipework reinstated.

Then addition of ferret on dartboard decals can be applied . The entire loco can then be left to fully dry until the number plates arrive.

The result doesn't look too bad for  a loco nearly 40 years old and this conversion was carried out for a considerable lot less than modern offerings-

00 Gauge St Mewan.

St Mewan is 1.5km outside of St Austell . As some may know St Austell is the centre of China Clay mining in Cornwall.

My small layout- 8ft x 8inches, will be a terminus to fiddle yard layout with a short branc to a China Clay drying facility.

It has no prototype, just trying to capture the essance of such a facility.

For now there is much to build. This one, the tram layout, 3mm scale East Boldre and 4mm Woodlands.

Petite Properties Low Relief Harpers Yard.

The roof has been fitted. Corrugated iron this time. Light brushing with silver paint followed by dry brushing rust when dry. I do like this finish and very easy to do.
Good news! The postman has just delivered a couple of kits and roof tiles so the terrace can be finished.
https://www.petitepropertiesltd.com/1/76th-low-reflief.html

00 gauge Western Region Buildings from LCut.

During this period of self isolation it is the opportunity to crack on with the new layouts.

The new 00 layout based in Cornwall has been named but hasn't been revealed yet.

So, onward with the LCut buildings. I have started the station building by modifying the station kit to suit the space available. The roof will also form the platform canopy.

It is at the point of being painted so first it will have a coat of spray primer, probably white which will colour the window frames.

Parkers Lockup from Petite Properties.

The third structure is Parkers lockup.

This will be re-named and have a side entrance protected by a substantial gate and possibly an arch.

As with all things I still have to decide on names- Layout, Street and buildings.

Made the same as the others but this time using blue engineers bricks on the ground floor.
 

Petite Properties for my Tram Micro Layout.

First up is the Terrace. This uses two kits joined together to give a terrace of six houses.

The walls are clad with brick paper from the old Builder Plus range. These, to my mind, are the best ever produced with Howard Scenics offerings a close second.

All fascia mouldings were spray painted with white undercoat and left as are because the slight discolorations from laser cutting give a nice weathered look.

Daffodil Cottage has also been covered with brick paper but I have no idea of the source.

I purchased a kit, many moons ago, which had the paper covering included. The house was rendered so the paper wasn't used.

The cottage has decorative brickwork which makes a change from  properties.

The same finish was given to the mouldings as before. However, I forgot the curtains before adhering the roof!

009 England style loco.

Well, the 'England' is just about finished and I am very pleased with the result.

After painting, handrails, lining, whistle,lamp and crew were added which have really brought the model alive.

Motorised with a KATO 11-103 motor bogie which I had spare it has been an inexpensive loco to build and a satisfying model has been the outcome.

Petite Properties Low Relief Terraced Houses.

 Now that several exhibitions have been cancelled there is time to complete some projects.

The first will be the tram layout, still un-named, which uses several Petite Properties low relief buildings which the first is the terrace.

The mouldings have been sprayed matt white (primer) and , once dry, adhered to the brick paper covered walls.

The doors are within a separate porch and one is shown .www.petite-properties.com

00 gauge Dundas 16T Mineral Wagon.

Seems a long time since I built any
00 gauge wagons. This one is the rivetted body version which appears not to be available ready to run.

This one I have had for a while and while waiting for some models paint to dry I started.

As usual, a very crisp moulding with little flash to remove, the only thing of note was to rub the top of the solebars to ensure they were flat. I also subsituted the plastic buffer heads for some turned steel ones.

As the body and chassis are the correct colouring I haven't painted this one, just applying transfers and then sealing with matt varnish. A quick and easy build which makes me want to obtain more but I have enough kits to make already.

Covid-19 or Coronavirus.

Nothing model railway related today.

It would seem that there is a selfish part of society that think of nobody but themselves. This appears to be the generations that have never experienced real hardship or real austerity. The times during and after the last world war, the Suez crisis etc.spring to mind. Fuel rationing today would cause absolute panic and worry that they couldn't get to the shops to panic buy.

Please spare a thought to those who look after and care for the sick and disabled. Many activities  regrettably have had to be cancelled leaving those parents and carers with  little or no respite. It is not possible for them to leave the less fortunate  to pop to the shops or have a coffee with friends.

Also consider what challenges looking after a child with learning difficulties will present. Constantly keeping these  children occupied will be a challenge which will test the most dedicated.

So- rather than whinge about what will impact on yourself, please consider those less fortunate and stop moaning that the pub, restaurant etc is initiating procedures to safeguard themselves because, quite frankly, some are not concerned with the welfare of others.

009 3D printed wagons.

These two, together with a couple more sided wagons came from the 009 Society Secondhand Sales.

The bodies were originally separate prints from the chassis and came complete with couplings.

A coat of grey primer and the floors an oak Brown and they are ready for branding- but what I am not sure yet.

Scattered around are the handrail knobs for the England loco!

009 George England Loco.

OK- it's not an exact copy I agree but this 3D print captures the look of an England loco.

Designed to be used with a KATO 4 wheel motor bogie, it is a quick way to produce a useable loco inexpensively.

Using paint and bits I already have, including a pair of YEO nameplates, all parts are from the bits box.

Below is the model fitted with boiler handrails and lining below the footplate.

00 Gauge Auto Trailer and Auto- fitted 0-4-2T

I aquired these two recently, but both were in GWR livery.

So, out with the masking tape and a couple of coats of BR Crimson covered the original paintwork.

Unfortunately I didn't have GWR loco green to paint over the removed GWR branding so used BR Loco green instead- mistake. Still once I ge the correct colour it will take a couple of minutes to put right.

For just £30 another set for the forthcoming Western Region layout- still not named!

Romsey Exhibition- Part 3.

Lastly a few shots of Cringle Street Goods.

This view shows a couple of Terriers, one withIsle of Wight bunker , shunting.

Romsey Exhibition Part 2.

Next up is Toby Hollins Jones excellent 2mm scale Portfadog.

Superbly executed model which I really admire.

Romsey Model Railway Exhibition March 2020.

 A really enjoyable weekend at the Romsey Exhibition- worth going just for the excellent food!

Just a selection of layouts over the next couple of posts- First up is
Abergynolwyn a new OO9 layout by Andy Cundick based on the line of the same name.

Next is Kunzebrucke, an electrified line in Germany