A visit to Shillingstone S&DJR.

Periodically I meet a friend at the preserved station at Shillingstone in Dorset. There always appears to be progress although the Covid pandemic has quietened things down a little. The long awaited permission to extend the line is with the Council and unfortunately has to wait in the queue as has everything else. No planning or lease agreements means that the work can't proceed which is a shame as a lot could have been done safely in the present climate.

A real Mechanical Horse and trailer are also being restored and judging by the work so far will be an absolute cracker. Much of the cab has had to be rebuilt and the engine needed some work also. Still the work so far is a credit to those participating.

Wagons have been received from the S&DJR Trust at Washford- these include the crane which is on the flat wagon. The covered wagons frame had to be removed for transport as it would be overheight for bridges en-route.

 

Production batch of Jurassic Models 009 Wooden Wagon kits.

The second batch- production versions have arrived. To order yours please contact Mike on-mike.jurassic@btinternet.com

Eight more lazer cut kits requiring PECO wagon chassis.

I only have three chassis that are suitable so a quick order to Derails secured the five I need. For some reason it is cheaper to buy a complete wagon (unpainted) than a chassis kit from other suppliers.

Still that is my gain.

https://www.derails.co.uk/

 

Just for something a bit different some of these wagons have been branded GV for use on Gwartha Vellan. I have used some rub down transfers that were in stock all sealed with cheap matt varnish.

The Box & Sons wagon is , of course, fictitious but adds some variety to the rake.

There are still a couple to make and they will have a different livery from these all ready made.

009 etched brass L&B Observation Car.

Finally have touched in the chips on the L & B observation coach.

This is a brass etch from Brynkits which appears to no longer be available.

The bogies have been substituted for PECO examples- will run with my existing stock.

The roof is my usual venetian blind slat glued on with UHU and secured with elastic bands whilst curing.

Last photo sees completed coach.

 

Completed 009 Wooden kit wagons.

 Both wagons are now finished. They are connected by a simple bent brass pin which will also be used on subsequent wagons.

They will be run as a rake of six with a Greenwich coupling at one outer end and a coupling with no loop at the other.

I am very pleased with the result and await further kits.

Thoroughly recommended for a beginner as the chassis is RTR and the wagon simple to assemble.

00 Gauge Hornby GWR 4 wheel coaches.

 

I had been intending to purchase a GWR liveried Autotrailer for the GW stock for St. Mewan.

However, remembering I had some unused gift vouchers from Christmas, I decided to order this pair of Hornby 4 wheeled coaches from Derails.

https://www.derails.co.uk/

Ordered on a Friday evening they arrived on Monday lunchtime- excellent service that I have come to expect from Big and Small Dans and Saul- thanks guys!

These two are of the same quality as the Southern Railway one's I already have.

The only downside is a First and Third or Tri- composite which would have been better for a short train for a micro layout.

Still, Hattons are producing these so I will patiently drum my fingers until I can see if there is a good livery match when they are released.

In the meantime must getback to modelling!

009 Wooden Wagon kits.

For those who expressed interest inthese wagons, I am now able to reveal their origin.

They are made by Jurassic Models and Mike can be contacted on-

mike.jurassic@btinternet.com

He will shortly be setting up to produce more kits so it is a good time to contact him to order.

 

00 gauge Replica Railways 57XX Pannier Tank.

I have often heard it said in a certain Society that you have to get things from different sources. This isn't true solely for that particular scale- it happens for all scales.

Try and source detailing items for a loco- in this case an elderly Replica Pannier Tank.

I want cabside number plates, transfers, replacement chassis spacers, crew and a whistle shield with  whistles.

So far I have narrowed it down to 3 suppliers which, of course, means 3 sets of postal charges!
 

00 gauge Bachmann China Clay Wagon with tarpaulin cover.

 E-bay can be extremely annoying sometimes!

A china clay wagon with replica tarpaulin cover,not hood,caught my eye and has subsequently joined the Western Region stock. 

I have far too many of these now but can't resist a bargain or a rarity as this seems to be judging by the dearth of them on the bay.

Already weathered, I will have to decide whether to leave as is or fit a tarpaulin to match the others!

009 wooden wagons.

At long last I have gotten round to applying a coat of primer to the two wooden wagons.

The plan is for black ironwork on a faded weathered grey painted wagon.

I find a grey primer base easier to dry brush or apply weathering powders to.

It is starting to come together, the next job is to paint the chassis and ironwork.

 

3mm S.R. 10 Ton GUV etched brass kit.

I have a couple of these etches for some time. They were bought without the castings but these could be obtained from the 3mm Society shop.

A diagram 3101 van which was produced, according to the instructions, by Stewart Hine in 1973.

I like building etched kits especially well thought out , and scaled, ones. This, although nearly 50 years old, is a lovely etch and fits extremely well.

The instructions are somewhat scant but simple enough for even me to understand.

 

One godsend for assembling etched brass kits is solder paint.

Easy to fix those small pieces which are nigh impossible to attach using multicore or low melt with acid flux.

This I purchased at Warley from Squires if my memory serves me correctly. A good stir and its ready for use. A thin coat on the part to be attached, lay in place and apply heat. The resultant sizzle tells you it is working and remove heat- fixed!

 

 

The hinge etch is attached to the door and needs folding in- east to fix with solder paint and, because there is little overspill, easy to clean up.

The completed door attached to one side, there are cut outs once the vent etches are removed so the doors are secured from the back.

The ends were tacked with solder paint then a fillet of multicore applied at the back of the joint.

Next onto the framing , which, would need to be attached with superglue normally but, yes you've guessed- solder paint.

The small parts were tricky to bend but a true, smoothed jaw vice made this a little easier.

 

One side completed and awaiting cleaning up. The roof I am using is the 3mm Society roof for their Southern PMV.

This is rather than try and shape the etch and really is the easy way out. 

After a bit of scraping at the roof edges it fits quite well.

Onwards to the other side. I have another of these and a GW Toad to make so will keep me busy for a bit.

3mm wagons completed.

The four wagons with Fencehouses chassis have been completed.

They all have had weight added and my usual 3mm scale West Harptree couplings, from Worsley Works etches, added.

They make a nice unfitted rake which roll superbly.

Maybe, once we are back exhibiting, I will find a local show to give them a run- but not this year!

 

00 gauge Cambrian wagons completed.

The two Cambrian 00 wagons have been finished- minus couplings- and I am rather pleased with them.

The Southern van was painted with acrylic Pullman Umber with a light grey roof, to represent weathered white.

This one will join the other Southern wagons and be fitted with Sprat and Winkle couplings.

The Mineral wagon, below, was undercoated with red primer which is a good substitute for Bauxite- and means I don't have to buy yet another can of paint. Both wagons are adorned with Modelmaster Transfers sealed with my local bankrupt stock store Matt Varnish.