00 Gauge EFE Rail.

 

The time between the announcement and release of the new EFE Rail must be the shortest yet.

Several ex KMRC models including the Beattie Well Tank and Southern Gate stock are welcome re-releases.

Will we see a fresh run of 02 0-4-4Tanks? Lets hope so.

 

00 Gauge coach conversion progresses.

As the conversion progresses I have been aquiring elderly BSL white metal bogies.

These appear from time to time and have the advantage that they come with wheelsets which run on code 75 rail!

Of a Southern Steam prototype, these fill my requirements perfectly and also add weight where its needed most.

They really are excellent castings with little or no flash to clean up.

Below is the picture I omitted last post which shows how the roof fits-almost flush. Just the original roof mounting hole to fill and it will do before undercoating and painting begins- when it stops raining!

 

00 Gauge cut and shut coaches- part two.

once the roofs had enough of the rebate removed- so it didn't stretch the end too much, I decided to fill in the coach roof end rather than try and reshape the ends.

This was done by cutting plasticard to the inner roof profile and superglueing in place.

I am aware that the coach ends shouldn't have a tumblehome but to reshape would mean a lot more work - this conversion is not meant to be an exact facsimile!

The idea of just clipping the roofs in to place crossed my mind so a simple piece of plasticard was glued to the end to aid positioning.

There are similarities of Southern coach ends and the clerestories produced by Tri-ang and later Hornby. 

However, once painted black the missing part of the detail won't be too obvious.

Next is roof vents of the Torpedo type- and ,yes, you've guessed I don't have enough- just 15 short!

 

00 Gauge cut and shut Southern coaches.

 The previous, crimson, coaches I modified had Roxey Mouldings plastic roofs. Some while ago I purchased some extruded aluminium roofs from The Southern Railways Group at the Southampton exhibition.

However, several months later and I discovered that the one's I had were too wide. So a quick call to SRG , the transfer of a few pounds and the narrower type, 31mm, landed on the doormat.

They are still slightly wide but a bit of judicious filing and now they sit almost perfectly, just a bit more fettling to do.

http://srg.org.uk/

I must admit that the renewed interest is as a result of the arrival of the latest EFE Gate Stock and Beattie Well Tank.

The impetus to complete St Mewan so I can restart Woodlands my other 4mm scale layout which has been in storage far too long.

The buildings for Woodlands have nearly all been made and await blending into the awaiting countryside.

So- work to do and a couple of layouts to sell!

 

00 Southern Region coaches with Adams 02.

Couldn't resist a few shots of the 02 with the converted Tri-ang/Hornby Clerestory coaches.

Conversion was detailed in previous posts which I won't repeat.

Although St Mewan is an ex-GWR station I plead modellers licence with Bodmin as the main witness!

 

Coal Yard for St Mewan.

Slowly the finishing touches are being put to St Mewan.

Idly sorting through the bits box I came across a bundle of coffee stirrers of various sizes.

Roughly cut with a pair of sidecutters and stuck together with quick stick PVA they have turned out quite well for no outlay.

A coat of acrylic brown paint mixed with dark grey they are all ready for a delivery of coal and a Coal Office.

 

00 Gauge Adams 02 Tanks from SE Finecast and KMRC.

On the far side is my SE Finecast mainland 0-4-4T 02 Class tank made several years ago . 

The SE Finecast version stands a little higher than the Kernow offering but later builds had a cab 6'' taller than the original batch.

A crew has been fitted into the SE Finecast version, it being nearly impossible on the other due to the cabside doors being modelled in the closed position.

Which do I prefer? Undecided!