The RHBR fleet

[williamfj]

The package from AnDel arrived this morning & modelling. It's amazing how time consuming brush painting acrylic on resin & plastic seems to be! The coach kit went together without fuss, some tidying was needed mainly on the roof frame.
Offler is ready to be wired up, but that'll have to wait until Christmas when I go back to the fleet's namesake. I've got round to painting numbers back on her, they look yellow but they are gold (flash yes, but she is named after a God!) Brush painting 8s is quite easy, when you've got no other alternative. River Ankh (aka The Light Sporting Locomotive) has had some trimline added, I haven't got any varnish so it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts.

The back story for the coach is that it's recently been downgraded to P-Way & has yet to be repainted. It still needs a lot of painting, it hasn't yet been allocated a fleet No. & the roof was only on for the photo.


I need to redo the lettering on the control panel. The 8s as well could be better but I'd probably make them worse!

I'm quite happy with the little 8 on the radiator though

I personally think she looks better with axle boxes, but I did like seeing the cranks & rods rotate when running, I'll miss that


I'm going to have a quick brew, then continue to paint the coach & touch up some of the wagons that are looking a bit tatty. The open wagon can wait till tomorrow.

[williamfj]

The open wagon & coach are complete enough to run tomorrow & not be embarrassed by them! The open wagon needs more weathering & the coach's foot board legs need painting, but if I try & paint any more I'll probably screw up.
I've also set up Offler's reciever, and even had the dismantled Croc god burst into life, but she still needs the electrics to be done properly (ie soldered not pushed together!). So it looks like it'll be January before the croc god turns a wheel in anger again, for the first time since June, where does the time go!

'New' P-Way open No.4 needs more weathering, more replacement planks & more dark washes. The wheels need a lot more doing, the white stripes stick out far too much.

This side really needs more weathering, only 2 new planks is considered main line-able!

I'm very happy with the coach, but fitting the roof was a bit tricky, and the steps look like they could be broken easily. Something to sort properly during winter?


I didn't notice the sloping buffer beam initially but I like it, it adds character!

[Steven.T]

Looks good William, where did you get the axle boxes for Offler from?

[williamfj]

I got the axle boxes from Cambrian, Fowler axle boxes.

I didn't bother to take the Fowler today, nowt wrong with it but I wanted to take more stock, in retrospect it would have been interesting to see how much it could have pulled in those conditions. The last RHBR working of 2011 saw the Light Sporting Locomotive take her 2 vans out for a sprint round the big loop, a marked contrast to the first stuttering attempt to get her round in March.

Quite a haulage feat considering her miniscule weight, compared to the support van & the greasy rails.


An all AnDel line up, I just need to get my AnDel loco working again!

River Ankh flies back to the depot in the hope of a nice cosy winter.

[Pretoria]

Just love the action shot ! Should be some sort of competition winner.

[Narrow Minded]

I reckon that Ffion looks cool without the rods - different from the crowd too.

As for the action shot.... even the driver looks as if he's "leaning into it"! Well panned

[williamfj]

Thanks guys, I had thought of entering it in the photo comp, but like the photo of the Peckett I don't think it has enough Autumn colours, except for yellow of course!

[Narrow Minded]

Well I was looking for "autumn colours" at todays steam-up ~ the trees are either still green or totally bare Crazy weather, some are even in bud!

[sstjc]

You should definately enter the action shot in the photo comp. Very good and it has plenty of autumny coulour from where i'm sitting.
Barry
www.5inchrail.com

[Sir Clothem Cap]

Amazing action shot, how did you do it?

[DolwyddelanLightRail]

Amazing action shot, how did you do it?

you need a camera that you can alter the shutter speed on, have it slightly longer than average and just follow the train, you can get some really great results!



Have to admit though, that pan of the rapier is brilliant!

[williamfj]

In addition to a slower shutter speed, it took a large dose of good luck, it's the only panned shot I've taken all year that's any good!  
That shot of the Quarry Hunslet is an absolute belter!:D

[williamfj]

I've got a soldering iron now so I've been working on Offler & River Ankh's van resulting in the switch on the outside of RA's van working again. I'm thinking of getting a proper battery pack for Offler as I can't see 3AA's lasting long, once the Croc God's wired up properly I'll find out.
In other news, an IP ballast wagon has landed at the Haxby Road works and I've ordered my first steam loco, although it is a battery powered Model Town Tadja!

[Steven.T]

Buy a pack of small candles, preferably the shape of the locos chimney, insert candle and light. No one will know the difference... until the candle stops and the loco keeps going.... hmmm...

Looks like a nice little loco btw, good luck with this one!

[williamfj]

My Tadja (to be named Ivy) arrived on Wednesday and is coming along nicely. I've made safety valves & a whistle for her and fitted lamp irons. I had planned to line her using red but I couldn't get any so settled for orange, but I think it looks better with orange lining. The boiler bands are thick blank trimline with a narrow orange line. I haven't wired her up yet, soldering will prob wait until I get a new battery for Offler but painting will continue into the small hours.
The whistle & reversing rod aren't glued on and the lining could do with tweaking, but I'm afraid I'd make it worse and take the paint off.

She does look better in the flesh!

[SapperAnt]

DId you read the article in Garden Rail about modding the "Tadja" kit? The article writer cladded the boiler in wood and fitted a replacement chimney to replace the solid resin one - with very good results!

[williamfj]

I've read the article, that's what made me really want one as I really liked the look if that Tadja. That and the fact it's a really cheap way to add a steamer to the fleet! I decided not to fit wooden lagging as I've based her immensely loosely on Chaloner (they're both black and that's more or less it really!) and I didn't have any suitable wood.
I haven't glued the chimney on, it's held on with a length of brass wire that's glued into the chimney and loosely presses onto the boiler as replacing the chimney is on the to do list, but for now I'm happy with her. With a good pair of rechargeable AAs she' lasted 2 hours hauling 3 wagons round the plastic test circle. I've also finished my 4 skips and the MOD ballast wagon has more paint than it did this time yesterday. Piccys will follow tomorrow as I'm totally knackered, staying up till 3 in the morning painting wasn't a good idea in retrospect!  :roll:

[williamfj]

As promised here are some photos of Ivy and 3 of the 4 skips, the 4th one still needs some work. The whistle is a bit of brass tube with a notch filed into it with plasticard on top. The pressure gauge is well over scale, it's also on the list of stuff to get at Peterborough. The numbers need attention, the wheels and chassis need painting black and the buffer beams still need another couple of coats. But I 've got 2 weeks till the next running day so no pressure.

The oilcan is lettered 'Mild' I need to get another for 'Bitter'!



The skips have all been weathered using a brown wash, some more watered down than others. Once the brown was applied it was quickly wiped off. Flash was the only way to show the weathering.




What's better than cruel close ups! They do all look better in the flesh trust me!

[williamfj]

Ivy looks awful in those photos! Nameplates have been fitted, and I've redone the numbers.
There should be a running day tomorrow, but looking at the weather forecast I might need a snowplough, will some card taped to River Ankh's buffer beam do!

[williamfj]

Ivy is now finished, which is code for I can't be bothered to do anything else to her. Alongside Ivy 3 of my skips (43, 59 & 61) and the IP MOD ballast wagon were also making their début. 61 is the end skip with the end painted red but it hasn't got a coupling pin to allow space for a red disc used as a tailboard so some work needs doing to make it easier & less damaging to the paintwork to pull. The Railbus' wheel need cleaning badly, the front right is covered in crud!