Garden Railway Forum

Of course, having got myself organized it is pishing it down today! Good job I remembered to put the cement straight in the shed - everything else is dumped at the work site. They have promised us a full day of it, so I am going to have to watch the basement too, because if the water table gets too high tend I end up with an indoor paddling pool until it subsides again. After this we are in the clear for the next 10 days.

Cheers,
Peter in VA

The growing rake is looking lovely - I really like the mail van. I'm impressed by how you've combined speed with quality, and more than a little tempted to have a go with card myself...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Ah yes, I've got one of those early Brandbright carriages with card overlays. I was 16 when I first built it, and I probably did a pretty poor job, but it's been rebuilt and repainted twice since then, and I think it looks OK now, probably just through the sheer number of times it's been painted and sanded back!

Cheers,

Andrew.

Rattle cans, masking tape, and painting before laminating help me enormously. I am not good with a paint brush being generally best at applying a single colour to a large area, and anything lucky enough to get in the way. Removing the expletives, my painting style has been described as being reminiscent of a squaddie whitewashing coal. The mail van had the beading painted dark brown, the body panels cream, and the innermost layer dark tan on the outside, and cream on the inside before assembly. I find all that paint, assisted by spray glue, stiffens the structure nicely. It also makes it somewhat damp proof, though I have to admit, my card vehicles have yet to survive a Virginia summer.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

Your rolling stock is sure coming along Peter. Soon be behind a loco and a video of them hopefully.

Can I suggest if I may taking your builds as you go along outside (Weather permitting) to take some photos. I know it may seem a bit of a pain in the backside, but you would get some better photos wouldn't you.

Now the clocks have changed there is a danger that that might happen, especially as there is now track outside. My favourite time for rolling stock building is late afternoon, so I usually grab the camera at the end of a session and record the recent results, which is not very conducive to outside photography November to March. You have also reminded me that I need to get the fluorescent lights rigged up again in the basement. I pulled them a while back to pinch the three-to-two adaptor for another job (the wife's computer, IIRC), and I have now remembered to buy another. Anyway, not much rolling stock building going on at the moment as I am getting a flying start on the outside track before skeeter season starts.

Cheers,
Peter in Va

The weather required a break from outdoor hobby activities after work today, so I did a little more to the three compartment third I was working on a couple of weeks ago. The ends were laminated up, the underframe made, and the first coat of cream paint applied. W-irons, wheels, and couplings were liberated from the bit box. Parts still to be fabricated: compartment petitions, seats, sunshades and roof.

Pics in a day or two when I have something worth photographing.

Cheers,
Peter in Va