(WH)WHR Rolling Stock

[Andrew]

Nice! I particularly like the bolster set - that's on my list too. MDF is an add choice for axleboxes, isn't it?! Lovely cheap kits, but less of a bargain when you've bought new axleboxes! I've got two Binnie slate wagons in their FR guise and another one awaiting construction which will represent the NWNGR variant - I'll probably add brakes, as per the one in the maker's works photo.

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Andrew]

Hi all,

Apparently, today is "Black Friday"... According to some sources this is some sort of celebration of impending armageddon fuelled by rampant consumerism, but this seemed such an unlikely thing to celebrate that I decided to investigate further and am pleased to report that I've discovered the True Meaning of Black Friday... It's all about giving adequate recognition to the most important colour in any railway modeller's paint collection, but one that's often overlooked - matt black.

And so, to celebrate Black Friday, here's a grainy photo of the latest progress on my brine tank wagon, taken this morning before I left for work, when the sun still hadn't risen properly:

It's nearly finished now, just brake gear and some weathering to add, which I might do this weekend. Another job for the weekend is the application of more matt black paint, this time to the ironwork of the second small WHR open wagon. Most of that's been ready for painting for a while, but I still hadn't made the axleboxes - that changed on Wednesday evening, in a Cardiff hotel room on a rare work trip away!

Spare time is likely to be limited as Christmas approaches, but it will be nice to get these two finished soon, if possible...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Peter Butler]

Love the tank wagon.... the rivets look perfectly aligned, which I know isn't easy. Nice matt surface too.

[Andrew]

Nice matt surface too.

Poundland spray - as you know, it's wonderful stuff! Goodness knows what they put in it though, or what it's doing to the inside of my lungs, it smells far worse than usual spray cans...

[LNR]

Andrew,
I like your definition of Black Friday much better than the consumer based one.
Also interesting to hear of you assembling the axle boxes in a hotel room, you have your priorities in the right order. Reminds me of sitting in the back of my four wheel drive on top of an embankment overlooking the main North East line and assembling HO railway kits as the trains pass by.
I think my eyes would have a bit of a twich after assembling that many rivets on the Brine Tank though.
Well done.
Grant.

[FWLR]

Nice job on the Brine Wagon Andrew.

Those nail art gems can be addictive can't they....

[JMORG]

Brine tank looks good! I made a 3D printed brine tank a while back, need to dig it out and finish it!
The prototype is currently under restoration on the Ffestiniog.

[philipy]

The tank wagon is looking good Andrew, looking forward to seeing it with detail added.
Back in the day when I worked away from home a lot, I did a fair bit of modelling in hotels and on the train. I once applied individual plasticard stones to clad a 4mm ruined Cornish Engine house when I was awy for several days in one place! When I worked for Travellers Fare ( B.R. Catering) I travelled 1st Class on business and used to get very raised eyebrows from sitting cleaning up plastic sprues etc on a long trip oop North!!

[GTB]

And so, to celebrate Black Friday, here's a grainy photo of the latest progress on my brine tank wagon, taken this morning before I left for work, when the sun still hadn't risen properly:

It looks nice, but gee, rather you than me.....

You've done a good job of applying those things close together, and in a straight line no less. I tried something similar once in HO, but with three ersatz rivets disappearing into the carpet for every one that made it to the model, I admitted defeat and bought a rivet press. Not long after that Archer Transfers released their first rivet decal sheets, didn't they.....

I tried taking models on a trip once, but after a 12 hr drive all I could manage was to crawl into bed......

Regards,
Graeme

[Andrew]

Brine tank looks good! I made a 3D printed brine tank a while back, need to dig it out and finish it!
The prototype is currently under restoration on the Ffestiniog.

Thanks! It occurred to me as I was sticking on all those gems that this wagon's the perfect candidate for 3D printing!

I'm quite keen to get it finished quickly, because once the FR have outshopped the real thing all the bits that I've guessed will become obvious - I want to enjoy it while I can!

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Andrew]

Thanks for the kind comments chaps - I'm enjoying the "modelling in strange places" stories too!

Some of the models built much further back down the thread were partially constructed at my old workplace, in a little-used storage area that I took over at lunchtimes - a colleague dubbed it "The Workshop of the World", which sort of stuck. Actually, he was the only one who knew what I got up to in there, I try not to advertise my eccentricities too much... Another colleague did comment on the smell of solvent drifting out into the adjacent office space one day - I told him I'd been glue-sniffing and he seemed content to leave it at that. I'm not sure if that says more about him or me!

As I type this the spray paint's drying on the strapping and brake gear I mentioned earlier. It's a little risky spray painting when it's this cold, but they're only small parts so I'm hoping to get away with any imperfections...

Cheers,

Andrew.

[Peter Butler]

Thanks for the kind comments chaps - I'm enjoying the "modelling in strange places" stories too!

It's a little risky spray painting when it's this cold,

This could apply to both comments above...... I find the best place to do spray painting when it's cold outside is in Diane's greenhouse. It's surprising how warm it gets in there when the sun is on the glass.

[Andrew]

I find the best place to do spray painting when it's cold outside is in Diane's greenhouse.

It must be a pane if you mis-spray...

[FWLR]

I find the best place to do spray painting when it's cold outside is in Diane's greenhouse.

It must be a pane if you mis-spray...

[JMORG]

Some Christmas work:
NWNGR 3 plank wagon is progressing:

Note the worksplate!

Filling, filing and additional bits (such as brakes) to go on followed by paint.

FR dandy waggon. Based on the replica built in the 1980's. The horse is being modified to have pegs in it's hooves.

One of the two plank wagons has been finished. The grey twin is awaiting a slate load. Slates are made from card, cut and glued into blocks.

About 10 slate and flat waggons currently awaiting assembly. These are Lineside Hut, which will be modified to more closely follow NWNGR and FR waggons. Most of the flats will become additional 2 and 3 plank wagons, one or two may stay as flats to act as slab wagons.

We got two additional pieces of stock for Christmas; NWNGR no. 24 replica and FR 16.