Getting a train together, Diesel and Steam!

[Steven.T]

Hmm, haven't updated this thread for a while...
Work on the battery loco has sort of fell wayside due to me getting the steam loco, have to get my priorities right

But in the mean time, and as of today, the works name of George has been ditched, in favour of "Osprey", and has gained loco number "2"
Logic behind the name being we visit the Lake district every year, and we make it part of our trip over to go and see the Ospreys at Whinlatter forest, so it means quite a bit to me!







I also received some very neat little wagons and loco bodies of Busted Bricks:
http://mbhh.co.uk/Sale/106small.jpg

Just need to find some wheels to suit and I will have a few more rolling wagons and one or two more electric locos!

That's all for now!

Steven

[Steven.T]

Been doing some work on all the wagons today, spent a bit of time filling some of them with false coal, generally oiling the axleboxes etc.
Also I have finished one of the flat bed wagons I received from fellow member Busted Bricks:

Attached some wheels:


Cut down some 20mm conduit I had lying around, and tacked it down using some Peco track pins from my N gauge and some fine chain I bought at Harrogate show yesterday:





And just a filler for another wagon, might make some little tools to go on this one too!


The coal loads:


Added a handrail to each side of my Guards van:


And last of all, the new coaches which I bought yesterday at Harrogate for £25 each. Made of a steel outer with a laser cut removable interior, £25 was a steal! Bogies from Swift Sixteen have been ordered along with Buffers from I.P. The weight in these things has to be felt to be believed! I'm thinking of painting them in a sort of blood and custard maybe





That's all for now!
Steven

[Johnnie2sheds]

Damn! Theyre nice! didnt see them. Who did you get them from?

[Steven.T]

A chap on his own little stand called Ken West, got his business card here.
Apparently they are only to test the market with, I think I've cornered 2/3rds of the market, I should have bought the third coach aswell

[Keith S]

I would buy one of those right away. Please tell Ken West!

[LlanpwllBrynwyn]

I would too! Having a sturdy base like that would suit everyone. You have a good solid coach that can with little work be put on the track, and it can also be fully detailed both out and in, the insert making this alot easier to work on!

I hope he decides to produce more!

[Steven.T]

I have his email address on the business card I picked up, I will drop him an email sometime with a link to this page!

[Steven.T]

Recieved my bogies today from Swift Sixteen for the new coaches, along with the buffers from I.P.



Look very narrow-gauge!:


Both coaches together buffered up:




Just need to find a 1.5mm drill bit to drill the buffers out with...
Cheers,
Steven

[Steven.T]

Buffers have been drilled out and painted, and bogies painted aswell!



Big improvement I think!

Also painting a little Roundhouse tool box for Osprey:


All for now!
Steven

[Keith S]

Those bogeys look god painted. May I suggest putting a spacer of some kind on the coach body to make it sit a little higher on the bogeys? The way they are now, much of the detail is hidden. I'm not talking about much of a lift..say 2mm. They probably sit a little low compared to your locomotive anyway.

[Steven.T]

Hi Keith, thanks for the idea about spacers, never thought about that, it would be a good idea, as you say a lot of the detail is hidden, and they do sit fairly low against the loco...

Will have a look see what I can do!
Cheers,
Steven

[Steven.T]

The coaches Have had a coat of paint since I last updated, and I have aquired another two of the same make, one which is going away for Christmas!


In other news, today I started building a low loader for my Mini. Using Swift Sixteen Arch bar bogies, I have made the base and started the planking today. I might paint the bogies tomorrow and finish the planking off.

Basic structure:


With bogies and Mini in place:


Planking started:

[Keith S]

Those coaches look really good with your engine. Did you ever find out if he was going to manufacture them for sale? I would like one or two myself if they were ever to become available. I love the steel shell with the wood inserts.

[Steven.T]

Thanks Keith, I sent the guy an email but he never got back to me!
I just had sheer good luck at the Elsecar show, I can't remember the trader, but there was 4 coaches, two like mine and two goods type. I ended up buying the two passenger ones, however they don't have any wooden inserts which is a shame!

[Steven.T]

Some pics of the last running day with the 3 coaches and the Mini's low loader:



I quite like this pic!

[Steven.T]

Having had some problems with the Axleboxes on my I.P engineering guards van recently, namely that of the axleboxes collapsing due to them only being made of wood (I think they are in white-metal now!) I have had to get some new ones.
Now, I had a choice to go for conventional axleboxes (like the whitemetal ones I.P. do) or go for some Swift Sixteen ones. Going on the success I've had recently with the Swift Sixteen bogies, I thought I'd give their axleboxes a try:



I couldn't be bothered to paint underneath the wagon, after all, no one ever sees it, apart from now



Have to say I'm very pleased with them. They run so smoothly aswell, I can't see these collapsing anytime soon!
That's all for now!
Cheers,
Steven.

[Keith S]

Those look like they will do the trick.

God, I'm envious of your green engine and red coaches! I like my red "Billy" with its motley assortment of wagons, but I really like your train. It looks just like a narrow gauge train should, to me at least. The proportions are perfect.

[Steven.T]

Thanks Keith, there's nothing more narrowgauge than a rake of random wagons though!

[Steven.T]

Happy New year everyone!
Spent some time today on Osprey, gave it a general clean up, bit of spit and polish! Still need to do the brass parts...
Anyway, I've also fitted the second lubricator sets I bought at Elsecar, I've stuck these on with superglue, should be ok I think:



Also added a lamp Iron, again with the superglue, havn't got the confidence to drill something so expensive (the loco, not the bracket! )




And also over the Holidays, My Uncle was given a couple of Modeltown buildings which he asked me to build and paint for him. I didn't take any photos of the cottage, but the signal box came out decent enough!









That's all for now folks!
Steven

[Keith S]

The locomotive looks great. I think you're going to lose your lamp down the tracks, however. I drilled the smokebox on mine, but the bracket was a little loose so I also used super-glue. It didn't take long for it to get loose again. It's not really noticeable so I haven't bothered to tighten it but the glue sure didn't last long.