Phil Sharples Kit

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Driver John Longshaft looks pleased enough with the latest engine to exit the B&L shops today. The B&L of course being the Bangham & Leaveham Light. The Phil Sharples Petrol Loco, a kit puchase at Peterborough, seems to be performing acceptably as its run down to the paint shops to be given a coat of whatever muck is in the bucket. The driver is hoping this new addition to the fleet will impress Tanya Plumsard, barmaid at the Cock & Pullit whom he is hoping will succumb to his advances and mount his engine for a ride along the line which follows the path of the River Upham toward Lurch Woods. He is sure she will enjoy the ride from the village of Bangham-on-Upham to the hamlet of Leaveham in the Lurch Woods.... Nice little kit to knock together and i've never tried sticking an mdf kit with superglue before as evidenced by the large quantities of my skin which remain on it but my container of pva is a bit big for small builds such as this

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So old Ned the gardener and handyman on the Bangham Estate was dispatched by Lord Bangham, owner of the Bangham Manor Estate to the paint store to find something suitable to slap over the new engine. Unfortunately all he could find was some nondescript khaki style stuff in a bucket which had been left under the overflow from the workshop composting toilet. Thankfully Ned has no sense of smell so hasn’t noticed the odour which is thought to have been the result of a dodgy prawn he’d consumed some days earlier in the Cock & Pullit. Driver Longshaft has been airing the engine in a not entirely successful attempt to lose its ambiance by running up and down the disused spur to the long abandoned Bangham NoKnicker Factory. Looking on in the picture is Willy Goesard who is admiring the new wagon (another Phil Sharples kit aquired via ebay) only completed today and feels it may look better behind the IP Jane he usually drives. Willy, the Bangham & Leaveham’s only steam engine driver, started on the Bangham Estates Railway many years previously as a tea boy and when the IP Jane was acquired he was considered the only person suitably qualified to drive such an engine by virtue of the fact he knew how to boil a kettle. Hes been spending a lot of time in the workshops lately so I thought it would be nice to get Willy out for a change!

Love these Phil Sharples kits. Just so simple and easy to build. Can’t beat’em at the price. Going to have my first go at rusting things with this wagon so may or may not appear here when finished depending on how badly wrong it goes !







Barry

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Old Ned is in disgrace. Having left the new wagon out all night in the rain before it had been painted. Willy Goesard isn’t sure he wants this behind his engine any more. Lord Bangham had asked to see Ned in his office for an explanation but the smell was too much and Ned was asked to leave before his Lordship could dismiss him !

I’ve never really weathered anything before and this is my first go at rustifying something as I’ve never had the courage to have a go before. Quite pleased with it for a first attempt. Using Humbrol Paints I painted the chassis Matt Black and threw the iron powder at it then did the body of the wagon in Humbrol Matt Rust 113 which has been sitting in the tool box for quite a long time so hope its still in the range. I just applied it really thickly then aimed the iron powder at it. I think next time I will do the whole thing including the chassis in this Matt Rust because I love the effect it gives just on its own. So once dry I used an old spray dettox bottle with some white wine vinegar in it to give a good coat and left it overnight. Interesting look on the ladies face in Waitrose when I asked where the white wine vinegar was and, being helpful, she asked what I wanted it for as she said they do a Sauvignon Blanc version as well. I did explain that I was making rust on my railway trucks. She was very nice about it and humoured me but may have to drive to Sainsburys for a while now….

And got to say it again and again I love these Phil Sharples kits. Just so nice to work with… Wonder if he just sells the wagon chassis on their own?



Barry