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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Compromise

Many of those modelling the NSW scene will be familiar with the excellent AndIan Models BLV kit, and those who have built it or are building it now will know that if you wish to use Kadees you have to notch out part of the headstocks to accommodate the coupler. This presented a problem for me as I had a hard time finding the courage to cut into the very headstock which is well detailed compared against other HO scale NSW outline kits such as the AR Kits MLV and Silvermaz TRC. Indeed I have spent month after month putting off cutting into the headstock until today when I found some offset shank Kadee couplers hiding in my parts box and some 40 thou styrene sheet. After a few minutes of fiddling, I had a solution!

The problem:















The solution:



















The end result:















And with that, back to the workbench:
Evan.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Look! Another update!

After a trip to Liverpool on Saturday I was geared up to do a bit more at the workbench, so here's today's progress.

Scratchbuilt CK681 and FK911















First up was the scratchbuilt models of CK681 and FK911, formerly the 1884 State Cars that I purchased at the Liverpool exhibition have received Kadee couplers and some minor repairs to the roof of CK681.

The old Bergs kits scrub up quite nicely.















Next up was an unassembled Bergs LV kit which was also picked up at Liverpool was mostly assembled. I decided to leave the roof off before making some modifications to help the styrene roof stay in shape and fitting of couplers, etc. The model will also receive additional underfloor detail.

Casting quality is very crisp compared to the Protype models















Hot on the heels of the LV was the fitting of bogies and couplers to a whitemetal Bergs GLV which will be decalled as a 2nd contract LLV before modification and recoding as a GLV.

Next step, painting the interior and adding passengers















Then, to finish up the night, I started putting together a Bergs 1959 BCW cattle wagon I've had for ages but never done anything with. Might as well, rather than leave it gathering dust.

That's it for tonight.

Evan.


Monday, April 14, 2014

Look who's back.....

So it's been far too long since I last actually logged in here (for a short while I'd actually forgotten about this blog), so here is an update.

The rebuild of 42213 into 42220 is progressing slowly, with the unnecessary grills having been removed and the location of the additional grill marked out (hopefully I've got it right)













A couple of other projects have since arrived on the workbench as well since the last update. Among these has been a challenge from a fellow railway modeller to scratchbuild or kitbash a passenger carriage, which has led to the decision to model L393, formerly Russell First Class Saloon No.17, the first bogie passenger car in NSW, as it was in department service C.1957, when it was rebuilt with an underframe from a Thow BHG goods brake van. Fortunately the prototype still survives in close to c.1957 condition at the Goulburn Roundhouse Museum. I would like to thank the staff at the museum for allowing me to measure it up for this model.
L393 (L21 at this time) shortly after preservation at Goulburn
Roundhouse. Photo credit to Doug Williams


Situation normal: A mess.
Next step: Brake gear and underfloor detailing.







































The underframe has been scratchbuilt using Albion Alloys brass channel section and K&S brass sheet with 0.5mm brass wire forming the truss rods and sitting on whitemetal Protype 2AA bogies. The body will be built using timber sections from Kappler Scale Lumber.

Other projects that have arrived include an aborted BRS buffet car conversion from another modeller. It has now had the three windows blanked out while it now sits and I suss out a donor to fill the gap left by cleaning up the half windows which need to be redone.

It's a start.















More recently a brace of HGM and GP open wagons have arrived with a CFX 2nd class Pullman and a trio of Lima 12 wheelers with some broken crownlights and other small ailments, among them one suffering an underframe and roof hot glue gunned in place. All have now been dismantled and will undergo surgery to rectify the broken crownlights.

Busy, busy, busy.














The workshops has also been plenty busy in the louvre van department as well with a GLV and one of AndIan Models brilliant BLV louvre van kits finding it's way into the workshops













In the time since my last post, I've also become involved with 12 inch to the foot railways, volunteering at Lithgow State Mine Railway and this Saturday just gone, had the honour of being part of the team that fired ex BHP diesel loco D34 into the life for the first time since going into open storage at Steelhaven loco depot. Video of the occasion can be found here, thanks to Peter Durrant for uploading the video to the LSMR Facebook group.
Dragging D34 into the sun for final preparations













Firing into life for the first time in preservation
















And in case you're wondering what happened to that Kingswood that's provided so much distraction, it's still there, slowly being restored.
















So it's back to the grindstone now. Happy modelling.