I have been working away on small bits for 8425 and I have now got to the front lockers on the tender. These have a number of hinges which have tiny rivets that need to be pressed out very close together.
I tried my smallest anvil and that didn’t allow tight enough spacing so I made another.
The one on the left is the smallest one that I had made previously and one that I have used a number of times recently. The one on the right is the new one and since the photo was taken I have blackened it and used it successfully to press out the rivets on the locker front
Way back in 2010 for my first 7mm scale build an LMS Period One Full Brake, I scratch built a full interior from brass. As part of that interior detailing I made a couple of fire extinguishers, not having a lathe at that time I made them from brass tube and other bits and pieces finishing them with a couple of 4mm scale etched plates that I had in my spares box.
I fitted on in the coach and the other sat in my spares box for a long time. I can only assume that I fitted it to a brake van at some point because I can’t find it.
I made them from tube etc. because that’s the only way that I could see to make one up and I was really pleased with the result. However since then I have had a longstanding itch to make one of the tapered/cone type fire extinguishers. My recent success with the oil cas prompted me to have a go. I found a few photos and had a go. The first attempt wasn’t that great because my rivets were to pronounced so I changed the punch on my rivet press and had another go. This time I was happy and although they look big in the photos because that are massively magnified they do look the part when viewed at normal distances.
Fire ExtinguisherFire ExtinguisherFire Extinguisher
Jim, kindly includes a cast oil can in the kit. I had added a handle from scrap etch, painted it and stuck to the footplate. As you can see below it came adrift and losts its coat of paint.
Connoissuer Oil can
I was initially going to repaint it with gunmetal grey but then thought I am sure that I can make something better.
Back in 2017 I built a Connoisseur J79 which was painted in early 2018 and then after some test running it sat in my cabinet with occasional trips out on my demo stand. Somewhere along the line I managed to get a large chunk of paint removed from the bunker. I may have attempted to patch paint this but I also noticed that somehow when fitted the backhead had slipped and moved off centre.
This was one of those thigs that despite being in the enclosed cab one I had seen it I couldn’t unsee it and it started to bug me. I popped it in a box on a shelf and tried to ignore it but eventually I decided to take the plunge and strip the paint of it.
Just a reminder of what it looked like in January 2018
Connoissuer Models J79 Tank Engine PaintedConnoissuer Models J79 Tank Engine PaintedConnoissuer Models J79 Tank Engine Painted
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and we have this.
You will note in all the photos above that there is an infilled section under the boiler behind the smokebox. I didn’t notice this when building and only noted it when I had got it all assembled. Now having stripped all the paint off I took the plunge and cut that infilled section out and I have to say that the loco looks much the better for having it removed.
J79 footplate cut out under boiler
You will also note that there have been a couple of casualites during the paint strippoing process – One of the cab steps broke off, one of the cab handrails came adrift and I removed and stripped the backhead. I also managed to lose completely the curved handrail from the smoke box door.
At the last Bolton Show before its sad demise I picked up a Connoisseur kit for a pair of Single Bolster Wagons. These were the last design of 13 ton single bolster wagon built by the LNER between 1945 and 1948 with all steel body and underframe.
Having finished the LSWR Brake vans that I had previously been working on while demoing at shows I needed something else so at Harrogate show last year I made a start by folding up and soldering the body pans which are all one piece. Then they were put aside until last weekend.
I didn’t get much done on Saturday because it was so busy. Literally all I managed was to solder three layers of brakes together for each wagon.
LNER Single Bolster Wagon – Brakes
Sunday it was quieter so I managed to get quite a bit of detailing done on both bodies.
LNER Single Bolster Wagon – Bodies
As I was adding the details I had been looking at the rivets in each corner of the body initially thinking that I would have to fill in the unsightly dimples on the inside faces where I had pressed them out with the rivet press. This got me thinking that there must have been something on the inside. A Google search found an good image of a preserved example at Bo’ness which clearly showed that there is an inner washer plate which isn’t provided in the kit so on Monday morning I had a go at seeing if I could make some. It took a couple of goes to sort out the spacing and sizes but I got there in the end. The most fiddly bit was getting them to fold straight.
I finally got the transfers on and the glazing in. I just need to refit the buffer heads and couplings and tweak the fit of the straps that hold the door supports in place on the body side.
D&S NER Diag 67 Horsebox ready for weatheringD&S NER Diag 67 Horsebox ready for weathering
