GUILTY, of over weathering...

With some time on my hands and a swag of new books, it has become obvious to me that I am guilty of getting carried away with weathering. I seem to have been caught in the situation of looking at and photographing stock that is derelict and thinking that this is how they always looked. So with time period modelling in mind it was time to adjust some wagons back to dirty and grimy instead of rusted and abused.

 The top picture is more how the van may have appeared in the 1990's (different code of coarse), so now is more late 60's to early 80's.
I am quite pleased I went to the effort because the vans  aren't all the same. I painted some lighter and darker then each other which gives a more natural effect then when the were all plastic grey from On Track Models. I have also added the improvements like Sergent couplers, chains and scale wheels. Also changed the spider brake wheel and thinned the mounting bracket. I would like to change the shunters steps but ahhh, maybe some other time.

So I guess the object of the post is to think about your period of modelling and weather accordingly, no matter how tempting it is to do the big rust patterns and dents that we can find today.

Some Explaining...

Hi All,

Yes I went missing for a while and likely to do it again. Her indoors has taken on a more responsible roll at work and has created the unfortunate event of shifting house, BUGGER! When I bought my current home I never envisaged moving again before the inevitable dirt nap but here I go again shifting house. To add to the stress I may as well build. Well very few houses on the market cater for a train room (every home should have one), so to get what I want, I need to build.

I have purchased a block at a really good price and is only a couple of doors from Ian. Poor bugger between us isn't going to know whats goin on. Still it will make layout tours by fellow bloggers easy.

I have been doing some work, I have rewheeled a traino 44 ( yet to be tested), put the IDR MLV together and have done various other little jobs.
The RU project is back in the drawers, however some thought is going into new W irons and more will be revealed at a later time.

Displaying BC this year is on the back burner, however we have accepted an offer from the Epping club to again feature at their show on the June long weekend. This show gets better every year and to me is fast becoming the best show in Sydney if not already.

Tom Rogers  and Craig Warton recently had a trip to Valley Heights and checked out the hole in the wheel situation. Seems a 1.5 mm hole is the go but I have yet to mill one out to see if it looks right, I am sure it will.

Anyhow, I will try to post some pics again soon and hopefully keep the little jobs going.

Ciao

What do ya know...

Feb issue of AMRM is out and look at that, a couple of pics of Bowen Creek from the Armidale Convention. See, we did have a good time!

Maybe I should talk to James about a lineside offer?

2011...

Happy New Year All,

The festive season was good to me, significant additions have been made to the library with Ron Prestons Day of the Passenger Train 1,2,and 3. This is a complete history of passenger train operations in NSW. Also Rons 44 class to go with my 48 class book, as well as Train Hobby publication of the 44 Class. A must for those TrainORama 44's I bought for $150 late last year, Bargain! And Lawrance Ryan's second book on Cowra, so lots of reading for me to get through.
A few kits have been given to me by the little brother, Ian Lindsays G2 goods shed which will be addapted for Merriwa and Stephen Johnson's Creamy Kate, very handy. So they will find their way to the "to be built" kit draw.

Bowen Creek has been set up in the shed for repairs and testing of the few RU's I have together. When a new wagon receives P87 wheels, there is always adjustments needed and these are no different, but more on those another time.

I have also been doing some titivating to Bowen Creek with a nice set of Platform scales that arrived from a well known modeller who shall remain nameless. I don't know if the colours are right but this is how I remember them so will do for now, I think they were all different anyway as the SM usually touched em up. Placed some milk cans on too but not sure about the baggage trolley, may delete that. I will add some things to the Fettler shed, but maybe later.

 

 

I went a little nuts and decided to add some detail to some wheels, I drilled some holes. Now they are not right but wanted to see if it could be done and if it was worth it. In conclusion yes it can, and yes it is. When the wagon rolls past it really sticks out so I will do more. Does anyone know the actual hole size and position?

Last thing I will add is the Infront Models DOT tanker I completed last year, I forgot to post the result so now is as good a time as any. The first pic is a dusty copy of the photo that comes with the kit.

I changed a few things in the kit, I replaced the ladder and the turnbuckles and should have made my own grab irons but maybe next time. I also added extra support angle next to the ladder as they were left out of the kit but overall it is an excellent kit and recommend it highly. I think the wheels should be 33" wheels too, but I need to get more so will correct later, I think they were 33" wheels? Will have to double check later.

HooRoo

Merry Christmas

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post to wish you all the best for the festive season. Hope Santa brings lots of Model Railroad goodies!!!

 

Be safe and hope to see you all in 2011.

Merry Christmas

  

From the Bowen Creek Family 

Decoder Programmer

See I told you other projects would pop up. Ian and I purchased a Sprog II each from the UK and it arrived earlier this week. We saw these at the New England convention with Gerry Hopkins and this will allow me to use Decoder Pro in my study without having to set up Bowen Creek. I am still learning Decoder Pro but why would you program your decoders without it, it just makes it so easy.

  

Decoder Pro is a FREE download and a must for all Decoder programming. Check it HERE. The other thing you will need is a power supply, I picked up one from Jaycar, part no. MP-3011 for $19.95. You just cut the plug off and place the wire with the white stripe to the +V and the wire with the writing to the 0V on the sprogII. The rest is straight forward.

Now just to clarify, you can use decoder pro linked from your computer to your command station but the SprogII just allows you to do it without it. You don't need the sprog unless you want to program decoders away from the layout.

Happy Modelling

Andrew

NSWGR RU....

I have been waiting to start this project for some time now and I have delayed for a number of reasons, the biggest being having the patience to do 20 detailed wagons but  I have bitten the bullet and started. I expect this will take a long time as other projects will come and go, as well as my interest but I think if I post my efforts it may help to keep things moving.

A few things are required.

1. Greg Edwards Data sheet.
2. Detail photos, personal and from ARDP from Keiren Ryan models. 
3. ILM detail kits (which, unfortunately are currently unavailable but I have them).
4. Trainorama RTR RU's which are also currently unavailable but also, I have them.
5. Sergent Couplers
6. Keiran Ryan's Brake rigging etch part no. KRM HO 006.
7. P87 36" axles 0.944" length from NWSL part no. 37668-1 
8. Click HERE for prototype description. 

I guess points 3 and 4 make you realise to get things while they are available, I think we have all been burnt here before.

 

I may use the chain I am not sure

 15 of the kits have been washed and drilled and the W irons have been folded and soldered. I am still waiting the correct wheels to arrive. 

The W iron etches aren't perfect as there is a bit of filing and drilling to do to get them right, but this is outlined in the instructions. I have also cleaned off the undesirable bits from the Traino bodies as per the ILM instructions. I have a plan of attack in my head for this but will see how things pan out, things always change and mistakes are always made but hopefully good karma will prevail. 

I will keep things as up to date as I can, cya.