petesworkshop

I made some new n/s side frames for my Small Ben’s front Bogie which allowed me to solder on guard irons, for which the kit made no provision. I drilled and opened out the axle holes into which I fitted brass axle bushes inside out, then I trimmed them almost flush where they protruded on the outside. I bought a pair of LGM white-metal bogie side frames which I glued in place, they really make the bogie look the business. The bogie frame spacer was adjusted so that when the w/m sides were in place the complete assembly measured 26.5mm across the springs, which matches the loco frame width.

I’ve spent some hard evening sessions working on this little Fordson tractor and here it is: the construction complete at last. I managed to make two left wheels instead of a left and a right, and though at first I thought it might not notice; it looked odd, which it was, and I had to unsolder all the strakes on one wheel and turn them round so they ran in the right direction; I think it was worth the trouble. I’ve just sprayed the model with etching primer as the brass parts need this treatment and I’m sure the white metal components won’t mind. I used my new Badger spray gun which I bought especially for spraying etching primer as I didn’t want to put this stuff through my air brush; it only cost about fifteen pounds and is proving a really worthwhile piece of kit.

There were lots of half-etched rivets on the buffer beam, and I started work on my Small Ben by carefully pressing them out; such was my concentration on the job that it wasn’t until I’d pressed them all out that I checked my references and realised that actually there were no rivets at all on the buffer beams of Wee Bens, either in HR days or after the LMS rebuilt them, so in the bin with the buffer beam. This goes for the rivets half-etched on the footplate too; there aren’t any; fortunately I didn’t press them out. I decided to do without a few more rivets on the loco chassis too; what you see above is what you get. I’ve cut off one of those downward protrusions behind the rear bogie wheel arch as it’s the wrong size and shape; both sides will be replaced with something more the part after I’ve bent the chassis to shape.

I added some extra detail to the fish truck to bring it to life; Andy at Lochgorm Kits sent me some HR wagon plates, there were no suitable numbers so I modified them by scraping off the second etched digit and replacing it with a tiny length of brass rod to represent a 1; this gave me a correct fish truck number plate. I added a brake safety strap; cast horse hooks and some door fastening detail; the little "chains" retaining the door pins were fashioned from two strands of 5 amp fuse wire; it was a fiddle but worthwhile. 

All the strakes that you can see attached to their sprues, all 20 of them, need to be soldered onto the wheel treads, which is a time consuming and not too easy task. It’s a very soundly engineered and well produced kit, but this part of the construction is painfull. I made a start on one wheel but got fed up and dumped it back in its box. It will eventually be the load for a NE agricultural machinery wagon.

This signal box has been under way for some considerable time; I’ve got a little bogged down with the fenestration which is tedious and difficult the way I’m making it. The glazing bars are built up from tiny strips of plasticard, then painted, as they’re not white, and then glazed with clearsheet from behind; effective but slow. I’ve made the signalman and the LNWR style levers and a pattern for a lever frame already and I’ve got most of the other interior fittings, so I ought to get on with it.

You might think I spend all my time making Bens and Bogies; I think I’d go nuts if I did, I need some light relief! So here’s what I’m up to at the moment: it’s a Highland Railway Fish Truck, part of the train that my Skye Bogie will eventually pull. I bought the kit from Andy Copp of Lochgorm Kits at Model Rail Scotland in Glasgow a few weeks ago and I intend to work it through to a finish, and paint it too. I’ve a few finished models in the studio that need painting, including the Skye Bogie, some have been in their unpainted state far too long. As you can see from the picture, I’ve done the hard bit; constructing the body of the wagon that is, so it should be relatively easy going now. I’ve added a bit of extra detail in the way of fastenings and hinges and am considering ways of adding interest to the inside of the truck. I’ve heard that the fish boxes were covered with turf in transit. I don’t really want to model a fish truck full of grass so I’ll have to think about this.