4mm Far North Line
- Thread starter Ben Alder
- Start date
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Here is a resume of all the 3D work done over the last few months - two water tanks, two water columns, a couple of Hurley handcarts and a footbridge - this he had done before I came across him - the others are joint ventures - I supplied drawings, photos and observations and he translated it all in to something that the machine produced....
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Yes - he's happy to help modellers out, and in the case of the water tanks he can adjust dimensions to suit location - the HR had a wide range of tank capacities to suit their needs. PM me and I'll send you his contact details.
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
There is a lot going on behind the scenes just now but the festive period and dealing with the public has knocked things back a bit, so I tidied up some stalled and parked projects that didn't involve a lot of thought as a relaxation. Here is the first - a Stanier 2-8-4T as thought about but never built. Amalgam of 8F chassis and 2-6-4T body and fairly close to plans apart from extended bunker and a bit of a lapse with the cylinder pitch, but that's the freedom of these things; you can indulge a bit...Currently on pilot/banking duties in the Far North....
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
More straying in to other times here - two HR what ifs. The first is one of PD's drawings for an enlarged Ben with 6'6" drivers and a longer wheel base, to all intents and purpose the same as some of his brother's LSWR designs, so a T9 was Highlandised and the Glen class was born....As a further whimsy I kept the watercart tender - the HR ones had gone by the end of the Second War but it makes for a variation on a theme..Here it is, rather careworn nearing the end of its days.
The second is a rather fantastic offspring of an ex Duke of Sutherland's private loco absorbed in to HR stock and their own Scrap tank; itself a product of already withdrawn engines, combined in to a neat little harbour shunter for the proposed Scrabster branch, to serve the Orkney traffic.
The second is a rather fantastic offspring of an ex Duke of Sutherland's private loco absorbed in to HR stock and their own Scrap tank; itself a product of already withdrawn engines, combined in to a neat little harbour shunter for the proposed Scrabster branch, to serve the Orkney traffic.
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Latest housekeeping job has been re roofing the train and engine sheds with a card slate shhet .. The train shed and goods shed originally had a paper one that had no relief and faded quickly, so the goods shed was done some year and a half ago and has shown no sign of degradation in that time. The engine shed was Wills slate roof sheets and again I wasn't totally taken with them, so for continuity it was done as well. The sheets are from Barleycorn designs, now OOP unfortunately, but have a far better overall appearance, although the wrong shade for the welsh slates used on the originals. However, this is something I can live with until anything better comes along.
Some shots of the finished job.
Some shots of the finished job.
Peter Little
Member
Peter Little
Member
Good morning Richard, much on your workbench at present?
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Fifteen months later.....modelling is continuing apace but a loss of interest in photography and posting online in general has led to a protracted silence. TBH, I 've nothing new to add visually, it being a small layout now almost ten years on and photographed from all suitable vantages, and a never diminishing stack of work and projects waiting their turn for the workbench, so future postings are likely to be of additions or improvements. The most visual one was the extension of Helmsdale shed - a bit longer and wider. Still a freelance cobble round the Ratio carriage shed but passes to my eye seeing as how the original was more or less a full size equivalent. A HR cathedral of steam it certainly wasn't.. Here are a couple of shots of the rebuilt shed which looks a bit less sardine can sized than before.
Peter Little
Member
Good to hear from you Richard, just as an aside Proper Job IPA is the flavour of the month
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Got a bottle or two in the beer cupboard ready for the mo.....enjoying a beer or two while I model hasn't faded from my pleasures....
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Having built the actual allocated stock for the line, coupled with an inability to stay away from the workbench, a longstanding interest in might have beens and what if's has risen to the surface, leading to several never were's appearing. Peter Drummond Drew up quite a few proposals for the HR that did not bear fruition and I have tackled some, but another line of thought was the commonality of both his and his brothers work and the fact that they had input in nearly all the Scottish companies, along with the Southern stuff. Looking at these I have surmised what might have been done at Lochgorm along these lines and here are two small dock tanks, based closely on locos of the NB and CR. Built around Heljan and Kernow GW tanks - both s**s to take apart and reassemble - they are despite their reputations sometimes, excellent runners. The heavily weathered saddle tank is a spray of matt varnish gone horribly wrong, but actually doesn't look too b ad in the flesh, and I am going along with the assumption that a winter or two bracing the northerly storms working the Scrabster branch took its toll on its paint......
The last image at the shed shows a rather forlorn carriage in use as a store/mess, and I came across a picture of it in the combined Scottish pre group societies photo collection, the only clear image ever taken of it apparently, and is a rebuild of an early HR coach to a type unrecorded, acc to those who know about this era. As it is it's a Ratio based place holder until my pet Silhouette magician produces a set of sides for me.
The last image at the shed shows a rather forlorn carriage in use as a store/mess, and I came across a picture of it in the combined Scottish pre group societies photo collection, the only clear image ever taken of it apparently, and is a rebuild of an early HR coach to a type unrecorded, acc to those who know about this era. As it is it's a Ratio based place holder until my pet Silhouette magician produces a set of sides for me.
Ben Alder
Western Thunderer
Quick update on one project - rearranging the Helmsdale shed layout to something more prototypical. When I built the layout I used Peco 3 way points to get everything in to too small a space, and the shed one grated on me every time I saw it on screen, so after a lot of thought I used one of the two sidings in front of the signal cabin as an approach road rather than entering the shed far nearer , which necessitated the compromise in the first place. The two sidings, as per the place,were hardly used in my day to day operation and I decided that one would suffice. The result is a better copy of the actual set up, although I had to juggle where everything was; a bit like Eric's musical performance....
The first image shows an overdose of Small Bens, another ongoing job that has eventually reached the running stage - a mix match of several locos and white metal bits which has finally cured a long term itch about these engines.
The first image shows an overdose of Small Bens, another ongoing job that has eventually reached the running stage - a mix match of several locos and white metal bits which has finally cured a long term itch about these engines.