Grahame's N/2mm London Bridge train set

[Grahame Hedges]

I've decided to go with the earlier/initial version (1980 to mid/late 80s) when they were Total branded before the end inspection hatches and sole-bar mounted hazchem plates were added - so I've had to remove them. I need to get some suitable Total transfers (Fox do them) so this is as far as I can go ATM. And then perhaps some weathering.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

The 'Total' Fox transfers arrived today (the others I had examples of although not all completely accurate/correct). I only phoned the order over yesterday so a very good service. And they didn't take long to apply. Next to consider some weathering and getting out the dry brushes, washes and powders to grubby them down;

 

[Grahame Hedges]

For a bit of fun and enjoyment (over the last week) I've put together a couple of very simple and straightforward NGS plastic kits - a pack of two containers (type A and BD) and a Limpet spoil wagon which has a one-piece Peco chassis (so not entirely accurate).

 

[Grahame Hedges]

And I also got some dirt and fuel spills on the two Farish tankers I'd converted to different types/diagrams:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've been having a bash at hand-painting the signage on this warehouse, having noticed that much on Copenhagen Fields is hand sign-written. Hope I'll get away with it bearing in mind the small size (N gauge scale) and that the pic is probably larger than real life (fingers crossed) although it does need a little tidying up. David Lloyd Pigott and co. were famous tea and coffee importers/merchants since 1760 and were still there in the late 60/70s when the building was taken over by an advertising agency called Clark and Taylor. That company is now dissolved - things don't stand still for long in the world of commerce: :

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Not a lot of modelling recently but I've been working on a couple of 3D printed Prestwin bodies. There's one of each diagram type 1/274 and 1/277. The bodies are only resting on the chassis, no wheels are fitted and I need to order some decals. The main change and effort has been to replace the rather chunky moulded ladders with finer etched ones. It was quite fiddly removing the 3D printed ones especially bearing in mind how brittle and fragile 3D printed acrylic resin is:

 

[adrian]

Not a lot of modelling recently but I've been working on a couple of 3D printed Prestwin bodies. There's one of each diagram type 1/274 and 1/277. The bodies are only resting on the chassis, no wheels are fitted and I need to order some decals. The main change and effort has been to replace the rather chunky moulded ladders with finer etched ones. It was quite fiddly removing the 3D printed ones especially bearing in mind how brittle and fragile 3D printed acrylic resin is:

Considering the size they look pretty good to me. Are you printing them yourself or using a 3rd party printer?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Considering the size they look pretty good to me. Are you printing them yourself or using a 3rd party printer?

Unfortunately I couldn't design or print anything 3D myself. They're just off the shelf prints from Shapeways that I'm trying to improve.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

The decals arrived today so the transfers are on and I've grubbied them down, although I might have overdone that but they're similar to pics of real ones, after all cement dust got everywhere. I recall the line through Northfleet in the 70s where everything was grey for miles around.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I must be a glutton for punishment as I'm having a bash at another Shapeways 3D printed wagon, which I do find hard work. This one's a former Murgatroyd's 35t liquid chlorine bogie tanker by Maridunian’s Models. You get a body and chassis which needs mounting on NGS plate-back bogies. Ladders and buffers are included as 3D prints but I'll be using etched ladders and brass buffers. Wire needs to be added for the bracing and there's no underframe details so I need to sort out vee hangers and handbrake handles as well as decals.

It's far from finished but I've made a little progress on the tanker. The wire bracing and brass buffers (rather than the 3D printed ones) have been fitted and a start made on adding decals (the tank is not fixed in place to allow access for completing the decals). Some NGS decals have been ordered (and posted so are due) and I've received some Langley ones but I'm waiting on some etched vee hangers and brake handles before finishing off the chassis:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

A tiny amount of progress (probably not worth reporting on but I've nothing else to show). Some decals on, couplers added to the bogies and they have been painted, but still waiting for vee hangers and brake handles (which will have to be fitted away from the bogies otherwise they will prevent bogie swing movement and the wagon traversing train set curves, although they are fairly centrally mounted on the real wagon) before I can complete the chassis:

 

[John57sharp]

One step at a time updates are great Grahame, make it easier for me to follow…
John

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Okay, step by step, slowly, slowly, catchy monkey. Underframe stuff on and chassis painted. Ladders and weathering still to do:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Almost finished - ladders are now on and just a little touching and tidying up to do:

 

[Joe's Garage]

Hi Grahame, lovely model may I ask what is the track on these photos? It is still 9 mm isn't it?

Thanks

Julian

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Actually I can't remember as it's just a diorama for photography I made some years ago. However, it is code 40 and is either 2mmSA Easitrax (9.42mm gauge) or British Finescale fiNetrax (9.00mm gauge). N gauge will run on both (the plain track).

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Yesterday I started building a representation (simplified and compressed) version of Borough tube station (c mid 1980s). I still need to make the canopy and tall cast concrete LT roundel. These I'll make separately and glue in place when complete and painted. Here I'm testing the fit of a card template (well, trying to with one hand while holding the camera in the other hand) for the canopy to ensure it will fit snuggly against the curved wall:

 

[Joe's Garage]

Thanks Grahame for the track information....interesting that 9.42 works with N gauge...presumably only newer stock.

Cheers

Julian

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Plain track only, not 9.42 fine 2mmSA points, due to the relative crude nature of N wheel standards. However, modern N wheel standards will work on better standard N points like BF fiNetrax and don't need the crude standards of much commercial N track like Peco.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Yesterday I started building a representation (simplified and compressed) version of Borough tube station (c mid 1980s). I still need to make the canopy and tall cast concrete LT roundel. These I'll make separately and glue in place when complete and painted

Looking at photos of Borough tube station it's almost acknowledging a Charles Holden design with Leslie Green tile colours.