1/32 Putting ones toe in the water!

[Dave Bowden]

Hi to all the 1/32 scale modellers/engineers. I've recently purchased the G1 layout that was for sale in the Ads section on this site from Hoppy504 and am now looking for some appropriate stock to run on it.

I do already have a Sang Cheng GWR 4574 Prairie and a Barrett Eng. Hydra D. These are not particularly well suited to a small branch line. You all may already know that Walsall Eng. are producing and selling blown up models from the WEP range, problem is of around 23 of these only about 3 or 4 are to 1/32 the rest are 10mm and a couple to G3. You will have guessed by now I'm only interested in GWR models.

For those who may be interested, a Goods Fruit A, Mink G, and a Fruit D are available in 1/32.
There is no Toad Brake Van though, so does anyone know where and if there is a 1/32 Toad available?

I recently found a nice kit for a 56xx from Just the Ticket, this is an Orion-Models design.
It can be bought as either gas or meths fired, but you can buy it in electric form, when I made enquiries about the type of motor and gearbox I found out it is intended to run on batteries!

I can have this with insulated wheels but I would have to sort out the fixings for the motor and G/B so I'm not now sure I would like to go down this path.

The proprietor of JTT did say that most of UK designed G1 loco if not steam driven tend to be battery powered, mainly it is the Chinese imports that are electric driven like my 4575 Prairie.

I shall be going to the 16mm NG show at the Peterborough Arena Show Ground on the 12th of April
for a look see. Cliff Barker and JTT are going to be there and lots of others of course.

Dave

 

[Steve Cook]

Just a quick one Dave as my dinner is nearly ready, but clicking here should take you through to the Gauge 1 section at Mercian Models - there are numerous GWR kits in 1/32 scale in there, including a Toad.

Hope that helps
Steve

 

[taliesin]

Hi Dave, I think the Mercian Toad is the only one available in 1/32nd, I have a feeling that the JTT 56xx is 10mm, there are not too many 1/32nd kits on the market. A G1MRA member called Peter Hicks does some kits in 1/32nd including a 6 wheel siphon C in etched nickel silver, cheers Rob

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Dave, I think the Mercian Toad is the only one available in 1/32nd, I have a feeling that the JTT 56xx is 10mm, there are not too many 1/32nd kits on the market. A G1MRA member called Peter Hicks does some kits in 1/32nd including a 6 wheel siphon C in etched nickel silver, cheers Rob

Hi taliesin

Roger Melton of JTT did say it is a 10mm version.

I do know about the Peter Hicks Siphon, it is not a siphon C it is an 04 the same as the O gauge one Slater's does.
I have informed Peter Hicks of this fact. A siphon C is a 4 wheel vehicle with louvres in the top half of the sides, the 6 wheel is to Dia. 0.4, the C is to Dia. 0.8 & 0.9. see page 47 in the HMRS Siphon book by Jack Slinn & B. Clarke.

Thanks for the info on the Toad, another friend of mine from my old model railway club bought some of the Mercian kits but didn't rate them, has anyone here had any experience in building any of them.

Dave

 

[Simon]

The 10mm Barrett iron mink can be cut about to represent the first six inched longer batch in 1/32 scale. Roger Fry (Foxhound on here) has successfully built a few Mercian kits I think.

Otherwise there's not a lot of good 1/32 stuff, Slaters do a nice PO wagon and MR van but otherwise Neil Butcher's very nice 10mm axle guards etc plus selected Slaters bits and scratch building in Plastikard has served me quite well.

I expect this situation will improve in time.

My website has got a fair bit of info on this subject too.

www.titfield.co.uk/one32Mod32/Modindex.htm

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Simon, I wrote a long reply first thing this morning on my Android Tablet and at the preview stage WT came back with an error message, even when I tried to post reply it still failed and I lost it all, so I thought sod it I'm not going through all that again, and I had things to do outside like having a bonfire! Oh and I did go to March be buy some wine and Nitromors, this is to take the paint off my G1 4575 as it is in BR black at moment and I wont to repaint it in GWR green with Great Western on the side tanks.

So this is on my PC so hopefully no problems. I did find your website whilst I was looking at G1 site in general, I will go back and take a look in more detail.

I also didn't say in my previous post is that I have a Tenmille GWR Toad, I bought this from a GOG show off the E & T stand for £50 so I thought it was a bargain. I also tried to sell it at the Kettering show, but it didn't sell. I also have a PMK O gauge kit of a AA19 Toad for sale at £35, I shall put this in the ads section shortly.

I just checked Mercian's website and I note their model is an AA19 but £125 seems a bit steep compared with what I'm going to sell an O gauge version at.

The kits that Walsall Engineering are selling are a better deal, being blown up from the WEP range of GWR O gauge kits. The Fruit A is £101, Mink G £115, and the Fruit D is £130 but that a much bigger vehicle. They do two Toads but both in 10mm, they are a 20t & 13t versions, both at £107.

Do you think there would be any interest in the build photos of the Barrett Eng. Hydra D Dia. G22 if so I will put them up here. I still have the vac pipes to run underneath and connect to the cylinder prior to painting.

Dave.

 

[taliesin]

Hi Dave, i have given it some thought today but i cannot think of another 1/32nd Toad other than the Mercian kit unless you scratch build. As your going for GWR you could use the Slater's 7 plank kit to create some private owners.
As for the Barrett Hydra go ahead and post, there is bound to be some interest, cheers Rob
P.s if you are a G1MRA member kits do turn up at decent prices on the second hand stall at the shows

 

[Simon]

Yes please to the Hydra build

Simon

 

[daifly]

Oh and I did go to March be buy some wine and Nitromors, this is to take the paint off my G1 4575 as it is in BR black at moment and I wont to repaint it in GWR green.....

What sort of wine do you use as paint stripper please. We need to know.
Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

What sort of wine do you use as paint stripper please. We need to know.
Dave

I had to go to March for the nitromors so I called in at Sainsburys on the way, they had Hardy's VR & Stamp on offer which came to £28.50 I then got a further 5% off for buying 6 bottles, bargain. I hasten to add one bottle does last me a week.

Dave.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Yes please to the Hydra build

Simon

Hi Simon, I must stop trying to send a post from my android tablet late at night because it failed again whilst replying to your post.

I have now looked in detail at your website (titfield) and there is a lot of useful information there. I do like your scratch built Toad, and I have now been through all of the suppliers.

I didn't realise you that you ran a book shop in bath! I've got over 120 books, videos, music CD's for sale on Amazon at the moment.
We did a house exchange with a young couple in Bath last year. Whilst we were there we did the train journey through Box Tunnel being a GWR person, and then came back on the bus.

Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

We had to go back to Skegness yesterday to collect the remaining baseboard and support for the traveser from John (hoppy504), we couldn't get it all in first time around! Whilst we were there talking over a nice cup of tea and talking G1 and anything else, I happened to mention a holiday in Perth Australia in 09 and a convention that was on in Castledare Park, so here's some of the photos I took, enjoy!

The first photo is at Wilson Station, where this loco pulled in and the guy asked us if we would like a ride, he didn't have ask twice.



Next one is at the same place.



The next few are a selection round the park which actually around a swamp.



This will be of interest to UK folk.



As is this!



The last two are of the Engine shed and Station.





We were very lucky to be in the right place and right time for this event.

I was telling John, the guy who asked if we would like a lift thought we were part of the convention, so when his turn came to go back out again he took us back to Wilson Station. This was on the Friday of Easter weekend so I went back on the following two days as to take more photos and videos.

Hope you like these.

Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

As I said at the beginning of this post I do have a San Cheng GWR 4575 Prairie, but it is in the wrong livery for me, BR black with the wheel and lion emblem. So I'm currently in the process of stripping off the paint, it has taken me nearly all day just to do the running plate with the Nitromors, but I do have an Ultrasonic cleaner which takes all the hard work out of cleaning up afterwards.

I'm post a photo tomorrow. Oh I have also cleaned up the wheels and treated them with Birchwood Casey Super Blue.

Dave

 

[hoppy504]

A really nice group of models and great weather in your photographs. A nice location for a holiday.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi to all

Meanwhile back in the world of G1 here's some photo's of my 4575 in the raw!

I wasn't having a lot of success with Nitromors so after talking with OzzyO he put me onto using Gun Cleaner.
What this is in reality is for cleaning spray guns after the car trade have been spraying cars.

You can buy this from Ebay for £12.99 in a 5ltr tin post free, it goes by the product name of Tetrosyl.
I bought mine from a local motor factor in Wisbech so I could get on with the paint stripping.

Running plate after being through the US cleaner, the US cleaner I have is really only suitable for O gauge and as you can see by the tide line I couldn't get all of the body under the water.







I intend to spray paint the black parts using 'Clostermann' 446 Black Etch Primer as this double up as undercoat and topcoat, and as OzzyO pointed out to me you are putting less paint on the model which will show up more of the fine detail.
Dave

 

[Osgood]

…..I wasn't having a lot of success with Nitromors so after talking with OzzyO he put me onto using Gun Cleaner.
What this is in reality is for cleaning spray guns after the car trade have been spraying cars…...

Am I right in thinking that GUNWASH is basically cellulose thinners?

 

[taliesin]

Am I right in thinking that GUNWASH is basically cellulose thinners?

A cheaper less refined version basically, I used it a bit years a go, cheers Rob

 

[adrian]

Running plate after being through the US cleaner, the US cleaner I have is really only suitable for O gauge and as you can see by the tide line I couldn't get all of the body under the water.

Looks very impressive - thanks for the photo. I have asked elsewhere for a before and after shot for ultrasonic cleaners to no avail. So that is a nice illustration of the difference they make.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Looks very impressive - thanks for the photo. I have asked elsewhere for a before and after shot for ultrasonic cleaners to no avail. So that is a nice illustration of the difference they make.

You should have seen the color of the jcloth after I'd strained the cleaner through it!
And you can use the cleaner mix over and over again, I'll post photos of the US cleaner if anyone is interested.

Dave

 

[Dave Bowden]

Looks very impressive - thanks for the photo. I have asked elsewhere for a before and after shot for ultrasonic cleaners to no avail. So that is a nice illustration of the difference they make.