Ressaldar's Modern Image workbench

[Ressaldar]

I have always had a liking for the BR 03 shunters and back in 2009 a friend asked me to paint his brass San Cheng 03 as running at Birkenhead docks in 1987 with the special Birkenhead South commemorative livery.




The opportunity to repeat the exercise came up recently with an unpainted version on the Bay of E at a price that I could not ignore. An offer was made and it arrived a few days later.

The unwanted lamps were removed and the housing cupboard on the right hand side fabricated and fitted. I could not de-solder the horn to enable it to be fitted in the vertical position, so I decided to leave well enough alone!











The main body colour is Deep Bronze Green from a rattle can, the yellow is again from a rattle can and the buffer beams are brushed acrylic. On the first model I masked off the yellow to create the stripes but this time I decided to use Railtec filmless stripes - having first removed the horizontal handrail on the cab rear and all of the handrails and the radiator filler pipes from the nose, all to be reapplied after the transfers had dried out. The cabside transfers are from Precision Decals (a repeat order from 2009)

Now earning its keep on the layout.

I fitted a Zimo MS450 with an MGOBLOC stay alive and a 28x10x8 Icecube speaker mounted vertically behind the radiator - having applied a black permanent marker all over the face to disguise it when in place.

It will be weathered over the course of the next few weeks, so further photos will be posted

 

[simond]

Mike

Not fair posting things like this!

I really don’t need a Birkenhead Dock Shunter…



Best
Simon

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Simon,

I would give the same reply if someone were to offer an unpainted San Cheng Schools to me! But I would have to have it!!!

Kind regards

Mike

 

[simond]

Yes, my “all our yesterdays” excursion with the Duchess (the story’s here Second hand Duchess if anyone’s interested) should have cured me of such nostalgia, particularly when it doesn’t fit with the theme that I’ve established for myself. Not sure I’ve learned the lesson…

As an aside, I have an abiding recollection of one lovely Schools model, I fitted an early Lenz decoder to it for my late pal, Ken Stansfield, probably some 26 years ago, and it seemed to perform ok on the indoor part of his quite extensive layout. So we let it out…. And it went off like a race horse, trouble was, with the bit between its teeth, stopping it. It did this regularly. We tried every trick in the (then, not very extensive) book and were never quite sure it wasn’t going to do it again. I eventually concluded that the decoder was the problem, and swapped it for a Zimo.

cheers
Simon

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Simon,

I made an Airfix unpowered version of Tonbridge with a 'Craftsman'? chassis and used Ultrascale wheels in the mid-late 60s and still have it - much battered, today's picture



and eventually built a David Andrews version in 2004



which was sold about ten years ago - much to my regret now. So my hope is that a San Cheng version will become available while my eyes are still able to get the lining on!

kind regards

Mike

 

[oldravendale]

Memories... The Rosebud Kitmaster Schools was the first loco kit I ever built, brought home for me as an un-birthday present by my dear departed father. I was proud of my success in building it, glue fingermarks and all. I didn't paint it - after all, the plastic was black and so was the prototype. Sadly not long after a friend trod on it....

 

[simond]

Ah yes, a lovely rubber band high wing light plane, all balsa and doped tissue.
Nice kit, probably took 3 or 4 evenings when I should have been doing homework.
Flew it one afternoon in my pal’s parent’s large garden, then put it in the car for safe keeping.

some time later, we all got in the car…

 

[oldravendale]

. That's not funny, but I empathise.

 

[Ressaldar]

I have purchased a Dapol Conflat A to go with the 03 and this is the current state of play following unscrewing the 'body' from the chassis and removing the buffers, masking off the floor and a couple of coats of yellow around the edges. The stripes, words and numbers are from Railtec.



Johnson's Klear was applied over the yellow and on successive layers of transfers to hold everything in place - the top coat goes on tomorrow when the wording is all dry, then when the Klear is dry, I will start with the weathering, especially to the floor.

I have purchased another 'in the brass' 03, this one is without air tanks and likely to be numbered 03069, one of Gateshead's fleet and will be painted Rail Blue with black buffer beams. Photos to follow as and when.

kind regards

Mike

 

[Ressaldar]

Mike

Not fair posting things like this!

I really don’t need a Birkenhead Dock Shunter…



Best
Simon

Hi Simon,

not really wishing to upset the applecart but....................

if you wait long enough, two come along together - sorry that I cannot pose them on the Duke Street stabling point for you but it is now 'out of bounds'



I picked up the second one, again 'in the brass' from Ellis Clark and could not resist the temptation to complete the pair. The difference between the two models being that the second one is sans air tanksbut hopefully that will be corrected this evening at the Club as I have been promised an unwanted pair from the Heljan model, (they come in the accessories pack) so fingers crossed they will fit the bill.

I think that 03170 was the last of the class in revenue service and it is preserved.







There are a couple of differences between the two locos to justify having both running together, anyway it's my railway!

The next victim on the bench is a Sidelines D2046 Inspection Saloon that I bought recently, built to an excellent standard and just needing the body painting and finished. The chosen prototype is DM45026 in the retro BR Maroon finish that it carried from the mid 1980s until it was reshaped by an excavator while awaiting full preservation.

https://flic.kr/p/2bK2ewu

regards

Mike

 

[simond]

Hi Simon,

not really wishing to upset the applecart but....................

if you wait long enough, two come along together - sorry that I cannot pose them on the Duke Street stabling point for you but it is now 'out of bounds'

View attachment 222165

I picked up the second one, again 'in the brass' from Ellis Clark and could not resist the temptation to complete the pair. The difference between the two models being that the second one is sand air tanksbut hopefully that will be corrected this evening at the Club as I have been promised an unwanted pair from the Heljan model, (they come in the accessories pack) so fingers crossed they will fit the bill.

I think that 03170 was the last of the class in revenue service and it is preserved.

View attachment 222166

View attachment 222167

View attachment 222168

There are a couple of differences between the two locos to justify having both running together, anyway it's my railway!

The next victim on the bench is a Sidelines D2046 Inspection Saloon that I bought recently, built to an excellent standard and just needing the body painting and finished. The chosen prototype is DM45026 in the retro BR Maroon finish that it carried from the mid 1980s until it was reshaped by an excavator while awaiting full preservation.

https://flic.kr/p/2bK2ewu

regards

Mike

I'm not going there, but if I did, it would be green...

On a separate but vaguely related note, I see that the last 503 set in existence will not be restored

 

[Ressaldar]

A shame that Merseyrail could not run it as a preserved unit, I'm sure that there is room for it somewhere on their 'system' to keep it safe between run outs.

regards

Mike

 

[John57sharp]

Its a shame Wirral didn't hang on to it and put it in the Museum. Another local icon allowed to rot a la Royal Iris and many buildings.

Grrr

John

 

[simond]

Wholly agree. Great shame.

 

[Ressaldar]

Just to complete the story,







now with air tanks ( from the DJH kit not the Heljan accessory pack) and associated pipework fitted and the missed handrails around the front steps now painted white and the final transfers applied, I think that I can turn my attention to the Inspection Saloon........

cheers

Mike

 

[Ressaldar]

As my avatar suggests, I have more than a liking for the ex LMS Diag2046 Inspection Saloons and not retaining one of my many builds (including the non D2046 examples) I could not pass the opportunity up of a fully built but unpainted extremely well built model with a price tag equal to the kit price, I could not pass it up.









so here it is in almost all of its glory - the ETH, air horns, both being picked up at Stafford on Saturday and the two long handrails used in conjunction with the folding steps.

The only modification I had to do was the removal of the vent boxes from below the end droplights and the fixing of the lower step units on the bogies below the solebar steps.

The body paintwork is all via rattle cans and the transfers are by Precision Decals, lining is HMRS Pressfix - old stock as the current offerings leave something to be desired with regard to alignment. I will apply some light weathering to the chassis and roof and leave the body sides untouched. The livery was carried from the mid 80s to withdrawal from service in early 2000s, the only alterations being QXV added below the running number and three car spot lamps added to each end.

regards

Mike

 

[Ressaldar]

Having collected the outstanding items on my first trip to Stafford Guildex and waiting for the 'crew' to be delivered from Northumbrian Painting Services (well worth waiting for) I have now completed DM45026 as intended













I have also purchased one of the new Heljan Class37/0 locos, and finished it in EW&S livery as 37057, which was the first 37/0 painted in the livery. Having seen the Heljan Inspection saloon in the EWS livery at Guildex and given it more than a 'once over' - which allayed most of my concerns about the vehicle (droplight surround and heating vents), I am pretty certain that I shall be investing money in that direction, if only to give me something to do in the coming months, other than help build a new layout at the Club



We are well underway now with trackwork (Peco) going down at a steady rate, we have one working night a week. Pictures to follow in due course.

regards

Mike

 

[Ressaldar]

My Heljan EWS Inspection Saloon arrived on Thursday in time for me to take it to the Club in the evening and give it a good run behind 37057 and the pair received much favourable comment.

As I mentioned above, there are a couple of issues with the model, which Heljan have had to make in order to maximise the livery options by producing a 'common fame' to cover all variations. Compared with some liberties that they have taken, these are minor in comparison.

So, I have taken the bull by the horns and fitted the two missing heater vents to DM 45029.

I had a number of white metal castings of the vents in the spares box from previous builds (WR S&T KDW150266 and MR DM 45029) and the marking out template. The template was applied to the two locations and a pencil line scribed around the aperture,


then came the tricky bit, drilling out the centres, this was done with the Proxxon mini drill mounted in its stand and rotated 180 degrees and a heavy counterweight put on the base, the coach was laid in the servicing cradle and the orange line across the end of the coach was used to square it up.


I then carefully stitch drilled well within the pencil line


leaving this to file back, with a selection of swiss files until I got a good fit for the inserts





a clear drying glue was applied to the vertical joints and things have been left until tomorrow to dry before touching up the paint - I have an old jar of Railmatch EWS Gold (which has a price label on it reading £1.85) and to my eyes is a fairly good match for the Heljan colour.

I was hoping to do the droplight 'conversion' as well but the way in which Heljan have adhered the end windows to the body does not leave any scope to remove and replace the windows after trimming back the droplight and I have not the bottle to try and do the trimming from the front so will have to live with it 'as is'.

Completed photos to follow.

regards

Mike