7mm Rob P's Coaching Stock Workbench - Kirk Twin Set Diag 105/125

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Tony,

I get the impression that Peter will still be supplying and possibly developing new stuff but only on a small scale.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Last year with the proceeds of a sale I bought a couple of Kirk LNER non corridor 51' parcels vans at Keighley show.

Last weekend, in between the rain/snow/hail.sunshine etc. I made a start on one of them. Now I haven't done a Kirk kit before so it was a bit of a learning curve especially cleaning up all the individual pieces. The sides went together okay and I can see how I might improve things slightly on the second one.

Although I plan to replace the bogies and turnbuckles (on the first one, the second I intend to do as a later angle truss variant) I decided to see what I could do to improve the underframe parts that came with it before discarding them out of hand.

The battery boxes are supplied plain panelled fronted with optional plank doors if modelling pre 1930's LNER (according to Ian's instructional notes). For the first one I decided to add the planked doors to a plasticard backer and stick it to the rear to allow me to fill the box with some lead shot. The lead was added loose and the lid glued on with some small vent holes drilled in the base to allow any solvent fumes to escape. I added some pieces of angle to the bottoms to represent the cradle that the LNER Batteries sat in. I just need to finish them with the addition of the supporting straps and nuts that go down each end.

The vacuum cylinders I did consign to the bin - no matter what I did with them I couldn't improve them so I raided the Parkside spares box and came up with a couple that looked so much better. To these I added the V hangers supplied and stuck them all to a 20 thou plasticard base plate.

Lastly I assembled the supplied dynamo and made up a mounting bracket and a block for the electrical cables which I still have to add.

I am still struggling to get decent photos of anything with white plasticard in the picture.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Although I didn't seem to spend much of last weekend modelling, the underframe for the Diagram 129 brake van came together nicely.

I used the Silhoutte to cut out the straps for the ends of the battery boxes adding the threaded part from 1mm half round with a slice of 1.5 and 1.0mm rod to represent the nut and end thread where it comes through the angle along the bottom of the battery boxes that I made earlier.











I had to modify the sides slightly to create the D129 because unlike the earlier Diagram 67 the D129 and D284 vans which are virtually identical had a ducket on one side. I adjusted my earlier drawing and cut out a ducket to fit with my Cameo.





I also added hinge detail and scraped off the moulded T handles and made some representations of the lighting conduits on the ends.

 

[Rob Pulham]

In between laying block paving and the many extremes of weather I managed to get the first bogie brake assembled over the weekend.









The clean up job for the parts of the next one is also well under way.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Over the last week, in between working on the front garden up north and a few days out, much progress has been made on the the Kirk parcel vans.

The first is now ready for the paint shop (apart from its bogies of which I still need to finish one of them because I am upgrading it using some spare JLRT bogies on this one).









The roof has been done with my now usual covering of lense cleaner tissue laid in overlapping sections.






The second one has had the sides stuck together and a start made on putting the underframe together. I plan to use the Kirk fox bogies on this one because it's going to be depicted in a much earlier timeframe. I have started to add the quite prominent step boards to them and it has changed the appearance quite considerably in my view - sorry no photos of those until next week.

 

[geoff_nicholls]

Garden Railway Specialists, produce a similar set of parts for these 51' coaches in gauge 3. I had convinced myself they were not a priority. Until now.

 

[Scale7JB]

You'll need some Bushell bogies for that..

JB.

 

[Rob Pulham]

You'll need some Bushell bogies for that..

JB.

I might have JB, but I had some spare JLRT bogies in stock and due to an embarrassing lack of modelling funds this one when finished will be hitting the small ads. - Admittedly the lack of funds is because I have just spent a significant amount of this years modelling funds on a 7 car set of brass LNER Tourist stock kits.

 

[Dog Star]

I have just spent ... modelling funds on a 7 car set of brass LNER Tourist stock kits.

As 40126 (@40126) does say... "details" and "photos" - sounds interesting.

 

[Rob Pulham]

As 40126 (@40126) does say... "details" and "photos" - sounds interesting.

All in good time - they are just a couple of white boxes at the minute......

 

[iak63]

Seriously tasty detailing Rob.
The lens tissue looks the business.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Seriously tasty detailing Rob.
The lens tissue looks the business.

Thanks Iain,

One of the few benefits of wearing glasses. I am not sure what sort of paper it's made of but it very tough material and ideal for representing roof canvas.

 

[Rob Pulham]

More progress on the second one,

I got the basics of the underframe assembled and the queen posts added. I also finished the bogie step boards and trimmed the roof to size. Next job is to solder the rods for the turnbuckles in place.

 

[Rob Pulham]

A session last night saw the first van in primer and the JLRT Bogies completed.





I had best start thinking about the guards grab rails.

 

[geoff_nicholls]

Is it correct that the brakes all had 8 foot bogies, instead of 8' 6"?

 

[richard carr]

Geoff

I believe so, 8ft bogies on the brakes.

Richard

 

[Rob Pulham]

Is it correct that the brakes all had 8 foot bogies, instead of 8' 6"?

Hi Geoff,

Yes, according to Nick Campling, and John Edgson (Isinglass drawings) I haven't checked the Harris books yet

 

[Rob Pulham]

Chris and I have been on holiday and come back with a summer cold which has somewhat restricted the modelling in the last couple of weeks. I did manage to get a bit of painting done though.





Still some way to go but at least the body is ready for transfers now.

 

[Scale7JB]

Looking very nice Rob.

Spoke to Peter Cowling today, and filling my tourist stock with seating is going to be a pricey exercise!

Thanks for the tip though.

JB.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Looking very nice Rob.

Spoke to Peter Cowling today, and filling my tourist stock with seating is going to be a pricey exercise!

Thanks for the tip though.

JB.

Hi JB,
That's what I thought until I was directed to Invertrain as a source for seats for my LNER triplet sets. At between £3 and £5 per twin seat it makes Peter Cowling's seats suddenly seem very reasonable indeed.