Sandboxes and (gulp) chimney

 

Time for some detailing. The sandboxes are easy, each has a spigot that sticks through the footplate. All I had to do was run some solder around this, underneath and out of sight, and they were done. 

The chimney was a different problem. The previous builder had removed the spigot (why?) and messed with the apro around the bottom. Cue several attempts at tacking it in position. With the use of a square under the footplate, and looking carefully at the side, I think it's OK, and checking it again the morning after, I still think we are fine. 

There is a slight snag. None of the fillers and dome are in the centre of the tank, even though they are fitted with spigots. I wonder how strong the aged glue is?

Off to Gaydon

Back from holiday, I should be at the Great British Model Railway Show today, sitting behind a couple of tables covered in various models I've made for magazine projects. 

I should have been there for the full weekend, but didn't put the show on my callendar, and accidentlly booked a trip that didn't get back until the Saturday. Efforts to find someone to cover the stand for the first day floundered on various freinds illnesses. 

Still, all being well, I'll be ready to greet you at the show, even if I doze off half way through!

On holiday

If everything is going as planned, by the time most of you are reading this, I should be at St Pancras station, awaiting the first of a series of trains, that will transport me to Switzerland. 

I've booked a trip through Great Rail Journeys, and should be heading to Wilderswil, for a week. 

Part of the holiday includes a trip up the Jungfrau Railway, so I hope the weather is good!

I'll also be near Interlaken, and have identified a couple of model shops, among other attractions. Well, it's a good way to make yourself visit different bits of a city. 

All this means no modelling content for a week, but you can (hopefully, technology permitting) follow my travels. 

On Instagram, I am Practical_Phil

 

 On Flickr, I am Phil Parker

Feel free to head over to either of these sites for your daily entertainment. And, all being well, I'll see you on my return in a week.

Hamblings catalogue

 

Found in a box of stuff under a second-hand stall, a rather tidy Hamblings catologue. 

There's some lovely stuff in here. A complete Jinty kit anyone?

Those lever frames would still be useful today.

One of the earliest 08 diesel kits too. 

All this speaks of a time before RTR models, when people had to make pretty much everything, but there were stores where you could go in, and buy all those bits. My guess is that some of them weren't as good as we remember them to be, but it didn't matter. Standards in the hobby were lower, but were modellers happier? (Probably not. I bet they still moaned about everything). 

Sadly, there's no date on the catalogue. I'd guess early 1950s, and would love a time machine to go and take a look. 

Bunker time

 

The imaginary bunker is a simple afair. Four sides to be joined together, and fitted to the footplate. Raised beading on the sides indicates these go outside the front and back. 

Once fitted to the footplate, they didn't seem parallel to the cab sides, so I loosened the joint, and gently levered them back a little with a long, thin screwdriver. At least the doorway looks right, even if it's a bit tight for the normal, portly crewmembers. 

A top is supplied, but that's going in the spares box as making a solid box would preclude getting anything in to clean out the flus. Also, it's pointless, as I'm going to put some real coal in the back eventually. 

The sharp eyed will spot I've fitted the bufferbeams too. Quite a bit of glue to be removed to do this, but now they are firmly fixed.