Playtrains join the collection

 

Back in 2022, I made a video reviewing Hornby's new Playtrains range. Obviously, I'm not the target market for a set aimed at children, so I recruited a freinds daughter to give me a hand. As a thank you, I made sure she recieved a set, which was later added to with some more track and a second loco. 

Now, I've always liked Playtrains. It's a good solid product that allows youngsters to build a railway. Not just a circuit of track, but a proper model railway with points and loops and sidings. The prices are good - when it first launched, I worked out £250 would buy you everything in the range, which would be a good investment for a collector. 

I even ran the flagship product "Flash" on Pete Waterman's first layout at Chester Cathedral, much to the pleasure of the visiting public. You see, unlike previous efforts, these trains can be run on standard OO track. 

Anyway, time moves on, and my little assistant hasn't really played with her trainset. She prefers Lego, and other toys I don't really understand because I am too old. "Flash" and "Thunder" had been banished to the loft, and one day, it was time for the loft to be sorted. 

Generously, I offered to provide the toys with a home. 

Now, I love toy trains, and think these are an excellent addition to my Tri-ang/Hornby collection. At one point, it looked like Playtrains was to be pensioned off, but it seems this isn't the case now. As a collector, failed products are more interesting, but in this case, I hope Playtrains enjoys much more life in the Hornby range. 

For the moment, my pieces have been squirelled away in storage. Maybe one day I'll find one of the 1980s push-along 0-4-0 steam locos that used the name before the modern products. Well, they are much more fun than a proper, serious, collectables!

Roof matters

Things I am not very good at Number 10423: Bending wood. 

My first go, with the roof piece supplied in the kit, spent 12 hours soaking, and was still as stiff as it had been when dry. Trying to force it into anything like a curve resulted in a splintering sound, and a handful of fodder for the fire. 

Fortunatly, I have plenty of spare, thin plywood, so I cut another piece out, rounding the corners using a 10p piece, and dropped it on to soak again overnight. 

After making my breakfast, I pulled the wood out, and strapped it to a large can of varnish using elastic bands collected from the Post Office. The ones they generously leave on the pavement. 

A few hours later, and the wood was released, and proved to be just as flat as ever. All that soaking being a waste of time. 

Still, the material was bendy, so I decided to fix it in place anyway. Prior to this, I'd lined the top edge of the coach with obechi stripwood just under 10mm wide. This would provide a decent area for glue when the roof was stuck down. 

Another issue is that the coach needs passengers, and I don't have any. I know I can order online, but it's not that far to the Midlands show, so I'll pick some up there with a bit of luck. For now, the roof is held down with four self-tapping screws. Not pretty, but not as objectionable as I expected. 

The good news is the plywood has bent pretty much as I want it to, so when there are people inside, I can glue the roof down, and use the screws to hold it while the adhesive dries. Then I'll fill the holes and give it a fresh coat of paint.

Warehouse Wednesday: Rail traverser

A bit of a photo dump today. When I was last at Steam in Swindon, I took some shots of the traverser at the back of the sheds. 

 

Paint on

 

Sometimes, an evening of modelling can generate several posts. Not this time. Getting the paint on the Roundhouse coach has been a bit of a mamoth effort, taking several sessions. 

First thoughts on the livery involved white above the wasitline, and so I put on some fresh Revell Matt white. But it didn't look right.

Next, I changed to Humbrol 121. This creamy colour looked nicer, but took four coats applied with a flat brush. To be honest, I've never really got on with flat brushes, but didn't have a big enough round one. Yes, I could have sprayed, but it was cold in the garage so I didn't fancy it. In my head, avoiding the masking and airbrush cleaning is a good thing, but in truth, it probably would have been quicker. If Humbrol would put 121 in a spray can, I'd defintely have used it. 

The green is another Revell colour. I'd visited the excellent hardware shop in Bourne and picked up some fresh. This only required two coats, but again, that's time. The black bits were all one coat Revell anthracite. 

Window frames were stained with some Coach & Wagon Works walnut colour, and then individually glazed. I didn't do a great job with the Glue'n'glaze as there are bits on the plastic, but I doubt anyone will notice with the coach is in a train. 

Every frame needed a little adjustment, but they are now in. Phew!

Great reading

 

If I have anything approaching a new years resolution, it's to get on top of my reading. Lots and lots of magazines come my way, and they pile up. What I need is less doom-scrolling, and more reading the words of people interested in the same things I am. 

Watching the piles grow, especially of society journals, is embarrasing. I know how much work goes into them, and so they deserve to be read. OK, I'm still likely to drop the mag into the recycling, but at least I should have extracted as much information out of it as possible. They is definitely a better use of my time than reading clickbait headlines on the interweb. 

Mind you, knowledge can be expensive. When I read that the Hartz railway is to de-carbonise, which I take to mean no steam trains, I'm looking up the price of trips to visit. It's always been on my radar, but not high on the list. Time for it to jump the queue. Sadly, the first trip I can find clashes with a show, but I wonder about the autumn...