O Gauge GWR Toad Brake Van

Over the last few weeks I have managed to finish off the build on a GWR Toad brake van. This brake van is destined for the engineers fleet at Kimington Quay and will be finished in the drab olive green engineers livery. There has been a lot of work pressure recently that have left precious little time for modelling, so this build seems to have taken an age. The model is constructed from the Parkside kit and whilst I am a big fan of the Parkside range, this was one of the trickier wagons to get square when building.

Finished Toad brake van. Note the shortened handrails on this side.

Other side of the toad, with the standard handrails.

The kit went together reasonably well, after a bit of trial and error to get the body to sit squarely on the chassis. The handrails were a bit of a fiddle and the close up photographs show the handrails to be somewhat uneven across the body. I am not too worried about this, as this model will show the brake van at the ends of its working life, after taking a fair few knocks and scrapes, etc. One of the sides has the hand rails modified and shortened, which was inspired some photographs of toad vans found on the web in the 1970s and 1980s. There is also one join on the handrails that the close up photographs highlight as not great - so I will attempt to reset this later on this afternoon. The wagon will then get a wash and head into the boxes for painting. At this stage, the roof is not fixed, as I like to paint the body / interior and roof separately, before glazing and final assembly.

I am looking forward to getting some paint on this model in the coming weeks.

So another wagon, heading for the growing engineers fleet. This is one of several engineers wagons that I am planning for the layout. I also have a Heljan PMV van in olive green to dismantle and head into the paint boxes at the same time as the GWR toad and the Slaters BY van that is currently being constructed will also end up in olive green, although this van has a way to go on the build. Hopefully more to follow soon, as I am planning a few more weekends where I can focus on modelling and even get the layout set up!

O Gauge Low Relief Warehouse

Time for modelling has remained at a premium for me for the last few weeks, with too much work on, some redecorating, summer holidays, visitors, beach days, etc. It has all been very busy. with only the odd hour here and there available for modelling. As a consequence, modelling progress has remained slow. In terms of the layout, there are two big things I have been mulling over. The first is sorting out the curved track on the curved board, which is far too tight. I have spent much  time during my morning dog walk thinking about the best solution for this. I have considered replacing the curved board with a straight board, adding in a new 1ft track section and just relaying the track on the curved board. All of the options are sub-optimal and will require adjusting the quay front to make things run smoothly. However, the layout has to fulfil the purpose it was built for, over being fun and reliable to operate, so something needs to be done - the problem is I still have not decided what the solution is yet.

Finished warehouse, ready to glue down onto the layout.

The second big task for the layout is the construction of a series of low relief buildings to run along the back of the layout behind the station and next to the diary. I think I will need to model something like 10 buildings and I am pleased to say the first one is finished. This is the Fair Price Models low relief warehouse, which was still too deep for the space available on the layout. I subsequently cut it into two halves, allowing me to get a second low relief warehouse from the same kit. Anyhow, shell was built, painted with PVA glue, then covered in polyfilla and sanded down. After a base coat of grey, the stone work was hand scribed, before dry brushing and some weathering washes over the top. The roof tiles are cut up plasticky fliers that come through the letter box. When viewed from ground level, it is quite an imposing old structure, just right for an old quayside. I am very happy with how this one turned out and I am looking forward to adding it too the layout. At least one down, but plenty more low relief buildings to go.

Top of the warehouse and the winch.

DCI Vera inspecting the new warehouse.

This shot shows up the contrast in the stonework well.

In other modelling projects, I have finished the painting of the class 42 warship, so it is now a question of just installing the DCC sound chip and speaker and putting the locomotive back together. The class 122 is finished, except for the internal lighting issue (Dapol production fault). I am yet to find out how to resolve the internal lighting issues, I think time to play with some CVs and see if I can get something to work.....I also need to phone Howes to see if they know of a solution. Otherwise, I have lots of projects requiring some time, of which there is very little until October....in the meantime I will just try to do little bits of modelling here and there to keep me sane.

Dapol O Gauge class 122 Reassembly and DCC Lighting Issues

My apologies for the lack of posts recently, life has continually got in the way and killed any momentum with the modelling projects. Life has been very busy away from railways and this has been in a generally good way but many weekends have passed by without any modelling! Anyhow on a rare Sunday afternoon I got to sit down and put the Dapol Class 122 back together. I was very excited to put in the DCC sound chip and see test the unit properly with the body shell refitted, on my O gauge DCC test track. I glued in the glazing, put the custom destination blinds on from Railtec transfers (sandwiched between two thin  pieces of glazing) and added a Modelu driver and some passengers. So far so good.

Terrible lighting(!) - the driver and passengers visible in the Class 122 unit.

I had previously owned the Dapol class 122 DMU in OO gauge and after previous issues with the drive shaft on that model I had sworn I would never buy a Dapol locomotive again. However, the Dapol O gauge class 122 is a fine model and I eagerly purchased one when they were first released, probably some time around 2021. The unit never ran that well, so I replaced both of the original motors with a new motor and it now runs on one bogie only, which is fine for a small unit on an end to end layout. More concerning was when I put the body shell back on, none of the interior lights, including cab lights and destination blinds worked. In addition the directional lights are on different function keys.

Headlights are on but how on earth do I get the interior lights to work?

So it turns out that the first release of the class 122 had a number of internal wiring issues, which has compromised the functionality of the unit. What to do? Having searched the internet for an answer, it turns out many other people have suffered from the same issue. However, whilst I have found the fix for Zimo chips and reprogramming written online, I have yet to find a answer for the ESU V5 chip (this one was programmed by Howes). I am certain that the functionality of the unit can be rescued by reprogramming CVs....however, whilst I am competent in reprogramming individual CV values, I am unclear how they all relate to each other to produce the desired outcomes. For example, the directional lights I need on one function key for both front and rear lights, not three separate functions. To do all of this internal reprogramming I need a recipe to follow......which currently I do not have.....so I am unsure how to proceed. I have asked a few people who are more knowledgeable than me but for the time being the unit is not functional, very frustrating (if anyone knows the solution please do post here). Beyond this, I am very happy with my weathering of the DMU it looks just right in my opinion, so getting it fully functional is a key priority in the next few weeks. I am now tempted to buy a class 121 DMU from Dapol to go alongside this model - they are great looking units and apparently the lighting issues have been resolved on later releases.

Another shot in poor lighting. However, the fading and weathering on the unit are clearly visible in this picture and I am very happy with the overall result.

Beyond this, I need to get the layout to a state where I can take it to exhibitions. To do this I am contemplating removing the curved board section from the layout and replacing this with a shorter straight 3 foot board. The curves into the layout are very tight and create buffer locking, so I am contemplating the rather radical step of removing the curved board section all together. This curved section was included to fit the space of a room in the old house and the upshot is - it does not work well in our new house. When it is set up it effectively blocks the space between the lounge and the kitchen, meaning that the layout is rarely put up in the house...

The end of the curved baseboard section...what to do....

The positives are that replacing the curved section with a straight baseboard would allow me to set up the layout more easily at home, allowing more play time and will provide better access for getting it finished. The downside is.....I am quite fond of the scenery on the curved board and starting a new board from scratch seems like quite an effort. Also I am not sure how I would get the skyscene correct on the replacement board, as it is a complete run of sky, with the curved section a four foot board and the replacement section a 3ft board. The alternative scenario is relaying the track on the curved board and replacing the Y point with a shorter right hand turnout. This will involve a lot of stripping of the scenery already put down but might be the simpler option, although it will still not allow me the space to play in the lounge that that I am hoping for. Any final decisions are currently on hold. I need to set it up and see how it goes before doing anything too radical. After building the layout, I want to enjoy winter afternoons running trains around, which in the layouts current configuration is not easy to do in our house.

Beyond this, I have just about finished detailing the Warship. There is a coat of varnish to go and then it is dcc fitting and putting back together. I have also nearly finished the next warehouse for the dairy complex, so this can be installed soonish. Other rolling stock builds are current on pause but I hope to find some time after August to get cracking with these and get them into the paint boxes.

O Gauge Dapol Class 122 and Heljan warship progress

It has been a while since my last update but progress of various projects has been made over the last few weeks, with some of these models creeping towards the finishing line. Unfortunately time for modelling has been a little limited, with weekends away and other commitments causing a loss of momentum. However, this bank holiday weekend, other than walking my dog, my focus is firmly on undertaking some modelling, whilst  watching the snooker.

The O gauge Dapol class 122 is getting close to being back in service. I am waiting on some destination transfers from Railtec but otherwise the unit has gone through the weathering process and now just requires the glazing to be re-attached, passengers and drivers to be added and finishing off the DCC installation. The driver is not yet painted but the passengers will be glued into the unit this evening. 

Weathering of the class 122 bodyshell. This is now ready to have the glazing re-attached.

When I was modelling in OO gauge I became somewhat weary of Dapol products, with the OO gauge class 122 requiring surgery to keep it running. With the O gauge model of the Dapol class 122, whilst the finish and interior detail is outstanding, the original batch of DMUs suffered from erratic running and poor motors. So whilst this locomotive was apart I took the opportunity to remove both of the original motors and replace them with a single new motor driving only 1 bogie (the original motors are said to be mismatched causing poor running). Hopefully this will cure the erratic running. The glazing on the unit was an absolute pig to remove and I ended up breaking a lot of the windows, which are made from very brittle plastic.. So in addition tot he original unit, I have now purchased replacement glazing and a new motor........which has added a not insignificant sum to the original price. 

Motors during replacement. The new motor required soldering in. The unit now runs in a single motor - which I hope will improve the running qualities of this unit.

However, I am now hopeful that once fitted back together, this unit will provide years of services as the local stopping DMU on the Kimington Quay layout. The modelling tasks for today are to add in the DCC chip that I sent off to Howes for reblowing and solder in the speakers, consisting of two 4ohm small speakers and a larger 8 ohm speaker. This is what is recommended in the Dapol booklet - so I hope it is correct. When this bit is done, it is just a question of adding the passengers, driving, glazing and destination blinds and then it will be ready for operation.

Another project that has seen some progress is the Heljan warship. I dismantled the warship some weeks ago and have made a start on painting some of the details, such as bogies, brake rigging etc. The body shell has received its new identity, with transfers courtesy of Railtec and nameplates from the Protoneo range. These have all bee sealed in with gloss and satin varnish, so later today I will start the process of weathering the body shell. I cannot wait to make a start on weathering this locomotive, it is an absolute beast of a model and I am going for a moderately weathered look. The new identity for this locomotive is 810 Cockade and a few photographs of this locomotive on the Tarka line in the 1970s shows it is pretty reasonable shape - so moderate fading of the BR blue followed by a bit of grime will be the order of the day.

The nameplates fixed to the slide of the warship. It is now ready for fading of the original BR blue factory finish.

Beyond locomotives and DMUs,  I am also building various pieces of rolling stock, with a GWR Toad and Southern BY van making slow progress on my desk. Both of these pieces of rolling stock are destined for the 1970s engineers department. I am also close to finishing some scenic details, such as station nameboards, fencing panels and post and more warehouses for the backscene. Again these projects are slowly ticking by in the background. I am looking forward to setting up the layout again later this month and adding in a lot of these details, whilst giving the DMU a proper run on the layout. 

Slaters southern BY wagon under construction - there is a long way to go with this build.

Station nameboards getting close to being ready to install on the layout, although some more weathering and toning down is required.

Beyond my little modelling world, there has been wider developments in the hobby, with the Accurascale take over of Heljan. Lots of people have had their say on this - and I am sure I will add nothing new. However, a class 45 has now found its way into the waiting pile of stock, whilst a small Ruston and PMV are being ordered today...I wish the company well for the future and hope that it provides a springboard for even more top quality O gauge models.

O Gauge CCT in Olive Green Livery

Over the last few weeks I have also managed to complete the weathering of an Heljan CCT, which was finished in the olive green engineers livery. This is a lovely model but the factory finish was quite shiny and toy like, so I set about toning this down with some weathering. The dismantling of the CCT was quick and easy, only requiring the removal of four screws and gently pushing out the glazing. The weathering process involved an initial body wash of neutral grey, before using the airbrush to apply a bit of tonal variation in the olive green livery, using some faded olive green colours. Over the top of this I used the airbrush to apply various coats of weathered black, frame dirt and sleeper grime, with some of the detail hand brushed with AK interactive streaking grime. The chassis was weathered separately, using the airbrush to apply various coats of weathered black, frame dirt and sleeper grime. The roof was  weathered using a combination of various shades of roof dirt and weathered black.  When I was happy enough, the weathering was sealed in with a couple of coats of Railmatch matt varnish. 

Finished CCT on the Kimington Quay layout.

Finished CCT coupled up a class 33.

A close up showing some of the underframe detail.

This CCT will run with the olive green BSK, the 12t van and the BY wagon, which form a small rake in the engineers department. The BY wagon is currently (very slowly) being built from the Slaters kit, although it will be a few months until I can get it finished. In the meantime I am concentrating on getting some of the buildings finished for the back of the layout and currently have five shallow relief buildings in various stages of construction on my workbench. There are also various items currently working their way through the paintboxes, such as class 122 DMU, which is making its way to the varnishing stage, alongside various details to add into the layout, such as mileposts, speed signs, station signs, etc. So plenty of modelling tasks on the go at the moment and more to come, not least with the acquisition of some new O gauge diesel locomotives, which have added to the growing pile of modelling projects that I need to start!

O Gauge layout Kimington Quay - adding in some layout lights and running some trains

With the layout set up in the lounge last weekend, I continued with adding in some of the details. This involved gluing in some of the buildings to the dairy platform and wiring in the the lights, alongside adding some lights to the area at the end of the platform and at the quay masters cottage. The wiring for these lights is really simple, just using a 9v battery attached to the side of the layout, with each circuit have a simple Gaugemaster on/off switch mounted on a little control panel. In total I added in four separate circuits, one for the dairy warehouse, one for the dairy office, one for the lights at the end of the platform and one for the Quaymasters office and lamp post. I also wired in the lights for the pub, but as this was on a different board at the other end of the layout, I installed a separate 9v battery holder with integral switch under the layout board. All of of this was simple enough to do, albeit with some awkward soldering, but the end result really provides some atmosphere to the layout. In a few places there is some light bleed to sort out, which only became apparent when I turned the lights on in the dark. 

Lighting control panel at the front of the layout.

Light at the end of the platform, as a class 25 heads down the line.

A class 25 shunting in the diary platform in the evening.

The lights are on in the local.....

The Quamasters cottage, with the lamp on the quay front.

The dairy platform with the lights on.

Alongside installing and wiring in the lights, I also had a good time running some trains over the layout. Some of the photographs I am really pleased with and I feel the layout is really starting to come together. It was also just so relaxing and fun to run some trains and get a feel for how the layout works. There are definitely some knacks to the operation of the layout - but this is all good and I can have a lot of fun operating the layout as it is, despite the simple track plan.

A class 25 running some wagons down the line.

Some open wagons in the diary siding.

A class 33 heading back towards Barnstaple with an engineers train.

A trip down the line!!!

A class 25 running into the diary siding in the dark.

So the next steps of the layout. I am currently constructing a number of shallow relief buildings to add to the backscene behind the platform. I also have a lot of detailing parts currently being painted in the paint boxes, including bottle crates and barrels for the pub, some speed signs, mile posts and gradient markers for the line side, some more fence posts and fencing for the line edge and the station signs. The next really big job will be adding in these details and these buildings when I next set up the layout. I also need to make some custom signs for the diary and the quay front, although I am not yet sure how to tackle this. Anyhow, plenty of projects to keep going at the moment and some really good momentum to try to finish the layout off this year!

O Gauge Layout Running Session Kimington Quay

This week I have had a little time off work in order to push on with the layout detailing. There are a few little niggles with the layout I am trying to tidy up, such as a few areas of the backscene and removing some vegetation in one area by the pub where the it fouls the rolling stock. Of course with the layout set up, it has been necessary to run some trains and get a bit more familiar with the layout, whilst waiting for various glues to dry, etc. Despite the layout being quite big, relative to our house, in O gauge this does not constitute a lot of track. The boards are 18inches deep and in O gauge this makes the curves quite tight. Part of playing trains has been to get familiar with the nuances of the layout and how I will operate it. Anyhow, I have had a lot of fun playing trains the last few days. so a few shots of the layout in action. The layout is really coming together and there are two really big pieces of modelling left to finish. The first is getting right the water colour in the quay, it is still not quite there and irks a little. Secondly, I have to build a run of low relief buildings for the back of the layout behind the second board, joining up with the dairy. These will be really shallow buildings and my plan is to finish these off over the summer and complete the layout by Xmas. There is a batch of scenic works I am currently doing today - so some more updates to follow later this weekend.

A class 33 on a short engineers train.

Class 03 leaving Kimington Quay and heading back to Barnstaple.

Class 03 heading into the dairy with a branchline freight.

Conflat wagon being used in the engineers department.

The dairy platform, which is currently having a bit of detailing work applied to it.

A solitary milk tanker at the dairy.