Tullygrainey

may need to repurpose the spare bedroom for that one Patrick!

More little things sent to try us - glazing coach windows. It would be nice if a single bit of acetate could be used to glaze a whole side but the internal bracing meant each window had to be glazed separately. Took me two days to do three coaches. Unseemly language was used along with the Glue'n'Glaze. Still, it's done now. The seats are back from the upholsterers too. Authentic BCDR 3rd class pattern, don't you know. Ready for fitting... ... and just as well. There's a motley bunch of passengers impatient to get going. All aboard Alan

Lovely stuff David. I'm really enjoying watching your progress. Keep posting!

Back with the BCDR coaches. Primer coats... first top coat... second coat and some transfers. Travelling third class again. Alan

This has become a running joke

If I were Mr Weaver, I wouldn’t stand for it

Blooming lovely!

Lovely work. The sweep of those curves is just perfect!

Just brilliant Patrick. Real craftsmanship and every inch GNR(I). I like the headboard too. Is that for Mr Weaver’s new bed?

Sounding and looking good. Micro layouts can be very satisfying to build, in my experience.

These private owner wagons saw service on the BCDR network, transporting coal landed at Dundrum, County Down. Provincial Models did a nice model of one. (Photo: Demond Coakham) As a distraction from soldering door handles onto BCDR coaches, I did some surgery on one of my Provincial EDSS opens, (Apologies Leslie. Look away now ) aiming to try and nudge the Dapol chassis a little closer to the appearance of the prototype. Starting point - I'd already weathered it a while back. Butchery. Not pretty... but getting better... An MJT wagon compensation etch provided the bits for outside W irons... and bits from the spares box did the rest... And now, back to coaching Alan

More BCDR coach work. Group portrait in brass... Nearly ready for paint Alan

Another gem. That weathering is beautifully understated. Spot on!

These any good?

A masterpiece Patrick. Just keeps getting better!

That's a very impressive production line John with some very fine modelling in there. I'm not surprised you lose the odd wheel set. I for one I couldn't keep that many balls in the air at once without losing my place eventually

Given the flooding in Downpatrick this week - witness this pic from the BBC website- I hope the damage at DCDR isn't too severe and that 90 hasn't been too badly affected.

More castings attached to the BCDR coaches. I've managed to vaporise white metal in the past, even with a temperature controlled soldering iron so I bottled out and epoxied them on. MJT 2289: 6'6" Coach springs 2251A: L&Y Axleboxes 2308: 24" Coach/Wagon Buffers A Gibson 4M600: Vacuum pipes (These are brass and were soldered) The axleboxes were the best match I could find, going from prototype photos but they were too thick, front to back, to fit behind the lower step. The piercing saw came to the rescue and did a neat job of slimming them... The spring units also needed slimmed a bit to allow them to slide into place so they were filed down on their backs using a cheap file, now clogged with white metal... With the castings in place the steps could go on... Beginning at last to resemble something you might've seen trundling down to Banllynahinch a while ago. With all the handling, there's a fair bit of tarnish on that brass now which will need removing before any paint goes on. I use Barkeeper's Friend abrasive powder with an old toothbrush. That does a fairly good job of cleaning things up but I wondered if there was a better way. I consulted the Googlesphere on the subject of cleaning brass and came across a recommendation for tomato sauce. (Really!) I tried it on a little bit of scrap tarnished brass and it worked remarkably well but I'm not sure about using it on a whole BCDR Brake Third. Getting the sauce out of all the crevices afterwards might be an even bigger problem and colour-wise, it's not close enough to Crimson Lake to leave it in place. Keeping the sauce for my chips, Alan

Love the Swilly coach David. Beautifully crisp lines and a credit to your skills (and patience). Good luck with the tank loco. I'm looking forward to seeing that develop. Keep us posted.

Mighty! Just exudes GNRI. Nice one Patrick

A gem, Patrick. Lovely work.

Lovely stuff. Following this with interest Patrick. It's great to have a window on your work.

Wonderful!

Progress on the BCDR coaches has been a bit sporadic lately. Having started out with etches only, I've now gathered castings for springs, buffers, vents, axle boxes and vacuum pipes from various sources. I've also started on the second coach, hoping to get both to the painting stage so they can be done together. Having said that, a third one, a 5 compartment 3rd on order from Mousa Models, arrived sooner than expected, a nice surprise so it's in the queue now too. There's a lot of repetitive work in coach building which for sanity I tackle in short bursts. Each of the brake thirds has 12 door handles, 12 grab handles, 14 drop lights, 14 ventilation panels ... you get the picture. All belong in the 'little things sent to try us' category. This is the current state of play with the second kit. The 12 torpedo vents are white metal castings from Alan Gibson(4M722) and the 6 lamp vents are improvised from 10BA brass washers and cheesehead bolts with the slots filled with solder. Four of these are trimmed off flush on the underside of the roof and two screw into captive nuts in cross members to hold the roof in place. Rattling along in 3rd class, Alan