Darius’ Workbench

[Mayner]

8 hours ago, Ironroad said:

It's interesting that CRH operate cement traffic on UK rails (via their Tarmac subsidiary) but ceased operating cement traffic on Irish Rails.

Interestingly Tarmac UK cement/building product traffic of 9M tons annually is roughly 3 times heavier than CIEs total annual railfreight traffic during the 1970/80! https://www.globalcement.com/news/item/11387-tarmac-renews-rail-freight-contracts-in-uk

Ironically railborne cement traffic was in decline in the UK and increasing in the UK during the late 1980s-mid 1990s with the situation reversing following privatisation in the UK.

The UK freight flows tend to be heavier and over longer distances than in Ireland which gives rail a competitive edge over road leading to investment in modern high capacity wagons by rolling stock leasing companies, subsidised freight access charges after privatisation has lead to four 'open access' operators competing to haul bulk cement and building traffic. 

Difficult to see a similar situation developing in Ireland because of the relatively short distance between the major Cities and the Cement Plants and IRH loss of market share to Quinn, Lagan north of a line drawn from Wicklow to the Ox Mountains.

 

[Darius43]

Only two more to go to complete the rake.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Train-Tech battery operated flashing LED tail light modified to fit inside the hollow tank body.

 

 

Cheers
 

Darius

Edited April 18, 2023 by Darius43

[Patrick Davey]

Excellent - you must be the most prolific creator on this forum Darius!

[Darius43]

Rake completed 

I have ordered a couple more - for the white/yellow/green liveried Tarmac versions.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Hornby MGR wagons modified so as to be a permanently coupled rake.   I first replaced the large Hornby tension locks with pivoted magnetic couplings but the pivoted connection wasn’t strong enough and there were several failures in service as seen below.

These couplings are now being replaced with hone made fixed bar couplings made from black plasticard - as used on the rake of Hornby Freightliner flats that I modified a year or so ago.

Four wagons completed - a lot more to go.

The coal loads are a mixture of cast resin loads (from eBay) and Wills plastic coal loads with real coal bits stuck on with diluted pva. 

The Hornby MGR wagons themselves are all from eBay obtained at minimal cost.  I replaced the Silver Seal wheels with metal ones and “tidied up” the roughly applied weathering using an airbrush.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Some more wagons converted…

Only 13 more to do…

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Now only 6 more to go…

Train-Tech tail light fitted to last wagon.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Rake completed 

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Took the opportunity to stage a more atmospheric photo.

Cheers

Darius

[Rob]

Amazing work! Quality and Quantity all the time.     

[Bob229]

Superb work

[JasonB]

9 hours ago, Darius43 said:

Took the opportunity to stage a more atmospheric photo.

Oh, that's tasty. Lovely shot. 

[Darius43]

A year or so no ago I built a couple of vintage Scalecraft “Roadrailer” kits that I found on eBay.  When first tried out on the layout the trailers were a bit jittery so I added tyre weights - sprayed black so as to be less obtrusive.

Running on the layout last weekend.

 

 

Some more trailers added to the rake.  Built examples obtained from eBay refurbished and repainted.

Cheers

Darius

Edited April 24, 2023 by Darius43

[Darius43]

Smor.

Already built examples from eBay. Repaired, tidied up and fitted with metal wheels.

Three more original bagged kits to build.

 

Plus this pre-built example, which is going to need some TLC to bring up to scratch.

And two of these…

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Two more trailers completed.

Three more on the workbench - two of which will require scratch built undergibbons.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

The tractor units that are supplied with the original kits are AEC Mandators.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Scratch built undergibbons.

Less detailed than the kit part but should not be too apparent once painted black.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Two more with the scratch built wheel assemblies completed - brings the rake to 15.

One more bagged kit to assemble.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Two more 3D printed JGA cement wagons on the bench 

The yellow and green “Tarmac” colours are brush painted Phoenix Precision enamels.  I had considered airbrushing but the overspray masking was too complicated.  Masking for brush painting was much simpler.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Completed 

Cheers

Darius

[DJ Dangerous]

Lovely work, @Darius43!

What's the story behind the Roadtrailers? I never knew they had been used in the UK. Always thought they were a US thing.

[Darius43]

Hi DJ it was an ill-fated attempt to combine road and rail freight in the UK in the early 1960s.  Containerisation was the way forward.

https://cutt.ly/S6woJzq

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Roadrailers and cement wagons in action on the layout today

 

 

Cheers

Darius

Edited May 6, 2023 by Darius43

[Darius43]

Niu Models 3D printed Coastal Defence Train.

The loco body is designed to fit onto the Bachmann L&YR 2-4-2 Tank chassis.

Also acquired some occupants…

Gun trucks assembled (minus guns).

Cheers

Darius

Edited May 6, 2023 by Darius43

[Darius43]

Gun truck painting completed.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Painting of 5 and 3 plank wagons completed - will be adding tarpaulins to these wagons as shown in photos of the actual train.

I added etched ladders and screw link couplings to the gun trucks.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Loco body painted.

Now awaiting delivery of a motorised chassis.

Cheers

Darius

[MOGUL]

12 minutes ago, Darius43 said:

Loco body painted.

Now awaiting delivery of a motorised chassis.

Cheers

Darius

Have always had a thing for Military railways(Christian Wolmar's book on the subject being a particular favourite), that is fantastic work! Will you be adding an oxford rail Boche buster to your layout to complement this?

[Darius43]

24 minutes ago, MOGUL said:

Have always had a thing for Military railways(Christian Wolmar's book on the subject being a particular favourite), that is fantastic work! Will you be adding an oxford rail Boche buster to your layout to complement this?

Thanks Mogul.  We already have a Boche Buster on the layout.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Tarpaulins fitted to wagons.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Initial painting of the figures.  They were given an overall spray of khaki and then details were painted using the end of a cocktail stick - even the finest brush is too coarse.

Once the paint has dried overnight, shadows and highlights will be picked out using a dark wash - sparingly applied.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

First troops on board…

Still quite a few more to assemble and paint.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Loco chassis arrived and duly fitted.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Some more passengers painted…

Cheers

Darius