Darius’ Workbench

[DJ Dangerous]

Fabulous work!

[Darius43]

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

I decided to modify the spare Bachmann Class 08 body from the D3/12 Shunter project to represent what followed - a Class 12 Shunter.

A spare Bachmann Class 08 chassis is on it’s way from eBay.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Chassis arrived today and has been cleaned up and the buffer beams painted red.  Etched ladders fitted and a coat of Halfords satin black applied to the cab and body.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Finished - bar some light weathering.

Cheers

Darius

[irishmail]

You must be modelling non stop Darius,  do you ever sleep? 

[Darius43]

27 minutes ago, irishmail said:

You must be modelling non stop Darius,  do you ever sleep? 

Well…

[Darius43]

A bogie container flat that I had made using a Dapol LMS coach chassis had responded badly to a spell in the sun…

 

Today I finally got round to sorting the bogie flat out using a hot water immersion bath and judicious bending with a plunge into cold water.

The plasticard top plate was scribed to represent planking and stays made from etched brass strip installed in pre-drilled holes.  

Next step is to add the tie down chains to the containers, which are Bachmann - available as a set of four.

Cheers

Darius

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Lovely work 

[Horsetan]

On 14/9/2023 at 6:23 PM, irishmail said:

You must be modelling non stop Darius,  do you ever sleep? 

There'll be time enough to sleep when  you're dead.

[Darius43]

Oxford Diecast Bedford RL modified and repainted to be a Lowmac load.

Before:-

After:-

I lowered the tilt to “railway transport” configuration.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Turnbuckles and tie down chains next.

Cheers

Darius

[Broithe]

When I was a lad...

We went from Hampshire to Snowdon in one of them - overnight and very slowly. I would have been about 10 or 11. The other lads were (what I thought was) a lot older, up to 17/18ish.

I did a lot of things in my youth that I wouldn't do now, but they had a game that I wouldn't do then.

When hanging out of the back, hanging onto the 'entry rope', became a bit ordinary, a new task was started. The object of this was to exit the flap at the back and proceed along the side of the rear bed, using the odd straps that were flailing about in the wind, then finally entering the cab via the hatch, and returning to the back. About half-a-dozen lads achieved this goal.

All this happened as we progressed along the A5 on the overnight journey.

Amazingly, nobody was killed or even injured. A few car drivers were unnerved by the spectacle, but all the entrants used the nearside of the truck for their passage to the cab and back.

On the return journey, also overnight, we arrived back and there was no sign of me when the back of the truck we being emptied. I was discovered underneath a large crate full of equipment that had overturned onto me in my sleeping bag. It was too heavy to shift and I, an extremely heavy sleeper, just went back to sleep for the rest of the journey. When I was discovered, those who were supposed to be in charge were petrified that there "could be paperwork", but I was able to persuade them that I wasn't going to die - I wasn't  even injured, just hungry.
 

One for a cameo scene..?

[Darius43]

I never did any extra vehicular activity like that but was at scout camp in Staffordshire in 1976 aged 11 where we constructed a sort of assault course that comprised two ropes strung vertically above each other between two trees about 30 feet above the ground.  You got up the first tree via a log propped up against it at angle using a rope to pull yourself along.  Then you traversed to the second tree using the two ropes - feet on the lower one and hands gripping the upper one.  At the second tree was the “reward” a kind of zip wire that got you back to the ground.  Went round it several times.

It was great fun with no safety gear or harnesses in sight.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Etched turnbuckles and chains fitted.

Chains toned down and light weathering to finish.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Turnbuckles and tie down chains added to be the bogie container flat..

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Added the “timber” baulks to the bases of the containers.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

I pity the fool…

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Started on another MTK model the other day - a Class 109 “Wickham” DMU.

 

Cheers

Darius

[popeye]

Very nice and neat, no messy soldering. 

[Mike 84C]

Spot on Darius, echo popeye's words!  But as I think I have said before when do you sleep!  

[David Holman]

A serious amount of work in that model!

[Darius43]

Driver and peops fitted.  Chassis weathering to finish.

Cheers

Darius

[StevieB]

I’ve never tried one myself but I have read elsewhere that they can drive you mad. Brilliant job.

Stephen

[Horsetan]

On 20/11/2023 at 3:57 PM, David Holman said:

A serious amount of work in that model!

Especially as it's MTK....

Anyone who remembers MTK will likely remember the man behind it: Colin Massingham.

Colin's been dead for years. It was often said that he allegedly never consulted an engineering drawing when preparing a new model for production, but just looked at a few photographs and guesstimated from there. If you were (un)lucky enough to encounter one of his early Steamcast kits for BR Standard engines, you'll know what I mean.

In later years, Colin himself alluded to his idiosyncratic planning methods by releasing O-gauge kits under the brand name "Elcrappo".

Edited November 22, 2023 by Horsetan

[leslie10646]

Darius, the DMU is remarkable.

By an odd coincidence, my late Aunt (died January) and lived in Hiunstanton and her Requiem Mass was in Kings Lynn.

[Darius43]

Thanks Leslie.

We had a family weekend away in Hunstanton last month.  Had a nice time touring the area, including a wander around Wolferton station.

 

John Betjeman did a short BBC programme on the line before it closed.

John Betjeman - King’s Lynn to Hunstanton

Cheers

Darius

[Mike 84C]

Thanks for the photos of Wolferton  Darius, we must visit next year when we are at Cromer. Norfolk is a very good area to visit if you like railways, stately homes , bird watching and beaches.

[Darius43]

As if I haven’t punished myself enough lately…

Cheers

Darius

[RedRich]

23 hours ago, Horsetan said:

Especially as it's MTK....

Anyone who remembers MTK will likely remember the man behind it: Colin Massingham.

Colin's been dead for years. It was often said that he allegedly never consulted an engineering drawing when preparing a new model for production, but just looked at a few photographs and guesstimated from there. If you were (un)lucky enough to encounter one of his early Steamcast kits for BR Standard engines, you'll know what I mean.

In later years, Colin himself alluded to his idiosyncratic planning methods by releasing O-gauge kits under the brand name "Elcrappo".

I believe he used to say or have printed on the box hammer or nails not included.

[Robert Shrives]

Darius,

The build of the wickam mirrors my experience with a Transpennine unit cutting off the roof with a stanley to allow ends a fighting chance to fit bodies got attached to a Lima chassis, back in the day so the buffet offered pizzas!

The 306 must be better proportioned if ends fitted that well, good luck with the build

Robert   

[Horsetan]

6 hours ago, RedRich said:

I believe he used to say or have printed on the box hammer or nails not included.

I have a box containing various leftover MTK parts for the GWR diesel railcar. The bogie sideframe castings are comedy, as they are slightly different lengths overall, and the wheelbases of all four castings differ slightly from each other. 

[Darius43]

7 hours ago, Robert Shrives said:

Darius,

The build of the wickam mirrors my experience with a Transpennine unit cutting off the roof with a stanley to allow ends a fighting chance to fit bodies got attached to a Lima chassis, back in the day so the buffet offered pizzas!

The 306 must be better proportioned if ends fitted that well, good luck with the build

Robert   

Hi Robert,

The 306 ends required quite a bit of dry fitting and trimming before they were finally glued in place - followed by some more trimming filing and sanding of the joints.

The main goal is to get the ends fitted square, which, with MTK, is invariably not the best fit position.

Cheers

Darius

[Darius43]

Joints filled and sanded.  Roof panels scribed and ventilators fitted.

Cheers

Darius

[RedRich]

There was a member of the Scalefour society in the members forum building an MTK class 59 a few years ago. Hasn't been updated since but I was really interested in seeing how it turned out.