Kingsbridge - workbench

[Noel]

Almost finished. 4 x MIR Irish Cement Pallet Curtain wagons. These were considered modern in 1974 being custom made and fitted with brakes, but at least they are two axle wagons and did not have dreaded freight bogies.  EDIT they were originally drop sided wagons and were later converted to curtains because of maintenance issues with the drop sided door mechanisms.

Just have to paint the aluminium strap tensioners grey

On duty behind B165. I quite enjoyed these MIR kits which had a two week holiday interrupting their completion.

Tempted to try some MIR drop sided kits to go with these.

PS: One of the springs flew off the knuckle joint of one of the kadee couplings. That will be fun replacing tomorrow. Will need a microscope and 1/200 the scale tweezers!

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Noel
Corrections

[Noel]

Couldn't help a few tweaks. After some buffer beam bits were added (vacuum pipes, coupling hooks) tail lamps added for this wagon. Strap buckles now painted and buffer grease. It never ends, but that's half the fun.

Now I'm going to padlock the door. This is locked. (hmm electric tail maps with wheel pickups from DCC via a few components, bridge rectifier chip, capacitor for flicker free, etc, - No! STOP ) 

[David Holman]

Splendid.

[Rob]

They look really good, excellent work!

[popeye]

Great job. 

You did remember to put the cement bags inside? 

[Broithe]

Proper hard-core modelling.

[PJR]

Superb workmanship, the weathering really make them

[Noel]

4 hours ago, PJR said:

Superb workmanship, the weathering really make them

Cheers. Initially the weathering went horribly wrong when I realised that weathering powders do not take well to gloss finishes (ie the curtain side had been gloss varnished). But found another way of making them look used and hiding the pristine look. 

[Noel]

Next up when I'm strong enough to tackle it. Convert this £17 eBay DT into something vaguely resembling a CAF Mk4 DVT with the 'duck face' to work between these Tony Mirolo resprays below and 222.

The razor saw, scalpel and files will be busy. But I like working with plastic. Getting the 'duck face' and 'humpback whale' look will be challenging. The re-painting will be the less awkward pit.

[Rob]

I look forward to seeing the DVT, so rare!

[Noel]

37 minutes ago, Rob said:

I look forward to seeing the DVT, so rare!

Cheers. Its been staring back at me all week looking for attention. But It'll have to wait a few days yet till I'm strong enough to use a razor saw, files and a scalpel. 

[Noel]

Been a while, confined to barracks so may get some mini-projects done. 6 CIE Vans started. Dapol donors primed. A little fiddling with the chassis needed. But hopefully will have 6 more vans to add to the existing 1960s rakes of pick up goods wagons. Not sure if I will do them CIE grey or CIE brown or a mix (3 of each). These could go nicely with my 3D corrugated open wagons behind black'n'tan 141s.

[Noel]

CIE 5 plank wagons in progress. Dapol Donors cheap as chips. These wagons finished with wheels, couplings and transfers will cost me only €8-9 each. The dapol chassis runs sweet and free.  Not sure what loads I'll put in them. They were used to carry all manner of general merchandise by CIE in both flying snail era and the broke wheel 1960s era. No 1960s CIE freight (goods) train existed without some of these along with corrugated open wagons and H-Vans. They had thousands of them in their hey day.

Edited March 14, 2020 by Noel

[Noel]

A little more progress today. A CV-19 free afternoon at the bench working on 6 CIE Vans + 4 CIE 5 plank open wagons of the flying snail era. These will be hauled by CIE era black'n'tan white stripe locos such as 141, or A class, or perhaps even a 121. Two axle goods trains are my favourite because of the operational shunting variety and interesting ops. Never a uniform rake, one or two wagons dropped off or picked up at passing stations.

Dapol donors. Rail match acrylic paints.

Hopefully with spare time on my hands these will be finished at the weekend.

[connollystn]

@Noel. Great work. Never thought about modelling the 50s/60s era but you're right about the variety of stock during that time and, with the Classes A & 141 due this year, it's likely that more people might get into modelling that era. It's also ideal for people who only have space for a small layout.

[Noel]

The best thing about this is the 'time' spent in another mental zone at the workbench, distracted and relaxed. Very therapeutic doodling with model bits. CIE goods wagon fleet soon to be expanded. Airbrush developed a cough spluttering paint, so had mid session cleaning.

[Noel]

Some more progress. 3 done, 3 more to do. Then some 5 open plank wagons of the flying snail era. This hobby is near perfect for spending time at the work bench, before cabin fever sets in during this CV-19 crisis. These stand me about €10 each and doing them was inspired by scenes from @jhb171achill's book 'Rails into the West'. Will have to get the finger out on Gort as that is what these wagons are for.

 

 

 

 

[popeye]

Excellent, very real 

[David Holman]

Looking good!

[Robert Shrives]

Lovely work , trying not to fall into the gizmo buying but just ordered a set of the tamyia paint turntables inspired tools with good reviews

Thanks for inspiration

Robert 

 

 

[Noel]

Workbench escapism. Got some more finished today, more CIE 5 plank open wagons on the way. Kadee'd the lot. These will operate on the Ennis to Athenry line visiting Gort. Hopefully will end up with about 10 of these 1960s era wagons when finished. Really enjoying the learning curve with stuff like this.

x

x

[popeye]

Super job, all the grime in between the planks makes a big difference. 

[Noel]

A full house at last. CIE Golden era. Have enjoyed pottering around working on these during the CV-19 confinement.

 

CIE 2 axle stock bridge the 1950s to the 1960s stream to GM/EMD diesel era.

x

Put into traffic right away on a local branch pick-up goods working from Woodvale Junction to Rathdrum. Bachmann Fairburn 2-6-4 soon to be RPSI'd has been kaydee'd. Another blasted manufacturer who didn't take NEM pockets seriously and needed not a little adjustment to get the kadee's at the right height. These wagons underwent extensive kadee testing before being release to traffic due to the sometimes slightly droopy NEM pockets on the Dapol donor chassis.

[David Holman]

They certainly look the part.

[Noel]

These new rolling stock items about to be released into traffic after ageing process. CV19 seems like only yesterday, hard to believe it was 10 years ago.   10 CIE wagons in total. 

 

 

[Noel]

Weathered some of these today. Had to scrub my hands afterwards even more than a CV19 wash, having handled such modernity    There is no doubt these are stunning wagons.No airbrush was harmed on these two 20ft CIE containers. What's inside them, A class models smuggled out of china?

[jhb171achill]

Those look great!

1970s heaven...

[Noel]

Just now, jhb171achill said:

Those look great!

Yes I might run them with a brake van as a means of bending light and altering time.  Modern stuff like this is so good it could almost make you time travel forward 20 years.  

[jhb171achill]

I had always thought for me personally, nothing after 1965 or so. But in all reality, some of the stuff on the market now is causing a major rethink. The ferts especially, but other stuff too.

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Noel]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

I had always thought for me personally, nothing after 1965 or so. But in all reality, some of the stuff on the market now is causing a major rethink. The ferts especially, but other stuff too.

 

Yes I know what you mean. For me personally it was about 1974 when Irish railways ceased to be interesting and the destruction started. An infestation of  . . . . bla bla bla, you know the drill.  Agree about the ferts and also the bubbles. I have no living memory of some of the modern stuff, and certainly never ever saw anything in defaced yellow  

[Midland Man]

16 minutes ago, Noel said:

Yes I know what you mean. For me personally it was about 1974 when Irish railways ceased to be interesting and the destruction started. An infestation of  . . . . bla bla bla, you know the drill.  Agree about the ferts and also the bubbles. I have no living memory of some of the modern stuff, and certainly never ever saw anything in defaced yellow  

 

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

I had always thought for me personally, nothing after 1965 or so. But in all reality, some of the stuff on the market now is causing a major rethink. The ferts especially, but other stuff too.

 

Both of you are so right

As a person who only remembers 22000 working and the odd 071 as a child the 60s are just that more interesting engines like G2s and D5s just spark the imagination every time I sea a pic of one. Personally I believe interest in Irish railways really ended when the night mail went. That was the last bit of excitement to sea and to sea them unloaded and worked would make you're mind blow.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Midland Man said:

 

Both of you are so right

As a person who only remembers 22000 working and the odd 071 as a child the 60s are just that more interesting engines like G2s and D5s just spark the imagination every time I sea a pic of one. Personally I believe interest in Irish railways really ended when the night mail went. That was the last bit of excitement to sea and to sea them unloaded and worked would make you're mind blow.

It's a generational thing, MM.

Many will see anything in the steam era as uninteresting, others are interested in operational realism, but not scenery. Others again see the scenery as being - if anything - more important than what runs through it. Some seek absolute rivet-counting strct historical accuracy, others want as many trains running at any one time as possible. It's a bit like N gauge versus 00 or 0 - while space constraints are usually the key to deciding this, some have preferences for any of the three.

There will come a day when 201s and ICRs are keenly sought after as models, even long after they are withdrawn.

I remember seeing an article somewhere, years ago, about how there's some sort of psychological connection with many people to an era that their parents would have known better than they did - hence my father's interest in things 1900-1925 (he was born in 1918) and mine in things fifties; but my very earliest railway recollections are about 1960.

The point is, nobody is right or wrong here. It's just opinion. Personally, as you'll have gathered, history is my thing, but I have every respect for other who prefer the modern scene - and as you've seen here, there are many very outstanding layouts to be seen from the 1980-to-date period.

 

[Midland Man]

Youve just made me relise that there will be a time when ICRs will be nostalgic and that younger modeler a of the future will be asking what was Bord Na Mona like and did the Tara mines operate that way to me everyone models for one thing an that is something they lost. It could be a station or a loco shed or a type of engine but since I am one o the younger modeler a the reason I started was because of Moate the station that I felt I lost to a greenway gone for 25 years (that is the time CIE will let them use it)

[Galteemore]

6 hours ago, Noel said:

Weathered some of these today. Had to scrub my hands afterwards even more than a CV19 wash, having handled such modernity    There is no doubt these are stunning wagons.No airbrush was harmed on these two 20ft CIE containers. What's inside them, A class models smuggled out of china?

Looks nice Noel! Very convincing patina. Reminds me of Dundalk c1985....

[Noel]

11 hours ago, Midland Man said:

Youve just made me relise that there will be a time when ICRs will be nostalgic and that younger modeler a of the future will be asking what was Bord Na Mona like and did the Tara mines operate that way to me everyone models for one thing an that is something they lost. It could be a station or a loco shed or a type of engine but since I am one o the younger modeler a the reason I started was because of Moate the station that I felt I lost to a greenway gone for 25 years (that is the time CIE will let them use it)

Yes that old line is the way I remember visiting grandparents in Galway, and moate for cousins. Galway trains back then departed either Westland row or Amiens street and went via Mullingar.  Athlone original MGWR station was a rail metropolis. On some trains you had to sit in the correct carriage as trains were often split at Mullingar one bound for Galway, the other for Sligo. It would have been great to see those lines used nowadays to bring more commuters into dublin area. It won’t even make a popular greenway as unlike waterford and Westport it’s through flat countryside with little scenic views at bicycle level and vegetation was allowed grow into vast hedgerows blocking any limited views anyway after the end of steam. I have vivid memories of moate, going with my uncle to collect agri supplies from the once busy station. 
 

Yes one day 22k trams may be seen through nostalgic eyes, but I suspect they won’t burn themselves into the memory as much as the hi-pitched GMs notching and bucking along the clackety clack rails, through busy midland stations alive with daily goods traffic, powerful horns sounding, buffer clashes, coupling snatches, or the sheer excitement of walking the length of a passenger train jumping over the noisy carriage corridor connectors with the gaps in the floor showing sleepers flying bye, wobbling connectors, and massive rope hand rails, often when  the train passed over point work increasing the urgency to quickly pass through making a cacophony of rail clatter, banging and flange screeching. Travelling on trains back  then was an adventure and an assault on the senses, with much interesting activity and movements to watch the a train stopped  for a while in each on route station.  All manner of interesting and varied goods wagons loaded with produce. These noises combined with the visual stimulus is something I’m grateful I experienced growing up. Swishing down to cork in city gold in a quiet air conditioned coach on CWR doesn’t feel quite the same. No open windows, no clackety clack, nowadays toilets that almost need a smartphone app just to flush.  RPSI specials with craven coaches is the closest I’ve gotten since then, but alas those modern cravens were relatively boring compared to the older park royals and  laminate carriages. Cravens were the beginning of the end as they heralded the dawn of uniform rakes, and mk2 aircon from 1972 was the death knell, albeit more comfy as a passenger.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Noel
lexdysia and OCD