70036 Boadicea

[Jim]

Encouraging words indeed Pete, thank you.
I see you have increased your happy work load. I don't know about you but I find that I'm starting to run out of space to keep things. SWMBO has said a definite NO to the BR Mk1 coaches lounge room.

Jim.

[Smifffy]

Ahhh, your good lady wife needs some inspirational thoughts. I used to spend a lot of time and money on rebuilding old Japanese motorbikes, and having run out of space in the garage I kept a Kawasaki H1 in the front room over a winter. Mind you, it was a pristine restored early 1970's 500cc 2 stroke triple - a true work of art.

One of those things in life that I should never have sold :-(

[Deleted]

Ahh yes coaches, god knows where I'm going to put all those Gresley teaks, let alone how I'm going to get them all to the club track. Oh and Smifffy your not the only one whos had a motorbike inside. I used to take my RD250 in to clean. Btw my brother had the Kawasaki 250 triple and yes we are talking about the 70's...

Pete

[Jim]

Gee you blokes are lucky, motor bikes inside now that is something.
Apart from storage transport is the other problem especially devising a way to protect the coaches, rolling stock etc while in transit.
My first and so far only trip to the club track with the Mk1's to test the spacing of the diaphragms through the turnouts was not a happy experience despite what I thought were secure tie downs and padding.
The jobs never end, still it keeps me off the streets.
Jim

[noggin]

Ive got no more space Either, ive been tempted for a while about 5 inch gauge coachs now you have just posted a picture of those beautys i just gotta have one, what am i going to tell her,where am i going to put em , why did you have to show them to me, i want.......

[Jim]

Sorry for putting temptation in your way Noggin but that's exactley how I got caught too. I saw a rake of 5"g GWR coaches at the track and thought 'gee one day I'd like a rake like that'. Then right on que a 'friend' showed me a 'for sale' ad for '2 Mk1 coaches..part built'. Well what's bloke to do?

[Jim]

I thought I might just add a bit more on the Mk1 SK and FB in case it's of interest.
The coaches arrived with the body, under frames and bogies all assembled and primed ready for painting by the previous owner who did a magnificent job.
My bit has been to start detailing them, first painting and lining them then applying my own inkjet transfers to represent eastern region coaches which is where Boadicea spent much of her time.
The paints are standard automotive spray cans and for the lining I've used Humbrol paints applied with a bow pen. When totally dry I over sprayed everything with a clear satin coat to seal the transfers and give an even overall sheen to the body work.
There's still a lot to be done including the internal fittings, couplings etc which should keep me out of mischief for the next few years.

As delivered.


Bodies painted and lined. The brake van's roof was still glossy and without vents at the time this was taken.


Home made inkjet transfers


The bow pens and spring bows, plus lining templates that I made for lining Boadicea..

[Smifffy]

They are gorgeous - I really don't understand (bloke thing!) why your good lady wife won't let you 'display' these indoors!

Smifffy

[noggin]

I WANT and o gauge in the background lovely mate, can you tell me as im about todo some lining soon, are those just any old bow pen or are they top of the range type as they look like they do a good job. noggin

[Jim]

Hi Smiffy and Noggin,
I think the problem with having the coaches in the loungeroom goes back to when I was allowed to have the Burrell inside.
It looked a treat, copper chimney cap all polished along with all the brass work. Things went a bit pear shaped when I tried to wipe up a couple of spots of steam oil that had dripped on the carpet from the cylinder drains. Steam oil is funny stuff, it wipes up as neat as anything from the workshop floor but try to do the same on carpet and it spreads all over the place. I did mention that the coaches didn't drop oil but I gather that the matter is non negotiable.

On bow pens and such, the spring bow and bigger bow pen are from Staedtler while the smaller pen is an el cheapo and actually is my favourite.

A couple of things I have found essential is to give the blades of the pen a gentle rub over with a fine diamond lap to ensure they are perfectly smooth. I also use the lap to just lightly round off the tips of the blades, again to ensure there is no roughness and to lighly blunt the tip so it doesn't cut into the base colour.

I use a tooth pick to pick up the paint to place it between the blades and the paint is straight from the tinlet and without any thinners.
I make sure there is no paint on the outside and have a sheet of card or scrap plate to do some test lines to make sure I have the right width of line and the paint is flowing properly. It's also a good check to see if I need another soothing ale to steady my hand.

The nice thing about painting and lining is that if you make a blue you can wipe it off with thinners and start again unlike milling those confounded side rods which give me palpitations every time I think about them.

If the lines tend to spread a very light dusting of talcum powder then wiped off along with adjusting the blades can help.

I use the spring bow for lining along the edges of footplates etc where the compass point acts as a guide.

Sorry if I've rambled on when you only asked about the pens....it's old age ;D ;D

Jim

A footnote:

Anyone interested in lining should also read the comments by Craigaj2 further down in this thread. Andrew's points are vital to getting nice even lines.

[keith1500]

fascinating stuff. I have never ventured in to lining etc. Please keep us informed.

Love the look of the coaches coupled together. The corridor connection looks superb. I notice some buck-eye couplings in the photo too. Its the only way to couple coaching stock together and they will move beautifully together.

Keith

[Jim]

Hi Keith,

The buck-eyes are nice, I just haven't got round to fitting them yet but I will. There are just so many tasks to do, machining, painting, detailing all of which makes model engineering such a great hobby.

I read your comments on JJ's thread regarding steam brakes. Boadicea's are set up but I was of two minds about using them but having read you comments I'll continue and use a small diameter pipe as you suggest.

Thanks for that.

[noggin]

Jim, nice story mate, ive got one similar to that, years ago i had a marshall T.E 3" scale in my living room next to the chimney breast i used to look at it more than the telly,anyway one day when the wife was out i wanted to repair a leaking whistle valve,so i put my air compresser outside the back door and with a long hose put air into the boiler and i repaired the valve,Then being a bloke i opened the regulater (she sounded nice being indoors) then i put my hand onto the flywheel and she barked even louder me happy i put it all away and the wife still out, Now later that night while watching telly i looked up and there was a hoge steam oil blob on the ceiling right above the chimney so the engine is now in the garage, they just do not understand do they. noggin

[keith1500]

Jim,

I am sure you have thought about it but just in case...

Make sure the ride height of all the coaches match. That will ensure trouble free operation of the buck-eyes.

Keith

[Jim]

Aug 18, 2011 17:58:00 GMT noggin said:

so the engine is now in the garage, they just do not understand do they. noggin

No, I'm afraid it's a fact of life...a couple of minutes on a sewing machine and everything has to stop. You spend weeks machining and milling then strain and struggle to get your creation up the steps and into the house and all you hear is 'Get that filthy oily thing off the dining room table this instant!'

Now I'd best go and do Boadicea's valves

[Jim]

Aug 18, 2011 21:29:40 GMT keith1500 said:

Jim,

I am sure you have thought about it but just in case...

Make sure the ride height of all the coaches match. That will ensure trouble free operation of the buck-eyes.

Keith

Thanks for the reminder Keith, you're right they can cause a bit of grief if the height's uneven.

[Andrew C]

Hi Jim

Just few comments on your lining technique which I sure you do but didn't note down.

Like you I have always used a bowpen even on 4mm locos. the only difference to what you do is I have found that when the pen is out if paint I always clean the pen, then dip it in thinners touch dry in on a peice of kitchen paper before refilling with paint. also KEEP THE PEN MOVING AT A CONSTANT RATE. The speed you move the pen has an affect on the finished line thickness, and stopping with the pen in contact with the surface for more than a fraction of a second ends the line in a blob

The other thing I tend to do is locate and line the corners first then join them with the straight lines. It is easer to stop the line in the right place.

Andrew

[Jim]

You're absolutley right Andrew and thanks for adding those points.
I'll add a note to my post to refer those interested in lining to also read your comments.

Jim.

[donashton]

I certainly endorse the lining comments, particularly corners first, but with one small alteration. Since the paint flows with capillary action it is not quite constant but varies with the changing weight of paint in the nib. My line of sight is concentrated on the trailing side so that I am sure to regulate the speed with the flow.
I'm sure that this is what Andrew really means - constant flow gives an even result but the speed at the beginning of a long line will exceed that towards the end.

Don

[Andrew C]

Don

Yes you are right. Having worked in a drawing office and used a bow pen on drawings, half this stuff is second nature and done automatically. It's realy hard to remember what you actualy do. Your comment about watching the line comming out is quite important as is dont change the pen speed sudenly.

Back to the main topic though Boadicea..

Nice job on the return cranks Jim. Have you rollers in all the bearings?

Andrew