Slater's 4 Wheel Coach Build Update

 Quick update on my Slater's 4 wheel coach build,  chassis is all complete except a few minor details to be added after painting.  I substituted the supplied brass steps with my own made from Evergreen styrene plastic,  which made it easier to fit onto the supports.  Chassis will now be primed & painted black,  then I can start work on the coach body.  Overall it's a nice kit that has gone together well,  but it has taken awhile and I'm happy I only need to build 2 of these,  along with a MR bogie coach for my coaching stock.  Layout updates coming soon !

Vintage Thursday

 I know it's been a long time since an update,  and there has been a lot of progress on both some layout related projects and rolling stock,  so updates will be coming shortly.   

 For now,  I had to share this beautiful magazine cover art,  from Model Railway News  August 1960,  artwork by George Heiron.  How exciting is that for a cover,  makes you want to buy the magazine just for the cover,  unlike most of today's rather bland and uninteresting covers where the image is mostly obscured with lots of headlines about RTR reviews and exhibition reports.   

 What I would give to be able to paint like that !

Slater's 4 Wheel Coach Build 1

  Operating the railway over the Holidays,  there occurred to me something obvious was missing from the Time Table !  Ah yes,  we've got the station and platforms built at Windrush Junction,  but we haven't any Coaches to form the 9:15 to Boxer Bay !   The Railway has been officially opened to traffic now for over a year !   Col. Stephens to the rescue !    He has secured for the B.B.R., 2 nice 4 wheel coaches,  in good condition,  and not badly priced.  They're a bit old,  built in the 1890s.  but no matter,  a quick spruce up (build up) and they'll be as good as we need.

  This is my first coach kit,  a Slater's GWR 3rd Class Diagram S9  # 7C04.   GWR constructed most of these from 1891 to 1902.    This coach is destined to be painted and lettered for the B.B.R.,   GWR enthusiasts just turn your heads away and don't look !   I like the style of these coaches,  and I think they'll fit in with my free lance light railway.  The Kit is multimedia, plastic body and details,  brass details and chassis parts,  Lost wax brass fittings.   So far construction has been fairly straightforward and I'm enjoying it very much.  Directions are okay,  a few more photos or diagrams would have been useful.   For £79 or about $100 USD,  I believe it good value,  as Mansell wheels are included.  Still deciding on a paint scheme,  but I'm close to a nice dark blue with black chassis,  very similar to the S&D livery.  When in doubt,  copy the best !

A quick look at some of the main components of the kit

Construction so far,  going together better then I thought it would,  approx 1 hour into the build

Vintage Thursdays

 One of my passions is history,  be it railways,  or just about anything else.  If I could invent the Flux Capacitor and install it on my Honda I would.  While awaiting Doc Brown's DeLorean time machine to become a reality,  the next best thing is to enjoy what has traveled from the past,  and I do enjoy looking through vintage magazines.   I thought I'd start a new weekly blog posting showing either a model or model railway from out of the past.  Sharing what some of these really talented modelers achieved back in the day,  when you needed to have talent and ingenuity to get what you desired,  and to remember not to take for granted what we enjoy today in the form of supplies,  tools,  kits and RTR models that are superb.   The photos may not be top quality,  but I believe they have a bit of feeling and atmosphere to them.  Every Thursday check back for another slice of the past !    I wonder where these models are today,  did they survive ?  I hope so.

This week:
"Caley" In O Gauge  by  J.F. Vaux  (1960)  Model Railway News
A superb looking model railway featuring the Caledonian Railway.  According to the article it's construction began in 1920 !  Locos all being hand made.

Cheap Buffer Stops

 I really enjoy looking for ways to save money on my hobby,  and couldn't pass up a cheap project for my dockside,  Lima buffer stops.   I could shell out $25 / $30 plus for a nice kit,  prototypical accurate etc..  but being on a limited budget in O scale,  I need to cut corners.  Your hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be.  Overall these are nice pieces from Lima of Italy,  of long long ago.   I modified the modernish European buffers by removing them,  sanding and fitting a solid wood beam.  Also a repaint with acrylics,  and some weathering with washes / powders made an improvement.  Final touch was a new top layer of ballast.  Overall very happy with them and the total cost,  for 2 buffer stops,  including shipping  was  $6 USD !   Who said O is expensive !

Where the Magic Happens

 Well,  sort of.   I consider myself an average model builder who is (hopefully) improving with each kit or project I work on.  The biggest thing I have to work on is probably the toughest for a lot of us,  patience !

I love starting,  and finishing projects.  I also enjoy the middle,  but if it starts to take what I perceive to be too long,  I start to rush a job.   

 To start off the new year,  I decided it was time to tidy up the workshop,  in preparation for a new year of model building.  As much as I love my 7mm railway and models,  I also enjoy building 1950s Grand Prix and Sports Cars,  Ships,  and now a new interest also in O scale,  but 1/4"  Proto 48,  set in British Columbia in the 1950s.  It's going to be a busy year.  

 One New Year's Resolution I have is to spend at least 1 hour per day at the workbench.  If there is any chance of that happening,  it'll need to be organized,  clean,  and be a pleasant place to be.  Luckily it's a nice room on the main floor of our home,  has good natural light,  well heated,  and access to the internet with infinite music available !

 I like my space to be just that,  space.   I don't like a lot of tools or parts lying around.  I keep most of my tools in 6 drawers on a side table,  easily within reach when needed,  that way most of the table is kept clear for the projects.  I have a few favorite paintings hung that inspire me in different ways,  one is Terence Cuneo's  Bentley vs Blue Train,  boy if I could only be able to paint like that !

New where did I put that drill  :)