Friday Night Update –20 February 2015

I thought I’d bring back the FNU owing to the fact that most Thursdays I get together with a couple of mates and we try to “get stuff done”.  This get together was initially organised by my wife along with the Thursday night host’s – they felt we were more bearable if we did modelling more regularly than our Second Saturdays and since Ben lives a mere 20 mins away (less if the lights are kind) it has worked out quite well.  Ben has a blog too but it is only fairly recent – you can find it here.

My initial thought on going over to Ben’s was it would be an opportunity to work through projects as against what tends to happen here at home – I start on something, get side-tracked and next thing I know, the UFO pile is growing and I am beginning to feel I am achieving nothing.  With the Thursday night working bee, I could have a box with whatever I was working on, with the tools for it and leave it in the car from week to week.  This has worked quite well.

So what have I been doing?  Well I obtained a set of the Etched Pixels Thompson suburbans – you got 4 in a set but Allan sent out a fifth coach as it was a loner and he was moving into 3D printing with these models.  I can’t remember how long I’ve had them but I suspect I was living in Longreach when I got them!

With a project in mind – get them built – I have been working away over the last few weeks since Christmas.  I have tended to get about 75-80% of the body done each night which now means all 5 were done a couple of weeks ago.  Last work evening I started looking at the door grab handles but got a little side tracked on my VR K and the latest purchase from Atso-Cad – a C12.

I am planning on putting these on some of the Atso-Cad Gresley bogies from Shapeways.  I recognise that the Dapol ones may be better, but I purchased a set of Steve’s previously and having fitted one at the end of the Dapol Gresley Brake following a melting incident due to a short circuit (stopping a train with the last axle in the non-isolated section – light bar ready bogie)  I thought they would do.  Besides, I figure if I buy Steve’s models (such as the N2) he might do some more!

The coaches are as follows: 2x D339 Thirds, 2x D340 4 Compartment Brakes and 1x D338 Lav Composite.  The copy I have of the LNER Coaches by Campling seems to be a bit over the shop when it comes to these coaches so I’m not sure if the extra goes in the rake or outside it as a strengthener – I’ll run it as shown below unless someone tells me otherwise!

Not the all time greatest shot but the weather has been rotten for the last couple of days – we’ve had over a foot of rain fall in under 48 hours and the overcast conditions haven’t suited photos at all.  I will take better ones once I have done something about door handles (lots!) door grab rails (also lots – I think more than the handles from the pics, especially on the Brakes) and do something about initial painting.  I also have to find the roofs!