3 More Loco Crews

 A further 3 crews for these 3 locos, primered last night ready for painting this morning 😊 

I have had to amputate one leg and one foot so the figures fit in the cab. ☹️

Finished painting the 3 new crews this afternoon.

Keith

Road Roller

 Not everything about a model railway is trains.

This morning I sprayed yellow this road roller for the roadworks scene.

Keith

5 Loco Crews

 Having finished painting some of the figures this morning, I have added a few of them to 5 of my locos as crews. 

I may not be able to add crews to the remaining locos, due to there being no room in the cabs with the motors taking up all the space, but I might revise this decision and investigate this at some later date.

Keith

People Painting

 Inspired by a fellow modeller on a Facebook group this morning, I have started to paint some more figures.

Keith

Added Weight for 2 of the Baldwin Locos

To fit the crew members in the cabs of the 2 Bachmann Baldwins recently, I had to remove the lead weight I had glued underneath the cab roofs. 

Today I have been exploring the possibilities of replacing it, and discovered that the coal bunkers on the rear of the locos contained redundant loudspeakers used in the DCC versions of these locos, so I removed the speakers and their associated PCBs and filled the bunkers and the space underneath the floor with Liquid Gravity 😊

This counteracts the Liquid Gravity I previously fitted in the smokeboxes and front of the tanks. 😊 

Keith

3 More Locos Part 9

 This afternoon I fitted couplings to these two locos.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 8

With the chassis' for the 3 new locos arriving yesterday, I was able to glue some "Liquid Gravity" (proprietary name for small steel shot which can easily fill very small spaces), in the smoke box end of the double Fairlie. 

This morning I was able to glue some in the other end and in the other 2 new locos.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 7

 All 3 Kato chassis' arrived this morning, I can now start to add some weight and couplings.

Keith

Diesel Fuel Delivery

 A much needed supply of diesel has arrived at the maintenance yard, whilst the logging loco rumbles past with a train of fully loaded coal wagons.

Keith

Crews for the 3 Baldwin Locos

 Close-up details of the new crews in the 3 Baldwin locos. 😊 

Keith

Baldwins Double-heading

 A pair of Baldwins double-heading a down passenger service passing below the castle retaining wall.

It wasn't very clear in the above photo that both engines now have crew, this photo should clear that up.

All 3 Baldwins now have crew onboard. 😊

Keith

The Double Fairlie on Sunday Passenger Duty

 

Keith

3 More Locos Part 6

I temporarily fitted the caricature double Fairlie body onto a chassis from one of my diesels, I have to order a chassis for it and the other 2 locos. 

Also awaiting nameplates to finish 😊

Definitely looks better with the coupling painted black.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 5

 Spent quite a bit of time today creating a sieve with 2mm holes.

 Then crushed up some coal in a plastic bag and then hitting with a hammer.

Then sifted through the new sieve.

Then sifted through a tea strainer to remove the finer dust to leave pieces of coal of a suitable size.

Then carefully placed pieces in all the coal bunkers on all 3 locos before dropping in a touch of diluted PVA glue.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 4

Coat of matt black, then touched up the green, then touched up the black, then touched up the green, and finally touched up the black. 

Some very awkward places to paint especially where green and black meet where only the longest very narrow paintbrush can reach.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 3

 Coat of Brunswick green applied this morning.

Keith

3 More Locos Part 2

 All 3 locos primered, will leave them overnight to dry.

Keith

3 More Locos

 Friday the double Fairlie loco arrived (the white loco on the right), called a double Fairlie because it is basically built as 2 locos joined together with a common cab in the centre, designed so it did not need turning when it reached each end of the railway. 

The other 2 locos arrived this morning. 

They are all now soaking in caustic soda prior to spraying with primer paint.

Keith

Mouse Watching

 Megan Wright's cat Blacky has a good spot for watching for mice in Megan's veg patch.

 But to me it looks like he has fallen asleep in the warm sunshine.

Keith

Resident Cat

 Rose Radcliffe's white cat is strutting home atop the newsagents yard wall despite an unsuccessful mouse hunt :( I have come up with names for the human residents of Hadarford, guess I will have to think about doing the same for their pets. :) 

Keith

 Up fish delivery from South Crossing harbour about to pass Hadarford wharf on it's way to Alfa Central.

Keith