A 73 starts to look like a 73 and a 32 is painted

I have done some more work on my 73 class project, adding some more details. Just about to move on to the handrails, which is a little bit scary. 

Above you can see how bland the loco looked compared with adding a few extra details, such as window framing which help to create the "73" class look. 

I have sprayed my pair of 32s, 3214 and 3390 (not shown) once a bit of time is allowed for the paint to cure I will begin final assembly and testing. Tamiya flat black was used, Testors Gloss coat applied prior to fixing decals and Dullcoat was used to finish. 3214 has a little bit of red along the footplate to jazz it up a little. It was very tempting to spray one of them Crimson like 3265 is at the moment. 

For the Rivet Counters

The rivets have been added to the pair of 32s and they are just about ready for paint. The rivets are Archer Fine Transfers decals, available in N scale in various sizes and have been applied straight onto the bare metal. I think they are quite effective at representing the lines which are very hard to replicate by pressing in this scale, lest you distort the rest of the panel you are trying to press rivets into. 

Detailing and Guards Vans

My pair of 32s are ready for weight and balancing prior to applying Archer rivet decals before it is time to paint. I could add some more pipework and wiring, but in N scale it may just get lost under the paint job. Here are a few views of details added since my last post. 

 I have also made a few guards vans lately from scratch out of styrene using layers laminated together with the windows being drilled and cut with a knife prior to laminating. It worked fairly well I think, windows are Mircoscale Krystal Klear and there is a passenger in the LHG (upper photo) for added interest. In the lower van it was difficult to get the bogies to swing without fouling the underframe wire detail so some of it got cut.

From 1855 to 1970 in N scale Engine Number 1 to a 73 class Chassis

First up, a project that has been sitting on and off the back burner for a while. Locomotive Number 1, with Fleischmann wheels on the loco and Kato GS4 spare part wheels on the tender I have made up the tender sides and soldered them on to a piece of PCB so that the body is insulated from the chassis. The footplate base (1st layer) has been cut out for the loco out of nickel silver. Plenty more work to be done.

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The pair of 32s have had their chimneys and domes turned up and attached to their boilers and handrails added. I need to get some more wheels prior to making up pony trucks and now the detailing begins!

Next up is a project I have wanted to start for years, a 73 class shunter. Following ill fated bidding on an old kit on ebay I bit the bullet - build it myself and to proper bogie spacing so a Life Like switcher has donated its bogies and a piece of PCB cut out to frame them as a chassis. A Badger motor provides power.

Here is the completed chassis. Phosphor Bronze wipers have been soldered on to provide some suspension and power pickup and the thing runs quite nicely considering it hasn't had any ballast added to it.

NSW P Class

My pair of 32 Class locos are starting to come together with the boilers attached to the footplates + cabs. The beauty of doing locomotives in pairs is that you get more bang for your buck - making things in pairs instead of doing 1 then doing another later means that you have all your measurements to mark out without having to calculate them again from plans. 

Next to come is the chimneys, domes and handrails, plus some pony trucks. More coming soon.

More locomotives from the NSWGR and the SMR

The following are some photos of recently finished projects, including a superheated 30T, SMR 10, 30 Class Tank, 36 Class and 12 class locos. The 30T - 3016 is the first time I have tried split frames with printed circuit board. 

3137 complete with driver. The rivets on this and SMR 23 are Archer Fine Transfers, purchased from Casula Hobbies, an excellent investment. 

3609 in green.

 Construction has started on a pair of 32 class locos, the chassis and the tenders are pretty much done. 

3016 needs a load of coal and a ladder, perhaps a crew too.

Vintage train locos 1210 and 1243 present for duty. 

The Fleet Expands

Recently I have been pretty busy working on various things, as illustrated below, including remaking a chassis to fit under 1709, adding finishing details to a pair of Z12 class locos and assembling some laser cut FG carriages I drew in CAD and doing up a Badgerbits TAM sleeping car: 

Virtually Finished Non Air Hoppers

A string of N scale Non Air Hoppers

The finished string of the start of hopefully many hoppers stand ready for use behind NSWGR 1803 with matching S truck. The S truck has a bit of brass wire bent in such a way to hold onto the chain link coupling at the end of the 'string' of hoppers. 

Microscale letters were used to represent the different colliery letters.

Chain was used to couple the hoppers together permanently and enough slack is left so that a slight gap is allowed between the buffers. 

Closeup showing the brass chain used at the end of the string of hoppers.

Building Non Air Coal Hoppers in N Scale

Non Air NSW Coal Hoppers in N scale 

Several Peco NR119 chassis kits were purchased and some Evergreen 2060 styrene for the sides to follow on from an article in the June 2011 Australian Model Railway Magazine. The photos should be pretty self explanatory. 

Attaching the framework on the outside of the hopper. 

The virtually structurally complete hoppers.