Achtung Shpitfire!!!

And now for something completely different! For a while now, I've been trying to get my son interested in modelling, specifically, modelling Trains. This has been successful to varying degrees but the bug hasn't bitten yet. There's a lot of things that compete for a young boys attention these days, far more than when I was a kid that's for sure. Computer games, TV, sports of all kinds, Lego, reading. you name it, my son gets into it. So when we went on our last holiday, aside form the usual train magazines, I also bought some plane mags  which my son also read. You see, I have a bit of a "thing" for WW2 aircraft as well. Anyway, soon the questions started, "What's the best plane in the World dad", "What's a Mosquito Dad", "How fast did they go" etc, etc. Next thing there was a centre spread from one of the magazines up on his wall. It was of an Avro Anson which has just been recently restored.
Thinking back to my childhood, it was making model planes that really got me into modelling. I was around 10 when I started to make planes and I remember clearly one birthday getting a 1/72 scale Airfix Lancaster. It was nearly the best present I ever received! So I thought, maybe he'd like to make a model aeroplane?

I bought a Revell 1/72 scale Spitfire MkV starter kit that comes with glue, paint and a paint brush and after a couple of weeks and some help from Dad, here's my son's first plane

He's very proud of it

The Spit is in the markings of Pilot Officer Axel Svendsen of 234 Squadron based at Tangmere in 1942. Next we're going to finish off a Monogram 1/48 scale B24D Liberator that I'd started years ago. I was going to do it as "Strawberry Bitch" a B24 from the 512th Bomb Squadron of the 376th Bomb Group. This was one of the Bomb Groups involved in the famous low level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti in Romania on 8/1/1943. My son doesn't like the name so it's going to be "Moby Dick" a B24 from the 90th Bomb Group, 5th Airforce operating in the South Pacific... and he likes the sharks mouth on the nose. I'll post some pic's of it when we finish it.

On another note, I've finished all the points for the storage yard so if I'm lucky enough to get some time tomorrow, I might be able to get some track down.

So many models, so little time

Tracking Ahead

Since the last post, I've continued to build the track so that now, I've done all the mainline on the top deck between the storage yard and Picton Junction. I haven't actually fixed it down yet but I will once I finish building all of the points. All the track outside of the storage yard is hand laid Code 55 with the track in the storage yard being a combination of Micro Engineering Code 55 Flex Track and Andy Reichert's Proto 87 track and points. Here's how it looks,

Coming up the hill from Picton Junction and looping round to go to Thirlmere

Looking down the the hill from Hill Top to Thirlmere

Points for the storage yard

So slowly but surely the track is getting laid. Now, I've only got 19 points to make and I can start fixing everything down. After that, I'm giving up on the track work for a while as it's starting to get to me again but never the less,  I'm determined to get the top deck track finished once and for all. And the quicker I get it done, the quicker I'll be back building the LFX's and shock horror, making scenery and buildings! Then, there's some loco's to build too.

So many models, so little time.

The Track is Back!!

First of all, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and the big bloke who dresses in red, brought you lots of railway fun. My Christmas was excellent with lots of family time and birthday celebrations which made it a very hectic period, not to mention the vendor love that got tossed around this year. I've put on a couple of kilos so there maybe a couple of New Years resolutions  waiting in the wings, particularly as I think my liver is about to explode!

Anyway since the last post, I've managed a bit of time in the Train Cave finishing off back drops and bits and pieces. I've also managed to....wait for it....lay some track. I don't believe it myself but I've got back to the point where I got to before I demolished Picton Mk1. I still have to mount the point motors but at least the track is back and I can continue my new found enthusiasm for track laying. Here's how it looks

Hill Top looking towards Sydney

Sydney end Point work

Albury End Point work

I also managed to start on the storage yards that lead from Hill Top by starting on the cork underlay and building the points by soldering all of the point frogs. I'm going to keep going with the track laying for as long as I can tolerate it. Who knows how far I'll get.

Here's the storage yard. I may even Scenic this part as well one day

So that's it for 2012 as another year bites the dust. Its been fun and at times, hard work as I've tried to juggle Family Life, the needs of the Salt Mine and looking after ageing relatives. But, as my lovely wife said to me yesterday as we celebrated her Mother's 80th Birthday with a big bash at our place with all the family, you only have one family and in the end, they are the ones who are going to be there for you. So love and cherish them.

All the best everyone, hope you have a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

Progress

I haven't done anything on the LFX's as I've been working mainly on the layout. I started about 3 weeks ago intending to work a week at a time between the LFX's and the layout but I got all excited and kept going on the layout instead. I also did some repairs to the track work that I'd damaged when I pulled apart Picton Mk1 so it'll be ready to install in the next couple of weeks. So far I've nearly finished all of the back scenes with just a little bit of filling to go. I've under coated most of it and here's how it looks

iPhone Magic

I also fixed up some valances that looked like a drunk had cut them so now they're actually straight. I'm going to keep going on the layout while I've got the bug as I'm making some good progress. I'm also getting annoyed by people asking when I'm I' actually going to run some trains. I'll get there, I tells ya, I'll get there!!

Cheers

LFX Progress

Since last week, I didn't get as much done on the doggies as I would have liked mainly due to some action at the salt mine which prevented me from venturing out to the train cave. But I did manage to get to the point in the build process where I start on the bogies for the elliptical roof LFX and nearly to that point for a Mansard roof car. I also have cleaned up and drilled all the commode handle holes and the door handle holes for a third.
So it's been a painless build so far. All things fit and match where they're supposed to except the ends which needed a small amount of filing to make them butt against the roof line correctly. This is also suggested in the instructions as being possibly necessary. One thing I've learnt with these kits is to be more patient and use a lighter touch than usual. This can't be a bad thing for a modeller to learn and will help me with all the other kits I have filling my cupboards. 
The footsteps on the ends of the cars look fantastic with half etch detail of the bracket on the underside so, if you happen to have a derailment, you'll see them when the car is on it side! The point is though, you know the detail is there! Love it. The light switch handle on the other end is especially fine and takes some careful filing with the aid of a jig that's provided with the kit. This allows you to get the piece finished correctly without bending it. It's a half etch that needs to be folded over and soldered and it looks impressive once cleaned up. I'm also impressed with the interior detail which went together easily and helps makes sure the car is square and true. There is no warping or bending in any of the urethane parts so you end up with a completely straight car, so unlike many urethane kits I've built before. It's not hard to remedy a warped side but it's annoying. So here's a piccy of the current progress

Doggy 1 and Doggy 2

So this week the doggies will go into the kennel while I do some bench work and track work. The plan is to do 1 week on each project that way I don't get bored with either of them.

2 Posts in One Night

Yes, loyal punters, there's 2 posts for the price of one tonight! I know I said I'd get back to the bench work but that will be during the week. I was fortunate enough to get some time in the train cave today and old habits being hard to break, I decided to start on some of my Mike McCormac Models, LFX's. I've been dying to get started and I thought now is as good a time as any so today I managed to put most of the car body together of one together. And here it is

The roof is still loose

It took me roughly 3 hours to get to this point and this is because there's no need to make things fit. Everything matches perfectly with the only requirements being to remove the gloss to the castings so the glue adheres and remove the moulding cusps. Nothing really.

Now I've been making kits for a long time, I remember trying to put together a Freidmont BS and I think I've got a LLV and K wagon lurking somewhere and when you compare these with Mike's Models, you can see how far the kit manufacturer has come. I don't want to get into a debate about kits versus RTR, but I just don't see how a RTR model will have the level of fidelity and detail that one of Mike's models has. These are truly beautifully designed and made models and if you follow the instructions accordingly, you will have an outstanding, museum quality model for your layout. I love detail on kits and where it's lacking, I put it in. My belief is if you can see it, then it should be modelled. All of my models have some extra detail but I'm afraid that won't be necessary with the LFX's. It's all there.....nothing to add.

Anyway, I'll be building a batch of 3 so it may be sometime before I finish especially as I'll be doing some bench work as well...but there is the holidays coming up

17 Years but Who's Counting

I was trying to work out how long ago I started putting the NIB set together and I added it up and I reckon it was about 17 years ago. Not a bad gestation period hey? Since I started to put them together they've had the under floor detail built twice, painted an awful strawberry red and cream then stripped and had the bogies rebuilt to take 23.8mm axles. Oh, and removed the cast on diaphragms and replaced them with working ones so I could have the diaphragms touching but still go round corners. Anyway, they're finished now except for attaching the roofs on the HFN's. I'm toying with idea of putting LED marker lights in but we'll wait and see. To be honest, I'm sick of the sight of them as it took me over 2 weeks to attach all the windows....just about every one had to have some filing done to make them fit properly, very poorly designed in my opinion. Here's how they turned out

HFN 2198

End detail showing Diaphragm

FN2200

BN2201

I also managed to finish off all the other carriages I'd been working on. It's a good feeling to finish off these models that I've had in storage. There's still a bunch to go but not for now. Here's how they turned out.

BKD711

BKG789

BKG680

GT74

KB 1105

KKG1524

So, that's it for now. I think it's time to release the Navvies again. I saw the wonderful work Linton was doing with his bench work so he's inspired me to start again and get the bench work finished for my Picton and lay some track. It's about time I get something running but I can't help myself from build rolling stock so I'll split my time between bench work and the carriage works.

That's the plan anyway and we all know how plans end up.......