OO gauge Christmas 2018 competition - Mr. Porter's entry

And so to the main components of the build.

The Hornby R107 LMS brake van.

I got this with a job lot of second hand wagons, and am so pleased to be able to butcher it. The first thing is to cut out the horrendous box containing the lighting unit and lens.


Seal up 3 of the doorways and fit new floor over cut out.


Next job is some internals.
Cheers
Jim

 

Some internal fittings.

Wanted to retain duckets but fit some that actually work. Found 2 types on Wizard website. Some 51L MR duckets and some Comet BR/LMS/LNER ones. Turns out both types are solid metal. Great range of accessories but crap pictures (when there are any) So anyway I decided to fit windows from a box of Airfix station kit parts that I got on ebay.

Next to paint.
Cheers
Jim

 

Damn - Hit wrong button
Here's the photos


Jim

 

And a paint with one of the many shades of GW grey

While that's drying we'll start on the other component.
The Mainline Sliding Door Van 37-375

Removal of the doors and sanding smooth the roof.


Next time filling the gaps.
Cheers
Jim

 

As with the brake van the windows are from Airfix station kit parts. I've used 2 thin windows to make french doors on one side. Then painted with GWR grey.



Interior detailing next time.
Jim

 

Both van roofs get replacement waterproofing and ventilators.The brake van also gets a chimney off an Airfix station. I've attempted to weather down the tarpaulins to a suitably used condition. The van tarpaulin is for York, Dundee, and Andy.


Cheers
Jim

 

And so to the interior of the van. The carpet and the armchair are from Scale Model Scenery and I've also used some left overs from LHP coach interiors. The stool is from Faller.


The wardrobe is just scribed balsa.

Next time, the brake interior.
Jim

 

The brake van has been turned into living accomodation with 2 single beds, a lounge, and a kitchen. As with the van I have used Scale Model Scenery carpet and some left overs from LHP coach interiors. The furniture is from Faller. The stove was left over from a Ratio signal box interior kit.

Next time - the washroom that links the 2 vans
Cheers
Jim

 

The washroom has been created using a frame of thin balsa strips, clad in Wills SSMP219 corrugated asbestos. Painted in GWR engine green.
Because of the difference in height between the vans I have raised the roofline of the sliding door van with Milliput. I don't know if this mismatch in height is prototypical or down to the model making companies.
Topped off with some corrugated glazing.

Next step - putting it all together.
Cheers
Jim

 

The hardest part was what I had thought would be the easiest. I had fitted backscenes to my layout very easily, and read about modellers curving the scenes to hide the 90 degree corners. Hence the strange shape of my diorama base.

First thought was lay the scene on plasticard and then gently bend. Butt jointed 2 pieces and laid another piece over the join at the back. Left it to cure and when bent it delaminated. Added 2 half pieces of plasticard to make a double thickness overall. Seemed to bend OK. Put the backscene on, gentle bent the card and – vertical ripples all round the bent part.

Go 2. Thought aha cork should be flexible enough to stop that so laid cork on one side of the plasticard. Seemed to bend OK. Put the backscene on, gentle bent the card and – yes you guessed it - vertical ripples all round the bent part.

Only 1 section of backscene left so a lot of head scratching and mumbling went on. Decided to use vertical lolly sticks glued at intervals to articulate round the bend – Holding of breath.

I think the way to go if I had to do this again would be attach bendy MDF or ply to the base and fit backscene in situ. Of course this may cause other problems.

Jim

 

And so we go to Buggleskelly.



Ever resourceful, the station master has acquired some shunt damaged vans. He has had a brake van converted into living accomodation and a box van into a bedroom. He got a local carpenter to build a washroom and corridor to join them. These will be put up for holiday let, as a sideline to the railway business. He has also made use of a pile of old wagon tarpaulins he found in the goods shed.

Not being on the mains, the farmer's bowser has arrived to fill the water tank fitted underneath the washroom floor. Hopefully he uses a different bowser for emptying the septic tank.

Cheers
Jim

 

The Station Master cycled from the station and is now having a chat with the plumber about the “Dark Side” no not 7mm but soldering.

Cheers
Jim

 

The fox is weighing up his options for dinner, whilst the squirrel has started his.

There are a number of other animals scattered about but I couldn't get my camera to focus on them.

Well that's my competition entry folks. Like I said at the beginning, I've never done a diorama or scenics before so it's been a steep learning curve, but educational.

Hope you've enjoyed it.

Cheers
Jim