Aylesbury Junction

I'd need some more stock - 2 cars wouldn't offer much of a viewing experience! It would have to be DC for me as well.

Back in the 50’s The Master Cutler used to work through the Chilterns. Word is on the street that some engineering work may cause some diversions via Aylesbury Junction, so I’ve started working on some stock.

A little while back Hornby re-worked their Gresley mainline coaches, but these got quite a bit of stick for having too many compromises/inaccuracies. To be honest as LNER isn’t one of my stronger areas, I don’t find them too bad, except that they have a much too plasticy look straight out of the box.

Note: I didn’t phot the brake composite before I started weathering so comparisons here are between the all 3rd and the brake compo.

Carmine/cream on these coaches seemed to wear quite badly so I’ve tried to get a well worn effect without being too ham fisted. The corridor side straight from the box:



I’ve tried to get a heavily worn effect here but not so bad that she won’t get overhauled and turned out in maroon for a few more years:



A clean version of the compartment side:



For the compartment side I’ve gone to town a bit more and tried to get her looking that she’s due for withdrawal soon, but somehow still seeing mainline service.

They sure do.

Superb weathering. Regarding the slightly incorrect body profile, Hornby have recently introduced the Gresley full brake with the correct profie and apparently intend to correct the earlier models. More expense! What with those, the imminenet Maunsell push-pull set, the Dapol 'Western', the Kernow 02, etc.. Yikes!

Just a minor update. The 61xx has got her new numberplates as 6167.

As for the Beattie Well Tank....... I'm w-a-y ahead of you and it's superb!

Now you've got to find an excuse to operate a Sentinel steam shunter and a USA tank. ;D

A USA tank ran from Eastleigh to Bristol for an open day (in tandem with an 'Austerity' tank from Longmoor) as late as 1966 so anything is possible! I'm sure that some were trialed elsewhere too. My attitude is, I'll run what I like as it's MY railway! How else can I run MET stock on a layout that will be loosely based on the western end of the District/Piccadilly?

And an excuse to run a USA tank! ;D

Hi All

That ias one fine layout metroland really looks good

Can I ask what did you use for the LT thick cables running at the side of the track?

Thanks

Dave

The top compressed air line is 1/32" brass rod sprayed with grey primer.

The lower 'cables' are 0.5mm wire, though the plastic covering brings this to 2mm, to try and get something resembling this effect:



This recent pic shows lots of small cables lower down but for the period I model they tended to look like single cables (or maybe they had several smaller ones inside a casing?)

I hadn’t done much modelling for a while due to the light evenings, but the naff weather has created an opportunity to do something, albeit it’s not LT stock.

I needed some more parcels vehicles and managed to pick up 3 of the Lima ex-LMS 42’ GUV’s on eBay in one lot. I quite like this van, as it’s a bit shorter than a BR Mk1 BG and makes a change.

The 3 main problems with the Lima model are the BR bogies which should be LMS ones, the roof ribs (which should be noticeable but flat, not round) and the top edge of the sides. The first 2 are within my skills but increasing the sides isn’t. IIUC there should be another 1-2mm between the top edge of the windows and the cantrail, but I can live with that. The bogies are Bachmann LMS coach bogies using the wheels as-supplied.

Another thing I’ve been wanting to practice is bashed-in roofs on carriage stock where a clout has revealed either natural metal underneath, or previous layers of paint. As it happens, these GUV’s seemed to suffer a lot from exposed areas on the roof.

I couldn’t make up my mind whether to have plain carmine or unlined maroon, so I have one side in each. Evidence on the Paul Bartlett site seems to suggest some plain maroon ones didn’t have data panels, so that saved a bit of work.

37800-37849 were built with torpedo vents. I didn’t really want to change to shell vents for my 1st attempt so have numbered the sides in this series.

In real life these coaches seemed to get absolutely filthy. In both cases I’ve stopped short of making them totally filthy though the maroon one is more unkempt than the carmine.

The carmine coach outside and on the layout:



And the maroon side:

Aside from the Mk1 bogies they come with originally those Lima LMS vans are actually very good. I am in the (long) process of changing the bogies on mine as well as my Lima GWR 'Siphon' vans.

Quality work as always. Love the weathering.