peco do empty non numbered slate trucks

http://www.hattons.co.uk/203574/Peco_Products_GR_320_4_wheel_narrow_gauge_slate_open_wagon_Price_is_estimated_we_will_notify_you_if/StockDetail.aspx

or they will when they are realised

Back to the Thomas projects

finally got a toad!



as well as a S.C.Ruffy, will be trying to make them more model era screen accurate, all it needs now is an Oliver to complet that pic

Quote from: SeaEagle on February 03, 2016, 02:46:12 AM
Cheers for the advice, I'll give it a try this weekend. I was thinking of just leaving them as is, I like the end windows and not sure if my modelling skills are up to cutting one end off to glue on another and doing a good job of it. Obviously that still leaves the noses, it's comical just thinking about it but it won't bother me too much one it's done (I think haha). Also, I'd like to add lights to all my passenger coaches too, so that way the end windows will still be effective.

its not as hard as it seems to cut the ends off, if you use a new retractable Utility knife blade it cuts the plastic like butter, just cut more off then you need and trim it down to size one its off the model

you can also use the blade to scrap the noses off the window ends and then use fine sand paper to sand the rest off, using finer and finer sand paper till there's nothing left of the nose and you have removed all the scratches

Quote from: SeaEagle on February 03, 2016, 02:46:12 AM
I plan to collect some non Thomas locos as well, aleady have a Flying Scotsman, got that when I was a kid. But I love those BR Prairie tanks so I'll get one of those and a standard pannier tank as well for starters. It should all fit with the Thomas stuff contextually, my layout will be small town/countryside Britain circa 1930's/40's. The only departure from that will be two great Australian loco's (I'm Aussie): The 3801 and the Hudson R761.  Hopefully two main lines for parallel runs and a branch line for the smaller engines with fiddle yard for the shunters.

Good to hear you've got some track underway, keen to see some of these trains pounding the rails.

I have a Bachmann pannier I got when I was a good few years younger as it was ducks basis, fantastic model as well, will pull anything with no fuss, however I am a bit of on an LNER fan and it doesn't really fit with the rest of my models

your plans sounds like it covers all the bases, are UK models easy to come by in Australia? I've been to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney but never had time to look into models shops when I was there

that 3801 looks impressive, will need to show it off when you do it

will need to wait till I get a better camera as its in my loft with 2 lights its a bit dark and the video quality isn't great

Quote from: AJW98Productions on February 03, 2016, 04:34:57 AM
Mr. Bob, if you don't mind me asking, how did you model Gresley's (somewhat) famous "hush hush" W1 class? I know a person who has considered that projects, and whilst I don't have the confidence to undertake it right now, I'd love take a crack at it myself in the future. You did an amazing job on it

It is a kit from a company called southeastern finecast, the kit is the body work, tender and chassis however they can supply a motor/gearbox and wheels/axles as well at an extra cost to make the complete running model, you need supply glue or solder (its a metal kit), paint and the transfers to fully finish, they also do the rebuilt W1 with the A4 style streamlining

however I only used the body work/rear under cab pony truck and fitted it to a Hornby A4 Ready To Run chassis and Hornby RTR tender, again not sure how easy these parts would be to source in Australia but southeastern finecast are a great bunch of people more then happy to help with anything they can

Quote from: AJW98Productions on February 03, 2016, 04:34:57 AM
Also, totally unrelated but I'm glad to see another Australian on the board, this is probably long overdue, but welcome, SeaEagle

One last remark, to anyone who seeks to run Red Coaches more accurate to those in Seasons 2 and 3, have you considered repainting the roofs and the coaches, and "filling in" the back windows, or by that point is it just better to use a kit to make them?

Regards to all,

~Alex

The Bachmann red coaches are a great representation of the coaches in the later seasons and in CGI, there is no denying that, and just like their annie/clarables there great quality items

However if like me you're after the season 2/3 coaches the kits are exactly spot on as the Bachmann ones would be 1 window too short if you where to blank off the windows for the brake coach

With that said the kits are expensive and a bit of work to run correctly, using the supplied wheels they are not free running and I have had to drill out the axle boxes and glue in brass bushes for the axle ends to sit in then fill in the holes and repaint the chassis other wise the Thomas models struggled to pull them

Quote from: SeaEagle on January 30, 2016, 06:48:32 PM
Hey mate,

Found this thread a couple of weeks ago and have to say you've done a really top job here. I'm like yourself and really enjoy series 1 & 2 much more than anything after that, must be an 80's kid thing haha. Most of the posters have asked anything that that I would ask myself, but one question I have for you is: What is the best way to go about removing the names and faces from the Bachmann Annie & Clarabel's? I'd like to do James' coaches myself and a little unsure how to do it without marking the orange paint.

Top effort mate, keep it up. Particularly impressed with the James makeover, old branchline coaches and the Flying Kipper. I'll be tackling those projects myself in good time. How is the layout coming along?   

Hey there

Not done much Thomas related stuff lately but I do have a hand full of project in my mind I want to do soon plus eagerly awaiting news on Oliver and Toad but been focusing on real locos lately some have Thomas connections though:





LNER W1 which was the real life 'galloping sausage'

and



twin tender flying scotsman as seen in 'tender engines'


but this month I got my finger out and made a base board and started laying some track, so far got 2 loops with approx 19 meter running lengths, perfect for long trains! I want another 2 loops then I'll start on stations ect but at least I have something to run them on now

as for removing the names I found a good rub with a little edge of a microfiber cloth dipped in white spirt works, takes a bit of time to start with but comes off

do you want to remove the faces but keep the windows or like mine that have blank ends on each side?

Quote from: Racing James! on January 29, 2016, 09:41:24 AM
Is there anyone on here who is exceptionally good with digital model railway software? I was hoping someone could help me plan a layout on one of these; I've tried to use them and I never get anywhere. Shoot me a message if you are interested in helping!

I originally used auto cad for my original drawing but I have since found a program called anyrail 5, really easy to use and they do a free trail but you are limited to 50 section of track

Quote from: JLK2707 on January 23, 2016, 07:42:50 AM
What brand of paint did you use to paint the roof of the salt wagon?

I'm sure it was Revell 378

easiest way to make charters is buying an OO/HO model then use the face from a trackmaster/wooden railways model

but eh the JNR 51 model isn't cheap

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ho-Scale-Kato-JNR-D51-Mikado-Class-Steam-Locomotive-/262235470171?hash=item3d0e73b95b:g:rcQAAOSwKtlWk8Ir

will be getting one, but wont be altering it, might not even take it out the packaging!

edit:

can the admin tell me is this a limited time/production model?

Quote from: JLK2707 on November 03, 2015, 04:00:34 AM
Did you also paint the troublesome trucks with the same X45 tamiya that you used for the old coaches?

I cant 100% remember but I think they're Tamiya Xf 26 deep green which should be a matt finish

full list is at the bottom of page 1 but for this project i used

a 3/4 to 1/4 mix of Tamiya X9 brown and X1 black

the green doors are the standard green of the Bachmann TT #3

chassis are Tamiya X1

the roofs are a mix of Tamiya XF-53 grey and Revell 378 dark grey



brake vans are again a mix of X9 and X1

roofs are Revell 302 matt black

This months project was an easy one, this might be my last till Oliver and Toad are released, I have found a few kits of real life locos I didn't know you could get so I want to give them a go

Anyway Edward and Percys cattle trucks from 'Cows'

6 TT#3's with faces removed and 2 brake vans repainted

Quote from: JLK2707 on September 20, 2015, 06:39:46 AM
How did you manage to build the whole breakdown train and what did you use to make the works unit coach?

the brake down train is 4 annie/clarabel chassis the body of the brake down train is styrene plasticard cut into the shapes of the brake down train and glued together like a jigsaw/kit,  fine scale chain and axles from old scalextric slot cars for the lifting mechanism

the works unit is a ratio 610 4 wheel coach kit heavly alterd with windows cut out and blanked, new ends with rounded tops, new curved roof made and roof air vents made by cutting off excesses sprue

Quote from: JLK2707 on September 15, 2015, 09:05:32 AM
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/7/7c/ThomasSavesTheDay24.png/revision/latest?cb=20150222192152

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/a/a4/ThomasSavesTheDay28.png/revision/latest?cb=20150222192224

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/4/49/ThomasSavesTheDay31.png/revision/latest?cb=20150222192329

The red branchline brake coach from Bachmann literally does match what is shown in the above images.

Yup I said they were great, but in my 1st post I said I'm only interested in Season 1, 2 and to an existent 3, and in season 2 and 3 they looked like:

Quote from: Anthony P2 on September 15, 2015, 01:30:04 PM

Quote from: Anthony P2 on September 13, 2015, 09:11:05 AM
He used the Bachman ones

whoops my bad! i miss read one of your earlier posts and thought you used the Bachmann ones.

I had every intention but it would have been to much work to get them to look the way I wanted compared to the spot on kits

anyway finished them, just need to touch up some bits of the paint, been getting sloppy with my paint jobs

Quote from: JLK2707 on September 19, 2015, 06:14:56 AM
Can you please tell me what coaches you used to make the old coaches?

all 3 are Ratio 610 3rd class 4 wheel coach kits however one is modified to look like the old brake coach, basically filled in 2 windows and painted in the lines for the double doors

however with ratio kits make sure you get brand new kits as the newer style kits come with brass bushes for there axles which make them run super smooth the older kits dont

another tip is try getting some scrap/spare repair wagons or coaches and remove their metal weights and glue them into your ratio kit as the kits don't come with the weights and this helps prevent derailments

oh and the couplers that come with the kit arent very good so i bought bachmann hook n loops but use the longer ones like that are on Duck, Donald, Douglas, Toby etc as the ratio buffers and quite long

Quote from: Anthony P2 on September 13, 2015, 09:11:05 AM
He used the Bachman ones

nope I used smallbrook studio's LBSCR 4 wheel coaches

Quote from: JLK2707 on September 12, 2015, 09:11:18 AM
Well, best of luck to you! Also, can you please just tell me which models of coaches you are using?

express coaches?

they are Hornby SR 3rd class Maunsell Coaches (Maunsell green livery)

Composite R4302B

Brake R4339B

or Hornby BR (Ex SR) 3rd Class Maunsell Coaches (red and cream livery)

Composite R4343B

Brake R4346B

Are the base coaches I used, of course I altered and repainted them