Little Ryan the Diesel Engine

Starting with a P S Models chassis kit, this little engine was created. The chassis was easy to build with all the parts precisely cut and finished during manufacture. Bolt studs were added to the buffer beams. It was built and painted ready for the scratch building of the body.

The body was built from 3mm and 5mm Foamex and detailed with bits and pieces I had lying around.

The engine compartment was built using 5mm Foamex and detailed with wire mesh for the grill, a rigid plastic drinks stirrer for the exhaust and a thumb tack and bead for the vent. The compartment doors were surplus bits from an IP coach kit, 'hinged' with short pieces of copper wire.

Inside the cab, the supplied AAA battery holder was fitted and cabled through to the motor. The control panel had more miscellaneous bits fitted including a power switch, power gauge and two levers to simulate direction and power (made from brass studs). The floor was scribed to represent wooden boards.

The windows were fitted with metal washers and copper wire for the hand rails.

Primed with Humbrol primer and top coated with an airbrush using Humbrol 47 (Sea Blue) before a top coat of Vallejo Matt varnish.

The name plate was made from 2mm plastikard , gloss painted before 5mm lettering from Slaters was brass painted and applied.

Ted the driver (Modeltown) had to lose 5mm before he could be fitted into the cab, so he was cut in half and glued back together before being painted.

Little People

Fred, Gordon, Mrs.M, Nick, Nack, Stout and Porter.
by Modeltown

 

Coal Merchant

With all this coal needed to fuel the engines, N.Slack & Son moved in to the sidings of Giffers' End Station to supply the needs of HLR. The suppliers of the wooden hut were Modeltown and the builders were a local firm from the town.

Humbrol acrylics were applied by Homestyal Decorating Services, finished with a matt coating of varnish.

The staging/platform for the building was designed and built using Foamex.

After drawing the contour of the track on a piece of paper, the shape was transposed to the Foamex board.

The brick walls were created using two pieces of 5mm board stuck together and etched with the outline of bricks. Same for the under platform sections.

The coping stones slightly wider than the 10mm walls.

All platform paint used was Reeves acrylic. The platform edge was left, unpainted.

All finished off with a matt coating of varnish.

You can never have enough people

One of the railways IP Engineering coaches came into the workshop recently for some routine maintenance. As this included roof repairs, the team decided that it was a good opportunity to invite patrons of HLR to ride the refurbished coach.

So they needed their Sunday best, as well as Jane, who needed some new overalls, courtesy of Modeltown!