The Lads

Mr Barclay, Tom Bola and Jack Reader.
by Modeltown

Even More Little People

Nora, Winston, Little Ryan and Mrs Duffy.
by Modeltown

More Little People

Bailey, Mac, Giff, Doc, Arthur and Bill.
by Modeltown

Little Ronnie the Diesel Engine.

This I.P. Engineering model is roughly based upon the O&K MD2 locomotive.

Starting with the sub-frame on which the body will be mounted, buffer beams were added, each with a forty five degree cut across the top corners.

Next the basic rolling chassis was constructed, together with the central gear for the motor.

The kit came with two little screws to mount the two sections together. I may have misunderstood the assembly instructions and couldn't see how they fitted, so I chose to use two small bolts with two threaded nuts. (those used to fit a mains light switch fascia plate). 

Putting the two sections aside, a start was made on the body. Starting with the engine housing, rivet detail was added to the front and two side panels (1/16" x 3/8"). As these would be hidden, they were left untrimmed. Once fixed the panels were glued and made square.

The cab was made in a similar way, again using rivet detail. These were glued in, cut to size and filed, with the cut offs kept for later use.

Both the engine housing and the cab were then glued together and checked for square.

Now was a good time to add the wiring from the motor to the battery pack via the three position switch.

With just a few more steps, the body and chassis are prepared for priming. Using the cardboard profiles included, the engine access doors and window trims were glued in place. The cut-offs from the rivets were added to the doors edge to create the appearance of hinges. Bolt heads were glued in place on the buffer beams. And lastly, an angled frame was centrally fitted to the front of the sub-frame. This will assist later when fixing the body to the sub-frame after painting.

Adding weight and motive adhesion, the cast white metal components were fixed in place on the sub-frame with epoxy resin. The body and sub-frame were subsequently primed with Humbrol grey primer.

The chassis was then spray painted with Halfords Acrylic Satin Black and Halfords Acrylic 'Fiat Red Orange' for the buffer beams. More weight was added once the couplings had been primed and painted.

With the couplings added the cab was presented to the body shop for spraying. Once masked off to protect the interior, the body was painted using Halfords Acrylic 'Peugeot Royal Blue'. Three coats later, the body was left to harden for twenty minutes or so before the tape was removed. Loosely fitted to the chassis, all was checked for appearance.

To enable the roof to be removed, just in case cab detailing was later required, the roof was pre-formed using plastic strips to the contour of the cab. An exhaust was added from SLR Models, secured with two small screws to the bonnet. A drawing pin and bead were used to create an air intake. Primed and painted with Halfords Acrylic Satin Black.

The body was then attached to the chassis using two small black screws fitted into the angled bracket at the front, below the radiator grill. A small block of wood (Jenga) was glued under the seat and then screwed through the chassis into the block.

I selected "Alwin" from Kara's Little Kharacters to be the driver. Painted and fitted onto his lovely soft red plush seat, he was ready to go.

The End.

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

 

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!

Colonial Railcar passengers

Waiting patiently for the new HLR railbus to leave the workshop, here are Mrs Black (F502), Miss Brown (F511), Mr Hall and Bob the driver, all from the Modeltown range of figures.

Gordon

Gordon is one of our regular visitors to HLR and is always turned out smart in regimental tie, jacket and cavalry twills.

Gordon is from the Modeltown range of Standing Figures (No. F202).

Attention!

With the help of my son and his modelling skills I was able to but together a troop of clone army personnel. The initial model was sculpted from plasticine before being set in a latex rubber mould.

 

High quality Polycraft SG2000 Liquid Casting Resin was poured into the mould to create each figure.

There were a few air bubbles but not too bad for a first attempt. Once cleaned up the figures were primed with Humbrol grey primer.

They were all painted the same and individualised with rank markings before being coated in matt varnish.

Mrs. M

In preparation for the new season, HLR staff started work today but before doing so, they each had to have their photograph taken for security purposes. Here's the new cleaner, affectionately called, Mrs. M.

Mrs. M is from the Modeltown range of Station Figures (No. F301)

Privates Smith & Jones

With their newly fitted uniforms Privates Smith & Jones of the Brookwood Home Front pose proudly for the camera.

Both figures are from the Modeltown range of Military Figures (Nos. F706/8).