Friday 18 April 2014

50 shades of RNAD Grey

After some more work tonight, along with some mix and matching of a correct shade, the 3 RNAD box vans have all been painted into RNAD grey with black metal work (well, started on the metal work).


Cheers,

Jon

Thursday 17 April 2014

Blaencwm gains a Panel/RNAD time!

After a lot of hard work and alot of bad language, Blaencwm finally has a panel! Although it only controls 6 isolating sections, I'm happy with it. Additional room has been left to the left of it for installation of a to be specially made controller to run trains with.

The panel in position
 
The trackplan upclose
 
In hindsight, it might have been better to have added a extra switches to control the main section of line from the fiddle yard and the carriage sidings but I can always take the panel off and add them in if required.

Also today, I've built up and painted 4 of the new 009 society RNAD wagon kits (3 vans and a flat wagon). The main purpose of these is that they'll replace the peco L&B wagons when running at shows in frieght trains. After building these 4, I've just placed a order for a few more to populate the sidings a bit more plus give me some more options when it comes to chosing wagons to run in the set. The problem I now have is I suspect I've painted the vans the wrong colour as all the pictures I've found of them in use show them in grey! Looks like a repaint might be needed at somepoint after all.

All 4 as built

After painting with the Chris ward RNAD diesel and the Narrow Planet RNAD brake van

Same as the previous shot only with the Narrow Planet Bagulay at the front

Cheers,

Jon

Saturday 12 April 2014

Latest work

After some work over the last few nights, I've managed to build two of the kits that I brought at Narrow Gauge South last Saturday.


The engine is a Chris Ward 3D printed Hunslet based on the prototype engines that used to be operated by the RNAD around the country. The brake van is the newly released Narrow Planet RNAD Brake van kit. Seeing as every kit I build that is of etched construction goes badly, this kit was a pleasent surprise in that it literally fell together over the course of a couple of hours. It truely is a kit that could be considered perfect for begineers (aka idiot proof) as it can either be soldered, or like I did, glued together. The completion of the RNAD Hunslet does mean I now have 4 engines all powered by Kato 11-104 chassis from different manufacturs. A Chivers Finelines Conway Castle, A Underground Models Upnor Castle, A Narrow Planet RNAD Bagulay and now the RNAD Hunslet by Chris Ward. Its safe to say they're a very effective chassis and very versitile.

Left to right:- Chris Ward RNAD Hunslet, Underground Models Upnor Castle, Narrow Planet Bagulay and Chivers Finelines Conway Castle

Also, today I finally got round to painting up the two sheds on Blaencwm. Its a job that's been on my mind for a while now and finally to see them painted is a huge difference to the layout.



It does however leave the todo list as a signal box, the tank on the water tower, people, isolating sections, control panel (should really have done the last two before I glued the sheds down by oh well!), rebuilt coal pile and additional detailing around the engine sheds.

Cheers,

Jon