Sunny Sunday (6) - short goods train..

 Today I enjoyed the lovely weather and did a test run of the re-furbished bogey goods van...

Wagon Works - Bogey Goods Van

 Having had a good look at the bogey goods van I bought, I realised it is a bit of a "fixer-upper" ...

I spotted a few things that needed doing

• wobbly running, from side to side
• brake lever loose
• missing door catch on one side
• missing brace plates on one side framing
• missing brace plates on both sides for the corners of the doors.
• Accucraft  couplings needed

Fixing them snags...

Wobbly running sorted by fixing some washers to the top of each bogey truck

Missing door catch, a new one added made up from a bit of brass wire and some cardboard..

Bracing plates... I measure up the ones which were present and cut some new ones out of plasticard (trying to get some bolt head detail with a hammer and sharp point). These were stuck in place and the brake lever fixed at the same time.

A quick test of an extender for a the Accucraft coupling...

The final bodge ....

A run test needed and then painting the new bits (or maybe the whole van body...)

Coach works(14) : First run on the garden layout...

Weather was suitable for a first run of the coaches today; I paired them with my little tender loco..... nice to see them running at last after the time spent modifying and paintung them.

ran the coaches round for a fair while until the batteries in the loco ran out of juice.

(Hmm what to do with the fourth one I bought ? Another project in the offing )

Coach works(13) : Assembling the coaches...

 At last, after finishing painting the coaches time to assemble all the parts...

parts laid out ready for assembly...

glazing and seats added

the fiddly bit... fitting the under frame to the coach body...

all done - a bit of a 'clip together' marathon

Sunny Sunday (5) - short mixed train..

It was sunny when I started running the trains, then clouds scudded over... sunny intervals...

Anyway I enjoyed running a shirt mixed train...

Coach works(12) : the painting continues...

 the window surrounds ...

with the glazing clipped back on

at last started on the coach bodies....

---oXo---

Ooops ! Ebay purchase delivered today - a nice bogey goods van, needs adjustments - another little project

Sunny Sunday (4) - special goods..

Fun time running a short train to check out the recently re-laid track.... 

Coach works(11) : Steps and painting started...

Guards Door Steps

Steps for the guards doors added, using brass rod, brass angle and some plasticard....

steps are nicely positioned under the door...

Painting Started ...

Setup an improvised spray booth, using an old garden tidy storage unit...

Roofs are now done and the coach bodies have had a mist priming coat  (colour used Humbrol satin spray Medium Sea Gray)

Permanent Way Day ...

A lot of work done on the track ... to fix connectivity and other issues...

A short section of track at the top end of the layout removed and replaced with a section with tags fitted to add an extra track power feed.

The station area track taken up and put back down with new rail joiners plus some shiny new points....

Down the bottom of the garden, track taken up for relaying with new rail joiners...

New ballast laid for the bottom garden section and the station...

Ready for more play-time 😀