Let there be light.

A little more progress on the ground frame lately with the side windows now being made. I'm quite pleased with progress as I believe this is the first completely plastic building I've made. I have learnt quite a bit in this process and although it's not the best looking model for me it's quite a decent impression of the ground frame so far. Much more yet to do but a step in the right direction.

Look what arrived in the post .

The management took the opportunity to acquire a new locomotive recently when an  opportunity arose on eBay . Being a little bit of an autocratic and spontaneous type of management structure ( not a matrix structure ) the new engine purchase was made rather sharpish. The sharp part being  employed should the new engine -heaven forbid -be bought also in same haste by a rival railway system.
Financial (funds, dosh , currency ) were gathered and approved from the " emergency in haste on eBay it won't come around again  like this - honest " authorities.
Unfortunately what arrived in the post was a bit of a sorry story. The Management however are quite relaxed that the engineering department can make good again and also cast no blame on the supplier who responded in a very professional and quick manner. So eBay purchases of a similar nature might indeed be possible ( once the emergency eBay funds are in the black again) from same supplier. Anyway here is what arrived . 

You've been framed

Further work on the ground frame cabin has involved several areas. I was not happy with the roof I had created using Wills slate roofing. Simply put - the  thickness of the sheets was making the roof look incorrect . I tried shaving some thickness off the sides with a file but this then made the sheet too thin to withstand handling. In the end I resorted to using scale scenes paper sheets. These can be downloaded once for a modest fee and re printed time and time again. Nice ! The paper sheets were supported by much thinner plastic . I found it possible to glue the paper to the plastic with plastic glue ! A small rebate was formed on the wall sides to enable the roof to sit inside the frame of the roofline. This enabled me to have a roof that can be taken off so I can detail the interior. I then made a start on the front window frames. These were made by laminating the Strip Styrene code 123 together for the lower parts of the frame ( the thicker lower width part ) and for the vertical framing laminating vertical strips of code 121 together . For the inside frames code 121 was again used but this time side on matching then the thickeness of the horizontal and vertical framing. The process is shown below. I have also painted a first coat of Humbrol code 103 . In fact this single coat gives a rather pleasing weathered look already to the ground frame . Guttering and down pipes were added from a Wills accessory kit. I hope to progress the opening side windows next .

Exe

Exe was one of the three original engines ordered with Manning Wardle supplied in November 1897 ready for the  opening of the line in 1898. As originally supplied these engines had open bunkers at the rear and extended front cab sheets to  each side over the tanks. Apparently these extended cab sides caused a smoke trap causing visibility issues. Modifications  to each of the three Manning Wardles took place at Pilton during 1913. These modifications included enclosing the rear coal bunker thus increasing the cab size and removing the cab side window extensions that caused the visibility issues.
My model of Exe is in this guise dating the locomotive to 1913 - 1927.

My work bench

It's somewhat interesting to see where this modelling takes place . I do enjoy browsing other model rail blogs and my favourites are listed on this blog. Activity can vary and Chris Nevard of Model Rail  fame runs an excellent blog. If you have not visited please do. On Chris's blog he once showed his set up. It was reassuring to see that contrary to expectation here he was working on the dining table , cat sat close by. I don't know what I had imagined, maybe a dedicated room. So here is my modest set up. A portable work bench I made quite simply that enables me also to set up in the home with ease of moving it away after modelling. So the Authority of the house can have normality returned and I can watch TV as I model or Headphones on , music etc.

Lyn

Locomotive Lyn was supplied to the L&B to rectify a shortage on the locomotive department in the first year of the railways operation. At the time of this requirement there was an engineering strike in this country or simply the British engineers could not supply quickly enough. Either way  the order for a new locomotive was placed overseas with the Baldwin locomotive company of Philadelphia and was delivered as a "kit"in 1898 to Pilton works where she was assembled . She was first steamed July 23rd 1898. She bore the makers number as 15965 named Lyn, but affectionately referred to as the "Yankee ", she was indeed the only American built locomotive to run within the Southern group. The Original  livery from 1898 -1903 was a very dark green,lined in gold and after 1903 being in the same holly green as the other Locomotives until it's eventual overhaul in Eastleigh from where she returned in January 1929 in Southern style Maunsell green with the Southern number 762. It is in this guise that my first model of Lyn appears.
The Model is Langley with the Graham Farish chassis.