Inside Outside - and it works !

I am pleased to report that my cosmetic improvement to an inside frame Minitrix chassis for TAW seems to have worked. I ran the loco on my short test track and the results are very pleasing. In the photograph below you can see the white plasticard that is the alteration made. Having now run the locomotive to check all is well I can now paint the plastic black to complete the illusion to outside frame. Some alterations were also made to the cylinder valve gear covers and these just need a little tidying up.

Pots and finials

Well the boys at Narrow Planet have now produced my Chimney Pots and finials for my Lynton Station. I could also use them to upgrade the Bachmann Woody Bay model!
Here they are ,

I think they look rather good don't you?  

Woody Bay model by Bachmann.

As mentioned in the previous post I purchased the new Woody Bay Station model by Bachmann. This model arrived in good condition and well packaged . As you can see here below, it's well packaged , having need to be as it's perhaps come  all the way from a factory in China.

 

     

The model is made in resin and really captures the detail of the station very well. The paint finish is well executed and looking at photographs of Woody Bay the attention here has been well executed . The roof tiling is well worth a mention as this is not an easy colour to reproduce. 

The model is open beneath to enable lighting to be added. This is a nice feature compared with some of the earlier Bachmann and Hornby models which did not allow for access inside. 

The window frames and chimney pots are not prototypical . The window frames  lack the cross beading and the chimney pots are just not right. The frames could be rectified easily . 

My concern, call it that , is the model looks small. On inspection and comparing dimensions with the Bible "Measured and Drawn" the model is indeed a little bit of a compromise . The platform frontage is short by 10 scale feet ( 40 mm) . This is just one measurement that stands out. The other notable scale difference is that chimney to chimney we are short by 5 scale feet ( 20 mm) . It makes me realise why the model is simply labelled as a " Narrow Gauge Station " and does not specifically refer to it being Woody Bay. However dimensions aside it's a very nice model for the Narrow Gauge enthusiast but if you are looking for a scale model you might have to resort to some scale modelling . 

Woody Bay models by Bachmann

Important to note that the Woody Bay shop was one of the first to stock the new Bachman model of Woody bay station. Sales have gone very well, such that only a few models are now still available . Restocking by Bachmann will not be for another 6 months ,so if you want one , you'd better hurry. I ordered mine really easily on line with the Woody bay shop ( see the Lynton and barnstaple Railway web site ) and payment can be made with Pay Pal.
Hope you can get yours via the same shop so that the Railway benefits as well.
Here is the rather nice model and when it arrives I'll do a review.

Inside Outside

Whilst at the NEC exhibition, I had a browse at the 009 society stand. In one of their cabinets a rather nice model of a Vale of Rheidol locomotive caught my eye. It had been made with the white metal Chivers Kit and used the recommended Minitrix 2-6-2 chassis.What caught my attention was the impression of the outside frame chassis. This had been achieved by inserting 5 thou plasticard inbetween the Con Rods  and the inside frame as  shown here. 

Now I have 3 locomotives made with the excellent Backwoods kits and yes, I know that Heljan are to release their models in 2015 of the Lynton Locomotives ,but I still have Lew and Taw made with the same inside frame chassis on Rodney Stenning and Chivers bodies. Struck me I might was well have a go myself. 

So I have made a start, as follows. I'm not sure how the end result will be but let's see. In addition to this modification I've also invested in a Graham Farish outside framed diesel and have bought the connecting rods from RT models so I have another option that will be progressed in due course. Let's see how these 2 ideas work out.