Pola engine servicing...

I've finished assembling the Pola kits for the engine servicing area including water crane, wheel chock and end of train board stand and ash pan cleaning tool stand. They're all in unfinished plastic so need some painting before going into service at Alisendorf at the weekend!

Christmas water tower...

I received the Pola water crane and accessory kit for Christmas, so have made a start on the remarkably clean mouldings for a kit with an embossed date on the base of 1984, over 25 years of serving European outline garden railways.

Season's greetings...

Kof chassis sketching...

Well not just sketching but mainly...

I raided my daughters old pen box and found a dead one to use as the air brake reservoir. It looks about the right size but when offered up needs so much cut out from the back that it just doesn't look rights. I sketched out this and other details including the footboards, bonnet hinges and bufferbeam hooks. Add to that the fact that the Zillertal engine doesn't have train brakes fitted anyway, and I think I'm going to leave them off.

I made use of the time today to also cut off the corners of the buffer beams, file the smooth and remove the screws. These are now ready for filling.

Kof still smoothing...

I had hoped the second application of Milliput on the body of my Liliput Kof bash would be enough, and although it's looking pretty good there are still a few blemishes on the cab back to address. So more photos, more progress but not much more to see!

However thoughts will now turn to work on the chassis, as this also needs some smoothing. First up will be to strip out the drive unit to keep it free from contamination. Then I'll cut the corners to the buffer beans and remove the screws. I'll then fabricate the brake cylinders and use the excess Milliput to smooth the buffer beams and the can rear. Once these are smoothed I can add the shunters platforms to the step and the buffer beam cable hooks. I then want to add the bonnet doors, vents and hinges, before adding the lighting and finishing with handrails. Then just prior to painting I'll fabricate a coupling bar to sit on the foot plate.

Painting seems a long way away but it's probably only a few hours of modelling in reality. More soon...

Kof bonnet smoothing again...

Well the Milliput had set nicely so this evening out came some 320 grit sandpaper and I worked it smooth using my workbench with the paper held down against this to get a flat surface finish. I also rounded the edges of the bonnet with the sane technique.

As I guessed there were a few low spots on the surface so I needed a second going over with Milliput.

Therefore to avoid doing a third batch at this stage I finished off work on the cab and exhaust stack. This involved filling the gaps on the front of the cab, and adding some plasticard to the base of the exhaust stack to get the height right. Once ready Milliput was used again to fill the holes in the cab and to smooth the low points in the bonnet.

Kof bonnet smoothing...

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the blog, and progress has been a little slow. However, that's just life and the time of year, so on to the matter in hand...

To get the bonnet looking right it needs a rounded top and smoothed edges. From a technique I learnt in the construction of the Faur Lxd2 kit I decided to layer plasticard and then complete with Milliput. Once it's hardened I can sand it smooth. I expect it will need a second going over, but that's fine because the cab still needs most of it's holes filling.

Kof bonnet front fitted...

This evening, with a half hour window, I hacked a hole in the bonnet front using a large drill bit, then cut out with a craft knife a rough rectangle. This was cleaned up with a file and a sharper blade, before fitting the salvaged grill from the Liliput bonnet. This is now glued on to the rest of the bonnet. Getting there slowly, still a few jobs before I can get out the filler!

Kof bonnet front started...

I've made a start on creating the distinctive front bonnet grill and surround. Using 3mm thick styrene should allow me to get a good rounded edge on the top and side corners like the prototype.

Kof smooth cab...

The LGB Kof cab has been smoothed, I've removed the last traces of the moulded light details on the rear, along with the waist high band, and on the cb sides I've smoothed off the number and works plates.

I also took a razor saw to the small boxes protruding from each side of the cab front.

Further Kof bonnet progress...

I had a quick half hour so I managed to knock up the bonnet top from some sketches I had made, as well as posing the model with the lights and exhaust stack balanced in position...

Next up the bonnet front, and then I can do the Milliput...

Kof bonnet takes shape...

I've begun building up a new bonnet for the Liliput/LGB Kof bash - so far just a very simple rectangular box out of 60thou plasticard. Note this is 3mm short at the front as I've not added the grill section. I'm going to use 120thou for the front piece so that I can get a good rounded edge on the front corners like the prototype. To form the curved bonnet top I'm going to use various stepped sections of plasticard, with the edges smoothed with Milliput, and then I'll sand it into the curved profile of the prototype inspiration.

Roll-wagen loading points...

Further to my previous post about plans for an indoor layout, here are some prototype track plans taken from Schmalspurig Durch Osterreich. We have top to bottom...

Zillertalbahn - Jenbach
Pinzgauer Lokalbahn -
Vellachtalbahn - Kuhnsdorf
Waldviertelbahn - Gmund
Mariazellerbahn - St Polten

Indoor project?

I've been pondering the options for an indoor G scale layout for a few days, largely inspired by my bash of the Liliput diesel shunter and the Zillertalbahn prototype...

What? Remember my Roll-wagen project? Yes? Well imagine an indoor layout with a standard gauge interchange point. I'd need a new roll-wagen with the ability to load and un-load standard gauge (Gauge 3) wagons.

Here are my initial sketches and some inspiration, and to follow some prototype Austrian track plans.

Polish book on Forestry Railways...

One of my Christmas presents arrived today, a book on forestry narrow gauge railways through Carpathia. Titled 'Karpackie kolejkl lesne' it is a photo album of incredible pictures. Unfortunately it's been squirrelled away by the wife until Christmas Day!

1950s 2 axle stock...

I recently got some LGB parts from Modell-land via a fellow G Scaler (thanks Mike) to renew my 2 axle coaches. They were the first items I repainted and in my early naivety I painted them in a faux Zillertalbahn livery to match the yellow window frames the coaches had originally.

I'm now planning on fitting the bow ended roof, and replacing the yellow window frames with oak ones. They will be an olive green and decorated in a low key EK&KLR livery to form a third and fourth item of passenger stock in the livery.

They will also be complimented by a rebodied brake van, and Elly's Stainz will also gain EJ&KLR markings.

All dressed up...

And nowhere to go!

Unfortunately a much looked forward to trip to the Hill Head and Dales light railway has had to be cancelled as a sickness bug bites in the Hilton household. Hopefully it can be re-scheduled soon!

Liliput Kof bash...

Well with an evening free to do some modelling and the railbus priming not taking long I decided to dismantle the Liliput diesel and look at how to modify the LGB cab to fit. Well it went a bit further than that in the end!

First up I cut out a slot on the cab control unit to fit over the motor cover in the Liliput cab with a slitting disc. I then used a razor saw to remove the rear lights and moulded details on the cab. I then pulled out the handrails, and then decided I'd take a look at cutting down the buffer beam.

I racked one corner with the razor saw and in less than ten minutes I had removed the bolt head detail and a sloping corner, more European in outline.

I like the proportions so far and will mock up a bonnet in card to get a better feel of it soon. Am I the first person to bash a LGB Kof cab on to this chassis?