Speeder on an Evening Run (1/35)

At this time of year the summer evenings are long and it isn't dark until half past 10. This evening the weather was particularly nice and I took a few pictures of Nystrup Gravel's speeder as it made a trip on the gravel line.

It's past 10 and the speeder heads West and approaches the bridge over Little Stream. The purpose of the trip was unknown.

Passing Little Stream on the way to Nystrup. Nice and sunny weather has almost dried out the stream.

An hour later the speeder heads home. In a few moments it will pass the loco shed in the woods. The setting sun still leaving a bit of light on the horizon.

Not many of Nystrup Gravel's locomotives were fitted with lights so very few trains were run during the dark hours.

Commer and Trailer Finished (1/35)

Solvang Construction can now finally start moving heavy equipment. The tractor for the previously built trailer is now ready for service. When bringing together the two units I added a little more weathering to the trailer to make the two models more like an entity. Ramps, blocks and some tools were added to the trailer as well.

Solvang Construction visiting Nystrup for a heavy haulage task.

Equipment added to the trailer includes steel chain, wooden blocks, sledge hammer, a tarpaulin and a selection of spanners.The track panels are made from Blitz Models French army steel sleepers and code 100 rail.

Before I got so far, I added most of the small details to the model. The kit came without exhaust pipe. With part of the chassis highly visible even when coupled to the trailer, I made a exhaust pipe from brass pipe and slid on a length of larger diameter plastic pipe as silencer. On the inside of both chassis channels I glued thin copper wire to illustrate part of the braking system. Here and there I glued on a few bolt heads. The kit part for the instrument panel in the cab looked rather bad, so I did a new one from plastic card with holes punched for dials. The dials themselves are Archer transfers.

My resin Commer with added parts from scratch. Ready for painting.

While the kit contained 15 parts for the chassis and 3 for the cab I added a total of 36 home made parts (not counting the 6 clear parts for windows). Some of the parts were added after painting due to the way the kit is designed. These included the steps under the cab which I made from folded up left over etched brass (never throw away anything, it may turn out to be useful in the future).

The lorry first received a cover of Games Workshop primer (with the 'war hammerish' name of 'Chaos Black').

I forgot to add the roof mounted sign signalling a trailer on tow. I sanded the primer away to get good glue adhesion. The cab roof was primed again before painting.

As usual I applied the main covering of acrylic paint with my air brush. I used Tamiya masking tape to mask upper and lower cab. I managed to get an almost perfect demarcation between the two colours on the cab. Too often I have failed to apply the masking tape properly, used too thin a paint mix or have the paint bleed through the tape.

Very little touch up needed on the cab. Tires will need covering with dark grey.

Decals were fitted on doors and front roof line as well as on the plastic card license plates. As usual the decals were made by 'Skilteskoven'. Front mudguards were painted gloss black. Small details were picked out in their appropriate colours, rear view mirrors and wind shield wiper fitted. I weathered the lorry to make it look like it had travelled long and dusty roads with its heavy load. I used a mix of oil paint washings and very thin mixes of earth colours through the air brush.

It turned out that a locomotive was the load to be picked up in Nystrup. Destination unknown.

The transport has reached the viaduct over Nystrup Gravel's railway.

With this road vehicle project finished I'm moving on to work on other models that have lingered unfinished on my shelves. 

Trainspotting West of Copenhagen

After four weeks of splendid summer weather I thought it appropriate with a day of trainspotting from my bicycle. I visited my own vintage railway HVB. It's nice to be able to enjoy the railway as a turist now and then rather than work on track or train.

Nice weather, calm horses and a narrow gauge train in the distance. What's not to like?

I followed the two trains in service up and down the line on my bicycle. Now and then I had to really work the pedals to reach my chosen photo location before the train. A good way of combining trainspotting and exercise.

Diesel electric M 24 at a road crossing. 

Da 7 starting after having met M 24 and its train on Brandhøj station.

Having spent a few hours in Hedeland I turned my bike east to visit the second narrow gauge railway on the day's programme. I had heard rumours of Nystrup Gravel running extras despite it being both Sunday and Constitution Day as a large order for gravel had to be met.

Having flung my bicycle on the slope I barely managed to capture Nystrup Gravel's Fowler pushing a long train of skips east to one of the pits. The late afternoon sun casting long and annoying shadows.

Building interior and adding ground cover (1/35)

In a slow and steady pace I manage to finish stage after stage on the road to a finished bakelite factory module. Even in the current unfinished state some nice views can be had.

Early evening in June in front of Banke's Bakelite in Nystrup. The Cushman scooter from the local oil depot seems strangely deserted. Where's the driver?

Recently the ground floor interior in the bakelite factory has reached a level where I can call it finished. More detail can definitely be added, but I question the benefit. The view across the module and through the windows allows only little to be seen.

With the building lifted off, the ground floor interior can be seen. Cooker and chair from Plus Models, bucket from Tamiya, bench from left over parts from a laser cut Daniel Caso coach kit, two coke bags from Wespe Models and a home made table. A Paulo Modellbau stove is positioned out of sight in the corner of the right room. All very basic, as not much can be seen through the windows.

Across the tracks from the bakelite factory a little 'truck stop' is developing. Not a fancy thing serving meals or coffee, but a simple gravelled area where lorry drivers can stretch their legs while waiting to take their lorries down the road to Nystrup Gravel's loading site.

The parking area during construction. The large stones make sure no lorry accidentally reverses out on the railway line. I picked up the stones in my drive way and had them glued down in less than two minutes. Oh, and the factory building has had its laser cut windows installed. Now a roof is urgently needed!

To avoid too much littering the city council has deployed two garbage bins for the lorry drivers. One seems to have suffered terminally from a close encounter with a lorry. Both bins are in resin from Plus Models.

I now plan to let the module work rest while I finish the Commer tractor. First I have to clear the work table, though. Does it sound familiar?