Second Hand Locomotive Jacks for Nystrup Gravel (1/35)

In the early fifties the management from Nystrup Gravel was on a shopping trip to one of the light standard gauge railways being closed due to competition from road traffic. Among the stuff being brought home over the next weeks was four locomotive jacks. Probably a tad large for the Nystrup locos, they had the benefit of being cheap.

Having just arrived, the jacks are being examined by two of Nystrup Gravel's workers.

In my last post on the 1:35 scale jacks, I was half way through the assembly. I met no obstacles gluing the remaining parts together. I primed the four jacks and the two girders and air brushed the jacks a medium grey. Bolt heads and iron fittings were painted dark brown and black. Before priming the girders needed a little putty and sanding on the top to hide some mould seams.

The four jacks ready for a layer of primer. The jacks are secured to the plywood with a small piece of double sided tape.

Primed and ready for painting.

After the main colours were dry, I gave the moving parts on the jacks a mix of dark grey and black from the air brush. Finally the jacks were given a wash of thinned oil paints, dry brushing with acrylics and picking out oily details with gloss varnish. The parts of the jacks closest to the ground were air brushed with a thin mix of light earth and thinner. I added Roman numerals in red.

The lorry backing into position to unload the jacks in front of the loco shed.

There isn't much space to spare. A worker helps to guide the lorry driver getting into position in front of the loco shed.

Close up of jack no. 2. Solid equipment for a 600 mm. narrow gauge railway

With the jacks ready for action, Nystrup Gravel's chief mechanic is now confident that even the heaviest locos can be lifted for thorough running gear maintenance.