Drums and Power Pole (1/35)

While I had the air brush out to paint the interior of a lorry cab, I took the opportunity to also get some drums painted. They had been primed in Games Workshop 'Chaos Black' in advance. I gave the drums a quick blast of colour, not being particularly concerned if the paint covered equally well everywhere. I added a bit of rust on some of them.

Freshly painted drums. They will be used at Bankes Bakelit for transport and storage of the chemicals used to make bakelite. Below is a concrete pole that will carry power lines to the bakellite factory. I dug it out of my spares box. Research showed it to be made by the French company Ironside. How it came into my possession is a mystery - I have never bought an Ironside kit.

After drying I gave the drums a wash of heavily diluted burnt umber oil paint. I mounted them on some wood profiles. In that way they are easy to place at different locations and vehicles.

Drums washed with a thin mix of oil paint and turpentine. To ease handling the barrels are mounted with double sided tape on a wooden stick. New Year's morning sticks from fire works rockets are strewn across the streets in Denmark and while I take a walk to clear my head I can easily pick up a year's supply of sticks - for free.

Five of the drums fitted to a few boards (so as not to scratch the lorry's load bed).

Ready to depart to the bakelite factory with a full load of chemicals.

While the oil paint dried on the drums I sanded down the prominent mould lines on the pole. The pole is 20 cm. long, meaning it would be 7 m. when enlarged 35 times. After sanding and a little Humbrol putty in the worst sink holes, I applied a rough surface to the pole. I covered a small area (half a length on one side) at a time with plastic glue. I left the glue to soften the plastic for about a minute and then worked the area with an old tooth brush. It left a slightly rough surface without it looking out of scale. After priming and painting the result looks as below.

I drilled holes in the top of the pole and mounted three nice Part insulators. After painting and a little weathering I consider the pole ready to mount next to the bakelite factory building (must finish the construction of the building first, though).

Pole fitted with turned brass insulators and weathered.

A close up of the insulators. Now I just need an insulator enthusiast to tell me I have used a type of insulator not used in Denmark!

Harvest Time Approaching (1/35)

In the fields around Nystrup the small farmers are busy harvesting their fields. The most progressive ones have equipped themselves with a combine harvester from German manufacturer Claas.

Cloud cover is low and rain will soon put an end to harvesting.

My combine harvester is the Universal Hobbies' Claas 'Europa' in 1:32 scale. It comes pre-assembled directly from the box. I have seen several Gauge 1 railway modellers use the combine right out of the box as a load on flat wagons. I took the time to pick out some details in contrasting colours - particularly on the engine, add a few decals and add some small details. A few spanners are placed at the driver's station and I fitted a home made broom too. The combine was given a light weathering of black oil paint and a little dust all covered with a layer of matt varnish.

Here is my home made broom. Three pieces of plastic, a little glue and some paint.

Wedensday 25 June 1952 (1/35)

On an ordinary day in the summer of 1952 the trains ran along the little gravel railway belonging to Nystrup Gravel. Just as they did almost every other day, year after year. This summer day in 1952 was a little different, though, as there was a photographer present.

One of the first trains of the day. Nystrup Gravel's Jung loco pulling empty skips to one of the pits in operation that day. On the hill behind the loco a cow reminds us that Denmark at the time had a large agricultural sector with more than 15 % of the workforce employed directly in farming.

A loaded train passing the water tower at the loco shed. It is a wonder that not more of the load has spilled out of the skips. The gravel must be from a rather wet part of the pit. No 3 was one of the few locos that ever carried the company's name written out in full - Nystrup Grus- og Stenindustri A/S.

 

Here is no 6 again. This time the loco is pushing large surplus stones to Nystrup. Once arrived there the stones would be loaded on lorries and transported away, most likely for use in harbour maintenance or costal protection. A lorry carrying what appears to be an excavator showel is just passing over the viaduct.

And despite all the normality of the day, one of Nystrup Gravel's workers was missing for the day's work. The day before he had to report at a military facility as he was called up for duty as part of the first large scale mobilisation exercise in Denmark since the war.

Cut from 'Politiken' June 25. 1952. The article mentions "for the benefit of mothers, wives and girlfriends" that the mobilized men were fed well - even detailing the menu.

 

Oil Loco 'Alpha' E 10 - Continued (1/35)

After almost a year of inactivity I finally got my project to build a model of an ancient Danish built oil engine loco going again. Shortly after having started the build, I had the luck of finding works drawings of very similar loco. The drawings made me realise I had to change the wheel base and length of the model. An extension of plastic card took care of the length last year and a new BullAnt from Australia fixed the wheel base this summer.

The wires for the decoder bursting through the door opening. The asymmetric positioning of the axles is documented by photos and adds a charming, primitive look to the model - in my eyes at least...

With the longer wheel base I had to grind out a bit more room for the wheels and flywheel. I used a mini drill to remove the offending plastic. Other than that no other modifications were needed for the new BullAnt.

Advert for a an 'Alpha' loco from Frederikshavn Jernstøberi. You had to pay extra to get drive to both axles and a two speed gear box. On the standard version there was only chain drive to one axle and one speed. Scan supplied by Nordjyllands Kystmuseum, Frederikshavn.

The loco body has now been clad in a layer of 0.1 mm. plastic card and a raised panel glued on. This is the kind of plastic building I really like, Plain work with knife and steel ruler, glue and file. Next stage will focus on the frame and buffers/couplings before moving on to roof and smaller details on the body.

Covering the upper body in thin plastic card. The method gives thin edges around the open door on the loco's left side. A raised panel on the rear wall is being held down with a generous amount of tape while the glue dries.

After sanding the surface is tested with a thin layer of paint. The paint makes it easier to see if more putty is needed to make a smooth surface. The exhaust is cut from aluminium tube. I still have to make the even larger pipe serving the radiator that worked by evaporating water from the large tank at the front.

Bedford and Trailer (1/35)

One of my vacation projects was the MMK resin kit of a Bedford O and heavy load trailer. I assumed it would be an easy task right out of the box. Having studied the instructions a little closer and handling the parts, I realised that the build wouldn't be as easy as I thought. Most parts are well moulded and relatively easy to separate from their mould gates. Both lorry and trailer kit lacks location points and as the instructions aren't particularly helpful it is a challenge to find out precisely where many parts go. As a single misfitting part would prompt an avalanche of faults I built the lorry kit in a different sequence than advised in the instructions.

Bedford chassis fitted with wheels. Despite lack of decent location points I managed to get all four wheels touching the ground without trouble.

The single axle trailer ready for wheels. Not too many parts for this item that is made up from primarily one huge casting.

The lorry cab is a nice casting but care must be taken when removing the flash in window and door openings. The cab interior is sparse (as it was on the original lorry). I had to substitute a steering wheel and column as the kit part was broken. Some of the parts are from etched metal and are quite nice. I'm wondering if I should leave a cab door open to show the details?

Wheels fitted to the trailer and cab interior primed.

I couldn't resist placing one of my 1:35 locomotives on the trailer. It gives new motivation to carry on building!

Vacation Projects (1/35)

I have now started three weeks of vacation. Except for some house maintenance tasks nothing is scheduled - not even a trip abroad this summer. I'll be spending the vacation home and in the cottage. I suppose that will leave a little time for modelling now and then. 

I hope to be able to focus on my model of an ancient Danish built one cylinder oil engine loco picking up where I left last summer. A new Bullant from Australia is on order with a better match to the drawings than the one I fitted first.

Here is where I'm starting: painted interior and basic work on the frame. The loco body is started but needs a lot more work - including a roof. 

Having just about finished a somewhat problematic lorry build what would be more obvious than to start another? It will however not be a kit bash or a conversion but a (probably) nice and easy out of the box-build. The object is a Bedford O with a heavy load trailer made by the Czech company MMK. I only plan to add some small parts and a set of specially designed decals making it a vehicle with a clear reference to one of my railway friends.

Cleaning up parts from the two kits from MMK of a Bedford lorry and a trailer. Plenty of work!

Could I squeeze some work on my newest module in, I would be glad. I'm really looking forward to getting the track down and tested - not to mention starting on the buildings. 

Finished Ford Double Cab Lorry (1/35)

After much trouble and frustration I have finally finished the Ford double cab lorry I started building back in February. It has been a tough nut to crack as particularly the figures and cab have supplied challenges on an almost daily basis. Most troubles caused by myself by not planning and dry fitting parts enough and some by the quality of upper and lower resin cab castings. The cab parts didn't fit well together causing a lot of sanding and getting the three figures to fit in the cab wasn't exactly easy. After several efforts I decided to have only two figures in the cab, leaving the driver figure out.

The finished double cab lorry at the Nystrup Gravel loco shed with a load of brown coal. Summer 1946.

The lorry is a combination of a converted chassis from the ICM-kit of a Ford T917G and a resin cab made in Brazil. See the lorry at an earlier state here.

Haulage contractor Hansen's double cab lorry was a former German army lorry, possibly commandeered from civilian use in Norway and brought to Denmark during the German occupation. After being taken over by Hansen in May 1945 the lorry received a coat of green paint, new head lights and license plates. Due to its large cab the lorry could carry a good work force; very convenient as any bulk load had to be shovelled off the cargo bed.

Freshly painted in Vallejo Air 71.134 Imperial Japanese Army Green the Ford lorry is awaiting decals.

After priming I painted the lorry green (Hansen's company colour - although he never hit the same hue or bothered with a standard paint scheme), fitted decals from Skilteskoven and gave the model a covering layer of satin varnish.

Decals fitted on front doors. Windows still without glass and cab interior only test fitted. A steering wheel is still missing. In the cargo bed one can faintly see the heightened insert made from foam board to carry the load of brown coal.

Clear plastic card pieces made to fit the cab windows. All specially made to a particular window and consequently clearly marked out and taped in place on a piece of A4.

The heightened foam board insert in the load bed received a load of coal that was painted in different brown colours to represent raw brown coal. Two wicker baskets from Paulo were 'dug into' the load.

Coal and wicker baskets added, glass in the cab windows and weathering begun. The lorry is almost finished - and my work table is beginning to look fairly cluttered.

Weathering was done with both oil and acrylic paint and a little coloured chalk powder. I kept the weathering light and only the upper panels of the cargo bed received a serious dose of weathering.

Moving into position to unload the coal at the railway's coaling site next to the water tank.