Tuesday 24th September 2024

I've been trying to help my group who have applied for their SIA Door Supervisor Licences when they go to the Post Office and get their documents checked, I've even had a reply email from the Licencing Authority that the Post Office shouldn't ask for payment as the business link has been set up so the college is paying for the licence. On the WhatsApp Group chat I even photoshot the Group A and Group B documents lists .So you'd think it was easy with all the information at hand to get it done.
However not all the group is at the same stage, some are still waiting for their certificates to be added to their accounts.

On the workbench I've been applying some of the Hornby decals to my station buildings and adding details. On eBay I have put in a bid for a 00gauge Class 43 HST pair that is in working order. They look like the early version.If I'm successful I'll buy a coach to match.
The Hornby Blue Pullman coaches are being sold at £20 each at some retail stores or £47 through Hornby.I don't have the old Pullman and secondhand models can be a bit pricey but there's a few adhesive decals kits that can tranform the HST into a Pullman at a fraction of the price.

I had a good win playing Modern Warships,sank two one with USS Independence using it's guns and the other flying the Seahawk helicopter. Ramming works just as good but the damage can be sever so best retreat and get repaired to do battle again.

Quote from: McColm on September 24, 2024, 07:54:46 AMTuesday 24th September 2024

 On the WhatsApp Group chat I even photoshot the Group A and Group B documents lists .So you'd think it was easy with all the information at hand to get it done.

It may sound like I'm in Grumpy Old Man mode, but unfortunately sometimes there can be to much information for prople's brains to handle. Those providing it say they are trying to help us make decisions, but unfortunately it can have the opposite effect.    Add to that, that there tends to be a lack of people who eiither have the time or training in order to sit down and explain things then you get the situation you are describing.

It was a lot easier back in the day 

The whole world has gone VASTLY to much into the 'make it secure' mode, with the result that all officialdom tried to re-generate its own reason for existence all the time.     

Quote from: PR19_Kit on September 25, 2024, 06:32:58 AMThe whole world has gone VASTLY to much into the 'make it secure' mode, with the result that all officialdom tried to re-generate its own reason for existence all the time.     

The world has definitely changed since I was revived from my induced coma.

Thursday 25th September 2024

It appears that my service to supply answers to my students is finally paying off, maybe I should take the teaching training course provided by the SIA and become a trainer. I would need to be a lot fitter and flexible than I am at the moment.

Thoughts have turned again on improving the 3D Hogwarts Castle Hotel, I have plenty of cardboard and can start filling in the gaps. Some parts have fallen off, I think it's an improvement. Having taken lots of photos of the 1/24 scale model at the Warner Brothers London Studio Tour I can see how they have compacted it down. As the owlerly is in the wrong place and so is the portcullis. I've kept some of the polystyrene packaging to make the base and rocky landscapes. This is on hold until I have built the model railway base structure.

Quote from: McColm on September 26, 2024, 12:08:16 AMThursday 25th September 2024

It appears that my service to supply answers to my students is finally paying off, maybe I should take the teaching training course provided by the SIA and become a trainer. I would need to be a lot fitter and flexible than I am at the moment.

I'd certainly make enquiries. 

Friday 27th September 2024

There's an article in the Airfix magazine 1959 issue 11 which shows how to convert the Airfix Shorts Sunderland into the Hythe. Something that I've always wanted to do but haven't got around to doing it. Having read a few of my whatif ideas based on the Shorts Sunderland and formed an idea it will depend on what state the model is when it arrives. It's already been built but the propellers and beaching gear is missing. A rade in my spares boxes should have enough parts although I may need to take some castings for the engines. Changing these to the Rolls-Royce Griffons or Mk58 Merlins. Two small blocks of balsa wood will be needed for the nose and rear which can be shaped by sanding although I might take a casting of them for future projects.
As to the landing gear I have resin wheels for the B-29, I also have a pair of front doors taken from the Revell Giantess possible car air ferry on two levels with seating behind the cockpit.







I never knew that the Schools Class locomotive was streamlined, seems like a kitbash. I have a spare A4 streamlined bodyshell that could come in very handy. I have to admit that my streamline Schools Class will look nothing like the actual streamline locomotive. There are a few photos of the actual locomotive and I'll need a load of plastic card for that.

Sunday 29th September 2024

It's been a few decades since I owned the Triang Midland Blue Pullman 00 gauge power car and dummy power car. I have a vague memory of reading an article in Railway Modeller about a chap who used two dummy power cars to create a coach. I have seen on eBay that there's ample bodyshells for sale and the internal seats.
Somehow cutting a straight line on a curve freehand doesn't always turn out with both sides being at equal widths but a Mitres Block might help in this case. The plan would be to cut off the two sloping ends and join the open ends together. If all goes well I will have a coach if not with a bit of whiffery a buffet car.
Further research has revealed that the Northern Belle coaches are painted a different shade of brown to those used on the Brighton Belle.
So I'm thinking about spraying the body gloss brown and keeping the window frames white. There are aftermarket decals and the option of lighting but for now I will make do with a HST coach or adpt one of the Junior Express 'Paddington ' coaches. Hang on the lamp is on a circuit board I'll fit it and hide the battery inside.

So back to school next week exploring Eltham, I haven't even explored Charlton yet although I do know that Charlton House has a tea room that's open so that's worth a visit.
So it's just the visit to the Maritime museum and the Woolwich Ferry, then back to work in November/December.

Monday 30th September 2024

Any excuse to play with model trains is good for me. The Triang W60097 power car is playworn with an attempt to hide the scratches on the roof, the front cab window divider is missing. I can file the surround down so it doesn't look too bad. One of the windows looks scratched. I might at some point replace it.
I also received a tube of Green Putty acrylic modelling filler and a phone call from the National Careers Service asking me if I will be attending the I.T course.
 My mum and little sister are spending the day riding on the The British Pullman travelling to Coventry. They've just had breakfast on the train.

From what I can read, Steve, it sounds as if you're having a quite nice time. I like that. Carry on that way, will you? 

Humbrol RC415 acrylic umber brown does work well with the original white window surrounds. All handpainted using a hairy brush without masking tape. The previous owner has glued most of the clear plastic otherwise this would have been removed.
The power car is going to require a few coats of paint and PSR for the roof or I could turn it into a diesel-electric if it goes wrong.

Tuesday 1st October 2024

It appears with my help most of my fellow students have visited their Post Office to get their documents checked and photos taken. Once done the fee gets paid and the background checks are completed. A few days later an email will be sent confirming that they have passed the assessment section and their badges sent out. Now the search for work commences.
I on the other hand am attending the I.T.course in Eltham. Its an hours ride on the bus, the shops are quaint and will need exploring along with the sunken public gardens but not in the pouring rain  The teacher is fantastic even though she has given homework to do along with an idiots guide to help tips on how to navigate around a PC and laptop. I now know the process of how to turn it off, creating files and documents. So far I haven't been asked to use my laptop as the venue provides their own.

Wednesday 2nd October 2024

Most of the day was spent touch typing paragraphs from a book written by Arnold Schwarzenegger. I didn't know that he drove a tank before Hollywood got hold of him. My speed 16 words a minute with 100% accuracy. So I spent some time helping out my fellow students. No homework today and we left early. So tomorrow is test day, just to see if the tasks can be achieved and how much information has been kept or recalled.
All that concentration has left me feeling tired.
I'll do a bit of reading later on.

Thursday 3rd October 2024

It's all over the course has finished and I'm supposed to get a £10 gift voucher for attending.
On my way home there was two parcels waiting for me, 24 laundry washing machine tabs and a broken in places 1/72 Airfix Shorts Sunderland. The doors from the Giantess don't fit but will be cut accordingly and fitted in the open position. The rear tail is damaged but I have a pair of twin tail fins from an Avro Shackleton MR.3 that will fit. It looks like the resin Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk85s fit I've found a pair. I have several alternatives to choose from when the time comes, Just the interior to sort out and the removal of the weapons.
It looks as if the model was hung from the ceiling at one point, I'm thinking the tried and tested MH-53 Sea Dragon sponsors.
The outer floats are missing so it looks like a rummage in the spare boxes will be needed and a convincing bodges all over the place.

Friday 4th October 2024

I came across some parts from a 1/72 Italeri Short Sunderland but they don't seem to fit inside the Airfix kit. So far I have made an upper deck and I have being trying to make a lower deck for vehicles from scraps of plastic.
In-between this the 00 gauge Dapol/Kitmaster Schools Class locomotive model kit has undergone a front streamline nose, most of the parts are warped and a few are missing. This is a static model so PSR will be needed to produce something decent.
I have been interrupted by my fellow students regarding my computer course as they now want to take it whilst they wait for their security badges to arrive in the post.
I have quite a few appointments next week so I can pop along and get my documents checked, which gives me time to relax.

The Short Sunderland cargo variant is becoming a spares kitbash. The lower deck is the roof off the Revell Avro Shackleton AEW.2's bomb bay .I have reworked the upper gun turret to fill in the gap and the vertical tail fin will become part of the triple tail fins.
Apart from the cockpit you can't see much of the upper deck, I won't be adding additional seats but the mezzanine floor does add a bit of strength to the build..
So far the  00gauge Ford Anglia seems happy to be the test vehicle.