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[derekwarner]

Nick...this appears to be taken on the elevated aft steering flat [walkway]...so this a voice pipe mentioned [5th June]
If so, is it to the bridge or engine room control flat?...........

This would suggest the vessel could have been fully controlled [both engines & rudders......[when mooring aft] from this steering position

Your imgbb photo software enables a full screen view with great resolution

Derek

[raflaunches]

Hi Derek


The aft bridge is called the docking bridge so I believe it has a duplicate set of wheels, telegraphs, and compasses for just this purpose.
The ship's drawings are actually incorrect and show the telegraphs situated one either side but the contemporary era photos show as we've modelled them.
I must admit I'm surprised at the image quality too!


Hi Ian


I'm too interested in how far Bachmann will go, hopefully not too expensive either!

[ballastanksian]

Do roll your eyes and tut if I have mentioned this before, but if you are looking at a good colour fo fill in her railbeds up with, I can reccomend Railmatch's 'Frame Dirt'. It is a brownish colour that recreates the brake dust seen around platforms and rail beds at stations, or in your case on train ferries etc.

[raflaunches]

Don’t worry Ian, I’d never roll my eyes at any suggestion 


Whilst on holiday before the unwellness happened Steve and I visited an antique shop (well a sort of junk shop) we found some nice locomotives from 1902 and 1920 respectively that I think were part of a magazine collection from a few years back. They sit perfectly on the deck and at £9.50 each a lot cheaper than risking a £150 Bachmann locomotive on the water.

[dodes]

Nick, sorry but L.N.E.R. did not come into being until the last amalgamation about 1928 also I think the L.M.S also was of a similar time. Upto 1927 there were about 95 railway companies in this country and Parliament said that was too many to be efficient, the first amalgamation took them down to about 12, then the last took them down to 4 and then the L.N.E.R. had to have government subsidies to build their A4 pacifies,   the only company to come through unscathed was the G.W.R.

[raflaunches]

Ah sorry Dodes


I failed to mention that just the train is accurate not the markings on it! We’re repainting the LNER train with more appropriate markings. Sorry about that. The loco with the LNER markings is from 1920 and the red coloured loco is from 1902. That’s my slightly fevered mind at time of writing my last post that caused me not to mention it!

[dodes]

Hi Nick, sorry to have sounded so rivet counting, had my 6year old grandson around me all day and evening spent a lot of time and money building him a trainset on a board and had all the teething problems with it, I really do not see the problem with your engines, so long ago not many people would know and at the end of the day its your model and I think it all looks great , fantastic, well done.
David.

[raflaunches]

Two years ago my Dad and I took the TF3 to Warwick and Jack of the Spithead Review liked what he saw and took many pictures of her with the intention of adding one to his collection of 1/1200 scale ships.
Well today Jack came up to the Wicksteed stand and presented his latest addition to us.
Can’t believe the detail he has included including some Mk I tanks and a field gun! This is baby TF3 sitting on the fore superstructure deck of the 1/72 mother!

[ballastanksian]

I do like the smaller scale ships for a number of reasons 

[JIM WORNER]

There was a 4mm to the foot drawing of this ship in the SKINLEY range of railway drawings, I had a copy back in the 1970s.
It might be worth a query on a railway web site.  I don't know what happened to the Skinley rangw,  Hope this helps
Jim

[raflaunches]

Been a bit of while since the last update on TF3!


A new book came out last week from a fantastic chap called Kevin Hogget. The entire history of the first Train Ferries are explained with some rather annoyingly good and helpful photos of one under construction. One thing I found out that the White Ensign is incorrect and in fact should be a Royal Engineers Ensign. I’ve asked Mike Allsop to make me one during the three week restriction. Another item I added to the cargo load is Bosche Buster- a 14-inch railway gun- which was carried by TF1. I’m doing a generic load to represent the loads of all three TF’s.

[dodes]

I like that rail gun Nick, make yourself or can you get it of the shelf, always fancied one myself, but the only ones I have seen are German ones!! While we are on the subject of the work these did, came across a model of HS28 on line, apparently she worked from Richborough to Calais towing barges loaded with heavy goods for the Army, so if you are getting some Army transport ensigns made let me know where to get one.

[raflaunches]

Hi David


I’m good but not that good! It’s a model by a company called Oxford Rail. I bought it from a model shop that’s still operating online at the moment called The Model Centre in Whitby. Not too bad priced for the detail and size!
I’m getting the flags made by ‘Flag Man’ aka Mike Allsop (his trade email address is scaleflags@outlook.com). He is fantastic painter and makes all his flags on silk and to almost any design you require. There are certain limitations on how small he can paint but all my models have his flags on now.

[dodes]

Hi Nick thanks for the reply, I will have a go for the gun. But will wait until I see your flag.
Regards David.

[raflaunches]

Upgrades to the Train Ferry. New correct Royal Engineers Ensign has been raised (kindly made by Mike Allsop of Scale Flags and Ensigns). The ROD train purchased and added to the 14” railway guns. 

[Mark T]

That is just amazing - in the close up photos it actually looks real!

[raflaunches]

Thanks Mark


We are really pleased how it’s turned out. A new book was recently published about the Train Ferry and we wish we had seen some of the pictures when it was being built. The author of the book told us about the correct ensign.
I’m working on some new rolling stock for the ferry so we have mixed types from the correct area just to add a bit of interest on the rail deck.

[ballastanksian]

Lovey guns Nick 

[raflaunches]

Bit of an update on the Train Ferry. With help from Bunkerbarge I have been shown what extras were needed to accompany the railway guns. So I was looking through eBay and found some wagons and rolling stock made by a railway modeller using Lima chassis and wheels. The MDF laser cut ammo wagon are from elsewhere as the Shapeways examples were hideously priced and weren’t very well detailed for the money. So we are now building (hopefully) a historically accurate load for the ferry.

[Martin (Admin)]

Impressive stuff!   

[ballastanksian]

Now that is a model and a half! Super looking guns and also fine examples of Traction Engines.

[raflaunches]

Hi Martin and Ian


It certainly makes the cargo jump out being of the correct era for the model. I’ve got some more bits and pieces recommended by Sir Klunk of Luton that can be fitted too- a rather nice converted London Type B Bus, some Vauxhall Type D staff car, and some FWD trucks.
The ammo wagons are weird as the roof overlaps the ends a lot and is semi-circular in shape. I’ve got a couple more small wagons to fill up some of the excess space on the rail deck and then she’ll be ready for sailing with a load.

[ballastanksian]

I wonder why the roofs were like that? These projects seem to keep dredging up new questions don't they!

[derekwarner]

Certain rail car variants designed for heavy lift cargo were open-topped with spreader supports, then covered with tarpaulins    .. Derek

[Geoff]

Really excellent, one of your best models (so far!) as so much to catch the eye with the load!


Cheers


Geoff