Pete, how do you go about cleaning up something like this before undercoating? It looks very delicate for sand blasting.

Pete, how do you go about cleaning up something like this before undercoating? It looks very delicate for sand blasting.

I generally start with a new soft or medium tooth, and scrub with Jif or a Vim style powder, rinsing and scrubbing well to remove any powdery residue. I will then give it another using Viacal or similar. All this is done with gloves on and any thing done after cleaning has the gloves on too.

Also by lightly scrubbing you will find any poorly soldered joints.

I am unsure about grit blasting, as it does not actually clean any grease or oil off unless you do it enough to remove metal. I would like an ultrasonic cleaner. But it is not high on the list.

Thanks. That must be very time consuming! Are they kid gloves you're wearing?

Thanks. That must be very time consuming! Are they kid gloves you're wearing?

It is like most things it all takes time. Paint does not stick to dirt no matter what you are painting. I was told years ago a good paint job will make a good model even better, but will not improve a poorly made one.

I handle it like I am wearing Kid gloves. But actually I wear latex ones.

Valvegear like that has always frightened me to death. Thankfully the O2 has none and that lovely 1366 only has the basic GWR arrangement. I suspect that the absence or relatively simple visible parts of the valvegear on GWR locos helped with its popularity before the mass of RTR.

I think you are probably right about the GW, but there not much with the LSWR either, just prettier liveries.

I think they ought to make it compulsory to fit inside valve gear on GW engines.