Wagons and rust (and unreasonable optimism)
So, things have been moving along, although not at a particularly fast pace.
First, the loco coal wagon from the last post.
It is not done yet, I've added a bit of rust and wear.
The excellent pictures from Mikkel's blog (https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/11531-detail-hunting-at-didcot/) were invaluable for reference.
It is all still a bit raw, it needs a wash of general grime to tone things down a bit. I'm reasonably happy with how it is coming on, but I'm not 100% satisfied with the overall look. Maybe once it is all toned down I'll be happier.
I'm not entirely sure what causes the lighter discoloured patches in the paint, but I tried to replicate the look with some thinned light gray (Vallejo glaze medium and water). I've also used some soot from my parent's chimney to detail the interior, I've got a large jar full of the stuff I meant to use to make pigments for violin varnish, but it seems to work pretty well as a substitute for real coal dust. Unfortunately the glue, water and a drop of washing up liquid has left a mess on the floor of the wagon. I'm hoping a bit of matt varnish and a black wash will make it look better.
The next batch of models has also been primed. As I don't have access to spraying gear where I am, I decided to use a brush. Although it doesn't look great, it think it will work out all right. Pictured are a small office building (free with an issue of Railway Modeller from a couple of years back), and three Cambrian Model Rail wagons: a shunter's truck to dia. M4, a 12T end door 7-plank and a 10T fixed end 7-plank, both Gloucester designs.
I plan to use the shunter's truck as a conversion wagon between tension-lock and S&W couplings. I assumed there weren't any in the Forest of Dean, but while leafing through The Severn & Wye Railway Vol. 5, I came across a picture of a 16xx heading to Lydney docks from the yard with a shunter's truck (looks like an M3, judging from the upper handrail), so it seems like at least one was allocated to the Forest area. I'll have to see if I can find out what the lettering on the toolbox sides was. Failing that, I can make something up.
The kit has a lot of good detail, especially the various shafts and brackets associated with the DC brake gear. I haven't fitted any couplings yet, so I might have to remove some of these bits to make room, but I will try and keep it to a minimum.
I've also base coated the two wagons: the 12T in black, and the 10T in red.
The idea here is to do a bit of miniature signwriting: the black one will be a Cannop colliery wagon, while I plan to finish the red one as one of Pates', a coal merchant from Cheltenham who bought coal from Foxes Bridge colliery. There are photos of both in the S&W railway books.
I have no idea if I will actually manage this.
The Cannop livery is as simple as it gets: CANNOP in large, sans-serif unshaded white letters exactly four planks high and the wagon number in the lower left corner. I have a couple of sheets of HMRS PO wagon transfers for the smaller script stuff. The Pates livery, on the other hand is more elaborate: for a start the letters are shaded black, there is also more writing in general on the wagon, some of which I might be able to do with transfers, but I'll have to see. Another issue is that the transfers are an off-white creamy colour rather than white, but maybe once the whole wagon is weathered it won't be as obvious, I'll have to see about that.
Anyway, I hope it is feasible.
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