Firecracker

Two more photos - a little bit of scenic work. First up, whilst idly leafing through Western’s book on the line, I found a photo I’d never noticed before, showing the region from the end of the platform to the road under bridge. This showed that there is a grassy bank rising behind the track, so out came the foam and hot melt glue. Primed with a coat of acrylic paint, here it is with the water crane posed in place. Yes, I know that point rodding is crap, it’s the first bit I laid and is getting renewed. Second, the cutting. I mentioned earlier that I want the track here to look like it’s been relaid recently. Whilst riding up to Goathland earlier this year, I noticed where the track was relaid over the winter the cess had been excavated. So break out the games workshop textured paints (Stirland Battlemire and Agrelian Earth) and make a mess. I fancy adding a new drain manhole in front of the PWay gadgie, to give a reason for the mess and excavation. Owain

And a few more bits... A manky chicken hut (think woodland scenics). Not quite sure where it’s going to end up, using it to try out different weathering finishes on different materials. The Pway department (mixture of ModelU and Monty’s) hard at work, or hardly working.... And a new water crane (Skytrex models) Owain

‘Where the ‘ell yew bin, Firecracker?’ ‘Sorry mates, reallife (tm) got in the way (again). I do like living indoors and not eating out of dustbins, as you know.’ Appologies for the absence, I’d love to show mounds of bits, but there’s not much that’s not 12”:1’. First up, the results of years of skip raiding and packratting have been thrown together to produce the extract fan for the spray booth shown earlier (ignore the lousy ally brazing, it’s been several years since I last did some). Motor off a dead vacuum pump, centrafugal fan of unknown source, the remainder finest botchery. A grubby coach (plus playing with back scenes). Some figures (all Monty’s Models). Playing with washes and dry brushing on these, just got to come up with a way of doing the faces I like. There’s been other fun and games, dissecting the 350 seen above to improve its pickups (running on the wheel treads, seriously WHY?), random smaller detail bits (some junk for the yard, LNWR water crane for the platform end), a bit of work on the goods shed, mocking up the station building to estimate sizes, early adventures in airbrushing (spelt ‘nothing that’s seeing the light of day’) plus the fun and games of adding a regulator/water trap onto the workshop airline system (is using a 2HP, 3phase 8CFM compressor to drive an airbrush overkill?), learning the different connectors (what size is that supposed to be, Paasche?!) and in an entertaining 2 seconds unintentionally covering a window in grey acrylic. Owain

A bit of diesel action, for a change. First up, a southbound PW train passes the 25 sat on the shed line. There’s going to be a ground signal just in front of the 25, controlling access to the station. With the 31, the idea is after fragonset went belly-up, some of their locos were bought by a spot hire company with connections to the railway. Following the traditional horse trading, the 31 is on loan for PW work, hence the tatty paint job. The railway has a mainline connection at Low Gill, so an idea forming is that occasional demics are stored somewhere on the railway (Sedbergh MPD, Middleton....), delivered by rail. It’ll make for a different working, one I can’t say I’ve seen modeled before. And the scruffy shed pilot collects two wagons of pallets from the goods yard for use as lighting up wood. Again, an ex EWS/DBS/BR purcahse that needs a paint job. Also shows (comparison with above) the joys of working under fluorescent lights, in daylight it’s paler. Owain

A brief update - first the ongoing weathering of the 350 shunter. A few washes to highlight the doors, still needs a bit of work around the grills on the generator area. Also handrails. Second - for anyone who is interested, here’s a shot along the layout, to give an idea of progress, overal length and track layout. Those platforms are getting nearer the top of the priority list...a roof on the goods shed would be an idea as well. Owain

Thank’ee Corbs, too kind. Glad you like it, I’m learning, rediscovering and trying new stuff constantly. I remember (many years ago) seeing a layout (can’t remember who’s or the name) which had hardly a single figure visible. Yet due to the signs of life, discarded tools, open doors, vehicles etc. it felt like any minute someone would appear. Now I can’t do that with a preserved railway, to be realistic there’s got to be some passengers. However in my mind it’s early-mid June, during the week, so not many families with kids about, visitors are tourists, adults, oap’s and maybe a school party. Owain

A bit more wagon weathering - part ‘work in progress’ and part ‘that worked better than I expected’. The item is a Hornby shark brakevan. So before. After a grey wash, excess removed with a cotton bud. Then in an attempt to create the suggestion of wood under the aged paint, dry brushed vertically with humbrol 121. Handrails, ploughs, duckets and anything metal on the body (lamp irons, brackets) touched with games workshop Typhus Corrosion. Humbrol 121 (becoming my go-to colour for aged wood) on the floorboards to suggest wear. Rather taken with the result. The handrails are going to get bare metal highlights with another recently discovered games workshop product, ‘Leadbelter’ which I love for polished steel. Owain

A few more bits... More figures on the layout. The next batch of figures on the bench (mixture of unknown, the two other BRM figures and Dapol). Also showing how I attach a wire spike to one leg to secure them. The yard groundframe The lowmac seen earlier weathered with the games workshop paints Owain

People think preserved railways run on coal, they don’t, it’s actually stewed tea! Personally I prefer figures in static poses, where it’s believable they could stand like that for a while. A pet hate is a figure frozen mid stride, or wielding a shovel. Hence, they’re having a brew and a natter, gazing into the skip, on their phones, reading a guide book, fighting a recalcitrant camera or just watching the world go by. Owain

And a few have been trialed to see how they look...the site meeting and a quick brew. Owain

The layout population has increased. Welder type (painted as a tribute to a bloke I worked with, just missing the shell oil logo on the liberated overalls) and pway gadgie from unknown source, Monty’s pway lookout and two spotters who may look familiar (freebie with BRM a month or two back). Not quite finished, but rather pleased. Owain

Just another quickie, rather taken with these, considering I’ve not painted any figures this size for the best part of a bit. Just a bit of shading, wash and the odd little touch up to go. Mixture of Monty’s and ModelU. Very taken with the ModelU figures, I’ll be getting more. Owain

Don’t know what happened to March, it was there when I last looked....anyway, here’s a few bits of what I’ve been up to. Watching tutorials on youtube, I was put onto some of games workshops technical paints. (Once upon a time, I did paint quite a few warhammer minatures, mostly imperium of man. I never really got into the gaming side, I tended to make dioramas with the figures, but I digress...). Anyway, I’d forgotton the names they give to paints. (If only dulux used similar. But I digress again....). We have Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust. When the first is applied, allowed to dry and dry brushed with the second.. You get something I’m rather taken with. Also picked up some of the textured paints (Stirland Battlemire/Mud and Agrellan earth). Really taken with these for mud and mire, added some to the jcb seen earlier with very good results. Due to getting sick of the house stinking of spray paint every time I give something a blast of primer, I’m adding a spray booth to the garage. Plan is a salvaged extract fan will be hooked up to the grill in the top back edge with elephant trunk ducting and exhaust outside (through existing vent in garage wall). Because my garage is (in an Americanism I love) ‘12lbs of shite in a 6lb sack’ it’s being used as a storage cupboard in the meantime, holding the next scenic project. A population for the layout has has started to emerge (figures are Monty’s miniatures and Model4U) The loco fleet has increased (I consulted and gave up trying to persuade the Hornby decoder to run the 25 smoothly at low revs, so swapped it for a Bachman offering. Result - smooth as silk. So a 350 shunter was dug out of hiding and the Hornby decoder hardwired into that instead. (Yes, the handrails are going to be replaced. Plus that weathering job is getting a wash or two). On the subject of weathering, the P.O. wagons have been gently toned down and the platform’s started to gain a fence. The short track under the crane is getting a wheel set or two sat on it. Plus the compressor has suffered from an attack of Typhus corrosion, (love this for old rusty steel). Owain

Things you model due to your youth (in this case, growing up on a Cumbrian fell farm). First up, molehills (due to a joke from my mother) If she’s working up to catching the little swine, I’d set traps under the hedge, bet it’s going though there to the drain for water regularly.... And some soft rush (not quite convinced on the colour yet) in the wet bit where the cutting drains. Owain

A bit of scenic work, adding some plant growth around the drain (peco static grass clumps, dry brushed with glue and dusted with white scatter) plus bits of foliage and a work in progress of some brambles on the embankment (poly fibre, sprayed with glue and dusted with ground foam). Just needs a glint of water in the bottom. The hedge has been treated as a horizontal tree, first some small boughs off a woodlands scenic tree armature were hacked about, then some foliage added to the upper regions. A bit of longer grass around the bottom, and it’s there. A second tree armature is also being tried for size. Owain

Right. There’s not been much spare time this week, however there’s been a few bits done. First, attempting to chip a Bachman cl 25. Discovered that it doesn’t seem to like Hornby decoders (cogging at low speed, however this disappeared as speed increased). May be a CV somewhere that needs a gentle tweak, further playing is required. When swapped for an ancient spare lentz silver, ran smooth as silk. However, the Lentz is of the variety where the plug is mounted direct to the PCB and the body shell won’t fit over it (which, in hindsight, is probably why it wasn’t used when bought 12+ years ago). Ah well, another flat battery in the car park of life and all that... In a more productive vein, I’ve been attending to a bit more weathering. This time for some variety, it’s been some of Oxfords vehicles, a JCB and a Land Rover. The JCB popped up here a while ago, I wanted to make it look a bit less toylike. First up, the backactor needed breathing on. Due to a bit too much meat in the castings, the arm wouldn’t fold up properly (the bucket should touch the lower boom). So take a burr in a dremel and scalp a little metal out... And that’s better. Add a bit of rust (OK, quite a lot, I spannered on several of these in my youth and I remember the 3CX cabs being rotboxes), mud, oil, general filth, get rid of that crimson bucket and touch all the bare steel pins up with either black or yellow.. That looks a bit less toylike. However I’m not 100% it’s not slightly over scale, it looks a bit tall to my eyes. Still, it’s a lot easier than scratchbuilding. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to seeing plant like this in HO that when it’s ‘true size’ it looks a bit big. Anyone got a photo of one next to a shipping container to settle the arguement? The mini van in the foreground incidentally, is a tribute to a friend who drove an identical vehicle and had the unfailing ability to ‘park’ (OK, abandon) the vehicle in the one spot where it was in the way. So as a tribute, no one can get out of the yard until it’s shifted. Second, breathing on a Land Rover until it looks more like something that might belong to the farming community. When I find one, it’s getting a sheep trailer on the back as well. The field has also gained some ruts, where this is stood will be the gateway off the road...but that’s yet to come. Owain

And as an aside, here’s a photo of the prototype, taken earlier this year. First, I have been forced to compress this scene, hence the change in the drain and topography (however the bridge is there). The hedge will go in, plus an odd tree and the power poles. Remember this is an abandoned line, hence the embankment and fields are being grazed. On my model, sheep should only be grazing the fields. Owain

And yet more proper modelling. What is this thread coming to? Fencing. The fields need a boundary fence, this is going to be post and wire. A few points, following a brief survey, some similar recently erected fence has posts 4” dia, about 10’ apart and stand about 4’ tall. So translate that into OO, and we end up with 1.3mm dia, 40mm spacing and 16mm tall. Material, your average cocktail stick is about 2mm dia. Can I be bothered to argue the toss over 0.6-7mm? Nope. The railway just swung for 6” posts. So, break out another new toy (with which I’m hellish impressed and should have bought years ago) and 99p worth of cocktail sticks. And we we have some posts... So let’s fit them. The drain has also acquired a strip wood bridge. I’m not planning to add wire to these, if you work it out to scale it’ll be microscopic. Plus if you view your average wire fence from 20 feet away all you see is the posts. A few other points - the mystery dark green patch at the base of the embankment is due to excess glue running into the foam and is due to be touched up. The gate is due a heavier (strip wood) stoop. The posts are currently dry fitted, they’ll be glued soon (hence the odd leaning example and the floating diagonal strainers on the corner posts. Plus, speaking as someone who built a lot of that in 12”:1’ in his youth, there needs to be a strainer in that long run. Owain

And a few more - some proper modelling (for once in this thread). Wagon loads. I’m focusing on three wagons here, a 16t mineral and two lowmacs. The 16t was briefly seen earlier, it’s based on one I saw that was doing service as a mobile bin. So this one has become where the loco dept keep spare pallets for lighting up wood. So take a packet of peco pallets and arrange until happy (I’ve left one side clear-ish, because that’s how they get them into the wagon, open the side door and handball them). With a a bit of painting, it’s looking better. I’ve picked a few of the larger ones out in blue (used in food handling) to add a bit of variety. Now, the lowmacs. These are how the pway dept moves ‘stuff’ around. First up, this one (Hornby) carrying some sleepers and a mini digger. Add some ratchet straps from strips of insulating tape (need a dab or two of paint to represent the ratchets and hooks). The straps have been taken to either the tie down rings moulded onto the deck or the edge of the solebars. Holes have been drilled, the strap fed through and secured with glue on the inside. The second. I picked up two of these compressors at Doncaster, the second is going to end up buried in stuff in the goods yard as the air supply for the wagon group’s antics. So, posed with two stillages and a random locker found in a bits box (based on an NYMR pway lowmac, that usually carries a mini digger and has a similar locker welded to the deck for tools etc). Make the deck look a bit more like wood and rusty steel (grey wash to tone it down, then brush with light tans and greys. Steel deck plates dark rusty browns. Locker picked out in blue because the yellow out of the paint drawer has gone AWOL). And add the tackle. There’s going to be some straps over the compressor (which also needs weathering) and the stillages are going to get some air hoses in them. Owain

And here’s a little ‘might have been’ (c/o Doncaster show today). Yes, I know the last body off one of these survived as a bothy (at Millerhill?) and was scrapped in the 80’s. Yes, I know they never ran in the North West. Yes, I did give chapter and verse on how I’m trying to create a believable atmosphere. But a) I built the Dapol kit and attempted to motorise it many years ago b) KWVR managed to preserve several of the Waggon und Maschinenbau version and c) it’s the smoothest running piece of RTR kit I’ve ever handled. So nuts, it’s my train set! Maybe the body was recovered and rebuilt on a new chassis. Maybe Derby RTC found a use for it (sure I’ve seen a rail bus in RTC livery). Out on her maiden run and later stabled in the yard. Only problem is I’m going to have to dismantle the little swine again to insinuate some passengers and a crew at some point. Goody gumdrops..... Owain

All right! Cheers matey, spot on. As I’ve said before, I’m returning to the hobby (several locos, the standard tank, the cl 25 and the pannier were bought in the mid-late nineties when they came first came out and this is their first airing for over 15 years). Due to a 10 year hiatus (buying a house, changing jobs) I’ve lost touch with the hobby and continue to be amazed by what’s now available. So every now and again there will be the odd idiot question ‘who makes xyz?’ or ‘are abc still in business?’ (despite not setting foot in there for 10 years, my local, Monk Bar Models survive and I suspect are enjoying my return). Owain

And just one more, because I’ve just found it on the pad and really like it. The first run of ‘The Westmorland Pullman’. Anyone know if there’s someone who’ll etch me a headboard or two? Yes, the rolling stock is going to be gently weathered, at the same time as the clack valves on that standard 4 go a more ‘weathered bronze’ colour. It’s a preserved railway, so they look after stuff, but it’s not immaculate. Owain

Right, a bit more. First up, the NEM pocket. Now come on, (manufacturer who shall remain nameless) how hard is it? You know you can get it right, as you did on the pannier and the 4F. You produce coaches such as this gorgeous metro-cammell Pullman (found at Warley for a price I couldn’t resist and what preserved railway doesn’t have a diner rake?). You got the NEM height near-as-damnit right on your mark 1’s (OK, by the gauge it’s slightly too high, but unless your track’s laid like a rollercoaster, you can get away with them). So why on the Pullman’s are they mounted so high? A botcher such as myself solves it by gluing a second pocket onto the bottom of the first (then has to shim the kaydee tail with micro strip). Then on your otherwise lovely standard 4 I have to glue the pocket solid (and shim again) to stop it drooping. Anyway, following the moaning, here’s a few other photos which I’m rather pleased with. Think it’s starting to feel about right. Owain PS - cheers for the help with photos Corbs, I think it’s worked!

Right, that makes sense. Cheers matey, I’ll see what I can do on the next update (which based on current progress, could be titled ‘Why the £&*@ can’t Bachman put NEM pockets at the correct height on their coaches?’) Owain

And yes, I know the photos in the previous post are in the wrong order. I’ve deleted them and reattached them three times, so I give up! Owain