Leith Centrl

Well the plan is in place for the rest of the baseboards for leith central so most work has been on kits on the workbench. This week i finished off the first 3 24.5t MEO coal hoppers in 1980 condition. For this project i used photos from Paul Bartletts great site. Plenty of interesting paint variation and levels of weathering. The video gives an order of coats but the colours used are: Railmatch: BR Crimson (mixed with brauxite to create red oxide primer) BR Brown BR Freight Wagon Grey (base coat) BR Early freight wagon grey (patch painting) Sleeper Grime Others: Matt Black Matt White Matt Varnish Transfers are fox data panels and lettering as well as some cut down from model master sheets. Always best to start with the lightest colour of weathering and build and build. I use acrylic paint as its easier to take off it you are not happy with it. Usual weathering is around 9-10 coats using this method and the wait time is lengthy but its well worth it for the effect. Uniqueness is something i like to look for in my weathered models so having Pauls differing photos to work from is a great resource. There will eventually be a full rake of these wagon and having personalised weathered wagons where no 2 are the same is a big draw similar to my rake of 13t opens done at a similar time in their lives. I will add wagons slowly around other work. I am currently filming ready to do a wagon kit guide of whats best for what. Cambrian vs Parkside vs Dapol vs Slaters. Currently in the works at Leith Central: Cambrian Whale Ballast Hopper: Awaiting the paint shop Dapol BP 20t tanker: Paint. Parkside ALE wagon: For weathering. Lothian Olympian Number 3: Awaiting Transfers. ODA & VEAs: In the Weathering Queue. Benches, figures and Buffer stops are also in for paint Awaiting works space: Slater 20t NER Coal Hopper Dapol Interfreigo Van Peco Modelscene Olympian (to become an Eastern Scottish one) On Order: Cambrian Dropside Sturgeon 3 Parkside 24.5t coal opens (next batch of MEOs) As well as all these to be getting on with im spending alot of time looking at the spares box and wagon drawings so another scratch build may be on the cards. Let me know if there is a wagon in the wait queue you would like to see next.

Something slightly different this month and another kit bash/scratch build ive been working on. This build involves using the peco modelscene Leyland Olympian bus kit to make a long bodied Lothian Regional Transport example which at the time i am modelling were one of the most common and new buses on Edinburgh and Leiths roads. The Base kit i use as a donor is the Blackpool transport example but any in the range should do the job. Equipment: Craft knife Mini Files Nail File Plastic Weld Poly cement paint brush 1mm Plastikard 2mm plastrust rod 1mm slaters strip plastic thinest plastikard available 0,5mm clear plastikard Step 1 (Extending the floors) 1.1 First thing to do for this double door bus is to remove the first 2 seats from behind the passenger side front wheel to create space for the second door opening, Cut and file flat these seats so a flat floor is created. this will create small holes in the floor, 1.2 Next select a point on the floor where a straight cut can be made between seats and split the chassis into front and rear pieces, 1.3 Cut a piece of 1mm plasticard 30mm by 51mm. 1.4 Mark on the cut section an area 12mm long responding to where the gap will be by marrying up the underside of the frames. 1.5 Cut a set of spare seats from another kit or a piece of 1mm plastikard 12mm x 30mm to fill the gap. 1.6 Glue the chassis parts and insert to the 51mm piece with the long piece under the floor. Checking the overall side length is 132mm 1.7 Repeat for the upper deck. (Split infront of stairs for later example) In the case of a 1985/86 example the stairs stay in the position as per the kit these steps only apply to the later examples (87-89) 1,81 Cut and remove the first seat from behind the stairs. 1.82 Shape platicard to match the stairs profile but 12mm further towards the rear of the bus 1.83 Cut a in the from of the Stairs moulding 5mm up from the floor and 12mm in from the front. 1.9 Add inertia detail as required (Drivers partition and top deck stairs wall as well as covering the holes in the floor with thin plasticard. Paint the floors and walls Grey and the seats in Humbrol 20 from Lothian Livery. Step 2 (Front end Prep) 2.1 Fill the front destination recess with a piece of platsikard and securely glue inplace 2.2 File the plasticard to match the front end profile. 2.3 Apply White areas of paint work to front end around window areas. 2.4 Fit front Glazing Provided with the kit. Step 3 (assembly part 1) 3.1 Fit the completed from from step 2 and the rear moulding (painted white areas and glazing fitted as per the front) from the kit to the extended lower deck floor. 3.2 Fit the axles and wheels as supplied with the kit. Step 4 (Side assembly) 4.1 Cut a piece of 2mm square section plastrut 132mm long to act as the top brace. 4.2 Cut from sheet of 1mm plastrut the side profile with openings for downstairs windows and wheel arches. Using dimensions for the kit sides. 4.2a Make doors from thin plastic. 1mm larger than the door opening and create openings as per your chosen door type. I use a 2mm drill to make the 4 window type as seen in the video then mount these on clear pastic and glue to the inside of the 1mm side sheet before fitting to the bus. 4.3 Glue the side piece and roof brace in place ensuring they mate fully front and rear. 4.4 from thin plastikard mark and cut out the side profile including all window supports, fuel and grill holes and draw on position of beading and indentations. 4.5 Fit glazing over the inside of the windows using .5mm clear plastic (the kit box plastic does this job well enough) making the diemensions of the the clear plastic match the holes in the 1mm plastic side. 4.6 attach side to the 1mm mock up and roof support. 4.7 fit upper deck floor between ends and 1 side. 4.8 repeat 4.1-.6 for the other side. Step 5 (Roof) 5.1 cut 2 pieces of 1mm plastikard 30mm by 136mm and glue firmly together. 5.2 bond to the top of the bus securely. 5.3 File the roof edges and top to profile using the kit roof as a guide. Step 6 (Side details) 6.1 use think slaters plastic rods (1mm flat) glued to the sides to represent beading using the kit sides for reference. 6.2 score in engine cover and emergency door recesses into sides using a craft knife being careful not the push right through. 6,3 fit a 2mm beading piece along the bottom of both doors to represent the step, Step 7 Prime and paint as per chosen livery and add transfers (Sunrise provide a great range of bus transfers especially for the lothian example)

So i got the roads finished on Leith Central and the works outshopped 2 more wagons. First of all the road surfaces. Equipment: Fine Sandpaper, Wood Glue & Dark Grey Primer. I simply spray sandpaper dark grey and stick it down not much else to say than that. I then use Metcalfe paving for pavements. Details are slowly being added to the streets using scale model scenery bits and i can really recommend giving their 70s bus stops a go. Great kit that can be built to any size So the main focus this weekend has been on converting/updating the Parkside Tube wagon into an ODA open for the MOD train. For this i combined the Parkside Pipe kit with parts from a VEA chassis which is handily available as a separate kit. Build to body as normal but following is needed from a VEA > Springs and axle box mouldings. > Breaks > Underfloor details. > Breakhandles. 1 First step with the underframe is to file off the spring and axle boxes till the bearing hole shows through. 2 Fit Pieces listed above as you would to the VEA checking photos for position. 3 Fit Larger of the buffers to the model. Do the rest of the build as per the instructions. Really happy with the results but be patient with the transfers would be my advice. More detail of the parts and what to do in the video. The VEA van also featured is built as per the kit instructions Required: Parkside Tube, Parkside VEA Chassis, Fox Wagon data panels, Railfreight logo transfers. Your choice of railfreight colours. Really enjoyed this one and will be doing another in the later livery once ive got through some of the wagon kit backlog. Next wagon video will focus on the 24.5t opens at the end of their revenue earning life. So plenty of weathering. Hope you enjoy the video. Ill get some photos up soon aswell

Trying this a new way this time putting the steps in the video. Really happy at 2 weeks work taking this from a blank piece of paper and some measurements to a building almost ready to go on the layout permanently can strongly recommend giving this sort of thing a go. Sizes for drawings based of a standard wills door and Scale Model Scenery signal box windows and girders. Notes of Advice: 1, Keep you pencil sharp 2, look a photos to make sure the building looks right. 3, don't be afraid to change as you go to better suit building materials you have available. Expected today to finish are the bulb for lighting and a ratio inner detail kit, Those to fit and signaller shirt to paint, roof to fit and paint and then just fixing to the layout which should be part of the next update.

Some Recent Stock Work

For inspiration, memories and viewing enjoyment. First One as means of a Preview of something else im starting.

Doncaster Platform 1

So I spent the weekend doing the finishing work on the Jane Street Bridge scene for Leith Central. The Bridge is all hand painted and although time consuming and turning my eyes square the results have been really rewarding. Process First order of business was to paint the main base colours of brickwork and cream on the the bridge. The brickwork painting follows the same method as the platform edging and retaining walls with a desert sand base followed by washes of weathered stone and sleeper grime to varied levels over the top of a dark grey primer to darken down the initial coats. The next coat applied was the overall cream to the cross pieces of the bridge to give the main base colour to add the details too. This was done in 3 thin coats with some areas left deliberately thin on paint to give a faded worn effect. Detail Painting: I started with the Maroon as it was the bulk of the precision painting on the bridge sides. Using a mixture of small new brushes, fine hardened brushes and a cocktail stick for varied degrees of fine or straightness required as detailed in the video. I then followed the same process with the Green. Once both sets of detailed paint were dry i touched in any over spill of the red and green with cream paint and a cocktail stick. The final detail coat to go on was the grey parapet stone work taking care to paint the underside and tops of each piece. The road surface was painted in matt black to mask any potential gaps in the road surface. Road Surface: For the road surface i have decided to use the painted sandpaper method on Leith Central after not being pleased with the small scatter test areas i did. I spray the sand paper with Expo Dark Grey Acrylic primer as i find this gives the right colour I am looking for. Once dried this is cut into strips wide enough to overlap with planned paving areas and glued in place with wood glue. Paving is then applied using metcalfe self adhesive paving stones. Platform 1 side ramp: The ramp was put together as per the retaining walls so i will not repeat the process here. The base for the road surface being 1mm Plastikard. The same road surface and paving was then applied as well as some slabs to represent to wall capping stones. Detail was added in the form of road markings using coloured pencil although i may replace these with paint of self adhesive ones over time. Details. To complete to scene street lights and people etc are needing done and to make a start on this i made a bus stop out of bits from the scrap box. Rear Corner bedding in: I added clump foliage, scatter, trees and bushes as per the lower area around the bridge in the previous updates and made sure to hide any joins. While work on the bridge was drying i managed to get 3 wagon kits that have been on the workbench a while finished off and ready for weather aswell as replacing the scatter area of road surface mentioned earlier. So Whats Next? At the end of the video you will see i have quite a stock pile of things to be getting on with so please comment on the video or below to let me know what you would like to see next on Leith Central updates, The Options are: 1, Start the shunt puzzle and get it to the point of running trains 2, Leith Central Roof Support Walls 3, Scrap Train Wagons, (3 Kits to build and 4 wagons to Weather) 4, MOD Stores train wagons (VEA van to build and a pipe wagon to modify into an ODA) 5, 4 Wagon Kits Parkside vs Dapol (Conflat coal, Ale Wagon, Interfeigo Van and 20T Tanker) 6, Metcalfe Brewery Kits 7, Leith Central Mock Up Station Building. 8, Road Vehicle Diorama mini boards. 9, Kit bashing Peco bus kit.