Snowdon Ranger

You know what, forget it. I'll not make the mistake again of trying to help anyone in the future. Well done!

The point of my comment was not that you can tell the difference of half an inch in 4mm scale, but that a reputable supplier quotes the standards as 3'6" and 3'5.5". Obviously that point was missed by everyone.

Really? You don't offer any actual constructive advice, yet you are quite happy to pick faults when others do?

Don't know if this helps, but the 4mm scale buffer height setting jig by Brass Masters has 2 options, 3'6" as the generally accepted standard, and 3'5.5" for GWR. http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/buffer_height_gauge.htm

Tamiya, quick setting extra thin, or Deluxe Materials, AD77 low odour Plastic Magic, are my solvents of choice for styrene at the moment. Both come in stable, stubby, square bottles, and both come supplied with brushes.

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought 'with a 12v car vac and soft paint brush' lol....

This is proving to be a very informative and enjoyable thread.....

Hornby has already moved some of its production to India, at least some of the latest Airfix releases are produced there. They also moved production of Humbrol paints back to the UK, due to quality issues that arose after production moved to China (it was crap).

Personally, I think the high levels of detail, and the much improved performance of modern releases compared to what we were offered in the past is worth the prices being asked. Previously, many people would abandon British outline RTR and move to US or continental themes, purely for the increase in quality and reliability. Something to bear in mind is the fact that in the past 5-6 years the minimum wage in China has increased by around 120%, this naturally affects the price paid by the end user. Now I'm certainly no economist, but this fact coupled with the continual increase in transportation costs, is obviously going to have a knock on effect when it comes to retail prices.

Thinning in the cup is handy if you only want a very small amount of paint, however its not recommended for someone new to airbrushing. Until you are familiar with thinning ratios for the various types and brands I would mix in a jar or pot. If I think I'm going to need to comeback and do another coat (remember thin light coats is the key to a good finish), I'll thin a sufficient amount and keep it in a dropper bottle.

Try priming with a heavy body or filler primer, depending on the quality of the print that may be sufficient, otherwise lightly sand back with very fine, at least 1200 grit, wet and dry (used wet), they prime again. Repeat until surfaces are smooth, then paint. Remember to apply many thin layers, and use the paints self leveling properties to your advantage.

They make me think of the 1980's Lego Train couplings.

I put a small (M4 if I remember correctly) stainless steel nut in my Vallejo paints, you can get packs of a hundred on eBay fairly cheaply. I found the ball bearings drop into the neck of the bottle as you dispense the paint, effectively blocking the nozzle, which can get very messy. Glycerine can be used as a lubricant, but can dry and turn sticky if the airbrush isn't used for any length of time. Iwata do a specialist lubricant, but I find I rarely need to use it. If you haven't used your airbrush for some time, spray through a small amount of thinners (I use Vallejo for acrylics, Windsor and Newton for enamel's), or IPA before the first use, just to free up and 'wet' the internal surfaces. Darren.

A polished surface and a gloss surface are not the same. Polishing will scour the surface which could cause problems with the transfer sitting onto the surface, which will cause silvering. Gloss varnish coat is the best option, several thin layers being the prefered method. It does help if you have an airbrush. Transfers are sealed with gloss varnish because it flows better and is not prone to blooming (the white powdery finish) that matt varnish can be susceptible too. If you use a gloss acrylic varnish to seal your transfer and then use a matt enamel varnish, should the matt varnish bloom you can remove the enamel varnish with a brush moistened with enamel thinners. When used in small amounts enamel thinners will not affect acrylic, which means the transfers are not affected. Sealing enamels with acrylic varnish is also how you seal and protect a top coat before weathering, or a layer of weathering before moving onto the next stage. It's what the military modelers have done for years, and it works. Regards, Darren.

I use a lot of Vallejo paints, but I'm afraid I can't help you with GWR colours. If you can obtain the BS number then this site might help you find a close match in Humbrol, Tamiya, or Vallejo https://www.paint4models.com/paintchart/paintconversionchart20100101h.html# It's designed with military modellers in mind, but you might find it useful. Hope this helps. Darren.