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Modbury


Ian Smith
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Thank you Mikkel.  Yes, I am pleased with the look of both my coaches and the scenery that they are posed on.  I still need to make a lot more trees for that wood though :-)

 

As for scraping back to bare brass, I use a small rounded scalpel blade (No. 15) and use good light and magnification (I have a "Flexi Magnifier Lamp" which combines both functions), and of course I take my time.  It has to be said though that the T handles and G scroll handrails both stand proud of the surrounding area - I'm not sure how easy it would be with something like a safety valve cover that blended into a firebox top and was close to the cab front though!

Ian

 

Thanks Ian, some more of those superb trees will add even further to the scene!

 

I agree about the safety valve cover (will only try it on some cab beading). 

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Thank you Mikkel.  Yes, I am pleased with the look of both my coaches and the scenery that they are posed on.  I still need to make a lot more trees for that wood though :-)

 

As for scraping back to bare brass, I use a small rounded scalpel blade (No. 15) and use good light and magnification (I have a "Flexi Magnifier Lamp" which combines both functions), and of course I take my time.  It has to be said though that the T handles and G scroll handrails both stand proud of the surrounding area - I'm not sure how easy it would be with something like a safety valve cover that blended into a firebox top and was close to the cab front though!

Ian

Ian,

Lovely modelling.

I also use the "scraping back" technique, particularly for GW passenger engines - cab beading, splasher beading, smokebox hinges, spring covers, handrails, reversing rods and the like. I start off with an old jeweller's screwdriver and then polish with a cocktail stick, dipped in Brasso, then buff and wipe clean.

Best wishes,

John

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I find the scraping helps burnish the brass work, even if it subsequently gets weathered.

post-32558-0-86325000-1544283111.jpeg

There I go again. Destroying my credibility amongst the “criticises a lot but doesn’t do anything” community.

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O used the same technique to create the guilt edging to the beading on CR coaches, carefully scraping the paint away with a No 15 scalpel blade. I found it was a waste of time doing it on the upper beading as, by the time you've scraped away enough of the paint on the beading for the guilt to show up against the white panels, there was no paint left on the beading!

 

Jim

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by the time you've scraped away enough of the paint on the beading for the guilt to show up against the white panels

 

I do love autocorrect.

I’m not sure if we should feel guilty about representing gilt, especially in 2mm scale!

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Hi Ian,

 

Just a quick note to say that it was great to finally meet and briefly chat with you yesterday afternoon. Modbury always looks exceptionally good in the photographs you post but even that didn't prepare me for just good the layout is in reality!

 

Wonderful work and I hope that both you and the layout will be back in the area soon.

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Just a couple of photos of Modbury's weekend away at Chiltern Model Railway Exhibition at Stevenage :

 

post-12089-0-52147800-1547481681_thumb.jpg

View looking towards Plymouth

 

post-12089-0-32436900-1547481694_thumb.jpg

View looking towards Newton Abbot

 

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend and an excellent show.

 

Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...
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On 27/09/2018 at 16:10, Ian Smith said:

post-12089-0-00731200-1538059895_thumb.jpg

The Diagram S6 All Third

 

Ian

 

Ian,

Truely amazing work, especially when you then think its 2mm scale!!  Wow :) I do love the whole liveries, attention to detail, smaller rolling stock and smart line side that comes with the turn of the 20th century railway network.  You really have done it justice there - I've only just come across the thread, but shall be following with interest.  Are you able to do any video of the layout operating at all?

 

If you do not mind me asking, who produced the etches for you?  Did you just supply them with 2D drawings?  Also, what have you used for the brake pipe between the stock?  Very realistic! Well done, superb modelling all round.

 

Cheers

Rich

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1 hour ago, MarshLane said:

 

Ian,

Truely amazing work, especially when you then think its 2mm scale!!  Wow :) I do love the whole liveries, attention to detail, smaller rolling stock and smart line side that comes with the turn of the 20th century railway network.  You really have done it justice there - I've only just come across the thread, but shall be following with interest.  Are you able to do any video of the layout operating at all?

 

If you do not mind me asking, who produced the etches for you?  Did you just supply them with 2D drawings?  Also, what have you used for the brake pipe between the stock?  Very realistic! Well done, superb modelling all round.

 

Cheers

Rich

Rich,

The coach etches were done for me by PPD Ltd.  I (obviously) drew up the artwork in CAD, producing a front view and rear view of what I wanted etching as a PDF from that artwork.  To produce the two views the drawing was mirrored for the rear view and then any half etched elements that  should only appear in the front view were removed (hidden) in the rear view and similarly any elements that should only appear in the rear view were removed from the front view.

 

The brake pipes between the vehicles are simply bent lengths of wire that are soldered behind the headstock of one vehicle and hook up under the headstock of the adjacent vehicle.

 

The couple of images below illustrate the principle :

1133777264_Coupling1.JPG.467e0d9c2c417632788adda424217db8.JPG1630438418_Coupling3.JPG.2f1b2045e55c0e48faab265574b4082c.JPG

 

Finally, there are a couple of videos of Modbury on my website : http://www.modbury2fs.co.uk/Videos.html

 

Ian

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2 hours ago, Ian Smith said:

Rich,

The coach etches were done for me by PPD Ltd.  I (obviously) drew up the artwork in CAD, producing a front view and rear view of what I wanted etching as a PDF from that artwork.  To produce the two views the drawing was mirrored for the rear view and then any half etched elements that  should only appear in the front view were removed (hidden) in the rear view and similarly any elements that should only appear in the rear view were removed from the front view.

 

The brake pipes between the vehicles are simply bent lengths of wire that are soldered behind the headstock of one vehicle and hook up under the headstock of the adjacent vehicle.

 

The couple of images below illustrate the principle :

 

Finally, there are a couple of videos of Modbury on my website : http://www.modbury2fs.co.uk/Videos.html

 

Ian

 

Hi Ian,

Thanks for that.  I'm hoping to do some etches (first time!) in a month or two, so that was useful. Im using Fusion for my CAD work, so at least I have an idea of what to send for the etches now!  The wire idea is great - really effective.

 

Apologies also, I was looking at your website this afternoon ... don't know how I managed to miss the videos page!  Both lovely, it really is a superb model.

 

2 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Excellent videos Ian. You know I like goods operations, but that passenger train at the end of the second video is the icing on the cake!

 

Couldn't agree more Mikkel!  

 

Rich

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I can't tell you what Ian used, but I use DAS watered down to a stiff paste, with a little PVA added and spread on with a spatula.  It can be coloured with powder or acrylic paints (I usually make it a dark grey/brown/earth colour).  It has the benefit of being lighter in weight than plaster and can be added to or modified by wetting it.  Any you add  will bond to the original and it can be cut easily with a knife or carved.  See the results in my Kirkallanmuir thread (link in signature), though I have still to add texturing.

 

Jim

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1 hour ago, Coal Tank said:

Hi Ian 

. Could you tell me how to did the grassed areas I see that you use paper presumably with PVA did you just paint in o r did you cover it in plaster before you painted it 

. Regards

.      John

John,

The general topography was carved from polystyrene insulation material (left overs from insulating the workshop).  The stuff I had has a foil attached to both sides, which was peeled off prior to gluing the blocks onto/into the baseboard and together with a no-more-nails adhesive.  Once carved and sanded to the contours that I was happy with, any holes were filled with DAS.  I then sealed the lot with a coat or two of PVA, once dry I then began layering up strips of newspaper (about 1"x3") onto this again with PVA.  I added at least 3-4 layers of newspaper to give a reasonably robust skin to the polystyrene insulation material.

 

The whole was then painted with a South Devon red soil colour mixed from acrylic Burnt Sienna and matt white emulsion.  Before applying static grass I placed random blobs of PVA all over the place into which I sprinkled woodland scenics foliage material - not the stuff on the net but the clumpier bits that tend to fall off.  Once these bits were dry, the static grass was applied with a tea-strainer type instrument.  The fibres I used were Heki 2mm ones, 1 part wintergreen (a straw colour) and 2 parts summer green.  These were mixed together before being dispensed onto the layout.  By putting the foliage material on first you tend to get a clumpier look to the grass rather than the billiard table look that seems to grace so many layouts.  Finally, to give a little variety, matt varnish was sprayed onto the static grass in places and pinches of other scenic material sprinkled on.

 

Hope that helps,

Ian

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On 15/01/2019 at 05:04, Ian Smith said:

Just a couple of photos of Modbury's weekend away at Chiltern Model Railway Exhibition at Stevenage :

 

post-12089-0-52147800-1547481681_thumb.jpg

View looking towards Plymouth

 

post-12089-0-32436900-1547481694_thumb.jpg

View looking towards Newton Abbot

 

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend and an excellent show.

 

Ian

 

Hi Ian,

Nice looking set up.

Are you able to share how you have attached the information board/valance in the front of the layout? 

I'd like to have something similar for St Erth as it creates a greater connection for the viewer to the history.

I also take it that those 2mm Association signs on the upper valance can be ordered from one of the shops?

SteveM

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3 hours ago, 2mmKiwi said:

 

I also take it that those 2mm Association signs on the upper valance can be ordered from one of the shops?

 

SteveM

 

Steve,

 

The Association badges can be bought from Shop 1 (at the bottom of the shop list - code numbers P-302 and P-303). You get one 2mm logo and one 2FS logo in each set.

 

Andy

 

 

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3 hours ago, 2mmKiwi said:

 

Hi Ian,

Nice looking set up.

Are you able to share how you have attached the information board/valance in the front of the layout? 

I'd like to have something similar for St Erth as it creates a greater connection for the viewer to the history.

I also take it that those 2mm Association signs on the upper valance can be ordered from one of the shops?

SteveM

Steve,

Thank you for the positive comment.

The information boards are 4mm plywood, with further strips of 4mm ply behind each edge for strength.  The boards are permanently attached to a 10mm thick batten by flap back hinges at the doubled up top edge.  30mm bolts secure the hinges to the information board, the degree of slope being simply described by the amount the bolts extend beyond the hinges.  At the join between the two information boards, the backing strips of 4mm ply are shaped to provide an interlocking joint - a 1" wide piece of ply extends beyond the end of each information board that fits in a corresponding gap in the backing piece of the other board.  A pair of bolts attaches each information board to the front edge of the baseboard through the 10mm thick batten.

Hopefully the image below will help explain the above.

1599581942_ScreenShot2019-02-16at22_00_03.png.e377fb18c244e48a555b31f27c554003.png

Ian

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