Castle Aching

[Caley Jim]

Which leads to the question which magnifier to buy? I were reading specs now, and was just thinking that a set of magnifiers may make my life easier. I have some constraints though, as my workshop is in work (the signalbox table) I have to carry everything up and down stairs and in the car. I would like something that is fairly small and useable with my specs. Any ideas anyone?

I've been using these for quite some time and wouldn't be without them.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lightcraft-LC1768-LED-Supporting-Glasses/dp/B006WOJ0ZO I got mine from one of the tool stands at the Perth Show a few years ago.  They come with x1.5, x2.5 and x3.5 lenses.  I use the 2.5 mostly.  they are light and easy to transport in an old spectacle case.  You can wear them either on their own or with spectacles and they can be easily flipped up when you don't want them.  Usual disclaimer of a satisfied user.

 

Jim  (edited for typo)

Edited May 5, 2017 by Caley Jim

[uax6]

Right Jim, They look to be the things I've been looking for, so I've ordered a pair.....

 

Cheers all

 

Andy G

[Compound2632]

I wonder about an arc-roof version of the Ratio 4-Wheel Composite (First/Second) combined with your Centre Brake Third. 

 

Not clear from the photo but I did crudely carve the ends to a single arc profile which does mean the panelling looks a bit odd but if there's a roof overhang I doubt it would show except on the end carriage of a rake. As you say, it ought to be finished but that goes for a lot of my modelling!

[Edwardian]

Still not achieving the results I want with the lining, but I am quite liking the green and cream.  On the left the spray-painted sample, and on the right the hand-painted acrylic colours.

 

The chosen colours are Halford rattle cans: Lada Cream and Rover Brooklands Green.  What does the parish think?

 

The lining on the right is far from perfect at this magnification, but is certainly good enough for normal viewing distances. The lining on the left still leaves much to be desired.

 

So, further thoughts:

 

- I am tempted to abandon the yellow edging.  It's a good look, but I cannot seem to achieve the neatness required.  This does not bode well for GW lined chocolate and cream coaches in due course.

 

- Revert to acrylics for the lining?  There is a reason I like acrylics; controllability. 

 

- Neither the acrylics nor the enamels cover the celluse particulalrly well.  One option is to varnich the cellulose prior to lining. 

 

- I need, in any case, to know what varnish to use.  Halfords sell a lacquer, then there are modelling varnishes.  The first question is what medium will the cellulose paint take?  The second question is what I can paint over it.

 

My thought is that, ideally there could be a nice gloss varnish that would go on prior to lining and transfers, and the lot varnished again in satin.

[Edwardian]

Brooklands looks better, but I'm interested to see what that light green will look over the red undercoat...

 

Andy G

 

Now we have, left, the Brooklands Green sample, and, right, the Halfords Garden Green (enamel) sample.  This time the Garden Green is sprayed over red Primer, as Andy suggested.  I rather like it, but is still very bright in certain lights. Stupidly, I sprayed over the version sprayed on grey, so cannot compare!

 

Again, comments and suggestions are most welcome.

[James Harrison]

I rather like the Brooklands Green version.  The Garden Green one looks rather too bright and just screams 'soot magnet' to me.  Unless the WNR had an army of carriage cleaners to hose down the coaching stock every few days, of course. 

[Adams442T]

Whatever you do don't use shellac varnish over cellulose, otherwise you'll be watching it run down and puddle on the deck!

 

How do l know?   Well, I'll give you three guesses.............but l suspect you'll only need one...................

[Compound2632]

- I am tempted to abandon the yellow edging.  It's a good look, but I cannot seem to achieve the neatness required.  This does not bode well for GW lined chocolate and cream coaches in due course.

 

May I offer another of my teenage efforts as encouragement? A Midland D522 4-compartment bogie brake third from the Ratio kit:

 

 

EDIT for more info (I hit the post button inadvertently): In my youth I was innocent of such things as undercoats and varnish. This is probably Humbrol No. 20 brushed directly onto the plastic, lining with gold marker and Humbrol gloss black with a fine brush! Bolections in Humbrol gloss tan. Life was made easier with many fixed windows, as the gold lining is only on one side of the black and the tan went on last. I can't remember whether I'd also tried a Rotring pen with black drawing ink by then - I used this with some success on a pair of LNWR coaches, mixing black and blue ink to match the plum colour. My techniques were developing and had I persisted I might have got to a result I'd be happy with now, so it's another project to return to. I say: keep practicing; keep trying different techniques; don't despair - we're much more aware of the defects of our models than anyone else!

 

Prototype notes (rant/moan): The D522 4-compartment bogie brake third seems to be a favourite with many modellers - it was in fact the very first Ratio kit I attempted at age 12 (not the one in the photo!) but it was actually the rarest of the four Bain suburbans in the Ratio range - just 12 were built with the 10ft wheelbase bogies per the kit, for four-coach sets for services down the Gloucestershire loop from Birmingham via Redditch and Evesham to Alvechurch. These close-coupled sets were formed: D552 brake third / D551 composite / D487 third / D552 brake third - the composites being identical to the D481 first except for having three compartments at one end reduced in size internally with additional partitions, so either can be built from the Ratio kit. Superb photo here. There were however a further 58 built for Sheffield district services, but with 8ft wheelbase bogies. The Birmingham area services made much more use of the D501 6-compartment brake third, 34 being built and used at either end of six-coach sets (BT/T/F/F/T/BT) and four coach sets (BT/F/T/BT) for services round the Camp Hill and West Suburban lines and to Walsall and Wolverhampton, along with some three-coach sets (BT/F/BT) used for peak-time strengthening. The design originated in sets built for the Manchester area, six nine-coach sets (BT/T/T/F/F/F/F/T/BT). After the Sheffield area sets with 8ft bogies, similar carriages were 9ft wide rather than 8ft 6in, with sides bowed out at the waist rather than vertical from waist to eves. Please excuse my Midland Carriages pedantry again - it is my obsession.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Compound2632

[Nearholmer]

I'm note sure you're seeking votes, but, if you are, mine goes to the darker of the two greens.

 

K

[uax6]

I think darker too.

 

As for lining Jenks (for his 4mm stuff) used to paint the beading straw (or yellow to look like gold) and then using a bow pen drew a fine line down the centre.

I have said before that at 250 foot range can you actually see a 1/4 line of yellow anyway?

 

Andy G

 

(I now want to see you do a section full sized and put it outside and walk 250 feet away and take a photo.....)

[Compound2632]

My feeling is that one may get away without the lighter coloured lining - whether it be gold, imitation gold, or straw - next to a white or cream coloured panel but against a dark panel its absence does leave the carriage looking rather drab. The gold lining brings out the colour! An unlined claret carriage looks very dull alongside a fully lined one.

[nick_bastable]

the only problem with Brooklands Green is it is used for SR EMU/DMU models  not that I have anything against such things 

 

 

Nick

Edited May 6, 2017 by nick_bastable

[Northroader]

Got to the alsrm show at Reading today, and found a line which would have your breath coming in short pants. Trowland by Mr. Trevor Nunn. I've put in a link to the S scale society's gallery, which seems the best place for pictures. East Lynn, another of his, is also in the gallery, which does have a variety of beautiful modelling.http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery27.htm

[nick_bastable]

Got to the alsrm show at Reading today, and found a line which would have your breath coming in short pants. Trowland by Mr. Trevor Nunn. I've put in a link to the S scale society's gallery, which seems the best place for pictures. East Lynn, another of his, is also in the gallery, which does have a variety of beautiful modelling.http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery27.htm

you have reminded me why I like S scale stunning work 

 

Nick

[Edwardian]

Got to the alsrm show at Reading today, and found a line which would have your breath coming in short pants. Trowland by Mr. Trevor Nunn. I've put in a link to the S scale society's gallery, which seems the best place for pictures. East Lynn, another of his, is also in the gallery, which does have a variety of beautiful modelling.http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery27.htm

 

you have reminded me why I like S scale stunning work 

 

Nick

 

It is, indeed, stunning work, and I note that the layout features the locomotive that later became WNR No.7.

[Caley Jim]

The CR carriage livery was purple brown lower panels and beading with white waist and upper panels, the beading being edged with a gold line. On the first etched brass coach I built, a 45ft third shot down to 2mm from John Boyle's artwork I produced the gold line by gently scraping the paint off the edge of the beading. This worked well around the lower panels, but on the upper ones, by the time I had scraped away enough paint for the gold line to show up against the white panels, there was little or no paint left on the beading! From then on I've only done it on the lower beading, unless the coach is in the earlier all brown livery. E.g. see saloon no. 2A in my earlier post (#3434).

 

Jim (edited to add post number)

Edited May 6, 2017 by Caley Jim

[Donw]

Got to the alsrm show at Reading today, and found a line which would have your breath coming in short pants. Trowland by Mr. Trevor Nunn. I've put in a link to the S scale society's gallery, which seems the best place for pictures. East Lynn, another of his, is also in the gallery, which does have a variety of beautiful modelling.http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery27.htm

 

Yes I was rather taken with that too. Perhaps if we had been wearing CA supporter badges we might have had a bit of a chat. I did manage to have a nice chat with Trevor about his buildings.

 

Don 

[Edwardian]

Yes I was rather taken with that too. Perhaps if we had been wearing CA supporter badges we might have had a bit of a chat. I did manage to have a nice chat with Trevor about his buildings.

 

Don 

 

I suggest that arms of the West Norfolk Railway, contained within the obligatory garter belt, would make a splendid enamel lapel badge!

 

Only the cognoscenti would recognise the heraldry.  Other enthusiasts would remain puzzled!

 

If only such arms had been designed (!), which brings me to the realisation that I need the arms for the coach sides!

[Adams442T]

 Do you mean this?

 

 

[Adams442T]

 Sorry, it was in pdf form which couldn't be opened!   Trying again!

 

 

Nothing too complex then..................

Edited May 7, 2017 by Adams442T

[Edwardian]

 Sorry, it was in pdf form which couldn't be opened!   Trying again!

 

west norfolk.jpg

 

Nothing too complex then..................

 

King's Lynn?

 

A shield quartered, representing borough coats of arms might be an idea. 

 

King's Lynn's could be adapted for Bishop's Lynn, though perhaps a gold (sorry, Or) mitre on a blue (Azure) field?

 

A Castle for Castle Aching? 

 

A 16th Century galleon-style ship for the Birchoverhams/Birchoverham Next the Sea?

 

Something for Achingham? (not the Gasworks!)

 

With or without a crest/retainers?

 

I like the idea of the garter surround.  I believe that this was contrary to heraldic law as I do not believe railway companies were entitled to use the garter, but very many did, and, indeed, it may be considered a typical feature!

Edited May 7, 2017 by Edwardian

[Donw]

Yes I like the Idea of WNR badges

 

Meanwhile you may like this it is Trevor Nunn's work on his new small layout set near the North Norfolk coast. In S scale

 

 

Don

 

[Edwardian]

 

Yes I like the Idea of WNR badges

 

Meanwhile you may like this it is Trevor Nunn's work on his new small layout set near the North Norfolk coast. In S scale

 

 

 

Don

 

 

Beautiful (or, possibly, bootiful), and it puts my humble efforts to shame.

 

Still, we all need to start somewhere!

[ChrisN]

Finally caught up.  I am rationing my time on RMWeb as it limits my modelling time, or time to do anything else.  This thread is compulsory though, but not in enough quantity to keep up. 

 

I too prefer the darker green.  Badges would be fun.  If we did it properly we could have people driving around Norfolk looking for the original.......

 

Lining.  Lining transfers, or is that just another unneeded expense?

 

I found the post on Victorian colours very informative.  There is a discussion about what colour Cambrian coaches were.  We know it was 'Bronze Green'.  There appears to be only three standard shades of this.  I have chosen the middle one, although others think it might be the dark one.

 

Talking of the Cambrian, they simplified their livery in 1908, from two colours with lining to all over green, to save money on the painting, and I assume the painters.

 

Saloon coaches.  I have always felt that carriages should have compartments.  Saloons seem too much like Tourist Opens, which apparently were introduced because the travelling public preferred them.  I mean what do the travelling public know about what a 'proper' railway coach should be like?  They will be wanting toilets that work next, and trains that run on time!     Any old way, as my Nan would say, all the talk of Family Saloons has set me thinking.  I can have any number turning up on my layout from all over the place, complete with families and servants.  Now a question.  Third Class Saloons, who would use them?  I know that on the Cambrian they were very popular with certain football teams to take them to their away matches, who else would use them?

[Andy Hayter]

Looks like you and I are using the same methodology Don