Marc Models SR Ferry Brake van

[Lord Nelson]

Hi Ian,

 

The link is to photos of the RTR LS Models HO scale sleeper cars. As you say, very impressive. I'm not sure if they are still in production but they produced the sleeper cars in various liveries and configurations to represent the changes during the life of the Night Ferry. The underside photo is a later period car - the twin vacuum tanks and the large horizontal (gas?) cylinder being no longer present.

 

The photo also shows the interesting construction of the prototype with two central beams and outriggers to support the floor.

 

Looking forward to seeing your finished models.

 

Roy

[macgeordie]

Hi Roy

 

Here is a photo of four of the six coaches, still unpainted, hence no wheels fitted. I added the rain gutters and also the footstep at the operational door end of the coaches. Once I have had everything painted I'll post another few pics of the coaches.

 

 

The bogies have the optional NEM pocket which can be easily cut off if it isn't required.

 

I have to say these were not easy kits to build, the internals went together very well and easily but the roof in particular was difficult. As you know the roof comes already rolled but I found the profile was wrong. Instead of being a continuous progressively changing radius, other than the first one I did, had a definite bend in the profile which was difficult to reform. Many of the castings left a lot to be desired too. I noticed you have fitted an alternative roof vent to your coach, the castings I had supplied don't sit very well on the roof profile.

 

Ian

[Lord Nelson]

Hi Ian,

 

They're looking good.

 

Yes, construction was a labour of love! It was a case of three steps forward and two back as I noticed a few things missing or incorrect as I built the sleepers.

 

I scratchbuilt a lot of the underframe equipment. The castings for the roof vents weren't great and looked small compared with the prototype so I made my own from brass tube and rod. I think the the rectangular 'vent' at the blind end is actually the chimney for the car heating boiler and the prototype version has baffles on either side which I made from plasticard.

 

Roy

[57xx]

I have added the filler along the roof joint, so that is ready to start sanding down. I used the Humbrol filler for this, I usually use Squadron putty but the last few tubes I have bought were quite hard and it was difficult to get the filler out of the tube so I ended up throwing most of it away. The Humbrol one is very fluid and easy to apply, the only thing I found I had to do was to mix it using a cocktail stick when it was still in the tube as the solvent seems to separate from the filler when in the tube and unless you mix it up again, you just get a great blob of solvent coming out before any filler does which is wasteful. Has anybody else had this problem?

 

Going back a fair bit on your thread, to answer your question - yes. I have a tube of Revell Plasto filler and experience the same thing with the solvent separating. My solution is identical to yours, a cocktail stick to stir before use.

[macgeordie]

Most of the painting is now complete, the transfers have been applied to the Fourgons and SR Ferry Brake Van. I have applied gloss varnish to the coaches ready to take the transfers but I'm not happy with the surface yet. I have tried to get some Pledge ( previously Johnsons) Klear but couldn't find any in my local Co-oP so I will try Morrisons in the next village tomorrow. 

 

I need to apply matt varnish to the coach roofs and the undercarriages of all the vehicles need a dusting of 'Track Dirt' before applying Matt Varnish to those too. The CIWL Blue looks very pale in these photos, but is much richer and deeper when actually viewing the models. Each coach has had about 6 coats of the blue so that should be sufficient.

 

 

 

 

 

I've kept the paint job on the coach interior fairly basic as it is mostly not seen but I have painted the compartment doors in the same colour scheme as the very nice Continental H0 scale model that was available some time ago.

 

 

The coach transfers look like they will be awkward to apply as there are some long lengths of thin lining and long thin waterslide transfers usually don't go on very well. If push comes to shove I will see if I have enough HMRS Pressfix lining to use instead which is much easier to apply in this form.

 

 

Ian