Jump to content
 

MRJ 253 Post-Publication Thread


Zero Gravitas

Recommended Posts

A fine example of what MRJ can be based on first impressions, full of 'doing' modelling rather than talking about or looking at completed models. A balance of specific and general skills, timeframes and scales. I'm particularly pleased to see James Wells' 37 in print having been impressed by his loco modelling for some years; it's also worth noting that he's well under 40 and as he says, this is his childhood. Actually, it's mine too: a mere quarter of a century now. This presents a welcome contrast to the musings on 1950s childhoods of the editorial in no. 252.

 

Adam

Link to post
Share on other sites

A fine example of what MRJ can be based on first impressions, full of 'doing' modelling rather than talking about or looking at completed models.....

 

I bought it for the Standard 3 tank article. Initially it looked like a series of photos of completed parts of a model, with fairly brief text as to how it was done. I'll read it again to make sure I haven't been shortchanged!

Link to post
Share on other sites

This presents a welcome contrast to the musings on 1950s childhoods of the editorial in no. 252.

 

Adam

Why is the change 'welcome'?

 

This just goes to show that the authors and readers form a fairly broad church (not wishing this to be seen in an ecclesiastical sense you understand!). They'll be publishing articles about OO layouts next.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I just wanted to be the first to impart the exciting news that MRJ number 253 has just this minute landed through the letter box at Kernow Towers, on what is otherwise a rather damp and inclement day in Devon.

 

At first glance, it certainly looks like another great issue. The lengthy article by James Wells on the class 37 shows what great results can be obtained with the basic Bachmann product, and also puts me in mind of Martin McDermott’s superlative ScaleSeven equivalent a few years ago.

 

I was fascinated to see how Martyn Welch’s loco weathering methods had become ‘mechanised’ in the intervening years since the publication of his original book, and I found the results to be excellent (although I couldn’t really see the difference between the bodywork black on the Terrier, and the slightly different shade that he alludes to, between the red and grey/white lining).

 

The article on the Standard 3 tank was also interesting, as this is very similar to the provenance of my own P4 82XXX, albeit that featured the former and much-lamented Kemilway chassis.

 

All in all, initial verdict is that it’s another great read!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Looking forward to reading this issue, at first glance looks to be a very good with plenty of appeal and the carriage building one has certainly got my attention.

 

The article on the Standard tank is by fellow club member Richard Harper, at present I'm making some more stock boxes for him for 'Sidmouth' if one is destined for the Tank does this mean I've got something into MRJ....

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

 

The article on the Standard tank is by fellow club member Richard Harper, at present I'm making some more stock boxes for him for 'Sidmouth' if one is destined for the Tank does this mean I've got something into MRJ....

82019 - one of the last at Nine Elms for Waterloo empty stock. http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brsteam/e6514a914

 

Interesting article on lighting layouts. Like the author I am always surprised that exhibition managers of major shows, like Warley, don't insist on good lighting. Most halls have such poor natural lighting.

 

Paul

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The article on layout lighting came at a very apposite time as our club is currently doing some experiments along very similar lines. One aim is to have a low voltage system, and we are also avoiding metal supports. One reason is that some venues including Warley now have stringent requirements on earthing of such structures.

There are issues with LEDs, especially on colour rendering if the layout was not built under the same sources, but one big advantage is that one does not cook the trains and operators.

Jonathan

Link to post
Share on other sites

The article on layout lighting came at a very apposite time as our club is currently doing some experiments along very similar lines. One aim is to have a low voltage system, and we are also avoiding metal supports. One reason is that some venues including Warley now have stringent requirements on earthing of such structures.

There are issues with LEDs, especially on colour rendering if the layout was not built under the same sources, but one big advantage is that one does not cook the trains and operators.

Jonathan

My experience is that informative articles usually appear about three months or so after I would have benefited from them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I use various forms of LED lighting on large display structures to do with 'Christmas Lights'.  

I looked at it for the layout and it was a NO.

However, developments which now bring in LED warm whites, may alter my viewpoint, but I feel until one has seen a / the layout under LED lights, or examples cited, I think the juries out on this.

I use flourescent tubes, held behind the facia in Flourescent tube clips, the ends of the tubes being connected to a box below the layout that contains all the Ballast units mounted on 'heat sinks' etc., there's also vents and a fan (ex. PC) to draw the air through and keep it all cool.  I use 16amp round plugs to reduce the possibility of somebody trying to plug into the Fourescent tubes lighting circuits from the box.

This is an idea I copied from Peter Kimond on his 'Blea Moor' layout when we were both exhibiting at York in 2009.

Graham Tierney on Ynysbwl has LED lighting tubes (I think) placed in white 'Square Line' inverted guttering, which seems to work OK.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Even fluorescent tubes are not what they were. Back in the days of halophosphate phosphors they had a continuous spectrum. Then came triphosphor tubes - red, blue and green mixed to make white. These have gaps in their spectra which can distort colours. More modern fluorescent tubes and compact lamps use multiphosphor lamps. There are not so many gaps in the spectrum as with triphosphor lamps but they are definitely not continuous spectra. The phosphors used to turn the basic blue LED output to white work much the same way.

One result is that when you go out tomorrow to buy a tube to replace a tube you bought five years ago it may not have the same spectrum even though the description is very similar. So specific colours on the layout may change, a phenomenon called metamerism.

So you can get good results or bad results with most sources, but the important things is to light the layout with the same source, or a source with the same spectrum, as you use when building models.

Many people think of tungsten lighting as the "norm" because that is what we grew up with. However, although it has a continuous spectrum it is nothing like daylight.

A minefield, to put it simply.

Jonathan

Link to post
Share on other sites

post-20837-0-39585000-1487893115_thumb.jpg

. . . although I couldn’t really see the difference between the bodywork black on the Terrier, and the slightly different shade that he alludes to, between the red and grey/white lining.

 

 

It was very difficult to photograph the problem and from many angles you'd be hard pushed to even notice the difference between the gloss black of the lining and the dull satin black of the main body paintwork.  In the photo above, the black of the lining - particularly notable to the left side of the image, looks a lot darker than that of the body paintwork and I almost decided to ignore it but it's only when the light's right, so to speak, that it shows up the issue, which is why, to eliminate this slight variation in sheen, I gloss varnished the entire bodywork as a base for subsequent weathering. The black lining then blended in nicely with the body paintwork afterwards and any variation disappeared as a result. 

 

The process also secures any lining or numbers etc so that when subsequent weathering is applied using enamel paints, I can safely remove some with white spirit knowing the lining and other decoration is protected beneath the cellulose varnish, which is unaffected by the fluid. In the past I have experienced the odd disaster when numbers or lining have dissolved or fragmented with just a touch of white spirit - doesn't happen very often but once is enough to make me wary of repeating the experience!

 

Any queries about the article - or weathering in general, please do ask.

 

Cheers,

Martyn

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

attachicon.gifPhoto 16 (1).jpg

 

 

It was very difficult to photograph the problem and from many angles you'd be hard pushed to even notice the difference between the gloss black of the lining and the dull satin black of the main body paintwork.  In the photo above, the black of the lining - particularly notable to the left side of the image, looks a lot darker than that of the body paintwork and I almost decided to ignore it but it's only when the light's right, so to speak, that it shows up the issue, which is why, to eliminate this slight variation in sheen, I gloss varnished the entire bodywork as a base for subsequent weathering. The black lining then blended in nicely with the body paintwork afterwards and any variation disappeared as a result. 

 

The process also secures any lining or numbers etc so that when subsequent weathering is applied using enamel paints, I can safely remove some with white spirit knowing the lining and other decoration is protected beneath the cellulose varnish, which is unaffected by the fluid. In the past I have experienced the odd disaster when numbers or lining have dissolved or fragmented with just a touch of white spirit - doesn't happen very often but once is enough to make me wary of repeating the experience!

 

Any queries about the article - or weathering in general, please do ask.

 

Cheers,

Martyn

Thanks Martyn, that's very helpful, and I can now see exactly what you meant!

 

Presumably the lining and number was one single transfer or print?

 

I know what you mean about enamel thinners/white spirit or similar affecting transfers, although I've found that more recent transfers or factory printing doesn't get affected in the same way. There was a time, when removing numbers on a Bachmann model, for example (prior to re-numbering) was a very quick job with a cotton bud and some enamel thinners.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Presumably the lining and number was one single transfer or print?

 

I know what you mean about enamel thinners/white spirit or similar affecting transfers, although I've found that more recent transfers or factory printing doesn't get affected in the same way. There was a time, when removing numbers on a Bachmann model, for example (prior to re-numbering) was a very quick job with a cotton bud and some enamel thinners.

 

 

I think the lining is a single application surrounding the numbering that is applied separately or at least that's my guess.

 

Interestingly some of the expensive RTR models made in the far east appear to have a printed on varnish rather than sprayed (could be wrong) and I've found that weathering and removing much of it from a boiler, say, means it's almost impossible to retrieve the original varnished appearance, even when I think all the weathering's been removed. Thinners appear to slightly dull the finish beyond the point of return to the original state, which can be frustrating and although buffing and polishing will help, it seems  impossible to restore the original intensity of gloss finish so I resort to spraying my own cellulose varnish if I want to get things back to their original sheen, although that can darken the colours a little. 

I have a Lionheart Prairie in BR lined green and I wasn't convinced the colour was quite right to my eyes. I reckoned that could be due to it having a semi matt finish and as soon as I cellulose gloss varnished over it, the green was suddenly right, which is worth noting. Of course, if I'd misjudged this conclusion I would have been stuffed because I wouldn't have been able to remove the cellulose varnish without destroying what was beneath it! A gamble that luckily paid off in this case.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Any queries about the article - or weathering in general, please do ask.

 

Cheers,

Martyn

 

 

Found both articles really useful, Martyn.  One question: how did you either mask or clean the wheel-treads before or after painting the chassis? 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...