Maid’s Morton

[DavidMcKenzie]

3 hours ago, cornish trains jez said:

Lovely weathering job Dave. You have a nice fleet of stock matey.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

Thanks Jeremy, it's been fun weathering and detailing the stock, finding old photos, learning new techniques etc.

 

I hope all is well, how is your giant project going?

 

All the best,

Dave 

[DavidMcKenzie]

A few photos of the freightliner class 47 out on the layout. 

 

[Duncan.]

15 minutes ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

Good tip Duncan, I will try that for the next one. Do you use thinners as well? or just the fine wet and dry paper?

 

All the best,

Dave 

No thinners Dave just water and I use a tiny piece of wet and dry about 2cm by 1cm

Cheers

[TomE]

Hi David. 

 

I've just spent a little while reading through your thread catching up on progress. I absolutely LOVE the open country section of the layout! So evocative of the WCML. Top work!

 

Tom.  

 

[stevea]

On 27/01/2020 at 14:43, DavidMcKenzie said:

Hi Stuey,

 

I have done it with a combination of a sharp modelling knife run across the surface and paint thinner rubbed on with a cotton bud. It's still not perfect and leaves little scratch marks, but I found it left less marking than a fiber glass pen. I still found it worth spraying a light coat over once the decals were removed. 

 

There maybe be someone out there with experiences of something that works better. But I found it the best compromise. I found the tcut method left a very shinny patch, fibreglass pen did the opposite and left a really roughed up surfaces and those are the only three methods I've tried so far. 

 

I hope that helps. All the best,

 

Dave

Hi

I've had a degree of success in removing decals by using a Staedtler Mars eraser pencil (526 61) - I'm sure other brands are available! A fair bit gentler than a glass fibre pencil, but if you keep it sharpened you can get the point exactly where you need it to removed fine decals. Just have to go steadily and  keep cleaning the removed decal material off the eraser every so often on a scrap of paper. Hope this helps

Steve 

[DavidMcKenzie]

It's been slow progress over the last month, but I've been having a go at this class 37 in the background. I always liked 37026 in rfd livery, the black headcodes and the snowplough made it stand out to me.

 

One thing I've always found a challenge is making a model look 'old' without getting carried away with heavily weathering it.   

 

 

All the best,

 

Dave

[Duncan.]

Hi Dave,

I think you've done a good job on the 37. I agree that it is difficult to weather triple grey livery in N. Just keep a photo of a prototype to hand while working on your loco.

Cheers

Duncan

[DavidMcKenzie]

After what feels like an eternity,  managed to sneak an hour for modelling today finally.

 

I got started on a new model based on this mainline livery 

 

I thought before I get too far I must try lowering the body. Picture below (sorry mobile phone picture in bad light) shows the difference. 

 

 

It will get a run at some point to check it clears all points. But visually it looks much closer to the real thing. 

 

One brilliant aspect of rmweb is all the little tricks I have learnt from other people. The transfers have been taped to the window to allow the UV to get rig of that yellow tinge that is so often a problem with transfers. 

 

 

I try to have two jobs on the go at once so one can be worked on whilst the other is drying etc. The class 31 in engineers livery is inspired by Mr Simon's workbench and the great job he does of turning old Farish diesels into cracking models. I am too often guilty of buying the latest model which is usually to a very high standard, rather than using modelling skills to try and improve an old model. So far all it has had is a white wash to dull down the base colours and start to get a streaking effect. A long way to go yet, but hopefully an interesting challenge.

 

All the best,

Dave

 

[MarshLane]

40 minutes ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

I thought before I get too far I must try lowering the body. Picture below (sorry mobile phone picture in bad light) shows the difference. 

It will get a run at some point to check it clears all points. But visually it looks much closer to the real thing. 

 

All the best,

Dave

 

 

HI Dave,

Hope you are managing to keep busy and stay home and safe.  Thanks for the tip about the transfers, not seen that before. How long did you leave them there? Presumably on a window that faced the sun?

 

You may have already explained this, in which case apologies, but how did you lower the height of the 37 body? It looks far far better. Well done.

 

Rich

[DavidMcKenzie]

Hi Rich,

 

Been very busy, the world shutting down has given me the chance to get the loft renovations moving forward. Although not entirely model railway related one of the rooms I am building up there will probably end up being used as the railway room in the future with lot's of natural light which will be a nice change from the dark cellar. 

 

I followed this post as a guide whilst lowering the body. I trimmed the PCB in steps (a lot easier to cut more if needed) but came to the same amount trimmed off. Directly in line with the three hole centers. Hopefully it is useful but if anything is not clear feel free to ask, but I think these photos and explanation is better than I could manage .

 

I stuck the transfers to the (south facing) window before going to work and used them the same evening when I got home. I don't have any experience with less time than that, but the day in the sunlight seemed to be enough and there is no yellow tinge left around the transfer after it was applied to the model.

 

All the best and keep safe. 

 

Dave

[DavidMcKenzie]

Today started with a complete beginners mistake. I got the mainline transfers nicely on the class 37 and then proceeded to give it a very light chalk white wash to give the paint a slightly worn look. The wash removed all the transfers...... 

 

 

Never mind had enough in the transfer pack for a second go and varnished it this time before taking the next steps.

 

 

Then came some powders for a change 

 

 

Still a bit to do, especially on the roof and the bogies, but it's slowly coming on. 

 

The class 31 looks like a disaster at the moment, but bear with me, it might turn out ok. Just some base layers to build up a few different shades in the weathering and trying to avoid that flat look when only one colour is used. I hope it will improve over the coming days. 

 

 

All the best

Dave

Edited April 1, 2020 by DavidMcKenzie

[MarshLane]

Hi Dave,

Looks good, only one thing, if you dont mind me being critical .. there wasn't a 37479 ... sorry.... going off the noses I think you may have meant 37679?

 

Rich

[DavidMcKenzie]

4 minutes ago, MarshLane said:

Hi Dave,

Looks good, only one thing, if you dont mind me being critical .. there wasn't a 37479 ... sorry.... going off the noses I think you may have meant 37679?

 

Rich

Great spot rich, definitely something wrong there, I am not even sure which number I've got wrong. Now trying to find my mistake I am also struggling to find a 37 in this mainline triple grey  livery with anything other than a center headcode????  37679 was also a center headcode 37 wasn't it?

[porkie]

I'm sure 37709 was a heavy weight two tone grey with mainline branding. 

[DavidMcKenzie]

9 hours ago, porkie said:

I'm sure 37709 was a heavy weight two tone grey with mainline branding. 

Thanks porkie, saved me from myself there! It also ran on the WCML from time to time (picture of it at rugby below).

 

 

After the first attempt at transfers washed off I did the second in a bit of a rush and didn't check that the numbers were the same. I don't know why the transfer sheet had 37479 on it. I wonder if it was a misprint for 47479, there are a lot of class 47s on the sheet. 

 

I think I will have to go back and transfer the numbers individually which I always find tricky! Despite my best efforts they never seem to end up in a perfect line. 

 

Anyway thanks a lot for the spot Rich and then after for saving me from myself Porkie .

 

All the best,

Dave

[RBE]

If you are doing 37709 be aware that the 7s had one of the bodyside windows plated over each side due to added ballast weight. 

[MarshLane]

17 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

Great spot rich, definitely something wrong there, I am not even sure which number I've got wrong. Now trying to find my mistake I am also struggling to find a 37 in this mainline triple grey  livery with anything other than a center headcode????  37679 was also a center headcode 37 wasn't it?

 

Yes the kind of nose end you have means it would have to be one of the refurbished and ballasted 37/7s.  As you've already worked out 37709 is certainly an option.  Why I thought 37679 fitted when it was a centre-headcode ill just have to put down to being an idiot and not realising!  I like the 40B shed code under the high-intensity on 37709 on this shot at Carlisle from Flickr - not sure if it was on both ends at this time tho.

 

 

Rich

Edited April 2, 2020 by MarshLane
extra info

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 02/04/2020 at 10:03, RBE said:

If you are doing 37709 be aware that the 7s had one of the bodyside windows plated over each side due to added ballast weight. 

Another brilliant spot! I totally missed that. I am always blown away with how many knowledgeable people there are in the forum. I was just about to post a few pictures of today's efforts saying 'almost finished' but I think the only way to close the window would be to start again. 

[DavidMcKenzie]

On 02/04/2020 at 16:53, MarshLane said:

 

Yes the kind of nose end you have means it would have to be one of the refurbished and ballasted 37/7s.  As you've already worked out 37709 is certainly an option.  Why I thought 37679 fitted when it was a centre-headcode ill just have to put down to being an idiot and not realising!  I like the 40B shed code under the high-intensity on 37709 on this shot at Carlisle from Flickr - not sure if it was on both ends at this time tho.

 

 

Rich

I like the shed code position! I will have to incorporate that. Even if it's not on the real thing at both ends I think a little artic license is ok there, you can never see both ends at once anyway 

[DavidMcKenzie]

After help from both Rich and Porkie the 37 finally has a number that makes sense. The close up is a bit crude and shows the numbers are not perfect. But as good as I am able to manage from invidual numbers and at least passable from a distance. 

 

The loco itself is also coming on. I am not sure if I will detail the buffer beam yet. My only memories of 37s in triple grey was when they were double heading and I am thinking about fitting this one with the couplings on both ends to allow that. 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by DavidMcKenzie

[DavidMcKenzie]

The 31 is also slowly improving (not that it was hard to improve on how it looked a few days ago!)

 

 

I think the next steps are to fit some wire handrails, then the body looks like it needs lowering but that looks a much harder job on the old 31 and finally need to give the buffer beam some thought. I was even wondering if fitting a snowplow might be a good idea to hide the ugly plastic casting at the front of the bogies. 

 

All the best

Dave

[RBE]

 

15 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

After help from both Rich and Porkie the 37 finally has a number that makes sense. The close up is a bit crude and shows the numbers are not perfect. But as good as I am able to manage from invidual numbers and at least passable from a distance. 

 

The loco itself is also coming on. I am not sure if I will detail the buffer beam yet. My only memories of 37s in triple grey was when they were double heading and I am thinking about fitting this one with the couplings on both ends to allow that. 

 

 

 

Looks good but you left the two side windows intact? The 37/7s don't have one of the side windows each side.

 

15 hours ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

The 31 is also slowly improving (not that it was hard to improve on how it looked a few days ago!)

 

 

I think the next steps are to fit some wire handrails, then the body looks like it needs lowering but that looks a much harder job on the old 31 and finally need to give the buffer beam some thought. I was even wondering if fitting a snowplow might be a good idea to hide the ugly plastic casting at the front of the bogies. 

 

All the best

Dave

 

The snowploughs is a good idea. If you are adding handrails you will need to channel out grooves beside the doors as the lower half of the handrail is recessed on the 31.

 

 

[DavidMcKenzie]

11 minutes ago, RBE said:

 

 

Looks good but you left the two side windows intact? The 37/7s don't have one of the side windows each side.

 

 

The snowploughs is a good idea. If you are adding handrails you will need to channel out grooves beside the doors as the lower half of the handrail is recessed on the 31.

 

 

I picked up your message about the closed side window after taking the photos above, you are absolutely right and it's a great spot, but I think the only way to do it is to start again with the model. I will give this a go with time, I have enough transfers remaining, but it won't be in the next day or two , modelling time is unfortunately at a premium at the moment with the loft renovation project ongoing at home. 

[RBE]

I understand that, not touched any modelling on the railway for over a year now. Time is so precious.

[DavidMcKenzie]

1 hour ago, RBE said:

I understand that, not touched any modelling on the railway for over a year now. Time is so precious.

It's so hard to find the time isn't it. When I do manage I enjoy it so much though, already at my low ' beginner' skill level it's such a nice feeling to get a model finished and running around on the layout. I can only imagine how it must feel when you have created something as amazing as your Burton on Trent layout.