Bilton Junction

[Jon4470]

I now have a set of notes on how I plan to build the ECJS - it’s become the modelling equivalent of a musical ear worm! - which I now need to draw up neatly and file away with the etch. More important modelling activity to do first.

 

Also I’ve started pondering the shunting moves in the sidings........

 

Despite these (enjoyable) distractions. I’ve made some more progress on my current projects.

 

The BFK has the roof filling finished ( needs ventilators etc though) and the rest of the body is also primed.

 

 

 

 

Getting quite close to teak time!

 

I’ve also finished off the last bits on the D20.

 

The inspection hatch is now in brass - because the glue deformed the plastic one

 

 

 

 

The above photo was the body masked ready for painting and below shows it re-painted

 

 

 

 

 

On the tender I replaced the Dave Alexander chassis - it was a lump of white metal that was very heavy

 

 

 

Replacement was some Alan Gibson frames that I found in the kit box. I added the Westinghouse reservoir to the frames as well

 

 

 

 

 

Next steps with the D20 are to paint the buffer beams and then start the red lining. When I do this I plan to paint and line the A2 as well.

 

Whether that will be good for my blood pressure I’m not sure

 

Jon

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[AdeMoore]

Nice work Jon.

[Jon4470]

A progress report on the various models on the go. I was hoping that,by now, some of these would be completed but.....hey,ho. 

 

All are being painted but are still very much work in progress.

 

First up..... the test piece for painting with air brush

 

 

 

 

A Hornby Dublo Duchess....which never looks good in LNER green! Spraying this reminded me how much I had forgotten about air brush work.....Cue much bad language and general grumpiness. 

 

Anyway...the D20 now has a bit of colour:

 

 

 

 

(with a buffer housing that needs a bit of red touch up.....)

 

I found this loco in a box....a DJH C7 - it’s been in primer for years. So it finally gained some top coat

 

 

 

 

 

Also through the “paint shop” was the Raven A2

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing the difference to the green colour rendition that the lighting makes. 

 

Finally the BFK has a coat of teak

 

 

 

 

 

As I say, all work in progress models. Now it’s time to focus back onto one at a time to finish them off.

 

Not sure that I’ll get much time till the new year now.....but you never know.

 

Jon

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[micklner]

Why have you blended the edges of the Chimney , Dome and Safety Valve flush with Boiler on the D20 ? A2 looks good !.

[Jon4470]

10 hours ago, micklner said:

Why have you blended the edges of the Chimney , Dome and Safety Valve flush with Boiler on the D20 ? A2 looks good !.

 

Thanks - I’m pleased with the paint on the A2.( also relieved that it didn’t go horribly wrong).

 

You’re right about the chimney etc on the D20. I think I’ve over done the filler......which I needed because the castings didn’t fit very well even after a lot of filing. The next loco will be better..... (because I won’t give up on the filing and resort to filler)

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

[Jon4470]

As I thought ..... there was not time over Xmas and New Year to do much concentrated modelling. 

 

I have managed small small amounts at various times though. The lining pen has been brought out of hibernation and, after some false starts, a bit of practice etc I started to add lining to the models that are on the go. Honestly though,  it surprised me how much I was out of practice with the lining.

 

Having said that the carriage is now fully lined:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next steps will be transfers, door furniture, handrails and interior ....... that’s the thing with carriages - there is so much to do!

 

 

As for the locos, well, the D20 has most of the red lining done and the C7 is started. Photos will follow later on..........when I have them tidy enough to show. The A2 will wait until I’m confident that I can get the lining done well enough.

 

I’m just about resisting the temptation to start Barber at the moment  (I have been reading the instructions though)....and I’m also resisting another carriage kit that has come of the shelf onto the work bench (D45, number 46 saloon for the Northern Belle).

 

Ho hum back to lining

 

Jon

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[Chas Levin]

Very nice job Sir .

 

And to return the question, which brand and shade of paint did you use?

Edited January 15, 2022 by Chas Levin

[Jon4470]

1 hour ago, Chas Levin said:

Very nice job Sir .

 

And to return the question, which brand and shade of paint did you use?

 

Thank you Chas.

 

The carriage is lined with Humbrol number 7. 

[Chas Levin]

Very nice teak-work too, Jon, another thing I've only done a few of and am definitely on the learning curve for, though each one is better than the previous one I think. I'm guessing you've done a fair few in your time?

 

Very nice to see a gleaming white roof too - will you be weathering it in due course? I have to admit to a weakness for pristine paintwork, but I know I'm in the minority on that .

[Jon4470]

13 hours ago, Chas Levin said:

Very nice teak-work too, Jon, another thing I've only done a few of and am definitely on the learning curve for, though each one is better than the previous one I think. I'm guessing you've done a fair few in your time?

 

Very nice to see a gleaming white roof too - will you be weathering it in due course? I have to admit to a weakness for pristine paintwork, but I know I'm in the minority on that .

Hi Chas

 

Thank you for the comment about the teak.

 

I’m probably well into the teens on teak coaches. So not huge numbers really. The day portion of the Northern Belle will have 8 carriages. After this one there are 3 to go. They will all be gently weathered with slightly sooty roofs. The photos of this train usually show quite clean roofs. Some photos are publicity shots....so that is part of the reason.Also I think the carriages had their roofs freshly white leaded for the “season”. That would then mean that the roofs would have soot deposits but the underlying white lead would not have had time to turn grey overall. Well, that’s my theory anyway - I, too, like white roofs.

 

For other trains I will use heavier weathering on the roofs, with the occasional carriage white.

 

Jon

 

PS I’ve been thinking about asking how much weathering you plan to give your current lining project.....I suspect that I know the answer

 

 

[Chas Levin]

Hello Jon, I think your theory about freshly white-leaded roofs having some soot deposits but not yet turning grey sounds perfectly fine: that must have been the sequence of events, no doubt about it. That's a nice way to explain a small amount of weathering .

I expect you've correctly guessed that I'll be applying precisely zero weathering to my current project! It's been a running joke at home for years, my lack of enthusiasm for weathering, ever since I first took my daughter, then in her early teens, to a railway fair at Ally Pally and she was immediately very taken with weathered models - their realism I think caught her imagination. I have stayed firm, to her continued - affectionate - horror!

 

One thing I like about un-weathered models is that rather like a broken clock that's definitely absolutely accurate twice a day, I know that a freshly out-shopped loco or piece of rolling stock definitely looked that way once, if only for a few hours...

 

I always like looking at others' weathering though and it's often incredibly realistic looking, isn't it? I look forward to this coach in lightly sooty form!

[Jon4470]

During the week I’ve continued to make progress with the loco lining. But, today , I decided that I needed a break.........so I started Barber!

 

As this is OO-9, it needed a donor chassis. Here is the victim (I never like breaking up a perfectly good model)

 

 

 

A couple of minutes later I had the bit that I needed

 

 

 

 

 

And a bit later on, the new frames and footplate start to take shape

 

 

 

 

 

I feel better about the poor 08 now - at least there is some progress and it’s sacrifice was not in vain! (although, having said that, the instructions say valve gear next........and I know what “fun” I had with that on my last OO-9 loco!)

 

Jon

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[jessy1692]

15 hours ago, Jon4470 said:

During the week I’ve continued to make progress with the loco lining. But, today , I decided that I needed a break.........so I started Barber!

 

As this is OO-9, it needed a donor chassis. Here is the victim (I never like breaking up a perfectly good model)

 

 

A couple of minutes later I had the bit that I needed

 

 

 

And a bit later on, the new frames and footplate start to take shape

 

 

 

I feel better about the poor 08 now - at least there is some progress and it’s sacrifice was not in vain! (although, having said that, the instructions say valve gear next........and I know what “fun” I had with that on my last OO-9 loco!)

 

Jon

 

Will be following with interest Jon, I'm still bogged down with MK1's and no time to clear the bench.

 

Hope its a steady away build and not like Spencer!

 

Cheers

James

[Jon4470]

5 hours ago, jessy1692 said:

 

 

Hope its a steady away build and not like Spencer!

 

Cheers

James

 

That’s my hope as well

 

The only (very minor) things so far are:

1. the new frames are very weak above the cut out for the trailing wheels...just be very careful when handling the frames.....and thankful when solidly secured to the foot plate.

2. I had to cut off the two (air?) reservoirs from the donor chassis. This was so that the new keeper plate would fit. This isn’T mentioned in the instructions....time will tell if I have got this bit right.

 

 

Jon

[Jon4470]

I didn’t get much time today so I just concentrated on completing the nut and bolt attachment of chassis to foot plate and also fettling the boiler and saddle tank castings

 

 

 

 

 

Its all just resting in place for now. There’s a brass overlay to add to the saddle tank....that should be fun!

 

Behind Barber is the D20 tender. I thought I’d include it in the photo just to give a sense of the size of Barber (maybe that should be the lack of size?).

You an also see (just) some red lining on the tender!

 

Jon

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[Jon4470]

 

Work on the cylinders and motion has progressed during the week. There was a bit of head scratching involved but now one cylinder is in place

 

 

 

 

The cylinder is epoxy glued to the chassis so I will waiting 24 hours before trying out the the piston. Hopefully it will work smoothly! It was a bit of a challenge to line up the top of the cylinder with the footplate and get the cross head in the correct alignment but I got there in the end.

 

I’ve just watched a You Tube clip of Barber on the South Tynedale railway. Nice to see it steaming and plenty of close ups of details I’m not sure about the shade of green that has been used though. I’ll have to read up about the restoration and see if it is the authentic colour.

 

Jon

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[jessy1692]

32 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

 

Work on the cylinders and motion has progressed during the week. There was a bit of head scratching involved but now one cylinder is in place

 

 

The cylinder is epoxy glued to the chassis so I will waiting 24 hours before trying out the the piston. Hopefully it will work smoothly! It was a bit of a challenge to line up the top of the cylinder with the footplate and get the cross head in the correct alignment but I got there in the end.

 

I’ve just watched a You Tube clip of Barber on the South Tynedale railway. Nice to see it steaming and plenty of close ups of details I’m not sure about the shade of green that has been used though. I’ll have to read up about the restoration and see if it is the authentic colour.

 

Jon

 

 

I'm sure I read somewhere the current green us based on the original Thomas Green's green, which does seem to be a pretty vibrant shade but agree it is a bit bright! When I get to mine I'll be doing the later style Hunslet green I think.

 

Great progress Jon, itching to get mine started now.

Cheers

James

Edited January 27, 2022 by jessy1692

[Jon4470]

Vibrant is a good word to describe the green. The colour is a sort of Apple green….. but like a cooking apple/golden delicious variety. In fact it reminds me of a photo of a Jubilee painted in green as an experiment in 1948.As far as I know the lining should be red ( with black borders to the green panels). On the South Tynedale railway they have lined in black and white. So, to me, the whole colour scheme looks cold.

 

I think I still have a spray can of Applejack green at home. I think this is close to the colour of Barber. If I do still have this can then I’ll spray up a dummy panel and line it red to see what it looks like. The red lining may warm up the whole scheme……if not, there is always Darlington Green

 

Jon

 

 

[Jon4470]

I gave up on valve gear tonight - just not in the mood for it!

 

I had a play with colours though. My Hornby Dublo Duchess was coated in Rover Applejack green...poor thing

 

 

 

 

Hardly was the paint dry (just to prove that I wasn’t really in the mood) when I added some white “lining”

 

 

 

 

And a bit further along some red and black “lining”

 

 

 

 

 

I apologise for the slap dash approach to this!

 

I must admit that I do not like this green. It is not the same that which applied to the full scale Barber either - well at least not to my eyes.

 

However, I do think that it shows that the white lining makes the colour scheme appear colder than the red and black. And, I think that I could accept the green with the red and black lining...especially as it will have brown frames and footplate valance.

 

The photos were taken under the same light and in approximately the same place each time.

 

Jon

 

 

 

PS I was going to do the lining samples around the cab area ( which would have been easier to get neat) but the green reacted with whatever was underneath.......

 

 

 

 

I think it is time to give it a dunk in Nitromors and get it back to bare metal

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[Chas Levin]

On 28/01/2022 at 21:17, Jon4470 said:

I had a play with colours though. My Hornby Dublo Duchess was coated in Rover Applejack green...poor thing

 

 

Hardly was the paint dry (just to prove that I wasn’t really in the mood) when I added some white “lining”

 

 

 

And a bit further along some red and black “lining”

 

 

 

I apologise for the slap dash approach to this!

 

I must admit that I do not like this green. It is not the same that which applied to the full scale Barber either - well at least not to my eyes.

 

However, I do think that it shows that the white lining makes the colour scheme appear colder than the red and black. And, I think that I could accept the green with the red and black lining...especially as it will have brown frames and footplate valance.

 

The photos were taken under the same light and in approximately the same place each time.

 

Isn't that interesting - the tricks that colours play on us! It's quite odd, when you stop and think about it, that the same green colour appears different, when viewed next to small areas of other colours...

 

This sort of thing fascinates me. I've also been observing various odd effects to do with straight lines appearing curved or bowed if there's a bulge on one side of them, or a line that's actually straight appearing to curve if it runs alongside a curved line. This stuff amazes me - I expect things to appear as they actually are...!

 

Paint reacting oddly to lower layers... that's a hole other thing too!!

[Jon4470]

I was in a much better mood today and made some good progress.

 

First up the valve gear. After a bit of faffing around (accompanied by appropriate language) I got the cross head and connecting rod fitted. And, lo and behold, it worked!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, just for @jessy1692 here is the “ watch out” photo!

 

 

 

 

the clearance between the coupling rod and the cross head is tight (at point A). I had to file down the the pin heads etc as fine as possible. At point B I fitted 3 washers.....I think 2 would be better.

 

 

I also started on the cab. The main components are complete and have the key details fitted

 

 

 

 

And all just resting together it now looks like this

 

 

 

 

Its now starting to look like Barber.

 

Jon

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470

[jessy1692]

11 hours ago, Jon4470 said:

I was in a much better mood today and made some good progress.

 

First up the valve gear. After a bit of faffing around (accompanied by appropriate language) I got the cross head and connecting rod fitted. And, lo and behold, it worked!

 

 

 

 

Now, just for @jessy1692 here is the “ watch out” photo!

 

 

the clearance between the coupling rod and the cross head is tight (at point A). I had to file down the the pin heads etc as fine as possible. At point B I fitted 3 washers.....I think 2 would be better.

 

 

I also started on the cab. The main components are complete and have the key details fitted

 

 

And all just resting together it now looks like this

 

 

Its now starting to look like Barber.

 

Jon

Thank you Jon, very good to have a heads up on these things. That cab looks brilliant, really captures the likeness.

Top job!

[Barber.hgw]

Barber is looking good, I might have to get one to replace my scratchbuilt version! I'm trying to remember the colour I painted mine, it was a strange green. I'll try and track down the colour I used.

[Jon4470]

On 09/02/2022 at 10:39, Barber.hgw said:

Barber is looking good, I might have to get one to replace my scratchbuilt version! I'm trying to remember the colour I painted mine, it was a strange green. I'll try and track down the colour I used.

 

Thank you for the kind comments. I’ve made some more progress and will try to post an update soon.....other “life stuff” has got in the way recently.

 

As for the green...yes please any hints about the colour will be gratefully received!

 

Jon

[Jon4470]

This is progress so far

 

 

 

 

And from the other side

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boiler, smokebox and cab are just resting on the footplate....hence the gaps and angles!

 

The chassis is complete.......and works

 

The cab I said complete on the exterior. The beading around the cab cut outs was a pain to do though. Not only does it curve around the opening but it also bends in the other plane because the cab cut out runs into the curved roof. 

 

 

 

The cab roof also overhangs the sides....so the beading does not follow the roof all the way to the edge before turning down along the cab side.

 

I’m not following the instructions to the letter, unusually for me (I’m high on compliance) I’m fitting the cab interior to the cab - rather than the footplate. It seems to me that fixing the interior items like coal bunkers - and then hoping that they line up with the cab- it asking for problems. I’m also going to have to paint and glaze the interior before fixing the cab to the footplate, as there is no way in once the cab is fixed.

 

The brass wrapper for the saddle tank was annealed ( a first for me) before being formed and glued onto the white metal tank. The front etch was also glued on. In hind sight it might have been better to solder the front to the wrapper, and then glue it all to the white metal lump. As it is now, there are a few gaps to fill around the front etch.

 

Main lesson/watch out for those who plan to make this kit is to mark the centre line on all the etches ....while they are flat!  This helps massively with getting the cab roof in the correct place with the correct overhangs and also helps with centring the saddle tank overlay.

 

Jon

 

 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Jon4470