woodenhead Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 On 04/10/2020 at 14:06, Neil said: I've just noticed that in between some earlier posts the forum software states how much time has elapsed, 'two weeks later' or 'four weeks later'. I'm not really sure if this will act to speed me up or whether with my contrarian nature it'll slow me down, maybe in time I'll make my mind up. It will be ready when it is ready, no point trying to force something, you'll only end up being dissatisfied with the end result. I enjoy watching your layouts develop. 2 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted October 18, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2020 Time for a further photo showing where the level crossing will be, hopefully with a better set of gates than these place holders. Other tasks attended to have been replacing the motor in my Q6 (one of Hornby's dodgy batch) and cutting out the components for the control panel. 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted October 19, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 19, 2020 This weekend I've been putting together the main control panel. Though only five inches deep it's four feet long ( I have built shorter layouts than this in the past) and apart from the track diagram will have six switches to select either the main or yard pilot controller. It's this long partly so that it can be bracketed off the layout legs and partly because it will function as a shelf to hold the controllers, track rubbers, uncoupling tools and mugs of tea. One function it won't have is point control. All the motored points will be driven from a remote lever frame at the end of the layout, the rest are hand operated from levers next to the points. 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted October 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 19, 2020 Excellent, Neil and I think the idea of a shelf for mugs of tea is just fantastic! 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted October 19, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 19, 2020 Got to get the priorities right. Before coronalurgi, when my local mates would gather at each others on a Friday night to play trains two of the ergonomic issues were overcrowded gangways and nowhere to put your tea. While these aren't obvious layout planning factors I wanted to make sure that two fat old blokes could pass and that they would have somewhere to put their drinks. The garage isn't as spacious as the chapel but I've managed five foot gangways over most of the layout. 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted October 26, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted October 26, 2020 The Q6 has been remotored and so far seems to be a reliable runner having had a few test outings. Last week I made a start on weathering it, finishing it yesterday. I always tackle locos in several sections so that I always have a decent part to pick it up by. Here's the grubby bruiser. Finally a photo of my second K1, this spent a long while at a mates after a running section when I inadvertently brought his home and left mine there. 22 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted November 1, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 1, 2020 (edited) Not all progress has to be on the grand scale to be satisfying. A couple of days ago I spent a short while at the workbench doing one of my favourite jobs, coaling up. Part of the satisfaction comes from the easy win and part I guess because it signifies that the hard work is done. Both locos still need crew but that's not too demanding. Edited November 2, 2020 by Neil 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 On 26/10/2020 at 16:52, Neil said: The Q6 has been remotored and so far seems to be a reliable runner having had a few test outings. Last week I made a start on weathering it, finishing it yesterday. I always tackle locos in several sections so that I always have a decent part to pick it up by. Here's the grubby bruiser. Finally a photo of my second K1, this spent a long while at a mates after a running section when I inadvertently brought his home and left mine there. Excellent weathering on the Q6. What did you use? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted November 2, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 2, 2020 8 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said: Excellent weathering on the Q6. What did you use? Thank you Tim. I used Humbrol enamels, black (33) lightened with cream (74) to which I add a drop of red oxide (100) and blue (109). The underparts use a slightly lighter version of this with the motion done in a mix of brown (113) darkened with black (33). The underframe is generally painted and left but the body painted on then partially scrubbed off. I have an old stubby brush which I use for the scrubbing off process. 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted November 2, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 2, 2020 Lovely work there Neil. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted November 2, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 2, 2020 Thank you John, that's much appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted November 4, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted November 4, 2020 Last week I finished wiring up the main control panel for the layout. The section diagram is temporary until I do a more workmanlike job. Happy with what I'd done I took some boxes of trains out to the garage to play and test the layout at the same time. Turns out that the microswitch on one of the points was stopping the blades moving full over. A quick five minute job to reposition it but I'm glad that the fault showed itself before I'd started to stick buildings and scenery down. 28 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted November 5, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 5, 2020 (edited) 19 hours ago, Neil said: The section diagram is temporary until I do a more workmanlike job. That one is at least as good as my last ‘finished’ effort! Paul. Edited November 5, 2020 by 5BarVT Autoincorrect 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted November 14, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted November 14, 2020 As we've had some grey and wet days recently I've not been as motivated as I might to go out and work in the garage. Instead I've spent a lot of time at the computer putting together some artwork for home made transfers. So far I've drawn up advertising boards for a set of narrow gauge trams, graphics to re brand an Oxford diecast ice cream van and some wagon numbers for a batch of coke hoppers that have just been through the paint shop. The artwork was drawn up on Inkscape. It's only a little more complicated than MS Paint but it's far more versatile and because it's a vector drawing programme you get far sharper results, I believe. I'm often disappointed by some of the home made graphics I see on layouts where the typeface used is permanently set to Arial or worse Comic Sans. For the life of me I can't understand why otherwise fine models are spoilt by inappropriate signage particularly when there are so many free to download fonts available. My favourite source is 1001 free fonts. The next step requires some expenditure, the purchase of suitable transfer paper. I got mine from this seller on e-bay, no connection but they were extremely helpful and the product seems first rate. The paper is put into the printer, mine is a cheap HP inkjet job, set to fine and glossy. I was surprised how much better the printer worked on the transfer paper compared to ordinary printer paper, it's possible to use pretty fine lettering. When the print is thoroughly dry it needs about three coats of a spray varnish on top which in turn has to dry before the transfers are ready to use. I cut out the transfers, but instead of soaking them in a bowl of water I place them on the side of the wagon and wet them with a brush full of water. After a minute the transfer can be slid off its backing and teased into place. I favour a sharp craft knife for this. Once in place blot away excess water, the transfer sticks as well as commercial ones but will benefit from a waft over with varnish to seal in place. Finally a commercial offering to compare to. My home made one isn't quite as sharp in this cruel enlargement, but once weathered in and in place on the layout I don't think the difference will be at all apparent. 13 4 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted November 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 14, 2020 Hi Neil, that looks pretty good from here. Have you just printed the black onto white transfer paper, leaving the numbers blank? I had thought this was the way around the lack of 'white' ink in most printers; if so, it seems to work fine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted November 14, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 14, 2020 Spot on Rich, I should have mentioned that I used white transfer paper. I also stocked up on clear at the same time, though I doubt that it will prove to be as useful. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold john new Posted November 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 14, 2020 10 minutes ago, Neil said: Spot on Rich, I should have mentioned that I used white transfer paper. I also stocked up on clear at the same time, though I doubt that it will prove to be as useful. Not yet used it but I also recently bought a stock of white and clear. I was thinking the clear would be good for lining, loco lettering and numbering etc., as by setting it out digitally it would be in line whereas single letters/numerals can vary. As usual this is impressive stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 When I used white decal paper, I had trouble after cutting out, the edge always seemed to show white, but I don’t see that on your example - Colour me impressed! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted November 15, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 15, 2020 I have noticed that the home made transfers are a little thicker than those by Modelmaster and Fox. This might be because of the varnish layers on top; I need to experiment some more with this. If you look at the applied transfer at an oblique angle a feint white line is just apparent but this will go once the weathering kicks in. I'll try to illustrate this once I've properly finished one of the wagons. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted November 21, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted November 21, 2020 More on the transfers, those on the wagons are part way through the weathering process and it'll be several days before they're finished. However I can show you those which I designed to re-brand the ice cream van. Please bear in mind you'll be seeing them about four times larger than they really are. 17 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted December 2, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 2, 2020 First a follow up on the transfers, here's a cruel close up of a home made example on one of the coke hoppers. If there was any hint of a white edge (not convinced that there was) the thin rust coloured paint liberated by the weathering process I use has taken care of it. I had four coke hoppers in total to letter up and then weather, here they are on the layout. The mdf roads and hardstanding have had their joins filled and smoothed before receiving a couple of coats of Farrow and Ball 'Hardwick White' which as you can see is actually grey. I brushed it on and then while still wet stippled it with a sponge to get rid of any brush marks. I had hoped to rough out pavements this afternoon but i had an accident involving craft knife, index finger, elastoplast and blood loss so that's off until the throbbing subsides. In the meantime I'll show some more hoppers, the pair on the right being the last two un-weathered examples that I've been working on over the past week. I keep all my stock in box files with foam board partitions. I'm tackling the weathering one box at a time so now I've finished the hoppers it's time for my box of brake vans to take their turn. 17 5 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Neil Posted December 17, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted December 17, 2020 Work on the layout progresses on two fronts. I've started making the paving for footpaths. As the layout is in the garage I thought I'd better use plastic rather than card though I did break out some cereal packet cardboard to make templates with. Here's the first section of the plastic pavement roughly in place. I'm using 40 thou and scribing by hand to get the irregular patterns of the old York stone pavements. I've spent a lot of time on streetview searching out the bits of York where they haven't been replaced. I still have a lot to do. I'm also steadily working my way through stock projects, completing stuff that's been in the cupboards for years and repainting and weathering new stuff . My attention is now firmly on my fleet of brake vans. They're a mix of Hornby, Bachmann and Lima bodies on Mainline chassis. 22 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted December 17, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2020 Splendid stuff Neil. Love the pavement picture. When modelled, it'll look so authentic. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 17, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2020 On 02/12/2020 at 22:45, Neil said: The mdf roads and hardstanding have had their joins filled and smoothed before receiving a couple of coats of Farrow and Ball 'Hardwick White' which as you can see is actually grey. I brushed it on and then while still wet stippled it with a sponge to get rid of any brush marks. One knows one is in the presence of Modelling Royalty when F&B paint is being used! 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted December 17, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Oldddudders said: One knows one is in the presence of Modelling Royalty when F&B paint is being used! Appearances can be mightily deceptive. I'm more Jim Royle than Royal. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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