VERY Basic Detailing for Cash-Strapped Modellers

[Northmoor]

While my efforts on "St. Davids" are suspended do to lack of space to set it up regularly (and many other priorities/distractions of family life), I do occasionally manage too do a bit of minor modification to old RTR stock in my collection.  Almost all was bought secondhand, often decades ago and just got added to a long list of "Round Tuit" projects.

 

Last year I found one of three Tri-ang DMUs in my collection, probably bought nearly 30 years ago and previously repainted - quite well, maybe slightly dark  - in BR Blue.  The Tri-ang model is based on the early series of Metro-Cammell units which were withdrawn early as non-standard and have several features not applicable to the Class 101 which survived into blue livery, let alone into the 90s.  I wanted to keep it in blue but more like a Class 101 in appearance.

 

A few hours of careful fettling involves removing the high level and central marker lights, plus the paint guideline for the small yellow warning panel on the green liveried model.  I needed to cut off the buffer beam corner cowling flush with the bottom edge, as these are a feature of the early units only.  I've no plan to run the unit with anything else, so the couplings came off too; the BR Mk1 bogies are wrong for a DMU, but being too tight to buy correct replacements, I've just cut off the lower axlebox tie-bars as they give a much better impression.  The whole underframe and bogies are now painted track colour which is a big improvement.

 

Once the yellow ends were painted with two thin coats of faded yellow, the old markings are hidden and the remaining marker lights drilled into with a 1.2mm bit so they now more like dark spots.

 

Still plenty to do: it needs numbers, the BR logos need re-doing as they've rubbed off with handling (need to varnish over), add exhausts (I've got some Chris Leigh castings somewhere), pick out the window frames and some of the underframe detail in appropriate colours, vacuum and other pipes for the ends, paint the buffers etc.  Interior could do with painting correct colours (orange gangways and blue seating!).  I made a start with some SEF flush glazing - Oh My God how do people do this?!  None of it seems to fit; is it just because of the repaint, that the window sizes are all reduced that significantly?

 

Anyway - comments welcome.  Here's what I started with and here's what the unit looks like now.  If anyone says they can't afford model trains (or dare not fiddle with expensive up to date models), this unit would still cost you less than £20.  In case you're wondering, it still works as well.

 

  

[LNWR18901910]

This sounds very nice and amazing. I even converted a Tri-ang/Hornby China B12 4-6-0 into an LNWR 19" Goods 4-6-0 and it's nearly done.

[Ravenser]

On 22/04/2019 at 22:52, Northmoor said:

 

 

Still plenty to do: it needs numbers, the BR logos need re-doing as they've rubbed off with handling (need to varnish over), add exhausts (I've got some Chris Leigh castings somewhere), pick out the window frames and some of the underframe detail in appropriate colours, vacuum and other pipes for the ends, paint the buffers etc.  Interior could do with painting correct colours (orange gangways and blue seating!).  I made a start with some SEF flush glazing - Oh My God how do people do this?!  None of it seems to fit; is it just because of the repaint, that the window sizes are all reduced that significantly?

 

A

 

It may be that the windows have a distinct draft on them to allow release of the tool. I've found vintage Hornby Mk2s are pretty horrible in this respect and the inner edge of the windows needs filing back to get the glazing in . You could also paint the recess black to disguise the thickness of the sides 

 

Be aware that these Triang DMUs are short of scale length. In those days it wasn't thought to matter - they were just DMUs.... (I remember CJF in a 1977 article encouraging people to try modern image making the remark that it didn't matter there was only one type of DMU available because you had to be a bit obsessive to notice the difference between one DMU and another. We've come a long way  )

Edited April 24, 2019 by Ravenser

[Legend]

On ‎22‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 22:52, Northmoor said:

While my efforts on "St. Davids" are suspended do to lack of space to set it up regularly (and many other priorities/distractions of family life), I do occasionally manage too do a bit of minor modification to old RTR stock in my collection.  Almost all was bought secondhand, often decades ago and just got added to a long list of "Round Tuit" projects.

 

Last year I found one of three Tri-ang DMUs in my collection, probably bought nearly 30 years ago and previously repainted - quite well, maybe slightly dark  - in BR Blue.  The Tri-ang model is based on the early series of Metro-Cammell units which were withdrawn early as non-standard and have several features not applicable to the Class 101 which survived into blue livery, let alone into the 90s.  I wanted to keep it in blue but more like a Class 101 in appearance.

 

A few hours of careful fettling involves removing the high level and central marker lights, plus the paint guideline for the small yellow warning panel on the green liveried model.  I needed to cut off the buffer beam corner cowling flush with the bottom edge, as these are a feature of the early units only.  I've no plan to run the unit with anything else, so the couplings came off too; the BR Mk1 bogies are wrong for a DMU, but being too tight to buy correct replacements, I've just cut off the lower axlebox tie-bars as they give a much better impression.  The whole underframe and bogies are now painted track colour which is a big improvement.

 

Once the yellow ends were painted with two thin coats of faded yellow, the old markings are hidden and the remaining marker lights drilled into with a 1.2mm bit so they now more like dark spots.

 

Still plenty to do: it needs numbers, the BR logos need re-doing as they've rubbed off with handling (need to varnish over), add exhausts (I've got some Chris Leigh castings somewhere), pick out the window frames and some of the underframe detail in appropriate colours, vacuum and other pipes for the ends, paint the buffers etc.  Interior could do with painting correct colours (orange gangways and blue seating!).  I made a start with some SEF flush glazing - Oh My God how do people do this?!  None of it seems to fit; is it just because of the repaint, that the window sizes are all reduced that significantly?

 

Anyway - comments welcome.  Here's what I started with and here's what the unit looks like now.  If anyone says they can't afford model trains (or dare not fiddle with expensive up to date models), this unit would still cost you less than £20.  In case you're wondering, it still works as well.

 

  

 

 

Nice . Looks like you've replaced the buffers too , which very much adds to the look of the front end .    I did a similar sort of conversion 30 years ago , but this time into the BR Refurb White with blue stripe livery . It was OK but mine was the 1975 version with large illuminated headcode box which I really should have filled in but didn't .  Didn't really like the resulting compromise so it never saw much use . However seeing what you've done I could give it another go .

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Love it. There's heaps of good and cheap items out there to have a go with. Some of it as good in key respects as current (expensive) product, and with a little effort can be made to look very well indeed.

 

58 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

...I remember CJF in a 1977 article encouraging people to try modern image making the remark that it didn't matter there was only one type of DMU available because you had to be a bit obsessive to notice the difference between one DMU and another...

He liked to provoke. I was digging out an old RM for a friend over the Easter weekend, and  a couple of years previous to that he was rattling on about 'modern image' modelling in the editorial, telling those modellers that thought modern image had its good points for modelling to go do the work and prove it, concluding: "Once that has been done, it will be easy to convince a significant part of the hobby that there is something to be said for this type of railway.".

[CloggyDog]

1 hour ago, Ravenser said:

Be aware that these Triang DMUs are short of scale length.

 

Indeed they are - even though there appear to be the correct number of windows and in the correct layout, everything is compressed slightly to lose the inch or so in length... the devious so-and-sos...

 

Plenty of the later (non-'Lightweight') Met-Cams had the 4-lamp front as built, most losing the 2 middle lamp when refurbed.

 

One small point Northmoor, is the little nubs above the outer lamps should also come off - these were Tri-ang's representation of the high-level 'yellow diamond' MU sockets that the early sets (like the Derby Lightweights, with which the early Met-Cams were compatible) were fitted. Dispensed with on the 'blue-square' standard Met-Cam 101s which (like all B-S DMUs) had the MU 

mounted on the lower edge of the headstocks.

 

A neat reworking of a classic RTR model, nevertheless!

 

 

[Northmoor]

Thanks for all the constructive comments.  I did know they're short - must be about scale 45' - but hadn't noticed the MU connections.  The later looped cable and connectors below the buffer bean, with vac pipes, will transform the front end.

 

The point about the shape of the windows is very pertinent.  I won't be hurrying to file all the windows out!

 

Rob

[JDW]

That looks really good - OK, it'll never stand up next to a Bachmann one but as you say, it shows that with a bit of work older models are a great basis for a project.  It looks like a 101, even if it is a bit short and basic, and you have the satisfaction that you did it yourself, and that it was cheap.  Wins all round.

[Signaller69]

Nice work, I fully agree that older unloved models are ideal for basic detailing projects and have done a few myself over the years. If it goes wrong at least it won't have cost much, and you can choose how much or little you want to alter.

 

Martyn.

[DCB]

Its great to see limited budget modelling, though as the owner of a Triang DMU I'm not sure that is the best place to start.

Not sure about the buffers, the buffer shanks look too short.   Flush glazing never works for me, it always looks bowed out to me.  I flush glazed the cab windows in an Autocoach with crystal clear plastic from a CD case cut carefully to size.   An interior would help this model, easily enough cobbled together from card and scrap wood.

[Northmoor]

8 hours ago, DavidCBroad said:

Its great to see limited budget modelling, though as the owner of a Triang DMU I'm not sure that is the best place to start.

Not sure about the buffers, the buffer shanks look too short.   Flush glazing never works for me, it always looks bowed out to me.  I flush glazed the cab windows in an Autocoach with crystal clear plastic from a CD case cut carefully to size.   An interior would help this model, easily enough cobbled together from card and scrap wood.

Thanks David - you're probably right about the buffers, at least on one car where the "stubs" on the buffer beam are shorter than on the other.

Actually both cars do have the original interiors; I will need to paint the seats to replicate that lovely blue pattern they used to be, and orange vestibule panels!

I found some Chris Leigh DMU spares last night so domestics permitting, might get some improvements done this weekend.

[d00m]

Never understood the size of these dmu's buffers... anyone know why?

 

[JDW]

Why Triang used very small ones or why the real ones were bigger?  For the former, I suspect it's what they had already available from other models in the range.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

2 hours ago, d00m said:

Never understood the size of these dmu's buffers... anyone know why?

 

 

24 minutes ago, JDW said:

Why Triang used very small ones or why the real ones were bigger?  For the former, I suspect it's what they had already available from other models in the range.

And for the latter, I would think a 'worst case' design provision to enable operation without risk of buffer locking on small radius curves to enable system wide deployment.

[kevinlms]

On 24/04/2019 at 22:25, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Love it. There's heaps of good and cheap items out there to have a go with. Some of it as good in key respects as current (expensive) product, and with a little effort can be made to look very well indeed.

 

He liked to provoke. I was digging out an old RM for a friend over the Easter weekend, and  a couple of years previous to that he was rattling on about 'modern image' modelling in the editorial, telling those modellers that thought modern image had its good points for modelling to go do the work and prove it, concluding: "Once that has been done, it will be easy to convince a significant part of the hobby that there is something to be said for this type of railway.".

They didn't have smileys then!

 

He did much the same for Heckmondyke. It was a challenge to see if a 'proper' P4 layout could be built, as opposed to a plank and look like the Midland Railway. Obviously it did get built to prove the point and he had a series of articles to put in the Railway Modeller!

[Northmoor]

A session of painting on a number of projects this afternoon, while listening to the football and my team just missing out on the Premiership title despite having a stupid number of points....

 

The 10Mb limit seems to be preventing me doing this in one shot, so multiple entries required (even when I reduce the size of the images).

 

Project 1: an old Hornby 47 body, bought years ago for about a quid, which dated from when they used to have moulded paint guidelines for two-tone green livery, but a previous owner had done a decent job of removing them.  I added parts from a Craftsman detailing kit - many of which have since fallen off - and sprayed it with primer (Halfords rattle can) but didn't start the large logo blue livery until more recently.  Two thin coats (hand painted) of Railmatch blue and from normal viewing distance it's looking OK.

 

 

[Northmoor]

Project 2: not touched for over a year, my fleet of Hornby TTA tanks which have had the tanks filled (to hide the joints between the two halves) and spayed black with Fox transfers added.  I have now moved onto toning down the shiny plastic underframe with frame dirt/track colour.  Three down, about another ten to go.....

Edited May 12, 2019 by Northmoor
Add image

[Northmoor]

Project 3: the Lima Plymouth production line, another project interrupted for months.  There are 6 in total; all to be different liveries and hopefully lessons are learned on each one.

#1 has gained its final livery of what will be either British Steel or Blue Circle yellow (in this case Faded Warning Panel Yellow). 

#2 had the shortened buffer beams re-fitted and the joint in the shortened cab filled and sanded.

#3 just had the gaps in the modified radiator filled.  This is the single biggest improvement you can make to these models to "Anglicise" them; that radiator area is based on operating in Southern USA temperatures.

Edited May 12, 2019 by Northmoor
Image added

[Northmoor]

Too much domestic stuff (the right kind though) getting in the way again lately, but this weekend I wanted to take advantage of the warm weather to practice some spraying.  In my youth I made lots of model aircraft but almost none of them got painted properly, if at all and most are now in the loft, packed in a box for an Airfix Shorts Sunderland (that is also in pieces, was once fully-built but never finished).  I decided to treat a Grumman Wildcat and Hawker Tempest to some paint, Halfords rattle can grey primer  The Tempest has gaps at the wing roots you can see right through!  I don't claim to have become a great kit builder.  

Having satisfied myself I could do half-decent spraying - don't look too close, please - I dug out another project from the "round tuit" stash.  YEARS ago, my dad bought a spare body for a Lima Warship, forgetting the lower half is part of the chassis.  Many years later I acquired a motorised Lima Warship chassis in an eBay job lot (probably valued at about £5), but it was blue livery, so I've now sprayed it in the correct Precision Paints Green.  It's not EXACTLY the same but from normal viewing direction and distance, it's incredibly close and nothing a little weathering won't disguise.  But at least I now know I might do a decent job of the, err, double figures of diesel bodies I need to repaint.

The total cost of this Lima Warship when finished will be about a tenner, in line with my Cheapskate principles.

[Northmoor]

Like many the current social distancing/isolation has allowed me time to get on with a few things at home and this has actually included some modelling.  The good weather has meant that a table in the garden makes an excellent temporary workshop.

I have managed to finish off all the transfers on the Hornby tanks and sealed with Humbrol Matt Varnish (recommended).  On the Metro-Cammell DMU I've removed the redundant "MU connections" as recommended by CloggyDog and a more delicate job, painting the window frames as in plain blue, the aluminium frames really stand out in photographs.  It looks so much better and since I'm not bothering with flush glazing it's pleasing that so long as not looking too close, it disguises the width of the bodysides.   A few jobs still to do but the unit is at last getting to the state I wanted to achieve.  The tanks aren't far off either, except that it's only the first five of (I think) fifteen.......

Photos to follow.

 

[CloggyDog]

On 12/05/2019 at 23:10, Northmoor said:

Project 2: not touched for over a year, my fleet of Hornby TTA tanks which have had the tanks filled (to hide the joints between the two halves) and spayed black with Fox transfers added.  I have now moved onto toning down the shiny plastic underframe with frame dirt/track colour.  Three down, about another ten to go.....

 

Good stuff Northmoor. 

 

The old Hornby TTA is fundamentally accurate, just the walkways and ladder are a tad 'chunky' by today's standards.

 

I still run a number of them, including the sole surviving item of stock from my very first trainset in 1977. They have had the tank halves glued anf filled, EM wheels and screw couplings, plus replacement etched walkways and ladders. 

 

There are various etched replacements available from the likes of A1, S-Kits, Shawplan and Stenson Models, covering the variety of types. Cast whitemetal ends allow the coned or chopped-coned ends to be done. 

[Northmoor]

4 hours ago, CloggyDog said:

 

Good stuff Northmoor. 

 

The old Hornby TTA is fundamentally accurate, just the walkways and ladder are a tad 'chunky' by today's standards.

 

I still run a number of them, including the sole surviving item of stock from my very first trainset in 1977. They have had the tank halves glued anf filled, EM wheels and screw couplings, plus replacement etched walkways and ladders. 

 

There are various etched replacements available from the likes of A1, S-Kits, Shawplan and Stenson Models, covering the variety of types. Cast whitemetal ends allow the coned or chopped-coned ends to be done. 

Thanks.  You're absolutely right about the 45t tanks, if nothing else they "look" right, which is something more than pure dimensional accuracy.

 

The etched fittings available are excellent but that involves spending money..... Hornby's original ladders are as you say, crude, and frequently missing.  People sell them on eBay for £1.50 each plus postage!  I have a better solution; from a swapmeet I found a pack of Ratio signal ladders for £2; these are about the right width and rung spacing, plus there is enough there to do eight wagons.  Even after all this, I could have probably just bought some Bachmann tanks, but they wouldn't be mine, would they?

 

Rob

[CloggyDog]

An alternative to shelling out for the etched walkways might be to see if the moulded ones can be thinned - I know I had a go at one before buying some etches.

 

I think I glued the walkway in place and let the glue properly set, then razor-sawed the walkway bit off flush with the underside, leaving the supports on the tank. I then sanded and sanded and sanded and sanded until the moulded walkway was, if not wafer-thin, then probably not far off. The thinned walkway was then glued to the supports.

Edited April 12, 2020 by CloggyDog

[Northmoor]

I seem to have mislaid the buffer beam detail (pipes etc.) for the DMU so still need to do that and find the right length buffers for the trailer car.  However, with the touched-up window frames it now looks like this:

 

 

To me this is a normal viewing distance, don't zoom in too close on my painting please.....

Edited April 14, 2020 by Northmoor
added image

[Northmoor]

Also posted elsewhere, as the layout was just getting in the way I've been progressing some of the aircraft kits recently.  The good weather allows for plenty of "outdoor workshop" activity.  Note the essential modeller's tools of mug of tea, radio and glass of wine.

 

The Wildcat is as near finished as any model aircraft I've ever built.  The cockpit interior is unpainted as I couldn't prise off the canopy without damaging it; the prop blades should have yellow tips and the tail wheel is missing, but I have never painted, added transfers and finally varnished a model before.  I'm actually quite pleased with my brush painting.  It looks nice and "clean" without the under-wing fuel tanks and rockets, so they can remain in the spares box.

 

The Scout helicopter has a few bits lost for ever, so am deciding if it could become a static/preserved and partly under a tarpaulin, or perhaps in a scrapyard scene.  Still to come, I have started painting the Tempest (missing parts still to be added) and last night fully re-assembled and sprayed the Sea Harrier with undercoat.  I must have a thing for Harriers which dates back to a fascination with watching them in news from the Falklands conflict as a youngster; a nearly complete P1127 needs varnishing and after that, an Airfix GR3 remains unstarted.....