Eastburn - The Aire Valley in the 1955 - A valuable lesson in paying attention!

[Michael Edge]

I'll keep on using the Ronseal then....

Varnishing is the stage I really hate, all the previous work can go wrong here.

[Aire Head]

4 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I'll keep on using the Ronseal then....

Varnishing is the stage I really hate, all the previous work can go wrong here.

Agreed it’s always the part that I feel the most concerned about, particularly because once it’s happened there is less you can do about it.

 

In the past I’ve had issues with varnish (a different brand) going cloudy and glossier then it was supposed to on wargaming miniatures that I have painted.

[Aire Head]

It’s more progress today with the fiddle yard boards being constructed.

Still plenty of work today making sure everything runs level and fit properly it is really starting to feel like progress is being made now!

 

I also broke out the paints again and gave the PI ex LMS BG a coat of paint moving it ever so slightly further towards being finished. (To be fair I started building this the day my partner went into labour so I’ve got an excuse for taking 3 months rights?)

 

I did decide to cheat a bit with this one as I’ve not been able to find images of this particular type of BG that show the livery well enough so since Blood and Custard and just plain Crimson seemed just as likely I decided to have both!

 

 

Again still lots to do, mainly with the roof area but another project edges it’s way towards eventual completion!

[Aire Head]

So the continuing saga of varnish disasters continues!

 

 

Having go the sides of a D1730 BTK to where I wanted them I decided to send them for varnishing prior to glazing and then…

 

to say I’m gutted is something of an understatement and now have me worrying if I’m going to have the same problems with the other coaches on my workbench.

 

I can only imagine this is a primer issue but I now find myself back at square one again.

 

Also does anyone have any advice for removing decalfix residue?

[Aire Head]

Not much happening on the layout front but have been able to get a lot of work in on the locos and some stock.

 

First of all my varnishing luck appears to have improved. The D1778 BG has received numbers and lining and it now waiting on my to finish off the detailing on the roof and underframe.

 

 

I have been busy renumbering locos and weathering them. Here we have Lancaster Green Ayre Black 5 44989 on a Leeds to Morecambe and Heysham service. The D1778 from earlier is at the front showing the other side where I decided to go plain crimson. The Black 5 will be gaining a class B headcode for stopping passenger trains.

 

Another Black 5 is now Carlisle Kingmoor based 45018 however the images I have these aren't really good enough quality for me to post them here (yet). 45018 is wearing a class C headcode as she will be handling the fitted freight, parcels and milk trains passing through Eastburn.

 

 

The Crab is now Carlisle Upperby's 42751, headcoded up for class D Express Freights

 

A pair of LMS built 4Fs are also now in their new identies as Skipton based 44547 and Stourton based 44467. Both are currently Headcoded for Class H through Freights which made up the majority of Goods on this line during the 1955 period I am modelling.

 

These two will also be the only two LMS built 4Fs in the roster as the majority used in the area were the ExMidland examples as produced by Bachmann.

 

Edited September 27, 2021 by Aire Head
Managed to sort out an image of the 4Fs

[A1X]

looking great , nice to see a layout forming and the trains built up at the same time .

[Aire Head]

18 minutes ago, A1X said:

looking great , nice to see a layout forming and the trains built up at the same time .

 

It's all to do with balancing time. Most the time I might get half an hour or an hour of time where I can do anything. It's not enough time to get anything done on the layout but allows me to slap a coat of paint or some transfers onto something else!

 

At least that way I get something done and it feels like progress is being made.

[Aire Head]

Following the varnishing disaster a few months ago the D1730 had been sat looking very sorry for itself.

 

Today however all that changed, the model was stripped of the old paint job and back to bear brass and plastic.

 

Once this was done and the model washed and dried it was reassembled and tidied up. Gangways were added and..

 

Back into Blood and Custard she goes! Still loads of work left to do on this one and the other coaches in this rake but feeling much better now I've tackled this and brought some life back to the model.

 

[Aire Head]

Have now lines out the D1730 so the next stage it to start tackling things like vents, rails and handles. Then the underframe needs some love before adding glazing and an interior!

 

 

An Airfix Stanier D1925 Composite has also been added to the rake aswell where it has been repainted and will be detailed up to a standard with the rest of the stock for Eastburn.

 

Which brand of Flush Glazing would people recommend to use on the Airfix composite?

[Aire Head]

While progress has been slow on building Eastburn recently I have at least been able to keep up with a bit of modelling on an evening.

 

 

Broke out the weathering powders and tackled an ExLMS D1828 steel van and an exLMS D1666 5 plank open. Both of these had been painted and weathered by me previously however I decided to use the weathering powders to add a slightly more realistic (in my opinion) finish to them. I'm pretty pleased with how these have turned out to be honest so bouyer with success I turned to my next victim.

 

 

A major source of traffic flow in this section of line was Coal from the Yorkshire fields heading North and West to various destinations. With this in mind I am determined to collect a not inconsiderable number of mineral wagons. Given my period of 1955 the old RCH wooden types have not yet been vanquished by the ubiquitous trusty rusty 16 tonner. Having achieved the look I was aiming for on this wagon I satisfied myself that all was well only to receive a strong lesson in humility shortly after.

 

 

It turns out that before you spray a model you should check that the can you are holding is infact varnish and not a can of primer BEFORE you spray a model. 

 

Anyway im managed to strip off the errant primer (and all of the weathering) on the effected side of the model and fortunately I realised what I had done almost instantly meaning the bulk of the model is fine, I just have to weather it all again!