Jo's N gauge wagon works - building, painting and weathering

[njee20]

Looking great, Jo! You’ve much more patience than me to cut all of that out of styrene!

[Steadfast]

Thanks Nick,

The Illustrator and the Silhouette do the hard work, scratch building techniques are useful for one off wagons like this though. I was originally thinking of offering the Silhouette cut parts if anyone wants a go, but it's worse than origami! 

It does sit nicely alongside your 3D prints, so mission accomplished there as far as I'm concerned.

 

Jo

[lyneux]

Some great work there Jo. I particularly like 17901 which is on my hit list in 4mm. I have a drawing for it somewhere but maybe I should ask you to scale it to 4mm. I have a Cameo cutter if you'd be willing?

 

JFAs next to mix in with them?

 

I've got bogged down with KPAs, PGAs and weathering Accurascale PTAs recently but more ARC bogie hoppers are coming close to the top of the list.

 

Guy

[Steadfast]

Thanks Guy @lyneux, I'd like to do a pair of the Procor built wagons, but that can wait for a bit. Nick kindly sent me some extra bogies so I can have a play.

I can send you the artwork for 17901 if you like, I'll fire off a WhatsApp to you.

cheers!

 

Jo

[Steadfast]

It's a other couple of Bass in today's update, this time they're OBAs.

Both are wagons I did a few years back now and deserved a tidy up. 

One was EWS maroon on one side with a patchy version of the same on the other side and faded Satlink ends, whilst the other wagon had a cracking selection of mismatched planks and plain grey ends.

Here's the maroon one before work began.

Both wagons had the door posts painted black and securing chains painted yellow as mentioned previously on the thread, to bring them a bit more up to date. Also, the wheels were painted one of the Railmatch dirty brown shades, with the centres painted using a Molotow chrome paint pen to add the appearance of discs. As the majority of the wheel is hidden, it seemed a waste to glue on etched brake discs. If I didn't like it, I could always paint it over.

Further brown weathering was added lightly with the airbrush, and the maroon planks were reworked on the scabby side, though perhaps are now a little too subtle? Not often I say that... Also the inner face of the door posts were picked out a rusty shade for unpainted metal.

Both wagons had rust spots and washes added to their ends and dark washes on the underframes. Door bangers were repaired or replaced as necessary, strengthened with a plastic fillet as shown in the previous page or so.

The insides got similar treatment with washes etc. The maroon one has been modelled empty, again with dunnage across the width of the wagon. The multi coloured delight has been loaded, with a mixed load of junk for offload in the local recycling centre. Generally you'd find old sleepers, bits of pointwork etc in them, but depending on the site there's no reason why there couldn't be some bushes and S&T equipment too, especially of the wagon had been to a clear up type job.

That's three Bass I now have up to standard, one loaded with junk and two empty. I've got plenty more ideas in the pipeline and many unweathered OBA and OCA!

 

Jo

[Robert Shrives]

Sharp and well observed modelling.  thanks for sharing these OBAs .  Please keep up the good work and updates!  

[Steadfast]

Thanks Robert, and also to everyone for the likes! Bass out the way, on to a few more of those funny wagons with windows in the side. ABD975875 and ADB977087 are a pair of translators, originally used on NSE unit deliveries, currently used by ROG both as translators, or in the case of the day I saw them, coupled together as brake force runners. I've done my own decals for these. It was meant to be a quick project, but I started them in July... Still, if they're done by next July, that'd be quick by my standards!

 

Step 1, take two Farish Mk1s (BSK I think?). Step 2, rip off all the end detail and fill the corridor recess with some plastic sheet. A couple of end steps will need reinstating, but it was easier to remove them and give a nice flat end to file. Step 3, battery boxes, dynamos and vacuum brake equipment were all removed, before a white metal air tank and a distributor made from Evergreen rod (2mm dia, turned down to about 1.5mm in the mini drill) were fitted were fitted to each chassis. I keep meaning to measure up a Westinghouse distributor, but that's an aside... Step 4, both carriages carry an orange multiple working socket on the outer buffer fitted end, it looks similar to an AAR socket (like a 66, 67, 70) so have used the dimensions of one of those. Drawn up in Illustrator and cut on the Silhouette.  977087 also carries handrails, the left hand of which is cut back from where it used to reach the roof level. Both were made from 0.2mm wire, the right hand one simply bent to a staple shape, the left hand is two pieces soldered together. The second part is the upper bracket, all the rest is bent from one piece. The outer ends still need the lowest step on the end adding back on, as well as an ETH socket adding.

 

Step 5, do a little jig! The inner ends need high level Southern Region style air pipes adding, so I knocked up a hole drilling jig from plastic. This is the first time I've successfully used a jig - go me! Normally they just wobble all over the place and end up less accurate than not using one. Life goals at age 31 - make a working jig... The air pipes will come from Farish PCAs, they have a decent shape to them for what I need. They'll be added after painting, to allow the taps and ends to be painted before being glued to the models. Step 6, add the 27 way control cables to complete the Southern Region look. The socket is some 0.8mm wire, with an angle filed on the reverse, bent 90 degrees and then strengthened with a quick splash of solder paste. Once bent, the visible part is trimmed to length, with the tail trimmed to about 8-10 mm so it can still be held. Once super glued in place, the tail inside is trimmed off flush with the plastic.

Step 7, the jumper. Made from 0.3mm wire, the dummy socket and plug where the cable goes into the body is 0.7mm brass tube soldered on, the connector with the body is some Evergreen. Looks a bit crude, but should be ok once hidden under paint. Step, the couplers on the inner ends were replaced with Dapol NEM Scharfenbergs, I've used the short length thanks to the length of buffers. I was hoping to add the box below the buffer beam on the prototype, but due to the swing of the coupler pocket I don't think I can. Still thinking on it though. The pocket had to gently opened out with a drill to slightly make the holes on the sides for the round peg a little larger and also a ting amount of material was removed from the coupler tail, they're a very tight fit in the pocket! I've also super glued the C shaped piece that clips around the coupler head, just a little glue on top and below, careful no to get any on the side as some movement is needed to allow the couplers to locate and engage.

 

If this incessant rain and wind eases up soon, next step is to get some primer on them and then to put a nasty shade of blue in the airbrush and get the body sides painted. I'm doing an ETHEL for someone at work, they grey's already on so I'm hoping I can do the blue for both at the same time, to reduce my exposure to BR blue.

 

Cheers!

 

Jo

[Andy7]

32 minutes ago, Steadfast said:

Thanks Robert, and also to everyone for the likes! Bass out the way, on to a few more of those funny wagons with windows in the side. ABD975875 and ADB977087 are a pair of translators, originally used on NSE unit deliveries, currently used by ROG both as translators, or in the case of the day I saw them, coupled together as brake force runners. I've done my own decals for these. It was meant to be a quick project, but I started them in July... Still, if they're done by next July, that'd be quick by my

 

Cheers!

 

Jo

Looking forward to seeing these complete. I have done this pair in OO over on my workbench thread. Thoroughly enjoyable to make and very unique.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Andy7
Autocorrect grrrrrr

[PWay_Chough]

This is fantastic and in N scale too.

 

I'm in the process of planning a scratch build of an early Matisa ballast cleaner (1960's) in OO Gauge but the company can't find any records which would help determine the dimensions, details of the conveyors, etc, so I'm working from very little material, quite a task but a very interesting on. Not that many photos around of this old machine either.

 

As a matter of interest, did Plasser provide you with any diagrams to help with yours?

[Steadfast]

Hi @PWay_Chough,

Thanks for the kind comment! 

Good luck with your Matisa, that sounds a very interesting project!

The only drawing I worked from is one on the Plasser UK site that I downloaded, there's not much detail but it helps with size, general layout etc. Luckily I was able to get photos of the machine whilst it was sat in the yard at work, even these modern machines aren't that well photographed.

I have heard others say that that Plasser UK are helpful to email requests.

 

Jo

[Calnefoxile]

On 20/01/2021 at 18:03, Steadfast said:

If this incessant rain and wind eases up soon, next step is to get some primer on them and then to put a nasty shade of blue in the airbrush and get the body sides painted. I'm doing an ETHEL for someone at work, they grey's already on so I'm hoping I can do the blue for both at the same time, to reduce my exposure to BR blue.

 

Cheers!

 

Jo

 

Oi You, Nowt wrong with BR Blue, ya young whippersnapper 

 

It's these new fangled colour schemes that get me, flaming companies can't make their minds up what livery they want, pick one and stick to it. 

 

Cheers 

 

Neal.

[Steadfast]

1 minute ago, Calnefoxile said:

Oi You, Nowt wrong with BR Blue, ya young whippersnapper 

Best thing to happen to BR blue was large logo and lots of dirt 

Still, I'll take the young bit, makes me feel better!

 

Jo

[37114]

1 hour ago, Calnefoxile said:

 

Oi You, Nowt wrong with BR Blue, ya young whippersnapper 

 

It's these new fangled colour schemes that get me, flaming companies can't make their minds up what livery they want, pick one and stick to it. 

 

Cheers 

 

Neal.

I thought BR Blue came after your time Neal???

[37114]

On 20/01/2021 at 18:03, Steadfast said:

Thanks Robert, and also to everyone for the likes! Bass out the way, on to a few more of those funny wagons with windows in the side. ABD975875 and ADB977087 are a pair of translators, originally used on NSE unit deliveries, currently used by ROG both as translators, or in the case of the day I saw them, coupled together as brake force runners. I've done my own decals for these. It was meant to be a quick project, but I started them in July... Still, if they're done by next July, that'd be quick by my standards!

 

Step 1, take two Farish Mk1s (BSK I think?). Step 2, rip off all the end detail and fill the corridor recess with some plastic sheet. A couple of end steps will need reinstating, but it was easier to remove them and give a nice flat end to file. Step 3, battery boxes, dynamos and vacuum brake equipment were all removed, before a white metal air tank and a distributor made from Evergreen rod (2mm dia, turned down to about 1.5mm in the mini drill) were fitted were fitted to each chassis. I keep meaning to measure up a Westinghouse distributor, but that's an aside... Step 4, both carriages carry an orange multiple working socket on the outer buffer fitted end, it looks similar to an AAR socket (like a 66, 67, 70) so have used the dimensions of one of those. Drawn up in Illustrator and cut on the Silhouette.  977087 also carries handrails, the left hand of which is cut back from where it used to reach the roof level. Both were made from 0.2mm wire, the right hand one simply bent to a staple shape, the left hand is two pieces soldered together. The second part is the upper bracket, all the rest is bent from one piece. The outer ends still need the lowest step on the end adding back on, as well as an ETH socket adding.

 

Step 5, do a little jig! The inner ends need high level Southern Region style air pipes adding, so I knocked up a hole drilling jig from plastic. This is the first time I've successfully used a jig - go me! Normally they just wobble all over the place and end up less accurate than not using one. Life goals at age 31 - make a working jig... The air pipes will come from Farish PCAs, they have a decent shape to them for what I need. They'll be added after painting, to allow the taps and ends to be painted before being glued to the models. Step 6, add the 27 way control cables to complete the Southern Region look. The socket is some 0.8mm wire, with an angle filed on the reverse, bent 90 degrees and then strengthened with a quick splash of solder paste. Once bent, the visible part is trimmed to length, with the tail trimmed to about 8-10 mm so it can still be held. Once super glued in place, the tail inside is trimmed off flush with the plastic.

Step 7, the jumper. Made from 0.3mm wire, the dummy socket and plug where the cable goes into the body is 0.7mm brass tube soldered on, the connector with the body is some Evergreen. Looks a bit crude, but should be ok once hidden under paint. Step, the couplers on the inner ends were replaced with Dapol NEM Scharfenbergs, I've used the short length thanks to the length of buffers. I was hoping to add the box below the buffer beam on the prototype, but due to the swing of the coupler pocket I don't think I can. Still thinking on it though. The pocket had to gently opened out with a drill to slightly make the holes on the sides for the round peg a little larger and also a ting amount of material was removed from the coupler tail, they're a very tight fit in the pocket! I've also super glued the C shaped piece that clips around the coupler head, just a little glue on top and below, careful no to get any on the side as some movement is needed to allow the couplers to locate and engage.

 

If this incessant rain and wind eases up soon, next step is to get some primer on them and then to put a nasty shade of blue in the airbrush and get the body sides painted. I'm doing an ETHEL for someone at work, they grey's already on so I'm hoping I can do the blue for both at the same time, to reduce my exposure to BR blue.

 

Cheers!

 

Jo

Great work Jo. Careful Br Blue is infectious, I used to be like you into all those modern colours then I sprayed one blue model and never went back. Saves on paint costs

Edited February 11, 2021 by 37114

[Steven B]

I'm looking forward to seeing how you go about painting ABD975875 and ADB977087 - if it they were painted BR Blue it didn't look like it in your prototype pictures!

 

 

Steven B.

[Steadfast]

2 hours ago, 37114 said:

Great work Jo. Careful Br Blue is infectious, I used to be like you into all those modern colours then I sprayed one blue model and never went back. Saves on paint costs

Shhhhhh! That sounds like a very slippery slope! Most of my passenger stock is all one shade of blue, just with pink doors! I found BR blue very drab, especially on the DMUs without the grey window band. Not that I remember it first hand of course! I do have a bit of a soft spot for green diesels, but that's a dirty secret for the future. 

1 hour ago, Steven B said:

I'm looking forward to seeing how you go about painting ABD975875 and ADB977087 - if it they were painted BR Blue it didn't look like it in your prototype pictures!

 

 

Steven B.

I'm going for BR blue based on ex works shots of the set, like this.

https://flic.kr/p/bKFw5r

It was painted 2013, so had 6 years of fading when I saw it. If it's not BR blue but something near, it's still a lot closer than a lot of Dapol's attempts!

I'm undecided whether to go lightly faded but smart or full on washed out with the fresh patches as they were when I saw them. Decisions, decisions...

 

Jo

[Steadfast]

I do love the patch painted look and flaky roof. I don't love the HST trailers going for scrap though. This is 2020, I'd forgotten I had this shot too.

 

 

Jo

 

[Steadfast]

A recently finished wagon, pic linked from my Flickr.

 

JGA RMC 19240

Take one Graham Farish N scale wagon, throw some brown paint and decals at it and here's the result.

Ok, it's a little more involved than that, first airbrush the whole wagon with the brown, take back the excess with thinners on a brush. Build up layers of rusty browns on the top angle where constant battering from aggregate product has removed most of the white paint. The black diamond and graffiti decals are tests for a set I have in development. The weld lines are pencil, small details are picked out in colour before a wash or two of stone dust dirt. Finally it's all sealed with a coat of matt varnish.

 

Jo

[DavidMcKenzie]

Cracking modelling Jo. Nice to see the last picture with the 1pence as well. When N gauge is done as well as that it's easy to forget how small the models are. 

 

All the best,

Dave 

[Steadfast]

Thanks Dave.

I only put the penny on as I put it on Flickr so would be more visible in non modelling circles, but it's a handy reminder as you say!

 

Jo

[njee20]

Superb work, Jo, that looks amazing.

[Steadfast]

Thanks Nick, just need to get the rest of the set done.

 

Jo

[Steadfast]

Things have been a little hectic the last few months, the other afternoon I managed to do my first modelling in ages. It was nice to switch off and play with some decals for an hour.

A bit of a before and after, the first picture showing the donor Revolution TEA along with the decals to go on and also the MicroSol used to soften the tampo printed details that need removing. I found on these wagons a combination of the Microsol on a cotton bud and some gentle work with a cocktail stick worked well. The decals cover the older VTG logos, patched over Petroplus logos, data panels and yellow stenciled number for the top. Before anyone points it out, my modelling period is prior to the green sticker being added above the number panel.

 

The eagle eyed may have also noticed that the lower numbered TEAs ride on a different version of the TF25 bogie - if I can get hold of some flat top bogies in future I may have a go at doing a swap. The Mendip JNAs, Bardon AI27xxx JGAs and NACCO TEA silver bullet china clay tanks all use this earlier type. Also, the brake equipment needs revising, but that's a project for another day.

 

Before and after together, definitely different enough to stand out in a set, I've also done myself the yellow stencilled numbers for the top of the wagon next to the walkways on some more of my Revolution TEAs. This seems to be a feature of the tanks working out of Robeston. The walkway should also be modified, but that's nigh on impossible without some awkward holes and risk of damaging the bits that need leaving in place.

 

Jo

 

[Timmy84]

Enjoyed catching up on this Jo.

 

The pencil lines you use for panelling look really good. I use the tip of a tiny file to actually make a groove and then work some paint in to it (have used this on JGAs and the recent HTAs to add relief).

 

some really incredible stuff on here. The OBAs you did particularly caught my eye. I’ve attempted similar but yours are much better.

 

Tim.

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Jo,

 

Nice job on the red TEA - I particularly like the hint of 'Petroplus' visible under the painted out panel.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.