RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 25, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2015 Very nice James, Having done the same respray on a Heljan, and then SS Great Britain using a Vi Trains model (although still not quite finished the yellow ends...) Think that must be the first time I've seen someone else painting something in Merlin. Now to convince you to do away with all that Fag Packet First stuff, and back date it to Merlin....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack374 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) Great modelling as usual! They all look so realistic...I may have to nick the Humbrol 32 idea! Looking forward to seeing Loftus Road at Stafford...honestly one of the main reasons for going as I probably won't see it anywhere else! I'll say hi if I get a chance! Looking forward to more (GW green!) Jack. Edit, appalling spelling. Edited January 25, 2015 by Jack374 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCML100 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Porterbrook always produced interesting silver / purple colour schemes. i feel 57601 was the best one! Great Modelling as always Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1722 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 That Great Western 47 looks beautiful. Top work, as ever, James. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted January 26, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 26, 2015 Very nice James, Having done the same respray on a Heljan, and then SS Great Britain using a Vi Trains model (although still not quite finished the yellow ends...) Think that must be the first time I've seen someone else painting something in Merlin. Now to convince you to do away with all that Fag Packet First stuff, and back date it to Merlin....... Thanks Rich, same here, you're the only other person I've seen tackling the Merlin colours! I must admit I do have a soft spot for that colour scheme as well, I've slowly collected a full Merlin HST set and just need to spend some time detailing up all the vehicles! What did amaze me is the lack of reference photos now online for a livery at the beginning of the digital camera & website era, 'Merlin' and 'Fag Packet' covered the entire GW fleet for over 5 years and were once well documented, but now virtually erased from the internet - I think a huge amount of valuable early post-privatisation content vanished when the Fotopic sites died. Definitely a case of saving an image when you see it nowadays! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 26, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) I keep thinking of adding the 3 or 4 coaches missing from a second full rake in merlin / ic hybrid, also need to sort out a new underframe and drive for the Lima model in power cars to bring up to standard. Thankfully I saved lots of get photos from fotopic (including the gwt liveried mk3 sleepers) just wish they had done the mk2s to go with it..... How about a virgin Xc branded host to go with it.. Edited January 26, 2015 by The Fatadder 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post James Makin Posted January 26, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) Sixteen years dreaming and two years in the making...here's my latest and most favourite project to date..! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr As regular readers may know, I've got a bit of a fetish for First Great Western HSTs and have spent the last couple of years modelling a set in the much-missed 1999 "Fag Packet" livery. Based on the original green & ivory 'Merlin' livery of Great Western Trains, the takeover by First Group led to gold, white and green pinstripes being applied to the sides of almost every vehicle in the FGW fleet. I'd managed to acquire an entire Lima HST set in FGW colours, but the problem was always going to be the power cars - a great livery, covering an ageing model that neither looked or ran particularly well. The new Hornby HST power cars were the natural answer...but how to get the jazzy FGW livery? FGW coaching stock stripe vinyl stickers are available from a supplier whose name rhymes with 'Derision' but I was told it was categorically not possible to do a set for the power cars as the stripes wouldn't bend round the cab. So I decided to have a bash at making my own! I set about drawing up my own artwork on CorelDraw, gold striping, with green and white stripes of the exacting thickness required to create the jazzy effect, along with a full range of First logos, gold tops panels and green numbers. However, I couldn't find a way to print the metallic gold transfers - so I approached the very helpful Steve at Railtec Transfers http://www.railtec-models.com/- and the rest is history! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Starting with Hornby's Virgin HST set, I looked to model two of my favourite power cars from my spotting days - 43134 County of Somerset and 43149 BBC Wales Today. Bizarre choice of names you might think, but to a young self standing on my usual Sunday platform 5 haunt at Didcot Parkway, the thought of hopping on one train and ending up in either Wales or Somerset seemed pretty exotic - how sad!! As per usual, things aren't always that easy, and both of my Hornby Virgin HST donors had a different type of cooler vents to 43134 and 43149. They are the same type as on the Intercity Swallow release show above. I really like Intercity, so I wasn't going to ruin one of those for a FGW repaint! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The superb 'Artpop' album accompanied my attempts to scratchbuild a replica of the louvres in the roof of the power cars... FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The models were then stripped and painted into the base colours of Great Western Trains green, with yellow and ivory end detailing. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Steve at Railtec very kindly took my PDF drawings of the livery and turned them into metallic waterslide transfers which are now on sale to the general public. This in itself is incredible - as a youngster once looking to recreate this model once the Lima HST had sold out, the thought of the livery every being 'modellable' was ridiculously beyond comprehension! And to further plug Steve, they're really good transfers! All you need to do is apply them over glossy dark green and they're sufficiently dense to achieve a full white stripey effect, with a superb metallic gold finish as well. I have also worked with Steve to design decal images for the Class 47 and Mk2 and Mk3 coaching stock sets as well - have a look on the Railtec website. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Underneath the transfers, the body itself has a lot of fine detailing, that you wouldn't normally notice at first glance. This includes the Batman-type black window surrounds, and it's worth paying attention to the variations in the ivory paint around the front light clusters. 43149 (left) exhibits the 'less yellow' variation with white-framed headlights, while 43134 has a larger area of yellow and chrome-framed lights. 43149 still has a roof-mounted aerial. The next stages were to gradually apply the transfers over the green body, following prototype photographs. Railtec does TOPS panels in gold print now, all found on the FGW HST pack. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Determined to prove that it was possible to bend stripes around a curved cab, I made a series of cuts to the decal to get the required bend - firstly the lower white striping was removed from the upper gold band, and gradually teased round the curve, with the lower stripe then applied at a more horizontal angle. This leaves slight gaps between the gold band and the lower striping, which can be filled with white paint. Job done! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Those 'exotic' names...! Like most of the First Great Western fleet of the early millennium, they still had the early-'90s former Intercity stainless steel plates with a dated selection of both location-based and commercial names, which I particularly love. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Weathering was fairly restrained for the pair of power cars, being limited to a light spray of frame dirt and the usual build up of roof weathering. I've added a tinge of blue into the exhaust weathering for a subtle look, though not so clear in the photographs! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The scratchbuilt vents look almost as good as Hornby's ones once painted up... lots of empty space for sound to creep through once my pair of Legomanbiffo Paxman sound decoders arrive...hellfire!! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Cab blinds were made from little pieces of black card, with curved corners and silver painted edging. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The classic full frontal HST look! Here's the full set! 43149 is the lead motorised power car, followed by a full 8-coach rake with the larger buffet. All of the Mk3s have had interior detailing as per the rest of this thread, but lots of work remains to be done on the exterior. This includes a complete renumber, varnish and lettering up with the correct A-H using my new Railtec transfers. The bogies will be detailed, along with some rubberised/elastic pipework running between carriages, temporarily attached using magnets. FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The coaches have all been Shawplan 'lazerglazed' and now looking the part! FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr FGW HST by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr And ready to go! The HST will be appearing on Worthing MRC's Loftus Road at Stafford this weekend, it might have even have sound if my decoders arrive on time! Unlike my other items, this is an ongoing piece and will gradually be more detailed over time, possibly with carriage lighting too. Readers might have noticed the massive nostalgia trip with my recent modelling, this is all part of a wider project - this HST is the mainstay of the layout and the absolute daddy of all the things I've ever wanted to create! This definitely won't be the last 'Fag Packet' HST on the 'to-do' list, and really ought to be accompanied by some 'Thames Turbos' and a few HAA coal rakes next! Edited August 12, 2016 by James Makin 24 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multiple identity account Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Ummmm..... Wow!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Boco_D1 Posted January 27, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2015 That HST looks ruddy gorgeous, nicely done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merc435 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Very nice job James. The HST brings back memories of walks past Long Rock depot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 27, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 27, 2015 Fantastic job, like you I always regretted not getting the Lima model when it was out (and wouldn't pay the silly money a coach they subsequently went for.) Are you going to be using the mk2 transfers to model some 8 window TSO for either the day stock or sleeper? Is it just for loftus road or is a gwml layout coming soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarrettTheThief Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Oh my word, THAT IS AMAZING! Seriously, that's a brilliant project! I need to repaint a couple opf HST cars and a few standard coaches into FGW Fag Packet for my Project Rio rakr and I bought most of them in Great Western Merlin livery to make the repaint easier, but it's great to see that someone has taken the time to convert from scratch. That's some real inspiration right there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 First Class work James - Top Inspirational modelling. Cheers, Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
South-East Rail Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Impressive modelling, as ever! Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitbull1845 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Another masterpiece James.. Good work. The only downside is that i feel more and more reluctant to post anyything I do. I'm looking forward to the Stafford show, I'll be there on Saturday, just hope I get time to see the other layouts.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d winpenny Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Wow looking superb David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted January 27, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 27, 2015 Fantastic job, like you I always regretted not getting the Lima model when it was out (and wouldn't pay the silly money a coach they subsequently went for.) Are you going to be using the mk2 transfers to model some 8 window TSO for either the day stock or sleeper? Is it just for loftus road or is a gwml layout coming soon Thanks Rich, yeah definitely hope to model some Mk2s with the 8-window and a micro-buffet! There's loads more stock I've been hoarding for years, got loads of FGW sleepers and so on, also fancy doing those Motorail GUV conversions, though I kick myself for not buying the Model Rail etched conversion kits at the time!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted January 27, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 27, 2015 I may be able to sort you out there, mine are unlikely ever to be finished. Drop me a pm tomorrow when I get back to the uk and will see what I can do Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigP Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) -- Edited January 30, 2021 by bigP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnington Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) HST looks awesome James, great work! Looking forward to seeing it and Loftus Road on Saturday. Arnie Edited January 27, 2015 by Arnington Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCML100 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 some really good work here - reminds me of watching the fag packet hat's passing through at top speed through west drayton, my local station. a real blast from my past - great work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwich Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Absolutely superb James! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Underwood Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 One of the best HST jobs I've seen James very well done! That's next on my list after the Barbie doll power cars. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted February 15, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 15, 2015 (edited) Here's the next two wagons for the Loftus Road ballast train - OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Joining the fleet today are OBA's 110180 and 110199. In line with the earlier batch from last year, these are all based on standard Bachmann 'EWS' maroon versions, long stored in my cupboard before being completely gutted and coming out the works looking a right mess! As with the others, these are based on prototype pictures gleaned from the fabulous Flickr app - just type in 'OBA' and you're presented with a large variety of wagon porn, isn't the internet fabulous! Dutch 110199 was chosen for its relatively-intact yellow and grey colour scheme, while 110180 is a former S&T wagon with a hotchpotch of replacement planks to jazz up the livery. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr As before, the old livery was rubbed down and the new planking colours painted in using a wide variety of shades matched to the photograph. I could use this opportunity to do a '50 Shades' joke but it'd be the 50th time I've seen an attempt at this today so I'll refrain here!! The weathering process was enhanced by the recent 'Human' album from filthy-mouthed Cheryl 'can't-remember-her-new-name' Cole along with numerous pots of Humbrol 32, 62 and 186 to tone down the weathering, and drybrush woodgrain onto the planking. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr After lots of drybrushing and paint-on/wipe-off, the wagons were ready for a spot of Humbrol Matt Varnish, sealing in the homemade stencil data panels. (fonts: Stencil and Gunplay) OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr 110199 is a filthy old beast! The grey livery is reasonably intact livery-wise, but the wood itself suffers from a lot of cracking, with a few newer grey patches and many dark streaky patches, along with heavy rust water streaking from the exposed metal fairings on the sides. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The base colour was Halfords automotive grey primer, then overlaid with Humbrol 1 Grey and a variety of Phoenix concrete greys, before the weathering started. Yellow was Humbrol 99 with varying dollops of white added! Colin Craig brake discs finish off the model. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Next up is 110180 - actually a partner model to similar S&T OBA 110058 that I'd modelled earlier last year. I didn't fancy doing both red & yellow examples at the same time so this one got pushed to the back of the queue! OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The livery originated with the classic red, a very faded Humbrol 174. There's many shades on this wagon and I suspect that the only original part of the prototype is the middle planking on the far left end, now almost a pinky/orange shade! The second panel was recently repainted and a brighter red, with a small graffiti tag and a big '2' - presumably there is an 'official' reason behind the numbering. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Like the others, the data panels were custom jobs here in Coreldraw, the prototype has small stencilling, which I've followed here. OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr The wagon ends are interesting, the bottom shade is a grey, with a pale yellow topping as per the standard 'Dutch' livery, but over the years the third central shade of super-pale yellow has appeared, perhaps hand-painted to tidy a join, but now showing very clearly and looking very odd! OBA wagon by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr Two more down! I've still got three part-finished OBA's sitting on the workbench before it's back on with other bits - some really exciting wagon projects in the planning stages over the coming year. Now for a spot of Sunday night Top Gear! Edited August 12, 2016 by James Makin 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Those wagons are amazing. I really must revisit mine to make half as good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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