RMweb Premium James Makin Posted April 10, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 10, 2019 On 09/04/2019 at 09:53, Arpleymodeller said: Any new wagon projects James? Sure you've got another batch waiting to be revealed! Cheers Lewis Haha I sure do! I’ve spent most of my modelling time lately on something completely different, a commission for a real life train company, which I should be allowed to show some pics of hopefully after this weekend, assuming goes to plan! Aside from that I’ve been squeezing in a couple of VGAs which are halfway through being weathered (the poo brown variety again!) and six years after my last batch, some more TEA wagons which have so far proved a disaster with getting some initial protecting varnish to stay settled on the model throughout my heavy weathering stages, never had this challenge the last time around! I’ll definitely keep you posted on all this for sure! Cheers, James 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Sounds interesting 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Hi James, I been looking back over your thread for a bit of inspiration this eve and I'm not sure if you mentioned it but have you ever tried acrylic paint to do your weathering? Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Comeon, James , get cracking on didcot ! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 On 10/04/2019 at 18:15, James Makin said: Haha I sure do! I’ve spent most of my modelling time lately on something completely different, a commission for a real life train company, which I should be allowed to show some pics of hopefully after this weekend, assuming goes to plan! Aside from that I’ve been squeezing in a couple of VGAs which are halfway through being weathered (the poo brown variety again!) and six years after my last batch, some more TEA wagons which have so far proved a disaster with getting some initial protecting varnish to stay settled on the model throughout my heavy weathering stages, never had this challenge the last time around! I’ll definitely keep you posted on all this for sure! Cheers, James Sounds amazing mate following with much interest! Cheers Lewis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted April 15, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2019 On 10/04/2019 at 21:28, sb67 said: Hi James, I been looking back over your thread for a bit of inspiration this eve and I'm not sure if you mentioned it but have you ever tried acrylic paint to do your weathering? Steve. Thanks Steve! I've only really used enamel paints for all my stuff, basically from my early days of tackling Airfix kits from about aged 11 upwards I built up my collection, moved into railways and never looked back! Every now and then I do see some great acrylic-based weathering online that makes me think I should look at some new tricks, but then I look back at the giant stash of enamels I've built up over the years and think "oh I'll just carry on with these" and "maybe next time" 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post James Makin Posted April 15, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted April 15, 2019 Hi guys, finally, an update! As mentioned above, inbetween my mysterious railway commission project (which did not now get unveiled this weekend as previously planned, so no reveal just yet!) I've been doing some 'filler' projects, it's always useful to slot the smaller things in to fill time while you're waiting for glues & paints to dry on the bigger things! Here, I've been tackling another pair of VGA wagons for my ever-growing MOD fleet: VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Joining the fleet today is VGA 210501 and VKA-coded 210575. I recorded both last year on MOD traffic at Didcot, so these secured themselves in the modelling plans! VGA 210501 at Didcot Parkway 12/08/18 by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The starting point of course is the ageing Bachmann VGA - in this case a couple that were given to me by fellow Loftus Road gangmember Mark Butcher. He'd handed them over to me originally just for me to do some weathering & graffiti for him, but he later decided to just plain sell them on to me! VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr There were barely any EWS-liveried VGAs in real life, so the first thing was to make them representative and paint out the maroon colour scheme, replacing it with the brown shades of the prototypes chosen from my Didcot pair. These are all unpainted silver underneath, with their level of brown-ness dependant upon when, if ever, it was last cleaned..! VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Ladytron's recent superb self-titled album is really the only soundtrack to a decent dirty VGA project, and here we can see the layers of brown going on 210501. Humbrol matt 186 and 62 were applied as a base coat on the sides, topped with drybrushing light earthy matt 119, before leaving it to dry. The ends were painted light grey - Phoenix's 'cement rendering' shade to start, before later receiving washes of browns. The real things had an extremely faded yellow that's almost white, before the rust streaking starts! VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Soon enough, the wagon was completed. The roof received a coating of dark greys, with a dash of talcum powder (see March 2015 updates for more) just to get a teeny bit of texture - as it comes from Bachmann, the wagon roof looks a little too smooth in my eyes, but when trying this it's always worth going subtle so it's not too textured! Dark grey was painted on and wiped off vertically down the sides, staining the colours and leaving dirt in the recesses. Later, this was topped off with the jazzy Hazchem scars - and there were tons of them on this one! There's even a lime green one as well, fancy! VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Next up was VKA 210575, a darker brown example with less Hazchem scarring, but one of the ones with the irresistible Carlisle Currock fox depot motif! I also liked that this example had some of the brown wiped away in areas revealing the silver bodysides below the grime. The shades used here were Humbrols 186, 70 and then topped off with 32 dark grey. VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The ends were treated to some fun, as photos showed a number of paint chunks missing and opportunities to do some rusting on the affected areas! VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Final finishing touches are Colin Craig brake discs, and underframe weathering, before receiving a coat of Railmatch matt varnish to flatten down the models. VGA wagons by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr They're now good to add to the train, which is getting fairly long now! Tatty Petroleum-livered 37350 or an RfD '47' is the ideal late-90s accompaniment to head up the MOD train, and I'm next looking to put together some MOD containers onto KFAs or build some of the dinky PFAs to round it off! Last but not least, I can't resist giving a good plug to Accurascale - I've just ordered a bundle of their new PCA cement wagons, and they are superb! Accurascale PCA Wagon by James Makin, on Flickr There's just so many little details finely modelled and all the livery printing is ultra-sharp. I don't normally say it but it would be a shame to weather them! I think I'll be taking the plunge in due course though..! Cheers, James 21 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxokid Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 More "super" modelling here James 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Excellent VGAs again 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Those VGAs look fantastic James, they look a good subject to weather. I know what you mean about todays weathering products, I find it all too easy to but some! Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted April 29, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 29, 2019 The adverts are really ramping up on RMWeb now but I must admit I do like this one! £250 a day for my handiwork...I’ll reach for the paints and glues now lads! 2 1 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxokid Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Any new updates James... cheers neil. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 8, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 8, 2019 On 07/05/2019 at 00:47, saxokid said: Any new updates James... cheers neil. Hi Neil! Ohhhh yes! I've been beavering away on several new diesel locomotives - these are work-in progress so I'm waiting until they're finished before showing, it's more fun that way! These are for the Big Weathering Batch that will take place soon, I hate airbrushing so I'm building up a collection of locos that are pre-weathered and just need the finishing touches of exhaust and track grime to be sprayed before they can be let out of 'the works' for photography on here! There's about 20 locos that I'll be able to unveil in a short space of time, too fun! Connected to this (and I know that will interest you Neil!) is my Class 37 strategy...I've amassed 18 Bachmann Class 37s gradually over the years since release, but never got round to doing anything with them, until deciding enough was enough and it's time for their moment to shine! These 18 locos were picked up in the days before prices rocketed in the hobby, they're all £50 shop-clearance specials, £40 swapmeet buys or £30 offloads from mates over the years. I'd long thought about selling the lot and making a small fortune, but in the back of my mind I knew it'd be impossible to ever buy a substantial fleet again at the current prices! So it was on to the task of deciding which actual locomotives are to be modelled with what I've got in the collection - The starting points are the trusty Platform 5 trainspotting books of the years I'm modelling, paired with my own blurry Didcot Parkway photos of the time and more professional Flickr images to fill in the rest...this is one of the most exciting parts of a project and to do it 18 times over in just a few weeks has been a great pleasure. Most of the interesting part has been working out what permutations I can model with what I've got, by tactically swapping split headcode and centre headcode ends around from livery to livery, adding refurbished ends to some and changing roof panels & side grilles, it's a Crystal Maze 'Tractor' challenge! I've already started work on 4 Trainload Mess (special sector for rustbuckets) locos and have many more to come. I won't spoil any surprises giving away the identities of the locos chosen, but it includes a right mix from scummy triple grey, Dutch wrecks to beautiful EWS heavyweights and some glamorous Scottish interlopers, there's something for everyone, and combines the best of what's featured at Didcot in it's most exciting years. Watch this space! Cheers, James 12 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 1999 ? They were all dying out......sad. ive gone back to 1991 for my next plank , to give me more 47 variety, before they all fell apart. id like to see 37248, 065, 114, 051, 057, 370, 116, 079..... it’s like bingo, I wonder if I got any ...;) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 ooh bingo.....i'll go for 010, 055, 051, 170, 248, 403, 704 and 717 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 8, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 8, 2019 Haha love the bingo, get your dibbers and dabbers at the ready! Rob, you’ve got one direct hit in that line of numbers and Ben you’ve got two! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 ^^^^^^^ 403 is cheating ! We know you brought 37055 ...... get the bouncers ! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxokid Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Sounds good to me James You no what im like over class "37"s .. looking forward to more now... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxokid Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Ive found these dvd"s to be very useful James for "railfreight and class 37" information, when making up 37s and mixed railfreight traffic like speedlink... cheers neil.. 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 9, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 9, 2019 3 hours ago, saxokid said: Ive found these dvd"s to be very useful James for "railfreight and class 37" information, when making up 37s and mixed railfreight traffic like speedlink... cheers neil.. Thanks Neil, absolutely! I bought a couple of the original VHS's from the original supplier at the full RRP when I was fairly young (South West & West Mids ones), and then some years later I found the above in a box set of DVDs from a discounter 'The Works' - they wanted only £9.99 for all of them, it was a proper wow moment! The Wales one is lovely with so much Coal action, and the sight of the sector 37s in the Valleys with the ancient '50s vacuum braked coal wagons is brilliant. There's also some very pleasant Irish folk music on the Ireland DVD, so there's truly something for everyone! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 22 hours ago, rob D2 said: ^^^^^^^ 403 is cheating ! We know you brought 37055 ...... get the bouncers ! Not at all, I just remember the type of rust buckets that James is going for, happy days indeed! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 22, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 22, 2019 Off on a random tangent, I saw this interesting sleeper variety at Portslade station this evening, pipes going through the middle, hopefully some fun inspiration for someone to tackle on their layouts! Cheers, James 6 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISW Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 On 22/05/2019 at 21:55, James Makin said: Off on a random tangent, I saw this interesting sleeper variety at Portslade station this evening, pipes going through the middle, hopefully some fun inspiration for someone to tackle on their layouts! Cheers, James James, I'm guessing those cables are feeders for the 750vDC third rail. In which case you really don't want a tamper to be, err, 'tangling' with them! Could get very messy (and expensive). Hence the rather clever sleepers with a built in 'groove' for the cable. Several suppliers make 'hollow' sleepers for the same reason. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post James Makin Posted July 4, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted July 4, 2019 (edited) Hi all, I'm finally allowed to show off the commission project that I was beavering away on earlier this year! GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr It's of course another Electrostar, this time in the funky livery of Great Western Railway! Some of the marketing team at GWR approached me at the start of the year...could I build them a working display model Class 387 Electrostar to be used in advertising campaigns...in just 2 months! Having made all the resin cabs and spent years scratchbuilding the things, they are kind of 'my bag' so while I never normally do commissions and certainly not quick ones to short deadlines, this project sounded a little different and I was damned if anyone else was going to build it for GWR instead!! So I set to work digging out my zillions of Electrostar pics from last year's Didcot trip and set to work... GWR 387145 at Didcot Parkway 12.08.18 by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The basis of the project was a Bachmann Class 168 'Clubman' and spare vehicle, converted into a centre car with some butchery and good use of spares from my previous two Electrostar projects... GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr I had my resin Electrostar cabs and pantograph wells all ready to go, and it was pretty quick work getting these all done so that painting could commence...barely a couple of days between sanding down the model to this stage, compared to the glacial pace of my usual projects! Part of the fast & dirty specification from GWR was that they didn't require the correct new style window glazing, or the shorter 20m body shells, nor bespoke underframe equipment to be replicated, this was merely a display model for advertising purposes. This saved an enormous chunk of time not shortening the vehicles, on what's by far the most lengthy (pun intended!) part of the project. GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Big thanks go to good friend Mike Buick (Scoobyra of this parish as most of you will know!) for his quick crash course on GWR colours...my idea of Great Western is 'Merlin' or 'Fag Packet' colours rather than this dangerously new colour scheme! It's quite a dark livery but the photos make it look a lot brighter, and the yellow ends make it 'pop' fortunately! Transfers used are from the superb Railtec range, being the ones originally intended for the Mk3 coaches. GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr Soon enough it all came together, the main challenges being the interesting matt & gloss finish on the model for which this livery is famous for, and of course leads to no end of controversy on the Hornby threads about how they've tackled it! GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr On mine I've gone for glossy bodysides but the rest of the vehicle roof is matt, along with the diagonal swooshes, it looks alright in the end but I did have reservations throughout the project..I've never finished a glossy vehicle and called it 'complete' before!! GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The contrast between the matt and gloss can be seen pretty well here... GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The pantograph was a robust rudimentary affair, it's a Lima Class 92 'pan' stuck down into place, the brief from GWR was that it had to raise and lower, so this is different from my previous 'Electrostars' which just have cosmetic Hornby 92 pantographs permanently glued in the lowered position. GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr And there we go, in less than 2 months from first contact to completion, it was ready to be packaged up to go off to the lovely chaps at GWR for its new life as a media star! This stage felt very strange to me, as I rarely ever do work for anyone else (barring the odd mate's favours) as naturally you grow quite attached to it during the building stage, so to see it fly the nest is a little sad! I didn't have time to run it on Worthing MRC's Loftus Road but it would've fitted in quite nicely I think! Then a rather extortionate amount of money was paid for fully insured courier by TNT followed by an anxious wait for it's arrival to be confirmed, and then time to sit back and wait to see what happened to it! There was a delay as it was originally to be unveiled on a mini-layout at the GWR Long Rock Open Day, but this didn't happen, until the other day when I got a message saying it's been featured in it's first Facebook video! GWR 387 Electrostar by James Makin by James Makin, on Flickr The video can be found here if anyone is interested, from about 1 min 20 secs onwards...it gets picked up by the presenter! I believe there are other plans for it in the pipeline, especially as you can't really see it from the distance it is currently! So overall, it was rather fun, quite pressured but pretty enjoyable and modelling something very much newer than my normal timelines, plus a nice cash bonus at the end to help pay for some of the new Accurascale releases coming out later in the year!! Going back to the late '90s soon...my big batch of locos are going to be airbrush weathered this weekend so it won't be long before I've some juicy diesel updates to share...catch you soon! Cheers, James Edited July 4, 2019 by James Makin 35 1 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Departmental203 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 Excellent work on the Electrostar James! Jules 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now