Ellerby - 4mm/OO gauge - All photos working, hotlinked.

[Jamiel]

A couple of views of detailing that has been added.

 

 

Starting on the interiors and marking out for the windows.

 

 

I was going to do a bit more interior work before painting, but I realised that it would probably leave gaps in the joins, so I have gone ahead and undercoated the outside.

 

 

 

The brick painting will probably be next, and more interior detailing.

 

I tried running my Comet Black 5 last weekend on a tiny layout, but something is not running smoothly. The wheels turn OK when not attached to the motor with the long cross bar of the motion (the name of which I forget) in position. I suspect I may need to take the chassis to someone for some expert advice.

 

I have a week off so should get some modelling done. Mostly to recuperate from a bad cold last week and also the mass of marking I have done over the last month. I hope to get a good few updates added over the week.

Waiting for some Ebay purchases to arrive for both the building and Class 120 DMU to work on them as well.

More soon.

Jamie

[lezz01]

Looking good Jamie.

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

First (under)coats of brick red and dark grey.

 

 

 

 

Some of the joins that are quite obvious will be hidden by drain pipes, other may need a bit more to blend them better.

 

Sorry about the quality of the photos, it has gone really dark here ahead of the ‘danger to life’ thunder storms forecast for Yorkshire later. I will post more if I survive them! I suspect the weather bureau are being overly careful.

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

The messy stage. Mortar (Humbrol Matt 121 Stone) has been painted on and then wiped off one minute later using paper kitchen towels to leave the mortar course in the bricks.
 

I post these photos as for anyone creating buildings this stage can look quite disheartening after all the care put into the first stages of modelling, this turns it into a ‘right dog’s dinner’.
 

Next the dry brushing of a mix of Humbrol 70 and 98, brick red and chocolate respectively. You can add a dab of navy blue to tone down the richness of the browns, as complementary colours brown and blue when mixed decrease the saturation of the colour.
 

I also give the brickwork a light spray with a mix of mostly Matt 70 with a little Matt 98 to tone down any brush strokes visible and take the contrast out of the mortar course a little.
 

 

 

 

The thunderstorms which were of ‘danger to life’ didn’t arrive after all, although it chucked it down a 3am last night. Either way I survived the night so can continue modelling on my week off work.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

The next stages of painting the bricks and stone courses. This one slightly less messy than the previous one, dry brushing with a mix of mostly Humbrol Matt 98 (chocolate) and matt 70 (brick red). If you want to pick out individual bricks in different shades this is where to do that, but as I like an aged and quite dirty brick look I skip that stage. I am old enough to remember when Leeds Town Hall was completely black and my dad joked to me that it was made of coal.

 

 

 

 

The same four angles after an airbrush ‘dusting’ with the same two colours but of a 80/20% in favour of the brick red. This gets rid of the brush strokes a great deal, and darkens the mortar course between the bricks but still leaves it visible.

 

 

 

 

A split of the first two of the above to show how the airbrushing tones down the mortar course.

 

 

Here is a split of the first four stages.

 

Now more a little dry brushing and darkening where the mortar is showing too much, especially on the ledges.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Jamiel

[grahame]

Super modelling.

Super thread.

I'm now 'following' it.

 

G.

[lezz01]

Sweet "how to" Jamie. You make it look easy mate.

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

Thanks Lez and Grahame.

I forgot to say one important point, you have to leave each coat 24 hours before applying the next, otherwise the solvent in the paint either mixes the two layers together or if you are wiping paint off, it takes the layer below as well. You can do the airbrushing quite quickly after the dry brushing if you wish, but after the time dry brushing takes I generally want a cup of tea or something stronger.

Jamie

[lezz01]

I learnt how to paint buildings from one of Rice's books Jamie. Over time it's morphed into my own take on it but I got the basics from Rice. I've started to move towards Das for the mortar courses though as I find it easier than paint. It might have something to do with having trigger finger in both hands. It can be very inconvenient having your fingers locking on a brush, the straighter I can keep my fingers the better so the clay is easier for me. It's the price you pay for getting old I guess.

Regards Lez.  

[Jamiel]

Thank you to everyone for the likes and the number of followers creeping up. Please feel free to add comments, I have learned so much from things people have suggested.
 

The wooden balls for the dome roof arrived, as did the L.E.D. strip.

Some of the insert windows have been filed down to fit the resin casts, not perfect and needs filling. I could not get the top right to sit straight, but when further back it looks OK. Some filling to be done, mostly with tiny strips of plastic rather than filler. I tried the filler, but it is had to get in place from behind, and doesn’t really work well.

 

Making the windows for the other casts is a lot of faff, 0.5mm clear plasticard cut and filed to shape. I made couple of templates from some 0.4mm plasticard first as I did with the windows for the Bulleid Diesel.

 

I first painted and put these ones in as finished versions, but putting them in messed up the paint a bit. I have made the edge windows a little simpler then the front ones, less detail.

 

For the other ones, I put them in unpainted, and without the top curve which I think is better set in right up to the top in the hole. To be pained later.

 

Listening to the cricket today while modelling, apart from when I need to do my duties around the house. 73 for no loss so far, and one Yorkshireman (35 for Bairstow) at the wicket, good to see Roy back, come on lads.

Jamie

Edited June 30, 2019 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

More work on the windows, making these has taken a bit of time. I can see making them part of the cast would be a good idea and painting the holes black and then varnishing that to get a glass look.

 

Gluing on the plastic strips has fogged a lot of the glass, but with small windows I and not concerned. I think filling in behind will mask that.

 

Strips of plastic filling gaps around the existing windows I filed down,

 

 

 

Lower windows in progress.

 

 

Front windows in place, waiting for edge windows and to top curves on the upper ones.

 

 

All the windows done ready for painting. The upper curves were a real faff to do.

 

Looking at the unpainted windows in situ, I have decided to paint all the windows a lighter colour, probably cream as the building is looking a bit dark and lacks contrast at the moment.
 

I am off work this week with sinusitis, which is good for modelling, but not a lot of fun when I move my head.
 

Jamie

Edited July 2, 2019 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

It looks very good Jamie. I'm feeling you over the sinusitis mate wifey suffers from that so I know how miserable it can make you feel.

Regards Lez. 

[Jamiel]

A long slog painting the windows. Some touching up still needed.
 

In a wide shot they don’t look too bad.

 

But close up they are not as good as the moulded ones from the kit.

 

 

I would try and use brass etches, more accurate and far easier to paint next time I do something like this. It would involve much more sanding down the back to make it work for etches butI think that would be worth the effort.

 

Overall once the other details are put in and the curtain, blinds and backing for the first and second story windows are done I think it will look OK.

 

On a positive side England are in the semi’s of the cricket world cup.

 

Jamie

[Jamiel]

I wanted a break from the long projects I take on, to just make a kit in a day or two like I used to when I was a child with Airfix kits. I dug out the Cambrian Sturgeon I got at the York show earlier this year and just had a couple of days of old fashioned kit building.

 

I replaced the end handles/wheels with Wizard 71A brass etches. These are slightly too thin, but I prefer them to the slightly chunky ones in the kit. I have dozens of these, but they are the ones with a handle on the wheel so I cut that back and squashed the handle hole.

 

 

Looking at photos of the prototypes they get pretty worn and also there seem to be separate plates making up the deck of the wagon, so a few pieces of 0.1mm plasticard were cut and added and then some clear varnish and talcum powder. The sparser end was done with talc and Mek, but I thought this a bit wasteful. I did drop a chunk of talc on the varnish. It has been sanded back as have the plasticard plates.

 

 

 

 

Having built the Dogfish and Catfish Cambrian kits I know how they go together a bit better now, not quite as intuitive as Airfix (Dapol) or Parkside kits, these are easier than the Dogfish and Catfish which others have noted are not easy kits to build. The detail is lovely and they are very impressive wagons when built, and obviously far more accurate than Airfix, although I have a soft spot for those.
 

There are a number of tiny pieces that I could not find any instruction where to fit them, or see any looking at the prototype photos. If you spot anything missing please let me know.
 

I do wish that Cambrian would include a couple of spares of the tiny repeated mouldings, you can see where I have had to make a door banger from brass because one disappeared under my work bench, the same is true for the curved top bangers, one is fashioned from the sprue.

 

This just needs a little weighting under the frame and painting, weathering, and transfers, the latter I will cobble together from the Dogfish/Catfish ones I have and weather them back. Many of the photos I have seen the writing is pretty masked by dirt.
 

Maybe I should take more note of the discussion about wagons numbers on the Write Writes thread, I will make the numbers right, but the reset will be obscured wherever I can’t make it work from the transfer I have.
 

I know one maker of transfers would greatly disapprove of this, but then they tend to make pristine models rather than the work weary ones I like to model.
 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2019 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

Nice Jamie. Sometimes it good to just kick back and build a few plastic kits. I find it very relaxing.

Regards Lez.

[Roger Sunderland]

Cambrian can make up into nice models Jamie. Here's one I made earlier! A sorry about the photo quality. Transfers are from Cambridge Custom Transfers by the way.

 

 

 

 

[lezz01]

2 minutes ago, Roger Sunderland said:

Cambrian can make up into nice models Jamie. Here's one I made earlier! A sorry about the photo quality. Transfers are from Cambridge Custom Transfers by the way.

 

 

 

 

and very nice it is too.

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

Weighting the Sturgeon, an old rusty drill bit with liquid gravity (fine shot) glued on.

It has been painted and the first transfers added, but I forgot to photograph that.
 

Some production line modelling, I had 7 Dapol/Airfix Class B tanker kits unmade and have worked my way through them. Odd bits were missing from my rummaging through the packets for bits now and then.  A brake handle from brass here. . Pliers make a very good base for holding tanker whilst working on their underside. Couplings are from Wizard.

 

Guards for the brake cross bars.

 

 

RT detailing parts being added.

 

I had one less detailing kit, so one was put together from the spare parts, A1 etches and a Wizard ladder. I think the ladder looks better than the RT ladders, it is thicker, stronger and easier to bend to shape. If I were starting the build now, I would use the Wizard ladders rather than the RT ones, which are very flimsy. I could replace the RT ones, but I think once painted they look OK, although have to be handled carefully. I discovered that I had taken the position of the ladders from an odd photo, perhaps of a rebuilt or repaired tanker as compared to regular Class B tankers the ladder is a little too central, but for consistency I have continued that position throughout these new builds.

 

 

I had stolen some of the brakes for my detailing of the Crosti 9F, so these were made up from plastic strip and etches.

 

I read of an interesting term Tony Wright used for coaches ‘layout coaches’, they look good en masse, but do not have the level of detail of his locos. I think these are definitely ‘layout tankers’ .

Next painting, transfers, more on the arcade shops and finishing off various builds, and also tidy the work bench.

Jamie

Edited July 28, 2019 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

Nice Jamie.

You really can't go wrong with the good old Airfix Class B tankers.

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

Thanks Lez, they really are a good old model and also take me back to my childhood a bit.

 

One good thing about having a thread on the forum is being able to look back and see how I did things a couple of years ago. I looked back what worked on the first batch of tankers and what didn’t.

 

An initial coat of Humbrol Satin black 33, no primer. Then the transfers were put on, cutting together the numbers to avoid replication and keep in the 3300s range. The Dapol transfers really do show the backing, but the weathering and a little hand painting will mask that. The Sturgeon is in the background as well, as it will go through the same weathering by the airbrush, but not the oily runs.

 

 

 

 

After the transfers set I gave a spray with matt varnish and then a light dusting with matt black. The light was awful, which is why the phot has so much shake and also the tanks looked darker in the shed as the storms passed over.

 

It also looks like we will be here for another year, so I am going to add in a section of base board this summer to extend the station as much as I can, and get the ‘north’ end of the track re-laid, which will make both the buildings and the track layout at that end much better, as it is still compromised by being as setup for the first room the layout was in, which was about 12 feet shorter than the layout can be now.
 

Trying to work out if I can afford the new Peco Bullhead points or will have to go with the Code 75 ones I already have, they will have to be bent to fit the curve better so hacking expensive new points might be a stretch. If I get some freelance work this summer, I might go for it though.
 

With looking back through the thread, I have also been updating the index on the first page, and I will continue this adding some more, small photos for each of the projects I have done. This might also make the thread much easier to follow for people newly discovering it.
 

Finally, the thread is nearing 100,000 views which will be quite a milestone to pass.

Jamie

Edited July 30, 2019 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

Weathering on the tankers. I overdid the first two passes and had to use thinner and a cotton bud to take off a bit, this made it a bit streaky. I then wiped the sides with a paper towel which evened it out. Thinners were dripped down from the top to get the sense of liquid flow. A very thinned down satin black was run down the middle, and also some dark grey to give it texture.

 

 

A thin spray of statin black and then maybe a very light grey/brick red mix dusted to finish them off.

 

I also went back to the rectangular tankers after reading Martin Welches book on weathering, as I remembered there was something about doing those wagons. As in the book I mixed talc and black and put it on thickly, this was left to dry overnight. I then dabbed Mek on the break up the surface which really does give that tarry effect. There is a bit of plastic that got in there too which I like to look of.

 

I think this will need a little varnish to hold the broken surface together and flakes off.

[lezz01]

Very nice Jamie.

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

A bit more weathering. A light coat with Satin Black on the airbrush. More of the paint and talc mix, which has then been treated with Mek to break up the surface. I have done this to an end where I didn’t have the white stars (which had been used on the rectangular tanks) to make it corroded. That will need more oil spill. They will all need varnishing to hold the paint together better.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who has viewed the thread which has reached 100,000 views.

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

They are fab Jamie. 

Regards Lez.

[Jamiel]

A few finishing touches to the tankers before they receive a coat of varnish from the airbrush to seal everything.
 

I used a cocktail stick to pop off some of the top paint where the talc was thick, then added drop of Mek to break up the surface in fine detail. A little black and dark grey washed on as well. A little dry brushing streaks on the edges and tiny drops of Mek as well.  I know these are small changes and probably don’t look that different in the photos, but they are worth doing to give the fine detail.

 

 

The same for the Class B tanker where I have the corroded/heavy spilled end. I also added a few drops of Mek around the top hatches on a few of the tankers.

 

I have also returned to the LMS Inspection saloon. Due to the BR Maroon going a little purple as I used grey undercoat, I mixed a little signal red and with it and gave another coat. Trust me this has made it look at little richer, but this is a quite dreadful photo, the sun went in just before I clicked.

 

I also did some tidying on the underframe, with having built the DMUs since I am better with brass bodies and frames and have corrected some mistakes I made. I put the end cross pieces flush with the bottom of the sides and so the floor I have made holds the body clear of the frame. To compensate I have removed the back bracing from the comet frames, and I have drilled holes in the floor to allow the bogie screw heads to sit through the floor. When held together it looks much better than before. Not as good as the DMUs but this was my first full brass build. I have also painted the bogies and done some repairs to bit of underframe detailing that were not straight.

 

I now need to do more painting inside the body and the transfers outside, then varnish it all together and glaze the coach. I also need to attached the body to the underframe and may have lost the screws I need. They are the same size as the shouldered screw pictured below, I presume on size below a set I have from B&Q which are 3/16” wide. Any help what to order would be appreciated, I presume Eileen Emporium or Ebay are the place as I am pretty sure the above are the smallest B&Q do.

 

Good be polishing off some nearly finished projects, the Class 120 DMU is in line as is more of the Arcade shops. I may also have a go at the extra layout board this summer and turn the layout through 180 degrees in the shed to make the scenic section more accessible.

 

On a different subject our family of sparrows in the hedge have just fledged four babies, here is one being fed the boiled rice we have been putting out for them, by its mother. Cheapest rice from Aldi, boiled without salt as advised by the RSPB, it has made the bird table very popular the last few weeks.

 

More soon I hope, both brids and trains.

Jamie

Edited August 6, 2019 by Jamiel