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

[Jamiel]

Thnaks Barry.

I am planning on having some of the Parkside kits in a much less worn look.

The Dapol ones are being used for the old battered wagons.

I have alot of photos of trains from the 60's and 70's for reference to follow.

Jamie

[Jamiel]

The salt and hairspray method, first attempt. I dotted a little Maskol in place where I wanted the rust to show fully.

 

 

With the salt rubbed and washed off. Obviously, you need to really pack more salt in tightly.

 

 

I than gave it a wash with Mec, which removed a little more fo the grey, but took some bits back to the plastic.

 

 

 

Hand painting next, and also the decision whether to go for more rust, or for more grey paint.

Jamie

[Jamiel]

Progress on three very rusty wagons. I think the salt and hairspray gives a nicer rust texture, but I think my salt is too coarse, perhaps just salt from the jar would be better than the ground salt.

Not finished, need some retouching, and the brake handle ends painting white and weathering, plus some of the rust needs re painting where I have scraped off the transfers.

I also need to add more paint layers to the insides, and strighten some of the buffers, and get some metal heads for them.

 

 

 

 

Very tired after a mass of student’s submissions and lots of work helping them finish their work, but hopefully more soon, and some hardly rusted wagons next.

Jamie

Edited April 22, 2021 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

If I were doing these wagons I would paint the underframes with a 40/60 mix of black and dark earth, ( Humbrol 33 & 29) instead of just black Jamie. 

Regards Lez. 

 

[Jamiel]

HI Lezz

It is the photography/exposure, they are painted a mix of Black and BR Grey, with a little Brick Red. They will also be dry brushed with browns and light greys to weather them.

Almost everyhting on my layout has eiher a little brick red mixed in the colours, lightly airbrushed over or dry brushed on, so that everything feels like it is the same environment. It is a technique I have taken from illustration and film grading.

[jwealleans]

Did the top flaps on 16 tonners go right over like that?  I thought I'd only ever seen them at 90 degrees, sticking out from the side of the wagon.

[Jamiel]

Edit, here is the photo I mentioned before. I don't know who owns the copyright for it, sorry.

Jamie

Edited April 23, 2021 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

I have had a look at the Transpennine Class 124, and dug out a motor bogie I bought a long time ago, which might be a good option to power it. A Hollywood Forundry motor bogie for a Blue Pullman (Triang replacement).

Mike Edge has also given me some good advice on this, a Norgrove Lorider, so thoughts on the relative merits of the two options would be welcome.

I have also poster in Modelling Questions, Help and Tips to ask about changing he wheelbase, or more specifically moving the worm cogs on the drive shaft. Here is what I have posted.

Hollywood motor bogie, changing the wheelbase.

 

The one problem I have is that the wheelbase is too long. Having looked at the unit, all I have to do is more the worm cogs a couple of millimetres closer together and put/glue the axel mounts.

 

 

Does anyone have experience of doing this. Are the worms soldered or glued in position? After holding my soldering iron to the drive haft for a few seconds, I thought it best to ask on the forum before filling my room with potentially noxious gasses.
 

I have also read that Hollywood are no longer in business, so suspect buying a new drive shaft may not be an option.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 

Jamie

 

[Jamiel]

I have come to the conclusion that I will need to make a new drive spindle for the power bogie. I will ask a few friends for advice for getting hold of worm cogs and a drive wheel to fit a band.
 

I looked at the etches I have for the Transpennine, and as Andy 53B warned me, they have a duplicate of one side of the buffet coach, so I have contacted Worsley Works for a correct side, which should be here before too long.

I have worked on the cabs before, and I made the body for a DMC by doing a cut and shut of a Replica MKI coach, which I think I will finish as an extra DMC, that one in blue, maybe to be towed by a loco, or even as an end for a Class 123/Class 124 hybrid, anyway lots of options.
 

The box of bits. I will use the Replica Railways MK1 coach bodies for the roofs and ends. The sides from the Trix bogies (I have made some resin casts from these as well, but they are only about 90% there, a few bits of detailing needed if used). Replica and Dapol underframe detailing parts/frets, and a few other parts. Replica Railways coach interiors as well.

 

I have made a start on a driving motor composite.

 

 

Resin moulding and the DC Kits Class 303 cabs filed down and cut through to make the Class 124 cabs. The cab roofs are moulds I took from the Trix model, which is the right width, and should work OK. Some spare resin underframe parts, probably not needed, but with the bubbles filed off will be OK if I do need them.

 

More bits, including MJT buckeye couplings for the DMC’s. I’ll have a few pare when finished I suspect. Air horns for the front ends.
 

The grab handles next to the doors will need a compromise. Top a few I had left from the Craftsman kits which not surprisingly fit the DMU size perfectly. The one at the bottom has been bent to fit, but doesn’t look great.

 

Here I have used one of the MJT Mk1 coach grab handles (bottom), drilled an extra hole, above the bottom one, and filled the existing one. I think this will have to do. The coach handles are about 0.75mm shorter than the DMU ones should be, but given the better shape I think it is worth using them.
 

At the top you can see Extreme Etchings Class 44 nad rails soldered in place, top folded over and through a hole, the bottom and middle supports from brass wire.

I have also drilled holes and made door bangers from wire, and for the destination board holders I have used Comet door hinges from their detailing fret. These don’t have the raised hinge like the MJT ones, but make nicely shaped detail parts. Outer ones with the thick part at the bottom, the middle ones with the thin bit bottom to represent the hook.
 

I have gained enough experience soldering to now solder on all the detail parts, compared with some that wer glued on when I did the Class 120 (which still needs the centre car finishing, but that needs running on my layout, eventually, to make sure it will take the bends as designed).
 

Frames are Comet 65ft MK1 coach frames, bogies will be MJT 8’6’’ brass frames with Trix outers.
 

I will also have interior lights and LED’s behind the destination boxes, but all on one circuit unlike the two on the Class 120.
 

I seem to have been building up parts for this for years, but suspect a few other bits will be needed along the way.
 

Good to finally make a start on this. I will try and post as much detail as I can, as I know this is a project that a few others with no doubt undertake, and of course it also guarantees that Bachmann or Heljan will release a RTR one next year.
 

Jamie

[Jamiel]

Dremmeling*, filling, fitting. 

The cab, roof and side sitting in place.

Cab detailing, grab rails, headcode box, rain strip and cutting the windows ready to fit after painting, before the parts are stuck in place.

Quite pleased how it is looking. It is such a distinctive DMU, that when it starts to come together it is very pleasing.

Jamie

* This may not actually be a word.

[Jamiel]

A little bit of detailing on the Transpennine cab.
 

To make the vents under the headcode boxes, I cut one etch from my box of my A1 assorted grills (well worth picking up when shows start again) and soldered 4 strands onto a bit of the edge sprue. I then filed down the edges and cut the vents to width. I did have a look for on the web to see if anyone did these vents as an etch, but to be honest, it was probably more fun to make them.

 

Grab rails, vents and light brackets in place. I made the rain strip above the cab windows from 20 thou plasticard cut and then softened into place with Mec. It will all need a little filling of the drilled holes and sanding back.

 

 

I also have to do the little detail on the right hand front window post. The job after that will be to cut the window glass from some moulded and curved packaging I have saved.

 

After that, detail the headcode box and add the control desk.

 

Very busy at work with the end of year marking, so progress is slow on this, but a nice break from videos and essays.
 

Jamie

Edited May 20, 2021 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

Detailing around the cab. I only had one of the Replica Railways driving handles left, so the other is a bit rough, wire and sprue. It also took a couple of attempts to get the instrument panel to sit right. I am ignoring the slight ledge at the front as It would affect the glazing.

 

 

Cab side windows cut from a Barbie box. The little notches at the bottom of some pieces are to allow for the back of the grab handle wire which is sticks out at the back of the glazing recess at the bottom.

 

 

Whatever the little things next to the driver’s window added to the front.

 

My plan is to detail the headcode box if needed, it should have a tiny lip, but it will take a very fine cut of plasticard to make that, so I may not bother. The back will be made so that I can get a small LED in there and sealed so there is no light spill to the cab. Some sanding a fixing of bits too.

 

I think that given it will be fiddly to get the glazing in place, that I will prime and paint (airbrush) the cab front before fitting it to the body. I will then mask the cab front so that when the rest is painted it doesn’t mess up the glazing. My feeling is that once the cab is in position it will be too hard to get the glazing done properly as that area will be hard to access, and especially to get clips on to hold the glazing.

 

Jamie

Edited May 23, 2021 by Jamiel

[Jamiel]

A little more detailing. I used a scalpel to cur a fine piece of Evergreen strip in half to get the edges for the headcode box.

 

 

And the first coat of primer. I stupidly decided to use the Phoenix PQ5 spray can, as always great paint, complete useless can. I held it at a distance and sprayed, a spatter of blobs of paint. Cleaned the nozzle, the same. I gave up with that and used the Etch primer from a distance with a very light coat. I will build up with that, at least that sprays OK. I hope it covers plastic OK.

 

The Phoenix can of PQ5 is now in the place best for it. Collection day tomorrow.

 

It may need a little sanding/Wet&Dry before the first coat of green, delivered with the airbrush.
 

Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never buy cans of paint from Phoenix Paints, Tins fine, in fact really excellent, cans not.

Jamie

Edited May 23, 2021 by Jamiel

[Alister_G]

47 minutes ago, Jamiel said:

Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never buy cans of paint from Phoenix Paints, Tins fine, in fact really excellent, cans not.

 

Are you sure?

 

 

Al.

[chuffinghell]

From my personal experience I will never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never multiplied by infinity squared buy cans of spray paint from Phoenix Paints.

 

It's actually false advertising as they should be called spit cans (or something that rhymes with spit when replacing the 'p' with 'h')

[Jamiel]

Thanks for the replies, good to know others share my experience with the Phoenix cans.

A couple more very fine coats of Phoenix primer, this time the can of self etching primer. There are some marks which have been sanded with Wet & Dry on the fronts, and also, I had to poke a scalpel behind the handles to remove any runs of primer.

And just to show that I am not against Phoenix Precision Paints, a first coat of the Dull signal yellow, from a tin via the airbrush, really great paint, in a really great tin.

 

 

I think that the yellow is being a little more forgiving of the sanding at the front, and once the box is made it should break up the space so that any texture is hard to see.

 

Drying ahead of another coat tomorrow morning.

 

Don’t worry it is not going to be a blue grey unit, I have just applied the lighter colour first, this is what it will look like in the end. Not sure of the source of the photos, I have a directory with dozens of reference shots in it on the computer.

 

Having moved during last year’s lockdown we are in a place for a couple of years that is not really big enough for us, and the compressor is a victim of lack of storage, it fell off the box it was stood on in the garage and knocked off he pressure gauge. Thankfully, I never bothered with the gauge and the airbrush and compressor work just fine without it attached. I still find this place pokey though, will stay here until my daughter goes up to big school, one more year, but then off to somewhere with a bit more pace, and a garden for the shed.

 

Still slogging through the marking of student submissions, although I did have a couple of outstanding submissions which picked me up a bit.

 

Jamie

Edited May 27, 2021 by Jamiel

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, Jamiel said:

Thanks for the replies, good to know others share my experience with the Phoenix cans.

A couple more very fine coats of Phoenix primer, this time the can of self etching primer. There are some marks which have been sanded with Wet & Dry on the fronts, and also, I had to poke a scalpel behind the handles to remove any runs of primer.

And just to show that I am not against Phoenix Precision Paints, a first coat of the Dull signal yellow, from a tin via the airbrush, really great paint, in a really great tin.

 

 

I think that the yellow is being a little more forgiving of the sanding at the front, and once the box is made it should break up the space so that any texture is hard to see.

 

Drying ahead of another coat tomorrow morning.

 

Don’t worry it is not going to be a blue grey unit, I have just applied the lighter colour first, this is what it will look like in the end. Not sure of the source of the photos, I have a directory with dozens of reference shots in it on the computer.

 

Having moved during last year’s lockdown we are in a place for a couple of years that is not really big enough for us, and the compressor is a victim of lack of storage, it fell off the box it was stood on in the garage and knocked off he pressure gauge. Thankfully, I never bothered with the gauge and the airbrush and compressor work just fine without it attached. I still find this place pokey though, will stay here until my daughter goes up to big school, one more year, but then off to somewhere with a bit more pace, and a garden for the shed.

 

Still slogging through the marking of student submissions, although I did have a couple of outstanding submissions which picked me up a bit.

 

Jamie

A bit late now but I always use matt white as an undercoat for yellow.

[MrWolf]

1 minute ago, St Enodoc said:

A bit late now but I always use matt white as an undercoat for yellow.

 

Absolutely right, yellow is one of the worst covering colours and it's shade is always affected by any underlying colour.

A completely neutral base is the only safe bet unless you are going for a particular effect.

[Jamiel]

Two more thin coats of Phoenix Paint dull signal yellow and I am very happy with the result. I may complain about their spray cans, but their paints are fantastic, the yellow has covered over the grey primer without any problem. Now ready for masking and then the rest of the cab spraying green.

 

White would probably work better, especially if the model were to be finished as straight out of the paint shop, but even this DMU will have bit of weathering, so no worries about quite how precise the yellow is.

Not sure if I have shared this before, but this is how I store my airbrush between usage. Stops painting drying causing issues, but it does take a few minutes for the air pressure button to free up, and to be honest I have always finished my painting by then, but work fine for the cleaning.

 

Jamie

[Jamiel]

Masking and first coat of Phoenix DMU dull DMU green.

 

Second coat.

 

Masking tape removed, will need some touching up, but not too bad overall.

 

Jamie

[Jamiel]

A bit if touching up with hand brushes, still needs a bit more picking out, and the grey overpaint on the cab sorting. The evening light was a bit harsh, I shall try and get better photos tomorrow. I have painted in the cab inside as well.

 

 

Jamie

[Jamiel]

Sorry for not posting for a long time. I haven’t done a great deal of modelling over the last few months. Work has been very time consuming, and the course I teach on lost the course leader who moved on to another university. He leaves a big gap to fill. I have also been working on my PHD, ‘Mass Transport in Film in the 20th Century’, mostly trains, but ships, busses and planes too.
 

The whole family got Covid before Christmas, which although not that bad when at its peak, it has left me lacking energy.
 

I did do a little modelling though, but a lot of the photos I have taken lacked for light so the exposures are longs and a bit blurry at times.
 

Anyway, here is some progress on the Transpennine Class 124 DMU.
 

The headcode boxes have been glazed. The edges were painted (and tidied after the photo) to stop the lensing effect making the edges glow.

 

 

Headcode blinds taken from photos, tidied, enhanced and printed and in place.

 

 

LEDs to light and boxed in. I put a sheet of brass behind the plastic to stop light spill too.

 

 

MJT bogies underway.

 

Body cut back to fir the cab.

 

In place with cab roof sat in position but not fixed yet.

 

That was all done over the last couple of, months (not a lot I know). The last couple of days I have worked on the buffer beam and chassis. Headstocks cut from brass sheets and front footsteps cut from my box of leftover brass sprue. Clasp coupling from MJT casts (I think) thinned down with the file, and retracted MK1 coach buffer from MJT too. To be honest the extended buffers would better for the cab ends, but I’ll see how they look when finished, I could always cut off the ends, drill out the punts and add longer buffers.

I have no idea what the little things outside the buffers on the Class 124s are, but I have made them from offcuts and soldered them in place.

 

The very busy buffer beam (repeated photo to prove it).

 

From behind on the chassis.

 

The front loosely in position.

The buffer beam fittings are from Craftsman DMU detailing kits. They are slightly oversize, too thick, but I prefer to use white metal parts rather than glue plastic parts from Heljan DMU detailing sets I have.

There is also a horn soldered to a piece if wire to hold it down below the multiple working connectors. I can’t see how it is fitted on the prototype as there is too much shadow in all the photos I have, but it looks OK as it is.

 

I think I may need to fill under the headcode glazing, probably with a tiny strip of plastic extruded when heated over a candle from sprue.

Good to be modelling again, and good to be home all week during the Christmas break. Hopefully more soon.
 

Jamie

Edited December 29, 2021 by Jamiel

[lezz01]

It's coming on well Jamie. Good to see you back modelling mate.

Regards Lez.

 

[Jamiel]

Thank you for all the likes and reply, and thank you for still following this thread after the many months silence.
 

A bit more progress today. Very poor light for photos unfortunately.

Adding steps to the chassis.

 

MJT bogie, with brakes added and outers cut from Trix spares, with holes drilled to fit the bearings.

 

 

I am making the lifting brackets from the spare pivots for the bogies from the MJT etches, it seems to working quite well. They might need filing back a little, and I will detail then with some bits of plasticard before undercoating.

 

 

I hate flash photos, but the light was too low to get anything other than a blur from this view. The bogies in position and the body sat on top, plus the cab roof placed in.

 

Anyway, I think a bottle of fizz becons.

 

Happy New Year everyone.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

[delticman]

This is proper model making and the 124 is shaping up nicely now, I am building a 124/123 hybrid as running in 1980 using chopped up old Mainline Mk1s and Trix bogies, not as accurate as yours but it is beginning to look the part. Anyway I am glad you are back posting quality stuff, hope you soon get over the Covid aftermath. Happy New Year.

Regards,

Geoff