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Jo's N gauge loco works


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I've started this thread for work on RTR locos that comes down to tweaks and improvements, rather than full on hack apart and rebuild jobs that warrant a thread of their own.

First up is 66170, despite being a relatively small project, it's been drawn out over about two years, visitors to the DEMU stand at exhibitions may well have seen it part finished, with various strands of wire crudely attached to the underframe.

The work has involved:

- removing, and moving, the lashing eyes on the lower part of the yellow panel

- tinted side windows (Tamiya smoke)

- TPM etched cooler group (and mirrors, awaiting refitting)

- Moulded cab door footsteps replaced with wire

- Wire sandpipes and other piping on the underframe, mostly 0.3mm brass wire

The detail photos section of Brian Daniels' flickr must be mentioned here, its a fantastic resource and helped so much with this project. http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/collections/72157627015269016/

The rest of the work was more cosmetic, including:

- individual door handles picked out gold or silver as needed

- steps picked out in yellow and silver

- renumbering

- tail light moulding painted maroon, to look correct when off, and dull them when in use

- yellow 'balanced maintenance' custom made transfers

- patch painting behind the buckeye operating lever

- weathering - still some small details like buffer grease to add

- detail printed and added to the cab rear walls, different at both ends as per prototype. Maybe not worth it to some, but they are more visible than I expected them to be!

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And here's the real thing that inspired the work, I haven't modelled the leaves stuck in the clean air grill though!

IMG_2745-66170-L.jpg

The air pipes on the front end will be replicated with staples for magnetic coupling- more on that here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/20276-embankment-road-trsmd/?p=959746

 

jo

Edited by ewsjo
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Excellent work Jo. :D

 

It's hard to believe that this Class 66 is N Gauge with all that detail.

 

Be nice to a see a few more projects soon ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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Hi Ben,

I think one of them has, but its not one that sees a lot of use so I'm not 100%, a Stobart 66411. The rest are various EWS and Freightliner locos, all seem ok last time they were run.

 

Fantastic modelling Jo!

Needs an orange helmet on the dashboard though ;)

Now that's an idea! Needs a hi viz on the chair too then!

 

jo

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  • 1 month later...

So here we go, unusually for me I can call a project finished!

66170 has had some additional weathering work, air pipes and mirrors fitted. The air pipes are staples, with some 0.2mm wire wrapped round and soldered on. As well as representing the isolating cocks, they act as a stopper when fitting the air pipe to the model. The mirrors are from the TPM detailing set.

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I must say I'm happy with how this one has come out, and it's nice to finally finish it off!

Another long term project has been a Colas 47. In it's time this shell has been 47404 'Hadrian', went part way to becoming 47501 'Craftsman' before eventually settling on 47739. The first stage was to strip  the BR blue paint from the shell, using Superstrip. Once done, the boiler exhaust was filled and holes drilled for the DRS multiple working socket and high intensity headlight fitted. The location of this can be seen in this photo of ex-DRS 47237, next to the headlight.

IMG_3063-47237-1Z76-XL.jpg

 

So, with my previous hacking filled and the decision I didn't need a DRS Duff progress began with the Colas specific modifications. When the locos were overhauled they had the bodyside steps filled in and were fitted with green circle multiple sockets on the nose. Treadplate was added over the lower door areas, but this will be added after painting. All the handrails were scraped off the ends, replaced with 0.2mm wire, secured using Railmatch enamel varnish. The lamp iron is 0.3mm wire, bent to an L shape and soldered to the horizontal handrail.

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Please ignore any saggy buffers, it's due to the fact the bufferbeams are only masking taped in place at the moment. The bufferbeams are TPM etches, soldered up with TPM etched couplings and an air control pipe for the multiple working from 0.2mm wire. The reservoir air pipes and ETH fittings are Farish parts superglued on, the train brake pipe will be made up from a staple to allow magnetic coupling. All I plan the 47 to haul is a tamper at present, but that's for another day.

The chassis is from 47612 'Titan', as it saves lowering the chassis from the first run of models, giving me a quick result here, and it's also easier to add the long range tanks to the battery boxes on this chassis than to cut away those on the 'as built' chassis, primarily due to the fact that on these later chassis the metal lumps inside the tanks are smaller to allow more daylight to show around the battery boxes. Cutting the excess metal away when I did 47635 took absolutely ages...

So, here's a couple of comparisons showing the starting point alongside where I am this evening with 47739.

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For anyone not familiar with the underframe of class 47s, this shows the long range tanks fitted, showing what I need to add when compared to photos of the model.

IMG_4628-47739-6Z47-XL.jpg

 

Shortly after I dug this model back out to resume work on it, I heard the news that Robin Gould, the former S&D driver whose name is carried on 47739, had passed away. Last Friday saw his funeral, with 47739 heading to Westbury, carrying an additional plate with the years of his life, and the nameplates repainted red. A nice touch by Colas, and a wee bit spooky on the timing.

All the best

 

jo

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So progress has seen the 47 get just about ready for the paint shop. The bodyshell is now white, just needing a light rub down before application of the Colas colours. Thanks to Mick (newbryford) for the paint tips.

The long range tanks have been sorted. Originally I was going to try to add the tanks with plastic strip, but then I decided it'd be easier to just create a 'Frankenstein's Monster' with the underframes from a pair of 47s. The tanks come from the moulding on the original, high riding blue and green livery releases. A quick slice with the razor saw got both underframes halved, and I was amazed at the accuracy of the join. Any cuts I normally make require masses of filler... The orange line in the first picture shows where the cut is made, the fit is so good no glue is needed between the halves, though I did try, but a lack of material to glue led to it falling apart again. There's nowhere to add reinforcement due to the internal metal being such a tight fit.

Various pieces of plastic strip and wire were glued to the underframe, representing various pipes, fillers and details.

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Once again, Brian Daniels' Flickr site came in handy, the pictures I used are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/sets/72157627029323184/with/5863607552/

Just about visible are the tyre slip marks on the wheels. These were added by marking out 2, 6 and 10 o'clock marks on a piece of card, and making a 7mm hole at the centre point. The wheel is then poked through from the reverse, allowing easy application of the white lines. Various things were tried, gel pen, tippex with a cocktail stick and acrylic paint. The gel pen was too wide, and the tippex dried too fast. I applied Games Workshop white with a cocktail stick, excess being scraped back with a scalpel blade to get a close to scale mark. Railmatch satin enamel varnish was then applied over the entire wheel face to prevent the acrylic chipping.

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I'm going to try to pick out the bogie side white pipes, but that's for a day when I have very steady hands and a patient mood.

A couple of pictures finally of the underframe now primer has been applied, which helps greatly in unifying materials and seeing any slips. As far as I can see, its ready for the black paint. And orange, and gold, and white, and red...

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Apologies for the quality of the pics, they were taken with the phone under artificial light

 

jo

 

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A quick update from earlier. Tamiya matt black all over the underframe, various Games Workshop and Tamiya paints for the details.

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Edit - d'oh just realised there's far more pipework on the side I didn't photograph

jo

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Cheers Graham,

It'll get a light weathering, but all the colours will still show through, something like in this picture. At least that's the plan...

IMG_7755-56312-47739-0Z76-XL.jpg

56312 leads 47739 on 0Z76 Washwood Heath - Tavistock Junction at Ram Hill 19/1/11

 

jo

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Thanks Mike, I've started a post in the Dapol section, hopefully we'll find out some more there!

If this weather stays warmer hopefully paint can start going on the 47 soon

 

jo

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I've been out in the garage the last two afternoons, I've had progress but frustration too, by no means a total failure.

The orange and yellow are on the 47, but the join line is a bit wobbly on both sides and I've managed to rip off a nice patch of yellow paint on one side. Partial respray here we come, though that'll have to wait as I'm out of Tamiya tape now.

The 60 was a failure yesterday, its an EWS one that's had the gold band T-cut away, that I then tried to overspray in Railmatch maroon. Coverage was horrendous, and the marks of the gold stripe still showed, despite being fully removed. I never seem to succeed with partial RTR repaints, so I tend to fully strip and start from scratch, even if it means more work with yellow panels etc. And so this one  followed, it was Superstripped and primed last night, with a coat of Halfords Volkswagen Gambia Maroon going on today. I'm going to try Mick's (newbryford) tip of painting the yellow second for easier masking, I'll update when it's done.

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As for the livery...

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The 60 hasn't come out too well in the photo, I think the shine of the car paint didn't help. Despite the picture trying to prove otherwise, the finish is lovely! I keep wanting to do another 60074, so given I have the right shade of blue in a Halfords tin from something else, I think this method may be the one to use

 

jo

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's been a few weeks since the last update, but after a holiday and some nice weather (shock of the year!) at the lineside, the paint work is looking a bit more recognisable. 

The side visible had a nice big patch of yellow ripped off when I masked it up for the orange, roughly in the position where the hard hat decal will go on the bodyside. I'm pleased with how it's  blended back in, I've just got to finish tidying up the orange before spraying on the black now. Being a denser colour and smaller areas, this I can do with a brush quite easily.

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I've got to say I'm glad the part with the Phoenix Precision is over and I am using my usual Railmatch for the warning panel and black. It may just be me being so used to Railmatch, but I've found Phoenix doesn't cover as well and is much harder to get a decent finish. The complete contrast to this is the DB 60 in the lineup below, done with Railmatch and a virtually perfect finish first time, without any hassle or a thick layer to build up colour density

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As for identities for the 60s...

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IMG_3176-60074-6B33-L.jpg

 

I used a technique suggested by Mick Bryan (newbryford) to do the yellow panels after the main body colour due to them being easier to mask that way round. Indeed it was much easier, thanks Mick!

 

jo

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Simon, thanks for the comment.

Yup the chassis is airbrushed in railmatch brown enamel.

First up the chassis is stripped down and the bogies separated into the inner and outer mouldings, the the axles popped out of the inners. All these parts are then degreased in an R/C car cleaner to remove the Farish oil and greasy gunk.

The chassis block, bogie outers and wheels are blue tacked to a piece of wood, all given a liberal coat of brown, not worrying about the treads too much, as I can clean them up with a Trix brass brush wheel cleaner.

Anyway, once the paint is touch dry, say 30mins to an hour, a cocktail stick and wooden coffee stirrer are used on the footsteps etc to clean off the brown and allow the base colours to show through, and then some black washes on the oily bits.

Hope this helps

 

jo

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Hey cheers Jo that helps a lot!

 

I must say you're a lot more organized than me, I tend to wipe off straight away with my wiping finger, or some kitchen roll.  I use a brush and thinned paint (dirty black, brake dust and frame dirt) but it doesn't look as good... I really should get spraying one day!

 

Which dummy couplings did you use on the 47?

 

Cheers

 

Simon

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No probs Simon. I'd hardly say organised...that came about by accident when I was trying remove a piece of dust in the paint. The result looked convincingly wiped clean, so did the others to match.

They're TPM couplings on the 47, soldered to the bufferbeam for strength

 

jo

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  • 8 months later...

In between various bits on the layout I've dug out Robin of Templecombe and just about finished it off.

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A coat of satin varnish and then a light weathering should see it finished. All transfers are Precision Decals, apart from the cant rail (Replica) OLE flashes (Fox) and Colas Rail text (home brew because I damaged the originals)

 

jo

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

47739 should be making it's public appearance on Sunday on the layout at the Taunton members day.

Weathering was carried out with Railmatch enamels, Humbrol weathering washes and MIG powders. There's still the odd touch here and there to go, but I'd say it is 99% there. Please excuse the lack of 'Colas Rail' text below the hard hat on one side, I managed to damage this during weathering. As usual for me, two steps forward, one back. Anyway, I'll knock up a 'homebrew' replacement on inkjet printer paper after Sunday when I have the time to do it without rushing.

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I need to knock up some wagons for it to haul now I suppose...

 

jo

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