Nile's Mostly Freelance Bodging Bench - Pre-Grouping Locos

[Nile]

Lining the loco - boiler bands. As before I'm using Microscale decals for these, with the carrier film trimmed using a scalpel and rule. I cut it to the correct length before applying, by holding it on the model and marking where to cut.

 

 

Only two bands, but care still has to be taken to get them straight.

 

 

Meanwhile some of the bits that arrived yesterday were used for this conversion (the white bits).

 

 

I may post more about this later, if anyone is interested ( or even if they aren't     ).

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Spitfire2865]

Is that a Bach porter?

[Jack P]

I've been debating saying anything, and I sincerely hope you don't take this the wrong way, but, 2 things have been irking me, the first is the paint, where the splashers meet the boiler and then again on the dome, it seems very thick, i'm not sure if that's perhaps my screen res, or because it's not finished yet (just how it seems to me). the second thing will put me in the firing line (rivets + counting them), the row of rivets on the back of the smokebox seem to just vanish. Again please don't take these as criticism, because I very much like what you've done so far, am just pointing out 1-2 things I noticed 

 

Sorry for the rant, haven't slept.

Jack

[Nile]

Hello Jack. The glossy finish (for the transfers) may be giving a false impression of the paint, hopefully the appearance will improve later. As for the rivets, you are right. My mods have removed some of them, I should really have removed the rest, and maybe replaced them. The problem is that they show up much more in the photos, I hadn't noticed until now! I may revisit this later, most of my models are never fully finished.

 

Spitfire, that is a Minitrains HOn30 loco, the new Fiddletown & Copperopolis 0-4-0 tender loco.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Nile

[Nile]

More lining. I thought the splashers would benefit from some lining, but couldn't find any suitable transfers. I didn't fancy trying to get the straight stripes to bend round the curves, so I came up with another plan. Using a small brush I could paint along the edge of the splashers and cab. The glossy finish made cleaning up any mistakes easy.

 

 

It adds a bit more interest without being extravagant.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Jack P]

Hello Jack. The glossy finish (for the transfers) may be giving a false impression of the paint, hopefully the appearance will improve later. As for the rivets, you are right. My mods have removed some of them, I should really have removed the rest, and maybe replaced them. The problem is that they show up much more in the photos, I hadn't noticed until now! I may revisit this later, most of my models are never fully finished.

To be quite honest, The quality of work is completely outstanding, and i'm sure the finished article will be just as outstanding (The hand painted lining is extremely well done). I'm a big southern fan, so your conversions are very exciting, and I can't wait to see how this ex-T9 turns out!

[Nile]

Thanks Jack. I too have a liking for Southern engines and have a small collection that will be staying SR. One thing I would like to look into is back dating a T9 to LSWR condition. I have lots of potential projects, I just have to find the time.

[Nile]

The tender.

I'm not finished with the loco yet and shall return to it later. Now I want to look at the tender. This is the starting point.

 

 

The plan is to remove the coal rails and reduce the length by 5mm. I'll start with the chassis side frames. These were slightly loose, this being one of the early models that had them fitted the wrong way round originally. This is the before photo.

 

 

And this is after. The guard iron will be glued into the cut-out later.

 

 

After removing the water filler, I attacked the rear of the tender body with a razor saw. This could get messy.

 

 

I made another cut in the rear piece, removing about 5mm. After cleaning up the edges, I glued the rear piece back on, adding strips of styrene on the inside of the joint for strength.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

After all the fun of narrow gauge south, the story here continues.

I've re-joined the guard irons to the tender side frames, using a bit of black styrene on the inside for support. The side frames are made of a plastic that works with Plastic Weld or MEK, whereas the chassis plastic is impervious to these glues. I had to use super-glue gel to attach the side frames to the chassis. As they are cosmetic the joint should be ok.

 

 

After allowing the glue to set, I applied filler to the joint on the body. I also apply MEK to the filler to help it spread into the gap and bond with the plastic, and smooth it out. After rubbing down, I repeat the process until I'm happy with the finish.

 

 

And then some new coats of paint and Klear to restore the finish. It's now ready for the transfers.

 

 

 

I forgot to mention, but you probably noticed, that I removed the buffers to protect them. They simply pulled out, they seem to be a friction fit.

 

[Note that some fillers are water soluble, read the label.]

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

On with the transfers!

I made a border using black lines. I didn't trim the carrier film off this time as they were going onto a flat surface.

 

 

After they had dried I moved on to the letters. I used the same spacing as on previous tenders, 15mm, marked on masking tape. While placing them I checked they were straight and level using a steel rule. Outer letters first, then work inwards.

 

 

I leave transfers at least overnight to dry fully. Applying varnish over transfers that haven't can result in them turning cloudy.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Despite being busy with other projects I've time for a small update.

I've applied a number and name to the loco body. You can see in this photo just how glossy the cab side is.

 

 

Putting the bits back together to see how it looks, before spraying the final coats of varnish on the individual parts.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Jack P]

Oh WOW! She looks fantastic!

[ThePurplePrimer]

As someone who is also planning a freelance railway this is all very interesting.

 

I will be very happy if I can get anything of mine to look like yours - superb

[WD0-6-0]

I really like what you've done here, and would love to do this sort of thing but wouldn't know where to start with the locomotives. Any chance of a photo with all of your LMWR Locos together?

Thanks

Rhys

[Nile]

Thanks Jack, and it's not even finished yet. I'll try and get a family photo at the weekend, Rhys.

 

Back to the model. It was broken down to its main parts. The loco and tender body were first sprayed with Dullcoat to remove the glossy finish, then with satin varnish to give a slight sheen to the finish. Once dry it was time to put everything back together. I started with the tender, and this is where I found a problem. There is a steel weight inside, at the rear. This longer fit inside the shortened body, the main problem being caused by the strengthening pieces in the corners. The solution was to cut the corners off the weight and file the end down a bit. I also trimmed the ribs on the inside of the rear of the body.

 

 

On the outside, at the front I added a handbrake column, leftover from the compound conversion. I also painted the front handrails black.

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[WD0-6-0]

Thanks Jack, and it's not even finished yet. I'll try and get a family photo at the weekend, Rhys.

 

thanks. It looks great.

Rhys

[6892 Oakhill Grange]

Please can you tell us some more about the LMWR. I have a feeling that it has some overlap with my Uxbridge and Amersham theN Chiltern then West Mercia Railway concept. Unfortunately as I model the late 30s there has been some swindonisation and what remains of the Edwardian splendour has had its Caledonian like blue painted in dark green.

[Nile]

Hello 6892, at some point I'd like to start a blog about the LMWR, when I've worked out more of the details, some of which are a bit fuzzy. As for the route, think of it roughly following the A40 from West London, through Uxbridge, Denham, Wycombe, Chinnor, and Thame on its way to Oxford. There it connects with the West Midlands Ry, which didn't merge with the GWR. There is a branch from Thame to Aylesbury (LNWR), and one from Uxbridge to Rickmansworth (LNWR). All this happened during the 1860s. What happened after 1923 is one of those fuzzy areas, my current thinking is that the lines west of Uxbridge became GWR. Hope that helps in some way.

 

A modelling update will follow soon.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Nile

[Nile]

Putting the loco back together.

The handrail had to be shortened, and one knob per side removed, due to the shorter smokebox. The body was then glued to the footplate, being careful not to damage the paintwork. The cab windows are a push fit, the shortened cab roof glued in place and painted matt black. At the back, new shorter handrails were glued in place and painted black, to match those on the tender. The original whistle was removed from the plumbing that was around the firebox and glued on the cab roof.

 

 

Some pipework at the front added, made from bits of the original. Paint touched up where needed. Put it all together and this is what you get.

 

 

And now for some photos of it alongside the compound.

 

 

 

 

Finished? Not quite.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Mikkel]

Excellent. Both the modelling and the thinking behind. Many of us tend to be a little set in our ways, but then men like you come along and bend reality to give a new perspective on things.

 

Perhaps this is appropriate:

 

[Edge]

Superb thread. Wonderful source of inspiration for those of us who want to try our hand at freelance stuff

[Nile]

Thanks chaps, on with the reality bending.

 

Now where was I? Oh yes, while rummaging about for something I found this.

 

It's the inlay card from the original box this loco came in, showing the starting point for this little adventure. So here it is, near the end of the story!

Having looked at photos of early T9s  I decided the rivets around the smokebox had to go. Using a curved scalpel blade I very carefully carved and scraped off the remaining rivets, with some filing where possible. More black paint to restore the finish, and that's it for now.

I've dug out another T9 in Southern green for a before and after comparison type thing.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[Nile]

Tonight's episode is ........ spot the difference.

 

While looking at the locos on a shelf above my workbench I noticed something different about no.34, compared to the others. I'd missed something during the repaint, which I have now corrected.

 

Before.

 

 

After.

 

 

Can you spot the difference? Apart from the disappearing coal load which had since been returned.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Nile

[knobhead]

Paint on the edge of the footplate and steps, a white line on side tank and bunker?

[Nile]

Not hard to spot, I suppose, although the white line you are seeing is a trick of the light. I tried to get the lighting the same, but over a day had passed since the first photo. It's all a bit improvised.

It's ready for the family photo now.