Ayjay class 507/508 kit project

[Marc d]

Hi, this is my first attempt at building a model. I've always loved the class 507/508 merseyrail units since I was little and have wanted a model of one for as long as I can remember. Bought the kit back in February complete with two black beetle motors.

Few pics of my progress so far

Bogies painted matt black and third rail pickup beam glued onto black beetles. Trial fitting chassis to body

 

Brass window frames glued in place

 

 

Everything primed in Halfords white plastic primer

 

 

Cabs painted humbrol warning yellow, door and window frames painted humbrol matt black and trailer car roof painted humbrol sea grey

 

[Kelly]

The Ayjay range do look nice with a bit of work from what I've seen.Look forward to seeing how you progress with this, good start so far.

[SRman]

Sort of agreeing with Kelly, here, the Ayjay range, while not perfect, make a good starting point but can be improved upon without huge amounts of effort. For example, I have been working on their 'Tin' 2 HAL, 2 HAP and 4 SUB units. All benefit from shaving off some of the moulded detail and replacing it with wire and plastic (e.g. handrails and pipes), better buffers, and some of the roof conduit detail is a little on the heavy side (although I haven't done anything with that). With the 4 SUB and 2 HAL I also shaved down the thickness of the secondman's cab windscreens surrounds, something I would suggest for the 508 windscreens as well, looking at the pics. Of course, some of the other things I have mentioned are irrelevant for the 508 (buffers? ).

I am following this build with interest too, as it is very much a type of unit I would like.

Edited March 18, 2016 by SRman

[Kelly]

Sort of agreeing with Kelly, here, the Ayjay range, while not perfect, make a good starting point but can be improved upon without huge amounts of effort. For example, I have been working on their 'Tin' 2 HAL, 2 HAP and 4 SUB units. All benefit from shaving off some of the moulded detail and replacing it with wire and plastic (e.g. handrails and pipes), better buffers, and some of the roof conduit detail is a little on the heavy side (although I haven't done anything with that). With the 4 SUB abd 2 HAL I also shaved down the thickness of the secondman's cab windscreens surrounds, something I would suggest for the 508 windscreens as well, looking at the pics. Of course, some of the other things I have mentioned are irrelevant for the 508 (buffers? ).

 

I am following this build with interest too, as it is very much a type of unit I would like.

I talked with a trader at last years RMweb event at the Ricoh, Coventry who was selling AyJay's models. He was hoping to extend the range and get seperate carriages made available.

 

Personally I'd like a 4SUB and a 4DD (if and when they do one), but a full 4 car unit (or 2 car) is beyond my finances in one go atm sadly. Which is why I'm doing the 4EPB from Replica parts as it is easier to spread the costs out.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Kelly

[Karhedron]

Those cab castings look a lot like the old MTK ones. I am starting to get flashbacks.

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by Karhedron

[Marc d]

Yeah the front end does look a lot like the mtk one. Going to use staples for the handrails. Thanks for the feedback guys. Hoping to get both driving coaches roofs painted this morning before I go to work and maybe the trailer car painted and ready for decals

[Gordon H]

When I started work on what eventually turned out to be my scratchbuilt Class 314 back in the mid 80's, the cab was the first item produced, basically to prove the principle of the resin casting method used. One of the first cab castings was then used to produce the inner coach end master. It was some years later that my Class 508 was produced from the same moulds. The cab on the left is the master, fabricated from styrene.

 

 

[Marc d]

That one looks so much better than my one gordon

[SRman]

Marc, we all have to start somewhere. The only way to improve skills is to try something yourself. Some of my early efforts weren't entirely successful but I learnt from the mistakes and also still got a sense of achievement out of them anyway. The worthwhile items would have been rebuilt or repainted to improve them as my skills built up.

Keep going. If you don't like the way it turns out, try again. Use others as inspiration too. Even the manufacturers get things wrong at times, or can be improved upon, but their kits can still be a lot easier than scratch building. Remember too that most of the time, we view our models from a certain distance, whereas close-up photos can be quite cruel. I have spotted several minor 'wobbles' in some of my recent efforts just through the camera, where my naked eye skipped over the "problems".

[darrel]

When I started work on what eventually turned out to be my scratchbuilt Class 314 back in the mid 80's, the cab was the first item produced, basically to prove the principle of the resin casting method used. One of the first cab castings was then used to produce the inner coach end master. It was some years later that my Class 508 was produced from the same moulds. The cab on the left is the master, fabricated from styrene.

 

508025_2.jpg

 

508025_1.jpg

Your front ends look much better than the ayjay kit version.

[John Tomlinson]

One observation from the pics in post #1 is that the Humbrol matt black is anything but matt!

 

Its a general rule of modelling anything that the glossier the finish, the more underlying imperfections in the surface ( in this case the resin mouldings) are amplified. I suspect some matting down on the black would improve the ends.

 

Resin mouldings in my experience (which includes trains and buses) take a reasonable amount of preparatory work to get to a state that the finish looks crisp. Moulded edges such as window frames or cantrails often aren't straight or vary in thickness, and when you paint them in contrast with the adjacent area this really stands out. Equally, moulded joins at right angles such as the light clusters often have a curved meniscus (this happens with white metal as well) that can sometimes be crisped up by using a chisel blade to cut a precise joint. 

 

As with any model medium, some manufacturers are better then others. The first resin bus model I attempted was atrocious in quality - I'd better not name names - so as to be almost unbuildable. The Silver Fox railway range I have found to be an example of better end products - based on your pictures I'm not sure that the Ayjay examples you've worked on are that great - although one really needs to examine them in the flesh to form a proper judgement.

 

As SRMan says, we learn by doing, and frankly no one unless very fortunate is going to produce a Larry Goddard standard product on their first attempt!

 

John.

Edited March 19, 2016 by John Tomlinson

[Marc d]

Yeah I know what you mean john. The matt black isn't matt no lol. Anyway few pics from today's work. First attempt at airbrushing, hasn't come out too bad. Tried to spray it as thinly as possible and do more coats. Leaving it to cure for a couple of days then I'll gloss varnish it ready for decals

 

[NickL2008]

I agree with previous comments that the ends don't look great, but probably with some Milliput, styrene, I bet could probably make this model look a lot better, reminds me of the Hurst Models 442 ends I got, some parts weren't great but managed to get a decent looking end out of them with some filler and remaking some parts
 

NL

 

[Marc d]

Few more updates. Took masking tape off, not looking too bad now. It is a shame about the front end but unfortunately no one else makes a 507/508

[Marc d]

I'd love to have another one in the blue and grey livery but I can't be bothered with making another one and they're rather expensive haha

[kintbury jon]

I think you've done a really good job with this.  To me the kit looked pretty awful (in your first post) but the paint work has really enhanced the model. You must be pleased with the outcome.

[Marc d]

Yeah, it looked terrible when I first got it. Looking forward to putting the stripes, logos and numbers on after the gloss varnish has set. Once decals are fitted I'll apply some satin varnish then it's time for the glazing

[Scott]

Its starting to look really good, looking forward to seeing the next stage. 

[Kelly]

You've made a great job with that now it is painted. As you say it is a shame about the front end, but until someone else does a better cab casting you're stuck with it.

[Marc d]

Some updates. Started applying the decals. Very happy with them since it's my first time using water slide decals. Can be very fiddly but just took my time and used plenty of water to move them into position. Ignore the glossy cab, I've sprayed everything with gloss varnish so the decals stick. I'll go over everything with satin varnish once the decals are set

[GordonC]

Some updates. Started applying the decals. Very happy with them since it's my first time using water slide decals. Can be very fiddly but just took my time and used plenty of water to move them into position. Ignore the glossy cab, I've sprayed everything with gloss varnish so the decals stick. I'll go over everything with satin varnish once the decals are set

 

Its looking good ... I think the gloss black around the cab windows is very unforgiving when photographing close up in bright light conditions. You might even want to use matt on that area rather than satin varnish

[Marc d]

Yeah I might use Matt on the cab and satin on the rest of the body

[Marc d]

Few more pics. The merseyrail yellow livery is looking good I think, really suits the class 507 and 508 emu. Not likely to happen but would like another one in the br blue and grey livery, should of asked ayjay for a discount for buying two lol.

[Kelly]

That has come up quite well. I remember seeing such units when I'd visit my gran in Southport growing up. I think the main issue with the cabs is a issue with resin moulds, in that they shrink by upto 8%, so straight lines can be difficult to acheive, and the doorway on the cab is very distinctively straight. The side recess also perhaps look a little small, but that might just be perspective on my part. Cabs in 3D printing would complement the bodies well if the price of the bodies was cheaper perhaps. I have no need for a 507/508 myself at this time, but I have been thinking of 3D printing models, but 4mm is still too expensive with current methods, however with shapeways introducing the new HDA material that might become more affordable, though at present the size is limited to about the size of a Galaxy Note phone, which obviously negates 4mm units atm.

[piranha230]

The issue with the resin mould's is nothing to do with shrinkage, it is that this was clearly copied from the old mtk kit,the cab is exactly the same as the old mtk one, it would not of cost an absolute fortune to get one properly designed from scratch.

Here is pics of the one Amsie did around 2007, that never got produced as a kit, but was 3d printed.