Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Yes I think you're right.  I'm going to set it into the ground a little.

 

I think that looks a bit better?  It can still go slightly lower, there's some more cork under there yet!

 

[Neal Ball]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

I think that looks a bit better?  It can still go slightly lower, there's some more cork under there yet!

 

I’d probably drop it just a little more…. Not much, it’s almost there.

[Graham T]

I managed to overcome my airbrush phobia yesterday and so, after clearing off a thick layer of dust and cobwebs, I gave the water tower a blast of Railmatch light stone.  The dark stone at the base was brush painted.  Here's how I'm thinking of arranging the various bits and bobs.  I haven't forgotten the post for hooking the chain to!

 

Those gaps at the top need filling, or I may try to disguise them with some weathering.  That still needs to be done of course; I'm trying to be patient enough to give the paint some time to cure, but my regular reader will know that patience is far from being my strong suit!

 

The bag is from masking tape painted with a mix of Vallejo black grey and leather brown.  Thanks to Peter M @Broadoak for that idea.

 

[Harlequin]

Sometimes the level indicator was loose enough to be blown around in the wind. Since the water was usually at the same level the indicator gradually marked out a rusty arc on the side of the tank - sometimes several arcs at different heights.

🙂

Edited September 25, 2022 by Harlequin

[Graham T]

Interesting.  But just how much rust would there be on one of these in the 1930s?  Not all that much, I'd have thought?

[MrWolf]

One thing that I would be interested to know is how the backplate of the level indicator was painted? Was it all white with the level markers painted on or was it alternate black and white bands as I have seen on a preserved example?

[Graham T]

I think mine is going to be off-white, in the interests of simplicity!

[Harlequin]

59 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Interesting.  But just how much rust would there be on one of these in the 1930s?  Not all that much, I'd have thought?

If the pointer is iron it probably wouldn't take long to go rusty. The marks might also be from rubbing/chipping the paint off the tank and/or leaving metalling scuffs on the paintwork.

 

(And maybe more visible when maintenance was cut back in the BR era.)

 

52 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

One thing that I would be interested to know is how the backplate of the level indicator was painted? Was it all white with the level markers painted on or was it alternate black and white bands as I have seen on a preserved example?

If you're on "Everything Great Western" on Facebook search for "Fairford 1962" to see the indicator on that tank (and the wind marks). Looks to be dirty white with level markers.

 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Harlequin

[Graham T]

Getting rather over-excited with the airbrush.  Nearly as addictive as static grass (and even messier, if such a thing is possible).

 

 

The three wagons on the left have had a wafting of Railmatch frame dirt.  I've tried not to overdo it (!) but you can see the difference with the black wagon at the right, which hasn't had the treatment - yet...

 

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

They look great 👍 

[Graham T]

Thanks 🙂  They've all had the underframes sprayed now, and also a fairly heavy wash of black acrylic on the bodies.  The wagon next to the Toad has come out looking a touch cleaner than the others, but that's a happy accident as I don't really want them all looking too uniform.

 

[Graham T]

And another cruel close-up.  I think I'll do this slightly differently next time.  I sprayed the underframes first, with acrylic, and then did an acrylic wash on the bodies.  But the problem with that is that the wash doesn't settle properly into all the plank joints.  So, next time I'll use a Mig dark enamel wash on the body first, then spray the frames with acrylic.  I didn't want to do the enamel wash after spraying the acrylic, because I think the thinners would mess up the acrylic.

 

That is probably burble, but I know what I mean!

 

[Andy Keane]

Have you tried adding rust coloured powder / pigment around the axle boxes? I quite like that as an option.

Andy

[gwrrob]

2 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Have you tried adding rust coloured powder / pigment around the axle boxes? I quite like that as an option.

Andy

 

i quite like track rust pigment by Abteilung 502 for this.

[Graham T]

7 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Have you tried adding rust coloured powder / pigment around the axle boxes? I quite like that as an option.

Andy

 

3 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

i quite like track rust pigment by Abteilung 502 for this.

 

I probably will add just a touch of rust powder, and perhaps a dab of oily steel here and there too.  But I think I should leave that until tomorrow, otherwise my grubby paws will be leaving fingerprints in the weathering...

[Andy Keane]

17 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

i quite like track rust pigment by Abteilung 502 for this.

Exactly what I use as well.

[Gopher]

35 minutes ago, Graham T said:

But the problem with that is that the wash doesn't settle properly into all the plank joints

Graham - another option (which I use) is a bow pen loaded with thinned acrylic paint.  I use Tamiya Nato black.  I do this as a pre-shade before airbrushing .  It works well if the planks are well defined on the wagons i.e. have some depth in the relief of the planks.  I also use the same technique to pre shade some of the metal bracing, and for highlighting door seams on carriages, and panels/doors etc on diesel locos .    Bit of trial and error at times to get the mix of paint right and to not flood the bow pen so it splurges out.  Example below  

[MrWolf]

That does look nicely sun bleached with the highlighted joints and faded maroon.

[Graham T]

The auto-coach got the treatment today as well.  Mixed results.  It was pre-weathered when I bought it, the "economy" version I think; it looked as if it had been given a quick squirt of an earthy shade along the white roof, and the same colour along the underframe.  I was never really happy with how it looked.

 

So, it had a waft of frame dirt along the chassis, and then a black wash over that once it had dried.  I tackled the roof next, airbrushing on Railmatch roof dirt.  This didn't go brilliantly, to be fair!  I found it tricky to mix the paint to the right consistency, and whatever had been used on the roof for the previous weathering didn't like my paint either.  So the finish is a bit patchy here and there, as you can see.  But, with another happy accident a la Bob Ross, it looks like a weathered roof rather than just a dark grey one (or it does to me anyway!), so I may just leave it as it is. 

 

The last stage was a Mig dark wash around the windows and doors, which I think has come out ok.  That's enough for today, methinks.

 

 

One day this will get some passengers, the Dart Castings detailing kit, and maybe even some flush glazing.  One day!

 

 

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

That does look nicely sun bleached with the highlighted joints and faded maroon.

 

Sun-bleached?  That must have happened when it was on Southern rails then, certainly not in Herefordshire!

[Gopher]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Sun-bleached?  That must have happened when it was on Southern rails then, certainly not in Herefordshire!

No most likely rotting wood from the rain.  Part of my weathering routine is to dry brush planking with a lightish grey colour.  I also dry brush any metal work with light grey, gun metal, rust etc.,   

 

  

[Graham T]

One of the nice things about working from home is never having to say you're sorry.  Ah, no - hang on, I've got that wrong.  It's being able to spend a few minutes on a hobby in your lunch break 🙂

 

Not much different here, but they've had some judicious rust powder and oily steel paint here and there.

 

[Graham T]

I also got the weathering of the water tower finished.  Now to get everything planted in that space between the tracks!

 

[Graham T]

The goods yard crane, doing its impression of "Boris the Spider".  I did put a strip of brick paper around the base, but you can't really see it now...

 

[Graham T]

All the various components around the water tower got fixed onto the plasticard base last night, and then it got a coat of gloss grey paint and a layer of chinchilla dust.  This was one of a great many ideas I picked up having just finished reading Gordon Gravett's excellent book on landscaping.

 

 

It all looks far too pristine at the moment, but that will soon get put right!  The next step will be to put down a very thin layer of Das all around this, and then repeat the gloss paint and chinchilla dust treatment.  Then it can all be coated in acrylic paints to blend everything together.  I may be able to make a start on that this evening, all being well...