Osborn’s Models Exclusives, TT 1:120 “Arch Laser”

[luke_stevens]

Buffers chemically blackened and glued in place. Body given a light grey primer coat (Vallejo: https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/product/hobby/surface-primer-en/grey-70601/) to show up mistakes. Yes I got the roof slightly twisted. It's down on the right on both sides. I also seem to have over pressed the roof down at the right ends, so I've started to gently sand them down to make things less obvious. I need to give the roof another primer coat but the body seem ready for BR blue (Lifecolour: https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=20602). The underframe is Underframe dirt (Lifecolour: https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=20712)

 

 

 

Maybe I should "patch" the roof corner as if it is a repair?

 

Luke

[luke_stevens]

Time for some roof work.

 

The putty is Humbrol Model Filler, but my tube is going off so I've been adding Liquid Polly to the filler to make it smooth (even runny) https://uk.humbrol.com/products/31ml-model-filler-tube-ae3016

 

The purple stuff is Humbrol Maskol which I am using just as if I was painting, to prevent the filler sticking where I don't want it to. tps://uk.humbrol.com/products/maskol-28ml-bottle-ac5217

 

 

Sanded down wit a medium grit sanding stick

 

 

First coat of pant (applied by brush)

 

 

The need for me to do this isn't anything to do with the kit, but my carelessness in assembly!

[luke_stevens]

Having picked up a cheap 00 Mainline/Dapol outside framed Siphon G I thought some comparison photos would be interesting.

 

TT120 really is much smaller. Thus I really shouldn't try to include too much detail!

 

 

The Osborn's Models kit underframe is more accurate. The 00 model has 2 gas cylinders and 2 brake cylinders?!? It also doesn't have the American bogies.

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by luke_stevens

[britishcolumbian]

8 minutes ago, luke_stevens said:

TT120 really is much smaller. Thus I really shouldn't try to include too much detail!

 

Yes, that's 1:120. No, I didn't do more than one.

[luke_stevens]

Undercoat!

 

I'm going to be using the Lifecolour BR blue (new version?) and whilst I like Lifecolour I'm happier with Vallejo. So thsi is the first undercoat coat using Vallejo 71.090 Dark Sky Blue 
https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/product/model-air-en/deep-sky-71090/.

It's a tone or two darker than BR blue so will work as a "shadow" layer. There will be more coats of this before I move onto the Lifecolour.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

Since Thursday I've given the body another 2 coats of 71.090, concentrating the second onto the edges, nooks and places the spray wasn't easily going.

 

This evening I gave the body the first coat of Lifecolour BR blue. I slightly over thinned the paint and the first coat was a dust coat, followed some detail spray work, then another wider coat from further away. It will probably need a further coat when I've checked it in daylight...

 

 

Being a modeller I just can build a kit without changing, adapting or modifying...

 

I had delivered this morning a piece of 1.5mm by 1.0mm brass L girder, 1.0mm phosphor bronze strip, 0.3mm brass wire and 5x 0.3mm drill bits.

 

The first two are going to be used to create a lower solebar and, possibly, the foot boards for under the doors. The brass wire and drill bit _may_  be used to make hand and end-rails. Or not if I can't make them or it's just too damned fiddly :)

 

 

I got a confirmation e-mail that the Rail-Tec decals are on their way :)

 

I can almost see the finish post!

 

Luke

Edited April 11, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

Daylight check on the BR Blue looks good. The only traces of the other blue is in the ventilated sections and I'll be applying a dark wash there anyway.

 

Moving onto the corridor connections... the kit provides a fret of medium thickness black card with he corridor connection end plates, the scissors and the concertinas. 

 

I tried making the first fold against a sharp edge and the bend surface was not good, so for the rest I used the back of a blunt knife to inscribe a fold lines on both sides along the fold marks, using the now-surplice clamping piece.

 

 

Folded, glued and clamped...

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

Having looked at the L angle, the phosphor brass strip and prototype photos it's time for a change of plan with the solebars. The phosphor brass just doesn't look solid enough for the foot boards so I'm going to use some of the spare wood frame. The Siphon G book has a drawing of an earlier batch (with a different underframe) but enough info to start creating parts.

 

 

I better explain the funny triangle... The drawing is bigger than the model so I want to scale measurements down. Rather than taking a measurement, converting it, taking another measurement (with the options for errors at each stage) I drew up a "scaling triangle" (which probably has a better name...). On the vertical axis is the length of the model, the diagonal line is the length of the diagram. on end of the line is on the model line at the point where the length of the model is marked. The other end of the line is on the line where the other end of the model is marked. I then marked off the positions of the foot boards and their lengths. I then used a set square to draw parallel lines from the marks on the diagonal line to the vertical line. I can then just measure off the dimensions for the model. (That's a really unclear explanation, sorry)

 

Scaling a drawing.pdf

 

In the next photo I'm cutting the foot steps having chopped up the "scale triangle" so I can use it as a template.

 

 

The L girder was pickled in vinegar (mild acid) to clean, then rinsed. rubbed down with an abrasive cream bath cleaner, re-rinsed, dried and the chemically blackened. The steps will be fitted with superglue once the L has been cut to length. It will then be fitted o the chassis, but I want to do some more work on the underframe first...

[luke_stevens]

And on with the solebar and steps.

 

1) One issue I had found was that the chassis was reluctant to traverse tight curves (Hornby R2 @ 310mm) but this may be a result of me over smoothing the bogie bolsters. To ease this I filed / cut away some of the framing by the wheels so the didn't rub but I realised that with the L girder I could remove the offending parts of the underframe completely, leaving the L girder to provide the strength. In the photo below the L girders have been cut to length and you can see where I trimmed the underframe.

 

 

2) The seriously trimmed underframe and the completed solebar & foot boards.

 

 

3) Solebars attached to the underframe, using the same medium speed superglue that I use to attach the steps to the L girder. It's going to need another coat of paint or two...

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by luke_stevens

[natterjack]

Hi Luke

 

Are the makers getting any feedback from this so that mods/ instructions guidance may be incorporated?

[natterjack]

Just a comment, but metal screw to ply axis will produce wear (and possible jamming), 'though probably not enough to affect day to day running unless it is 24/7.

Edited April 14, 2023 by natterjack

[luke_stevens]

30 minutes ago, natterjack said:

Hi Luke

 

Are the makers getting any feedback from this so that mods/ instructions guidance may be incorporated?

 

When I started this build I made them aware :)

 

Many if not most of the modifications I'm making are either my choice to change / improve / further detail or my misunderstanding of the instructions.

 

I will give them any further feedback notes when I have finished.

[luke_stevens]

27 minutes ago, natterjack said:

Just a comment, but metal screw to ply axis will produce wear (and possible jamming), 'though probably not enough to affect day to day running unless it is 24/7.

 

I am tempted to add a little putty / filler to the small section of the screw thread where the bogie touches it to give a smoother bearing surface but I'm unlikely to be running long enough trains for the pull to make a difference. The ply used in this kit is of a high quality and quite robust.

 

Luke

[JSModels]

10 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

 

I am tempted to add a little putty / filler to the small section of the screw thread where the bogie touches it to give a smoother bearing surface but I'm unlikely to be running long enough trains for the pull to make a difference. The ply used in this kit is of a high quality and quite robust.

 

Luke

Luke,

 

Just soak the ply around the hole(s) with very thin superglue, that will strengthen it more than enough.

 

Jonathan 

[natterjack]

11 hours ago, luke_stevens said:

The ply used in this kit is of a high quality and quite robust.

I was more concerned with the possibility of the screw thread riding up the thin ply in curves and seizing up the free movement- I've had this happen and your filler solution would avoid it. Mine was a slightly larger hole and a short length of shrink fit tubing on the screw.

[luke_stevens]

1 hour ago, natterjack said:

I was more concerned with the possibility of the screw thread riding up the thin ply in curves and seizing up the free movement- I've had this happen and your filler solution would avoid it. Mine was a slightly larger hole and a short length of shrink fit tubing on the screw.

 

I've smoothed the inside of the bogie underframe and there doesn't seem to be anything for the screw to "catch on to" but I will keep it in mind.

 

Luke

[luke_stevens]

Very definitely coming round the last bend or two.

 

The Lifecolour was glossy enough that I didn't need to gloss varnish the body before I applied the Rail-Tech decals. https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=5735 The spacing of the lines of lettering was just too big for the plank spacing so I added the lettering one line at a time. From the photos I have of the internal bracing Siphon G's, the data panel is at the bottom right... but there was no way I could fit all the data into that space. By moving 2 panels to the left there is a panel that is big enough. I started with the bottom row of data and moved up one line at a time. As I said I would I combined the "W1304" from "W1310" and "W1048". It didn't go as neatly as I had hoped with the "04" being a little droopy on one side. To fix the transfers more firmly I gave it a light coat of MicroSet (from Microscale) which is when the "04" moved. I let the model dry, ran the back of a scalpel lightly along the planks spaces, recoated with MicroSet, let it dry and then a sparing application of MicroSol. 

MicroSet http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MI-1

MicroSol http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MI-2

 

I'm not sure I actually needed to add the "Siphon G" marking but it was present on at least one of the blue Siphons, so I did.

 

 

And this is the one with the droopy "04". To the right is the panel where the data wouldn't fit.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

I've had problems before with matt varnish aerosols coming out semi-gloss but when I sprayed a coat of Humbrol Gloss acrylic varnish I was surprised that gave me a gloss & matt combo. I let it cure for 24hr and then gave the body a coat of AK Interactive 3 Gen Gloss Varnish, thinned with a version 2 thinner, as I don't have any Gen 3 thinner.

 

3G Gloss varnish https://ak-interactive.com/product/varnish-gloss-100ml/

3G Thinner https://ak-interactive.com/product/ak11500-thinner-100ml/

and the thinner I used (and all was fine)

Acrylic Thinner https://ak-interactive.com/product/acrylic-thinner/

 

The next day I masked the body with Tamiya 6mm masking tape (https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87030/index.htm) and Windsor & Newton masking fluid (because my Humbrol Maskol is starting to go off).

 

To paint the roof I used a combination of Lifecolour Roof Dirt and LifeColour Weathered Black, both from the LifeColour Rail Weathering set 

Rail Weathering Set https://www.astromodelstore.com/cs21-rail-weathering.html
Roof Dirt https://www.astromodelstore.com/catalogsearch/result/?SID=e5tk00j2bk45j4sjvveolcanl5&___store=en&q=UA+722+Roof+Dirt&___from_store=it

Weathered Black https://www.astromodelstore.com/catalogsearch/result/?SID=e5tk00j2bk45j4sjvveolcanl5&___store=en&q=UA+723+Weathered+Black&___from_store=it

 

 

 

(fuzzy...)

 

 

I'll be fitting the end steps and corridor connections tomorrow...

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

Slight change of plan... I completed the corridor connections, only to find that I had over compressed them, so the diagonal cross pieces were too big. Entirely my fault. So I bent the diagonal cross pieces to fit and then gave them a coat of LifeColour weathered black, along with the buffer beam, buffers, foot steps and a little puff on the bogies above the axle boxes where the balance "yoke" rests.

 

 

I was worried that the end steps might not be rigid enough for normal handling. They are made of stiff card but... So I gave them a coat of thin super glue on both sides. This has strengthened them significantly. But I woke up in the middle of last night having realised that they would have been removed once electrification was being introduced, as happened to Mk 1's. So rather than fit them I've painted up some spare fret from the corridor connection and am going to blank them off.

 

 

 

[luke_stevens]

Quick up-date. 

 

The corridor fret was to wide for step blanks so I cut some 10thou by 40thou strip (cut because I'd run out and only had 30thou and 60thou) from white styrene. Put in place with superglue then hand painted with the LifeColour Blue. Note to self LifeColour doesn't give a good finish when hand painted!). I then glued the corridor connections in place and gave the body a coat of AK Interactive matt varnish. But the varnish had "gone off" leaving it lumpy. I'd strained the varnish before airbrushing but it didn't give a consistent finish. So I dumped the varnish and this evening gave the body a couple of light cotes of MIG Matt varnish which is much better https://www.migjimenez.com/en/acrylic-colors/1191-matt-lucky-varnish.html

 

Photos Tomorrow :)

 

Luke

[luke_stevens]

Very almost done!.

 

The body isn't yet glued to the chassis and I need to add the brake cylinder but it's near enough done.

 

4 photos on the turntable and 2 on the diorama (I need a better background!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[luke_stevens]

Better background, artificial lighting and an A4 & Mk1.

 

Daylight is fading...

 

Not quite sure how and why an A4 is hauling a tired Siphon G through ex-NSE territory...

 

 

The A4 (& Mk) need a little weathering...

 

The front piece of field is a spare piece of, I think, Noch field. It is the base of the embankments but they have been worked on. The spare piece helps the photos :)

 

[luke_stevens]

And onto the next one!

 

A couple of weeks ago I asked Osborn's Models if they had thought about doing a kit of one of the Southern railway GBL (Gangway Bogie Luggage Van). 5 days later the kit arrived!

 

https://www.osbornsmodels.com/arch-laser-ocww-altt090-sr-maunsell-bogie-brake-56591-p.asp

 

For full disclosure this is sample rather than a production kit which was gifted to me by Osbourn's Models. It came without wheels, couplings, buffers or instructions. I'm going to be building it my way :)

 

Most of all it's a lovely kit! I remember the first time I saw a Malcom Mitchel etched kit and I wondered if it should be built or framed.

 

Also on the photo is a copy of David Gould's "Southern Railway Passenger Van" from The Oakwood Press.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Southern-Railway-Passenger-Vans-X/dp/0853614288

 And the Cambridge Custom Transfers Sheet BL127 – BR ExSR bogie vans B, CCT & GUV to Diagrams 3093, 3096, 3097, 3098, 3099, 3100, 3181, 3182 & 3183.

https://www.cctrans.org.uk/products.htm
 

[luke_stevens]

The nice thing about not having any instructions is that I can't be accused of not following them...

 

I've started this time on the chassis using Gould's book (diagrams and photographs) as well as some photos I took of the (wrong livery) Hornby model which I was lucky enough to find in my local model shop. I've since found online the correct livery model so that is on its way. The kit is designed to have the bogies attached with M2 self-taping screws pointing upwards, but I'm not a fan of self-tappers so I'm changing to M2 bolts facing down...

 

 

From the photos I took of the Hornby model and the diagrams in the Gould book I'm modifying the chassis. There seem to have been 2 brake cylinders so I have moved the brake hangers from one end to both, and I've moved the brake cylinders off centre. I will need to produce an internal support but not a decision for this evening. There is also a brake wheel assembly at one end but I've moved it closer to the bogie (hopefully not too close) . The battery boxes on the GBL aren't directly opposite each other and seem to have more complex detailing on them that the kit initially had so I've filed then flat and will build up with strip styrene. 

 

 

My photo of the Hornby model underframe

 

 

Luke

Edited August 16, 2023 by luke_stevens

[luke_stevens]

Hopefully you can see how I'm trying to replicate the Hornby chassis with the kit parts :) The aliphatic resin glue hasn't set yet which is the funny white blobs. I guess I'm going to have to knock up something to represent the dynamo... I will add wire for the brake activators but not the pull rods to the bogies. As last time I will use a piece of milled brass L-girder for the solebar, when it arrives, which will allow me to give the wheels better clearence for sharper curves.

 

 

I've also started work on the bogies. When wood is laser cut the laser cuts it doesn't make a perfectly vertical cut but one with a V-shape. If I was just to glue things as the came the bogies would tilt inwards, so I've filed the matching surfaces square using a mini-diamond file flat file. https://www.emodels.co.uk/mini-diamond-file-set-pfl6007.html I find that with this kind of wood product I get a better finish with this than normal mini-files. The two posts at the left are for the brake wheels, and maybe a connecting bar?

 

 

You can see the small notches I've added on the internal vertical framing to allow for the M2 screw heads. The circles are for the other side of the bogies. The U-shape pieces are also for the other side and are for supporting the coupling. I think, I need to see how things look when I've got the bogies further built.

 

Luke

Edited August 14, 2023 by luke_stevens