Towbridge Junction Posted April 27, 2022 Share Posted April 27, 2022 Wow absolutely fantastic work! I absolutely love those 37s, especially 37042 😍 Always been in awe of this thread for years, but only recently set up an account to be able to post. Keep up the fantastic work, I look forward to seeing more fantastic locos in the future 👍👍👍 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwich Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Excellent work James - particularly like the details observed on ‘042. The repainted red looks really good - well worth the effort. Looking forward to more beasts on your workbench! Will 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Nice work , The red looks proper red ! You certainly bringing the bachy 37s into 2022 - every time i look at mine they seem more toy like ! Need your level of work to get them up there . I just read that BR gave the purchaser of the freight companies 90 days to remove the logos hence the haste and scars 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold young37215 Posted April 29, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 29, 2022 Nice work on the tractors. A question please regarding the wire loops that are installed in place of tension locks. I have been through your Flickr pictures but cannot find a clear shot of where these are located, presumably drilled out and the wire glued in place, on the bufferbeam. You have managed to create loops far wider than I have and which I want to copy; could you expand on what you do and post a picture or two showing the bufferbeam? Thanks for your time. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 2, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 2, 2022 Thanks for all the likes and comments guys! On 27/04/2022 at 18:41, Towbridge Junction said: Wow absolutely fantastic work! I absolutely love those 37s, especially 37042 😍 Always been in awe of this thread for years, but only recently set up an account to be able to post. Keep up the fantastic work, I look forward to seeing more fantastic locos in the future 👍👍👍 It's always nice to hear things like this! What's always fun about doing projects is getting the chance to tackle a machine that triggered a certain memory or takes you back to a certain time or place, and so when sharing these project posts I love hearing how what might be an obscure or random loco from a cast of hundreds actually does mean something to someone else too! On 28/04/2022 at 13:28, Southwich said: Excellent work James - particularly like the details observed on ‘042. The repainted red looks really good - well worth the effort. Looking forward to more beasts on your workbench! Will Thanks ever so much Will! It's interesting doing these projects as often the detail differences are never that apparent in real life back in the day, and not normally noticed until I've already committed to starting to work on a loco and then staring at dozens of online photos, and by then you can't really go back! Sourcing the different end for '042 was a challenge but I just happened to have one in the collection I could pinch it from, a bizarre bit of luck! The rest of it is just bodging on the detail differences as the project develops! On 28/04/2022 at 19:12, rob D2 said: Nice work , The red looks proper red ! You certainly bringing the bachy 37s into 2022 - every time i look at mine they seem more toy like ! Need your level of work to get them up there . I just read that BR gave the purchaser of the freight companies 90 days to remove the logos hence the haste and scars Haha, cheers Rob! That's a really interesting nugget on the 90 day arrows story! That would explain some of the scarring and rusty holes left behind, even from where you'd think by 1998 that a triple grey loco hadn't even carried the arrows for that long, its left a dirty big set of scars! Cheers, James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 2, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) On 29/04/2022 at 08:06, young37215 said: Nice work on the tractors. A question please regarding the wire loops that are installed in place of tension locks. I have been through your Flickr pictures but cannot find a clear shot of where these are located, presumably drilled out and the wire glued in place, on the bufferbeam. You have managed to create loops far wider than I have and which I want to copy; could you expand on what you do and post a picture or two showing the bufferbeam? Thanks for your time. Thanks, that's a good question, no worries! I've always liked doing the wire loops/hoops (or 'goalposts' as they sometimes get nicknamed) as a great way of being able to fit all the bufferbeam pipework and still work with the tension lock couplers on my wagon fleet. I have found wide hoops work best for me, as my stock runs on Worthing MRC's Loftus Road which has some tighter curves in the fiddle yard, and longer-wheelbase wagons can otherwise have trouble if the hoop is a bit narrow! Using a Bachmann 47 extracted from the donor pile, here's a quick overview of what takes place, hopefully the red bufferbeam will help things show up better. Firstly, the holes are drilled with a small modeller's archimedes drill, just on the inside of the buffer shanks, and a hoop of 0.45mm brass wire (my stash is normally obtained via eBay or Eileen's Emporium) is put through - For bending the brass, I will bend a 90 degree right angle in it, pop it through the first hole as a test, and then using a permanent marker pen, make a mark as to where the next bend should be, I'll then remove the wire and do the other right angle bend to make the 'U' shape here. The next stage is to then superglue the joint at which the hoop goes into the bufferbeam, and once dry, I'll bend in the sticky-out parts behind the bufferbeam, and add some more glue at the rear, it's not going anywhere at that stage! After everything is dry, it's just a case of bending the hoop down to a height where a wagon can couple up on it's own to the hoop, and away you go! From experience on my tighter curves, the front beam of the hoop is generally good if it's just projecting ahead of the buffers, and be aware that once you bend the hoop downwards, it'll bring it in closer to the loco - it's often a bit of trial and error before getting to the glue stage! Hope this helps! James Edited May 2, 2022 by James Makin . 9 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold young37215 Posted May 3, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 3, 2022 Just what I was looking for, thank you. I have a number of locos with much narrower 'goal posts' which need wider versions to accomodate 3rd radius curves better, I shall use your pictures as a template for my attempt to create something similar. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 Thanks for the "goal post" explanation James. I'm going to have to save bits of this thread somehow it is an absolute mine of information 👍 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted May 10, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 10, 2022 On 26/03/2021 at 15:57, James Makin said: Great Western HST Power Cars by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Luscious layers of rich Great Western green and ivory were applied, the masking around the headlights for the green 'bar' proving particularly intricate. Doing this kind of thing always seems to highlight what I've long suspected is some accuracy issues in the size/positioning of the Hornby lightbar but it's tricky to pinpoint the exact issue - had the same when masking up around for the FGW Fag Packet cars in 2015! I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking there is an accuracy issue around Hornby’s light bar on these. Though yours have come out a bit better looking than mine on which the green band looks a little too thick. It’s only half a mm or so, but once you start masking it really shows. I found several other features were slightly out of alignment to where I expected them to be. I wish I’d got a cheap intercity set back in the day, I really want 43008 in Merlin (with the guards window) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post James Makin Posted May 12, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted May 12, 2022 It's time for another dose of diesels again as we go back to the late '90s for a double pair of 'Duffs'! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Joining the fleet today is Network SouthEast-liveried 47711 County of Hertfordshire and Intercity 47810 PORTERBROOK. The theme this week is certainly outdated liveries, 47810 being a Virgin loco by 1998 but still sporting the older colours, while EWS' 47711 was among the last few survivors still clinging on to the iconic 'Toothpaste' colours at the time. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The starting point for these two was of course the Bachmann model, and the 'classic' one at that - at the time these were created early last year, the new one was still a Barwell top secret! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The 47715 release was chosen - picked up for a good price - the ideal donor would've been the Kernow Ltd Edition 47701 but finding one without an astronomical price was nigh on impossible! Meanwhile, over in the 'Raspberry ripple' corner, one of my Fire Fly models was used, some years ago I managed to get a stack of these at a very reasonable £59.99 from Rails of Sheffield in their clearance sale...how times change! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Bachmann's release here is all tarted up with the whitewall wheels so it's always rather fun taking it back down a peg or two to a normal Virgin ILRA-pool member! The start point was to take apart the loco and strip off the unwanted names and numbers, with enamel thinners making light work of these as usual, followed by a coat of Railmatch gloss varnish to give a good base for the Railtec decals and replacement etched nameplates to be applied on top, using varnish to secure the plates. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Having waited a month or so for the varnish to harden, weathering began in earnest, layers of light brown were washed over the roof and sides, and rubbed away, followed by shades of darker brown and dark grey, checking back to prototype pics on Flickr to get them matched for 1998 condition. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Here we can see 47711 getting an absolute pasting! It's always a dramatic moment splashing on the paint and washes, it's also the reason why I leave at least a month between varnishing the decals and doing this, I have had some horror stories where I didn't leave enough time, and the layers of varnish and branding started to come off..! After the weathering was wiped off and further details added, the locos were reassembled and ready for traffic weathering. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 47810 PORTERBROOK was a nice one to work on, and another example of trying to get something I wanted as a kid! Lima did an Intercity 47810 for a retailer special in one of two double packs, but the high price then meant it wasn't to be in my pocket money budget. When I got my first Heljan '47' in Virgin livery in 2001, I renumbered it as '810 (later ironically becoming an actual release) but it wasn't quite the Intercity version I sought all those years ago, so it's nice to finally complete the dream! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Detail-wise, it was very similar to the Bachmann 'Fire Fly' release, but with a flush-front at the No.2 end, so this was filled in with Humbrol model filler. My top tip here is to stuff cocktail sticks into the market light holes when adding the filler, this way you have 'bookmarked' the holes to save the guessing game of where to drill out the holes otherwise! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The iconic Intercity Swallow livery still looks as fresh as ever! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr There's something just awesome about Intercity that I loved as a kid in the early 90s and bolstered further by borrowing Chris Green's "The Intercity Story" book from the library, constantly poring over every page and re-borrowing it for so long to the extent that the library asked my mother to bring the book in to check that I still had it! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The Bachmann chassis was painted in Humbrol 32 dark grey, before being airbrushed with a variety of Phoenix Paints shades, including Brake Dust, Track Dirt, and then given a gentle drybrushing in Humbrol Metalcote gunmetal to highlight the raised detail on the bogies. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The flush No.2 end is shown here to good effect, the real 47810 had quite a few battle scars on the yellow end by 1998, so these have been replicated by dabbing on rusty shades with a fine 5/0 paintbrush. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I always loved the nameplate on 47810, the unusual shape and design was rather radical, and still pretty unusual, all these years on! What fascinated me was hearing about the naming ceremony for this one, being taken to a random park in Birmingham, that's got to be one of the more unusual locations to be named! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Alongside 47810, I always knew there would be a place in the fleet for 47711! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr This glorious old monster really captured my attention reading RAIL Magazine as a kid, the sight of this spluttering diesel in local Network SouthEast livery, now owned by EWS and appearing on freight trains! There was a lovely pic of 47711 on a rake of brand new EWS MHA 'Coalfish' and you couldn't ask for a bigger juxtaposition of the privatisation era. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr One of the former Scottish push-pull 'Duff's, the loco was transferred down south in 1990 for the Network SouthEast loco-hauled services emanating from London Waterloo, until displacement by the new Class 159 DMUs. The loco then passed into freight usage and later ended up as part of the EWS fleet. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr One interesting feature on 47711 was a big chunk of missing paint at the No.2 end, this being painted on over the livery with grey paint, and more shades of greys and browns added to create the look as if it was undercoat showing through the NSE colours. 47711 also had a flush front at the No.2 end, so the same modification was completed as on 47810. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The factory Bachmann livery was retained, but simply faded down to represent the tatty condition of 47711. A wash of light grey was applied all over the bodyshell and wiped down with kitchen roll, the layer of matt varnish on the bodyshell acting as a 'key' to grip onto the grey paint and mute down the whole livery, before leaving to dry and later adding washes of browns and greys. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It's quite fun taking a Hornby-catalogue-style side profile picture! I love the logo on one side where the 'N' sticker seems to have degraded and gone black, looking like 'etwork SouthEast' from a distance! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Another selling point was the cheeky beaky Stratford Cockney Sparrow motif on the side, what's not to like! The clumsy positioning of the nameplate on this side is also very interesting. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I had a lot of enjoyment modelling these two locos! A couple of great BR liveries in their twilight years and becoming outnumbered by the new generation around them, they wouldn't stay in that condition for long. Under the custodianship of EWS, 47711 would later see long term hire to Virgin Trains, receiving the operator's bright red and grey livery, alongside 47810 too. The fortune of each locomotive would diverge at this point, sadly 47711 would be withdrawn by 2000, and later be cut up in 2004. Meanwhile, 47810 would be much luckier, after finishing with Virgin Trains it would become part of the Cotswold Rail fleet, resplendent in silver and named Captain Sensible. Today it can be found as part of the Locomotive Services fleet and painted in the attractive 1960s original BR two-tone green. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I'm looking forward to getting these two into service on my layout - 47810 will be added to the growing ILRA Virgin CrossCountry fleet, while for 47711 it would be rude not to whip out some ex-works MHA Coalfish! This is the penultimate update of the batch of 40 diesels tackled during 2021, I've been drip-feeding updates since Christmas, can you believe we are in May now? I'm saving something rather fun for the final update! Cheers, James 40 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted May 12, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2022 Very nice, always good to see an Intercity 47, something which is sorely missing from my fleet. Although that said, with the number rod potential locos Inhave to run mgr Virgin mk2 rake I probably don’t need any more. 47711 is another which is on my eventual to do list. Anything to justify an NSE loco 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMafia Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 Love those two James, 47711 also on my list and I have a couple of 47701s ready and waiting, picked up for £99 from Kernow (with the TC deal). Ironically the 47715 that you modified is now the rarer NSE model and goes for silly money on eBay! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_crisp Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 Wow! The NSE one is amazing and one of my favourites of yours! 31 minutes ago, SouthernMafia said: Love those two James, 47711 also on my list and I have a couple of 47701s ready and waiting, picked up for £99 from Kernow (with the TC deal). Ironically the 47715 that you modified is now the rarer NSE model and goes for silly money on eBay! Yeah. I'm kind of hoping that Bachmann release a NSE 47/7 using their new tooling soon! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMafia Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 1 hour ago, dj_crisp said: Wow! The NSE one is amazing and one of my favourites of yours! Yeah. I'm kind of hoping that Bachmann release a NSE 47/7 using their new tooling soon! That would be nice... probably as I just finish off modifying mine! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhysb Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 15 hours ago, James Makin said: It's time for another dose of diesels again as we go back to the late '90s for a double pair of 'Duffs'! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Joining the fleet today is Network SouthEast-liveried 47711 County of Hertfordshire and Intercity 47810 PORTERBROOK. The theme this week is certainly outdated liveries, 47810 being a Virgin loco by 1998 but still sporting the older colours, while EWS' 47711 was among the last few survivors still clinging on to the iconic 'Toothpaste' colours at the time. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The starting point for these two was of course the Bachmann model, and the 'classic' one at that - at the time these were created early last year, the new one was still a Barwell top secret! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The 47715 release was chosen - picked up for a good price - the ideal donor would've been the Kernow Ltd Edition 47701 but finding one without an astronomical price was nigh on impossible! Meanwhile, over in the 'Raspberry ripple' corner, one of my Fire Fly models was used, some years ago I managed to get a stack of these at a very reasonable £59.99 from Rails of Sheffield in their clearance sale...how times change! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Bachmann's release here is all tarted up with the whitewall wheels so it's always rather fun taking it back down a peg or two to a normal Virgin ILRA-pool member! The start point was to take apart the loco and strip off the unwanted names and numbers, with enamel thinners making light work of these as usual, followed by a coat of Railmatch gloss varnish to give a good base for the Railtec decals and replacement etched nameplates to be applied on top, using varnish to secure the plates. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Having waited a month or so for the varnish to harden, weathering began in earnest, layers of light brown were washed over the roof and sides, and rubbed away, followed by shades of darker brown and dark grey, checking back to prototype pics on Flickr to get them matched for 1998 condition. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Here we can see 47711 getting an absolute pasting! It's always a dramatic moment splashing on the paint and washes, it's also the reason why I leave at least a month between varnishing the decals and doing this, I have had some horror stories where I didn't leave enough time, and the layers of varnish and branding started to come off..! After the weathering was wiped off and further details added, the locos were reassembled and ready for traffic weathering. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 47810 PORTERBROOK was a nice one to work on, and another example of trying to get something I wanted as a kid! Lima did an Intercity 47810 for a retailer special in one of two double packs, but the high price then meant it wasn't to be in my pocket money budget. When I got my first Heljan '47' in Virgin livery in 2001, I renumbered it as '810 (later ironically becoming an actual release) but it wasn't quite the Intercity version I sought all those years ago, so it's nice to finally complete the dream! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Detail-wise, it was very similar to the Bachmann 'Fire Fly' release, but with a flush-front at the No.2 end, so this was filled in with Humbrol model filler. My top tip here is to stuff cocktail sticks into the market light holes when adding the filler, this way you have 'bookmarked' the holes to save the guessing game of where to drill out the holes otherwise! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The iconic Intercity Swallow livery still looks as fresh as ever! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr There's something just awesome about Intercity that I loved as a kid in the early 90s and bolstered further by borrowing Chris Green's "The Intercity Story" book from the library, constantly poring over every page and re-borrowing it for so long to the extent that the library asked my mother to bring the book in to check that I still had it! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The Bachmann chassis was painted in Humbrol 32 dark grey, before being airbrushed with a variety of Phoenix Paints shades, including Brake Dust, Track Dirt, and then given a gentle drybrushing in Humbrol Metalcote gunmetal to highlight the raised detail on the bogies. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The flush No.2 end is shown here to good effect, the real 47810 had quite a few battle scars on the yellow end by 1998, so these have been replicated by dabbing on rusty shades with a fine 5/0 paintbrush. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I always loved the nameplate on 47810, the unusual shape and design was rather radical, and still pretty unusual, all these years on! What fascinated me was hearing about the naming ceremony for this one, being taken to a random park in Birmingham, that's got to be one of the more unusual locations to be named! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Alongside 47810, I always knew there would be a place in the fleet for 47711! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr This glorious old monster really captured my attention reading RAIL Magazine as a kid, the sight of this spluttering diesel in local Network SouthEast livery, now owned by EWS and appearing on freight trains! There was a lovely pic of 47711 on a rake of brand new EWS MHA 'Coalfish' and you couldn't ask for a bigger juxtaposition of the privatisation era. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr One of the former Scottish push-pull 'Duff's, the loco was transferred down south in 1990 for the Network SouthEast loco-hauled services emanating from London Waterloo, until displacement by the new Class 159 DMUs. The loco then passed into freight usage and later ended up as part of the EWS fleet. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr One interesting feature on 47711 was a big chunk of missing paint at the No.2 end, this being painted on over the livery with grey paint, and more shades of greys and browns added to create the look as if it was undercoat showing through the NSE colours. 47711 also had a flush front at the No.2 end, so the same modification was completed as on 47810. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The factory Bachmann livery was retained, but simply faded down to represent the tatty condition of 47711. A wash of light grey was applied all over the bodyshell and wiped down with kitchen roll, the layer of matt varnish on the bodyshell acting as a 'key' to grip onto the grey paint and mute down the whole livery, before leaving to dry and later adding washes of browns and greys. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It's quite fun taking a Hornby-catalogue-style side profile picture! I love the logo on one side where the 'N' sticker seems to have degraded and gone black, looking like 'etwork SouthEast' from a distance! 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Another selling point was the cheeky beaky Stratford Cockney Sparrow motif on the side, what's not to like! The clumsy positioning of the nameplate on this side is also very interesting. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I had a lot of enjoyment modelling these two locos! A couple of great BR liveries in their twilight years and becoming outnumbered by the new generation around them, they wouldn't stay in that condition for long. Under the custodianship of EWS, 47711 would later see long term hire to Virgin Trains, receiving the operator's bright red and grey livery, alongside 47810 too. The fortune of each locomotive would diverge at this point, sadly 47711 would be withdrawn by 2000, and later be cut up in 2004. Meanwhile, 47810 would be much luckier, after finishing with Virgin Trains it would become part of the Cotswold Rail fleet, resplendent in silver and named Captain Sensible. Today it can be found as part of the Locomotive Services fleet and painted in the attractive 1960s original BR two-tone green. 47711 and 47810 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr I'm looking forward to getting these two into service on my layout - 47810 will be added to the growing ILRA Virgin CrossCountry fleet, while for 47711 it would be rude not to whip out some ex-works MHA Coalfish! This is the penultimate update of the batch of 40 diesels tackled during 2021, I've been drip-feeding updates since Christmas, can you believe we are in May now? I'm saving something rather fun for the final update! Cheers, James Quite simply.... train porn! Great Job James Rhys 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty11 Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 Looks great James! Love the NSE 47, I’m rather hoping one makes it back on to the mainline in the livery for an excuse to run one! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne 37901 Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 Very nice James. More 90s locos in proper liveries to look at. 😎 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted May 18, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18, 2022 Thanks for all the likes and comments guys! I always get surprised by the reactions to some of the locos and these liveries seem to go down well! There is something about the NSE livery that will always be amazing, and the excuse of having a grotty one relegated to freight services was too good to miss 😄 On 13/05/2022 at 08:33, SouthernMafia said: Love those two James, 47711 also on my list and I have a couple of 47701s ready and waiting, picked up for £99 from Kernow (with the TC deal). Ironically the 47715 that you modified is now the rarer NSE model and goes for silly money on eBay! Thanks Rich! That is a great price for those 47701s there, in hindsight I should've gone halves with someone who wanted a TC set! Crazy how the prices shoot up for the loco releases that were once everywhere, I guess people stash away the Ltd Editions and the normal stuff gets wrecked and becomes rarer! Looking back, I think I have unknowingly destroyed quite a few high-value releases over the years, hopefully doing some favours for the collectors along the way I guess! On 14/05/2022 at 11:08, Balgrayhill said: Im a massive fan of your work James, and have been since I first saw your Wells Green (?) TMD layout at Model Rail Scotland many years ago. Back then I remember being blown away by your attention to detail, conversions etc etc, and you were just a nipper! A lot of people should take a leaf from your book and do some modelling instead of freaking out if their latest model has a scuff on the box. Keep up the good work, looking forward to all your future updates Thank you so much! It is crazy how much time has flown since Wells Green TMD went to Model Rail Scotland! That would have been 2006, I was a fresh faced 20-year old in my second year at Uni back then! It was a fun show, the guys at Model Rail Magazine gave me a surprise award for cutting up two Bachmann '66/5's to create Freightliner's low-emission 66951! As a prize they said I could choose any loco currently available, I went for a then-new Hornby Class 60 to get my money's worth! The very long trip back to Sussex saw a trainspotting stop at Carlisle to savour some decent freight action too. I can't believe that's 16 years ago now! Haha, it is always interesting reading through some of the new products threads on here and over on Facebook, I have to bite my tongue sometimes when reading some of the comments on the more minor things being moaned about! It's getting to the stage where the RTR models will be more accurate than our own layouts, perhaps the manufacturers should do some payback by going onto their critic's threads and start picking holes 🤣 Cheers, James 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Very nice 47s ! You’ve got that technique for making the multi layered rust patches off to a T now ! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timara Posted May 18, 2022 Share Posted May 18, 2022 Lovely to see the NSE one finally appear. I did wonder what you might do with it once I'd foisted it on you... 😉 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post James Makin Posted May 25, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted May 25, 2022 After six months of updates, we have now arrived at the last duo of diesel locos that made up the giant batch of 40 undertaken throughout the whole of 2021! It seemed fitting to go out with a bang, and so this Scottish 'McTractor' pairing seemed ideal to book-end the giant project. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr When it comes to the Class 37/4s, they are pretty much all celebrity locos in themselves, however when modelling a celebrity loco, you may as well go big, or go home! Joining the fleet today is probably the most famous Large Logo Blue Class 37 to ever grace the rails - of course, 37408 Loch Rannoch. An incredible BR survivor right into the heady world of privatisation, this was the real deal, unlike the retro blue colours spread across the 37/4 fleet of today. Partner in crime to '408 today is another Scottish stalwart, 37404 Loch Long, finished in gorgeous Transrail colours with the yellow snowploughs setting off the look. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Despite their Scottish heritage, both locos did wander, especially 37408, which was allocated to a wide range of English and Welsh depots and appeared at Didcot on a number of occasions, further bolstering the case for being part of my fleet! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The starting point for both of the locomotives was the current Bachmann model, with bodyshells sourced with the correct base colours, onto which the branding would be changed. Details such as the roof fan grille were changed too, Shawplan's beautiful grille replaces the Bachmann original. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The Bachmann branding comes off relatively easy with Humbrol enamel thinners on a cotton bud, gently rubbed across the required area. With the windows masked off, the loco was then given a coat of Railmatch gloss varnish, to help with the application of the Railtec decals over the top. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Nameplates were affixed with matt varnish, before the next coat of Railmatch matt varnish to seal in the decals. Railtec's Transrail decals are such a time-saver, being one piece examples, and with the colour intensity to not have the grey showing through from underneath. Next comes the fun weathering stages... 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Accompanied by a lovely slice of Gary Numan, layers of browns were applied on to certain areas of each bodyshell, building the colour deposits up from light to dark. The paint wash is wiped away with kitchen roll and cotton buds rub away the rest, having been dipped in enamel thinners, leaving the 'grime' deposits in all of the recesses. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr After the washing stages, another key part is the spot weathering, based on prototype photographs, each streak, damage and rust spot is added, using a mixture of brush strokes from fine 5/0 brushes in most cases. The time spent on this final stage really helps to make the model unique, and is where it can be lifted above the 'factory' weathering that one gets from a manufacturer. Once the fiddly detail painting is complete, it is time to give some coats of traffic grime weathering - 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The unsung hero featured here is the trusty airbrush! A Badger 175 Crescendo, this double-action workhorse is now 19 years old and still going strong! It does a lot of vital work yet never gets featured in my pics so it was time to remedy the situation. I've sometimes thought about replacing it or getting another brush, but it's just easy to use and gives a great finish, so why change it! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The grime colours are in line with all the projects featured before, Phoenix Paint's weathering colours, brake dust, track dirt, roof dirt, dirty black, and then a custom black/blue mix for the exhaust. The paints are mixed hard to a milky consistency to avoid a splatty finish, testing beforehand on an old ice cream tub before spraying the model itself. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37404 Loch Long interested me a lot when younger, it didn't have a long life after privatisation compared to the other famed 37/4s which have gone on to achieve greatness, so was a bit of a forgotten underdog! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The bodysides were littered with little damages and marks, these were replicated with the fine brushes and shades of Humbrol browns, working from light to dark, drybrushing on the colour, matched to photographs of the prototype from the 1998 period. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The bogies and grille slats are drybrushed with Humbrol metalcote gunmetal to highlight the raised edges. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Down on the chassis, the snowploughs were added, being Bachmann examples with the rear NEM socked snipped off and sanded back, mounted to the chassis with small plastic brackets fashioned from styrene strip. A minidrill with sander attachment was then used to grind back any part of the plough that still fouled the bogie. Once sorted, the rest of the bufferbeam detailing was added, a mixture of pipes from those supplied with the model, plus others made from 0.45mm handrail wire, bent to shape and fixed with superglue. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The sideways shots are always fun! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Nameplates were sourced from Fox Transfers on this occasion, I flip between Fox and Shawplan - the newer generation of Shawplan Extreme Etchings plates win through every time, however in some of the Shawplan range of plates there are still old ones from the pre-Brian days, and in those cases, the examples sold by Fox are often better representations of the real thing. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr What's not to like about a genuine bit of 1980s BR large logo! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Dating back to the mid-80s following refurbishment and it's new life as an ETH-fitted Class 37/4, the loco received its Loch Rannoch 'plates just a couple of weeks after I was born, almost 36 years ago now. Once allocated to Glasgow Eastfield depot, it would go on to be allocated to a range of different BR Trainload Freight pools and depots across the UK including Immingham, Cardiff Canton and Thornaby, before being placed into the Regional Railways passenger pool at Crewe before privatisation. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The loco managed to cling on to its 1980s colour scheme right into the EWS regime, still wearing the classic Eastfield 'Scottie Dog' motif on one side! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Based on the Bachmann 37401 release, the original arrows and dog emblem were retained, with just the Railtec number decals being added, alongside an orange cantrail warning line painted onto the body. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37408 did seem to wander far during its time on the network, picking up a whole legion of fans, and to retain the blue colours as long as it did, there must have been a few heads conveniently turned the other way during its various depot visits whenever the triple grey paintbrush loomed! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The paintwork was in pretty good condition for its age too, only a few minor damages and some ingrained dirt to be replicated. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The underframe was given the same treatment as 37404, and extra details over the Bachmann model include the full bufferbeam detailing, with the extra piping added for the ETH sockets, some 0.45mm handrail wire being pressed into usage connecting up the body and chassis, which is designed to be removable if the body needs to come off. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It feels good bringing these two workhorses to life. Taking the story up to date, the locomotives had interesting paths ahead, sadly 37404 would only have a few months remaining - being stored in 1999 and shorn of its Loch Long nameplates, being taken to Wigan and cut up at Booths, Rotherham in early 2002. Meanwhile, 37408 would inevitably surrender its tatty blue to a shiny coat of EWS red & gold in 1998, much to the mirth of enthusiasts, however EWS did refit the classic Loch Rannoch nameplates. The loco would go on to see service across the country until suffering an untimely end in 2005, a collision in Rhymney would see it heading for component recovery and eventual scrapping in 2008. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It's been enormous fun tackling these two locomotives, recreating two more grotty childhood favourites in miniature, and I can't wait to get them into service on Didcot Parkway once it gets up to speed. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr And that's a wrap now folks! These 40 diesel locos took a whole year of modelling time to complete, from the first ones being tackled in the depths of the pandemic in early 2021, through to bringing the last ones over the line at Christmas, and it's hard to believe almost 6 months have gone by since unveiling those first Class 56s on this thread! In the meantime, I've been beavering away on a lot of varied projects, the remaining Didcot layout boards have now all arrived and are taking shape, this Summer is set to see a lot more progress here. Alongside that, there are many smaller wagon projects nearing completion that are set to pop up on these pages too, and whilst it's the last in the batch of dirty diesels shared here, rumour has it there are some truly electrifying projects coming this way! Cheers, James 37 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted May 26, 2022 Share Posted May 26, 2022 Super stuff James. I saw 37404 at Fort William , in 97, on the depot as me and the fam went on the Jacobite . It was beautifully backlit with low mist and Ben Nevis behind. There was at least 6 trains rail locos on depot that day - transrail got all the picturesque spots - from Scotland to cornwall ! Have you read Gary Numans autobiography that came out recently ? Very interesting read . all the best 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted May 27, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 27, 2022 Stunning modelling, got to love a bit of ETH tractor action. I have happy memories of both of these machines; chasing 37404 along the West Highland line towards Bridge of Orchy with a north-bound freight in 96, whilst 37408 was captured three years earlier from the vantage point of Conwy Castle on a Holyhead service. Scary to think it was that long ago. If memory served me right 37404 was the second of the sub class to be withdrawn and scrapped; 37431 having the dubious honour of being the first to be culled. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted June 1, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 1, 2022 On 26/05/2022 at 09:08, rob D2 said: Super stuff James. I saw 37404 at Fort William , in 97, on the depot as me and the fam went on the Jacobite . It was beautifully backlit with low mist and Ben Nevis behind. There was at least 6 trains rail locos on depot that day - transrail got all the picturesque spots - from Scotland to cornwall ! Have you read Gary Numans autobiography that came out recently ? Very interesting read . all the best Thanks Rob, that sounds like a superbly atmospheric image there! Funny how Transrail locos saw the best places, both Scotland and Cornwall would make for some awesome layouts, and a branch line there would make for a very tempting for a smaller fun quicky project! I've yet to read Gary's book but it is on my list of things to catch up on for sure! I think I spend too much time modelling 🤣 On 27/05/2022 at 19:19, Claude_Dreyfus said: Stunning modelling, got to love a bit of ETH tractor action. I have happy memories of both of these machines; chasing 37404 along the West Highland line towards Bridge of Orchy with a north-bound freight in 96, whilst 37408 was captured three years earlier from the vantage point of Conwy Castle on a Holyhead service. Scary to think it was that long ago. If memory served me right 37404 was the second of the sub class to be withdrawn and scrapped; 37431 having the dubious honour of being the first to be culled. Lovely, that sounds like some fun memories there! One of the appealing things about going for '404 was its early scrapping, it all seemed very dramatic that a top-link ETH '37' could have such a change of fortunes compared to its classmates and meet its end so much sooner! Cheers, James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBM37404 Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 On 26/05/2022 at 00:20, James Makin said: After six months of updates, we have now arrived at the last duo of diesel locos that made up the giant batch of 40 undertaken throughout the whole of 2021! It seemed fitting to go out with a bang, and so this Scottish 'McTractor' pairing seemed ideal to book-end the giant project. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr When it comes to the Class 37/4s, they are pretty much all celebrity locos in themselves, however when modelling a celebrity loco, you may as well go big, or go home! Joining the fleet today is probably the most famous Large Logo Blue Class 37 to ever grace the rails - of course, 37408 Loch Rannoch. An incredible BR survivor right into the heady world of privatisation, this was the real deal, unlike the retro blue colours spread across the 37/4 fleet of today. Partner in crime to '408 today is another Scottish stalwart, 37404 Loch Long, finished in gorgeous Transrail colours with the yellow snowploughs setting off the look. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Despite their Scottish heritage, both locos did wander, especially 37408, which was allocated to a wide range of English and Welsh depots and appeared at Didcot on a number of occasions, further bolstering the case for being part of my fleet! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The starting point for both of the locomotives was the current Bachmann model, with bodyshells sourced with the correct base colours, onto which the branding would be changed. Details such as the roof fan grille were changed too, Shawplan's beautiful grille replaces the Bachmann original. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The Bachmann branding comes off relatively easy with Humbrol enamel thinners on a cotton bud, gently rubbed across the required area. With the windows masked off, the loco was then given a coat of Railmatch gloss varnish, to help with the application of the Railtec decals over the top. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Nameplates were affixed with matt varnish, before the next coat of Railmatch matt varnish to seal in the decals. Railtec's Transrail decals are such a time-saver, being one piece examples, and with the colour intensity to not have the grey showing through from underneath. Next comes the fun weathering stages... 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Accompanied by a lovely slice of Gary Numan, layers of browns were applied on to certain areas of each bodyshell, building the colour deposits up from light to dark. The paint wash is wiped away with kitchen roll and cotton buds rub away the rest, having been dipped in enamel thinners, leaving the 'grime' deposits in all of the recesses. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr After the washing stages, another key part is the spot weathering, based on prototype photographs, each streak, damage and rust spot is added, using a mixture of brush strokes from fine 5/0 brushes in most cases. The time spent on this final stage really helps to make the model unique, and is where it can be lifted above the 'factory' weathering that one gets from a manufacturer. Once the fiddly detail painting is complete, it is time to give some coats of traffic grime weathering - 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The unsung hero featured here is the trusty airbrush! A Badger 175 Crescendo, this double-action workhorse is now 19 years old and still going strong! It does a lot of vital work yet never gets featured in my pics so it was time to remedy the situation. I've sometimes thought about replacing it or getting another brush, but it's just easy to use and gives a great finish, so why change it! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The grime colours are in line with all the projects featured before, Phoenix Paint's weathering colours, brake dust, track dirt, roof dirt, dirty black, and then a custom black/blue mix for the exhaust. The paints are mixed hard to a milky consistency to avoid a splatty finish, testing beforehand on an old ice cream tub before spraying the model itself. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37404 Loch Long interested me a lot when younger, it didn't have a long life after privatisation compared to the other famed 37/4s which have gone on to achieve greatness, so was a bit of a forgotten underdog! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The bodysides were littered with little damages and marks, these were replicated with the fine brushes and shades of Humbrol browns, working from light to dark, drybrushing on the colour, matched to photographs of the prototype from the 1998 period. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The bogies and grille slats are drybrushed with Humbrol metalcote gunmetal to highlight the raised edges. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Down on the chassis, the snowploughs were added, being Bachmann examples with the rear NEM socked snipped off and sanded back, mounted to the chassis with small plastic brackets fashioned from styrene strip. A minidrill with sander attachment was then used to grind back any part of the plough that still fouled the bogie. Once sorted, the rest of the bufferbeam detailing was added, a mixture of pipes from those supplied with the model, plus others made from 0.45mm handrail wire, bent to shape and fixed with superglue. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The sideways shots are always fun! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Nameplates were sourced from Fox Transfers on this occasion, I flip between Fox and Shawplan - the newer generation of Shawplan Extreme Etchings plates win through every time, however in some of the Shawplan range of plates there are still old ones from the pre-Brian days, and in those cases, the examples sold by Fox are often better representations of the real thing. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr What's not to like about a genuine bit of 1980s BR large logo! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Dating back to the mid-80s following refurbishment and it's new life as an ETH-fitted Class 37/4, the loco received its Loch Rannoch 'plates just a couple of weeks after I was born, almost 36 years ago now. Once allocated to Glasgow Eastfield depot, it would go on to be allocated to a range of different BR Trainload Freight pools and depots across the UK including Immingham, Cardiff Canton and Thornaby, before being placed into the Regional Railways passenger pool at Crewe before privatisation. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The loco managed to cling on to its 1980s colour scheme right into the EWS regime, still wearing the classic Eastfield 'Scottie Dog' motif on one side! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr Based on the Bachmann 37401 release, the original arrows and dog emblem were retained, with just the Railtec number decals being added, alongside an orange cantrail warning line painted onto the body. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr 37408 did seem to wander far during its time on the network, picking up a whole legion of fans, and to retain the blue colours as long as it did, there must have been a few heads conveniently turned the other way during its various depot visits whenever the triple grey paintbrush loomed! 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The paintwork was in pretty good condition for its age too, only a few minor damages and some ingrained dirt to be replicated. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr The underframe was given the same treatment as 37404, and extra details over the Bachmann model include the full bufferbeam detailing, with the extra piping added for the ETH sockets, some 0.45mm handrail wire being pressed into usage connecting up the body and chassis, which is designed to be removable if the body needs to come off. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It feels good bringing these two workhorses to life. Taking the story up to date, the locomotives had interesting paths ahead, sadly 37404 would only have a few months remaining - being stored in 1999 and shorn of its Loch Long nameplates, being taken to Wigan and cut up at Booths, Rotherham in early 2002. Meanwhile, 37408 would inevitably surrender its tatty blue to a shiny coat of EWS red & gold in 1998, much to the mirth of enthusiasts, however EWS did refit the classic Loch Rannoch nameplates. The loco would go on to see service across the country until suffering an untimely end in 2005, a collision in Rhymney would see it heading for component recovery and eventual scrapping in 2008. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr It's been enormous fun tackling these two locomotives, recreating two more grotty childhood favourites in miniature, and I can't wait to get them into service on Didcot Parkway once it gets up to speed. 37404 and 37408 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 2, on Flickr And that's a wrap now folks! These 40 diesel locos took a whole year of modelling time to complete, from the first ones being tackled in the depths of the pandemic in early 2021, through to bringing the last ones over the line at Christmas, and it's hard to believe almost 6 months have gone by since unveiling those first Class 56s on this thread! In the meantime, I've been beavering away on a lot of varied projects, the remaining Didcot layout boards have now all arrived and are taking shape, this Summer is set to see a lot more progress here. Alongside that, there are many smaller wagon projects nearing completion that are set to pop up on these pages too, and whilst it's the last in the batch of dirty diesels shared here, rumour has it there are some truly electrifying projects coming this way! Cheers, James Good work, 404 my machine as you can tell by username. It did very little South of the border and was one of the Most Scottish of the /4s. Was seriously loud to the point that other members of the class felt a bit tame in comparison. Had several runs in Scotland off it in the 1990s and often enough apart from Charters not a single person other than me aboard. Used to slip a bit in the wet too. Good work bringing it to life. I am going to have a crack of doing it in IC Mainline for my N gauge layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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