ozzyo Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Hello Colin, if you've not seen it yet Grasshopper John has put a link up in my thread for a portable spray booth that you may find of use. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 1, 2012 Author Share Posted December 1, 2012 The cab front painting has been done and the results look far better masking the sides and spraying the yellow last as I always had done in the past. Thanks OzzyO for that tip. Pulling the masking tape off straight after painting has also proved a great success. There are one or two wisps of plastic to remove around the window farmes which I have only just noticed - the wonders of digital cameras! The yellow has covered very well onto the white plastic cab fronts (surpisingly well in fact). I did lay the paint on as thick as I dared. This might be what Ian Rathbone refers to as a 'thug coat', as opposed to a 'mist coat'. I did take some photos showing more of the bodies, but they all had a nasty case of camera shake and it would be a long, cold walk back down to the workshop now. The sides are painted and varnished and all other parts are under way. Transfers on tomorrow and perhaps a shot of the unit mostly assembled and finished. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's a fine, fine effort Colin, a nice display of precision and finesse which really captures the 'look' to my eye - not that I ever saw the real thing - I've only clapped eyes on the 'preserved' (now appallingly neglected) SUB the once, but that has the austere, slabby feel that the full yellow front end sadly emphasised. I look forward to seeing it complete. Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 1, 2012 Author Share Posted December 1, 2012 That's a fine, fine effort Colin, a nice display of precision and finesse which really captures the 'look' to my eye - not that I ever saw the real thing - I've only clapped eyes on the 'preserved' (now appallingly neglected) SUB the once, but that has the austere, slabby feel that the full yellow front end sadly emphasised. I look forward to seeing it complete. Adam Thanks for that Adam. I was just looking at your wagon lettering when you were writing your reply here! The funny thing is, that to me, the Cab fronts look more in proportion with the yellow applied. It now does indeed have the 'slabby' look you describe, although the photo does not quite capture it as well as when seen with with a bit of the blue side showing. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 The transfers are on, with the carrier film still present as yet, hence the silvery effect on the decals. Excuse the fibres from the tissue used to dab the transfers. (Didn't spot the toy fox's head poking up above the motor coach roof either!) The first class yellow stripes on the trailer coach will be ruled on with the bow pen (when I'm feeling brave enough). The finish of the paintwork is not as good as I would have liked, but it could have been worse. The sides are very smooth and I am going to rule in the gutters above the doors with the bow pen, using BR blue. The thickness of the ruled line of paint would be about to scale. 2698 from the three-quarter angle. Lots of finishing still to do. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MJI Posted December 2, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 2, 2012 Very nice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Godfrey Glyn Posted December 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 2, 2012 Its lovely Colin. Well done, your work is very inspirational, still think you should put all your projects into a book! Godfrey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold A Murphy Posted December 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 2, 2012 My word Colin, that is looking great! You've really captured the workaday 'look' of these units, especially the front end and the area above the windows. Brilliant, Alastair M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Stunning job, Colin. So good that the current lack of interior makes it look like a real unit that's been gutted! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Ditto all of the above comments. Lovely work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted December 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 3, 2012 Truly excellent work there Colin. I wish that it was in P4, then we'd be glad to run it on 'Balcombe'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Thanks to all of you for your comments on the last series of photos. There are one or two things that I noticed only last night when looking at the again: the most amazing thing is that I had omitted one of the steps on the DTC inner end (remedied now!); there was a small part missing from the whistle on the same coach - must have been a friday afternoon job! There is a worse revelation concerning the DTC in that I had followed my plans and assumed that the chassis trussing was as drawn. On looking at a photo for reference to the livery on flickr, it became quite clear that the DTCs trusses have a wider spacing between the queenposts (as I call them). Ceptic did warn me about this feature on 2 BILs and the first series 2 HALs. I assumed that the plan I am using this time was correct in this respect, as it covers both the Tin HAL and 4 SUB. It is not. The plans also incorrectly show the wrong trussing on the 4 SUB trailers too. Grrr. I shall see if I can prise the truss out without damaging the DTC's chassis. It is held firmly with superglue, so if it is no-go, the fault will have to stay. (Double 'grrr.') On the plus side, the detailing of the cab fronts has gone well, with all grab handles and pipes fitted. Some of the Hornby vac. pipes broke off, which was surprising. They have been replaced with some less brittle ones. Tonight the critcal job of transfer carries film removal will be done. No red wine until afterwards! All the best (and I do have a Scalefour Soc. application form - it is still blank, but you never know Re6/6!) Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 How did I get this far in building a coach with out counting the number of steps on the inner end! Excuse the extraneous tissue fibres and the slightly bent headstock step. These tiny details get a bit of a bashing as the finishing process goes on. Still got to level out the motor coach inner bogie as it sits too high as yet. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 Cab fronts done all bar the glazing. Today, the bodies have had another coat of varnish to seal the transfers and a gentle weathering with some track colour/grime. To safely weather along and below the line of the gutters, a piece of thin cardboard was folded into a 'U' shape and each body placed inside. The card sides were 5mm higher and approx. 3mm away from the body as the roof was carefully air-brushed at a low angle from each side and then from end to end. The result is a kind of blue-brown grimy sunburst effect (as on Fender electric guitars, well sort of!) and is meant to portray a Tin HAL in its last months of service in 1971, with minimal cleaning to the sides and filthy everywhere else. At present the windscreen wipers are black, which some were. Others were yellow on BR blue Tin HALs. The same applies to the faces of the brackets which held the body to the headstock (on the real thing). There will have to be a bit of wet and dry sanding to just get rid of the specks of fibre that have found their way onto the yellow paintwork. The grab handle over the l/h window is going to need easing upwards too. The yellow lines are not perfect, but I did manage to rule around the tops of the doors reasonably well. It does appear from the photos that the DTC had two non smoking first class compartments and, from what I can tell, one second class non smoking compt. too. The handles along the corridor also pose a small problem: were the wooden or metal? I'm going for grey to represent metal ones and hope that is right. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted December 4, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 4, 2012 Hi Colin Yet another fantastic emu build, the build pf this one went a lot more smothly than the last, apart from the gritt paint. Well done. SS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Thanks to all of you for your comments on the last series of photos. There are one or two things that I noticed only last night when looking at the again: the most amazing thing is that I had omitted one of the steps on the DTC inner end (remedied now!); there was a small part missing from the whistle on the same coach - must have been a friday afternoon job! There is a worse revelation concerning the DTC in that I had followed my plans and assumed that the chassis trussing was as drawn. On looking at a photo for reference to the livery on flickr, it became quite clear that the DTCs trusses have a wider spacing between the queenposts (as I call them). Ceptic did warn me about this feature on 2 BILs and the first series 2 HALs. I assumed that the plan I am using this time was correct in this respect, as it covers both the Tin HAL and 4 SUB. It is not. The plans also incorrectly show the wrong trussing on the 4 SUB trailers too. Grrr. I shall see if I can prise the truss out without damaging the DTC's chassis. It is held firmly with superglue, so if it is no-go, the fault will have to stay. (Double 'grrr.') On the plus side, the detailing of the cab fronts has gone well, with all grab handles and pipes fitted. Some of the Hornby vac. pipes broke off, which was surprising. They have been replaced with some less brittle ones. Tonight the critcal job of transfer carries film removal will be done. No red wine until afterwards! All the best (and I do have a Scalefour Soc. application form - it is still blank, but you never know Re6/6!) Colin Why not try using a Dremel and slitting disc to cut through the glue. Might be less chance of warping the chassis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 Hi Colin Yet another fantastic emu build, the build pf this one went a lot more smothly than the last, apart from the gritt paint. Well done. SS Thanks SS, The build has gone well enough for me to contemplate a model of the 4 SUB. I have read an old article in a 1970's copy of Model Railways by Mike Peascod, kindly sent by fellow RMweb member Andy G. Mike Peascod made coaches for Heckmondwyke, the seminal large P4 layout which I had the privilidge of seeing in 1974 at Westminster Central Hall. Some LMS coaches were also on display made by Mike Peascod and the quality of their construction left a lasting impression on me. Mr Peascod's method are similar to those used to produce the sides for the Tin HAL. The one major difference is that he made a support layer for each side complete with over-size window openings to create rebates for glazing cut out of a single piece of 20 thou. plastic sheet. That would have made the sides a bit flatter around the doors, although the uneven panels hardly show now the coaches are painted. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Why not try using a Dremel and slitting disc to cut through the glue. Might be less chance of warping the chassis. Hi The Evil Bus Dirver, Oh yes, I forgot to mention the DTC chassis question. Unfortunately, having had a prod about, I do not see any way of getting the truss unit out without damaging the entire plastic parts of the solebars and with them the footboards. The truss was fixed in to make sure it didn't come loose - ironically. In fact without this brass frame, the floor and solebars have very little ridigity. I suppose it is reassuring that the thing is stuck solidly in place. I don't actually have a Dremel either , so am less tempted to hack the chassis about. Next time the trusses will be correct though! All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Hi Colin, The HAL is excellent. The weathering is brilliant. The 4Sub is a good choice, I have a Blacksmith kit for one which is progressing slowly, even by my standards! It is a decent kit and the coaches I have built look good. Why don't you take a rest from all those windows and build yourself a 4Cor. What make is the screw link?, it looks really good. Once again excellent work. Cheers for now, Ian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I can understand your slow progress with the Blacksmith kit, Ian - I have one languishing (and tarnishing!) at the back of the workbench too. It has only been there for 20-something years!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Thanks SS, The build has gone well enough for me to contemplate a model of the 4 SUB. I have read an old article in a 1970's copy of Model Railways by Mike Peascod, kindly sent by fellow RMweb member Andy G. Mike Peascod made coaches for Heckmondwyke, the seminal large P4 layout which I had the privilidge of seeing in 1974 at Westminster Central Hall. Some LMS coaches were also on display made by Mike Peascod and the quality of their construction left a lasting impression on me. Mr Peascod's method are similar to those used to produce the sides for the Tin HAL. The one major difference is that he made a support layer for each side complete with over-size window openings to create rebates for glazing cut out of a single piece of 20 thou. plastic sheet. That would have made the sides a bit flatter around the doors, although the uneven panels hardly show now the coaches are painted. All the best, Colin Colin I will pass your kind words about Mike on to him tomorrow night at the club. He is still very involved with the printed word being a very active member of the Cumbrian Railway Society. We have managed to prize him away from the north as he is part of the gtoop wanting to build Stanmore (LNWR) Village station in P4 I have wrestled from him some of the embossed (on to plasticard) LNWR 50' coach sides which are designed to fit on to the Ratio coach chassis, but not have found time to start them. Still the layout is very much in the planning stage with a full size plan being made from an old OS map. So plenty of time to build stock Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MJI Posted December 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 5, 2012 You do realise that if your HAL is seen on an exhibition layout members will wind you up about the trussing, because we don't know it is wrong, and you told us. It would be good natured of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Hi Colin, The HAL is excellent. The weathering is brilliant. The 4Sub is a good choice, I have a Blacksmith kit for one which is progressing slowly, even by my standards! It is a decent kit and the coaches I have built look good. Why don't you take a rest from all those windows and build yourself a 4Cor. What make is the screw link?, it looks really good. Once again excellent work. Cheers for now, Ian. Hi Ian, Thanks for your compliments re the HAL. It does have its faults though, but serves as practice for a 4 SUB. I have re-read david Jenkinson's advice re. venting holes in plastic sheet and he advocates holes of 0.5mm dia.. Following that method would get rid of one problem that became literally apparent on the Tin Hal where the holes were much larger (approx. 1mm, which is agreat deal more in surface area). I would be interested to see pictures of your 4 SUB under construction. I remember you saying it is a model of the 1st series with the domed cab roof. Presumably it is an etched kit(?) Phoenix Precision Paints are in the process of producing a kit for a 4 SUB of the production series, as yet not on the market. I shall carry on with the 4 SUB idea for now. The 4 CORs ran to Seaford and on all Coastway services from 1972-4, just outlasting the 2 BILs and HALs, but gone by the time the Bulleid 2 HAPs came to be regularly used. This makes it hard to justify running all types together. A 4 COR does have less windows than a 4 SUB, but every window has a bolection moulding. This would entail making every window opening in the same way as the l/h cab front windows were done on the Tin HAL. Mike Peascod made a 4 COR and in his article, he describes using the same method. The easier way out would be a set of custom-etched frames from Pete Harvey. The sides are flat on a 4 COR at window level, so even simpler to fit than on a 4 CIG. Hmm. I've almost persuaded myself to make one! All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Colin I will pass your kind words about Mike on to him tomorrow night at the club. He is still very involved with the printed word being a very active member of the Cumbrian Railway Society. We have managed to prize him away from the north as he is part of the gtoop wanting to build Stanmore (LNWR) Village station in P4 I have wrestled from him some of the embossed (on to plasticard) LNWR 50' coach sides which are designed to fit on to the Ratio coach chassis, but not have found time to start them. Still the layout is very much in the planning stage with a full size plan being made from an old OS map. So plenty of time to build stock Thanks Hayfield, I did know Mike Peascod was involved with the Cumbrian Railway Society, having seen an article in an MRJ concerning the work of another great modeller of the past, Ross Pochin. I would love to see some pictures of Mikes coaches. The photos in those old magazines don't do them justice. I seem to remember one of the coaches on the display i saw was an LMS bullion van. The rest were LMS passenger stock. As I said before, the standard of workmanship I saw left a lasting impression on me. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 You do realise that if your HAL is seen on an exhibition layout members will wind you up about the trussing, because we don't know it is wrong, and you told us. It would be good natured of course. Hi MJI, I pointed the fault I had made out just so that nobody else makes the same mistake, but I'l be ready for jokes about trusses now! All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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