A New Start

[C&WR]

I did actually bite the bullet and do some work last night.  Herself was out at her knitting group, the Boy was tucked up in bed, we'd had an early supper & while I had Deutschland 83 recorded that was only an hour of entertainment.

 

I therefore drilled the doors of the warehouse and fitted sewing pins for door handles.  I then made up some doors for the cottages from coffee stirrers scribed to make planks and painted these in various watercolours.  These were then drilled for door handles and the pins fitted.  Finally I did the lintels over the doors.  

 

I'll fit the doors tonight.  I need to do door steps, some basic furniture, and connect the lighting system to droppers.  The warehouse needs a floor behind the open access door and lighting fitted, along with some ridge tiles.  I have a long weekend off work this weekend, and Monday afternoon looks good to get things squared away for taking the stuff home the following weekend for planting...

[C&WR]

Simply don't get in here enough any more.  I did manage a trip back to the railway to see my family for my birthday, and while the weekend was pretty scheduled I did manage to fold it down.  No pictures or film, I just took the opportunity to fix down the branch line platform & clapboard building, having soldered on droppers hastily before setting off, and to run a couple of trains.

 

We have a dazzling and somewhat overwhelming forthcoming calendar at the moment, with various other birthdays, Rugby, visitors, oh and work.  Looks like I won’t get to Wallington-Super-Mare before late March/early April at the earliest, or even do any significant modelling.

 

The other night I had tremendous insomnia, so relegated myself to the sofa.  I tried everything I could to go to sleep, including just imagining the trains going round but the blasted things were too interesting and kept shunting!

 

I eventually put the light on and started writing down consists as something to calm the mind down.  I’ve hit on a sort of fantasy running session game, so here goes for what I plan to get out next time.  I’ve arranged it by the two circuits & the yard…

 

Outer circuit has the most length of line, obviously, so that will take the longest trains.  I like the idea of my sand-coloured Western (Lima, my first loco) with maroon Mk1s BCK-SK-SK-CK-SK + possibly FK.  The BCK is my Bachmann one, and the advantage is because of the NEM pockets on it I can change one coupling to an old-style Hornby one so it will connect to the Western & the other end to the Hachette Mk1s.

 

I then fancy a parcels train.  That will be Fruit D-SR CCT-CCT-GUV-CCT-BG.  The first two are the Parkside Dundas kits I built & shown on here, the next three Lima models of varying provenance, and the last the Bachmann LMS job I found just before Modelzone closed down.  Again I can change one coupling to match the rest of the train.  Expect the parcels train may find itself off for stabling on the branch, even if this is finding itself more bucolic every time I go home!  Not sure whether the blue Warship (Lima)or Peak (Mainline, the one I bodged) will be hauling this.

 

Inner circuit has less space, but does have a yard and various sidings by the station.  I have in mind a mail train of BG-POS-BG, the BGs old Lima models and the POS the splendid Bachmann number.  Again I will do some tinkering  with couplings.  Occasionally the mail train will be stabled in the yard and out will come a very minor local passenger service of venerable Mk2  SK-BSK. Warship or Peak in charge.

 

Finally a bit of shunting round the yard with my 08,  Lima IIRC.  I have 5 x 16T mineral wagons (Hornby) , 5 x 14T oil tankers (Bachmann), 1 x insulated van (Hornby, recent purchase at a show) and if I get round to building/finishing detail 1 x 12T van (Parkside) & 1 x 20T brake van.  The Parkside LMS CCT, built as a parcels truck but too long to go through my points will be lurking somewhere in the yard, or one of the station bays.

 

Probably not at all prototypical.  However I can see some fun driving (if I can get everything to run!) and photo ops…

[C&WR]

Another month-and-a-half since I've had anything to report!  Have missed the railway and modellign time has been curtailed.  I've also mainly been working on these chaps as I would like them finished:

 

 

The camera is cruel, they look much better in real life as 1/76!  There are also legionaries in action and I am in the process of finishing the Centurion, Optio, Signifer/Aquilifer and Cornicen.

 

Anyway, back to railways. I had noticed on previous visits home that only the much newer stock was working properly.  This I put down to a combination of dirty track, lack of pickups on older models, and lack of use of the latter.  I have mislaid my track rubber somewhere so remembered the trick of using the grain end of a bit of wood as a rather gentle way to clean the track.  Having done so I then ran some stock light engine, and after some running in had the Warship, Western and Peak all going.

 

Pictures!  Afraid these are a bit ropy as after a day out the day before my camera battery was a bit low & I was determined to get some shots while I could rather than worrying too much about quality.

 

First is an offering from the High Wycombe & District Model Railway Society - when i saw they had a wagon from the part of town where we live I had to have one:

 

 

I also spotted a bargain on eBay to add to my maroon coach set:

 

 

A busy day in the station

 

 

 

Having toned down the Hornby Magazine lamp hut by giving it a rub with an emery board, adding some rust weathering powder, and a coat of neutral tint watercolour it was ready to be planted:

 

 

Weathering on the parcels train not consistent:

 

 

I also added some fencing at the city gate end as well as painting up all the remaining tarmacked areas:

 

 

And a very dodgy shot of the solution to the scenic break at the end of the layout.  This is the modelrailwayscenery.com  low relief 1930s factory, which I made even more low relief by leaving off the sides and roof.  This has just enough clearance from the outer running line and was quite a nice little kit to build.  I'm probably going to build another couple of these to fill more of the gap, or possibly extend by splicing together either a couple of the end bays at each side or even add two kits to the existing one:

 

 

Finally I had a go on the 1:1 railways as well.  Easter Monday involved a trip on the C&WR, the return journey made the more interestign as the industrial steam hunter Northern Gas Board No 1 failed to get enough pressure up in the vacuum brakes so it ahd to be double headed by one of the Guinness 08s, leading to comedy value as the drivers of each had whistle competitions.

 

Easter Saturday morning had been spent at the Great Western Society where the Black Python pub, a real ale bar in a carriage, was open.  Even better Tornado had come to visit and wasn't only hauling trains, there was the opportunity for footplate rides.  

 

 

It would have been rude not to...

[C&WR]

Forgot to add that the goods yard office & cottages have been fixed in place, & along with the branch station ticket office are all wired up for lights, which all work. I also did the handrails on the branch platform ramp & added some advertising to the existing rails.

[freebs]

Great stuff CWR!

[C&WR]

Thanks, Lee.  Can't believe how long it's been since I was in here properly, and in my thread at all!  Luckily had a trip home, and dd a little modelling but a fair bit of driving!

 

First of all the branch line platform, just about complete.  I had forgotten I'd added the handrails on the ramp, so took all the styrene (forgetting model glue, though) and not enough paints.  Luckily I remembered the natural wood enamel so the handrails could be done, and some neutral tint watercolour from Dad's old civil engineering paint selection to dirty up the ramp.  Milk churns from the model shop in Exmouth, mad old Mother bought them for me :

 

 

I took a whole load of shots of the railway illuminated.  Sadly I need some more practice as most were rubbish (overexposed from the lights) but this was passable:

 

 

Finally was pleased to get my collection of brewery and local coal wagons to work.  Again I hit on the plan of putting large Hornby couplings in the NEM pockets of some of the wagons to act as barrier vehicles with my old stock.  A couple of changes of Dapol couplings for Bachmann (although not all) and I got to run these

 

 

 

 

Hope not too long until my next trip back, although I do have some models to finish for TSC for School...

[C&WR]

Been away far, far too long.  Haven't even had the railway out since, I think, the pictures above.  It's a long and complicated story and involves a very difficult time at work which meant any modelling mojo was just knocked out of me, but happily I have found a new job and am back at the work bench in my free time.

 

No pics to show right now, but a quick query for anyone reading.  I've been building a van kit which has gone fairly well, and after priming in Halfords grey primer this had a couple of airbrushed coats of Tamiya Acrylic paint, then a coat of Plastikote gloss sealer before decalling.

 

I let the decals settle down, then proceeded with a coat of Plastikote matt sealer.  However I now seem to have some tiny white flakes on the model.  Any ideas?The decals have remained intact.  I'm wondering if it could be old paint flecks from the spraying mount kicking up in the finish.

[jcredfer]

Glad to see you posting again.    

 

I'm sorry to say that I don't have enough experience to be of assistance with the spray problem.  Hopefully someone will be able to assist.

 

J

[C&WR]

Thanks, Julian.  I think I may have discovered what's wrong.  I changed over the piece of card that is attached to my spray stand (aka a revolving cake icing turntable) so it was nice and clean, having wiped down the turntable itself.

 

I then gave the kit another spray, and as i did so my nice grey van received, on the second or third press of the nozzle of the can, a delicate selection of speckles like using a miniature snow spray.  I think there might be something in the nozzle or possibly, because I have been spraying outdoors as The long Haired Controller objects to the smell of the sealant, the humidity is causing this effect.

 

Will patch paint in again tonight, then as herself is out do a spray indoors.  At least, so far, none of the white specks is so close to the decals as to be unable to paint them out!

[MikeOxon]

It's been a while since I looked in here... I do like that row of colour-washed thatched cottages on the backscene - very atmospheric.  Good to know you're getting going again and look forward to more pics.  FWIW, I never have much joy with spray painting and usually turn to brushes in the end

[C&WR]

Thanks, Mike.  They're particularly inspired by some in my home village in S Oxon!

 

With regard to spray painting i have finally got the hang of it, and what I grandly describe as my airbrush is really a little Humbrol spray gun which takes gans of preesurised gas as a propellant.  It's just been a case of thinning the paint properly, and when thinking, "this could do with one last spray" stopping immediately.

 

As I said I'm inclining now towards there being some kind of contaminant in the nozzle of the aerosol can, or atmospheric conditions...

[jcredfer]

I have had one of the Humbrol spray guns for many years. [over 40 of them].  It still does a good job, although the cans have proved a bit on the expensive side, if busy.  It is fairly consistent as long as it doesn't have too much precision requested of it.

 

If I remember rightly, your thoughts on atmospherics producing white spots are the right direction.  Release of pressure reduces the temperature of the air jet and if the humidity is high, it can cool the surrounding air enough for condensation, producing your own personal mini cloud complete with mini rain drops - they mix with the paint drops and "Bingo" white spots.   ............   At least, I think that is what the game was about  .....   

 

Hope the results are better indoors.

 

J

[C&WR]

Thanks again, Julian.  I tried a trial spray onto a bit of black card last night with inconclusive results, and have also having given the wheels of the van a coat of frame dirt sealed these again with no spots seen so far.

 

Last night involved lots of fun bending brass wire into shape for the handrails on the ends of a MICA.B.  The Long Haired Controller thinks I am absolutely barking mad...

[C&WR]

Here's what I've been up to, or at least one project:

 

 

Not strictly prototypical - again I found my ancient sheet of 4mm PC Models Pressfix GWR Wagon & Van insignia wasn't really 4mm, so it should read "BANANA VAN" not just "BANANA".  I also think the "10 Tons" shouldn't be in script, and of course it should read, "Return Empty to Avonmouth" not "-Plymouth".  Finally the wagon numbers were too large to fit between the framing, so the number is invented but i hope a real one in the correct sequence for the diagram.

 

 

As you can see there are tiny flecks of white on the model.  Luckily these are only evident on the pictures, not with the naked eye and certainly not from "normal viewing distance".  I'm now debating whether the thing needs a coat of sealant - I fear so as the weathering is with Railmatch water-based acrylic.  I won't be using the Plastikote, I'm off to Hobbycraft when they open in half an hour (and when my tea is drunk) for some Tamiya matt varnish which I will airbrush on.

 

Next project is a MICA.B:

 

 

 

Those handrails were a beggar to bend, so I will have to live with how they are. They look better now the thing is primed as the whole vehicle is white, but I fear once they've been picked out in black again the awful shape will be a bit too evident!

Edited November 1, 2016 by C&WR

[C&WR]

Very busy weekend.  Rugby Club beer festival Saturday afternoon, so I suspended my pre-Christmas detox to have a couple fo pints, but literally a couple!  Sunday was also all Rugby - The Small Controller played on Sunday and his team was unbeaten all morning (with only one loss for the other team in our age group) then it was time to hot-foot to Richmond for London Scottish/London Irish which I'm glad to say Irish won convincingly.

 

Minor disaster on the Mica B.  The decals for one end went on really well, but the second end set disintegrated.  A bit of a bind because i only had one set for each end, so now trying to decide whether to strip the full MICA.B REFRIGERATED MEAT VAN from the successful end and just put a number on.  It's a bit difficult modelling this as there's a risk of building a model of a model; and the only pictures I can find are of vans in preservation which don't seem to be the same diagram or have markings even vaguely consistent with the decal pack...

[C&WR]

Post 889 updated with pictures...

[C&WR]

Finally a trip back to Wallington.  I had a chance to run some recent purchases:

 

 

This Heljan DPU was a steal from a certain North-Western box-shifter.  It's incredibly heavy and a really good runner.  The only possible quibble is that a fuel tank and a bogie step had dropped off in the packaging.  Very please with it indeed

 

I also found this on eBay:

 

 

Again very pleased with the model, sadly the power to the rear two cars is a little intermittent, and the penultimate bogie doesn't stick on the track.  Need to work out what to do as again it's a really good runner.

 

I'd bought it for my putative Borough Market layout/diorama.  It was also on the shopping list as I use to visit my Grandmother in SE London and a SR Electric took us the last 20 or 30 minutes - only thing is we didn't travel on these, so should have checked the number of doors before purchase but I still like it!

 

Another view:

 

 

In the foreground a triple aspect signal (work in progress) and associated electrical box.  The latter was painted using hairspray weathering, and I'm really pleased with the effect.

 

I'm heading back to the railway again this afternoon as I have a meeting nearby early on Tuesday.  More fun to be had this afternoon & next!

[jcredfer]

Hairspray weathering.  I reckon that TLHC wasn't in when that was done. 

 

That said, it is very good, how does it get done, please?

 

Regards

 

J

[sp1]

What is hairspray weathering?

[C&WR]

Forgot to add, photos above manipulated in MS Paint to remove background of my bookshelves etc. Using the pipette tool I selected the colour of the backboards & then with the marker tool coloured in the extraneous stuff. It looks rough as anything at full size on a laptop screen, but in a post & especially on the phone is passable.

[C&WR]

With regard to hairspray weathering there are many great tutorials on the web, but this is how I do it based on these sources:

 

1. The idea is to give the effect of paint which has flaked off an item, leaving the original material showing through as it is on the junction box. The same idea applied to the various CCTs & the FRUIT.D I did for my parcels train.

 

2. Therefore apply a coat of the desired original colour. For the boxes this was Tamiya Dark Iron.

 

3. Then add any additional base colours. Don't think it shows on the boxes, but I gave a wash & dry brush of Humbrol enamel Rust.

 

4. Once all dry give a coat of clear varnish. It is crucial that this isn't water-soluble. This step can be missed if the base is all done in enamels, or another paint not soluble in water.

 

5. Again once all dry give the object a coat of water-soluble hairspray.

 

6. Once the hairspray, as might be expected, is dry airbrush on a coat of the top colour. In the case of the box this was Tamiya Sky Grey. It must be a water-soluble paint (Tamiya acrylics are enough so) & the airbrushing also necessary as a normal brush will disturb the hairspray.

 

7. After more time watching paint dry, set to the object with a damp toothbrush. The top coat will be damaged, then the water dissolve the hairspray underneath leading to most satisfying flakes falling off.

 

8. Seal, add any required weathering washes or powders, then seal again. The box in the picture hasn't had this step yet.

 

At step 5 it is also possible to dampen the object, then sprinkle on table salt. Once this is dry continue at step 6.

 

While I said the top coat must be water soluble & airbrushed I did once make it work on a 1:72 Matilda tank with salt, enamels & a conventional brush. However the effect wasn't great, & I attracted frosty looks from TLHC as the nailbrush employed at step 7 was never the same again

[Alister_G]

Forgot to add, photos above manipulated in MS Paint to remove background of my bookshelves etc. Using the pipette tool I selected the colour of the backboards & then with the marker tool coloured in the extraneous stuff. It looks rough as anything at full size on a laptop screen, but in a post & especially on the phone is passable.

 

It looks fine from over here!

 

 

Al.

[C&WR]

Cheers, Al! A couple of bits of work done today, but photos will wait until I have natural light in the morning...

[C&WR]

And here are pics from yesterday:

 

 

On a visit to Ilkeston in Derbyshire to visit an old Army mate and his wife I discovered Malc's Model Shop.  This is a wonderful place, and if I lived nearby I'd be very happy, have a massive modelling stash, and be very broke.  The signal is a Ratio one, & after much deliberation I decided not to make it functioning.  Still think it looks nice.

 

T'other side:

 

 

The Pt Way Dept advised on placement.  Not as aesthetically pleasing as I might have hoped, and it gets in the way of my main railing track for larger trains, but at the moment it's just Blu-Tacked in place & will be bedded in due course.

 

Finally a new wagon purchase:

 

 

In honour of the preserved railway of which I am a member.  RJS1977 will approve, I hope!

Edited November 9, 2016 by C&WR

[C&WR]

I've been distracted from railway modelling again.  Partly this is because of my rather splendid new job (I'm still a School Bursar, but moved on from the previous place as I had achieved all I could there) but mainly because of things for The Small Controller.  

 

We were out recently and happened, as these things do, to wander into a model shop.  There was the Airfix Waterloo diorama kit.  TSC declared this the best thing ever as he could play with his soldiers on it, but mean old Daddy didn't buy it as we had a Rugby match to go to.

 

However TSC doesn't yet know about internet shopping, & a large parcel was delivered.  I've been having fun:

 

 

The baseboard for the diorama needed to be weighted down on a sheet of foamboard - Julian will approve:

 

 

I then gave the building a coat of Humbrol brick paint:

 

 

Then tried it for size on the board:

 

 

The set comes with something like 400 soldiers from the various combatants.  I started with the British Infantry, although bearing in mind my history should have done the Cavalry first:

 

 

He was also asked if he could, as part of his class WWII project to make a model Anderson shelter, contribute some vegetables (his note to me was most Moleseworthesque as it said "make cabbadges") and an apple tree.  Perhaps his teacher didn't know I'm a modeller, so I did.  Carrots a bumper crop, or cabbages & cauliflowers a bit stunted:

 

 

Then the tree.  I took a whole load of flower arranging wire & twisted it together:

 

 

Then I covered the wire in masking tape & gave it a coat of primer:

 

 

It then had a coat of acrylic paint:

 

 

When that was dry I glued on some Woodland Scenics clump foliage.  As it needed apples I bought some little beads from the vajazzling aisle at Hobbycraft.  I thought they wouldn't stay on if glued, so I stitched them on with thread through the foliage & round the branches:

 

 

I then touched in the ends of the branches and added more foliage:

 

 

I'd tried to use hairspray to hold the foliage, but it didn't work, so I used some spray glue.  This left the webs you see, but they did fade by the time the tree went to School:

 

 

Not a species of tree that anyone might know, but I'm happy with it.  TSC was awarded ten house points, too, so job's a good 'un

Edited December 14, 2016 by C&WR