Arriva Blue ?

[pylonman]

Merf

 

The transfers are available from precision decals.

 

They are not cheap, but they do provide a very good

Product/service.

[pylonman]

Glorious nse.

 

Thanks for your shot.

 

Much appreciated.

[Merfyn Jones]

Thanks for the transfer info. That encourages me to make a start.  I had not heard that they did them.

Many thanks Merf.

[pylonman]

Let me know how you get on merf.

[RThompson]

If you can wait a week, I should be able to tell you what the actual codes are for the blues as. They should be the same for the buses interurban livery however you may have difficulty in purchasing small quantities for your modelling purposes?

[pylonman]

Thanks Robert.

 

That would be very interesting.

 

I am happy that the colours I've got now are, at least close, if not perfect.

 

I've used the RAL 5020 Ocean Blue ( coach enamel, 500ml tin),and Cherry/Precision Paints "Arriva Turquoise".

 

Quantity wise, the minimum quantity of the Ocean Blue was 500ml...... will keep me going for ever !

 

That was my choice......... I could have used Rail Blue, (which a lot of people seem to think is the correct colour),and

purchased a 50ml tin, and put up with the inaccurate, but close, colour.

[pylonman]

A note on the "Precision Decals".

 

I have found that: having soaked the decal for a couple of minutes, the carrier film was still stuck to the backing paper.

 

This has resulted in many decals breaking before I could apply them.

 

A tip I can give :

 

Soak the decal for at least 2 minutes. Get hold of the decal between forefinger and thumb, and VERY GENTLY !!!!!, slide forefinger

against thumb, to loosen the decal from the backing paper.

Having done this along the whole length of the decal, it can then be slid of the backing paper in a lengthwise direction.

 

I have found if you try to slide the decal off the paper in a crosswise direction, the risk of developing a fold in the decal, is very

high.

Having achieved a fold, it is almost impossible, however patient or careful, to retrieve the situation, unless you are very lucky.

 

I am sure there are people on RMweb who have more experience than me, and can advise on handling long decals.

[big jim]

this may be useful to to, i had to drag the DVT from chiltern's wembley depot to crewe last year, i had trouble with it so ended up running the 67 round onto the front and hauling the DVT nose end first, you dont often see views of the inner end!

 

[newbryford]

A note on the "Precision Decals".

 

I have found that: having soaked the decal for a couple of minutes, the carrier film was still stuck to the backing paper.

 

This has resulted in many decals breaking before I could apply them.

 

A tip I can give :

 

Soak the decal for at least 2 minutes. Get hold of the decal between forefinger and thumb, and VERY GENTLY !!!!!, slide forefinger

against thumb, to loosen the decal from the backing paper.

Having done this along the whole length of the decal, it can then be slid of the backing paper in a lengthwise direction.

 

I have found if you try to slide the decal off the paper in a crosswise direction, the risk of developing a fold in the decal, is very

high.

Having achieved a fold, it is almost impossible, however patient or careful, to retrieve the situation, unless you are very lucky.

 

I am sure there are people on RMweb who have more experience than me, and can advise on handling long decals.

 

Precision Decals are quite thin and like you, give them plenty of time to release. Likewise, slide it off leghtwise and then gently holding the decal approximately into place and pulling out the backing paper very slowly, trying not to stretch the decal. It's about here when a third hand could be useful...........

Folds can sometimes be recovered with a fine wet brush to tease the decal flat.

If I have to use microsol to set it into grooves etc, I use the smallest amount, keeping it thinned with a bit of water. If it's a large transfer, I'll work from the middle outwards.

 

One thing that John at Precision does do, is usually include an extra. So for a loco with bodyside markings, there'll be three on the sheet. If there's four numbers on the loco, there'll be five on the sheet.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[pylonman]

Thanks for your input Mick.

[pylonman]

Thanks for the photo "big jim", and the story behind the shot.

 

Very unusual shot, as you said !

Edited September 15, 2013 by pylonman

[Merfyn Jones]

Let me know how you get on merf.

 

Thanks guys for all the input.

My DVT arrived yesterday, a good priced new one (ONE livery) via ebay, only £37 !  Also the transfers came so am looking forward to using them.  The DVT has been primed and given a coat of Turquose at the front, next job will be to mask that and give the rest of the body a spray of dark blue. As I have no airbrush, I am using aerosols from the Halfords large choice. Will see what the blue I found comes out like later.

Can't find a Hornby resteraunt car with 4 windows yet, but will keep trying.  Will post a photo of my results to compare when done.

Cheers Merf.

[pylonman]

Glad to hear you are having a go Merf !

 

I would recommend you invest in an airbrush...... you will get a much more "refined" finish than with an aerosol.

 

I have just bought a budget prices Iwata, having had a Badger for years.

 

Since I have got far more Ocean Blue, than I will ever use, you can have some for you project, for the price of the postage/costs.

I am not quite sure what the rules are for sending chemicals by post ?

 

I have just consigned my DVT to the Dettol again:

 

Applied the decals, having cut them from the sheet using a brand new Stanley Knife blade. The edges didn't stick down, so I decided

(wrongly), to thin out some blue, and cover the edges with brushed paint...... WRONG !!!!!

 

Having produced a nice, even, gloss finish, with the airbrush, I ruined it.

 

DOH!

 

Back to the drawing board..............

[Merfyn Jones]

Glad to hear you are having a go Merf !

 

I would recommend you invest in an airbrush...... you will get a much more "refined" finish than with an aerosol.

 

I have just bought a budget prices Iwata, having had a Badger for years.

 

Since I have got far more Ocean Blue, than I will ever use, you can have some for you project, for the price of the postage/costs.

I am not quite sure what the rules are for sending chemicals by post ?

 

I have just consigned my DVT to the Dettol again:

 

Applied the decals, having cut them from the sheet using a brand new Stanley Knife blade. The edges didn't stick down, so I decided

(wrongly), to thin out some blue, and cover the edges with brushed paint...... WRONG !!!!!

 

Having produced a nice, even, gloss finish, with the airbrush, I ruined it.

 

DOH!

 

Back to the drawing board..............

 

Thanks for all the help with the project.  I got a coat of dark blue on yesterday and it looks right to some photos and not others . It is Ford Royal Blue from Halfords. I really ought to go out and look at the train, but it's only round here in the dark at this time of year. However on Saturday next it is booked for a run from Llandudno to Blaenau in daylight.  Then I can compare colours.

If I do go the airbrush route, I may take you up on your kind offer. Postage is a NO NO for postage now, but I can always collect from you, costs me nothing by train.

Sorry to hear the transfers caused problems, fingers crossed for mine.

Merf.

[RThompson]

Believe it or not, RAL5020 is the correct colour reference for the dark blue, Aguamarine not changed for the main body dispite it looking darker.

 

Ive got to obtain some colour references for the repaint of my bus soon as its going out of Arriva London colours after 5 years so that will be a real challange for me, although to what colour scheme is another matter!

[pylonman]

DISASTER !!!!

 

Received a bottle of Hornby Decalfix, and Hornby Clear varnish yesterday morning.

 

Set about applying the rest of the decals to the MK 3's.

 

Decalfix, together with soaking the decals for longer, seems to have solved the problems of the edges turning up.

 

However :

 

As a finishing touch I decided to apply a coat of Hornby Clear to fix the decals, and improve the gloss finish.

 

Upon first application the finish seemed a bit rough, but I thought that this stuff is supposed to be self levelling

according to the instructions.

Carried on doing the other Mk 3, and the restaurant car.

 

It just formed puddles all over the fairly good paint finish I had achieved.

 

Applied another "self levelling" coat over the mess, to see if I could retrieve the situation.......... no chance.

 

Applied the grey matter to determine the next course of action.

 

Back in the stripper and start again. Grrrrrrr !

 

Un approachable for the rest of the day.

 

Quite despondent today...... Photo's below........ can anyone suggest what went wrong ?

 

Before application of varnish:

 

 

 

 

After Application of Clear varnish:

 

 

 

 

The varnish, far from self levelling, has gone lumpy and crusty thus ruining the project.

 

Result:

 

 

 

Put everything back in the Dettol, and painted grey.

 

The Class 67 body was obtained on Friday, and is being painted up for the first time.

 

Having bought 500ml of Ocean Blue, at least I am not short of paint !!

 

Can anyone suggest what has gone wrong ?

[pylonman]

Thanks guys for all the input.

My DVT arrived yesterday, a good priced new one (ONE livery) via ebay, only £37 !  Also the transfers came so am looking forward to using them.  The DVT has been primed and given a coat of Turquose at the front, next job will be to mask that and give the rest of the body a spray of dark blue. As I have no airbrush, I am using aerosols from the Halfords large choice. Will see what the blue I found comes out like later.

Can't find a Hornby resteraunt car with 4 windows yet, but will keep trying.  Will post a photo of my results to compare when done.

Cheers Merf.

Merf:

 

I bought a Hornby set of two Mk 3's and a restaurant coach in Virgin livery, known as the "Pretendolino" set.

[Merfyn Jones]

Merf:

 

I bought a Hornby set of two Mk 3's and a restaurant coach in Virgin livery, known as the "Pretendolino" set.

 

So sorry to hear of the disaster. I too had a problem.  My Royal Blue aerosol looked too dark but covered the DVT with a nice smooth finish. I went for the Rail Blue route, brushing a layer on which when given a coat of gloss varnish looked a good colour match to me. I tried a set of transfers to one side only and apart from a couple snapping they looked really good, but.  Maybe I was too impatient but later in the day I applied a coat of Humbrol satin varnish over the transfers and the melted !  Back to the drawing board here too. 

I have a few bids on ebay for the coaches, East Midland TSOs and Grand Central buffet, no rush but I'm not going into silly prices. Tried Ian Allen in Birmingham, big shop in our second city and they only had one Hornby Mk.3 in stock, and of course nothing to be found round here.

Went out this afternoon and took some 158 pictures, they are certainly the same colours as the loco hauled, and I'm perfectly happy that gloss rail blue will be acceptable to me.

Best of luck with the next try.

Merf.

[Penrhos1920]

Question:

 

Are the Arriva Mk2 coaches the same colour as the Mk3's, if not what colour should I use ?

 

The photo's I took are in my gallery, if anyone is interested.

 

I think that all coaches used in the Holyhead - Cardiff express have been in the same Ocean Blue colour.  There may have been some exceptions in the early days.  Arriva Trains Wales coaches used in the valleys and on the Fishguard trains were in the light turquoise livery.

 

 

DISASTER !!!!

 

Received a bottle of Hornby Decalfix, and Hornby Clear varnish yesterday morning.

 

Set about applying the rest of the decals to the MK 3's.

 

Decalfix, together with soaking the decals for longer, seems to have solved the problems of the edges turning up.

 

However :

 

As a finishing touch I decided to apply a coat of Hornby Clear to fix the decals, and improve the gloss finish.

 

Upon first application the finish seemed a bit rough, but I thought that this stuff is supposed to be self levelling

according to the instructions.

Carried on doing the other Mk 3, and the restaurant car.

 

It just formed puddles all over the fairly good paint finish I had achieved.

 

Applied another "self levelling" coat over the mess, to see if I could retrieve the situation.......... no chance.

 

....

Having bought 500ml of Ocean Blue, at least I am not short of paint !!

 

Can anyone suggest what has gone wrong ?

 

Looks like the varnish has got underneath the transfers?  I've never had this problem but I've read some transfer instructions that say to use matt varnish first before the final gloss top coat.  Time to practise of a piece of scrap plastic first.

 

Merf:

 

I bought a Hornby set of two Mk 3's and a restaurant coach in Virgin livery, known as the "Pretendolino" set.

 

I think the Grand Central RFM and EWS RFM are the also the same body.  There's talk of this threadhttp://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/22810-r4431-virgin-charter-4-window-mk3-buffet/ that the roof hatches might be wrong though?

[pylonman]

So sorry to hear of the disaster. I too had a problem.  My Royal Blue aerosol looked too dark but covered the DVT with a nice smooth finish. I went for the Rail Blue route, brushing a layer on which when given a coat of gloss varnish looked a good colour match to me. I tried a set of transfers to one side only and apart from a couple snapping they looked really good, but.  Maybe I was too impatient but later in the day I applied a coat of Humbrol satin varnish over the transfers and the melted !  Back to the drawing board here too. 

I have a few bids on ebay for the coaches, East Midland TSOs and Grand Central buffet, no rush but I'm not going into silly prices. Tried Ian Allen in Birmingham, big shop in our second city and they only had one Hornby Mk.3 in stock, and of course nothing to be found round here.

Went out this afternoon and took some 158 pictures, they are certainly the same colours as the loco hauled, and I'm perfectly happy that gloss rail blue will be acceptable to me.

Best of luck with the next try.

Merf.

Sorry to hear of your disaster Merf. Good luck getting your coaches and solving the problems.

 

There is a possibility that I was too impatient applying the varnish.... the decals may have still been damp.

 

We live and learn !

Edited September 23, 2013 by pylonman

[pylonman]

The aftermath of the weekend disaster.

 

Waited for the grey "undercoat" to dry overnight, masked off, and repainted the dvt, 67 and mk3's Ocean Blue.

 

Also painted a sheet of plasticard blue, to determine any compatibility issues with the varnish, before using it again

on the rolling stock.

 

 

 

 

Back to work tomorrow, so plenty of time to leave everything to dry.

 

No more progress until Thursday morning.

Edited September 23, 2013 by pylonman

[pylonman]

this may be useful to to, i had to drag the DVT from chiltern's wembley depot to crewe last year, i had trouble with it so ended up running the 67 round onto the front and hauling the DVT nose end first, you dont often see views of the inner end!

 

Superb photo. Thanks very much for the photo and the story behind it.

[class"66"]

Fingers crossed!!! al works out this time round buddy!!!

[pylonman]

Had a very rewarding reply from paragon paints yesterday.

 

They suggested that the disaster was quite probably down

to an incompatibility problem between paint and varnish.

 

Will try using their brand of varnish to avoid problems.

 

Will also try everything on a test sheet first,(until now,

I've been in too much of a rush to see the final result)

[class"66"]

Had a very rewarding reply from paragon paints yesterday.

 

They suggested that the disaster was quite probably down

to an incompatibility problem between paint and varnish.

 

Will try using their brand of varnish to avoid problems.

 

Will also try everything on a test sheet first,(until now,

I've been in too much of a rush to see the final result)

Very interesting find!! fingers crossed this time round hey...