Grimly Feendish Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Following a visit to DEMU showcase last year I decided my next project would be a P4 layout set in the '76 to '79 time period. BR blue is my favorite time period, purely for reasons of nostalgia. With my HO switcher layout somewhat nearing completion (I should update that blog) I thought it a good time to get back to my first love, BR Blue. I've never undertaken serious hackery before but having read dozens of articles in the RM press and on-line about detailing RTR models, they usually say "start on a cheap model so that if you screw up it doesn't matter". Sage advice with my skills. With that in mind I picked up a Mainline 56 and some detailing bits & bobs at my visit to showcase. So this thread contains nothing new in terms of techniques or things somebody hasn't done before. It will just show my bodgery, it might give you a few laughs as I make mistakes and I hope I may get a few tips from others. So here is what I started with. Someone had done a nice partial repaint into large logo. I forgot to take a picture until after I'd dismantled the loco and removed the roof grilles! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Looks like it should be a great learning project! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimly Feendish Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 So the next stage was to do some major plastic surgery. I wanted to replace the side grilles and roof fan grilles. I also had some windscreen surround etches which I wasn't sure about using and cantrail grilles, of which more later... So with my trusty dremel a drill bit and a cutter I did something I had never done before and made big holes in an RTR body You can see from the close ups where my knife of file slipped. Beginner mistakes! You can see on the last pic that I've started to remove the raised strapping/beading from around the side grille. After some experimentation I found that a new chisel blade in my knife worked best. Although the cutter got a little close to the edge in one or two places I managed not to go outside the boundary of where the etched grilles will go. Next was the windscreen surrounds. So some more carvery to remove the windscreen beading was needed. Then a test fit of the windscreen surround using small bits of blutack to hold one in place. I'm not sure they will make the final appearance much better, but the idea here was to practice and learn. All in all it was very satisfying to hack so much plastic about Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Londontram Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 My first hack was an old 1970s Hymack about 30 years ago, still got it and still proud of it - keep up the good work it will look surperb when its done. the 56s remind me of shed bashing days as a teenager at Toton, Westhouses and the staverly round house when it was still a BR depot back in the early 1980s. Toton had to be a guided tour but the other two aslong as you got the nod from the shed forman you could wander around to your hearts content on a sunday including cabbing the 56's and 20's no health and safety like it is now (Westhouses was best for this which by this time had no roof with just the walls still standing)the other shed on the Earwash vally line Hasland I think had long gone by his time. look forard to seeing more instalments on your loco. Regards Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 good start. any further progress? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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