Jump to content
 
  • entries
    34
  • comments
    150
  • views
    47,651

Flange lubricator: finishing off


Will Vale

1,260 views

I've been looking forward to this for ages - the little yellow blobs have been sitting on one board or another for quite some time awaiting my largesse. Today they got it:

 

index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=blogentry&attach_id=61398

 

 

Having got the left end of the layout to the right kind of state at the weekend, involving lots of sensible risk-addressing (doing the most sucky and/or risky things first) I thought this would make a suitable treat :) I stripped some fine wire and pushed/pulled the conductors out of it so that the insulation would fit over the tiger-tail peg I'd left on the lubricators. Feeling adventurous, I used a single strand of pre-tinned conductor as the hose clip, twisted around with tweezers and secured with superglue.

 

Installing the lubricators was pretty easy - the Klear-fixed ballast isn't hard to shift if you need to and I made a couple of divots, added two drops of superglue and held them in place for 10 seconds. After that had gone off I brushed the loose ballast back around them to bed them in and set it with more (thin) superglue. Then the fun bit - detail painting! I'd already painted the bodies with GW Iyanden Darksun and Sunburst Yellow. Then they got a wash of Devlan Mud, most of which I wiped off since the ones at Whitemoor are pretty clean. I drybrushed some false highlights with a bit of off-white, and touched in the nipple and nuts (oo-er :D ) with Tamiya Flat Aluminium.

 

I tried to keep the weathering pretty restrained - the examples at Whitemoor don't seem to get as foul as the one at Water Orton which Pete Harvey and Eldavo were kind enough to provide some close-up pics of - it was quite unpleasant, with white goop everywhere. I contented myself with some more Devlan Mud along the rail side, Flat Aluminium for the grease blades and pump gubbins, and then drybrushed the latter with Vallejo Brown Leather, which is my "track dirt" colour, to blend it in. The only remaining job was to paint in the sleeper numbers and arrows following a handy Geoff Tibble prototype picture (click Full Size to see them). Thankfully these are only on one of the lubricators at the entrance to the yard, as far as I can tell. These were done with thinned GW Skull White and a size 000 brush, then drybrushed over with more of the brown leather to tone them down. They aren't super-neat, but the white paint is more hardwearing than the white gel pen I have, so it seemed like a better bet here.

 

index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=blogentry&attach_id=61399

 

 

Quite a quick project, at least in terms of work hours rather than elapsed time, but very satisfying :)

10 Comments


Recommended Comments

That's looking really good Will B) B) B) The small details you've been adding really lift the model.

Link to comment

Thanks! The main problem at the moment is keeping the big picture in mind since there's an awful lot to do at the depot end yet, but these little dalliances are good for my sanity. Plus they finally mean I can get some half-decent photos :)

Link to comment

They're really nice Will. very tidy and a nice bit of detail not normally seen on layouts. The weathering is great, as is the detailing; and what a great way to add a little colour to the trackside. Of course, now you need to provide the same degree of interest on the whole of the layout ;) ... but I'm sure that's juts a matter of time. Good photo point this. Looking forward to seeing some more stock photos soon.

Link to comment

Thanks again for the kind words. I just wish I had more stock to show - I can do MTAs or MKAs, that's it in terms of stuff that's had attention paid to it :(

Link to comment

Will how have you weathered the ballast in this area? it looks really effective so far, nice and subtle :) The flange lubricators and associated details are superb and really do lift the detailing stakes - but still blend in with the attention to detail in the embankment (and the bridge not pictured)... if you were in the UK I'd do you a deal - you keep up the layout attention to detail and I'll do the stock!

Link to comment

I'd probably take that deal :) I like doing stock but I have a lot more fear factor around it - you know, the risk of spoiling something nice that you bought. I'm hoping to get two (or three?) locos and another rake or two of wagons up to a passable standard between the end of October and the exhibition.

 

The ballast is weathered following ElDavo's method on Waton - very thin acrylic washes. I used about 60:40 water/alcohol in a shotglass, with a blob of paint. I started with ultra-thin raw umber, then went to Vallejo Brown Leather to match the sleeper weathering. Applied with a broad brush, then again turned sideways and dragged down each rail. I might come back to it with one more wash of GW Calthan Brown, which is the slightly rustier colour on the rails in the near siding.

 

The advantage, as Dave suggested, is that it's very controllable. The two minor disadvantages I've found are that

 

1) I often forget that it's thicker as you use it up, and get blotches which need to be dealt with.

 

2) You can get a relatively hard edge which is difficult to disguise.

 

Both of these can be addressed if you spot them when it's still wet by stippling the edge or the heavy patch with more alcohol or water and possibly blotting it a bit.

Link to comment

So I just need to emigrate then Will! One day - it's something the wife and I have always talked about...

 

Thanks for the washes explanation :)

Link to comment

I love the countdown markings for the tamper operators! Fantastic stuff!

 

Must have been an enthusiastic tech though; I only ever countdown from three sleepers away! :lol:

Link to comment

Ah, that's what they are - I've been learning a lot from the "writing on sleepers" thread but I half-assumed they were some kind of "install it here" guide. The other lubricator doesn't appear to have any countdowns.

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...