Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Tom, I'm very impressed at the speed of progress with your ballasting. Thank you Ian, although full credit must go to Tim for working at an incredible speed, and came up with the lovely balance of larger clinker bits between the rails, with the finer ash at the sides. I just worked under his instructions, but it was Tim that did the majority of the work. Could you please elaborate on this statement? Did you lay the ballast then spray it? And if so, how did you prevent the track gumming up? Ian, who has lots of ballasting to do on Mill Gill viaduct and keeps putting it off! I'll let Tim respond as he can go into more detail then I could! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timara Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Hi Ian, Tom, I'm very impressed at the speed of progress with your ballasting. My secret to that is I work like stink at it . Tom was a very good assistant indeed . We have been using diluted Vallejo acrylic matte varnish as our setting agent. Could you please elaborate on this statement? Did you lay the ballast then spray it? And if so, how did you prevent the track gumming up? Ian, who has lots of ballasting to do on Mill Gill viaduct and keeps putting it off! Sure! I laid the ballast first, making sure it was as flat as I could get it and then, using a pipette, I applied the dilute mix. It's mostly mixed by eye, but it's a milky consistency you're after, so I suppose 60:40 would be the best estimate. The varnish is much more liquidy than PVA by a long way, so less water is required. For some reason known only to itself, there wasn't any need to use any drops of washing up liquid. Perhaps this particular ash doesn't have the surface tension that others do? I find ballasting rather theraputic to do, unlike most, so it's nice watching it suddenly take shape in front of one's eyes. Cheers, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 That's the finest representation of ash ballast I have ever seen guys, probably on account of that being exactly what it is! Mike nails it with his comment that the shades vary under lighting conditions but it's absolutely bob-on in my opinion. Now, where can I find a loco getting its smokebox cleaned out - I think I know how I'll be doing my sidings! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timara Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thanks Dave . The thing I've always wanted to be able to get "right" is a true SSY*. I've got one of my own to do reasonably soon, so I suppose you could call this one a dry run of sorts. (* Sh*tty Shed Yard) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I'd call it "a very successful dry run" mate! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 That's the finest representation of ash ballast I have ever seen guys, probably on account of that being exactly what it is! Mike nails it with his comment that the shades vary under lighting conditions but it's absolutely bob-on in my opinion. Now, where can I find a loco getting its smokebox cleaned out - I think I know how I'll be doing my sidings! Dave. To hear that from you Dave, means a lot. I think both Tim and I needed to hear the comments made in this thread since last night as there were a couple of times we did wonder if we had got it right, seen as this was a new method to both of us. I think we can breath a sigh of relief. It looks the part! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Coming on well , needs a few puddles ? Don't worry Mick, we have a plan regarding that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 A little something I had been working on while Tim was weathering locomotives in my fleet. I had realised that a number of my locos would somewhat cause alarm to the Shed Yard Master if they were seen rolling about, as they have no crew! I'd say under a third of the fleet are without crews, so last month I started ordering footplate/yard crew from Dart Castings. These figures produced by Monty's Models are in my opinion, the best in 4mm figures available. Many that you can buy tend to look rather odd, with body parts not in scale with other parts of their bodies! Monty's are well proportioned and even have quite clear facial detail. The below figures are all from the Monty's Model Range. I had enquired to Ian Harper (silverlink) regarding a couple of figures I had seen on Haymarket Cross which really looked the part cleaning locos. He referred me to some figures available from Mainly Trains. These are on my workbench awaiting painting. Anyhow these are the figures I had worked on last week, painted and then weathered with powders. And a couple of the figures in closer detail. I had tried to vary overall colour, with some darker and some lighter showing sign of fading. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidw Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Figures is something else I need to add to my to do list! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Figures is something else I need to add to my to do list! Nothing worse than seeing locos on layouts moving about without a crew. On Main Line layouts you can probably get away with it, at the speeds they move. 10-15mph gives me little choice on the matter! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWales Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Nice job on those figures Tom. Looks like you've got a keen eye for it-from prototype photos of course!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Aye up bonnie lad wheres me J27 gone!.at least I think thats what the last pic driver is saying, ready to go up to Sunderland South Dock shed Go on give him a B16 mind he'd look well on a nice Q6 or didnt you have any down south!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scots region Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Tom, would I have your permission to email a link to this thread to Model Rail? I really believe its that good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Tom, would I have your permission to email a link to this thread to Model Rail? I really believe its that good By all means! That would be very good of you. Many Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 While having a break from keeping a 9 month old Border Collie happy, I decided to pose a couple of the recently painted figures on the layout. Obviously it was going to be a B16. It's very much my favourite class of loco (including all variants) by a long way and it certainly wouldn't be York without them. 61477's Driver stands by his engine with a cuppa', while chatting to a visiting driver from Tyneside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon hudson Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Hows about a caption competition!! "Wot nee stotties?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Whats the B16 like on curves? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timara Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 It's not too bad actually Mick. It'll happily negotiate large radius Peco. HTH, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Whats the B16 like on curves? Indeed, just as Tim says. I think they would possibly get away with 36inch radii. For a B16 ( her and 61454) both are very giving! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Hows about a caption competition!! "Wot nee stotties?" Haha think you might be right there Simon! I intend to get some more figures painted up, for similar posing on the layout. Plus 61477 and 61454 both need crews! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I was rather pleased with how the photo of 61477 turned out so I thought I would do another, but this time with one of 50A's Pacifics. Here we see 60146 being prepared for her next working. Currently unnamed but by the next year she would be named 'Peregrine'. I wonder what the Driver and Cleaner are talking about? Most likely how York City performed in last nights match! Tim did a superb weathering job on her, and stunning job converting her from a regular Bachmann Tornado model. There is something magical about apple green slightly weathered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 I was rather pleased with how the photo of 61477 turned out so I thought I would do another, but this time with one of 50A's Pacifics. Here we see 60146 being prepared for her next working. Currently unnamed but by the next year she would be named 'Peregrine'. I wonder what the Driver and Cleaner are talking about? Most likely how York City performed in last nights match! Tim did a superb weathering job on her, and stunning job converting her from a regular Bachmann Tornado model. There is something magical about apple green slightly weathered. That picture is amazing Tom - very simple composition of a very simple scene but it has an instant wow factor (for me if no one else). I think it must be down in good measure to the 'life' injected by the two figures plus the very natural weathering of the loco and the realistic foreground. The lack of a more natural or complete background ceases to be noticeable because of those factors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 That's the finest representation of ash ballast I have ever seen guys, With all due respect to Tom, I suspect you've never seen Bramblewick... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tom F Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 That picture is amazing Tom - very simple composition of a very simple scene but it has an instant wow factor (for me if no one else). I think it must be down in good measure to the 'life' injected by the two figures plus the very natural weathering of the loco and the realistic foreground. The lack of a more natural or complete background ceases to be noticeable because of those factors. Thanks Mike! These Monty's Model's figures have so much character about them which as you say gives the photos 'life'. This was one of the reasons we decided to have a plain backscene. It's an off blue which appears to change colour under different light, sometimes a faint blue, other times it's grey so gives a slight overcast sky feel. The carriage sidings work as the back drop which was a great suggestion by Tim. That way attention is focused on the layout. Tim has just sent me some photos of the A1 he is working on (the one that appeared in his weathering workbench last week completely stripped down to the bare plastic ready for a repaint).... he might be posting updates at some point, but all I can say is, it's simply stunning! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 There is something magical about apple green slightly weathered. ...looks even better when it's 'fresh out of the box'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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