Charlie Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Agreed, very nice! Which colour scheme are you going for? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Agreed, very nice! Which colour scheme are you going for? Thanks Charlie. In answer to your question, the answer is: BR blue/grey and the unit will be 7429. There is a picture of this unit on the Southern E Group website. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 A couple more photos and then it is time to do some actual modelling. The corridor conections as seen from above on the curve. Close-coupling is made all the easier as there were no intermediate buffers on these units. There are no reverse curves to try the model on, but it has been given a good thrashing up and down the layout without any derailments. The 4 CIG meets its nemesis, the airbrush with which it will be painted. I have kindly been lent this by Martyn Cook, owner of the local model shop in Aberaeron. Having so many reject sides for this project, there is plenty of scope for practising with this new and rather more complicated airbrush than I am used to. My friend and fellow operator, Mark Wyer, presented me with the Morris 1000 van. I had a real one of them in yellow, but ex-GPO. The van looks rather tiny, but I suppose it is to scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Bel Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Hi Colin, That is very very good! I think it looks quite good in white. Good luck with the painting. I only used the Hornby weights in my one and it seems to propel the unit ok and mine has the brass sides. Once again very impressive. Cheers for now, Ian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Gee whiz, Colin,... I've been hanging on for a progress report, for many a week, and now, this up and running, highly detailed, model 4-CIG. Well done, No.1 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Having seen the unit in the flesh recently I can confirm that it is outstanding, especially the motor coach! The ingenious corridor connections seem to work brilliantly well. All the best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Hi Colin, That is very very good! I think it looks quite good in white. Good luck with the painting. I only used the Hornby weights in my one and it seems to propel the unit ok and mine has the brass sides. Once again very impressive. Cheers for now, Ian. Hi Ian, Thanks for your comments. Like you, I've come to the conclusion that what was good enough for a class 73 is good enough for a 4 CIG in terms of haulage. I shall make the seating in the MBSO out of brass to give the same weight as the Hornby one does. As for the painting, I read and re-read Ian Rathbone's book on painting and lining - well worth the money. Having studied the section on bow pens, I decided to hone my old one and get it to the shape and degree of sharpness as Mr Rathbone suggests and - Hey Presto! It works now. The recommended method of painting blue/grey by Ian Rathbone is: paint the whloe side grey (gloss finish or varnish), draw in the white lining with a bow pen then line around that in blue, brush in the blue edges then mask the top part of the side and airbrush the tumblehome in blue. That's the theory. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Gee whiz, Colin,... I've been hanging on for a progress report, for many a week, and now, this up and running, highly detailed, model 4-CIG. Well done, No.1 . Many thanks Frank. Remember the photos are in soft focus before heaping too much praise on me! I never thought this project would get this far as the lack of definitive drawings nearly scuppered me. You can see from the white dots on the carriage roofs just how many ventilators had to be moved - let alone the scrapping of all the first set of sides. There is still so much to do. The interiors are as yet not tackled at all. I keep thinking about adding the inter-unit jumper cables which are quite prominent on the real thing. Having got the corridor connections to work, it might be possible to connect the cables with micro magnets, to get a more realistic effect. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Having seen the unit in the flesh recently I can confirm that it is outstanding, especially the motor coach! The ingenious corridor connections seem to work brilliantly well. All the best Simon Hi Simon, Many thanks for you comments. As you will see from my reply to Ceptic, I might have go at adding the jumper cables too. There is still some detail to add to the inner corridor connections now I know they work, plus dummy buck-eye couplers of course. All the best, Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted August 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2012 The recommended method of painting blue/grey by Ian Rathbone is: paint the whole side grey (gloss finish or varnish), draw in the white lining with a bow pen then line around that in blue, brush in the blue edges then mask the top part of the side and airbrush the tumblehome in blue. That's the theory. It all sounds wonderfully straightforward, if somewhat daunting! Your CIG is a cracking piece of work Colin and I take my hat off to you for your patience and perseverance. I did a lot of mileage as a passenger in CIGs and your model is very evocative of these fine workhorses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 It all sounds wonderfully straightforward, if somewhat daunting! Your CIG is a cracking piece of work Colin and I take my hat off to you for your patience and perseverance. I did a lot of mileage as a passenger in CIGs and your model is very evocative of these fine workhorses. Thanks Trevellan. Re. 'straightforward'. I must say that having re-read the book (again!) by Ian Rathbone, he does say that BR blue/grey is a livery that he has not had to paint. I do have some questions in my mind as to how much of the masked edge will show if the bottoms of the sides are painted last. The problem is: how to line over a join between two colours? Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Actual work, rather than talking about work: I had pondered over the door hinges for a long time. The MBSO now has door hinges, well representations of them. For this vehicle, due to the weight it will be in running order, brass strip has been used for robustness. The so-called hinges fit into tiny slots through the coach side. At a normal viewing distance, (not at a scale 20ft away as in this picture) these protrusions look about right and not over-scale, which seemed a danger with just about anything else. The door bangs (and commode handles) were cruelly positioned by BR right on level of the lower white lining (the holes for them can just be seen here. They are going to be fun to fit after painting, but there is no other way without lots of stopping and starting with the bow pen. All other handles etc. will also be fitted after the sides are painted and varnished. Oops - I slipped into waffling on about modelling rather than really doing any - again! Edited for bad wording. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted August 26, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 26, 2012 Hi Colin It's looking very very tasty, looking forward to seeing the paint flow. When I have painted Great Western coaches in chocolate and cream, I have used a scalpel to draw a very fine cut in the primer between the boundary of the two colours, I find this reduces the bleed from the chocolate on to the cream. Cheers SS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Hi Colin It's looking very very tasty, looking forward to seeing the paint flow. When I have painted Great Western coaches in chocolate and cream, I have used a scalpel to draw a very fine cut in the primer between the boundary of the two colours, I find this reduces the bleed from the chocolate on to the cream. Cheers SS Thanks for the tip SS. All sorts of things have crossed my mind about the matter of painting. As a GWR modeller, you have the advantage that, at least in later years the lining on the coaches was all horizontal. What I can imagine might happen with a blue/grey livery applied as I have described (or should I say as Ian Rathbone has written) is that there will be a step between the blue airbrushed part and the upper lined panel. Now he does mention removing masking tape ASAP after painting to reduce the step effect, I will give it a go. As I have said before, there are eight spare sides to experiment with. I am getting very close to the painting stage now - gulp! Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 More twiddly bits added to the DTCL: These grab handles have been made by forming them out of 0.5mm dia. brass wire which has then been filed flat on the face to produce a half-round section. The real thing has these parts fashioned from flat section and fixed to the bodywork with round spacers (what is the proper name?!). As with all the other small details, they are pushed into place and will painted separately and fixed in position after painting the sides. It was a right b***er of a job to bend up the grab handles which wrap around the front of the cab, but they do hold the cab fronts nicely in place. They will be level in the end - honest! Whist not totally happy with the bent-wire solution, I can't think of a way of making the parts like the real shape without indulging in micro- engineering : drilling 0.5mm brass strip to accept 0.3mm dia. wire, which is beyond me. Now, if only I had though of this when Pete harvey was designing the etched parts..... I did note that Trevellan said in post #2 of this topic, that Bachmann could announce the introduction of a 4 CIG. It's coming up to that time of year again - I'm still holding my breath. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Looking good, Colin. I'd have thought a refurbished 4-CEP would be more likely as there's plenty of carry-over from the exisitng model (both the 2-EPB and MLV share a lot with the 4-CEP 'down below', at least in design terms), but you never know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold griffgriff Posted August 27, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2012 I'm afraid that since it's such a great job a Bachmann 4CIG will surely follow ... just as soon as you've painted it of course Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Looking good, Colin. I'd have thought a refurbished 4-CEP would be more likely as there's plenty of carry-over from the exisitng model (both the 2-EPB and MLV share a lot with the 4-CEP 'down below', at least in design terms), but you never know. No you don't Bernard. I did bend the ear of the man from Hornby at DEMU about producing a 2 BIL and 2 HAL. Kept quiet about 4 CIGs, but they did last 46 years and that is one of the criteria for producing a model, along with number built and livery options etc. Colin I'm afraid that since it's such a great job a Bachmann 4CIG will surely follow ... just as soon as you've painted it of course Hi Griff, Don't mention the 'P' word! Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
number6 Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Don't mention the 'P' word! What? 6PUL? Extraordinary work here Colin. And so much humility... You are aware Connex ran some of theirs in exactly this livery of 'dirty plasticard' for a while? But I don't think that is going to save you from the dreaded. Your 'portrait' of these units is like watching an image of an old friend emerge! [what a soft sod I am...] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 A new weapon in the armoury: This Horstmann lamp used to belong to my grandad. It has a very good magnifying lens which folds out. I can now see the full horror of what I have been doing these past months. This afternoon, what better to do as the rain beat down, than tackle the MBSO's ballast weight. Now, when I started, it seemed like I had a 12" lump of phosphor-broze bar in my hand. It turned out to be copper. This came from my dad's workshop - goodness only knows why he had it (and three others!). The basic shape of the floor has been cut out up to the guard's/luggage compartment where the motor bogie is installed. The plan was to have a slab of metal equalling the weight of the original class 73 weight. (All the brass weights seen in previous posts have been discarded.) This had implications for the DCC socket, which was incorrectly placed in the saloon part of the coach anyway and the wiring to the non-powered bogie pick-ups (too short). The lump of copper had to be drilled to take the self-tapping screws which hold the floor to the chassis and a clearance hole for the pick-up wiring/in-line plug. I had, until just before re-assembly of the coach, forgotten that there had to be a reccess in the floor at the non-powered end to allow the close-coupling mechanism to operate. In some flight of fancy, I decided to mill out a slot for this using a vertical slide attachment bolted to the cross-slide of my lathe. Don't try milling copper - it's too soft- it was horrible. After a miserable 45 mins. later, I had managed it - just. The DCC socket was moved to the top of the motor bogie bracket. Slots were cut towards the holes which the wiring passed through to allow the wiring/motor bogie/DCC socket to be removed so that the chassis can be painted more easily. The wiring will have a two-pin socket wired in so that the two bogies can be removed from the chassis. I thought I had one of these sockets - but couldn't find it - I'll have to order one -grr! The pick-up wires have been temporarily soldered together just to test that everything still works. The sides of the MBSO are now held in place by the metal floor/weight. The coach interior will be added on top and will be slightly shallower that the other three interiors, due to the floor being approx. 2mm thicker. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 What? 6PUL? Extraordinary work here Colin. And so much humility... You are aware Connex ran some of theirs in exactly this livery of 'dirty plasticard' for a while? But I don't think that is going to save you from the dreaded. Your 'portrait' of these units is like watching an image of an old friend emerge! [what a soft sod I am...] Hi Number 6 (Raphael?!), Yes. it had crossed my mind that 'white' was one of the possible liveries though way off my layout's period! Colin (I still have those Ian Kirk bogie parts you kindly sent me and they will be put to good use soon.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
number6 Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 That lamp is something amazing. I was thinking one positive effect of my failing eyesight would mean my work would look better. I daren't put any of it under that thing! regards Raphael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 That lamp is something amazing. I was thinking one positive effect of my failing eyesight would mean my work would look better. I daren't put any of it under that thing! regards Raphael There are many lamps of this type available and I would thoroughly recommend one. I had been toying with the idea of a magnifying visor, but the lamp has a large precision-ground lens which shows up everything. After the initial shock of seeing everything in such detail, you get used to working with one of these quite quickly. It's far better than making something and then the faults showing up only after taking a digital photo. This lamp (and the visors) are the sort of visual aids professionals use and that is why their work looks so good. (That and being exceptional crafts-people with exceptional techniques too!) Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcyg Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Just spent the last 45mins reading this. WOW, what a model. Hats off to your skill, something I could only dream of. Looking at the raw model, with all the bits attatched, in a way, it'd be a shame to paint it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 Just spent the last 45mins reading this. WOW, what a model. Hats off to your skill, something I could only dream of. Looking at the raw model, with all the bits attatched, in a way, it'd be a shame to paint it! Thanks for your comments Marcyg. You must had a lot of patience to read through the whole topic. There have been many twists and turns in this project, but it is finally coming to a conclusion. I don't think there is anything in the way of modelling that can't be done by anyone with a bit of practice. (As you will have read, a lot of sub-standard parts have been scrapped and re-made.) Re. "shame to paint it" - it might well turn out to have been better not to! Seriously though, with so many materials and colours thereof, a coat of paint will help with the general appearance. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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