BigAndy

Morning Jon, Yep, totally agree about the thinners. I've chopped and changed over the years, with mixed results and settled myself for the afore mentioned method. It's just that mixing in the way I described, using the quick drying thinners, suits my spraying style, brush and compressor. Like everyone has agreed, it's all about practice. I'm just finishing off a Rail blue, Eastfield based 47 and I will be posting some images on my Gallery in the next few days, so if anyone wants to take a look at how my spraying method works on a fairly large area of Rail Blue, feel free to have a peek. Cheers Andy

Hi Lee, Liking your work mate. Splattered pigeon! great! Just picking up on the varnish debate. I've got an Iwata dual action and mainly use Railmatch enamels mixed with Precision quick drying, airbrushing thinners. I agree, it is getting expensive, but I've had consistent results with it and don't seem to have had any issues. I have in the past, when I got my new compressor, sprayed at too high a PSI which resulted in a very strange finish indeed - similar to the blooming which you described. What sort of mixing ratios do you use between the paint and thinners? I personally, don't take a particularly scientific appoach to it, as different colours and varnishes, have different consistencies, so whichever colour or varnish I want to spray, I thin it to something akin to milk - thin enough to get it through the airbrush, but not too thin so that whilst in the airborn stage between the end of the brush and the side of the model, the thinners has virtually evaporated so that it's near enough neat paint hitting the model, but not quite - as the thinners then lets the paint spread evenly on the flat surface. Its a bit of a conjuring act really and as you say, it can all depend on how far away you hold your brush from the target surface, how you actually hold the brush whilst spraying, what PSI you're using and how thin the varnish/paint is. I am quite fortunate though, in that my shed is fully insulated and has aircon, so I manage to achieve a steady temperature most of the year round. cheers Andy

Some lovely and evocative shots there. Even more depressing now is that the site is being developed as a housing estate............

I find myself on a bit of a winner these days ( trying desperately not to sound smug ) I met my wife ( 12 years younger than me - winner number 1 ) and on our first real date, discovered that I actually new her Dad very well from years ago, as he is a well known Narrow gauge modeller ( winner number 2 ) - this was before I had even got around to mentioning 'The Hobby', so I was onto a good thing from the outset.......... We've been together 9 years and have two lovely children, but even from the outset, my wife ( then girlfriend, would often come to a show at closing time and help us all knock down Leamside and then transport it back to the clubrooms ( winner number 3 ) - before we had the kids, obviously. These days, as she is used to her father being a modeller, she is more than happy for me to dissapear into the shed for hours at a time ( in fact as I sit here typing this, she has just suggested I go down to the shed for a couple of hours as I am just getting over that 'orrid Noro Virus thing and havn't been whittling since last Thursday - winner number 4 ) It's never a problem going to exhibitions or railway themed days out ( winner number 5 ) and she is more than content sitting on a train all day herself....... Apologies again if I sound a bit smug, but to be honest, I think I've 'never had it so good' - 16'x 9' airconditioned shed with spray booth as a workshop and the garage for me to build layouts in. Anyone else find themselves in a lucky position like me? .............somehow I've got a feeling that the can opener I've just taken to the tin in my hand has resulted in worms everywhere.................

Alfster, yes mate, I'll attempt to get the camera out in a couple of days. I was intending on doing this anyway as I've just completed an Inverness - Glasgow Queen St raft comprising of some Airfix 2d TSO's, a Bachman BSO and the SP 2C TSO. My gallery is under 'detailed disels' but has a few shots of the first airfix 2D that I resprayed. Like I said, that coach and the rest of the raft have now been finished and weathered, so I'll get some shots on there soonish - just keep yer eyes peeled for them appearing! The 2C TSO is in blue/grey, and like I said, took some effort to get looking somewhere right - hopefully my next attempts will be a bit quicker now I know the pitfalls. It's not perfect and I know some modellers who are going down other directions to get a good 2c, but for me, I think it works. I'd like to have your opinion on it, so once the shots are up, you could always PM me or just comment in the gallery and I'll try to pass on some of the pitfalls that beset me. cheers Andy

I have bought several of their MK2 B's and C's, however these are pre-rolled brass sided affairs that take a lot of work to look right ( including cutting along the whole length with a slitting disc as they are too deep in the tumblehome ), but as long as the time is invested, they stand up very well in a rake of Bachmann 2a's. I have however, put together one of their MK1 BSK's, with the clear sides and pre-printed livery. A lovely model and I thoroughly enjoyed constructing it, and I would have no issues in running it along side any proprietry item. In answer to the OP, I don't know of anyone else who took an approach to their coach kits as SP did, but that doesn't mean that someone out there hasn't done it, it's just that Ive not come across it - to echo what Ian says above, I'd make the effort to deal with SP in some way if you can. cheers Andy

I have seen some fantastically modelled, scenic layouts in my time, both protypical and also fictional locations. Personally, I would echo the 'Chee Tor' shout as a prefect example of how a railway should work in perfect harmony with the scenery around it. 'Hospital Gates' is another that I can stand in front of for a long time, immersing myself in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, a lot of modellers fall onto the trap of creating a trackplan, building it and then thinking about the scenery afterwards. If you are modelling a prototype, there should really be no excuse for not getting it right. If I could offer any advice, it would be to imagine what the scenery would have been like had your layout not run through it, therefore design the location first, and then build the trackplan around it - as would have happened in reality.

Many thanks for the reply. I had been all round the houses looking for a definitive answer, comparing all sorts of photos and asking on here was really my last resort. What you have confirmed for me is what I was beginning to suspect, but I thought it would be best to get your opinion. thanks again. Andy.

Hi Flood, Need to ask a bit of a random question and from looking through this thread, you're the man to ask! I'm modelling Scotrail circa '88 and I wondered if you happen to know a/ the correct colour to be used on 4mm Mk1/Mk2 coach toilet blanking, blue/grey livery, Scotrail and Intercity varients,plus, b/ could you point me in the right direction where i can find the correct fonts/colours/writing on the toilet blanks for push-pull MK3a's? Many thanks Andy

I'm with Jim S-W on this on this one. It will no doubt be the best 101 around when it comes out, but that doesn't automatically make it accurate. ( they used the 108 for a 107, when theres a world of difference between the two units ) so they have form for it. As per a lot of Lima models - yes they require a lot of work putting into them - dimentionally they are pretty much spot on. The 31 for instance is far more an accurate representation than anything Hornby have attempted with it. I appreciate that most will be satisfied with the appearance of the Bachmann 101 and they should be applauded for continuing to bring out these models. Personally, I think I'll continue to use Lima 101 bodies on scratch built chassis, mixed in with a little bit of DC kits parts for good measure..............

If I could just add my litttle twopenneth in............ I just wonder with cliches on layouts, whether the owner/modeller of the layout is just trying to find a corner filler or a cameo because they think that a bare bit of scenery needs filling? Stay with me. I view railway modelling as creating an image in 3d, the same as an artist would do, but in 2d. For me, and I know that art is a very personal thing and there are infinite mediums and genres etc, but to me, the fine artist has the skill to paint/draw an image and for people to be knocked out by it's realism and stare in wonder at the artists natural born skill in transmitting the view/object they are looking at onto a flat 2d surface. Did anyone ever criticise L S Lowery that any of his paintings were over cameo'd? Probably, but he became a world renknownd artist despite that...... Lowery however was not a 'fine artist' such as Constable who painted exactly what he saw, which for me is how I try to model my layouts. The point I'm getting at, is that maybe looking at the prototype before it's modelled, and keep referring to it whilst your building it will result in something that looks like what it's supposed to. Even if you are modelling a fictitious location - roads are roads wherever you are. Populating them with a road crash and flashing lights or someone being knocked off a bike, then stood over by a nurse and a Policeman ( I know these things do happen ) but modelling them, when you are attempting to create a snapshot of time, is where the resultant overused cameos come in. I think we can tend to merge and confuse the ideas of a snapshot in time - which in essence is what a layout is, around the moving images of trains. Nothing on a Lowery painting moves or any other painting for that matter, it's simply, like a photo, a still snapshot of time. On our snapshots in time that we call layouts, we have still scenes ( cameos ) against moving images ( trains ) - and I just think we can over egg the pudding on layouts, by adding to many ill judged cameos because we have a clash of genres ( moving and still ) on one location. Sometimes less is more, don't always be tempted to fill something just because there is a space. You will keep a persons attention by a well observed street scene, without the necessity to put overused cameos on it. Just a thought cheers Andy