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I have brushed it on coach sides and as John suggests it gives another step in the weathering process. I also airbrush it on when there has to be a very even or thin coat. No problem to air brush - usually 2 or 3 very fine mists. Cleaning of the airbrush - use Windolene which works a treat. Dave

TBG I was wondering if you have finished the shed combination as thinking of doing something similar with a couple of Timber Tracks sheds. In particular how the interface between the two shed roofs is done plus drainage of. Dave

Understood Jon. Must be a nightmare for you. Good luck with it. Just seen your PM come in, very kind of you. Studying Peter Tatlows book - volume 3 before final choice of upgrade. Cheers, Dave

Hello Jon. Dare I ask if the detailing kits are still available? Dave

Perhaps longer term they will. The etch shown is 1 of 3 and the first 2 are to be modified after I get better resolution drawings for the prototype bridge from the Midland Railway Study Centre. This will be after next February as they are in long term storage whilst refurbishment takes place. I also need to get Jamie Guest's permission as he did the original 2 etches for Tony and I am building the first iteration. I plan to build again (for my own layout) and record the method. If there is interest then futher templates etc. might have to be made and possibly more updates as it is a complex build. So, a big undertaking, but as a detailed OO brass bridge of UK prototype design (rather tha USA design) is not readily available, then it might be worthwhile. Dave

Hi Tony Yes, the missing 'bridge' does look strange after seeing it there so often. Some progress made with the extra parts (following the preliminary installation as previously shown. The additional photoetch delivered. A bit of a milestone for me as my first design using Draftsight software. The top beam flange plates are added Today punched the 4500 rivets of the bottom cross beams So progress being made albeit taking some time. Thanks for your patience. Dave

Phil Just thought I would add a photo of the prototype (tree). Just as in weathering or any other railway modelling it is much easier to copy the real thing. An Oak tree imagined probably wouldn't give the right shape you were referring to. I spotted this tree in Yorkshire when walking the Nitherdale Way. Full of character - might go back there to say thankyou! Dave

Phil This is the course at Pendon https://pendonmuseum.com/events/event.php?s=make-trees-the-pendon-way-weekend-workshop but the Nov 19 course is fully booked. There will be another 2 next year = need to get in early. There is accomodation near by. Worth a look at Gordon Gravett books (Wild Swan) if you would like to get some idea of what is needed. Dave

Hi Tony I shall have time to get back to the LB bridge photoetch design now that one of the projects started at Missenden has just been finished. You may recall an earlier post when a showed a number of the students trees resulting from the first Tree Making course at Pendon (run by Stuart Holt and Mick Bonwick). Well, I have had a go at a rather large Oak tree as below. This will not be stuck at the back of a layout! Please excuse the crazy mixed up rolling stock in the background (used for scale and were 'to hand' as weathering projects in the same vicinity) Dave

FYI from loco builder U tube

Does anyone know waht has happened to Tom. I was following his loco builder u tube videos with great interest - last one over 4 months ago.

The painting handles are available from Phoenix Paints Dave

For those doing the Gloucester conversion. Modelu have put the vacuum cylinders on their web site https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/detailing-components/locomotive-detailing/rolling-stock/ Following on from some correspondence with Bob, the alternative route for the different discharge equipment of the Cemflo would be a photoetch for the complete unit. This would give finer detail than a 3D print. I will have a go at the design after a couple of other jobs for artwork have been completed. Bob has kindly supplied some engineering drawings. Dave

What a good find! Pity we haven't got one of those Star Trek viewers so we can get a closer look and see the bridge deck David

Here is a modelled example of the longitudinal rail bearers - possibly add walkways and ballast up to the beams for LB

Tony Looking at the original drawings there are 4 sets of longitudinal support beams (rail bearers) lying between the cross beams and directly underneath the 4 rail centres (double track). It is possible that the supporting sleepers could be longitudinal with tie bars connecting them or cross sleepering - need that photo! The rail bearers should govern the spacing of the two tracks. There are also two raised longitudinals (sitting on top of the deck plate) running the length of the span with top plates connected to each truss. This would be a nice feature to add. I expect it would be ballasted up to the beam shown. Check rails as well? Would be good. Hope this helps Dave

Thanks to all who have opened up and shared their stories (and advice) about mental health problems and relationships over the last couple of days. It does seem to be a topic that is getting more discussion and no longer carries the stigma that it used to. I got into railway modelling just 10 years ago (rather late but never too late), and it has helped me to not only get over a health anxiety crisis, but to bring back fond memories of my father who passed away far too early. He was a Civil Engineer working for British Railways. It is only recently that I have realised how lucky I was to go 'walking the track' with him when I was a youngster. So railway modelling brings back happy times, has given me the chance to be creative which is a great medicine, and has brought me into contact with like-minded guys who are always willing to help and be supportive. I note the messages re not falling into the perfectionism trap and knowing when to stop and be satisfied. This can be difficult when you see superb modelling skills that you can only dream of getting close to. The other point I guess is to get the railway modelling / life balance right which is just as important as the work / life balance. So for me walking in the great outdoors and getting on the bike (push) are equally important. Having a partner who understands your needs is a bonus (still looking), and then it is only fair to understand their needs too. Was out walking in Nitherdale, Yorksire last week and spotted these two Would be great to include on the layout. I wonder if they would keep still long enough for a laser scan

Just returned from a course at Pendon Museum. Tree workshop - course tutors Stuart Holt assisted by Mick Bonwick. What a great time. Excellent tuition and jokes galore - what fun. Wanted to post the results of 2 days for beginners!. 6 students making 2 Elm, 1 Sycamore and 3 Beech (one of which had been damaged by lightening) https://pendonmuseum.com/events/event.php?s=make-trees-the-pendon-way-weekend-workshop Back to the soldering today but made a change to 'branch out' with modelling skills. David

I also have the Antex 660 TC which serves me well. I see the equivalent analogue and digital replacements have been posted. I would very much like to mention how much I have been impressed with the RSU (from London Road Models). It's got to the state where I often have both operational and switch between them depending on the task in hand. When I first used the RSU I guess it was a bit scary, but over time it been an enormous help with difficult tasks. It has been especially useful for soldering tinned (with the Antex) joints where there is limited access. Below are a couple of applications - sorry about the untidy working area! The last photo shows a method to solder two parts back to back which are clamped via pieces of balsa (for heat and electrical isolation). In this instance 2 probes are used instead of one probe and a connected plate. David

White spirit did not adversely effect the paint finish (when mixing with the oils), and even when I used a flat damp brush (white spirit) to clean up overpaint with the very first task of panel lining. I guess flooding the surface might have behaved differently. I did have one or two issues with decals being attacked so was careful not to paint too much oil over them and kept the spray clear when airbrushing acrylics to the lower tank area. The Dullcote varnish might give a degree of protection. Your solution with a stain cover sounds ideal. The Isoproponal will be more aggressive (last resort for cleaning unwanted paint off), so perhaps there lies the problem. Pleased to help David

You might need a few expressions of interest for the 3 D printing but you can put my name down so far. Would it be possible to scan the relevent parts of drawings and post them here assuming you can get permission.

Bob Looking good, and I see quite a few changes. 3 D printed sounds a nice option - I would be interested to hear what Alan Butler comes up with. I like your attention to detail - 0.75mm higher! I assume you have a good set of drawings for the Gloucester? I expect there could be a quite a number of modellers wanting to do this conversion. David

Thanks Fran Now we come to the 4th and final stage of the Cemflo weathering. a) The components around the lower part of the tank are highlighted by applying blue / black wash. It is also applied for a second time to some of the hatch closure parts and to strengthen some of the darker spillage areas. b) Then, the underframe and ends are treated with pigments; dark mud, track rust, burnt umber and European dust. By checking the prototype photos the extent of dirt / corrosion / overspill can be replicated. The dark mud is particularly good when applied to the brake pads. The combination of burnt umber and European dust around the discharge chute is used to give a dirty cement effect. c) Next (assuming some maintenance has taken place), leaking and stains exhaust oil effect if applied to some of the lubricated parts and engine oil around some of the axle boxes. d) The buffers need to be toned down. This is done with the burnt umber / European dust combination, followed by spotting the contact points with leaking and stains. The gloss can be reduced a little with pigments once dry. Here are the 12 Cemflos in weathered conditon. You may notice that two (near the front) have had less service and therefore have lighter weathering, but from exactly the same pallette. Well they are not quite finished. The screw link couplings will be modified before adding and then weathered (to match). The handwheels also need to be cleaned up a little around the rim - possibly with a touch of white paint. Another 2 will be weathered after Gloucester conversion - I have kept one pristine as it is good to see the contrast. This weathering has only been possible by expert tuition and guidance provided by Mick Bonwick and Tim Shackleton at courses, at both Missenden Abbey http://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/ and Pendon Museum https://pendonmuseum.com/. Thanks guys. Good luck with your weathering! David

The remaining 8 Cemflos were airbrushed over the lower tank areas as before, so now we come to stage 3 of the weathering involving the spillage around the hatches and the blending of tank sides These are the materials used for stage 3 a) A wash of deep grey is applied to the workings around the hatches and the platform. Spread and thin with white spirit b) Then LC liquid pigment (dried salt) is applied to the areas where the spillages will extend to. This was done in 3 layers with partial drying each time and some spreading to avoid drips and blotches. c) After the last coat, and when the surface was tacky LC pigment European Dust was patched on top of the areas as shown below d) Another 2 coats of dried salt added (this can be done until the desired effect is reached) e) Again pigments are added to a tacky surface this time using the the European Dust and Ab 502 Alkaline Dust as well to give some tonal variation f) Next, to get a bit of depth to the spillage the tanks are spayed with Dullcote and when tacky European Dust is tapped from a brush onto the higher part of the spillages and around the platform and hatches. This is then adjusted with a brush to even out any clumps. Thanks to Mick Bonwick for showing me this technique at Pendon. This can be repeated depending on the intensity required. At this stage Ab 502 Ashes grey can be added around the spills with reference to the prototype photographs. It is blended in carefully with the European Dust. The sequences d) to f) can be repeated as often as necessary to get the desired effect with new areas of spillage being revealed. g) To give fresh areas of spill and white patches where the upper dirty layers have peeled off, the LC Dried Salt is applied with a small brush a number of times to get the right strength and blended in (when dry) with the European Dust h) Next the upper and lower parts of the tank need to be blended. For this use the Urban Industry Dirt pigment which is very close to the air brush mix previously applied to the lower tank area. This is worked upwards and European Dust worked downwards to remove any obvious division between areas So 4 Cemflos have reached this phase and 6 more to do before the final stage. This will involve further weathering of the underframe and ends I have included the original 2 completed Cemflos in the photo below for reference, which if you recall was the maximum grubbiness I was going to. David

Here goes with stage 2 of the Cemflo weathering a) As previously mentioned we now come to oil paints which sounds a bit scary, but it can be worked and easily removed with white spirit so there is plenty of time to adjust. I was using the colours as below The Paynes grey is too dark so it was made paler with some white and a touch of yellow. The colours are spotted onto the tank sides with different patterns to give variability. Load to a piece of card so that excess oil is soaked away. The colours are then mixed with, first dry and then with a damp brush finally giving vertical strokes. The amount of paint applied will give variability and determine how much of the previous layers are maintained. The same is done on some of the ends to a lesser extent. Additional dabs of paint (white and black) are added for localised variation and to give some streaking effects - done with a dry brushing method b) Airbrushing next with a mix of the paints below. Initially this was mixed 2 parts frame dirt / 1 part sleeper grime / 1 part track dirt This is applied to the lower part of the tank and the upper part of the underframe plus frame ends. The paint applied was generally light and variable from tank to tank but if too heavy then it is manipulated with thinners which gives a secondary effect. Areas can also be treated with thinner and a comb brush to generate some streaking. As acrylic is used it needs to be done soon after applying paint. The lower part of the tank will have more treatment but base layer is now applied (2 out of 10 for now!) After completing the other 8 as above, then up next will be the base layers for the spills around the hatches David