SouthernBlue80s

Nice weathering Sir. I especially like the coach end. Kind regards Steve

Matt.I keep getting timed out very quickly tonight. Here are a few more pictures. 3rd attempt. I used that method on them. Steve

Thank you for your encouragement Matt. I use weathering powders but wet. I mix up from black, brown, rust and white a darker version of frame dirt and take a small amount and mix with a drop of water and use a small brush to get into the recesses

Matt It is the same for me. Many new locos are now out of my price range too. I picked that Heljan 25 up for 120 pounds. I am a 100 to 140 pounds guy and a lot of locos are now heading towards if not 200pounds. I think I would find it too expensive to get into the hobby in a big way if I started now. Best wishes Steve

Hi Matt Thank you for information on the paint. I agree the wipers were not the best, I toned them down for the eye is not drawn to them. I also almost sold it on like you. If 25s are your favourites then perhaps see if you can get a Sutton Loco Works one as they look great and with your weathering it would end up looking really good. Steve

That is looking good. Which paint did you use to respray it? Mine is relegated to the back of the cupboard.....for the time being. Untill I have the mojo to bring it out. The Heljan 25.My criticisms are, The ends were lemon yellow - nothing a bit of paint couldnt fix I would have liked to have seen wire handrails by the doors - the bent plastic ones never look as good. Perhaps I will make some wire ones at somepoint, as I did for my old Bachmann 25. The transfers were not easy to remove, not Heljans fault. They didn't make it to have the transfers removed. However a vast improvement over my old Bachmann 25. A nice model overall. I like the fact the buffer beam detail is all in place. Cheers Steve

Class 40012 has not seen the light of day for a while. An appropriate companion to 25190. A Second hand shark is my latest edition. I am pleased with this one. Parcels traffic in the yard. I won't have much time for modelling soon. But a yellow engineers coach and 47012 are next on my list to purchase. Cheers Steve

Looking good. Rail blue grot, just my kind of thing. Cheers Steve Looking forward to seeing it finished

Absolutely lovely modeling. May I ask what foliage you recommend when building a tree? Thanks Steve

Trees. What is the best way to make something of these. If I coat them in PVA I guess there foliage I can buy to stick on? Any recommendations ad to which is the most realistic?

Having looked at Steve Fay's layout it inspired me to get Bedvale out again and get bushes and cover down. As all the pictures of the progress so far no longer exist in the old topic due to big outage. I thought I would start a new one. Well a few bushes later and some grass. I decided that I need to build my cottages and signal box and then get bushes and trees down. It is a roundy that lives under the bed. As I do not have much room. All of the basics are complete. It has just been sat about not doing much. I also built the corrugated block to the old branch line tunnel. So I need to get building buildings! Steve

The engineering train so far from afar, to give an idea of the mix of stock, some weathered some work in progress. Thinking of purchasing a yellow mk1 bg to finish it off. A stores van, slowly rusting itself to the rails at the far end of the stabling point.

Class 56001 passes with coal empties. Class 25190. Front toned down, roof tweaked at the back of the fuel point The Bachmann 08 is still languishing at the back of the cupboard. An engineering train is my current project. Might also purchase 47012 and slowly replace my tubby duffs.

Final pictures posted with things correct. Pleased with the roof, the front needs toning down a touch. Thank you all for your help with this. Steve

Thanks. The stupid thing is, I actually checked pictures to make sure I got it on the right way round and still got it wrong. I will flip it round tomorrow. Thanks again. Glad I posted the pictures up now, as I wouldn't have re checked it myself.

Phil - Axle box cover on the Heljan model.

Here it is....now with the body on the right way. With unpainted window frames. Might still try and tweak it

Grubby Rat - with body now flipped Cheers Steve

Well lost my mojo for a few weeks. But half got it back again today. So lots of progress with 25190. The first pass finished. Lots of tweaking to do especially around the windows, the roof and the underframe. Some very cruel shots Someone kindly pointed out the body is on the wrong way. Stupid thing is I even checked pictures before I put it back on.

Hi Steve. Ouside chance, I posted this a long time ago. It probably is not what you are looking for, as it is two of them. Cheers Steve

I really like the backwater feel to this, It's a world I could really disappear into. Lovely stuff.

Thank you Rob kind regards Steve. One more picture of the 73 at the end of a yard somewhere on the Southern Region in 1980.

In one way, I am comfortable getting my fine drill bit out and opening up holes and making things fit and making handrails ect. But it is all a bit of a faff, with things pinging off and lots of swearing. So given the price of new locos now, I would hope to see it all pre fitted or at least a very easy fit.

Back to 1980

Class 25 progress. Pictured here on one of my photo planks. Front has been sprayed the right yellow. New OLE transfers and some silver taken of the windscreen wipers. The sides have the numbers and two of the OLE transfers off. More difficult to remove than some of my Bachmann locos. They seem to be more ingrained into the paint. Now renumbered 25190 with fox numbers, as they seemed the right size. Also blanking steel sheets put on. The blanking plates provided for the bodyside steps sit proud, so a bit of plastic putty used. Next will be a touch of Railmatch blue on the putty. Silver on the window surrounds and a mucky darker framed framedirt colour on the roof and paint in other places where required. Cheers