westernviscount

I really like the look of this layout! 

I'm also happy to see a Dapol b tank enthusiast!!! It's strange timing as i am pondering whether to buy a cambrian mermaid and wondered how you found building the kits?

And is that an upgraded Dapol 20t brake van i see?

3 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Hi Dave,

 

The Dullcote wasn't completely dry when the second photograph was taken (spotted by the good Captain), but it is an uneven finish as suggested by John.

Thanks Mick,

Yes, i assumed as a base coat it wouldn't matter and as you state it was 4mins since the initial spray of course it would not have dried thoroughly.

4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I've also heard (from Rob the Sheepman of this parish) that the Humbrol acrylic spray cans are good, so I've got myself one of these, but haven't tried using it yet.

 

I have found humbrol acrylic to be pretty reliable. It dries extremely quickly (perhaps on the way to the model) which can create a powdery finish if used as a final fixing coat for powders. 

5 hours ago, cctransuk said:

Dullcote provides a completely uniform matt finish if properly applied.

This is exactly what i am after. Humbrol acrylic is the nearest i have got to this so far

Cheers

Dave

Hi Mick,

I think your work is excellent and has inspired my own development of my weathering skills. It wasn't an area i enjoyed previously but realise patience is indeed a virtue. 

Where do you get your dullcote from as i hear it is the very best for this job? I have used railmatch enamel matt spray, humbrol enamel matt spray, humbrol acrylic matt spray, games workshop purity seal and a thinned humbrol matt cote sprayed through a humbrol splat gun. I am yet to be 100% satisfied with any (humbrol enamel rattle can giving the worst result) but the humbrol acrylic comes nearest to what i want. 

Your photo suggests the dullcote has not dried evenly. For your base coat this is not an issue i know, but do you commonly get a uniform finish with dullcote? 

Many thanks

Dave

Thanks ess. The final coat of enamel spray almost ruined it and needed to be brushed off as it creates a powdery layer. 

I have had a bit of trouble with the running qualities of this loco and ended up causing damage to the bogie and worm housing trying to rectify the issue. But, a bit of glue and frustration sorted the problem. 

Cheers

Looking forward to seeing this take shape. I have a soft spot for these vehicles as loved going to Liverpool on them as a kid. I found the atmosphere in the tunnel on the wirral line both thrilling and a little frightening, heightened by the gradual build up of the draft, the noise and the headlight coming into view!! Brilliant!!

Good luck with the build. 

I think some greasy spots on the buffers, paint the buffer shanks silver and some oily stains around the fuel tanks will be enough. Perhaps some more brakedust on the bogie frames also. 

Thanks Steve,

I'm reasonably happy with the outcome. I used humbrol enamel matt spray as opposed to my normal acrylic matt to seal the powders and i wouldn't recommend this as it gave a real splatter effect and frosted. I found brushing the frosting away worked and gives the body sides a faded look. 

Further pictures of the finish. 

11 minutes ago, sb67 said:

It came out in 1994, wow! maybe it's due a re print the only thing that lets it down, I think,  is most of the photo's are black and white.

 

Steve.

Yep, pretty sure it did. Agreed, the colour supplement is where it comes to life. I remember being captivated by the mk1 coach. It looked so real!!!

41 minutes ago, Regularity said:

Aren’t we really talking about envy? Jealousy is about me guarding my things from you: envy is about you wishing you had them..

PS The evidence of overusing resources was present all along, well before 1970. What was lacking then - and still is now - is the across-the-spectrum political consensus required for climate control to become a sine qua non for any party hoping to win an election. President LB Johnson was made aware of this issue circa 1967/8, and was reportedly horrified not just by the prospect of resource depletion, but also the realisation that any party putting the issue (and the long term survival of the USA let alone the planet) was going to be wiped out at the next election. Easiest way to change attitudes is to tax products based on their total carbon footprint, to include distribution as well as manufacture. (It is possible to do this.)  But which country is going to be prepared to do that? Who wants to put a tax on airline fuel? (All those cheap holidays suddenly become far too expensive. Airlines already fill up wherever fuel is cheapest, and carry literally tons of extra kerosene around to reduce the cost. To them. Not the cost to the environment.)

The thing is, this isn’t that simple. Not taxing aviation fuel was probably the single most enduring feat of the Breton Woods conference. International commerce requires cheap international travel, and cheap international exchange of goods. Tax aviation fuel, and we return to a more localised production based on what is available in the neighbourhood. Which leads to a different form of constraint on resources, and ultimately means less international trade. And less international trade means more wars...

Either way, human overpopulation results in high mortality rates: war, pollution or famine. Take your pick. The fourth horseman is going to be busy!

 Yes you are correct, envy is the correct word for this. 

I agree Steve. My Dad bought it when it first came out in about '94 and i was amazed by the pictures. 

My dad used to use eye shadow as weathering powders at one point. They were quite effective at the time!

Its one of those books that made me realise as a kid that its ok to take railway modelling as seriously as you want to. 

Hi Maurice,

I relate to your discussion about jealousy and must say i mentioned that with my tongue in cheek! I agree it is a term thrown at those with oppositional views to the norm of consumerism and individual gain. 

Perhaps this has played on my mind more recently due to the election season but we won't go there!!!

Many thanks again for your writing. 

Hi Steve, 

I used a couple of methods. I "painted" the powders on with decalfix around the W irons and heavier areas then powdered over the top. In some areas i just powder over the matt finish paint. I introduce some dry humbrol smoke powder to tone the colour down a bit  as the decalfix can look painted on as opposed to a dust covering. 

The base is matt finish humbrol 34 Dark grey. Untreated, the finish looks better that 33 black and requires less weathering. 

I think a dry brush of gunmetal in certain areas of the planks might add to the worn wood effect. That's what Martin Welch uses i think and if it's good enough for him!!

Cheers

Thanks Steve. After a ridiculous day in work I came straight home and cracked on (thanks to my lovely partner and daughter) and have posted the results in part 2 of the blog. 

Dave

Hi Maurice, 

I very much enjoyed your article in MRJ and welcome your additional material here. I was relieved to see that I am not alone in the thoughts i have been wrestling with recently about the state of our great hobby. The adrenaline rush of acquirement does seem to have usurped the gentler reward of building a world of your own, through your own skill and imagination over time. Our hobbyist selves align more closely with our everyday, consumerist selves.

The high fidelity of the models produced by the big manufacturers have perhaps dulled our skills of observation in that we assume all the detail is there, thus we don't even need to look at the real thing. What inspired me most as a kid was seeing Lima diesels, tweaked by their owners using etches and whitemetal castings, the presence of which even then I knew pointed to the modellers love of the prototype and were like monuments to their skills (or simply enjoyment) of observation. Also, the level of detail on the locos today on a layout tend to sit in sharp contrast to the quality of the layout itself (often not for lack of skill, but as you say a person's skills cannot often match up to the perfection of injection mouldings) thus wrenching us from the suspension of disbelief. 

I see your point about exhibitions encouraging dissatisfaction. I find some layouts are simply showcases for the amount of consumption that has occurred, particularly demonstrated by the amount of DCC sound Diesel depots on the circuit. Perhaps I am just jealous though!!

Many thanks for sharing. 

Dave

Lovely piece of model making Dave. 

I saw your layout at Shenfield and must say it was really effective and really neatly presented. Excellent layout. 

Ha ha, i too had a similar "fan boy" reaction to Mr. Futers. What a legend. 

Excellent work!!

Excellent work!!

On ‎18‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 11:46, Gwiwer said:

XP = Express Passenger.  A freight-carrying vehicle authorised to be included in express passenger trains and to run at (originally) 75mph though this speed was later reduced to 55mph IIRC.  

 

MT = Empty; shorthand for not conveying anything

 

 

On ‎18‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 11:24, Captain Kernow said:

It might just be a means of 'marking the spot!'

 

In my experience, the legends 'MT' or 'ETY' were often used to convey the meaning 'empty'. This also applied in a kind of shorthand when writing memos etc.

 

On ‎18‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 09:18, gwrrob said:

MT could also mean empty. Lovely weathering Sir.

Thanks for the info folks. This makes a lot of sense although I was surprised. 

30 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

I wonder if using an Isopropyl Alcohol mix instead of Humbrol Decalfix might work too ?

Well Rob I have never used IPA at all so would not no. I'd always say try everything on an unloved piece of rolling stock first. I have seen IPA used to strip body shells but over a number of days. I use decalfix fix s it is designed to be used on painted surfaces and like the way it behaves, running into nooks and crannies etc. 

20 minutes ago, down the sdjr said:

I love the blog section of RM, so many tips to pick up. I have liked the chalk markings on detailed wagons but was unsure how to achieve it. After reading this i went up in the loft armed with a ordinary white pencil and had a go, perfect result.

Thanks for the tip.

Paul.

Hi Paul,

I have learnt an awful lot from rmweb and am happy to have contributed in some way. I have to admit my prototype knowledge is relatively poor so was unsure what to put. I saw a photo of a van with MT on it which i assume meant mixed traffic and no longer a dedicated produce carrier. 

Cheer

36 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

This is very impressive and useful. Thanks for the tip about the smoke powder. I like the handwritten legends too. Can I ask, is that just an ordinary white pencil from a set?

Hi Mikkel,

Yes it is just an ordinary white pencil from a colouring set. A very cheap set at that!!!

Cheers

4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

When you say 'pigment' are you referring to something liquid or perhaps particles suspended in a liquid, or are they what might also be referred to as 'weathering powders', please?

3 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

 I too am curious as to exactly which pigment is being used.

Hi chaps, thank you for the comments. Apologies for confusing matters. They are simply weathering powders. I use carr's weathering powders primarily but i have found the humbrol smoke powder to be really good (a local toy shop had bought them by mistake and were selling them at £1.25!!!) 

I use a container like this...

 I put a few drops of decalfix in and then some smoke powder. I like to have the powder and decal fix unmixed, the decalfix one side and the powder on the other so i can vary the opacity of the mix. I then use a brush with a nice long, sharp tip to work the mix over the entire body, letting it flow into grooves. I suppose this might be where decalfix is better than water as it behaves very much like and enamel wash does and the wetness is longer than just momentary. It seems easier to build up the opacity with this method than using enamel washes also. 

I must say i have had the same powders for a decade!! 

4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Again, may I request a clarification of this (and perhaps answering my first question as well) - are you dusting powders over an already wet surface, when it comes to the underframes, please?

 

After the decalfix + powder mix has been washed over and built up, small areas can be added to whilst the mix is still wet and blended in. It can also be brushed over the mix when dry to further pick out detail. 

Decalfix can leave a satin sheen so a quick coat of matt varnish spray would correct this but it didn't happen on the shocvan. 

Just to remind you, this is done on a matt varnished surface. I tried it on gloss and it pooled up. 

Again, many thanks for the comments guys. 

Very atmospheric. Excellent!!