severn

The N / 2mm signal box kits are ready as usual with Severn Models kits, it is designed for assembly with glue, but also good for soldering if thats your thing. To build this one I made a lot of use of 'capillary action' glueing with superglue. I sand the surfaces to be glued to clean/key them, then dry assemble and clamp together in the correct alignment. Then I use a cocktail stick to add a drop or two of thin superglue to the join and it runs on into the tiny space in the join. Works really well for accurate assembly. The signal box is based on a standard design McKenzie & Holland box, built across the network from around 1875 to 1921. Sometimes they built a longer version, with 3 arch windows, and sometimes with a straight flight staircase. Those people who pre-ordered one, watch out for the postman on Friday morning as he may well have your kit! Anyone who didn't pre-order, they will be on the website shortly at severnmodels.com Alternatively, head on over to the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society Exhibition this weekend, and have a look at the real thing! Stand 55 is where I will be at, come and say hello

If you would like to see all the current models, and a preview of those in progress, come and have a look at one of these shows.. Exhibition Diary Update : This Saturday 28th Feb - Abingdon & District Model Railway Society Exhibition 'ABRAIL', Oxfordshire 7th & 8th March - Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society Exhibition, Stoneleigh Park, Nr. Leamington Spa 4th, 5th & 6th April - York Model Railway Show, York Racecourse 11th & 12th April - Trainwest 2015, Melksham, Wiltshire. Bentley Model Railway Group exhibition 19th, 20th, 21st June - Great Central Railway Model Rail Event, Quorn Station, Nr. Loughborough

Sure, I’m no expert at painting but I can certainly tell you how I paint them. I usually build the whole model first, including fixing the window frames, doors, etc. (I might make an exception to this one for the signal box, and leave final fixing of the stairs and roof to the building until after painting). Then wash it - I have used washing up liquid and an old toothbrush, although I have read here that some washing up liquids contain lanolin which can mess with some paints. Cif is an alternative. Maybe I haven't had any trouble with this due to the paint I use, I don't know. I then use a spray primer - either Halfords acrylic grey primer, or Games Workshop skull white. I use the white for light & mid coloured buildings, grey for dark buildings. Avoid black primers, as they are hard to cover with lighter paints. I spray several very very thin coats, little more than a dusting each time. After the first coat I can usually still see that its brass underneath. I first spray the inside, and 'angled upward' spray passes to get under windowsills etc, then do the outside, again from lots of angles to cover it all. This gradually builds up primer over the model, without obliterating the etched detail. I then pick my colour scheme, often based on a real building I have seen. I use acrylic based paints, mostly from Games Workshop. They have a good range of colours and several types - some are highly pigmented base colours while others are thinner for layering. The guys in the shop are usually very helpful in telling you which ones do what. Some of their paints do crackle glaze effects, so don’t just go buy all the ones based on their colour, ask the guy in the shop. Acrylic has been described as liquid plastic - while wet it is water soluble, but once that water evaporates it is no longer soluble. Always try to keep brushes damp while in use, and rinse them frequently, changing the water often. I first apply the large bodies of colour - usually one for walls and one for the roof. I then work my way down through other colours, doing larger items first, working through to things like window frames last. Inevitably I get a bit of paint go over onto places its not supposed to be, so then I go through the colours again, touching up edges. etc. To add weathering, or shade in mortar lines, I use either very thinned down paint, or an watery ink wash. I usually apply to relatively small areas at a time, and immediately wipe away excess. This leaves the wash in the etch lines to create shadows, or leave mortar coloured residue in between the bricks. An example, to do the tiles on the half timbered house (pics in my gallery) there is a base dark terracotta paint, then washed over several times with a watery dark brown ink. Some coats were over the whole roof, others were just in patches. Finally I might go over the model with some lighter shades of paint with drybrushing - load an old brush (drybrushing ruins good brushes) then wipe most of the paint out of it on a piece of paper, until it barely leaves hints of the colour. I then swish the brush gently over areas that want highlights - the drybrush just leaves little bits of paint on edges and raised areas. Practice before doing this on a model you almost finished painting. My drybrush highlights are almost never white - they are just a slightly lighter shade of the colour I am brushing onto. Sometimes I don't bother with highlights, I work the other way by adding extra shadow to some areas, leaving areas unshaded so those are the 'highlights'. If theres a bit I don’t like how it came out, I just go over that area again. I don’t use any varnishes on the top, the acrylic paint is quite durable, especially on things that don’t get handled much anyway. Well I think thats the summary! just ask if theres anything you want elaborated. Andy

Great, then I will see you at one of the shows! Let me know if you want anything reserving for you, and which show you would like to collect at. Everything from the website is in stock, including a good supply of the two buildings in 4mm.

A little note for sub39h - there are just two lineside buildings in 4mm so far (pics on page 1 of this thread) but more will be coming soon. I'm working on a similar signal box in 4mm right now Jason - just to clarify I will be at Abingdon on Saturday 28th, and then Leamington on 7/8th March. The signal box test models will be on show at Abingdon, but I probably won't have kits available to sell until Leamington, and even then it's going to be close if I get them in time but I will do everything I can

Severn Models News... Final testing of the new N gauge / 2mm signal box kit is in progress, looking good so hopefully this will be available in time for the Leamington & Warwick show!

They're ready!! The two new kits in 4mm are in stock and ready to go at http://severnmodels.com I was at the Milton Keynes exhibition on Saturday for my very first show, it was really good to talk to people about what kits they are looking for. More requests for 'accessories' type kits so those will move higher up the priorities list! Leamington & Warwick show is next, on 7th & 8th March.

The first stock of 4mm kits should be ready in about a week If you want to come have a look, they will be on show at: Milton Keynes Model Railway Society exhibition on 14th Feb Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society exhibition 7th & 8th March Hopefully see some of you there, and soon I will try to add other dates & places!

I have some plans for accessory type etches, windows doors etc. I could also do coal stores and chimneys too, I'll put them on my list

I have thought about offering ready built / painted, but to paint crisp details to do them justice does take a bit of time, which would likely make them rather costly. I try to never say never, so I will give it some more thought. In other news... brass testing is complete for the first two models in 4mm, so here's a few photos of the test builds D1 is a fairly generic lineside type building, brick walls with corrugated roof. Detailed down to mouldings on the window mullions, and a proper door handle! Includes a shovel and a pick, as they fitted on a spare patch of brass within the kit. D2 is detailed as a typical platelayers hut, built from sleepers with a brick chimney stack and corrugated roof. Details include ledge and brace timber for the inside of the door, and a coal store. These should be available in a couple of weeks, I'll post here again when they are ready

I'm almost ready to 'test build' the two new kit lineside buildings in 4mm. If all goes to plan, they should be on sale in a few weeks!

That looks superb nestled into the scenery, and I'm glad you like it

Good plan, thanks - if there are some specific things you need, feel free to link to a few photos, or email me, I am always open to suggestions I have a sneak-peek for the 2mm crew... here's a card test build of the new signal box kit I'm working on. Coming soon in brass etch Excuse a few bits where the card is a bit fluffy! There's a few things I will be changing before it goes into brass, but it's almost there. It will be 3 layers of brass at the upper floor, giving texture both outside and inside, and set back windows for the effect that they slide. Inspired by one of McKenzie & Holland's standard box designs. At some point in the future I will do a small kit to furnish the interior with levers, stove, furniture, etc. I have tried to make the stairs in as few parts as I could manage, some fold while others are 2 layers stuck together.

Thanks for your thoughts - it's good to hear what kind of things you are looking for so I can work on creating items that have a demand. I have some ideas about some modular buildings, so I will give it some more thought. I currently have two lineside buildings in 4mm going through the test-build phase at the moment, so I'll post photos here when there is something to see In 4mm I think most of my buildings will need to be rather small, otherwise the amount of brass required would make them rather expensive. Though one thing this does do is force me to innovate to minimise the metal for maximum details! Also in progress, design work on an N gauge / 2mm signal box... its very small, but I think you might like it

Here's a few photos of a newly painted example. This one is kit N4, a detached house with a classical style portico. I'll be working on some OO things soon, watch this space

Thanks Dave! I found that quite a few buildings kits compromise a bit on 'crispness' compared to real buildings, whereas the etched brass keeps the lines nice and sharp. I'm in the process of painting up a few more, which I will post soon

Kit N2, the Half Timbered House, looks a little flat in just brass finish, so I painted one up

Some of you may have seen in August, a project was launched on Kickstarter to design and produce new buildings kits in etched brass. The project called 'A House in Your Hand' was fully funded in 3 weeks, and has now completed its course with backers receiving their rewards in November! If you would like to see how it got started, the project link is here. Updates to the project as it progressed can be seen here. Many thanks to all the backers, and to the N Gauge Journal for helping to spread the word! Etched surfaces can give fine detail and relief to a model, allowing for fully textured brick courses and a high level of realism. They are designed to fold up like a card kit, with all the folds pre-etched to provide crisp corners. Only a small number of simple tools are needed, and they can be glued together using the tabs on each part, or if you prefer they can be soldered. So now I am pleased to announce that Severn Models kits are now available to the rest of the modelling community, via the new website at SevernModels.com The initial project has realised 11 new kits in N gauge / 2mm, including various houses, stables, a barn, shops, a church and sheds & outbuildings / lineside huts. Longer term there are plans for many more kits in 2mm, and also to look at other scales including small buildings in 4mm and 7mm, and also some wargaming scales. The Kickstarter backers are already blogging and posting about their kits on Twitter and Facebook, if you would like to see their progress : Twitter : @SevernModels Facebook : Severn Models I am inviting suggestions from modellers for what kits they would like to see, feel free to use the contact form on the website, or message me here on the forum. I started the project because I couldn't find buildings I wanted for my layout, so I would like to hear what you want but cannot find... tell me your wants and I might just create them! Happy kit-building! Andy