5&9Models

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

Absolutely glorious, almost sickening that it's been your secondary back-up project! Really lovely, can't wait to see more in future updates.

Thanks very much. I’ll keep on with it.

48 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

Shouldn't the leading wheels have one more spoke?

 

Yes. In fact wheels really bother me when I’m building early locos. Gibson, Sharman, Romford etc are all very well but so chunky and often have the wrong spoke count too. I have made my own in the past but it’s a lot of work and they can be a little too delicate.

 Thanks for your generous comments too.

Thank you. I’m quite glad it’s done. I can move on to something else equally challenging! 

58 minutes ago, Chas Levin said:

Terrific! . I hope you feel the time and effort was worth it? It looks to me as if it was, but then no-one can feel another's pain... As you say, onward and upward

Thank you. It was a struggle this one but I learned a lot from it, mostly about my limits!

21 minutes ago, Ian Simpson said:

Just ... fantastic.

Thanks very much Ian, much appreciated.

At last it's complete (more or less). 

I have to say this build has been the most complicated I have done to date. Perhaps I've been trying to be too clever in fitting a Portescap motor and gears in the loco. There's really only just enough room (and if I'm really honest there isn't)! 

In hindsight tender drive would have been much easier but at the time it seemed like a cop-out. The next few locos I build are even smaller so I plan to develop a little motor bogie to install inside the small four wheel tenders required for the two Rennie locos likely to be the next projects. Onwards and upwards!

In the meantime I'll just leave these images here and take some time to recover from this build. It's been a roller coaster of emotions to say the least. Thanks for looking.

Hey, welcome to RMWeb Dan. A great place to show off your amazing work, inspire us all (and it's easier to return to these beautiful picture than trying to find them on FB)!

Lovely to see these on RMWeb Dan. Beautiful work! 

1 hour ago, drduncan said:

Absolutely fantastic modelling. Extremely effective and atmospheric.

Duncan

Thank you.

1 hour ago, Yan said:

Stunning work.. what more can I say.

Thank you, much appreciated.

4 hours ago, JRamsden said:

Did you add the pins to the figures yourself? Is that for ease of holding during painting or more for planting the figures on the layout?

Thank you. Yes, I tend to drill a 0.5mm hole up a leg and glue in a piece of brass or n/s wire so I can hold the figure whilst painting but also glue it into a corresponding hole in the layout. My baseboards have to be stored on end (lack of space) so I don’t want my figures going walk about should the adhesive not quite do the job.

5 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Thanks Chris, I will have a go with Slaters for my next project. I have been using the Finecast English bond sheets as they have a slightly worn/old world look in close-up, but I have recently had problems with getting the mortar neat, and recent experiments suggests it's down to the groves in the Finecast sheets.

The same issue applies to Slaters. Sometimes the definition is good and sometimes is a bit dodgy. That’s the advantage of buying at an exhibition, you can examine the quality before you buy. Damn! I’ve just noticed a flaw in my suggestion...

1 hour ago, Ian Simpson said:

That is absolutely brilliant modelling, Chris.

Please can I ask about your unconventional technique for ballasting? I've got a bit of ballast to lay down myself, and your method obviously produces excellent results!

(On the subject of fragrances, I've recently been using joss stick ash as a scenic material. Call me an old hippie, but I think a whiff of sandalwood adds something to a layout.)

Hi Ian, good to hear from you and thanks for your comments. My ‘ballast’ if you can call it that, is Sandtex ‘Old Stone’ masonry paint decanted into a smaller tin (golden syrup) and several spoons of sharp sand (children’s playpit) thrown in and mixed well. Then it’s brushed in, left to dry and then a second coat applied to fill in the gaps and holes that only become apparent when the first layer dries. Wipe it away from rail tops and sides or live to regret it! A general thinned wash of mixed Burnt Sienna and Black acrylic dulls everything down and once all is completely dry, a dry brush of the Sandtex highlights the surfaces. I also glue thin card over the sleepers and over the sides first as it builds up the ground level ready for all over ballasting.

The most important thing of all is to experiment on dummy track lengths first. Don’t use this technique on your layout until you’re 100% happy with the process and the results. 

41 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

 

PS: Chris, can I ask what brick sheets you are using? 

 

Thank you Mikkel. I use Slaters Plastikard sheets. They’re fine but you can’t mix bonds as the courses are slightly out which is really irritating.

The other trick is on corners; score a groove in the back and bend the sheet round so you use it like a wrapper. That way your courses stay in line and you don’t get that giveaway joint all the way down the corner edge.

I only discovered this half way through my project so some of the earlier buildings don’t have it and it shows. The best disguise for this is to pick out some of the corner bricks in a slightly darker shade, painting around the corner joint with a fine brush. The eye then picks up those bricks and the brain tells you the corners are more realistic than they really are!

7 hours ago, Dave John said:

That really is top class modelmaking. 

 

The thing that stands out for me is the subtle variations in shade of the brickwork. Most modellers ( including myself ) tend to make colours too dense, but that is just about perfect. 

Thanks Dave. I find it makes a huge difference taking the photos outside. Artificial light, even ‘natural daylight’ LED lighting tends to make the colours too intense. A little tweak when editing the photo can help too.

11 minutes ago, burgundy said:

Brilliant!

Will the tannery come with its unique fragrance?

Best wishes 

Eric 

Thanks Eric. Yes, I was thinking ‘scratch n sniff’. 

I agree about crossing a Rubicon when you paint ModelU figures. I wouldn’t use anything else now. I’ve even had a go at sculpting my own figures in 4mm and my layout has a few of those. They’re ok if they have their back to you!

Personally I prefer enamels for painting anything and that includes figures. I stir the paint very well, wipe the stirrer onto a palette and then have a black, white and dark brown handy for mixing lighter and darker shades. A very pale dry brush is helpful afterwards to highlight the fantastic detail these figures have.

I certainly agree about avoiding shiny figures at all costs, I think glossy figures must be my no.1 pet hate, they look so plastic. 

You’re doing a great job on your figures, trial and error and lots of practice. Keep up the good work!

31 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

Finally a good use for dandruff 

I’ve been saving it up all year!

That is a very neat solution. I’m just beginning to think about point control on my own layout and I’m rather inspired by this, thank you for sharing and explaining.

2 hours ago, goldngreen said:

It looks brilliant. In addition to all the above I also love the colour on the brick and the care taken to get convincing mortar courses; the way it is bedded in to the really effective ground, and, despite the fact that it is made out of repeating sections, I can see no joins. Thanks for posting.

Thank you, much appreciated.

5 hours ago, ChrisN said:

How old is the building?  I know Bermondsey, was quite new in the 1850s, relatively but my recollection of London, pre clean air act was that it was filthy. 

Thanks Chris. I don’t know how old the building is but by the time this picture was taken c.1865 it looked pretty knackered! I haven’t copied it exactly but used it for inspiration. My version is a bit cleaner being 20 years younger.

I’m also slightly spooked.

The second image is of people working in a Tannery, only I didn’t upload it. It uploaded itself....! 

2 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Apologies, but here comes one of the usual "where did you get" questions: Those barrels? They don't look like my various Dart Castings types?

 

Thank you Mikkel, much appreciated. To be precise the barrels are Dart Castings L71 hogsheads, £3.95 for three. I have a mixture of Dart and Langley. I prefer these though, there's something 'old' about them. One thing I did notice whilst looking at old pictures of London docks is that many of the barrels had whitewashed or painted ends with initials and/or numbers on them, presumably to identify owner and contents? It's an obvious requirement really but one that's easily missed.

What a wonderful selection of images and well said sentiments  too. Well done, and here’s to a much better 2021.

Very handsome indeed Mikkel. I particularly like the round end wagon, there’s definitely something about them!

23 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

I wish I could paint to that standard - even before I had arthritis that was beyond my skills

But how long did that take you?

Thank you. It took two evenings but only about an hour each evening. I find it’s much better not to attempt such things all in one go.