2996 Victor

Amazing work! Although I'm fairly new to using weathering powders, I'm pleased with their versatility, even when starting with a fairly limited palette. I do tend to waft a light coat of matt acrylic lacquer over my subjects to fix the powder, and yes, it definitely subdues the effect of the powders. However, I just add a little more weathering powder and re-coat with lacquer until I'm happy with the overall effect as I'd rather know that the weathering is fixed and won't be affected through handling. It's just personal preference, of course. Looking forward to seeing more of your work! Best regards, Mark

Yes, it does..... and the other on a banana skin But to be honest, I did have grave doubts about it.....

Here's my latest wagon load, apologies for my slightly macabre sense of humour..... The coffin and headstone are both made from plastikard, the coffin handles being fine phosphor bronze wire bent to shape. The headstone is resting on what I hope looks like a piece of sacking, made from a piece of manila envelope. Cheers for now! Mark

Oh, and there's this one, as well: I know the milk churn and hogshead load has already appeared previously in this thread, but I chose to laquer it with a Humbrol acrylic matt spray, whereupon it bloomed and turned slightly opaque. So it's had another light coat of Tamiya matt clear, which has restored it. But not until after I'd repaired some scratch damage to the hogsheads, which had resulted from their contact with the wagon sides during loading and unloading. Hence, in the photograph, Class D No.4 has some temporary stretchers within, which, one hopes, will persuade a little additional clearance into the wagon body

As threatened, a photographic sequence of my efforts at creating crushed stone loads that are removable..... .....the cling film was indeed the answer, thanks to Neil! Cheers, Mark

Plus, I've had a bit of fun with another of my planked false floors, this time not so much of a load. Again, photo to follow

Well, the Woodland Scenics "Scenic Cement" arrived while I was away for the Bank Holiday weekend. I had a try with it toward the end of last week, basically starting again with the false floors for the stone loads, using four instead of five nuts as ballast weights and painting them before attempting to layer the crushed limestone. So far, so good! The stone hasn't discoloured at all and the glue seems to hold the individual chips securely. Win-win! Photos to follow..... Cheers, Mark

Thanks, both! I do think I had the mix wrong, and I'll give it a go with layering the ballast. The weights (UNF nuts!) take up a lot of the space in the bottom of the wagons, but another problem I've encountered is that the PVA/water mix has rusted the weights and discoloured the ballast! I guess I'll have to paint them to seal the surface before the next attempt! Cheers, Mark

I should say a painted repair panel would be quite effective. How thick are the mouldings? Given the corrosive nature of wet coal, is there any scope for sanding/milling the bottom corners to thin them, and then poke a few holes through to represent heavy corrosion, pre-repair, as it were? Just a thought! I'm almost jealous - my chosen periods pre-date steel car construction, so I don't get the opportunity to try out these kinds of techniques! Cheers, Mark

Hi Chaz, it's always difficult introducing variety into a number of otherwise identical vehicles - I have a similar issue with my OO9 Ashover Light Railway project where all of the line's wagons bar four were identical. I can use different loads as they were used for all manner of freight, but ore cars are ore cars. Perhaps a welded-on repair patch on the sides of a couple cars could be an option as well? AFV modelling could maybe provide some inspiration, such as the applique armour applied to the weak spots of the Sherman tank hull - I've seen some very convincing replication of welding, I think primarily in a Kalmbach special on the subject Cheers, Mark

Astounding work! Just found your thread, and I'll be following with great interest from now on. Best regards, Mark

Ordered! But away for the bank holiday, so no modelling for me.....

Thanks - I'll get some and give it a go! Cheers, Mark

Unbelievably, I'm having trouble with the crushed stone loads. The wagons themselves are fairly light, so to add weight I thought I'd use some surplus 5/16" UNF nuts as ballast weights. For my first attempt, I lined a wagon with clingfilm, added my weights and loaded it with crushed stone. But I think I over-thinned the glue, as even after a day, it all crumbled into a soggy mess and the weights fell out! For the second attempt, I decided to make false floors from 60thou plastikard, glue the weights on with CA, and build up the stone in layers. I did two wagons, but this time the glue was a bit thick and didn't seem to percolate down through the stone, so for a third one I thinned it a bit, and again it didn't dry and crumbled. So I'm having difficulty getting the mix right. Whether it's the glue.....it's craft PVA rather than woodworking glue, so I'll have to think again. Unless anyone can suggest a better alternative.....

Thanks, Neil - I'll give it go and see how I get on

I've also recently bought some crushed limestone from a supplier inhabiting the Bay of E, which is marketed as limestone ballast, but which looks like a useful load for my Class Ds. Just out of interest, I've filled one with a load of stone and it weighs in at around 35 grammes. All I need to do now is find a way of lining the wagons to be loaded with limestone, so that once filled I can apply the good ol' PVA/water/hairy lipsquid mix to secure it all into a conglomerate and yet be able to remove it en bloc. I'm think possibly greaseproof paper, or using a release agent (butter!) and tissue paper. Could be interesting..... I'll report on how I get on once I've been to B&Q for the glue Cheers, Mark

Thank you, Alex! I really can't tell you how much your comment is appreciated! Cheers, Mark

Been having a little bit of fun today The wagon is still to be weathered, of course! The load of milk churns, sixteen large and six small, and three hogsheads, is glued to a false floor made from an offcut of Heaven-knows-how-old Slater's planked Plastikard. I added the grain effect and painted/colour washed the planked card at the same time as I did my batch of wagons above, so that it hopefully all matches. Like the milk churns, the hogsheads are from Dart Castings, a souvenir of Railwells along with a few other little things intended for loads that I think will raise a smile in due course. They make me chuckle, anyway..... Bring on the next one! Cheers, Mark EDIT: with the load, which is cast whitemetal of course (the hogsheads are hollow with separate lids), the wagon now weighs a healthy 75 grammes.

Hi Callum, I was also at Wells yesterday afternoon, and I can honestly say that your layout was the highlight for me. What can I say? It's a sympathetic and superbly-crafted study of a time in history that changed the world: inspiring, yet very poignant. The wagons loaded with munitions and, particularly, barbed-wire, the troop train conjured images of soldiers heading to the front, cheerful and singing in spite of what they knew they would face when they got there, the stack of spent shell cases, the mud, are all stark reminders in model form of a terrible conflict. I'm afraid my photographs really don't do it justice (I'm sure others will post far better ones), but here are a couple of them: With best regards, Mark

Hi Simon, sorry I haven't responded sooner, but I've been playing with my Ashover Class Ds, and been away for a long weekend in the South Hams! Thanks again for your thoughts - it's all worth considering. The intention isn't that the CMR and ALR elements will be part of a single layout, rather, they'll be two separate layouts that share a common theme: ownership by the Clay Cross Company. I might well consider 12mm gauge from the point of view of making life a bit easier. But considering that my ALR layout is OO9 rather than 4mm/1ft on 8mm gauge track, the "error" in gauge could be overlooked. But my thoughts are that, as OO9 is a scale 3" over gauge, I don't really want to represent metre gauge track with under-width track. We'll see how things pan out! Cheers, Mark

Hi Steve, excellent-looking piece of equipment - is it scratch-built or is it a kit/r-t-r? Best regards, Mark

Not a lot of progress to report, other than finishing weathering the first two re-lettered ex-Nocton Estates wagons, and the acquisition of another five. Four of these are pictured below having been re-lettered and the interiors wood-grained, painted and washed as described above: The next job is to get these weathered and and make loads for them. I need to order some more transfers from Simon at the Old Time Workshop, as I still need a few more Class Ds, and I need to complete my Class E as well! Cheers for now, Mark

Doc, I've tried a couple of different types of TTG car kits, and so far I'm really impressed with them. As you say, the mouldings are clean and sharp, and go together really well - a lot of UK manufacturers could learn from them! Without doubt, the brake gear is fiddly to assemble, and as you say, the line drawing (at least on the AC&F 40' Flat Car) is difficult to follow. With a bit of care, it all comes together, though, and when done looks pretty impressive (if you have a derailment!). Persevere, and after the first one, it does get a bit easier! Cheers, Mark

Arrived yesterday! This is a splendid little model, and even though it hasn't really got any business being in Derbyshire, I'm looking forward to running it! AGR are to be highly commended and highly recommended! Many thanks and best regards, Mark

Hi Simon, I hear what you're saying and I certainly can't argue the logic of it, but my (illogical!) idea is that it will stand alongside my Ashover Light layout, and I feel that to that it needs to be the same scale. In a couple of months' time, when its all gone pear-shaped, I'll happily admit the folly of the idea Cheers, Mark