Rhysb

So the usual couple of Sunday hours in the train room has resulted in a couple of jobs being completed.

First up I have painted the back scene on the peninsula so that’s all done:

Also as I’m away with work for a few weeks I thought I would get a bit of groundwork in so it can dry for a few weeks:

I am using the DAS equivalent of scultamold here on a base of WS shaper sheet:

See you all soon.

Rhys

On 15/04/2024 at 23:18, shanks522 said:

Looking nice 👌 very professional.

 

So what’s going to be on the top then?? 🤔

 

Graham. 

TBC at the moment but more than likely a representation of the Looe branch.

There is the option for the mainline to carry on up there too with maybe the Westbury cement works! 
 

Rhys

Good evening all,

Well the upper deck is in. The upper fascia and lighting is still to do but the lighting for the main deck on the peninsula is all done and I’m happy with it. 
 

Also the last of the backscene boards are in, they just need some sky blue paint!

This pretty much means that the main deck on the peninsula is done work wise and is now just a case of scenery etc! 

Really pleased with the curved backscene:

I have added depth to the backscene behind the viaduct to allow for a nicer transition between the scenes:

Thanks

Rhys

Good Morning,

Another update from yesterday! The new deck is getting further down the room and started to add the base fascia (the decorative one gets attached to the base) and the curve is starting to take shape!

I have built the top deck about 100mm back from the bottom deck so then the view is not spoiled if you are standing up:

Same with the Lostwithlea side:

Might get a chance to get a bit more done this weekend.

Thanks

Rhys

So did a bit more work this evening, with the addition of the new deck I need to add lighting below it for Lostwithlea.

Will do a bit more testing to ensure enough light. This is cob 6000k LED strips:

This photo gives you an idea of the light on the layout:

Thanks

Rhys

Happy Easter everyone!

Did someone say another deck! Made a start on deck 3 on the peninsula today. More details to follow!

Thanks Rhys.

Continuing Jerboa Cottages. 

The last couple of buildings I have made I have used textured paints but this time after seeing the technique on quite a few great expo layouts and using it for the bridge over Lostwithlea I decided to go with DAS clay and scribe all the stonework. First up a layer of DAS clay:

For the larger stones I used a flat scribing tool to depress the clay as this gives a bit more depth that scribing:

Next onto scribing the stone walls:

Finally a lick of paint! A mixture of colours to make up the base coat then highlighted by slightly different colours. Finally a buff and sand colour wash to bring out the mortar:

Roof, finishing touches etc to come...

Thanks

Rhys

So with no bookings so far this year I was going to put the layout on hold for a while. However a potential magazine shoot coming up in a few months I thought its time to crack on with the harbour and at least get that board up to the standard of the rest of the layout. I have a number of buildings already done so I have decided to build a few more.

I have a general idea of what buildings I want where but at the same time I will make a few more for various idea's and then I can use them to plan out what looks best and then the remainder of the buildings can go on the big home layout. 

First project is a set of cottages that I have actually stayed in when I have visited Porthleven and had the dimensions. Here they are: Jerboa Cottages:

First up is a A4 sheet of 2mm mounting board where I scale draw the various parts of the building onto:

And cut out:

After a test fit I built and glued the parts. To give the main structure strength I use corner pieces:

The real Jerboa cottages has some steps out the front so these were added. Jerboa cottages is actually located on the side of the harbour that is in reality opposite to what I am modelling but I will move these onto the sloping road up to the mine or next to the pub so I added less steps:

And finally a test of the roof:

More to follow:

Thanks

Rhys

On 13/02/2024 at 23:15, James Makin said:

The big question this week - how weathered is too weathered?

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Now I just love a forlorn freight '47' - parts of the former Railfreight Distribution fleet were in a terrible by the late 90s - the ones that didn't get painted into the lovely 'Euro' colours soon took on an overall palette of grime and ingrained filth - so it was only right to represent these in the growing fleet.

 

But this just looks like an oversplattered rush job right, that can't be realistic?

 

 

 

As Gareth Bayer's superb 1998-dated image of 47304 shows, there is a prototype for everything!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

I do love taking on a challenge from time to time, and after seeing Gareth's photo, it was only going to go one way..! Alongside this, a myriad of other 1998-dated pics from all angles were downloaded from Flickr and meticulously copied to create this filthy little rotter!

 

I rarely tend to share the prototype pics with my features but with this one so dirty, it felt needed somehow...but anyway, let's get on with the story!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

The model started out life as a Bachmann WCRC '47', offloaded cheaply from a mate thinning down the collection, and perfect as a donor model for 47304, with a few choice mods and lashings of grey paint. 

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

One of the harder parts of the triple grey repaints is just making sure that the paint lines are both in the right place, and not wonky! I use a mixture of measuring the heights with rulers and the rest going by eye - after all, if it looks wrong in 'tape' form - it'll look far worse once painted! I try to get the height right at one end, and then put the Tamiya tape under a lot of tension as it's stretched out down the loco bodyshell and then affixed at the other end. Once satisfied, I'll then put in cut lines around the panel gaps for the bodyside door, using a sharp scalpel. 

 

I work from light to dark - undercoat, then yellow, then rail grey, then a light flint grey, and a darker roof grey to complete. And then in a flash, here we are!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Once the paint layers are added, I then gloss varnish the bodyshell, and touch up any ragged edges and defects (there are always some!), and add decals from Railtec, before adding a final layer of matt varnish to seal it all in. It may look neat, but there's always a fair amount of hand painting and touch ups, but these disappear under the final matt varnish coat - what a cheat!

 

The weathering begins...

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Almost every Trainload Distribution loco had faded red & yellow diamonds by the close of the 90s - but look carefully and you'll see that each one weathers slightly differently, so we can't just use the ancient generic faded decals from Fox, if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing properly! Light yellow paint and faded pinks were used to recreate the new look on the logos - to be honest the only reason I used the lovely Railtec decal behind was to provide a good marker on where each element of colour should be on the loco!

 

Next, the bodyshell was given an overall fade - my preference is to apply a coat of white or light grey paint, and then remove with kitchen towel -

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

It leaves a muted pale body colour, and also adds further fade to the logos too. Every recess will be filled with white paint, but not to fear, as this will soon be filled...

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

...with a big coat of brown!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

The bodyshell is coated in two different shades of brown, painted on and wiped away, initially with a kitchen towel, to remove the bulk of the paint. I often go for almost neat paint, but you can get different effects with thinner washes - my advice is to experiment a bit and vary the technique to depend on what final effect you're looking for.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Former Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts (my favourite!) supplies the recommended background music to gently peel back the weathered brown paint layer, leaving slight streaking and dirt gathered in all the recesses on the bodyshell. 

 

One of the key differences in 47304 and many other locos tackled before, is the large amount of ingrained dirt on the side of the bodyshell. This is how it went on -

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Firstly, some neat brown paint was mottled onto the body with a large brush, and at the same time, dollops of Humbrol enamel thinners was also added too, leaving a blotchy brown soup on the body.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Then, some really soft cotton buds (Co-Op's are my preference!) are used to roll around sideways on the body, absorbing the thinners and spreading the brown paint around in a haphazard manner on the lower bodysides. It's a case of trial and error, adding more paint until happy, and stripping back again if it ever looked too much, following photos at all time to make sure it isn't 'overcooked'!

 

This was done with a couple of different brown shades, allowing plenty of time for the first layer to harden before moving on to the next.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

One of the fun details on 47304 was the ghosting left behind from when it previously carried the nameplates Cory Brothers 1842-1992 - which it lost in 1995, and all that could be seen were the rusty boltholes and surface marks on the grey bodysides. These were painted on with a fine 5/0 brush, and a few shades of brown working from light to dark. 

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Delivered to British Rail's 41A Tinsley depot in December 1964, Brush Type 4 No. D1785 would go on to have a strong association with the North East, seeing spells at Immingham and Thornaby, before going on to be one of Knottingly's fleet of 47/3s seeing service on numerous merry-go-round coal trains during the 1970s.

 

The early 1980s would bring about a reallocation to North Eastern petroleum traffic, serving out of Thornaby, Tinsley and Immingham depots, before finally settling into the Trainload Distribution fleet as part of the sectorisation process, and swapping its Rail Blue for the red diamonds in late 1990. 

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Humbrol Metalcote Gun Metal was dry brushed on the bogies and cantrail grille slats to bring out the detail on the roof. 

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

47304 had a lot of interesting marks on the body, with faded yellow ends, lots of paint chips and patches of Rail Blue showing through the grey, which was great fun to pick out with the fine brushes.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

There were many strange marks on the loco, luckily this loco was photographed extensively and platforms like Flickr make it easy to find pics from every possible angle.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

The Distribution logo had a different level of fade on each side, it must've got caught in the sun one side more than another!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

One tiny little feature I modelled with trepidation was the wonky end number at the No.1 end - the '4' sits just too far about the '30' - promise it wasn't just an accidental slip during modelling 😂

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Down on the underframe, the usual level of detailing was carried out - screw couplings added, along with a wire hoop at one end for working with tension-lock-fitted stock, and air pipes, a mix of Bachmann ones and 0.45mm brass wires, bent to shape.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Up on the roof, the loco was given a coat of roof dirt, dirty black and a custom mix of black & dark blue. Again, more Humbrol gunmetal was drybrushed on the raised detail to bring it out - very useful stuff!

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

By the 1990s, the loco had become a Tinsley stalwart, and around the same time as being given the Cory Brothers 1842-1992 nameplates, it was briefly renumbered as 47392. However, both of these were short lived and the loco returned to anonymity again back as 47304 in late 1995. With the onset of privatisation, the loco would pass into EWS ownership upon purchase of Railfreight Distribution in 1997.

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

Bringing the story up to date, 47304 would continue in service with EWS for just a short time, being sidelined in February 1999, and sadly to be later cut up at Wigan CRDC in May 2000, a fate shared with so many classmates of the era. 

 

47304 by James Makin by James Makin - Account 3, on Flickr

 

It's been lovely to add another over-weathered mess to the fleet once again! As with many loco projects, when undertaking these I often have a final destination in mind, and I can see this as part of a hard working RfD double-header at the long automotive train - looking forward to the Revolution Rover car-cubes coming!

 

Cheers,

James

Porn! 

On 07/02/2024 at 19:32, puffmeister-general said:

Came across this thread and have watched your YouTube videos and I have to say your layout and work is superb. I was particularly  interested in your helix build and as a result I’ve now had a look at ddc train automation to get ideas and costs from their site. Your graffiti is superb and I have to say I really like your Mario and Marvin hoppers. Can I ask what materials do you use for the graffiti? 

Thanks, Marvin and Mario were graffiti paint pens. A mixture of Montana, Molotow and Posca. Graffiti artists will use these to draft their work on paper before going in with the aerosols on the real surface. I use them exactly how a graffiti artist would do them. So basically sketch the outline, fill then line and highlight.

Hope that helps?

Rhys

Incredible work James! 523 is epic!

Rhys

58 minutes ago, 158722 said:

Your last line is spot on! Exactly my logic.

 

That grey is too light to my eye and there is no justification for it from white balance on cameras, lighting conditions, whether I stirred the paint pot, faded colour swathes, whether I applied the paint with a toothbrush or having the wrong type of light (Portuguese light being different to UK light, of course), all according to my eye.

 

As a happy customer, having got three of these excellent locos, it’s my eye which counts and nothing mentioned is going to change that view, with due respect to Cavalex and other posts. My perogative if I want to repaint the roofs/grills, which I will. Takes nothing away from the models, which are fab and the roof colour isn’t anywhere near being a disaster. For that, we have Dapol… ;-)

Indeed it is your model and you are free to repaint/weather it to how you want it to look. Glad you are happy and hope you continue to enjoy the loco. I am 100% sure Cav and Alex would want you to take their model and detail/weather/repaint it to exactly what gives you the most enjoyment out of it. That's the great fun of modelling!

Rhys

3 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

The swatch too could have faded over time, making it infalliable too.

 

too many variables.

 

At the end of the day beauty is in the eye of the beholder… if it looks right to you, then it is right to you.

 

 

Its a brand new paint swatch, photo taken in a paint factory. I agree on all sides that there is many variables. As stated all Cavalex can do is match to a specification.

12 minutes ago, 158722 said:

Full dull light, no artificial and blinds closed to shade from outside.

Good Morning,

Please note I will not comment directly on your photograph as the paint used/application of paint/brand of paint cannot be verified by myself. Also I do not want to comment on other manufacturers colours or paint manufacturers colours.

However below is a professionally painted model that has used precision paints executive grey held alongside and official British standards BS4800 colour swatch. The original BR colour specification in 1987 at the point of the launch of the sectorisation branding by roundel design was for the roof: BS 4800, 00 A 13 Greyfriar/Storm Grey:

This photo is clear that the paint on the model is too dark compared to the official British Standard Swatch.

Again I re-iterate my point from earlier in this thread. The Cavalex class 56 sector livery was matched from the 1987 brand guidelines document released officially by Roundel design and the official BR specification sheet. We can all point to photo's we see in service where it may look lighter, it may look darker, it may look spot on, its not been cleaned in ages, its just been cleaned or repainted etc etc but all Cavalex can do is match the colour with paint matching from one of the worlds largest paint companies against the original specifications.

Also please note that while RAL, NCS and other universal paint systems are indeed that Universal the BS colour system was never that. Even the British Rail depot's were not matching the colours correctly in the 80's to their own specification. It was much later in the sectorisation period that BR decided to move painting of locomotives from their own depots into professional paint shops.

(I have edited the photo to hide the manufacturer/type of model as this is repainted model and not their representation of the colour and I wish to talk only about Cavalex)

49 minutes ago, D9502 said:

 

 

Nice video @Rhysb  now I'm left wondering just how much can a Cavalex 56 haul either on the level or on a slope?

 

56 + 24 PTA + 15 JHA + 10 BBA/BLA ?? 🤔

 

 

As per the video which is 15 JHA, 41 HAA, 11 BBA/BLA & 23 PTA's. 

The simple answer is it can easily pull realistic/prototypical full size rakes. I think the wagons would give in before the 56 would!

Thanks

Rhys

Good morning all,

I have posted these in the Cavalex 56 thread but after receiving my loco's I have made a couple of videos. Some running shots of the loco's and secondly a traction test.

Thanks

Rhys

So had an afternoon testing the tractive effort of the Cavalex class 56’s. Helix and incline testing alongside prototypical train lengths.

Thanks

Rhys

Received mine and I am blown away! Absolutely amazing model. 
 

The sound is just awesome. Having had a go and heard pre production versions of the sound the finished product is excellent.

Thanks

Rhys

All British Rail colours on the class 56 were matched from the original colours specified by British Rail for the exact time period that Cavalex have represented the locomotive. This takes into account changes during the life of BR and changes made to the British Standard colour systems used during that period also. Cavalex have then used paint matching from one of the world's largest and market leading paint manufacturers (who also at this moment supply some current TOC's paint) and also paint matching relevant to worldwide universal paint systems to ensure the 100% correct paint colour can be produced in the factory. Colours can not be matched to old photographs, they are matched to the exact BR specification.

Well 6 months has passed, I suppose I should show some updates! Porthleven took a lot of my time and as it appears it has no bookings for 2024 I guess its back to the big layout for a while.

Firstly however... some Mendip art!

PAR is a regular artist that features on Merehead stock. This is a representation of a real JHA wagon:

BOSER is the JHA for attention. Again based of a real wagon:

Finally our very own WIZ! has been at it and this one has been covered recently:

Helix's all done now and will try and post some overall pictures of the layout soon.

Rhys

Looking good Ian, cant wait to see it and shunt some loco's around

Rhys

Am I bored of all your duff's........ in a word......... NO!

Love it

Rhys

Looking excellent, can you remember the rough radius of the track through the station?

Bill,

Always great to see another Cornish layout coming along. All the best and look forward to following its progress

Rhys