Enfys_Rainbow

The start of the Tope - cut down Parkside 21t hopper wagon kit. 

So far so good, but a very fiddly kit to build. 

Really nice, I like the presentation - top notch! 

First one done! I've wanted to do an ODA for ages! 

It didn't get off to the best of starts because the kit solebars were snapped in half. I had to fabricate them from some Evergreen channel. Once painted, I don't think it'll be obvious though. 

Can anyone suggest where I can find suitable ODA markings? 

Good evening all, 

The next two projects onto the workbench will be:

Parkside Pipe wagon into an ODA:

And a Parkside 21t Hopper Wagon into a Tope:

Those'll keep me busy for a while...! 

Another one completed... 

Not sure it'll see much layout use but it was an enjoyable project. 

Cambrian Turbot... 

Having just rebuilt a very old Cambrian Shark, I wish I'd found this thread before now! 

Some very useful prototype photos too. 

On 26/02/2021 at 15:59, SouthernBlue80s said:

Nicely observed weathering.

The VEAs are especially good.

Thank you very much for the positive feedback! 

As I mentioned in my earlier post about the slope sided mineral wagon, I wasn't totally happy with it. So I reworked it today and I think it's better now. 

I'm happier with it anyway. 

Thanks for looking! 

2 hours ago, D602bulldog said:

Hi very nice little layout you building there what track are you using looks better than the peco code 100 

Hi there,

The plain track is Peco Bullhead and the points are regular Code 75.

1 hour ago, westernviscount said:

Very very nice. Can I ask where are the transfers from? 

Hi there, the transfers are from Railtec. 

I actually enjoyed doing the VAA so much, I decided to do a second, and this time fade it even more. I really enjoyed doing both of these and they fit nicely together in the good shed siding on the layout which is a happy bonus! 

In that case, here's another wagon, fresh off the workbench. This time it's a 16t slope sided mineral wagon from Parkside. 

I'm semi-pleased with how this has turned out, but there are some parts that I could do better I think! 

Thanks for looking! 

Inspirational little layout! I do love Scottish themed micros! 

I know this is meant to be a layout thread, and I will make some more layout progress soon. Hopefully as the stock I'm working on is for this layout, it's acceptable to post here too. 

Anyway, I dug out an old Bachmann VAA earlier which was originally "weathered" about 10 years ago. By weathered, I mean I applied a brown wash to the entire thing and gave myself a pat on the back. Now, it just looked a bit rubbish so I thought I'd give it some attention. 

Here's the starting point:

I looked at several pictures online, and rather than copy a specific van, I just used them as inspiration. 

I repainted the grey, to get rid of the orangey shade my initial weathering had turned the entire thing and I faded the red, using thinned white paint. The original Railfreight logos were overpainted and replaced with some old Fox transfers, simply because I didn't like how they looked after the fading. I'm much happier with it now. 

I actually have another two to do sometime... 

Thanks for looking! 

4 hours ago, TechnicArrow said:

Your fleet certainly looks better than my attempt at the same kit! Overall your stock looks great, with similarity and the variations between each wagon. I'm looking forward to seeing them run on the layout!

Thanks for the comment, I always paint similar wagons individually, and if I'm mixing a particular colour, I never batch prepare it. That way they're all slightly different. Same goes for the markings, I try to be random when placing them and not copy the previous wagon. Time consuming but worth the effort! 

Morning all, 

Took advantage of some free time last night to complete the third van from the trio. 

This time it's a Bauxite one and once again the handles have been replaced, and then it's been patch painted and reweathered. 

I'm not too happy with the underframe on this one, might need some more work. 

While I'm in the mood to upgrade stock, and in particular vans, I've unearthed a couple of old Bachmann VAA's so may give them a go later. 

Thanks for looking! 

Here's one from me, still have a couple to build one day... 

3 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

Great job on the shark. I like the way you have weathered the railings and the ploughs. I wonder if the buffers need a bit more grease/rust.

 

It's really nicely weathered.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks Steve, you're probably right about the buffers, might add a bit more weathering to them. 

16 minutes ago, Windjabbers said:

Just found this thread - really nice modelling. One quick question- what martial do you make the curves backscene from?

 

Best Woshes

 

David 

Thanks for your message and interest David. The backscene is just white wallpaper applied in such a way to curve the corners. Much simpler and lighter than curved MDF or similar. 

As I've been working on the house, I've been thinking about the overall scene I want to portray. 

I've always been fascinated with the Amlwch branch on Anglesey, especially in its later, freight only, years. Although I never managed to see a train myself, the line crossing the main street is an enduring image. 

Link to a photo:

https://www.2d53.co.uk/amlwch/Amlwch 1.htm

I'm not terribly convinced by low relief buildings against the backscene, but I thought I'd mock it up just to see what it'd look like. 

It could work. I do like the visual it gives, however the effect is lost as soon as the viewpoint changes. 

Thanks for looking! 

I decided that I had to address the lack of lintels and using laser cut ones wouldn't satisfy me. 

I painstakingly removed sections of the embossed brickwork and inserted lintels into the gaps. 

I've also built a second chimney. Next up are the pots and then guttering and downpipes. 

Mike, good idea, I'll order some trays. I won't be supplying those tiny biscuits/cakes though! 

This little chap came into my possession today... 

I've just sold a Bachmann 04 I had so this fills the gap nicely. 

Bit of progress with one of the buildings. This is a cut and shut job, comprising of two sides of a laser cut kit, and two sides from plain old cardboard. 

The roof here is just a mock up to see how it'd look hence the visible gap. 

It looks wonky here, but it's actually just the angle of the photo! 

I'm undecided whether to stick with one chimney stack, as here, or have one at both ends, as the kit intended. It seems more visually balanced with one. I'm also not sure about two "open" windows. It adds a bit of life, but also seems slightly clichéd to me. 

Thanks for looking!