Enfys_Rainbow

Very nice, reminds me of Catcott Burtle !

This is one of those wagons that just doesn't look right regardless of what you do. Part way through the weathering progress - there are bits I like, the end for example, but the rest...nope! I'll keep tweaking it, but I'm losing interest in it rapidly! Matt

Thanks Marc! Yes, got tempted by the dark side... back on track (no pun intended!) now though! Thank you! Used your steps! 08945 is still looking the most likely. Matt

My original intention was 08945 - as it tied in with the clay layout I was planning at the time. I'm still leaning towards this loco as I have all the required transfers. Matt

Bit more Class 08 progress to share and it's not far from being ready to be repainted. I've done a bit of tweaking to the tanks under the front bufferbeam to improve the appearance, plus I'll be replacing the glazing. As mentioned in my previous post, it'll be BR Blue, but I've not decided which loco yet. Any suggestions? Matt

Change of scenery today and two old projects back on the bench (at least until I get bored of them again anyway!). First up is another old wagon, built and painted several years ago but about to be reworked. First time around I actually did quite a nice job of the rust, but then I applied too heavy a wash which gave the whole thing a strange, brown tint. Yes it looks awful at the moment, but this is all about trying to change the overall shade back to something a bit greyer without stripping it right down to the plastic. Secondly is this Bachmann 08. Started 4 - 5 years ago for a clay layout idea which never came to be. I didn't like the look of the original bodyside grab handles, so in a moment of foolishness, decided to replace them all. No wonder my enthusiasm quickly wanted! The model, as bought (second hand) was missing the steps. I was originally going to use etched ones from PH Designs, but my inability to solder turned that into a non-starter. So these are 3d printed ones with (yet more) scratchbuilt handrails. It'll be finished in faded BR Blue eventually. Matt

Hi all, Managed to get a couple of hours to myself today and have made a bit more progress. Door and sliding rail (?) have been assembled and painted. The prototype building is pretty green around the lower parts of the walls and the door is peeling - I've tried to suggest that here. All done with acrylics again. I also rebuilt the windows. The originals, although based on the prototype, looked too thick and chunky. These look better in my opinion. Built very simply from plastic strip and clear sheet. I still need to paint the section under the window properly! Finally a view from the other side. I need to scribe another two courses on the end wall due to the sloping road. Matt

Bit more progress to share. Note that the section under the lower window is yet to be painted properly. The roof is temporary - I'm undecided whether to have a corrugated or slate roof yet. This is another leftover from the garage. The door is obviously a mock up too, and the upper window is still under construction. Getting somewhere now though! Does it need a chimney? What do you think? Matt

Excellent stuff all round - the wagons are lovely, especially the iron ore and the ex-fish van. Out of interest - the brake van, is it a Slater's kit?

Thank you @sb67! I don't, but I really should as the paint on all my buildings is pretty fragile if handled roughly! I just can't be bothered though! Matt

Hello all, Been away from this thread and layout for a while as I'd taken a detour down a 7mm avenue. I was surfing the internet recently looking for nothing in particular when I came across a photo of a building that just called out to be modelled. Suitably inspired, I set to work creating a version of it. The walls are from card this time rather than my more usual foamboard or plastic sheet. The real building has an interesting mix of stone and brick on the end walls which I was keen to try and replicate. In my case the brick is embossed plastic, while the stonework is scribed DAS clay. I don't find scribing DAS very enjoyable but the beauty is it's easy to repair if something goes wrong! Everything here has been painted with acrylic paints - please ignore the single white brick - I accidentally chipped the paint off! The strange shape of the walls is so it fits over various bits of the baseboard. Long way to go but I'm pleased so far. Matt

Actually, you're both correct - having measured, it is indeed the incorrect underframe. My apologies for getting that wrong. I'm not too concerned though as all of this is just practice for me at the moment, and a way of getting to grips with the different scale.

Hi there, It's the kit supplied 9' WB. Possibly the camera is making it look longer? Having looked at the van in the link you sent, I do need to remove the tie bars though. Matt

Hello all, A recent stroke of eBay luck saw me pick up this Parkside LMS van for a very good price. The body had been assembled already, leaving the underframe to me. The kit floor was missing - the body had been built around a piece of plastic sheet, so it took a bit of headscratching to get everything attached properly. Just the roof to add which needs cleaning up first. I've also started a second building - freelance but based on a real structure. Not much of interest to share just yet though! Matt

Progress has been slow...it's just too hot to do any modelling. Having said that, I have finished my first ever 7mm building! Misaligned bricks aside, I'm very pleased with it and I think it looks ok! The back is plain original laser cut card - it won't be seen. Although it's a bit of a cliche, I'm pleased with the open window - which is the Lcut originals chopped up a bit. I may add a very basic interior at some point. And finally I think it looks good from this angle. Matt

Thanks for the comments. The misaligned bricks are unfortunate but are far more visible in photos than to the naked eye, not that that's an excuse for getting them slightly out. The lintels are less of an issue to me, certainly it's more common to have one row of bricks, but there are plenty of examples of arched lintels with 1.5 bricks like these. Either way, I've repainted the building today and - to my eye - it's a finish I'm much happier with. Definitely looks more convincing to me now. The window is not yet fixed in the frame, and I know it's wonky. It will be straightened when it's glued in. Matt

This is really great! I also have an interest in the Breakwater railway - what a fascinating line. The first photo in the threat is particularly convincing! Matt

Well, having applied a bit of colour to my building, I'm not sure - definitely more challenging than 4mm scale. Might be back to the drawing board with this one! Matt

That's lovely, thanks for sharing John!

Hi all, Progress has inevitably slowed with a return to work coupled with waiting for some bits to enable me to finish the Palvan. I have, however, made a start on a small structure. I thought using a kit would be a good idea to enable me to get used to size and dimensions etc. I chose a very simple kit from Lcut but have "customised" it somewhat. I'm not a fan of laser cut surface detail so, as with my 4mm buildings, I've elected to clad it in embossed brick. The back has been left as it'll inevitably be "against" something in the future. Matt

Hi all, A while ago I built a garage - I've mentioned before that it's surplus to requirements and the door has already been repurposed elsewhere. Apart from just not fitting the space, there are many things I like about that building, and I want to recycle as many bits as I can. So here's a micro building made entirely of reused bits of the garage. I had to do some repairs and repainting, but otherwise it's just reusing existing bits. It's going to be used as an outbuilding of sorts as below: Matt

Thanks for all the comments about couplings - I think Slater's cast hooks may be the way to go. Rapid progress with the Palvan, only the underframe bits to finish off now... Matt

Hi John, I agree: it's the introduction of the Dapol locos that have made this a possibility and very comparable with new 4mm locos. I also have a Parkside 16t mineral on order... Hi Nick, I don't intend to stop modelling in 4mm, I've invested too much time and money over the years... Thanks Adrian, still getting to grips with how big everything is! Now a quick question: What are people's preferred 3 link couplings? Matt

Hi all, First and foremost, I'm a 4mm modeller and that's not going to change (let's see in 12 months!). I've always had a keen interest in 7mm scale, but there's always been lots of reasons for staying away. I've finally taken the plunge: this is an experiment to see how it goes and I'll do it alongside my existing 4mm modelling. My plan is to build a wagon and a few small buildings and go from there. So, a wagon: A few years ago I bought a Slater's Palvan kit on eBay. No real reason why, and in hindsight I should have bought something else. It's been sitting in a drawer all this time. I've built many 4mm scale wagons, this is definitely a step up in every way. Matt

Too easily distracted....I could have built two layouts by now!