Squirrel Rail

Is this about Bachmann 90s? I can’t find what it refers to! Sorry if I’m being thick but can’t find the thread!

Neat idea - I forgot the different colour T -cut!

I saw Ben was doing one, be interesting to see from what year he chooses - are you having it without arrows and plaques?

Back on the Tugs tonight and the 57 and 73 that were started last week. First up 66068 adding the roof dirt and starting to shade in the fuel tanks and parts of the bodyside & bogies: and general view of the roof: and the exhaust Likewise with 054 but being honest looking at the pictures it doesn't look much different to yesterday as this one is a lot cleaner than 068 Last pair totally different - weathering is not just about coating everything with cr@p. These two are just a very subtle addition to the factory finish - just to take the edge off so to speak. 57312 with very light exhaust, dulling down the roof grills and a little bit to cab fronts and roof panels and likewise with just a hint to the bogies and roof panels on the 73 which will be toned back a little on the roof grill.Also need to look at the roof details as working from a pic there are a couple of changes so waiting for instructions on what to do!

Hi Jack - 90048 is my work, 047 was GC Weathering so can’t take credit for their one!

Hi Jack, many thanks for the kind words and glad you like the thread. There’s quite a variety comes across my workbench so hopefully entertaining! When I get the Squirrel Rail website up and running I will put some archive stuff on there for when people are really bored!!! All the best cheers Jerry

Class 90 south of Ipswich Tunnel.. actually Wratting Road. Thanks Jack for the pic.

A joint effort here - Squirrel Rail class 90 running on #Wratting Rd - thanks Jack for the pic!

Hi Jack - looks tight at home on Wratting Road - great scenic work really shows it off! Cheers Jerry

Hi Rob, normally with Hornby a cocktail stick and a steady hand just picking at the number will work, sometimes cutting the stick at 45 degrees helps. If you’re really brave a new scalpel blade works too. Thinners and T -cut will work but you’ll need to Matt / satin varnish after to restore the finish. As with all manufacturers it often varies from model to model and it also depends on what the finished model wants to look like so I tend to play it by ear starting with the cocktail stick and see what happens! I’ve got a “scraper” made from an old pair of tweezers which is pretty lethal but I’m so used to it it shifts most things without damage. Hope that helps, cheers Jerry

I did a couple of Swindon Dalesman with the loadhaul logo all worn off and if memory serves me right 007 as well a few years ago now though. When I get round to my website I’ll have to add a gallery of some of the older stuff!

Thanks Rob, I won’t even start on some of the “pro” stuff that’s out there but was one of the reasons I fired up Squirrel Rail! 100% agree on the big beastie logos - think they look good - big or small on the 60s or a 92 or 90. As you say shame so many got stored as they’re impressive beasts and look good in just about any livery! Cheers Jerry

60068 - here's the other half of the pair of charlies - Mr Darwin. Quite different colour in this one- workbench light makes things look a bit weird but it's quite a bit browner. It also had some clean patches so these look a bit stark at present and will get toned down as I go along and from the other side:

Managed to make a start on the airbrush work on the tugs today. Mixes of frame dirt, brake dust and sleeper grime to bodysides and running gear. All looking very flat and boring but its the starting point for the next lot. First up here's Charles Babbage, really pleased with the rusty yellow roof/cab side. And the other sides coming along nicely too.

Thanks Rob, as you say it’s a very good model and the triple grey is great to weather-Nicer than the plain grey I just did on 074! hopefully get some more done tomorrow evening Cheers Jerry

Class 60 time! Picking up from last week 054 and 068 are back on the workbench. 068 has had its front numbers applied, these are a different font and size to usual and thanks to Steve at #Railtec for producing these. Both locos needed silver window frames so out with the masking .. Once these were on it was time to mask up all the glazing and then start working on all the panel lines and streaks. 054 has a particularly brown cab roof in pics so this has been added as a base and another view: Lastly before the airbrush work was some detail work on the exhausts. When this lot has dried off they will be back on their chassis and off for weathering.

Cheers Will, I’ve two more 90s in the queue so looking forward to doing them! Next up should be a pair of 60s and finishing the signal box so should be a few updates this week, cheers Jerry

Following through the thread and the use of enamel thinners or T-Cut I used white spirit and cotton buds and a soft cloth on this 27 which had been, ahem "pro weathered". Couple of before and afters before a re-number and re-weather and back to it's owner.

Here's the finished loco stabled and waiting for it's next turn...

Nearly finished 90048 and playing about with the stabling point today. Mission was to get the OHLE in and start to add some more trees behind the shed building that may or may not get binned hence it doesn't have a roof! First go at wiring in brass was a failure, couldn't get enough tension with the plastic I beam masts so ditched it and went for plastic instead. Doesn't look too bad so here's a couple of pics and with the 90 on its own, besides working out what to do behind the shed I need to add the buffer stops and to get the masts painted, grass and weeds and clutter etc. Hopefully you get the idea though Lastly one class 90

Very nicely done- T Cut can be an absolute swine to get out of all the grills !

Hi Matt, all looking good - could you put the engineers sidings over between the LTE lines and the back wall with an access line before the line surfaces or direct from the fiddle yard and then through the bridge at the end? I’m sure you’ve already considered it and ruled it out!!!

TDM Cables - Apologies if this has been covered in the thread already but today relocated the TDM cables to the buffer beam sides instead of from under the horn grill. I have posted more details on my Squirrel Rail workbench thread if you're interested but here's a quick pic of the revised front end, Cheers Jerry

Class 90 TDM Cables - Thanks to the eagle eyes of Wratting Road the TDM cables were in the wrong place on 90048. I had left the model with the cables stowed in the centre under the horn grill as supplied by Bachmann where as they should be down on the sides of the buffer beam - Only one thing for it and they had to move. For any of you thinking of doing this it is quite a fiddly job. The cables are not long enough to simply relocate(more's the pity). The answer was to remove the ends and cut off the box and to drill a hole at the side where they could relocate. The old cables were cut off and a hole drilled to add a wire replacement. A piece of wire was then glued into the front of the body and when set bent around and cut to fit behind the relocated end piece. I Used wire so it would form the shape and stay in place. If it was glued then you would not be able to separate the body from the chassis Next up was to fill the holes left in the front panel and repaint the panel and the weathering which will have the wash toned down a bit tomorrow and a light weathering applied. Here's the relocated cables and from the side

Thanks for the kind comments - I’ve dropped you a DM, cheers Jerry