taybridge

In the grey light before dawn, one of the first DMU services arrives from the 'burbs with early bird commuters, cutting across to platform 1...

Late Monday night, the station is getting quiet passenger-wise, but over on platform 7 a Class 25 escapes from a newly arrived express parcels...

Just spent some time watching trains from platform 3...

Another busy day at Glasgow George Square, including a motley selection of parcels vans on platform 7.

Hi Peter, 1.30, no problem. Looking forward to it! Doug.

A busy Saturday at George Square

Jeff - two learnings from my efforts: (1) use a slightly more orangey red but I think only slightly don't be tempted with too much orange! and (2) cut the roof ribs off, see the 4th reference below, and see Jamie's note above about how to do that. Enjoy! Here are some references: SeaLink coach behind class 45 Couple of SeaLink coaches behind class 45 SeaLink coach behind class 47 in Glasgow Central Sealink coach behind class 27 in Paisley Gilmour Street Doug.

Thanks - not many photos online. I emailed about the sizes of the Silver Fox transfers and received a prompt reply. Now I know how big they are, and I can check that against the photos I've seen online. Don't know why there are two sizes though! Doug.

Close up...

Might need to do another couple at some point!

Thanks, I am very happy with it.. but I've also seen Waverley's lovely new coaches with the roof ribs sanded down and the passengers inside, so a higher standard next time! Mind you, I've had a lot of fun doing these ones

Completed painting of the 3 x Sealink coaches, with underframes, roofs, sole bars and ends all muckied up a bit. Just got to order some transfers now... Doug.

Thanks Ian, not quite to the standard of Waverley I fear! Mind you, I still have a lot to do I have tried to pull together a photo record of the development of the layout from the first track laying. Have you seen the Gallery? It's all there, 237 photos, right back to the beginning, which was just over a year ago I think. Gosh, so much has happened since then, and yet not enough! Past Times on Maryhill Road seems like an interesting place. Unfortunately Glasgow George Square and I live in Melbourne, so it's a bit far. Maybe one day... or perhaps I can send my brother in for a recce Doug.

Hi Pete, airbrushed one after the other, zero decals used thus far, though I will need some for the BR symbols and SeaLink signs etc. The white diagonal stripe are was masked off in addition to the red window stripe area and roof. Then light blue airbrush first, covering the whole area of the blue stripes. Then mask off the light blue stripe area and spray mid blue for the mid blue and dark blue area. Mask off the mid blue stripe area then spray dark blue on what's left. I used a ruler to measure where each stripe edge should be and marked it at a few points along the length of the coach side to ensure the masking tape was in the right place. Came out a treat! Doug.

I didn't end up using a more orangey red (for consistency with coach #1, and I've not mixed my own colours yet). I highly recommend you do that though. Pop the windows out for spraying obviously, and the only parts of the windows to paint are the opening bits at the top. Easy with a very thin brush, good light and a steady hand. Only took me 15 minutes for 2 coaches' windows. Doug.

Hmmm if that's the sitting up overnight service using first class stock (Mk2d??) then it's probably simply blue/grey on the outer. I remember getting one a couple of times and it looked lovely and dim on the inside when getting on the train, but after half an hour it still seemed awfully bright inside and not conducive to sleep. Sunnies needed! B) Nonetheless I will investigate just in case...

Hah hah probably Gary! But I don't really care now. Getting a good sense of achievement with these, and feeling the results are improving each time. What next I wonder? I have started to trawl the Internet looking for images of Scottish oddities like the coffee been DMU, or the DMU driver unit that was converted to a "panorama" car. Maybe one of my 101 driver units will re-appear in white/blue stripe???? Doug.

Sides of SeaLink coaches #2 and #3 finished. Much better than the first (full brake) effort. Ends, sole bars, roofs and underframes still to respray.

Yes, Bachmann Mk1s, so worth the effort of respraying! I've completed the red stripe on SeaLink coaches #2 and #3, blue stripes still to go...

Finished the white base coat for SeaLink coaches #2 and #3... Next step (later this week) will be to mask around the window band and spray the red window band.

Both coaches dismantled, roofs masked off, and the sides are ready for their base of white, which I am going to get cracking on with!

Two Mk1s (one second, one second/brake) acquired today for conversion to SeaLink...

Hi Gary Heh heh not good enough to sell I'm afraid. In any event, it took a day and a half to only half-complete one coach! I use a Delta Mini Air Compressor with a Delta Precision Airbrush 81008. That was allegedly the best in the mid price range in stock at my local model shop in Melbourne. I have found Tamiya Acrylic paints to airbrush much, much better than Humbrol Acrylic which has been a disappointment. The SeaLink livery (as I have completed, not based on any realistic comparison) is: * Tamiya white X-2 (good) * Tamiya red X-7 (too red, should be more orange) * Tamiya sky blue X-14 (lightest blue - good) * Tamiya blue X-4 (mid blue - good) * Tamiya clear blue X-23 (what I thought would be the darkest blue -but not nearly dark enough) To achieve the darkest blue I had to mix X-4 and X-23 together - which was a bit of a surprise - seemed to end up much darker than each individually, so a bit of a hit and miss affair I'm afraid. By far the most paint used is white. For 6 coaches one would need 4 pots of white I reckon, maybe two pots of red and perhaps get away with one pot each of the three blues. Here's the order painted: * white base covering the whole coach side * mask around the window area then paint the red band over the window area * mask everything above the waist (including white stripe below red band) * also mask the diagonal white stripe below the waist, I recall something like 58mm wide with lower edge offset 4mm to the left of the upper edge * first paint the lower half of each side light blue * mask the top blue stripe area * paint the rest of the lower half of each side mid blue * mask the mid blue stripe area * paint the lowest blue stripe * take all the masking off and voila! By the way I started off with my airbrushing thinking that Tamiya modeling masking tape was much better than the stuff from one's local hardware store (which is *much* less expensive). But if you choose the thinnest from your local hardware store and cut it to size with a sharp modeling knife it's just as good and will save you heaps. The problem with the stuff from your hardware store is that the edges are a bit fuzzy/frizzy. But cut it with a scalpel and metal rule and you can achieve as sharp an edge as the Tamiya masking tape. What's more, I think that the the Tamiya tape leaves more of an adhesive mark compared to the generic stuff, so generic plus scalpel and metal rule is by far the way to go! And with the money saved you can get a latte or three or more... Doug.

Yes John, must add my tuppence worth to Jeff's comments. The platform is the best I've seen. You've really captured that slightly slimy slightly mossy slightly slippery look very, very well B). I particularly like your planning, getting each stage perfect before moving on. Unfortunately I was in too much of a rush, and didn't spend enough time on the permanent way or platforms, and it's much more difficult to go back and improve later. A lesson for us all! Doug.

Introducing my half-finished SeaLink mk1 full brake. Still to paint ends and sole bar, weather the roof and underframe, and pick out details like the door handles. Not bad for a first effort (few mistakes along the way, but now I know what to look out for, e.g. the red has turned out too red, needs to be slightly orangey). I think I will proceed at some stage with a few more Mk1's in SeaLink livery... SeaLink train departs Glasgow George Square while an ancient (also half finished) BG is shunted around...