Gilding the Kestrel

A quick progress report on the new 4w diesel as I have finally got around to adding the various metal detailing parts to the model.  These are a mixture of commercial parts and fabricated items.

The grilles are A1 Models etchings, the radiator grille is cut from a BR class 37 frost grille, whilst the side grilles from one of their assorted packs, I've no idea what they were originally intended for! The headlights are A1 Models turnings, sealed beam headlights intended for BR diesels in 4mm scale.  The exhaust is fabricated from two sections of brass tube whilst the cab door handles are bent up from wire.

The air horns are further A1 parts, these are turned with a recess to take a split pin to attach them to the model with.  I solder everything up to produce parts that can be painted away from the model. Most of the brass parts have been treated with Birchwood Casey 'Gun Blue' to aid paint adhesion and avoid any future paint chips going through to bare brass.

There are few tidying up jobs to do before painting but we are almost there...

The Kestrel Has Landed

I'm not always sure where the inspiration for new models comes from.  If I'm building a model of something that closely resembles a prototype, of course the inspiration comes from photographs, drawings and my own observation.  However, for freelance builds the inspiration is more likely to come from a kit left-over, or in this case, several kit left-overs!

I had been toying with the idea of another 4w diesel loco for some time, and searching through the bits boxes revealed half an Airfix Drewery bonnet top and some Black Dog Mining axleboxes that looked promising.  However, they were eclipsed by some Dapol (Airfix) Railbus underframe parts and Knightwing shunter bonnet top sections.  Add in Dapol Drewery cab sides with added styrene sliding doors, lots of styrene sheet and section and a good headwind (OK, a Sunday afternoon), the result was this:

It is what I like to call a 'Super-Jay', as it is the size of the Kirklees Light Railway's 'Jay', but with a larger cab.  A set of A1 Models nameplates are to hand for 'Kestrel' so a bird name seems appropriate.

A little further work added a cab roof, coupler pockets and some extra features under the chassisframe tro hide the ends of the Kato chassis (the loco is a good centimetre longer than the chassis):

I've also added some extra details to the bonnet, still to come are etched grilles (also A1 Models) and a host of other metal features - lights, exhaust, door handles etc.

Rumour has it that the Somerthorpe Miniature Railway workshop crew are considering an orange paint scheme inspired by the Bure Valley Railway's no. 4:

We shall see what the management think!

Colin

Hudson Hacking - Part 2

The workbench has been a relatively quiet place of late, however, a few projects are starting to come to fruition and some progress made.  The Hudson wagon chassis destined to become a model based on the Sherwood Forest Railway's open wagon has been completed, since it last appeared as a chassis only, it has progressed through this:

to this:

and completed with weathering:

On it's right is a wagon assembled from various Black Dog Mining parts, a 5ft chassis formerly under one of my scratchbuilt bodies, the cut-down chequerplate top previously on the Hudson frame and a coupler unit from the spares box.  The coupler has been modified to fit in the slot for my usual MicroTrains coupler, this wagon is perhaps intended for static display, however a swift coupler change can be facilitated if required!

The eagle eyes may notice something in the background... more on that another time.

Colin

Building an Avalon Line Enclosed Coach Kit - 3 (Acrylic Afternoons)

It's been a while since I reported on my Avalon Line coach build, to be perfectly honest it was primed using a Halfords grey primer then sat for some time awaiting a flash of inspiration.  That came from the Sherwood Forest Railway's new enclosed stock painted in dark blue.  Although I considered using a Halfords aerosol to paint the main body colour, I decided to try something I wouldn't usually do - paint a complete coach body using brushed-on acrylics.

I chose the colour 'Regal Blue' from the Games Workshop Citadel range of paints.  Four coats of this applied with a flat brush built up sufficient colour depth, with little sign of brush marks.  The solebar and roof were painted using Vallejo black (suitable toned down) and Humbrol grey respectively.

Following a coat or two of Johnsons 'Kleer' over the areas in question, lining came from Fox transfers (Royal Mail TPO lining!) and the crests an old set by SMS, I think they are Caledonian Railway examples.  Inside the interior walls are the original grey primer and the seats and floor suitable shades from the Citadel 'Foundation' range.

Following a spray with Citadel 'Purity Seal' varnish, windows were individually cut from 20thou clear styrene to fit within each window opening to give a flush glazed effect.  Each pane was touched in around the cut edges using a permanent marker pen to reduce refraction within the glazing material.

The finishing touch for the body were door handles from the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association, secured in place from behind using Araldite.  Bogies were refitted and the official photographer summoned to record the completion of the build.  I am happy that the full-acrylic paint job stands up against sprayed models with little evidence of brush marks in the underlying paint finish.

Of course, there is something missing, passengers!  For some time I had in mind using this coach for an experiment in colour and shade. I had read a theory that passengers in coaches could be painted a dark colour and simply be 'shapes' behind the windows.  Just look at the next full size bus or train to pass you at a distance and give this theory some thought....

The figures involved are a set I purchased from Aidan Campbell at a show some years ago, they were an experiment by him in resin casting, from the conversation we had I'm not sure if it is one he repeated.  All were legless below the knee.  I had previously started to paint these but I had fallen out with them as some of them looked rather odd.  Using some cheap Chinese Prieser copies I gave two of the figures new heads, and then got carried away and added the lower parts of their legs, using further oddments, and some genuine Prieser parts to complete this process.  Milliput covered the joins and hid a few bodges.

The figures were sprayed with grey primer, then given a coat of flesh colour on their faces, arms hands etc.  Once this was dry, a wash of black was applied over the entire figure, seeping into the creases and shadows.  This darkened the grey areas and avoided a solid mass of colour.

The real test is what they looked like through the coach windows...

I'll leave readers to judge for themselves on the effectiveness of this treatment.  I have the coach in my display cabinet for daily inspection, I do wonder if the upper body clothing could do with a dry brush of light colours, but we shall see, at the moment I feel that it works, certainly for fully enclosed stock.

'Rails to the Sands' - the Sequel

Today saw my first trip to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway for several months, in fact the last time I was there I was the first person to remove and exhibit from the old 'Rails to the Sands' exhibition in the craft units when 'Shifting Sands' returned home. I was intrigued to see what the re-use of much of the display material in Griffin Hall at Lakeside station would look like.  I had many personal connections to the original exhibition having painted sections of the structures and other smaller tasks....

'Mighty Atom', Bassett-Lowke no. 11 of 1908 is a display centrepiece.  This loco ran at Southport and Great Yarmouth so has genuine seaside links, alongside it's place in the Sutton Coldfield collection.

The ticket office transported from over the road, I'm told a TV is due to go in the opening very soon. The lifering that was cosmetically back-dated using 'mod-roc' on our old kitchen table looks a little tired, I do have the paint somewhere if anyone wants to touch in the chips....

'Blacolvesley' (L), Bassett-Lowke, 1909, veteran of Saltburn and Seaburn as well as Blakesley Hall, and currently out of traffic 'Sutton Belle' (R). 

SMR no.4, the canopy over the doorway has recycled from the old display in the craft units with some adjustment. 

The Triang-Minic locomotive.  When the original display was set up my modelling skills were put to use cleaning up and spray painting the reproduction arrows it carries.

Whilst there is no doubt more to do to enhance the exhibition, the inclusion of the 'Rails to the Sands' material has enhanced the offer in Griffin Hall no end.  In fact, the only thing missing appear to be my sandcastles...

Of course the longest-term resident in Griffin Hall is the SMR 'Loco Coal' wagon, inspiration for one of my recent models.  I now have a good, clear picture of it (I should have moved the bin...):

My model is definately an 'inspired by' one, having now seen several details in close-up a lot has become clearer, for example the how the end door hinges actually form the door retaining system:

Outside 'Mountaineer' and the GCR 'ROD' O4 were in operation, however I was keen to see the latest arrival at the CCLR, the rather interesting remains of the Les Anderson (of Minirail fame) RapidoRail articulated railcar set, a long-term restoration job no doubt!

RapidoRail railcar ex-Flamingoland, Dudley Zoo, Rhyl and long-term storage.

Hudson Hacking

It looks as if the Somerthorpe Miniature Railway's PW department has relented, as another wagon build has emerged on the workbench.  This again uses parts recycled from a previous, slightly unsatisfactory build...

This RCL Hudson frame is the one used previously under a cut-down Black Dog Mining flat top.  It didn't run to well , I had put this down to replacement wheelsets, but I have subsequently discovered that during the build (itself something of a bodge) I hadn't aligned the axle box mouldlings properly, hence a wobbly ride.  Removing the axle box mouldings in one piece was a no-go, so a slightly more innovative solution was called for....

I'll be modelling this, the PW wagon of the Sherwood Forest Railway, one of a few 15" gauge wagons I can say that I have travelled in:

This real-life Hudson-bash actually has the axleboxes mounted on some angle iron behind the main frames with with the axles shortened for 15" gauge, I'm assured it was like that when they bought it from Tal-y-Cafn.

Model wise this has allowed something of a cheat, please look away now if you are a time served O14 modeller...

Yes, that is a much butchered Peco chassis living under there!  I was inspired to work this way after the success of the Peco/Black Dog adaptor under the 'Loco Coal' wagon, where I see the frame as a 'veneer' over the Peco chassis.  I this case I also slimmed down the recovered RCL axleboxes and glued them over the Peco axleguards, shorn of their N gauge detail.  Once the glue was set the axleguards were cut and filed to the same shape as the axleboxes, completing the illusion.  From normal viewing angles the deception is not visible, and the fact that the wheels are too small isn't noticeable.

Progress with the other two wagons has reached the varnishing stage, whilst some loads are being assembled from the spares box:

Gonna Paint That Wagon...

"Gonna paint a wagon, gonna paint it good, we ain't bragging, we're gonna coat that wood..."

The Simpsons have a lot to answer for!  OK, so it isn't actually wood, it's styrene pretending to be wood, and I used a water based paint, but apart from that....

A variety of acrylic paints, Humbrol, Vallejo and Citadel were employed in painting the two wagons, edging out all of the ironwork was actually a lot simpler than I had imagined it would be.

The next stage was to add lettering to the loco coal wagon.  This was done the old school way, using dry print lettering.  I tend to use the end of a cocktail stick in a pin vice to rub down the transfer, it has a fine, replaceable point, and you an see what you are doing.

A coat or acrylic matt varnish sealed the transfers into place, although an overall coat of varnish will be applied in due course.

More developments on the wagon front may be on the cards, although this is very much dependent on the whims of the Somerthorpe Miniature Railway PW department! However, readers may be interested to know that all traces of industrial O9 left the building yesterday....