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Saturday 28 September 2019

Some engineers wagons: walrus, lamprey, python, lamprey and herring

A bit more travelling around transpired in September, curtailing any dedicated modelling time.  However, through summer I have been building the odd wagon kit here and there.  I really do not need any more, but I do enjoy building and then painting wagons; there is something very satisfying about seeing them run on the layout.  So first up is a GWR python wagon.  Not an obvious choice for a BR blue 1970s/80s layout, but I am going to give it a really grubby bauxite finish for use in the engineers department.  In my opinion this kit was really awkward to build and I need to get some primer over it to see how it looks.  This will be accompanied by a GWR mink D.  The mink D will also run with the engineers stock and is only partly constructed.  

The finished GWR python wagon, ready for painting.  I found this kit tricky to build and get the sides square to the floor.

The GWR MinkD - this kit is a dream to build!

I have also made a start on a couple of walrus wagons, the first of which just needs some buffers and a few little details to finish it off.  The second walrus wagon is a long way off finished and I am just about to start a SR hopper too, to run with these wagons.  There is also a lamprey wagon I finished a couple of months ago.  On this wagon I tried to make some better handrails and I am quite pleased with this turned out.  The herring wagon is the Cambrian kit, which for some reason is now hard to come by.  This build has stalled a little, whilst I try to get my head around where all the bits go. There is also a partially constructed SR 15t brake van and a GWR Fruit D waiting in the wings, to go into the parcels stock.  This is going to be my final parcels wagon (I need to stop!).

First walrus wagon; just buffers and handrails to go.

Second walrus wagon.  This requires a bit more filling and sanding before adding the rest of the detailing parts.

A finished lamprey wagon, ready for painting.

The partially constructed herring wagon.  This is a really small hopper, but was seen on the Tarka Line working Meldon quarry in the 1970s.

Over the next few weeks I should finish the majority of these kit builds off.  This will give me some painting projects for the winter months.  I cleaned up and used the airbrush today for the first time today in several weeks and got a varnish coat on the class 47.  This will get a DCC sound chip next week and should be finished in the next couple of weeks.  There are a number of other wagons that are nearing completion in the paint boxes, so hopefully I can maintain a little momentum with these projects.  My next exhibition is in November and it will be great to have some new stock to run then.

Sunday 8 September 2019

An 0 gauge SPV

In between working on the 00 gauge Charlton layout, I have been very slowly building some 0 gauge wagons.  I have finished a grampus and a 12t open wagon, to which I can now add an SPV wagon.  Like with the 00 gauge layout, I intend to build a small 0 gauge parcels train.  The kit for this is the Parkside kit and it it went together beautifully.  The painting was quite straight forward too, however, the transfers were a nightmare!! They had a yellowish tinge/backing after being placed on the wagon, which after all the hard work of painting left me feeling a little a deflated.

The finished SPV in 0 gauge.

Side view, showing a generic dirty finish.

This was weathered over the top of to blend in this aberration.  Overall, the wagon has become a little dirty and generic, far from what I was originally intending when I started off painting it.  I am not particularly happy with it now, but at least it is a running wagon that I can add to the layout when I finally get around to building it! So a 6/10 effort here, hopefully the next one will be better!

During painting.

The transfers left a nasty yellowish tinge after application.  It looks like silvering, but I am convinced it is the glue on the transfers.