A break in blogging - Next update Early September 2011

Hi all. Life has been super busy recently. My son has been here for the past week and we have been busy, with a little modelling. The baseboards for Watergate Halt are built. We have discussed what stock we want to run on it and also what type of scenery we might build. Thus the Watergate layout is ready to be started in earnest in Autumn. We also visited Chulmleigh Model Railway Exhibition for a bit of inspiration and decided we would like to Amberleigh Halt to an exhibition one day. I have also got out my DC KITS class 119 DMU to build, it has been in storage for 2 years!! I made a little progress on this, but not a lot. However, I am now determined to finish this model before xmas-watch this space and of course by a class 120 to build!!

However, everything is on hold now for about a month. I am away from home and super-busy for the next four weeks, so I doubt I will even look at my model railway and so I will not update this blog until then. So back in September-apologies for the break - enjoy the rest of summer!!

POA scrap wagon plus a large logo 47

Finished POA wagon, with new transfers and bashed up sides added!

Last weekend was spent blissfully ignorant of the outside world, modelling away in the my own little world! I had several tasks I was keen to complete - specifically, I wanted to finish off the POA wagon and detail the BR blue large logo class 47, which had been kicking around my workbench for a couple of months. The POA wagon has been an act of model vandalism. Overall, I cannot work out if I like the result.


I think the streaking of the rust works well

The real POA wagons were a general mess, with the sides of the wagons heavily battered through loading/unloading of scrap. So this wagon had the top of the sides gently melted with a blow torch. The first side very moderately, the second side slightly more severely. Once the wagon had cooled down I filed down the tops, sanded off the original Bachmann transfers and gave it a wash.


Front end of finished class 47

New transfers were added, before weathering of the wagon commenced, generally using vertical streaks of weathered black, rust and a misting of underframe dirt. The photographs show the more seriously hacked up side of the wagon, the other side being much less bent/distorted. Does it work as a realistic model? - I am not sure. I can't work out whether I like it or not!!


The run-off from the roof was copied from a photograph of the real thing

The other project completed was the Bachmann Class 47. This loco merely had the detail kit added which came with the model, putting some PH designs masks over the windscreens and giving the model a light weathering. Weathering of the underframe used a matt black base coat, with various layers of sleeper grime, framedirt and roof dirt applied. The roof had several layers of roof dirt and weathered black added, and then some dirt streaks running down the side of the body, copied from a photograph of the real thing.


In the twilight at Amberleigh

This model I wanted to have a worn look, but not totally grimy, something befitting an express passenger locomotive in the 1980's. I am relatively pleased how this one turned out, but like with all things, it could have been a better. However, I am a relatively new modeller, so I am finding my way around all these issues - slowly but surely - each model, I hope, is an improvement on the last.....

MK2 FK and QPV tool van

The finished QPV wagon. It is a southern CCT, as a department staff tool van.

Well after my last post on the QPV tool van, I decided to take the roof off and touch up the paint in a few places. I should have known better than taking the roof off a nearly finished model!! Taking the roof and regluing it was a bit of a nightmare. However, I consider it a finished model now to run on my layout. I am pretty happy with it overall, although the glazing and the finish around the roof could be better.


Side view of the tool van

I put two different sets of transfers on each side. One being staff tool,the other being tool van. This will run with the PMV, now nearing completion in the paint shop.


The other side of the staff tool van

The other little project that was finished this week was a MK2 FK blue grey coach. This is the Bachmann model,which has been lightly weathered, mainly on the underframe, but also a light spray of grime on the underside of the body. It is now coupled up with another MK2 BFK, to form one of several fixed rakes on Amberleigh.


Finished FK Mk 2

Today was a free Saturday (a rarity!) and I spent the day weathering and detailing a Bachmann class 47. This should be finished tomorrow and I have thoroughly enjoyed the day, mainly with the airbrush. Unfortunately, the 21 pin decoder I purchased for this locomotive was faulty. I have sent it back to Bachmann and hope a replacement might turn up in the post. I can't find the Bachmann 21 pin stocked anywhere at the moment.


MK2 rake of BFK and FK

This leaves another spare day tomorrow. I am at a loss what to do? I am tempted to build the baseboard for Watergate Halt. I have my new NCE powercab to use and I am really looking forward to start programming so decoders with it. Alternatively, I might just run trains on Amberleigh and build some more wagons.

QPV Stores wagon CCT

Nearly finished QPV stores wagon/workshop

An afternoon off on Monday almost gave me enough time to almost finish the QPV stores wagon. This wagon is built from the Parkside Dundas southern CCT kit, with an underframe LPG added. It has been finished in engineers Olive Green, in ex-works condition - quite a rarity for my rolling stock!!! I intend to run this with a southern PMV and 12T box van on my layouts.


QPV coupled up with the 12T van, also in olive green

With some time to spare on Monday I started rushing through several projects - which is never a good idea. I thought that I had finished this wagon, but photographing your models close up is a good idea, as it it helps spot flaws. A couple of areas of the underframe need touching up with paint. The other thing - looking at these photographs - is that it needs dusting off. I left it on my workbench for a week uncovered and this is the result - dust all over it!!


Finished in 'Ex-works' condition

Overall though, I am pretty happy with how this one has turned out. Not perfect, but I think better than previous efforts. The PMV is also nearing the transfers stage, so hopefully in a few weeks, this little project will be finished. It will make an ideal train to trundle around Amberleigh Halt.


My first attempt at weathering a locomotive - a Bachmann class 25. This has now headed back into the paint shop, for a full repaint.....watch this space!

On other projects the whale is currently being painted, with weathering having commenced on the body sides. A blue grey FK should be finished tonight to form a MK2 coach rake for Amberleigh. My first weathering attempt on a locomotive (class 25) has been stripped and is about to get a repaint. I have also got all of the wood to build the boards for Watergate Halt, and a new NCE Powercab to operate it. The NCE powercab I am particularly excited about, and am looking forward to programming some decoders and fitting some sound units to my stock. All in all exciting times, and a free weekend to play trains coming up. However, from Monday I have to go away for about 5 weeks, so I intend to make the most of the weekend....

Express models lighting SK, a FK, a CCT and a 12T engineering wagon

The post heading really details what I have been focusing on this week. I think that if the Royal Mail post-person had manage to knock on the door I would have been the proud owner of a new NCE Powercab to play with. This is the new DCC control system for my Amberleigh layout and upcoming Watergate Halt layout. However, this was not to be, so I spent the end of the week finishing off some of my workbench tasks. Finally, a few models have neared or at the completion stage.


The 12T van trundles past Amberleigh halt, behind engineering 33101, in the early morning summers sun.

The first to be finished off was the conversion of the Model Rail 12T engineering wagon. This has been converted to 3 link couplings and had a light weathering job applied to it. I think that with a little work, a light misting of grime, especially on the underframe really brings this model to life. The whole paint job was only 2 shades of weathered black and underframe dirt. I gave the ends of the van body a slightly heavy weathering than the van sides. Normally it takes 6 or 7 passes till I am happy, but after two coats I felt it just looked right. Undoubtedly, I am getting better at mixing paints for the airbrush, so this has probably helped speed up the process. Overall a quick modelling job that I am pleased with the result of.


The finished 12T wagon, showing the light body weathering.

The 12T van is the first of 3 wagons that will run in a engineering train. The other wagons in this train will be a southern PMV and CCT, both converted to engineering use and painted in olive green. The CCT is almost finished, I just have to paint the handrails and brake lever handles white. I am very pleased with this wagon and I will post next week on the finished model.


Another view showing the slightly heavier weathering on the van ends.

The two other projects I am focusing on is the production of two short rakes of coaches. Both are BR blue grey. One is a set of 2 or 3 mk2s and one is a set of 3 mk1s. The mk1 set will be BCk, SK, BSK. All of these are the Bachmann coaches and are to be fitted with the excellent Express Models lighting kits. The BCK is done, the SK is on the workbench and I have yet to save up the pennies to buy the BSK or the lighting kit. The other rake is non lighted and so far consists of the BFK and will soon be joined by an FK. The FK should also be finished this week and will start a regular passenger service on Amberleigh. Both rakes of coaches are typical of the scratch combinations seen on the tarka trail in the 1980s behind locomotive hauled trains, normally a class 33, sometimes a 31 and occasionally a class 50. I am looking forward to finishing these coaches to run on my west country layouts.