Class 25 repaint update

Well following on from last weeks slightly euphoric post about my first attempt to repaint a locomotive, I had got to the first stages of varnishing. I consulted George Dent on how best to finish this loco off, transfers and varnishing details and the like (thanks George!!), and got ready to apply some of the first varnishing coats. However, as I was readying the airbrush I noticed quite a lot of dust had settled on the roof of the locomotive. How this had got there I am not sure, as I keep the model in a sealed plastic box, but there it was!


Front end, with the blistered paint

I was washing a DMU ready for for some weathering that morning, so I decided to give the class 25 a quick wash at the same time. Well this proved to be a critical mistake. I took the class 25 out of the box this morning to give it a blast of varnish from the airbrush. The water from washing it has got under the enamel coats and blistered them. The finish has been totally ruined, producing small speckles all over the locomotive.


Body side, again showing blistering

So there we go, one totally ruined paint job. Straight back into the paint stripper tonight for another go!! To be totally honest it is not a complete disaster. This was my first attempt at this sort of thing and the separation between the blue and yellow was not perfect. Also I forgot to add the handrails on the front, before painting!! So I can address these issues and hopefully be 're-painting the repaint' by the weekend. The other positive is that this is my first repaint of many and I do not intend to make this mistake again!!

Class 25 repaint

Hopefully the variation in the faded levels of the coat is visible

As things turned out I got home a little earlier than expected and have spent a couple of evenings playing trains. The project I am most keen to finish is the class 25 re-paint that has been dragging on for months!! I gave it a blast of standard BR blue over the top of faded BR blue at the weekend and left it to harden for a couple of days. Last night the masking came off.


As things turned out I got a little keen and realised I had forgotten to replace the handrails on the cab!! A job for later this week.

This is the first time I have ever tried to repaint a locomotive and my first attempt at proper masking. I am pretty happy with the result. It is not perfect, but it is close enough, the minor imperfections being my limited ability to mask around the corners on the cab. With a bit more experience I would have set the edge between the yellow and blue on the body edge of the cab or further back towards the window. A little bit of internet research has shown where the yellow stopped and the blue started was quite variable.


The other end - the masking job seems ok - any imperfections I can hide with a little bit of weathering

Anyhow, this repaint represents a step change in my modelling, being able to strip and repaint a locomotive is a big step forward to me. I am not saying this one is perfect, but hopefully future attempts will get better. Both yellow and blue coats have been applied as faded matt coats. The bright white light I model under has done little to show the true colour of these coats. However, I am going to seal this with a satin varnish just to take the edge of it a little, before adding some transfers and then a heavy weathering job.

Hopefully, the images show that there is some significant variation in the coating of the livery, through mixing standard BR blue and faded BR blue in different coats. This will hopefully be the basis of an uneven sun and rain weathered BR blue livery in the early 1980's, but we shall see how successfully this turns out. Hopefully, I will get the transfers on within a week, leaving only the weathering to finish this off. A phone call from Modelmaster assures me that the transfers are on the way. However, this time I was planning to use Humbrol Decalfix for the transfers - I have never used this product so if anyone has some tips on this they would be much appreciated.

Some Amberleigh favourites and a break in blogging

Class 47 at Amberleigh, which is a rarity. Most locomotive hauled passenger services were worked by either 31's or 33's in the mid 80's

Another week flies by, with little to show in the way of modelling progress. Fortunately business is booming and I am completely snowed under with both fieldwork and report writing. It is all very enjoyable but leaves nothing in the way of time for anything else, such as playing trains.


Dutch liveried class 37 shunting a sealion

I am now away for another couple of weeks, so again there will be no posts for a while. However, when I return I should quickly be able to complete a couple of long standing projects. Primarily, the whale wagon, which has spent another couple of evenings on my modelling desk. I decided to rebuild the canopies yet again - I was still not happy with them, this was at the third attempt. I need to paint some of the individual components on the wagon then it will be ready for transfers.....and a quick e-mail to model master decals assures me the transfers for the whale will be available in a couple of weeks - watch this space.


More engineering works at Amberleigh, with a salmon wagon and dogfish wagon being shunted in the small engineers siding

The class 25 has also had a good coat or two of paint this week. This will be ready for transfers after a couple more coats and the class 121 body is ready for a light weathering and replacement glazing to be added - again I am waiting on the transfers for the destination blinds from model master. However, these should soon enter service.


And one of my first attempts at building rolling stock, a grampus wagon

So in lieu of any real modelling, here a few of my favourite shots from Amberleigh, which was my sons and mine first attempt at a layout. I hope you enjoy the pics. And sorry for the interruption to posting, but progress will resume in a couple of weeks - see you then.