BSK MK 1 weathering

Am enjoying a lovely weekend with my girlfriend, and after some shopping and decorating, I am going to get a whole afternoon of modelling. I will definitely finish my second walrus wagon build and also the lamprey off. Many projects are nearing fruition now, and the little halt for Amberleigh is nearly done, as is a concrete pillbox.

One project that is receiving a little attention is the weathering of a Mk 1 BSK at the moment. I weathered the RBR, which I put in an earlier post, and whilst happy at the time, the gaps in the door stand out like a sore thumb. I am blacking out the door gaps on this model and practising streaking some rain washed dirt down the sides. The photo shows the work in progress, more to do but coming on well (sorry about the poor quality of the photograph).

I recently have discovered a beautiful website of 1980's diesels in my beloved Devon (http://freepages.nostalgia.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cyberheritage/). The website has some fantastic photographs of class 33's and 31's, pulling short freight and passenger services on the tarka line. The photographs show some pretty mucky blue grey mk1's. The collection also shows a 33/2 and numerous class 25's in Devon on rural branchline workings. I think the modelling potential from these scenes is great and has certainly inspired me. I will put up some further posts this weeks to show my progress over the next few days.

Weathering a shark brakevan

(photographs: top = cambrian shark; below top = hornby weathered shark (factory finish) with pipework addded; below bottom = hornby shark after further weathering; bottom = hornby shark after further weathering)


I had the delights of working in Dicot this week and another wedding on saturday, has again meant little time for modelling this week. I seem to begin all my blog posts like this!!! However, hangover aside, I have spent this afternoon modelling. This gave me enough time to finish the weathering of my Hornby shark brakevan.

Before I started to weather it I took a photograph of the Hornby factory finish weathered shark and also had a photograph to hand of a previously built shark brakevan, built from the excellent Cambrian kit. I think it makes an interesting comparison. Weathering is a personal thing, and one of the most important aspects when weathering is to know when to stop. The original Hornby weathering, is no more than a quick airbrushing of light brown frame dirt. It really leaves a lot to be desired.

Using this as a basis the model has been changed into a heavily weathered finish, with some grafetti decals added. One of the decals did not take properly, so I had to disguise this with some additional weasthering, with moderate success. Overall though I am pretty happy with the result. When weathering stock, I try to produce a blend of different finishes on different models, some nearly spotless, some heavily weathered and everything in between. I think in modelling terms it is important to represent a range of prototypical finishes. Everything is weathered to varying degrees. For example, with the two walrus wagons, one is being finished heavily weathered and the second one is being lightly weathered.

Back to the brake van, the comparison between the before and after pictures speaks volumes. I think it is commendable that model manufacturers are trying to model 'real life' railways, but te execution in this instance is poor. However, the less than perfect finish givs modellers like me something to do and personalise mass produced models. With the brakevan finished, work is ongoing on Chivers Lamprey and finishing the second walrus. I might even get the track laid on Amberleigh this evening!!

More progress on Amberleigh

Last weekend my son and I managed to get some of the landscaping started on Amberleigh. Using some brown tape and newspaper we got the basics of the landscape laid down, ready for some plaster bandage. We also modified the track plan changing it to a single track branchline, due to space limitations. This branchline miraculously survived Dr Beeching's axe!! This, as the idea develops, is due to the local ECC quarry, which really was the case for the Torrinton brach into the 1980s. It is really sad that this railway has since been lifted, if it had survived a few years longer passenger trains would have started running again.

Today we added the plaster bandage to the layout and also the tunnel entrances. We put in the powerbus underneath the layout as well. Tomorrow we will finish the plaster bandage and even lay some of the track. Unfortunately, I am away with work all the coming week, and another weekend wedding will mean progress will again grind to a halt.

A shark and a walrus

Another week passes, been working at home this week, but again modelling time has been less than I would like. However, the shark brake van is nearing completion, with some graffetti decals added and general weathering. It needs a little more to finish it, such as buffers and roof weathering, and a little dry brushing of weathering powders on the body sides. But it is coming along nicely and I am happy with the result. One of the transfers did not take properly so more weathering was undertaken to disguise this. I will see if that worked properly tomorrow.

Another project that is nearing completion is the first of the two walrus wagons I am building. This has been a really interesting paint job, using many coats suitably thinned from a variety of colours including olive green, dark rust, light rust, sleepr grime and underframe dirt. One final coat of weathering frame dirt was applied to the exterior of the body. This just leaves the final details to pick out, such as finishing the bogies, hand rails, etc. This is the first of two walrus wagons and two whale wagons that will be used with the sealions/seacows on my layout, combined with some dogfish, catfish, mermaids, etc.

I also took apart an intercity Mk1 BSK this evening. This is also going to be given a light weathering job, again using some of George Dent's weathering tips. I might even try to the tee cut trick, see how that goes. The doorframes on the rbr stand out, so I am going to weather these as well. The class 08 lighting kit, class 20 weathering job and building the class 119 as ever rest on the sidleines, so I hope to get these moving before xmas!

I am also planning to build an LMS CCT, southern CCT and southern PMV in BR blue, combined with a ratio coach B, to be used as a little engineers train/tool store. These will be the main projects combined with building the scenary on Amberleigh. I ordered some plaster bandage and woodlands scenics materials from MG sharp models to start building the scenic section of Amberleigh, only to find out after ordering that they are on back order. I find this very frustrating as they are registered as in stock. I planned to do this with my son over the weekend, but this will now have to wait. My son is building a cambrian OTA A wagon at the moment so I think we will push on with that instead.

Platerlayer Hut

Another week passes of working away and so no modelling again!! Last week I finished this little platelayers hut ready for my scenic plinth. The weathering is a combination of paints and brush on powders, but I think it looks great!!

I have a whole weekend at home now, so I hope to finish the little halt for Amberleigh and also start getting the first of the walrus wagons finished. As ever I have high hopes of getting a lot done, but am sure the weekend will fly by. I also need to purchase the goods shed, signals, etc for Amberleigh, but heaven only knows when I will get time to build them. I also need to get some tunnel entrances, some plaster bandage and some scenic kits. Hopefully with some time at home now it will all start to take shape.

Concrete PLatelayers Huts

Well another wedding, this time I was best man(!) and working away in London all week has again meant that there has been no modelling time. However, last week I did manage to finish one small modelling project, being a small ratio platelayers hut for my Amberleigh scenic plinth. I took a photograph of the finished model, and sods law, my camera died! I heavily weathered the model with paints and powders and am very peased with the result. Whilst out walking on the real railway at Woolacombe, there is a lovely dilapidated platelayers hut that I photographed to model. I am going to try to model this for my Watergate Halt layout, after I have finished Amberleigh.

As well as increasing my rolling stock I am trying to finish all the buildings for Amberleigh. Amberleigh will have a small goods shed on it, (the shed at Torrington was used into the 1980's by ICI), the platelayers hut, the small halt, plus a pillbox and maybe a house. I want to keep the layout as simple as possible, it is only meant to be a scenic plinth!! If it is simple, there is a chance I might actually finish it.

I have also recieved my class 20 DCC soundfrom bachmann, needless to say I am very happy with it. The lighting kit has also arrived for the 08. So I hope to get on with these two projects, giving each some weathering and details for use on my layout.I am away this weekend and next week, but then hopefully a run at home will follow, so I can get stuck into my modelling again.

Amberleigh

Well another week passes and no modelling achieved!!! I am away every weekday and most weekends at the moment researching/consulting, so no time for modelling of any kind. The general madness will stop in October when weekends will free up again and I will have some time to breathe.

When I did take my weeks holiday I managed to build the baseboards for Amberleigh, with the fiddle yard boards inter-changable with Watergate Halt. The photographs show what has been achieved so far. The electrics will be very basic, using an EZ controller. So I am hoping construction will be swift.

On more general things, I am amazed at the quality and quantity of new models being released at the moment. I have my eye on a new DCC sound class 20, plus the long awaited class 105 DMU, the dalpol class 22, an intercity 37/4 and a DCC sound class 50. This is in combination with more Mk1 and Mk2 coaches and some wagons. I do not think 1980's era modellers have ever had it this good, although I am not quite sure how my bank balance is going to survive!!!!