Andrew's Layout

[GROTLAND]

Hallo !

I have been messing with the airbrush and the Carrs weathering powders and weathered a Bachmann 20

Weird thing was that I was behind it at Barrow hill the same day as I weathered it (20132) with 20121 which is the Lima model that I want to convert into a bass box..how exciting! Railfreight livery is one I remember from childhood......don't like it that much....or most of the 80's liveries really

Having been meaning to do some work with a steam loco and watching old videos of end of steam in Yorkshire with Dad; I took the plunge and weathered a Crab. I actually promised some LMS pictures to Gavin (Black Marlin) but I've been too busy to do a load of photo's...sorry Hope this will suffice for now:

The light's a bit bright and she's not really dirty

Very very enjoyable! There's something nice about weathering a steamer and for me at least; it's possible to learn something about them from the research. I want a Carlisle Kingmoor shed plate for this one and some transfers for the smokebox door number. The first of many steamers I hope

[Durseytu]

The light's a bit bright and she's not really dirty

Hi Andrew!

Regardless of the light that crab looks suitable mucky. You have done a rather good job indeed!

Cheers,

Stuart.

[SouthernBoy]

Sublime

[DrStroganoff]

Top job on the weathering mate. I hadnt really thought about using a combination of airbrushing and powders.... judging by the results, its a winning combination !

[StevieDay]

I think the weathering is brilliant. The subtle layers of rust & grim accentuate with the deposits from water leak. Fantastic work.

[Dad-1]

Just fantastic .....

No wonder we don't get many postings - quality like that takes time.
How many individual coats were used ? I can imagine this took several weeks, letting each layer thoroughly dry ?

Geoff T.

[Eastern]

I can almost reach out and touch that oily leak on the cylinder- how did you prep the surfaces before weathering? Just thinking of all the difficult to reach areas?

[GROTLAND]

Thanks lads; the Crab is one of my better jobs

Charles. I prepped the body with a white spirit moist lint free jobbie. The hard to reach areas I just blasted out with compressed air( No greasy finger prints when it's hard to reach). The airbrush is really controllable too...high pressure/low paint flow works nice.
Geoff. Not really sure how many coats. A couple of thinned washes with white and brown with some concentrated thicker areas at first; then the airbrush does the rest. Railmatch sprays really well and dries within minutes (unlike when it's brushed on). The Humbrol Matt varnish supposedly takes 30 mins (on the tin) but more like 3 days until totally dry. I brushed the powders on after 30 mins and the tacky surface makes them stick better without losing their qualities.

I got some shed plates from Donny show. 247 developments are my introduction to steam and they are friendly to a first timer, have the goods and threw in discount to boot. Really recommended!

Here's the crab with a 68A plate on the front
and I bought the Slaters "camp as you like crew"
I still can't get a total matt from the varnish.




The railroad 9f modifications
Here's the renumbered project at the moment:


The modified boiler side window adds a lot to the model. I copied the semi-cleaned windows from someones project on RM-web but The pictures I've seen in real life look all smoked up in this area.
The modded tender:

The ladder is a bit naff still

Next up on the layout is gutters/downpipes and point rodding...this is gonna take some time...but I got the need...the need for modelling..oof
Here's where I am on the low relief tennement

step by step to follow but I've made a pigs ear of the flippin' thing.......I'll post it anyway.....It will be good!



Cheers

Andy

[SouthernBoy]

Excellent post as always Andy. Please assume the usual superlatives

Point rodding:
How do you know what goes where/how all the gubbins connect together etc?

Is there a website you're studying or book that has all this in?
It's one of those things that when you see it on a layout it looks obvious - but once you start thinking about how it should fit together on your own layout loads of questions start creeping in.

Thanks,

Mark

[GROTLAND]

Mark, I have very little idea about that rodding stuff! Let's face it......It was put down in the pre-grouping of the 19th century.....which became the big 4.....which became nationalised and still today we see it. It's a Pandora's box of health and safety and disregard (depending on region ).
Ex-signalmen know they're stuff but regions and practice differ...even in BR times and even in the same region.
What I've learnt from these guy's is that all facing (trains entering the point at the sharp end) points on a passenger line require a locking system (extra rod and lever in the box). Also crossover points are controlled by just one lever(one rod for both that must connect together) but a seperate lock(2 rods) for each point.
Just today I was trying to work out from books....where the lock rod goes into the point,....it differs again between regions. I think the Southern region had round rods for points.....makes it easier to model at least.

I will try and justify my rodding post but I may be wrong in my assumptions. Also the direction and push/pull of rods has to be equal......there is something called a thermal expansion system that turns pull into push and maybe it can be used to subsidise unequal lengths of rodding....this is my own physics and reasoning dictating and not actual methods.....it will be fun!!!!

[Black-Marlin]

Hi Andy

That weathering looks utterly, utterly superb. I particularly like the Crab - if only because of the three locomotives it would be my favourite - and can't wait to see it and its stablemates on suitably mucky trains clanking and wheezing their way through Leith Baltic....

You made my morning!
Gavin

[StevieDay]

Hi Andy, fantastic weathering of the crab & 9F.

I've aspirations to do point rodding in n-gauge, as & when finances allow.

These sites might help you & Southernboy. The compensators are the mechanism for the push pulling of the rods. And the rods are U shaped bar which run on rollers in the stools. Though in early days the rods where made of rod, running between the rollers.

http://www.clag.org.uk/green09.html

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8818

[Eastern]

Thanks for the info. - The 9F and Crab certainly look the part! - Quality work!
I'll also be following your point rodding - I found this website called Much Meddling; it's a 4mm GWR finescale layout with actual working rodding! It may give some ideas! -

[taytrain]

superbly weatered loco, very well done

[Infrontcat]

Hi mate

Bleedin' marvellous work on the 9F and Crab. You really get the depth of tone well. As for the tennemnt building: you must know some pigs with very tidy ears I think it's a splendid effort. Give yourself a pat on the back from me

Cheers

Tim