New layout

[Bigmet]

...Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?

I have had a Metcalfe loco shed kit - not constructed as designed but used to make a building wall to form a scenic break - and it has been in an unheated outhouse 18 years with no ill effect, only thing applied to it the adhesives used in assembly, mainly PVA, some dabs of UHU.

[aleopardstail]

Managed to get an hour in the loft the other day.
Not a lot accomplished, just a quick track clean and running session.

A question that has arose:
Has anyone ever used any protective measures for metcalfe card kits from the elements?



A few shots from the running session;
https://youtu.be/ngYGtwtwods?si=WucNIS_FdU_2AKv9

card kits, not overly had to here (had to get a dehumidifier for the cellar though), depends what protection you want - one you can do when the kit is built is spray varnish it, after all painting etc is done. you could also do some parts e.g. the inside as you assemble it. to seal against moisture - though to be honest if you have trouble with damp - sort that problem instead of trying to mitigate the impact.

what elements are you struggling with? if its "windows falling out" thats a glue issue, bostick works pretty well when it gets cold or warm to keep them stuck

I haven't encountered any issues as yet, it was more of a hypothetical question should I encounter anything. I didn't know if there was a commonly applied method to preserve them from heat, cold, damp etc just in case.

not a lot you can do with heat and cold, but then card should be fine. only real issue is if it gets damp to be honest, most lofts shouldn't have any trouble

[Dad-1]

I have one of their large station buildings sitting on my loft layout.
It's been there since 2014, no additional 'treatment' to protect it.
temperatures from around 3-4 to 38.
One of the large engine sheds did warp a little along the roof-line.
Additional stiffening seemed to cure that.

Here is the station, nigh on 15 years ago !!
It used to be part of my first layout, built from 2009



Geoff T.

[Stokestation12]

Wow, that's all very reassuring, thank you.

I've popped down to my local model shop today to get class 90 fixed (mentioned in a previous post; turns out it was missing a blanking plug and also needed a slight rewire) so should get that back Friday.


Hoping to get some more time up there soon as the weather starts picking up again.

[Stokestation12]

Had a go at my first weathering attempts:

A very basic first attempt using only some watered down paint. Critiques welcome!

[Dad-1]

There is Pristine, well looked after regular use, quite dirty, and then ready to be condemned.
Weathering needs to be very subtle for most main line locomotives. Much of the dirt is road
dirt splashed up off the rails and drawn up by wind pressure. Then there is an even more subtle
dirt from falling deposits, either in the air generally, or carried down from windows by rain.

I think you've been a bit heavy, try wiping some off and that may improve the 'look' ?

I tend not to weather my Locos much as it's too easy to get it wrong. Wagons - Ahh lots of
slightly different washes until it's filthy !!

My favourite Diesel with it's 'well looked' after weathering - quite subtle.



Geoff T

[Phred]

Lots of lovely muck!
Get a brush good and wet (dripping) and rub the gunk in circles to dissolve the weathering paint, then let it run down the sides/front.
That should get rid of the brush marks and look more like naturally accumulated gunk.

Disclaimer: I'm no weathering expert. The above is just what I'd do.

[aleopardstail]

what sort of paints? acrylic or oils?

brush strokes aside it looks good, and from a distance will look perfectly good, especially when moving. the Camera is a cruel mistress

[Phred]

Stokestation12 wrote:
using only some watered down paint

From this I assumed acrylic - I'm usually wrong though.
And, yes, the camera does exaggerate every little blemish.

[Stokestation12]

Amazing the difference a lick of paint makes.
Granted, very early stages of scenary but its a start.

[aleopardstail]

totally agree, amazing how much of a difference not seeing "well that is wood isn't it" makes.

looking like this is coming along nicely and with the massive length you have* this should be impressive as an impressive thing


*fnarfnar

[Phred]

Looking good!
Forgive my ignorance, but can someone educate me about the enormously long red buffers? Never seen them before.

[aleopardstail]

Looking good!
Forgive my ignorance, but can someone educate me about the enormously long red buffers? Never seen them before.

used at some stations, hydraulic buffers, the idea is they can bring a train to a halt in a low speed impact without damaging the train, or the passengers

not seen many installed recently but they were a thing in the UK for a while

now we have normal buffers with friction grip to the rail to do the same thing, a modern layout should have a good distance behind the buffers to the platform but in model form there is seldom space

[Phred]

Now I know - thanks Leopard!

[Mountain]

Looking good!
Forgive my ignorance, but can someone educate me about the enormously long red buffers? Never seen them before.

used at some stations, hydraulic buffers, the idea is they can bring a train to a halt in a low speed impact without damaging the train, or the passengers

not seen many installed recently but they were a thing in the UK for a while

now we have normal buffers with friction grip to the rail to do the same thing, a modern layout should have a good distance behind the buffers to the platform but in model form there is seldom space

Why I preferred the Hornby version of the hydraulic bufferstop, as not only was it spacesaving, but would take quite a hit! The long ones that you have I have never seen at a station as yet, as they are much longer than the rare few examples I have seen in Wales in places such as Swansea. (Though platforms 3 and 4 have temporary bufferstops about a coach length forward of the origionals placed there in the early 2000's due to them finding station subsidence, as the whole station is built on quite a slope).
No doubt they are models based on a station somewhere that can potentially have trains coming in at a higher speed.
The most hilarious thing we all heard was the first few weeks/months of an automated station announcement system being installed at principle stations in the South Wales area as their announcing had not taken account of the terminus station, so we were there at Swansea hearing the announcement "Certain trains pass at speed. Please stand away from the platform edge".