Rick's adventures on the weathering bench

The Adams O2 from DJ Models commissioned by and only available from Kernow MRC has its own topic but I'll take a liberty and include a couple of shots here to show my weathering of those which have arrived to date.  

30182 is push-pull fitted





While 30225 is not





The O2 is a very small locomotive, not quite as diminutive as an A1X Terrier or 0298 Beattie well-tank but pretty small.  I took a comparison shot with another 0-4-4T type, the M7, as seen below



The other new arrival here is the Hornby S15, a main-line type which as far as the West of England goes was largely confined to the Waterloo - Exeter route and seldom ran beyond.  The discs are set for Waterloo - Plymouth (with engine changes at Salisbury and Exeter Central, of course) and the weathering on this shows it to have been more of a challenge.  

The Hornby plastic is shiny and powders don't grab at all readily.  I ended up wiping the first attempt off.  I'm not happy with the second as shown but it's an improvement.  This uses Carrs powders which have taken a bit better than my normal AIM brand.

When I did mine, I used some yellow line transfers on the non-corridor side, but with the high windows cutting into the yellow on the corridor side, I just hand-painted most of that. I only have a clear photo of the corridor side to hand. I did use a bit of transfer for the last, windowless bit of the stripe outside the toilet area.




P.s. I do love it when you talk dirty - it is very inspirational and gives me ideas too. :cool:

[user=321]SRman[/user] wrote:

P.s. I do love it when you talk dirty - it is very inspirational and gives me ideas too. :cool:

Oh Matron :shock:






Ed

Over on RMweb I've had it suggested that Hornby over-lubricate their models at the factory leading to ooze when the start running and possibly contributing to the shiny and slightly oily appearance of their plastic bodies.

I've already wiped the first lot of weathering from the S15. The suggestions I received offered a wipe-down with soapy water as an option to remove all the oily residue.  There is most definitely too much lubrication on the S15 as after just a coupe of days there are oily patches showing through the weathering powder.  

It's got to be re-done again which is frustrating but with the oily reside hopefully removed it may prove third time lucky for a good finish.

A recent arrival is the latest Heljan class 33 "Crompton" in green livery with a small yellow warning panel.  D6551 carries the standard-sized panel and is the first general release of the new tooling in this livery.  The earlier one was a Model Rail commission.  

As supplied the model is ready-fitted with pipework at both ends.  Snow ploughs and plug-in couplers are in the bits bag.  The headcode as fitted has an incorrect white border around the numerals.  

I have fitted a Bachmann driver and replaced the headcode at the leading end with one from an earlier Heljan release without the white borders.  The trailing end has had its pipework trimmed to the lower edge of the buffer beam and the supplied loop coupler fitted which exhibits the usual Heljan "droop".











The weathering is all AIM powders gently brushed on then worked as required with cotton-wool buds and a soft rag.  The cab door frame and selected other details have been inked in to give additional depth.

This loco was easy to break into.  The body unclips and is not wired to the guts.  The last one - the first release of the new tooling - was very difficult.  Fitting the driver required only the lifting out of the cab module which isn't hard-wired to anything.  The headcode panel can also be pressed out from inside to change the display which, as supplied, is self-adhesive to the inside of the glazing and requires peeling off.

All in all this is another very good release from Heljan with only a few minor niggles the biggest of which is the drooping coupler which occurs on just about all their models.

Very nice job Rick. Makes me want to get the powders out. Not going to happen today though. Vino Blanco time! :cheers

Marty

Hornby overdoing it on the mold-release oil, eh? That happens a lot with some American makers on their plastic parts.

The S15 is Hornby and they are guilty of this at times. The class 33 diesel is an oil-free Heljan release

The 33 has now been taken out for a run and has shown off its weathering in natural outdoor light.

As seen above but now on the tracks hauling a weathered b/g coach:



And having received a little more dirt to the roof and a fixative coat of hairspray.  This time hauling a newly-arrived BR southern green coach also with a light weathering. This latest Bachmann version is in a much better representation of the shade than earlier ones.  The BCK is a complete train in one coach offering six "classes" of travel!  First and second, smoker and non-smoker (two second class compartments were "smokers"), plus guard's compartment and parcels area ;-)

Rick said, "the supplied loop coupler fitted which exhibits the usual Heljan "droop".

Is that similar to 'brewer's droop?' 



Terry

PS Lovely weathering Rick.  :thumbs

[user=711]col.stephens[/user] wrote:

.
Is that similar to 'brewer's droop?' 

Inasmuch as both can impede effective and reliable coupling - yes


And thanks!

Regarding the shade of green on the Southern coaches, it's not surprising that the color has often been gotten wrong. Older kinds of color film had a tendency to distort the appearance of certain colors, especially blue and green. And since manufacturers often look primarily to photos for color reference…

An "old hand" and a new arrival have been recent recipients of Fox etched nameplates (and other bits) and have had some dirt added.

Firstly Bachmann's 47079 in GWR150 commemorative livery models its newly-fitted brassware and has gained a little road dirt.  The plates in this pack were, unusually, not perfectly flat and despite my best attempts have not gone on completely flush.  The subtle curve to the cab-side doesn't help with the number plate either.  

The supplied crest is in plain brass but photos show the loco carried a coloured one.  I sourced the exact item by purchasing another Fox pack, that for "First Great Western 57604" which includes the appropriate Pendents Castle name- and number plates for this loco which I also own.  These are however supplied in GWR150 style brass and not in the BR house style which is appropriate for the Heljan model.  Therefore the name and number plates are of no use to me but the crests have been used on 47079.  I found it a little odd that one pack had plain and the other full colour crests when both are for GWR150-livery locos.  Ah well.





The other loco is a recently arrived second-hand purchase of Hornby 50004 in large-logo blue livery.  This matches 50035 already in the fleet and means that of my five class 50s four have been second-hand purchases which is most unusual for me.  

This loco has had a driver fitted (as opposed to the Bachmann 47 which as usual for that manufacturer has one supplied) along with its nameplates and crests.  The weathering has been applied to represent the appalling condition many of these locos could often be seen in and includes white streaking.  The yellow paintwork is chipped at a couple of spots and made good at one (not in shot) but as that perhaps adds to rather than detracts from the overall appearance I have left it as found.

Bargain prices have persuaded me of the need for one more Motor Luggage Van.  S68004 wears all-blue livery and has been introduced to the weathering bench.





On the main line running on battery power!

An addition to the class 52 fleet is Dapol D1051 Western Ambassador.   This is supplied with D1012 Western Firebrand plates but as I already have D1012 in maroon I have used Fox plates to rechristen this one.  I have also created a headcode display from spare Heljan numerals to match the running number in the manner of many of the later-surviving class members.







An earlier arrival not recorded here is the first green "Western" in my collection, Dapol D1002 Western Explorer



Both of these locos have the supplied brake rodding, cab steps and some other details applied but not the roof-mounted lifting lugs which are so small that they have defied all my attempts to fit them.

Also new to the fleet is class 34 push-pull fitted D6511 which belongs to the small group of locos quickly reclassified as 33/1 and intended for use on the Bournemouth - Weymouth route with 4TC stock.  The 4TC units are on order and expected late this year or early next.  

Very nice as always Rick. 
You must be running out of storage space for your fleet?
Marty

Thanks Marty.

And yes. ;-)

Just wanted to say I really like your Diesels Rick :thumbs

(even if they are Western Region )



Ed

Thank you Ed.

Even if some of them are actually Southern Region ;-)

There's some weathered Southern steam as well if you go looking :mrgreen:

I've almost given up trying to stick to a specific company/region and time period, finding it too restrictive.

Just seen a nice Warship on a Liverpool shop website :roll:


Ed