Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

12 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

and more interesting material regarding NPCCS here

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/104961-brownstock-prototype-questiion/?do=findComment&comment=2090453

 

Lots of helpful info on how and where these stock were used.

 

 

 

There is such a great amount of reference material available on this site.  Almost too much!  Although I would like Chuffnell Regis to portray a convincing scene, I'm not going to get (too) hung up on being hyper-realistic.  Look and feel is what I'm aiming for, I suppose.

 

[Graham T]

53 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Until it reaches a precariously positioned ACME 10T weight, or a cliff face with a painted-on tunnel...

 

Classic comedy 🙂

 

[Graham T]

As well as messing about with insects, I've been building a second "fiddle yard", based on the excellent modules from Scale Model Scenery (no connection etc. etc.)

 

As you may know, there isn't much space here for a fiddle yard, so I've now made two of these units, one of which lives on a shelf while the other is in use.  The rampant bodgery you can see at the end where the tracks connect to the layout is needed to get a smooth (ish) transition from the layout to the fiddle yard.  The alignment of the joining dowels isn't as good as it should be due to poor planning on my part; the layout section had been built and installed before I had figured out how to make the connection to the fiddle yard, and so the dowels didn't get fitted during the build, when they should have been.

 

Anyway, the joints are good enough for trains to run across them without falling off the rails!  And I've learnt (another) valuable lesson for CR Mk II, where Im hoping to use a traverser.  We'll see.  And this has effectively doubled my off-layout storage space.  I'm getting some MDF panels cut at a local workshop to fit around the sides of the fiddle yard, so that I can avoid a repeat of the disaster I had a while ago with Aberporth Grange...

 

 

 

 

 

[longchap]

WoT, no safety net?

[Graham T]

That's what the MDF panels are for Bill - they'll be fitted on both sides and the far end of the plank, projecting high enough above rail level to thwart any kamikazes!  I won't be using the fiddle yard until they're in place.

 

[Lacathedrale]

17 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

 

If "splashed on" = brushed, have you discovered the Vallejo Retarder medium?

 

You pre-wet the surface with the diluted medium and it retards the drying of the hand painted acrylic, allowing for a very fine finish to be achieved. As I can't use sprays here (domestic reasons) I've had to make do with hand painting my kits and am very happy with the results when using the medium as a preparation step

 

 

 

Sorry to call back to this - but is there a reason why you wouldn't just mix the retarder with the paint, rather than painting it on beforehand?

[Graham T]

If I'm using regular Vallejo acrylics then I dilute them a little with water.  I haven't yet tried their airbrush paints, but think that I will have to get some for a test drive!

 

[Lacathedrale]

I use Vallejo acrylics exclusively and have used the retarder with their varnishes when spraying, but not used it at all while brush painting - I'm very curious :)

[Graham T]

 

2 minutes ago, Lacathedrale said:

I use Vallejo acrylics exclusively and have used the retarder with their varnishes when spraying, but not used it at all while brush painting - I'm very curious :)

 

I do find their paint very good to use.  Don't suppose you know which of their range is a good match for GWR green?

 

[longchap]

22 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I haven't yet tried their airbrush paints, but think that I will have to get some for a test drive!

 

The vast majority of my Vallejo paints are from their Model Air range, which I still thin with water when painting by hand. I find them extremely good and the dropper bottles are genious and stack effectively on a paint station rack. I am particularly impressed with their metalic ranges, their brass was a revelation to me, as I never thought acrylic paint could be that effective.

[Lacathedrale]

31 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

 

I do find their paint very good to use.  Don't suppose you know which of their range is a good match for GWR green?

 

 

You'll want to ask @Mikkel about that. I painted a GWR Pannier with Vallejo but I'm not sure. I think either Game Colour Dark Green or Model Colour Black Green? It didn't offend my eye:

 

 

I think as long as you're internally consistent it doesn't matter...

[MrWolf]

I'm sure that @chuffinghellused a Vallejo acrylic colour on his Beyer Peacock 0-4-4 which was indistinguishable from the Railmatch post 1928 GWR green I used on mine. It was certainly a good match for existing Bachmann locos that hadn't been modified.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by MrWolf

[Graham T]

5 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I'm sure that @chuffinghellused a Vallejo acrylic colour on his Beyer Peacock 0-4-4 which was indistinguishable from the Railmatch post 1928 GWR green I used on mine. It was certainly a good match for existing Bachmann locos that hadn't been modified.

 

 

 

Thanks for that Mr W.  With a bit of luck @chuffinghell will toddle along in due course to either confirm or deny...

 

[simonmcp]

I saw a video of a layout fiddle yard that had re-railers either side of the join with the main layout which seems a good idea.

Simon 

[chuffinghell]

3 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Thanks for that Mr W.  With a bit of luck @chuffinghell will toddle along in due course to either confirm or deny...

 

I thought I’d toddle along 😄

 

Is this what you’re after? about half way down this page

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/135507-warren-branch/page/288/#elControls_4823350_menu

 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by chuffinghell

[Graham T]

17 minutes ago, simonmcp said:

I saw a video of a layout fiddle yard that had re-railers either side of the join with the main layout which seems a good idea.

Simon 

 

Could you show me what you mean please Simon?  It certainly sounds like a good idea, especially if you have carpentry "skills" like mine (accurate to within half an inch or so!)

 

[Graham T]

8 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I thought I’d toddle along 😄

 

Is this what you’re after? about half way down this page

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/135507-warren-branch/page/288/#elControls_4823350_menu

 

 

 

Evening Chris, that was exactly it - thank you.

 

Also, although I knew you'd 3D printed your loco, I hadn't actually seen the build details before for some reason.  What a cracking piece of work!

 

[BWsTrains]

14 hours ago, Lacathedrale said:

 

Sorry to call back to this - but is there a reason why you wouldn't just mix the retarder with the paint, rather than painting it on beforehand?

 

According to the bottle you can do either, pre-treat the surface or mix; there are a few "howevers" though.

 

1) The retarder as it comes is exceedingly thick, the minimum you can use is a rather sticky blob and since you're not supposed to add more than 5% of the paint being used, that implies mixing up a fair bit of paint to use in one go, not what you might want if blending or touching up or if opened paint is drying off quickly.

 

2) I can't imagine how easy the undiluted material is to add to a surface evenly when you must add at <5% of the paint being used which brings me to what the painting expert (Glen) at my model shop told me.

 

Pre-dilute the Retarder
I disperse one drop of retarder in 20 of water, it takes quite some mixing at first but you get there. Then brush the water mix over the whole surface with a broad brush. Clearly this is a clever way of spreading a low level of retarder over the surface. It works.

 

Also in warmer, drier climates as ours (usually) wetting the surface then adding some diluted retarder to the paint makes for a much better job. Otherwise the acrylic is drying off in front of your eyes.

I also dip my brushes in the diluted mix before starting painting. this helps further.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by BWsTrains

[Graham T]

Ringo has now been glazed and had the roof fitted.  The glazing took some fiddling to get to the right size; then I used a blob of blue tack on the end of a cocktail stick to get it in position, to avoid fingerprints everywhere!  It was glued in using kristal kleer.  With hindsight I think it might have been better to add the glazing before assembling the body, but then the painting would have been more difficult...

 

Speaking of painting, I think the ends of the brake levers should be white, shouldn't they?

 

 

[BWsTrains]

17 hours ago, Graham T said:

........ And I've learnt (another) valuable lesson for CR Mk II, where I'm hoping to use a traverser.  .........

 

 

 

One way the alignment issue was resolved is shown in my Traverser build as reported here

Traverser Assembly

 

Depends if you have or can get someone with the electronics skills to put something similar together. So far mine has operated without fault and usefully it incorporates the boundary interface between Code 100 storage lines and bullhead Code 75 running lines which my test loco ran over without even a blip.  

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by BWsTrains

[Neal Ball]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Could you show me what you mean please Simon?  It certainly sounds like a good idea, especially if you have carpentry "skills" like mine (accurate to within half an inch or so!)

 

Regarding re-railers Graham. It could be as simple as a section of card placed in the middle of the track, that is close enough to the rail to guide the wheels in the right way.

 

The card needs to be the height of the rails.

 

Have one on each board, with an elongated point at the entry / exit to guide the wheels onto the rail.

 

Does that make sense?

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

 

One way the alignment issue was resolved is shown in my Traverser build as reported here

Traverser Assembly

 

Depends if you have or can get someone with the electronics skills to put something similar together. So far mine has operated without fault and usefully it incorporates the boundary interface between Code 100 storage lines and bullhead Code 75 running lines which my test loco ran over without even a blip.  

 

 

I had seen - and admired - your traverser setup quite some time ago Colin.  It's something I must try to remember for CR MkII!

 

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Regarding re-railers Graham. It could be as simple as a section of card placed in the middle of the track, that is close enough to the rail to guide the wheels in the right way.

 

The card needs to be the height of the rails.

 

Have one on each board, with an elongated point at the entry / exit to guide the wheels onto the rail.

 

Does that make sense?

 

It does make sense Neal, thank you.  Similar to check rails I guess?  Anyway, the alignment on my "fiddle yards" is good enough, although not great.  I will build differently, and hopefully better, next time...

 

[Graham T]

There will be no outdoor spray painting at Chuffnell Regis today.  Vienna is officially wetter than an otter's pocket.

 

[longchap]

13 minutes ago, Graham T said:

There will be no outdoor spray painting at Chuffnell Regis today.  Vienna is officially wetter than an otter's pocket.

 

 

Unfortunately it's the same here, so no planned external wintering jobs today then!

 

Them otters are well cute though 🙂