In this month's Railway Modeller magazine you can read about build ex-LNER Y7 locomotives in three different scales. The 7mm version did make an appearance here but in print the pictures are better. You also get to see how the 3 and 4mm versions compare.
As well as this there is an excellent DVD - the best cover disk they have produced so far. There's plenty on it, I haven't manged to watch it all yet !
"Railway of the Month" is Pete Watermans model of Leamington Spa. As a resident of the town this interests me of course, but in addition I have actually been up and seen the model. Although you get a track plan this can't give a sense of the shear scale of the project. It is vast. And brilliantly made. Perhaps I'd better focus on the excellent Highland layout in the same magazine.
Showing posts with label Y7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Y7. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Leftover kit bits
Must get rid of the leftover bits. Must get rid of the leftover bits. Mustn't just put the lid back on the box and forget about them. Mustn't add the box to a pile and forget about it. Mustn't just put the bits in a box with the others either.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Shedded Y7
The Y7 couldn't really be called finished until it had run around a layout. While my test track is OK it's only a long straight, to be really happy with a model locomotive it needs to see action on points and crossings with scenery.
Off I trot to the railway club and present myself at the O Gauge layout Kimble asking if I could run my new train. For some reason they decided I couldn't - something to do with extending the model and most of the boards being upside down being worked on or sans track or something. Inconsiderate really, I mean all they had to do was re-assemble a dozen or so baseboards and lay a few metres of track, how difficult can this be ? :-)
Fortunately I was able to do something more useful for the Mallory road group. They were testing layout electrics with a Heljan Class 47 diesel. A short wheelbase locomotive is much better for this job though as you can see where there is no electricity much faster. As it happens there was only one problem area where a point frog looks like it's come unwired.
The model ran around very nicely. At first a good burst of speed took out the worst of the new model tightness and then some more realistic trundling around the pointwork commenced. I'm happy with the result and people were complimentary about my efforts.
Off I trot to the railway club and present myself at the O Gauge layout Kimble asking if I could run my new train. For some reason they decided I couldn't - something to do with extending the model and most of the boards being upside down being worked on or sans track or something. Inconsiderate really, I mean all they had to do was re-assemble a dozen or so baseboards and lay a few metres of track, how difficult can this be ? :-)
Fortunately I was able to do something more useful for the Mallory road group. They were testing layout electrics with a Heljan Class 47 diesel. A short wheelbase locomotive is much better for this job though as you can see where there is no electricity much faster. As it happens there was only one problem area where a point frog looks like it's come unwired.
The model ran around very nicely. At first a good burst of speed took out the worst of the new model tightness and then some more realistic trundling around the pointwork commenced. I'm happy with the result and people were complimentary about my efforts.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ex-LNER Y7
Finally, I have finished this model. The weathering went well this time with several coats of thinned greys and browns sprayed over the model and no transfers peeling off. Along the top of the boiler a coal black/tank grey mix simulates the smoke dirt but I've managed to keep this effect subtle so you can't see the join. It might be a pain setting up the airbrush but you can't produce this sort of effect any other way.
Glazing is from Krystal-Klear, crew from the box of things that I have forgotten where they came from and coal out of a packet picked up at a show once.
It's only taken 21 months to get this far, although for most of this time the model spent on the shelf of unfinished projects. It's a lovely kit to build though and looks really good for relatively little effort compared to some !
Glazing is from Krystal-Klear, crew from the box of things that I have forgotten where they came from and coal out of a packet picked up at a show once.
It's only taken 21 months to get this far, although for most of this time the model spent on the shelf of unfinished projects. It's a lovely kit to build though and looks really good for relatively little effort compared to some !
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Repainted Y7
Well, the Y7 has been repainted AND renumbered with newer transfers. Those numbers then received a couple of coats of satin varnish by brush. I even used a good sable to get a nice finished.
Then I sprayed varnish over it. Loads of satin varnish. And then a bit more to be sure. I want a good protective layer before I go a-weathering again. It's going to be at least 24 hours before that happens as varnish this thick takes a log while to dry fully.
Then I sprayed varnish over it. Loads of satin varnish. And then a bit more to be sure. I want a good protective layer before I go a-weathering again. It's going to be at least 24 hours before that happens as varnish this thick takes a log while to dry fully.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
I hate transfers
I thought I was on the home straight. Emergence blinking into the light at the end of the tunnel was imminent. Then someone switched it off.
The compressor was humming away powering the airbrush. Weak mixes of greys and browns were flowing away over the model. The black slowly turned a indeterminate colour best described as "mucky".
The numbers started to bubble up and peal off. I poked them back but it was no good. One of the 8's fell off than a 0 and finally they all came away. Heavy weathering to hide their absence did cross my mind but I knew the situation was hopeless.
The loco has seen Mr Nitromores and now sports a nice new coat of black paint which is very nearly as good as the old one. And if I find the inventor of Pressfix transfers I will kill him.
Silver Lining: Christopher points out I managed to get the crests the wrong way round as they should face the front of the locomotive. I knew that of course, it's why I didn't stick them on properly. Honest.
The compressor was humming away powering the airbrush. Weak mixes of greys and browns were flowing away over the model. The black slowly turned a indeterminate colour best described as "mucky".
The numbers started to bubble up and peal off. I poked them back but it was no good. One of the 8's fell off than a 0 and finally they all came away. Heavy weathering to hide their absence did cross my mind but I knew the situation was hopeless.
The loco has seen Mr Nitromores and now sports a nice new coat of black paint which is very nearly as good as the old one. And if I find the inventor of Pressfix transfers I will kill him.
Silver Lining: Christopher points out I managed to get the crests the wrong way round as they should face the front of the locomotive. I knew that of course, it's why I didn't stick them on properly. Honest.
Applying transfers
Putting numbers on locomotives has always been a painful process for me. Get the string wonky and it will stand out like a sore thumb when you display the model. Of course it doesn't show when you are poking transfers around.
A trick I picked up from somewhere is to use a bit of clear plastic as a guide. The one in the photo is a bit from the packaging supplied in a shirt. I originally had it tall enough to set the crests up and then cut down the hight to do the numbers. A couple of marks on the sheet help the lining up on the body.
A trick I picked up from somewhere is to use a bit of clear plastic as a guide. The one in the photo is a bit from the packaging supplied in a shirt. I originally had it tall enough to set the crests up and then cut down the hight to do the numbers. A couple of marks on the sheet help the lining up on the body.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Black
The Y7 locomotive now has it's body colour. This time I used Railmatch Coal Black. It's a satin black which covered very nicely and dried with a consistent sheen. Normally I'm not a fan of Railmatch but this is very nice.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Y7 Pickups
All the mechanical gubbins has been reinstalled in the chassis. Since it worked OK all that was left was to fit the pickups.
It's a fiddly pain in the backside job that I've never found a good way to do. My methods involve 0.27mm phosphor bronze wire bent to shape and soldered in place. The result works but doesn't feel right. I want something with a more engineering feel to it.
It's a fiddly pain in the backside job that I've never found a good way to do. My methods involve 0.27mm phosphor bronze wire bent to shape and soldered in place. The result works but doesn't feel right. I want something with a more engineering feel to it.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Weathered chassis
I'm trying an experiment with the Y7 locomotive chassis. One it had been cleaned with Hob-Brite and then etch primed I hand painted it with Humbrol matt black. Then weathered it before any of the gubbins went back in.
This way I can get behind the wheels to get an oily sheen. I'm not sure if this will make a difference to the look of the finished model much but it's worth a try.
The colours used were tank grey followed by a rusty red and then dark earth. All were dry brushed on with an old, large, bristly brush to try an impart a bit of texture as well as colour.
This way I can get behind the wheels to get an oily sheen. I'm not sure if this will make a difference to the look of the finished model much but it's worth a try.
The colours used were tank grey followed by a rusty red and then dark earth. All were dry brushed on with an old, large, bristly brush to try an impart a bit of texture as well as colour.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Y7 chassis bits
With the body soldering complete I've headed back to the chassis. The whitemetal castings for the sandboxes were attached with the rather excellent C&L 100 degree solder. This is magic stuff - you can fix castings to brass without tinning the brass first.
Finally the brake hanger & shoe castings are fixed to their wires. Then the pull rods are soldered to these. The C&L solder did the trick again being far less trouble to use than the traditional methods.
Next, I'll strip the chassis down for painting. I was about to do this and then realised that I'd forgotten to put the PCB strip in for the pickups. Glad I remembered this or I'd be trying to solder to the painted parts, never a good idea...
Finally the brake hanger & shoe castings are fixed to their wires. Then the pull rods are soldered to these. The C&L solder did the trick again being far less trouble to use than the traditional methods.
Next, I'll strip the chassis down for painting. I was about to do this and then realised that I'd forgotten to put the PCB strip in for the pickups. Glad I remembered this or I'd be trying to solder to the painted parts, never a good idea...
Back to the Y7
There is a hiatus in other projects while I wait for parts so I'm cracking on with one of the many half finished jobs that litter my workspace.
A dig through the bits showed I was a lot further down this road (track ?) than I thought. The only etched part to be soldered on was the roof. This needed some gentle forming around handy pots of flux and then the rainstrips were added from wire.
After this the fun with castings begins. Happily those supplied are really excellent and need next to no cleaning up. Some of the holes had to be enlarged to take the spigots but that's a quick job with a reamer. Then out with the low-melt solder and on they go.
Not everything can be soldered. the smokebox door and tank fillers will be glued as I can't get at the back of them to solder but that isn't a problem. The backhead will stay out until after paiting as it makes the brushwork so much easier.
A dig through the bits showed I was a lot further down this road (track ?) than I thought. The only etched part to be soldered on was the roof. This needed some gentle forming around handy pots of flux and then the rainstrips were added from wire.
After this the fun with castings begins. Happily those supplied are really excellent and need next to no cleaning up. Some of the holes had to be enlarged to take the spigots but that's a quick job with a reamer. Then out with the low-melt solder and on they go.
Not everything can be soldered. the smokebox door and tank fillers will be glued as I can't get at the back of them to solder but that isn't a problem. The backhead will stay out until after paiting as it makes the brushwork so much easier.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Badger Mini Sandblaster
I’ve always wanted a sandblaster. And now I have one. A Badger model 260-1. OK, It’s a only a mini one, but that’s a start.
One of the things that held me back is having a compressor powerful enough to run the device. For airbrushing I have a little diaphragm-powered model which is fine for paint but wouldn’t shift blasting media. Now the proud owner of a second hand unit with airtank and 60psi+ output, I’m in business.
Lacking a blasting cabinet, I improvised with a large cardboard box. The flaps were all taped up as I wanted to try and re-use the media if possible. First surprise was just how fine this was. The nearest comparison I can think of is flour, although ‘cos it’s made of aluminium it’s a bit sharper ! A set of goggles and a mask finished the set-up.
First test was on a roasting tin, which has (like most such tins) gone a little black around the edges. I thought that I couldn’t damage anything and it might clean it up a bit. What I discovered was that even at 40psi I can’t shift caked on carbon.
Next up was my try square that has light surface rusting. This was removed quickly by the gun giving me a mat finished steel colour.
Finally I tested on a etched 7mm locomotive that’s been kicking around for a year or so. The idea is to roughen the surface to allow paint to key properly. Removal of excess solder would be a plus. As you can see from the picture, the keying worked OK with mat finish brass a plenty. With a bit of patience solder can be exorcised too but this is a slow process.
In summary, not quite as powerful a tool as I hoped. I blasted without gloves and in future will use thin rubber ones just to keep my hands clean, this indicates how gentle the action is. Perhaps a change of blasting media will make the tool a bit more aggressive but I need to check what it will handle.
One of the things that held me back is having a compressor powerful enough to run the device. For airbrushing I have a little diaphragm-powered model which is fine for paint but wouldn’t shift blasting media. Now the proud owner of a second hand unit with airtank and 60psi+ output, I’m in business.
Lacking a blasting cabinet, I improvised with a large cardboard box. The flaps were all taped up as I wanted to try and re-use the media if possible. First surprise was just how fine this was. The nearest comparison I can think of is flour, although ‘cos it’s made of aluminium it’s a bit sharper ! A set of goggles and a mask finished the set-up.
First test was on a roasting tin, which has (like most such tins) gone a little black around the edges. I thought that I couldn’t damage anything and it might clean it up a bit. What I discovered was that even at 40psi I can’t shift caked on carbon.
Next up was my try square that has light surface rusting. This was removed quickly by the gun giving me a mat finished steel colour.
Finally I tested on a etched 7mm locomotive that’s been kicking around for a year or so. The idea is to roughen the surface to allow paint to key properly. Removal of excess solder would be a plus. As you can see from the picture, the keying worked OK with mat finish brass a plenty. With a bit of patience solder can be exorcised too but this is a slow process.
In summary, not quite as powerful a tool as I hoped. I blasted without gloves and in future will use thin rubber ones just to keep my hands clean, this indicates how gentle the action is. Perhaps a change of blasting media will make the tool a bit more aggressive but I need to check what it will handle.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Body beautiful
More soldering and I have a locomotive body. Thanks to tab and slot construction assembly is quick and reasonably easy. Even the boiler was a cinch as it’s pre-rolled. With the side tanks in place it sits on fold out ledges. All the parts are the right size and shape – not a given with many kits.
Purists will note that the front buffer beam is in the wrong place. It should overlap the footplate by the height of the valve covers. I fixed this after the picture was taken. Perhaps a little less haste would have been a good idea.
No singed fingers so far though.
Purists will note that the front buffer beam is in the wrong place. It should overlap the footplate by the height of the valve covers. I fixed this after the picture was taken. Perhaps a little less haste would have been a good idea.
No singed fingers so far though.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Fast work
I need a half built model railway locomotive in a hurry.
The reason ? I’m demonstrating somewhere on Sunday and it helps the demo if you have a few part built kits on the modelling board. Of course I don’t actually have anything suitable kicking around, especially in 7mm scale so half a day last weekend was devoted to sticking some bits together.
Out of the maturing cupboard came an etched brass kit for an LNER Y7 from Conneseiur (Sorry, can’t spell it and the box is upstairs) Models. A nice simple locomotive that I bought years ago when I fancied building an O gauge layout. I’ve built 3 & 4mm scale versions, so why not get the set ?
The chassis is a simple fold up affair, which took very little time to reach the stage I photographed. The 50W soldering iron was a help here as there is a pretty large mass of metal to soak the heat away from the joins. Powerflow Flux was useful too. It’s nasty stuff that takes a lot of scrubbing to remove but it makes that solder flow. I even managed to get it around the axle bearings properly, not my usual blobby effect.
All soldering was carried out with the chassis upside down on a sheet of glass to keep things flat. It sort of worked but I still had to twist it a little with my fingers. That’s not a trick that you see in proper modelling instructions but it works. Just a gentle twist though, or you end up with a brass corkscrew.
The reason ? I’m demonstrating somewhere on Sunday and it helps the demo if you have a few part built kits on the modelling board. Of course I don’t actually have anything suitable kicking around, especially in 7mm scale so half a day last weekend was devoted to sticking some bits together.
Out of the maturing cupboard came an etched brass kit for an LNER Y7 from Conneseiur (Sorry, can’t spell it and the box is upstairs) Models. A nice simple locomotive that I bought years ago when I fancied building an O gauge layout. I’ve built 3 & 4mm scale versions, so why not get the set ?
The chassis is a simple fold up affair, which took very little time to reach the stage I photographed. The 50W soldering iron was a help here as there is a pretty large mass of metal to soak the heat away from the joins. Powerflow Flux was useful too. It’s nasty stuff that takes a lot of scrubbing to remove but it makes that solder flow. I even managed to get it around the axle bearings properly, not my usual blobby effect.
All soldering was carried out with the chassis upside down on a sheet of glass to keep things flat. It sort of worked but I still had to twist it a little with my fingers. That’s not a trick that you see in proper modelling instructions but it works. Just a gentle twist though, or you end up with a brass corkscrew.
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