Halfway House
Samhain seems like a good time for the presumed dead to arise..
It’s been a long while since this part of my modelling was updated. That doesn’t mean I’ve been ignoring it; far from it, in fact. But I’ve progressed in fits and starts - and with distinct fluctuations in mojo - to this point.
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…one down.
(I’ve actually finished the other one, too, but that’s staying
en brass at the moment.) Railmatch Early Freight Grey was used for the bulk, with Vallejo Old & New Wood Effects providing the planking (with some additional C&L rust colour weathering powders being added in places.)
It’s not been a straightforward journey - sort of mirroring the last couple of years, I suppose - but it’s good to see the transfers (decals…) going on - even if they’ve been a pain to get right.. fighting to the last, this kit…
Most of it went together as per instructions. Of course, as noted in the earlier posts, I had to make the bolsters and swivelling plates. And the last thing was to make the securing chain and hooks.
It was an hours work to wrap some 0.45 NS around a bit of rail, and slice through with a razor saw.
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The third image shows the two lengths of assembled linkage - about 13 links per inch. Probably enough for one bolster. Certainly enough for my eyes! The top one has been chemically blackened; repeatedly dipping it into Carr’s metal black for brass seems to work…
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The fourth image is the final assembly. I’ve used some 4mm coupling hooks in this, and the links that stop the bolster stays from going missing are that brass wire that comes from some bottles of wine, wrapped around a small drill, and cut with a scalpel blade. Fiddly isn’t the word…. The adjuster is a Dapol screw coupling.
The completed assembly was toned back towards a more brown colour via acrylic (Railmatch 2415 - Oily Steel).
It will be stood to let the Railtec transfers fully dry before being tickled with Testors Dullcote.
Cheers
Jan