7mm BR Diesels

[Healey Mills]

Some days it's one step forward, two steps back!!!

Whilst I was sat (having a cuppa) and about to embark on weathering 40060 I made a very sobering observation. The masking of the yellow on one of the sides of No 1 end was not correct, the yellow/ blue interface that should be vertical on the nose sides wasn't. Grrrrr!!! I have no idea how I had got so far along the build without noticing this before, but I just could not let that pass, so I set about correcting said c*ck-up.

Before:



After a little masking and banger blue corrective paint:



I'm going to let this dry and then get some very fine wet'n'dry to remove the lip that was obviously created by my masking on the spraying, once flattened just brush a bit of varnish on. Hopefully this will rectify the fault - not the end of the world, but nevertheless annoying, once weathered I think it will look ok.

At least I have learned a new trick though..... when adding the masking tape put the loco down on a flat surface, with a steel ruler placed on it's end (or set a square) on the table top you can check the vertical. Don't know why I didn't think of doing that before rather than doing everything by eye!!

Cheers
Lee

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I reckon you attended the same modelling classes as me.....

 

[delticfan]

What product did you use for the etch primer, sorry to go back a few posts I'm catching up, your work is excellent, very inspirational.

 

[Healey Mills]

What product did you use for the etch primer, sorry to go back a few posts I'm catching up, your work is excellent, very inspirational.

Hi Delticfan,

I use Phoenix Precision etch primer, the two part stuff:

PQ31 Grey 2 Pack Etch Primer package

I find with this in an airbrush I am able to control the amount that is applied to the loco as opposed to the Halfords aerosol can. I also thin it a little too once the 50-50 mix is made of primer and activator so that it flows better. Leave it a minimum of 48hours to dry too

Cheers
Lee

 

[delticfan]

Ok thanks for the gen! I think you have br blue off to a fine art its consistently dull and at the time I hated it but oh how I miss it now!

 

[oldravendale]

I hated it but oh how I miss it now!

You could not have summarised it better!

B

 

[Healey Mills]

Ok thanks for the gen! I think you have br blue off to a fine art its consistently dull and at the time I hated it but oh how I miss it now!

You're welcome......

I think you have br blue off to a fine art its consistently dull and at the time I hated it but oh how I miss it now!

Well I think that was a compliment, thank you yes we all miss it I guess, happy days!

 

[Healey Mills]

Onwards and upwards with 40060 again...

After preparing and spraying the roof grill and fan I have decided not to use them. In position, they just don't look as good as the Shawplan ones, especially when you compare them in situ with a picture. I took a couple of pics of these items in place and the more I now look at these the more I'm glad I didn't fix them to the loco:



When you look at a loco, the grill and retaining assembly sit proud of the roof, which is just how I had positioned the grill on 40118. As I look at 118 it does seem to be better, I know it is not 100% correct but it is as close as I can get. Looking from above, the JLTRT grill is, well, basic:



So for the moment the loco will remain without these items until Brian at Shawplan gets some in stock. In the meantime it didn't stop me getting some dirt thrown onto the loco:




..and the No. 1 end with the repair made:



This is not quite finished yet as there are quite a few oil leaks and streaks to add to the loco roof, particularly from the scavenge fan and radiator grill base. But it's getting there.... oh and a window fell out whilst I was cleaning it up. Upon inspection I really had only tacked it in place so no wonder the thing fell out!!!

Cheers
Lee

 

[mickoo]

Lee, looking good

Not sure if your aware of this, many are not, but the bonnet tops are a lighter matt blue, the matt paint becomes a very good magnet for dirt to stick to. But areas where it's been wiped away reveals the lighter blue underneath, like that area under the drivers screen at the #1 end.

The patch appeared from about 1970 onward and was light grey on the green engines and appears to be light grey on many blue engines as well. It doesn't look like all engines have it, though there seem to be more with than without and it may be down to which works did this, I've not yet got around to going through all the photos in detail to work this out, however 060 did have the lighter blue bonnet tops.

I've yet to find a works photo of a freshly painted bonnet top and all the clean ones seem to have the standard colour of the day, so what I think is happening is that there is a light grey anti slip base coat over which the normal colour is placed, over time the top coat wears or fades and reveals the light grey underneath.

Once you know what to look for you'll spot it all the time.

40 060 at Crewe

MD

 

[Healey Mills]

Lee, looking good

Not sure if your aware of this, many are not, but the bonnet tops are a lighter matt blue, the matt paint becomes a very good magnet for dirt to stick to. But areas where it's been wiped away reveals the lighter blue underneath, like that area under the drivers screen at the #1 end.
View attachment 57616

MD

Thanks Mick. I didn't know about that..... pity you never mentioned anything before. I don't think there is anything I can do now except strip the paint on the nose top and redo it.

Nice pic btw.... I was there too!! Jan 85 if my memory serves me right, with 86248 in tow??

Cheers
Lee

 

[mickoo]

Sorry, with your attention to detail I thought you were going to add it once the base colour had hardened

If the weathering is enamels and the base colour cellulose then it should be possible to clean back the enamel with a thinner that won't attack the cellulose. Other than that you've not many options except extend the dirt down to cover any chance of the panel being seen.

Wasn't there, not my picture , well I was there, Crewe, on many occasions but not this one and that ain't no 86/2 in tow, it's an MU 25Kv loco so that's a 87 or 86/0, could be a 3 or 4 at that time. Sub class 86/2 were always solo birds and went straight to TDM.

Given the thickness of the sheet metal work above the windscreen and thickness of the corner pillar, I'd wager a hefty sum that's an 87 back there, shame the member of staff is hiding the door, double handles would give it away immediately.

There are several things I wish I'd done back than but didn't (flight on Concorde, see and hear a class 76 in action, etc) but most of all, I do miss Crewe and the WCML in the early eighties terribly, wish I was 35 years younger, on the salary I have now and with a digital camera.

I do need to get a decent neg scanner and start going through my collection, so many memories locked away in those boxes.

MD

 

[Healey Mills]

Wasn't there, not my picture , well I was there, Crewe, on many occasions but not this one and that ain't no 86/2 in tow, it's an MU 25Kv loco so that's a 87 or 86/0, could be a 3 or 4 at that time. Sub class 86/2 were always solo birds and went straight to TDM.

Must be a different train as 060 dragged the clansman, Crewe to Preston. The loco was withdrawn the next day

The loco in tow in your pic has a name plate, so can't be 86/0. Nice pic all the same. Do you need to credit the photographer to avoid any copyright stuff?

Cheers
Lee

 

[mickoo]

Lee, well then it must be a class 87

Credit, yes I do but I don't know who to credit as it came off the web years ago, so to keep the men in grey happy.

Image show for refernce material, credit to goes to original unknown owner

MD

 

[Healey Mills]

Credit, yes I do but I don't know who to credit as it came off the web years ago, so to keep the men in grey happy.

Image show for refernce material, credit to goes to original unknown owner
MD

Here is the original: Flickr

Back to correcting my errors... I think I can only now, as you say Mick, just add more dirt right up to the windows. Won't be making that mistake again!

Cheers
Lee

 

[Healey Mills]

Well with the window repaired and the Shawplan etches soon to be on their way I put the loco back onto it's chassis and bogies:



Sitting under the TV with sister loco 118 awaiting their last few parts added

The last bit of weathering will be done once I have the roof grill, needs a blast over the buffer beams too me thinks.

Cheers
Lee

 

[mickoo]

Here is the original: Flickr

Back to correcting my errors... I think I can only now, as you say Mick, just add more dirt right up to the windows. Won't be making that mistake again!

Cheers
Lee

Lee, cheers, owner does not appear to allow sharing, or else Flickr share is not playing ball (white screen of death) and showing the sharing function.

Usually if it's not shared it comes up with a warning box, they keep tinkering with it and things like that tend to break all the time. None the less, to avoid any upset the image has been removed and replaced with a link

MD

 

[Healey Mills]

After a day of flip-flopping between 40060 and 126 I've managed to get a few more bits added. As far as 40060 goes the engine bay drain lines were finished off and the speedo cable, cab interior completed with seats and floor suitably dirty then finally the lights installed. Just need the roof grill now, then finish off weathering roof/ cab nose tops and a quick waft of dirt on the buffer beams, add window wipers and that's it.

While the sun was out today I decided I'd grab a couple of pics:



Having looked at the piccies, I need to clean the cab windows a bit more!!

Cheers
Lee

 

[Mr Grumpy]

That does look rather nice

 

[delticfan]

Well done!

 

[Healey Mills]

Ok, dumb question time!!!!

Do epoxy type adhesives (Devcon) create/ cause blooming on glazing?

Cheers
Lee