7mm Detailing the Ixion Manning Wardle

[Dave]

This is a very nice little engine and a model that I had never heard of before the Telford show last year, where I bought one. Although it's RTR it's only really RTR if you like running gold-coloured locos on your layout as they come unpainted but with a coat of laquer over the brass.




This picture was taken just after purchase. As you can see, it comes with an opening smokebox door so I have finally done something about filling that hole.

It's not easy to photograph in there and it doesn't show up that well but I have made a tubeplate from plasticard - lots of holes drilled and some bits stuck on to represent stays, then a sliver of plastic rod to represent the flange for the attachment of the steam pipes, which are brass rod bent to fit the curve of the smokebox.

There is also the blast pipe, made from plastic rod and filed to a slight cone and with the ring around it for the blower being made from thin plastic rod. The other part is the lower part of the chimney (the cowl?) that comes down into the smokebox.

Unfortunately this close-up shows every horrible detail (and I haven't fixed the body back to the frames properly in this pic) but it all looks OK in real size and at "normal viewing distances".


As shown below
Oh and I seem to have acquired another. How careless of me.

 

[Ressaldar]

They both look a treat Dave!!

Did you remove the lacquer before painting? I've heard horror stories about the old Bachmann Brass 7mm diesels in this regard, which always put me off buying one, even if they had been accurate...

One of our Club members bought one of these little beauties last week at Bolton and the question I asked was about the lacquer and was told that you just apply primer over it - job done then.

cheers

Mike

 

[Tony West]

Nice pair there Dave!!...locos that is .
The part of the chimney inside the smoke box just above the blast pipe is the petticoat pipe.
Cheers Tony

 

[7mmMick]

Lovely Dave, any chance of seeing the pair in action. Fantastic weathering job

ATB Mick

 

[Dave]

Jordan - no, I didn't remove the laquer and, in fact, I didn't prime it either. The paint went on nicely and the laquer seems to act as a primer in so much as the paint sticks to it well.

Tony - thanks for that info, I'm not completely sure about the anatomy of the steam loco.

Mick - if you mean some pics on the layout then I'll get some when I have the chance and the sun decides to return to the frozen north. I might even make a little video too.

 

[Osgood]

What paint did you use, Dave? Worth noting if the lacquer issue crops up!

 

[Dave]

Humbrol enamels all over on No.7 but the bufferbeams and running plate of No.6 were done with Humbrol acrylics.

 

[Dave]

Lovely Dave, any chance of seeing the pair in action. Fantastic weathering job

ATB Mick

You're in luck. Today I was passing the site of Bury's works and went to see if anything was left. There wasn't. One end of the site is all overgrown and at the other end looks like it's about to disappear under a new housing development. Anyway... I got talking to this old boy who's house overlooked the site and he told me that he had some old silent cine film in a drawer somewhere. Apparently he was trying out colour film for the first time. He also gave me a few colour slides from the 1960s too.

I videoed this straight from his original film so I'm afraid there's a lot of noise from the old projector...

 

[Simon]

Great story and video. 100% pure model magic - absolutely fabulous

Thank you for producing and sharing it

Simon

 

[Dave]

No problem. I like making these little films almost as much as making the trains that feature in them.

 

[Ressaldar]

As Simon says - AbFab - please keep the films (and models) coming.

cheers

Mike

 

[queensquare]

Great stuff Dave. I treated myself to one of the Ixion Hudswell Clarkes to have a play with.

Jerry

 

[daifly]

Me too! I bought a black one today. Apparently these are the slowest sellers of the 3 liveries but Chris Basten (Dragon Models) suspects that they will become more desirable by those wishing to repaint them. The green and red versions have the lining appled by a 'tampo' process which, unless sanded smooth, will show as a raised line beneath any subsequent repaints.

 

[Dave]

Excellent! Two more industrial modellers, I hope. The next Ixion loco is going to be a John Fowler 0-4-0DM that is going to be produced as the one the GWR had and a plain green version for industrial modellers.

That's my Christmas present to myself sorted then.

 

[queensquare]

I went for the black Hudswell Clarke as well as I intend to detail and paint it. Is there a thread on detailing these - they really are great value.

Jerry

 

[Dog Star]

I treated myself to one of the Ixion Hudswell Clarkes to have a play with.

Interesting... and you are a member of the S7 Group... so I do hope that you let us all know how you get on with converting the engine to 33mm .

regards, graham

 

[queensquare]

Interesting... and you are a member of the S7 Group... so I do hope that you let us all know how you get on with converting the engine to 33mm .

regards, graham

I probably won't be converting it as I will be using it for social running on friends 32mm layouts although fellow Mendip group member, Andrew Campbell also of this parish, has had the wheels on his turned down and the BTB adjusted. When test run at the club it appeared to work well.

Jerry

 

[Simon]

Excellent! Two more industrial modellers, I hope. The next Ixion loco is going to be a John Fowler 0-4-0DM that is going to be produced as the one the GWR had and a plain green version for industrial modellers.

That's my Christmas present to myself sorted then.

Wow, I've just clocked this on the Ixion website - what an inspired choice

One of the locos that is on my "must build one day" list (in 1/32) is the later"Air Ministry" Fowler with the centre-ish cab, and then there's that fabulous little Brush demonstrator and, and.....

Great to see more industrial stuff coming through though, it's the new black I reckon.

And of course just perfect for that new Peco Setrack you knew you wanted all along

Simon