Cliff Williams
Western Thunderer
Fantastic work, thank you for the tips on Saturday, off to buy some dividers and find brushes now.
Ian Rathbone's Workshop
- Thread starter Ian Rathbone
- Start date
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
While heavily into 4mm stuff to be ready for the Warley Show I had a break painting this 7mm LNWR van body. Very little is known about this van and certainly no transfers are available. It features the Crossley script and Maltese Cross trademark of the company, which apparently still exist and belong to Rolls Royce. The company itself stopped making cars in the 20s and moved into military vehicles.
Ian R
Ian R
LarryG
Western Thunderer
Nice job on that van.
Re Crossley Motors, I have a signed copy of the 'Crossley' book kindly sent to me by one of the authors, Mike Eyre. The company built it last cars in 1937 due to sales being so low. The resurgence of military vehicle orders also helped bring an end to car manufacture because the factory was overloaded with these and buses for Manchester Corporation.
Re Crossley Motors, I have a signed copy of the 'Crossley' book kindly sent to me by one of the authors, Mike Eyre. The company built it last cars in 1937 due to sales being so low. The resurgence of military vehicle orders also helped bring an end to car manufacture because the factory was overloaded with these and buses for Manchester Corporation.
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
It's coming up to the Bristol 0 Gauge show where I will have my usual Painting & Lining demo stand. If you have any queries or just want a chat then pop along.
Recent completions in 7mm -
Big Bertha (lining only) built by Eric Underhill from his own kit.
GWR diesel railcar, San Cheng.
GWR 'Kruger', loco scratch built by the late Phil Coutanche, tender kit built. I don't know if the prototype was ever lined out, but rule 1 applies.
And finally another hand lettered Motor Car Van.
In 4mm 'Valour' in LNER livery, built by Graham Nicholas. I did one of these in 7mm in 2018 and will have one in 2mm to do this year.
And finally a Midland Rly steam railmotor and trailer in S4.
Regards
Ian R
Recent completions in 7mm -
Big Bertha (lining only) built by Eric Underhill from his own kit.
GWR diesel railcar, San Cheng.
GWR 'Kruger', loco scratch built by the late Phil Coutanche, tender kit built. I don't know if the prototype was ever lined out, but rule 1 applies.
And finally another hand lettered Motor Car Van.
In 4mm 'Valour' in LNER livery, built by Graham Nicholas. I did one of these in 7mm in 2018 and will have one in 2mm to do this year.
And finally a Midland Rly steam railmotor and trailer in S4.
Regards
Ian R
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
Work continues fairly normally during lockdown. Apart from completing things started before lockdown I am now having to work on stuff that is local or can be posted. My nearest customer specialises in vintage models so I have been doing restoration work on those, but here is the more interesting stuff.
I managed to deliver Richard Spoors's V2 to Missenden after gently weathering it.
This GSR 800 Class took a fair bit of time as the colour was unique to the three locos in the class and took some time to track down. I sent my customer some samples and this is what he chose. The lining wasn't easy either as there were so many rivets to avoid with the yellow lining and the pen clattered over them when doing the black edging. The distribution of the colours and lining is a bit weird too. The transfers for GS and the coat of arms came with the kit. It is a Studio Scale Models kit in 4mm built by Mike Edge and is 18.2mm gauge.
The next is an 00 gauge Oxford Rail model which is supplied in Adams livery, but repainted now in Drummond style. Pity about the front vac pipe which won't sit vertically, and the big coupling on the back.
Another local customer is into Roundhouse Models live steam so I get to do some lining on his models. This one is their take on a Leek and Manifold Valley loco which is delivered in plain crimson. I added lining in a simplified NSR style, which I think enhances the engine considerably.
More later.
Keep safe
Ian R
I managed to deliver Richard Spoors's V2 to Missenden after gently weathering it.
This GSR 800 Class took a fair bit of time as the colour was unique to the three locos in the class and took some time to track down. I sent my customer some samples and this is what he chose. The lining wasn't easy either as there were so many rivets to avoid with the yellow lining and the pen clattered over them when doing the black edging. The distribution of the colours and lining is a bit weird too. The transfers for GS and the coat of arms came with the kit. It is a Studio Scale Models kit in 4mm built by Mike Edge and is 18.2mm gauge.
The next is an 00 gauge Oxford Rail model which is supplied in Adams livery, but repainted now in Drummond style. Pity about the front vac pipe which won't sit vertically, and the big coupling on the back.
Another local customer is into Roundhouse Models live steam so I get to do some lining on his models. This one is their take on a Leek and Manifold Valley loco which is delivered in plain crimson. I added lining in a simplified NSR style, which I think enhances the engine considerably.
More later.
Keep safe
Ian R
Peter Cross
Western Thunderer
And there it was, all made to look so easy.
Awe inspiring work as per usual.
Awe inspiring work as per usual.
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Looking forward to the more later...
Tim
Tim
Lancastrian
Western Thunderer
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
To continue. The other 16mm Roundhouse model was a Fowler 0-6-2 which comes in plain black. My customer wanted some discreet lining and red buffer beams. The lining is simple but wrapping it around the cab side sheets was a bit of a trial.
This A3 was started before the lockdown but recently completed and now put away pending delivery. It is a Finney kit built by Graham Varley.
This next one is the 'other' Stanier 3P (see PAD's thread in Area 51). Built by Mike Edge from his own etches and finished as newly built.
Lastly a real pig of a job. The van is a Mercian kit which I believe is a diagram D445A. The transfers for the lettering are also Mercian and have been taken from a diagram in 'LNWR Liveries' (HMRS). Unfortunately that van is a diag. 448 which is slightly longer and has a deeper upper panel. In short the transfer lettering for the upper panel does not fit, so I had to do those by hand. The remainder, with a little carving, do fit ok. The problem is that the transfers are white and my customer wanted them in LNW ochre. There are 88 letters, each of which had to be painted over, twice, because the ochre doesn't cover first time. Then there are 88 letters on the other side... The other thing is that on the transfers 'Western' in spelt 'Weston'. I'll leave it there.
Keep safe
Ian R
This A3 was started before the lockdown but recently completed and now put away pending delivery. It is a Finney kit built by Graham Varley.
This next one is the 'other' Stanier 3P (see PAD's thread in Area 51). Built by Mike Edge from his own etches and finished as newly built.
Lastly a real pig of a job. The van is a Mercian kit which I believe is a diagram D445A. The transfers for the lettering are also Mercian and have been taken from a diagram in 'LNWR Liveries' (HMRS). Unfortunately that van is a diag. 448 which is slightly longer and has a deeper upper panel. In short the transfer lettering for the upper panel does not fit, so I had to do those by hand. The remainder, with a little carving, do fit ok. The problem is that the transfers are white and my customer wanted them in LNW ochre. There are 88 letters, each of which had to be painted over, twice, because the ochre doesn't cover first time. Then there are 88 letters on the other side... The other thing is that on the transfers 'Western' in spelt 'Weston'. I'll leave it there.
Keep safe
Ian R
Podartist79
Western Thunderer
Wonderful to see such awe inspiring work as ever Ian!
best wishes,
Neil.
best wishes,
Neil.
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
Thank you for the compliments. Life, and gardening, continue in lockdown. First a scratch built LNWR Class E 2-8-0 built by Phil Coutanche. I finished painting it some weeks ago but I've been waiting for the smokebox lubricators to finally complete it. I managed to solder them on from inside the smoke box without destroying any paint.
Next a change of scale from 7mm to 2mm, a trio of locos built by Nigel Hunt from his own kits, tiny masterpieces. This was a lining only job.
Then back to 7mm. First, the most simple livery I have ever done, more simple than 'Gwendraeth', a Robinson 2-8-0 in the livery of the ROD, as they were shipped to France in the first World War. They didn't receive the large tender numbers and 'ROD' until they were over there.
The loco was built by Mike Edge from his own etchings and some bought in castings. The French buffer stocks are his own resin castings. The only colour is the dirty pine floor of the cab. The whistle, safety valves and Westinghouse relief valve were left in the brass, as the prototype.
And back to normality, a Royal Scot very tidily built by Roger Cross. He built it so that the cab, boiler unit and tender body could all be separated for painting - a very sensible strategy from a painter's point of view.
I have a David Andrews Royal Scot kit to build for myself, should I get the time, North Staffordshire Regiment.
That's it for now, keep safe.
Ian R
Next a change of scale from 7mm to 2mm, a trio of locos built by Nigel Hunt from his own kits, tiny masterpieces. This was a lining only job.
Then back to 7mm. First, the most simple livery I have ever done, more simple than 'Gwendraeth', a Robinson 2-8-0 in the livery of the ROD, as they were shipped to France in the first World War. They didn't receive the large tender numbers and 'ROD' until they were over there.
The loco was built by Mike Edge from his own etchings and some bought in castings. The French buffer stocks are his own resin castings. The only colour is the dirty pine floor of the cab. The whistle, safety valves and Westinghouse relief valve were left in the brass, as the prototype.
And back to normality, a Royal Scot very tidily built by Roger Cross. He built it so that the cab, boiler unit and tender body could all be separated for painting - a very sensible strategy from a painter's point of view.
I have a David Andrews Royal Scot kit to build for myself, should I get the time, North Staffordshire Regiment.
That's it for now, keep safe.
Ian R
Podartist79
Western Thunderer
Incredible work as ever Ian.
Best wishes,
Neil.
Best wishes,
Neil.
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
Work has slowed down during summer as gardening and other projects took up my time. I was recently able to photograph two models I built in 1998/9, which was before I routinely photographed all that passed through the workshop.
Firstly a Churchward Models GW Small Prairie in 00 -
And a GW steam railmotor from the Blacksmith kit, also 00. Somewhat fiddly.
Back to recently painted in 0 gauge, first a RTR B1, lining, numbers and crest only. It's a pity about the strange step on the cab side. The boiler bands on this model are well over scale thickness so I was able to line them in situ using offset compasses.
Another lining and numbers only job was this Cambrian Manning Wardle, I don't know who the builder was.
A Cambrian 3rd class coach from a D & S kit, started by Raymond Whalley and finished by A. N. Other.
A L & Y horse box from the MSE kit, also started by Raymond Whalley, and finished by me. Official photos are always of this side so the placing of the number on the other side is a mystery. Curious that the groom's compartment is labelled '3rd'.
And finally, for this post, Roger Scanlon's ex LBSC C2x.
Keep safe.
Ian R
Firstly a Churchward Models GW Small Prairie in 00 -
And a GW steam railmotor from the Blacksmith kit, also 00. Somewhat fiddly.
Back to recently painted in 0 gauge, first a RTR B1, lining, numbers and crest only. It's a pity about the strange step on the cab side. The boiler bands on this model are well over scale thickness so I was able to line them in situ using offset compasses.
Another lining and numbers only job was this Cambrian Manning Wardle, I don't know who the builder was.
A Cambrian 3rd class coach from a D & S kit, started by Raymond Whalley and finished by A. N. Other.
A L & Y horse box from the MSE kit, also started by Raymond Whalley, and finished by me. Official photos are always of this side so the placing of the number on the other side is a mystery. Curious that the groom's compartment is labelled '3rd'.
And finally, for this post, Roger Scanlon's ex LBSC C2x.
Keep safe.
Ian R
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Looking forward to the next instalment...
Tim
Tim
Ian Rathbone
Western Thunderer
The next project is to paint a streamlined Coronation so I thought I would share the process with you. Here it is after I discovered the builder had positioned the backing plates for the name plates incorrectly. There is no actual need for backing plates so I binned them and then had to remove the remains of the glue, which meant that I had to strip the paint off between two boiler bands and start again.
The next photo shows the first trial line after the repaint. The markers for setting out the lining are a) the base of the cab front window, which is level with the top of the upper broad line, b) the bottom of the angle that runs down the cab/fire box joint, which marks the bottom edge of lower broad line, c) the line of rivets on the platework at the base of the boiler casing, which marks the centre of the upper narrow line and finally d) the centre line of the sand box fillers.
The broad lines are nominally 5" wide. I have dotted in part of the front curve. This done by studying all the photos available and noting the position of the line in relation to any landmarks on the loco, ie the two small hand rails and a footstep. I drew the line with a ruling pen using a French Curve as a rest rather than a template. Getting this first line right is very much the key to the rest of it.
In photo 3 I've ruled in the lower line which is slightly more than 5" wide because it runs over the shoulder. I dotted in the remaining edges at the front and then filled in with a fine brush using Precision Paints Lining Gold. This paint can be used in a ruling pen too but it must be kept stirred as the heavy metallic pigment settles out very quickly.
The bottom edge of the lower line needs slight adjustment. There is a lot of stroking with a spirit-damp brush to refine the edges.
More anon.
Ian R
The next photo shows the first trial line after the repaint. The markers for setting out the lining are a) the base of the cab front window, which is level with the top of the upper broad line, b) the bottom of the angle that runs down the cab/fire box joint, which marks the bottom edge of lower broad line, c) the line of rivets on the platework at the base of the boiler casing, which marks the centre of the upper narrow line and finally d) the centre line of the sand box fillers.
The broad lines are nominally 5" wide. I have dotted in part of the front curve. This done by studying all the photos available and noting the position of the line in relation to any landmarks on the loco, ie the two small hand rails and a footstep. I drew the line with a ruling pen using a French Curve as a rest rather than a template. Getting this first line right is very much the key to the rest of it.
In photo 3 I've ruled in the lower line which is slightly more than 5" wide because it runs over the shoulder. I dotted in the remaining edges at the front and then filled in with a fine brush using Precision Paints Lining Gold. This paint can be used in a ruling pen too but it must be kept stirred as the heavy metallic pigment settles out very quickly.
The bottom edge of the lower line needs slight adjustment. There is a lot of stroking with a spirit-damp brush to refine the edges.
More anon.
Ian R