Ian Rathbone's Workshop

[Ian Rathbone]

I have at last finished the S & D loco, No. 161 ‘Lowther’, R. Stephenson & Co. , 1860. They certainly liked to decorate their locos in those days. Model built to 7mm finescale standards by Bill Davis. There are many bits missing, which will be fitted by him on return.



The boiler band behind the rear dome is a bit of an oddity (or afterthought) as it doesn’t comply with the lining convention of the remainder. Perhaps they just gave up.

On to some sensible liveries next.

Ian R

 

[LarryG]

That is one hell of a paint scheme, all to your usual very neat standard. Early railway builders must have realised steam locos were potentially dirty things, hence the over-decoration. Boiler bands look like they are from the school of Stroudley! I don't know where you get the patience though.

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Lowther is quite small compared to a proper engine.



Ian R

 

[Ian Rathbone]

I have received photos of the completed ‘Lowther’ from Bill Davis.


On trip to ‘Bucks Hill’ I was able to photograph Kevin Wilson’s steam rail motor now that he has completed it. It’s a beautiful build.



Meanwhile there was this, a tiny locomotive in 4mm scale, built by Mike Edge from his new kit. An ex LSWR C14. Not without its problems, especially painting inside the cab with the fixed roof.



I painted three Cambrian locos together, Nick Dunhill’s two and Roger Scanlon’s (see their threads in Area 51). Nick’s came as a box of bits and I have still to partially reassemble them to be able to take a photo so this is Roger’s -



I’ll post photos of the other two when I work out how to fit them together.

Ian R

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Well I managed to get the chassis into No. 3.



There are still a lot of bits to add when Nick gets them back. I gave up with No. 8, which is in an earlier livery. I’m sure Nick knows the trick of getting the chassis attached.





Ian R

 

[Jack P]

That C14 looks fantastic, it's easy to forget how small they are.

Really amping for Mike to release that kit to the general unwashed masses now.

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Nick Dunhill’s amazing ‘Wrexham Tanks’ have now gone to a satisfied customer. I managed to photograph them on shed before they left.



Also on shed was this Star built from the JLTRT kit by John Hudson.



Thanks to the 82G team for providing the venue.

Ian R

 

[John Duffy]

Beautiful work as always.

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Some more interesting stuff done since my last post. First was a prototype for a 7mm kit of a Taff Vale O4 from 88D Models. I received it in plain black.




Another Roundhouse live steamer, this time a Campbeltown & Macrihanish 0-6-2T running on 45mm gauge. The engine comes with a plain green body and, apart from buffer beams, black below. I had to match the green for the valence, cylinders and the patch on the smoke box saddle. Lettering and crest are hand drawn.



By contrast this Stroudley Terrier is no bigger than my thumb -



And finally another Rounhouse model, r/c battery, which comes in plain green but now enhanced by having the Ff R livery with the broad ivory band and ochre lining. Fairly simple to do if you can get the masking straight but it enhances the model.

 

[Peter Insole]

I submit Ian!!

Crests by hand too - lovely !!

Pete.

 

[AJC]

Fantastic work, Ian. The Terrier (I guess, from your description, and the Romford type wheels, that it's 3mm?) is especially impressive, as is Argyll, a handsome beast, beautifully finished.

Adam

 

[Podartist79]

Wonderful work Ian!
Neil.

 

[Giles]

Exquisite would be an understatement to all this........ lovely to see! Thank you...

 

[Joe's Garage]

Ian please accept my apologies for not seeing these posts earlier but I have to say I have just looked through all 5 pages and I am really impressed at the perfection of your finishing these models, very nice to see so many pregroup examples.

What caught my eye was the Millwal Extension MW, advert on the cab sides, very entrepreneurial! I remember seeing a model in P4 of North Greenwich station back in the 80s somewhere to the east of London, perhaps Romford exhibition. A very interesting prototype.

Beautiful models.

Thanks

Julian

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Thank you all for your compliments.

First off this time is a 7mm Claughton, bought secondhand by my customer, stripped and refurbished by Lee Marsh. No chassis I’m afraid.



Next, a simple job, a 1361 built by Mike Edge from his own etches, the first of a pair.



I’ve had a few jobs which came to me in bits, and left that way so I couldn’t photograph them. One was this King Arthur built by Phil Gomm and photographed by him.



Another was this as-built Evening Star built by Bill Davis.



The plates and garter crests (from Derek Mundy) for the Taff Vale 0-6-2T finally arrived so here it is posed on ‘Bucks Hill’.



Ian R

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Next it was this Black 5 built by James Bryan from the Javelin kit.



Then an LMS compound in 1938 livery, built from the David Andrews kit by Graham Varley. Here is the first stage of the loco painting - crimson lake first followed by black to smoke box and front of the running plate.



Next the yellow lining, all done with compasses except for the straight parts of the splasher faces.



The infill black is next - a ruled line adjacent to the yellow, followed by brush infilling, including running plate and tops of splashers.





The tender follows the same routine, curves first with compasses then ruled on straight lines. So here is the completed loco -





And finally, a replica Bassett-Lowke’Britannia’. Not much finesse required here, just try to copy an original. I did have some original B-L transfers but they simply disintegrated, so these are by Fox. The customer was happy though.



Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Ian R

 

[LarryG]

Top drawer painting & lining Ian. Obviously there are several ways to skin a cat, so I always put the cellulose black lining on first. It didn't even have to be tidy (applied freehand on raised splasher & cab beading) because the yellow lining would always tidy things up. Straight yellow lining was again cellulose but curves were matching gloss enamel in case of a mishap. Downside of lining with celly indoors even with ventilation ~ upset tummy!

Happy Christmas.

 

[chigley]

Next it was this Black 5 built by James Bryan from the Javelin kit.

View attachment 153871

Then an LMS compound in 1938 livery, built from the David Andrews kit by Graham Varley. Here is the first stage of the loco painting - crimson lake first followed by black to smoke box and front of the running plate.

View attachment 153872

Next the yellow lining, all done with compasses except for the straight parts of the splasher faces.

View attachment 153873

The infill black is next - a ruled line adjacent to the yellow, followed by brush infilling, including running plate and tops of splashers.



View attachment 153874

The tender follows the same routine, curves first with compasses then ruled on straight lines. So here is the completed loco -

View attachment 153876 View attachment 153875

View attachment 153877

And finally, a replica Bassett-Lowke’Britannia’. Not much finesse required here, just try to copy an original. I did have some original B-L transfers but they simply disintegrated, so these are by Fox. The customer was happy though.

View attachment 153878

Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Ian R

nice work

 

[Ian Rathbone]

Thank you for your comments and 'likes'. The Terrier above is actually 4mm scale. Not much has happened since I last posted, I took time off after Xmas to build a new chassis for an ROD I acquired at auction some time ago. What I thought would take a leisurely two weeks actually took four, but then I was adding inside valve gear by adapting the 2d cosmetic gear provided in the kit.


Bits and pieces have been passing through the workshop so the only two complete locos to show are - a MR 0-4-4T in 4mm scale and a North London 4-4-0T in LNWR livery. Strange little loco.



I am presently painting another GWR Armstrong, just like the last one, so It won't be appearing on here. To compensate here are a couple of locos from 2017, before I started this thread.

Firstly LSWR No. 30, one of Mr. Beattie's wonders, scratch-built by Nick Baines in 7mm. The donkey engine for the feed pump (LHS) actually works via a tiny motor and battery in the splasher of the rear driver.



And second a 2mm scale GNR N2 for Copenhagen Fields. I don't know who the builder was, maybe Tim Watson can let us know when he sees this post.


That's all for now.

Ian R

 

[Tim Watson]

The 2mm scale GNR N2 was made by Denys Brownlee. It had a new chassis made in 2019 after literally 100s of miles running on CF over 25+ years. Denys painted it a very bright LNER apple green, which never looked right. It was on the front cover of MRJ #279.

Tim