Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Andrew. The resin castings are already to hand, complete with flash for the user to remove in a careful and thorough way. I'm just working out what might be a reasonable charge for them. I'll need to make sure to include a suitable reminder note and suggestion of a viable method for reducing the thickness of one area in particular of the tender soleplate casting, as a re-make of the mould to eliminate un-wanted thickness is not in my view viable for the small number of uses that it would get.

[Chas Levin]

They look a lovely pair and excellent fault-finding work too!

[Atlantic 3279]

Lining of the D7 models is progressing. I was unimpressed by the imperfect adhesion and the consequent visibility of the clear film when using the HMRS single red LNER lining on my A5 last year, in fact even the red-black-red boiler bands showed a disappointing tendency for the clear film to show up silvery in places. That may have been due in part or in whole to too much previous handling of that particular transfer sheet. This time I've used completely different material. As there was insufficient boiler band lining left on my LNER sheet I've instead used the equivalent lining off a much fresher sheet I had for BR black locos, and for all of the single red lining I've used a bow pen loaded with a mixture of red and orange from the Humbrol gloss range to produce something like vermillion.
I actually realised after sweating, squinting and swearing over the first round of bow pen lining that I'd produced red lines finer than those that were part of the boiler band transfers - so fine in fact that as the paint dried and lost some of its wet lustre, it was too difficult to see the single red lining against the black except in very good light! It was far less visible than the boiler bands were. It has all therefore had a second pass with the pen to strengthen the colour somewhat compared to what is evident in some of the following images. It will be noticed in one or too of these that simply handling the models in order to apply further lining had been enough to rub off some of the most exposed lining on the angle irons and steps below the running plate. It is all present after the second pass with the pen, but the models are not yet ready for further handling and photography...
Bear in mind that the tender sits at a strange angle because its front normally rides on the supporting drawbar of the loco.

Thanks by the way go to John Smart, for acquainting me with the only photograph I've seen revealing the presence and the layout of most of the red lining on a black liveried D7.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Both looking equally magnificent Graeme. Certainly one of the nicest kits I have seen for a GCR loco!

[Chas Levin]

Both looking equally magnificent Graeme. Certainly one of the nicest kits I have seen for a GCR loco!

Seconded here!

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Gents.

Red lining now complete, including the lines across the bottom of each step backplate, which I think should be there, and a fine red line just within the edge of the tender weatherboard, which I think is faintly discernible in the reference image I've been using - although opinions are divided. General handling, removal and re-fitting of some handrails, plus re-assembly of the main parts has resulted in some flakes and chips of paint from the handrails, which will be easy enough to repair as a final job.
After years of repeated frustration I think I've also worked out out to use the contents of my ancient tin of Humbrol "Gold" (to represent brass) without having the horrible stuff running all over the place. Rather than stirring thoroughly before use, this time I left well alone and simply tilted the tin to displace the very runny clear top layer of liquid to one side, then scooped out some of the gold sludge from the bottom of the tin. Picking up what seemed like hardly any of this sludge on a brush, and repeatedly touching that very lightly and briefly onto the raised beading deposited quite enough of the "gold" to give a good effect. A second light application once the first is thoroughly dry gives still better, more even coverage. This is far quicker than waiting for each light brush load of stirred paint to partly dry/thicken on the brush before application, which was the only previous method I'd found that tended to avoid having the stuff spreading out all over the surrounding parts of the model. I know from experience that a light spray over with satin varnish will seal the deposited "gold" in place.
I've added the white lines to the front buffer beams too, and will subsequently thin these a little by counter-lining with black around the edges. I'm trying to find evidence regarding the rear buffer beams.
Transfers and varnish / light weathering should finish the job. One loco will definitely be 5684. The other is yet to be decided, but 5683 is in the running.

[James Harrison]

Fantastic!

[Richard i]

I agree they look great. I have to learn how to do red lines as well as you. Games workshop do a range of paints which represent brass and copper in their various shades of weathering.
Richard

[Woodcock29]

The two D7s look great Graeme.

I'm looking forward to receiving the parts for mine.

Andrew

[Atlantic 3279]

I agree they look great. I have to learn how to do red lines as well as you. Games workshop do a range of paints which represent brass and copper in their various shades of weathering.
Richard

It probably would have saved me some time and frustration over the years had I simply looked for an easily applied alternative gold / brass coloured paint, rather than continuing the struggle with the old Humbrol stuff. The trouble is, that when only tiny amounts are required, and paint that really ought to do the job is already to hand, the temptation is to try to use that, rather than go to the local model shop or general paint supplier in order to spend more money. It is very probably false economy, but if there's no local model shop any more, or the general paint supplier only has big tins, or the shops are shut, or an on-line purchase involves delivery costs/delays/difficulties, or if the new paint still isn't ideal, then sticking to the devil you already know might not be a wholly bad plan.

[Chas Levin]

Graeme, are you an Ebay user? If so, you'll find a huge number of model supplies people now sell through Ebay, their delivery costs are often very reasonable, you can find exactly what you need and you can (often) buy in exactly the quantity too.
(Usual disclaimer, no connection to Ebay, just a pleased user!)

[Atlantic 3279]

It's difficult to not be an Ebay user these days. I use it frequently, e.g. when there's no local supplier, or where the only local suppliers are the big firms asking anything but competitive prices.

[john coffin]

You are making a practice and good one, of creating unusual models from very little info and creating
something special.

Well done Graeme.

Paul

[Atlantic 3279]

Thanks Paul. Yes, there's relatively little published information on these engines. Whether more information lurks in dusty archives or private collections, I don't really know. I gather a lot of old GCR / MSLR records were lost.
The significance of the Class 2 or D7 4-4-0s, which seems to attract little comment, seems to me to be quite marked. Although there's the question of whether Parker or Kitson's were the main influencers of the design, it was certainly the first MSLR design to break away completely from Sacré's style. The boiler and the cylinders, or developed versions, featured in large numbers of subsequent 0-6-0s, O-6-2Ts and some 2-4-2Ts (J9, J10, J13, N4, N5, F1, F2), slightly enlarged versions created the D5 and D6, the cab shape and the tender style, with enlargements and refinements, stayed as the MSL/GC standard pattern for the next quarter century or more. It could be said that all of Parker, Pollitt and Robinson's subsequent locos owe something to the Class 2 / D7.

[Atlantic 3279]

Whilst on a very welcome family holiday last week I noticed that even properly engineered, historically significant live steam locomotives built to about 25 times my usual modelling scale, in use on an almost legendary line, do not necessarily have straight, horizontal boiler handrails or nameplates, and convincingly upright, parallel-spaced boiler bands. Mind you, almost a century of rebuilding by various hands, sometimes working on a shoestring, might explain some anomalies...
Such trivia aside, it is a lovely railway in a still relatively unspoiled part of the Lake District. No streets full of guest houses, cafes, "boutique" overpriced outdoor clothing shops, gift/tat shops, traffic, coach loads of trippers superficially "doing" the Lake District etc. Not mid-week at this time of the year anyway...