Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[Dave S]

Is that Ravenglass?

We've got 5 days booked there in June.

[Chas Levin]

Looks great! It's a funny thing, the question of full size (or even very large scale) locos not being perfectly straight / true / accurate, I've seen it commented on before. Because whatever the reality out there in the Big World, very few of us model those imperfections; is that perhaps because we think people will assume that our modelled irregularities are the result of our own poor workmanship and we're just trying to pass them off as 'realistic'?

[Atlantic 3279]

The photo location was Dalegarth Station, the inland terminus of the Ravenglass and Eskdale. We had a lovely quiet time in a holiday let in Eskdale Green. Gan Yam brewery's "Ken" Kendal Mint Cake Stout was a pleasant surprise at the Brook House between Dalegarth and Boot. Quite definitely NOT sickly sweet or excessively minty. I also discovered, on a visit to the Museum at Ravenglass station, that one of the curators seems to like an interesting question to answer on an otherwise quiet day. He was incredibly helpful.

I think it has been said before that irregularities in a model, no matter how thoroughly justified by matching features of the real thing, do tend to just look like careless building. As usual, you can't win.

[Atlantic 3279]

It isn't the timescale that I originally envisaged, but as it has turned out it has taken almost a whole year, bar three or four days, to get from the "completed D7 masters" stage to the point at which I have two working examples, in resin, fully decorated and ready for final varnish, weathering, and in one case still needing some coal. These delays happen of course, thanks to trying to have a life outside of modelling too, plus the diversions into a 3D printed J21, finishing the livery on my A5, researching / constructing / elaborately painting a Stirling GNR goods engine etc.

Here the D7s are anyway, with numerals and letters applied exactly as seen in photographs, and it took me a while to convince myself that Gorton's odd layout of the transfers would look alright on the models. Numbers low on the cabside to fit within the brass splasher beading, and letters very high on the main sidesheets of the tender (presumably to avoid raised rivet heads as far as possible) must certainly count as a bit of departure from the "standard" LNER scheme.

[Atlantic 3279]

As I have previously claimed that the resin parts give scope, with modifications that a mortal can perform, for portrayal of an MS&LR / GCR Class 2 in earlier condition, I decided to test my own claim in a couple of hours this afternoon. One or two of my footplate / splashers / cab castings weren't quite up to the standard I wanted, so I selected one of those (cleaned up to a reasonable standard) to form part of my test piece. The double-thickness resin tender weatherboard that I had rejected as looking too thick was trimmed down to serve as the upper part of the cab front. In about half and hour's careful work, with much checking, a boiler casting had its Belpaire firebox shoulders filed off back to a smooth semi-circular profile matching the boiler barrel. It CAN be done to a satisfactory standard, it just requires avoidance of impatience and ham-fistedness. A bit of filing down of the cap of a flowerpot chimney also produced a crude first approximation to a Parker stovepipe.
I have NOT at this stage lowered the boiler by the small amount that is necessary for accuracy, a Parker chimney should be taller (that could be achieved with a little extra work), and with a Parker chimney I should of course have shortened the smokebox (either by taking out a thin slice or by cutting off the front entirely and making a new front plate), although the long smokebox IS a valid possible combination with Robinson chimney, round top firebox, and the shortened cab roof that I have provided.
The parts are only aligned by eye, freehand, and lightly stuck together with Evostik Impact adhesive, in case I want or need to take them apart again, but I'm not really planning to take this any further than the current "illustration of feasibility".

[Chas Levin]

Beuatiful looking locos Graeme! I read some discussion elsewhere recently (you probably did too) about the time we sometimes take over our projects, to the effect that as long as we please ourselves, it's not as if we're on a schedule, or working for a boss or anything, so it doesn't matter. I've taken a very long time over my some projects too but as you say, outside life and other projects also intervene.

If the results are as good as these, the time has been well spent! Glad you explained about the positioning of the transfers though - as you say, a bit different to the usual. I think the numbers look very attractive in their 'frame' though!

[Atlantic 3279]

Transfers and lining now sealed in place and mild weathering achieved by a couple of coats of slightly blackened satin varnish, the D7s have now been placed in occasional service on my neglected loft layout. Their rods still need darkening of course, and the jury is still out on the question of the right colour for the cab interior, which I've left mostly black for the time being.

The layout was almost devoid of stock and in need of a long overdue track clean and general vacuum cleaning until about a week ago, in fact the "scenery" still needs more cleaning, and a refreshing application of further scenic materials. Having chosen to withdraw myself and my stock from further involvement with "Grantham", the stock having lived almost constantly in boxes for several years anyway (to save time and effort before and after shows) I was thoroughly ready to see it running again, in whatever relaxed way I choose to run it. If I didn't set some of it out now, then with my promised construction of a new branch section of the layout due to resume soon, who knows when I would have found time to start actually "playing trains" again. Despite the restrictions on angle of view with the layout around the edges of the loft, with purlins above the boards, I've managed to take reasonable photographs of most of the scenic section too, with the stock I've so far set out. They are not perfect of course, as with no fancy camera and no barrage of additional flash lighting I've had to do my best with the strip lighting over the layout and the camera on a phone, but results could have been worse.
I won't burden this website with all of the other 26 images I took, 8+MB in all, but if anybody wants copies to an e-mail address I can oblige.

[Chas Levin]

They look terrific in the proper setting don't they? It's easy to forget what we're building these things for, when so much time is spent building them and so little time running them! I have the same problem, too much time at the bench and not enough at the layout: well done!

[Mercator II]

Transfers and lining now sealed in place and mild weathering achieved by a couple of coats of slightly blackened satin varnish, the D7s have now been placed in occasional service on my neglected loft layout. Their rods still need darkening of course, and the jury is still out on the question of the right colour for the cab interior, which I've left mostly black for the time being.
IMG_20220530_154709.jpgIMG_20220530_155522.jpg

The layout was almost devoid of stock and in need of a long overdue track clean and general vacuum cleaning until about a week ago, in fact the "scenery" still needs more cleaning, and a refreshing application of further scenic materials. Having chosen to withdraw myself and my stock from further involvement with "Grantham", the stock having lived almost constantly in boxes for several years anyway (to save time and effort before and after shows) I was thoroughly ready to see it running again, in whatever relaxed way I choose to run it. If I didn't set some of it out now, then with my promised construction of a new branch section of the layout due to resume soon, who knows when I would have found time to start actually "playing trains" again. Despite the restrictions on angle of view with the layout around the edges of the loft, with purlins above the boards, I've managed to take reasonable photographs of most of the scenic section too, with the stock I've so far set out. They are not perfect of course, as with no fancy camera and no barrage of additional flash lighting I've had to do my best with the strip lighting over the layout and the camera on a phone, but results could have been worse.
I won't burden this website with all of the other 26 images I took, 8+MB in all, but if anybody wants copies to an e-mail address I can oblige.

I'd be interested, been many a year since I saw it, so be nice to revisit it, all be digitally!! I'll PM u my email if you need it

[Woodcock29]

Hi Graeme
The D7s look great on the layout.
I would love to see all the photos. You have my email of course.
Andrew

[mick b]

Me too !
Let us know if dont have it m.benn etc

cheers

Mick

[Atlantic 3279]

Copies sent to all three of you.

[JASd17]

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.

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.

Very glad I could help Graeme.

I have not seen photos of the layout before. I am sure a D9 will look very nice on it!

John

[Woodcock29]

What a great suggestion John!
Andrew

[Atlantic 3279]

Pester Mr Kohler, formerly of Louth - he has to accept the logic of producing an accurate, inexpensive RTR version.