Garden Railway Forum

Ive had a bit of a side project on the go for the last few months and now it’s nearly finished I thought I’d share it on here. It started when I received an ip engineering chassis kit as a Christmas present. I put it together as per the instructions and wasn’t entirely happy, the cranks and rods seemed flimsy and I foresaw issues with both them and the supplied brass bearings in the future. So those were ditched and the frames drilled for ball races. I decided to run Delrin chains externally so as to retain the ability to adjust the gauge. The only prototype I could think of that was vaguely plausible was a Kerr Stuart diesel, so that’s what I based the body on. Made from scrap bits of plasticard that were kicking about and a few turned brass bits. In no way a scale model but looks alright trundling around with my ‘rusty’ train I think!
Will probably add a few interior details and having a think about working lamps...

That is a work of decrepit art! I love the paint finish, brilliantly realistic. You really should do something with the inside of the cab, just to complete it, though.

Thank you, I do like a bit of rust! I agree on the cab, I’ll probably order some detail bits next time I’ve got enough bits together to be worth paying postage!

I like that very much, looks just right!

Something KS-ish is on my to do list as well - you've inspired me to crack on with it, thank you!

I'm very impressed by how you've got your rivets so neatly aligned and spaced - do you have a tips you can pass on?

Andrew.

They’re the nail art domes someone on here recommended in a thread somewhere. There’s probably a better way to do it, I just drew a line with a pencil and the picked them up with a scalpel blade to superglue on

Lovely thanks!

I'm a nail art gem fan too (it's possible I was the first, it was certainly an idea I'd not come across elsewhere, guess it'll be confirmed if they affix a blue plaque to my wall...), but yours look so neat I wondered if you had a cunning plan - you're clearly a true artist!

I'm thinking about getting the parts for my KS laser-cut (once I've designed them...), in which case I could etch the positions for the gems on, otherwise it'll be a pencil and ruler for me too...

Thanks,

Andrew.

Cracking loco, looks great, you'd never know it was plasticard! What sort of paint did you use, and how did you do the rust?

Wonderful creation, great use of materials and excellent finish. Top marks!

Lovely rust! What a great looking loco.

Tom85 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:26 am Cracking loco, looks great, you'd never know it was plasticard! What sort of paint did you use, and how did you do the rust?

Thanks Tom! It had an undercoat of red primer, which I then brush painted in the areas I wanted to look rusty with rusty brown acrylics. I then stuck some salt to these areas with some ‘borrowed’ hairspray and over coated with grey primer. Once dry a gentle scrub under running water and the grey flakes off leaving the rust colours exposed. Few washes and further touching in with acrylics and some weathering powders and done! Not my idea by the way but can’t remember where I came across it...

Looks superb - rivets, rust and all....!

Rik

Garethh wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:03 am ....... It had an undercoat of red primer, which I then brush painted in the areas I wanted to look rusty with rusty brown acrylics. I then stuck some salt to these areas with some ‘borrowed’ hairspray and over coated with grey primer. Once dry a gentle scrub under running water and the grey flakes off leaving the rust colours exposed. Few washes and further touching in with acrylics and some weathering powders and done! Not my idea by the way but can’t remember where I came across it...

I used the same technique on my Simplex loco - pinched the idea from the wargaming, tank-building community.

Rik

I must have another go at this rust technique. I have tried it in the past but was unhappy with the results. Then again, I'm never happy with my weathering. So much so that I don't bother these days, but perhaps I will have ago on the Wickham when I get that far.

Wonderfully done, as is the stock behind it!

If an exact prototype didn’t exist then it should have. This looks real which is the best testiment to a well-thought out free-lance loco (or anything else for that matter). Nice

Andy S.