Garden Railway Forum

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:38 pm Andrew, thanks for the comment, I do enjoy working with Jerry, he is so professional.
MDF has a bad press in some quarters; I prefer it to ply as there is no grain in the surface, which is always over scale and frequently running in the wrong direction.
For preparation I use a filler/primer (two coats) followed by light sanding, then several light top coats. Clear lacquer (gloss) followed by satin and/or matt lacquer to give a finish to your own preference.
Never, repeat.... never sand the MDF before applying paint or sealer as it only roughs the surface and absorbs paint etc. in patches.
I hope this helps.

Thanks Peter, very helpful. Can I check, do you sand the charred edges, where the laser has burned the wood, or just prime them?

Andrew.

Andrew, I do sand the charred edges with very fine wet and dry paper (used dry), as they are more porous than the surface material. In some instances I also use a colour matched acrylic paint to help with disguising them.
I am a lousy teacher I know; when I work I do so on auto pilot without much thought about what I'm doing, and find it difficult to describe, or recall, exactly what I have done.

Those coaches are fantastic Peter! Really capture the look of the early rolling stock. Having never built a coach before, do your paint the main body of the coach and the outer 'layer' separately, then glue the outer 'layer' on top?

Think I'm going to have to fire my laser cutter up and make some!

Yes Jim, separate layers painted individually and attached later.
Somewhere in my ramblings I have tried my best (although not perfectly!) to explain my building and painting methods. It can vary according to materials used, although not much. I have a preference for acrylics in both spray and brush paints, also acrylic lacquer in aerosol form. The comparisons I made whilst constructing the Bug Boxes (from page 150 on my thread) give a clearer story in picture form.

I am very pleased with the appearance of my 'Rocket' style coaches, especially with the grasshopper loco. However, the locomotive, like several I have from my early exhibition days, has a Lima motor bogie in the tender which was originally track powered. The loco therefore has no battery pack, or room to fit one, so I have decided to add the necessary control equipment in one of the coaches.
This has another advantage in that my original power wagon, which was not in period with the train, and added extra weight, can now be used elsewhere. Without it the little locomotive manages far better, as well as looking the part..... I have had to strip out one compartment completely in order to get the 10 AA battery pack, Rx and various connectors and wiring inside..... To conceal it all I made a false floor with seating attached which just lifts out.... .....which covers all of the gubbins.... The various connectors and switches are not too conspicuous.....

That is a really lovely little train, Peter, brilliant!

Nice Peter. Like the way you have hid the gubbins. Very clever.
Love the train also, it just looks so right....

Early railway stock has real charm and you have made lovely models

Don

I have built lots of rolling stock lately but made no modifications or improvements to the railway itself, until now!
There was an area which was underused and often overgrown which was ripe for development, so I decided to turn it into a larger station serving the main line, instead of running into a terminus. The old station platform, leading to a run-round and engine shed etc. can become a goods yard and the new station will be adjacent to the car park, avoiding passengers having to cross the running lines, much better!
To begin I had to dig out the planting and take up rocks from the line-side..... A new hardcore base pressed firmly in place.... Rocks sited further back from the platform and a concrete mix poured and levelled in position.... The next job will be to fix slate edging blocks to the platform edge, but it hasn't been suitable weather to do that, so, more to follow!

Always good to see a bit of civil engineering under way. It sounds like it will add both operational and scenic interest.

Rik

Can't wait to see your new larger station Peter. Wondering what you are going to put there.

Will it be a new station...

Between the recent showers, this is Wales you know!, I have managed to cut all of the necessary slate blocks from old roofing slates, which will form the platform edging and paving around the station building..... It is now too late, too dark and too wet to continue, but I hope I can get some adhesive mixed tomorrow to set them in place.
The buildings themselves are being transferred from another site on the line; they looked too grand for the location, so are simply uprooted, just as preservation railways do in real life!
The small waiting shelter and the ticket office from the terminus car park will now be put in place of these on the other platform.

Fantastic! Those buildings look perfect there...

I like the ability to shake things up a bit too - two of my stations are now on their third building...

Love the Rocket train Peter, absolutely fantastic modelling!

Looks great already, Peter. The buildings will provide an attractive backdrop to that part of the railway.

Rik

You have done a brilliant job again Peter. Looks so much like an heritage station which is going to get very busy soon....Hopefully.

Due to the extremely bad wet and windy weather here, and elsewhere I'm sure, there has been no further progress on the station site, however, another 'special' kit from Jerry Irwin has kept me occupied. This is another addition to my early train to go with the 'Rocket' coaches. It is based on the Open 3rd. carriage, reduced in length as were the others. The kit is laser cut from MDF, including the overlays..... Two sets of overlays are used, inside and out, to show the panelling. These are painted separately and attached later.
The floor panels are particularly good and not usually supplied by most manufacturers, but in this instance an important feature.... The usual chassis is included, along with ball-race axle bearings as standard. All Jerry's vehicles roll freely and smoothly... This time I have hand-painted everything using 'Citadel' acrylics, they give a finish equal to spray painting but without all of the masking required.... I think this kit, along with the others, are particularly well timed to add to the market as Hornby are releasing their Open 3rd. coach later this year to go with their '00' Rocket re-release, which has proved so popular it has sold out!

Another great build, Peter. Those slatted seats really stand out well in the open topped coach.

Rik

Another great kit build Peter. Like it a lot.

Very nice! I particularly like the internal detail...

Are you planning on installing any figures appropriate to the era? I fear they might be a little tricky to source!