2002's 4mm projects - Pacifics +

[S.A.C. Martin]

That does look very nice indeed. The shade of the apple green applied is particularly pleasing.

[2002EarlMarischal]

That does look very nice indeed. The shade of the apple green applied is particularly pleasing.

Thanks Simon, it's good old Phoenix Precision P50 LNER Loco Green (Doncaster shade) (Dull)

As others have said, it's very close to the Hornby colour and I hope to match the loco up to a Hornby NRM Scotsman tender.

[Atlantic 3279]

You've started to me tempted now too! I think apple green with parobolic lining at the front was by far the most attractive A4 livery.

'Course, you've still got to do all of the boiler bands (not too bad) and apply all that lining around the cab (and washout plugs?) on which my views differ little from Mick B's - a pain to apply. Ultra-fine red lining round the valances and in quantity around the tender frames and axleboxes too. Good luck?

[2002EarlMarischal]

Re: Letters, numbers & lining for grey A4 4489 Woodcock:

Try Precision Labels he does commisions and good service

Thanks Mick , I have had a very helpful response from John Peck of Precision Labels:

"If you would like to prepare your own art work in a PDF file with the font included that will work - simply use a word processor or whatever to have in black the lettering you need. Lay it out starting at the top left of a portrait A4 layout, leaving 1.5cm margins all round. Check that it prints exactly as you want it on your own printer and then publish to PDF with the free PDF creation tool you can download on-line to create a virtual "printer" if your application doesn't already have a PDF option. If it doesn't work here you might need to send me the font file too if you can find it."

Took me quite a while but I produced the pdf which I hope he can produce in white!

[52D]

Very interesting EM i await your report on the results.

[mick b]

Jim
Well done, hope it works

[2002EarlMarischal]

Fingers crossed!

Well, back to "Golden Eagle maybe".

I spent what felt like hours stripping a Railroad A4 chassis down in order to swap the red wheels and chunky valve gear etc for apple green lined wheels and fine valve gear sourced from Abbiegales and elsewhere.

What a fiddly exercise, especially when you think you've finished and have to take it apart no less than twice, firstly because youv'e forgotten to swap the longer crankpin from the Railroad rear off-side driving wheel for the flush one supplied with the spare wheels, and secondly because you're assembling it upside down and you realise you've got the longer crank on the near side by mistake!

The pick-ups are a complete pain because they catch in the driving wheel spokes, and the motor doesn't necessarily engage with the gear wheel even though everything seems to be assembled properly!

Oh, and I went to my spares box for the red-lined cartazzi and I found 2 plain black spares, so I'm going to have to order another and slacken things off again to fit.

Finally, the spare green bogie did not have the upward mounted fixing screw/bolt so I had to tap out one from the Railroad bogie, and it was a real bu**er to fit through the hole in the green spare. I realised afterwards that I could have simply prised off the red wheels and slid the green ones on!

After all that, I wasn't expecting the bl**dy thing to run, but guess what - IT DID!

So next job is to order a few spares, and with a bit of luck "Golden Eagle maybe" will have a lined green chassis.

Thankfully, I'm running out of A4 variants to create, though I do have several that will present significant challenges to finish!

[manna]

G'Day Gents

I've been ordering some bit and pieces, over the last couple of months for my up coming A2/3, I've now found that I've enough parts to make another two A1/3's and make the A2/3, Oh decisions, decisions, and I've already got three A1/3's

manna

[60800]

The LMS managed to pull off long front frames with the cylinders set back, but I still think it dosen't look right on the Thompson pacifics

[2002EarlMarischal]

G'Day Gents

I've been ordering some bit and pieces, over the last couple of months for my up coming A2/3, I've now found that I've enough parts to make another two A1/3's and make the A2/3, Oh decisions, decisions, and I've already got three A1/3's

manna

Nice problem to have manna!

Back to Woodcock and its transfers - another mega fast and helpful response from John Peck at Precision Labels:

"Attached reworked PDF with closer spacing to preserve materials and you will see adjusted front numbers with the dash (I assume) under the "o" in "No". If this is OK, please use the payment link, and I'll print that for £10 plus £1.50 P&P for you. There are two choices for "white" ink - normal one pass white and more dense two-pass "White" plus "Opaque White". The former I would think best in this case as the later will be more glaringly white than would appear in the photo."

OK I haven't got them yet or tried to use them, but what service! Very impressed so far - I might even finish a model!!

BTW John's web-site is: http://www.precisionlabels.com

[52D]

Waiting for pics with baited breath.

[2002EarlMarischal]

Well, my specially commissioned white Woodcock transfers have arrived in this morning's post less than 4 days after I sent my initial exploratory message to Precision Labels! Most impressed! Thanks to mick b for the recommendation!

Being white, I can't really post a photo, so one will have to wait until they're on the model.

The only trouble is that the purchasing department (i.e. me) has not caught up with the project plan, and has failed to order in the Vallejo gloss varnish required prior to application. "Heads will roll"!

[2002EarlMarischal]

Woodcock had a couple of coats of Vallejo Gloss Varnish at the weekend, so was ready for transfers today.

The Precision Labels transfer characters were not all perfect and I did not realise initially that the individual letters would not be separate and float/slide off the surface like other transfers I have used. With these you have to cut as close as possible, and whatever transparent film you leave around the figure, goes along as well. That said I don't think that is a problem on a gloss surface.

So I did waste a few characters, or find a few where there was a break in the printing of the letter/number, but I had enough good ones, just! The lining inevitably was a pig to apply, and I will probably replace one or two lengths when I'm less tired.

Anyway, this is the story so far.

I may not try to do the ultra thin white line around the valences or even those on the tender - I think the overall effect is OK and I don't think I'm capable of those anyway!

I have not forgotten the views expressed by members that the cab roof and tender top should perhaps be grey too, or the nameplates should not have a red background. I just don't know how conclusive we can be, so a reasonable representation of the loco may be the best anyone can hope to achieve.

I hope you like it so far! When I have finished tinkering with the lining, I'll seal it with another coat of Vallejo gloss varnish, and then some satin to finish off. I shall be relieved when it's done!

[S.A.C. Martin]

That does look rather handsome. I may have missed this (my apologies), but why are the wheels apple green?

[2002EarlMarischal]

Thanks Simon.

Quote from RCTS Locomotives of the LNER Part 2a, page 117:
"No. 4489 ran in traffic from 4th to 17th May 1937, it was in workshop grey with white lining but without the parabolic curve and, curiously, with green-painted coupled wheel centres."

It kind of narrows the era of operations if running on a layout!!