Atlantic's works: Portable layout update

[Atlantic 3279]

My teak method this time around:

1. Start from the old style Hornby moulded "swirly biscuit colour". Altered/replaced areas of the coach can be given the same starting appearance by painting a streaky finish using Humbrol 29 & 119, both are earthy / woody colours. I tried a few pencil marks in one or two places to try to give the matching look too, but I'm not sure how much that hepled.

2. First "teaking" coat was a thorougly mixed combination of satin varnish, Humbrol 113 brown and Humbrol 69 yellow, producing a colour just a touch yellower than Railmatch 623 "coach teak" with (obviously) less opacity / covering power than pure paint. This was brushed on in the intended direction of the final graining of the coach so that uneven density of coverage was slightly evident but not harsh "false" graining. I used a normal soft paint brush, not a stiffer one. Some of the subtle graining and swirls were deliberateley made to lie slightly obliquely rather than dead-horizontal or dead vertical as wood grain isn't always geometrically perfect! I was lucky with the density of my varnish and paint mixture, as this caot alone provided almost a "new" varnished teak look with and orangey-yellow hint to the basic brown.

3 Top coat was another combination of satin varnish and paint, but the paint this time was Prescison P60 LNER coach teak, and the mixture a bit more transparent/translucent than the first coat. Again, "informal graining" was applied using a soft brush, not necessarily matching the previous hints of graining exactly. You'll notice in some of the photos that the two coats in combination are still translucent to a slight degree, allowing the stronger feataures of the original Hornby "graining" to show through faintly.

That's it! If you use this method, don't for goodness sake try to mix or judge shades or densities under artificial light or under poor daylight. The colour I've achieved looks anything from "new teak orangey" in bright sunshine down to fairly rich milk chocolate in dull conditions, and it is wholly impossible to tell if you are making the mixture too much of a reddish-brown under the light of standard light bulbs, as I've found to my cost on one or two occasions.

Lining is in a primrose yellow straight from a bow-pen, using a precariously balanced ruler as a guide.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Must be frank Graeme when I say that the GN teaks look virtually RTR…seamless transitions there. Are these conversion pieces going to be available as part of your resin range? I've a few of the older teak coaches and, as others have said, it just adds something different and convincing to the rolling stock line up.

I wonder if your V2 mould should be done in one piece though. If you leave it in two pieces, i.e with the smokebox and front running plate separate, and carefully done with the running plate cut, you could make the smokebox from your A1/1 and your Thompson running plate fit as well - two birds with one stone killed for a V2 and a decent A2/1?

The sight of your V2 conversion has stirred the modeller in me somewhat and got me pulling out some V2 bodies I have spare to look at. Does make one think how poor the boiler shape is on Bachmann's V2. A pity as the latest V2s have a superb mechanism.

[Atlantic 3279]

Interesting thoughts Simon. I'll see what I can manage to do to make provision for the A2/1 body option.

[Hucknall Central]

Graeme,
If you were to decide to make your GN Coach conversion mouldings available, I should like to be considered as a customer.
Paul.

[Atlantic 3279]

Hi Paul,

As soon as the current rush to have things ready for the 8th/9th February weekend at Barrow Hill is over, I'll happily re-fill my moulds (as many times as necessary) for clerestory roofs, previously glazed ends, battery boxes and duckets should they be desired. I'll try to work out some realistic costs too. Thanks for expressing an interest. I've a feeling somebody else asked me too, but I can't remember when or where, so if that person is looking at this, please accept my apologies for memory loss and take this as confirmation that I will in due course be happy to oblige.

[Atlantic 3279]

More pictures posted "not quite as I would like" as the operators of Imageshack still don't seem to have sorted out their security certificate fault, despite various pleas and complaints on farcebook...

Progress with the new V2 shell. This is the first sniff of primer, revealing many imperfections needing further smoothing before I add any new details. As can be seen, the body fits successfully on either the old split or new wiper-pick-up Bachmann chassis. The superflous side vents on the A4 cab rood weren't to tricky to eradicate. The shallow skirt linking boiler and running plate will be necessary for casting purposes but at only 5 thou thick it will be possible to either leave it in (and maybe paint it black as if the black sides of the mechanism were exposed) or cut it out with minimal effort. I seriously considered making a proper downard slope and protruding splashers for the inboard portion of the running plate, but that would exaggerated the problem of what can be seen below the boiler when the Bachmann mechanism is used/ Hence all I've done is to represent the angle iron "kerb" bounding the area that ought to be sloping.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Looking good Graeme. In retrospect, it shouldn't be too difficult for one who wants an A2/1 to cut off the front end of a resin V2 body shell and fit your Thompson Pacific parts. Very much looking forward to the finished article, the V2 is one which everybody would like in a better form.

[60526]

In comparison, how did the Nu-Cast V2 body shape up.

[Horsetan]

That basically tells me the Jamieson body was of no use.

[Atlantic 3279]

On Tuesday 7th January....

There's a little more to do, obviously............ I apologise for not using that nice Jamieson brass boiler at this stage. With time limited for production of a proving model to run at Barrow Hill in February, this seemed the easiest way to go.

If the prototype baased on the RTR bodies is a success, Shall I send the Jamieson body back in due course?

[Horsetan]

...If the prototype based on the RTR bodies is a success, shall I send the Jamieson body back in due course?

Keep it. You might still need it as an alternative master in future. It only cost me a tenner.......

[Atlantic 3279]

[mick b]

Very nice, especially the Full Brake.

[Atlantic 3279]

The above picture shows my V2 partially reboilered a few years ago, temporarily paired up yesterday with a tender from a green K3 in order to assess the viability of using this loco to masquerade as Grantham's very own 4772, just in case my newest effort isn't finished in time for Barrow Hill.
The next image should show the loco temporarily renumbered (including currently slightly wonky 7 on this side) by means of a couple of new HMRS figures applied over a home made obliteration patch (Railmatch paint on waterslide paper). I've also narrowed down the previously rather heavy red line on the edges of the running plate, sorted out drawbar arrangements, and changed the shaded yellow letting on the tender to shaded gold to blend in a bit better with the loco. The picture also shows the new body on a new-style chassis, now borrowing 4802's tender....

And here, although not photographed to pro standard, is a better picture of the recent coach conversions which now have all of their lining (yippee!) but still need numbers, dirty roofs and end-bellows. I've only shown two underframes, as the upper pair are alike, ditto the lower pair.

[teaky]

Lovely stuff Graeme. Add me to the list of interested parties for the Grisley conversion bits please.