Trumpeter 1/35 BR-52 Steifrahmentender

[Madhatter]

Hi everyone

Well, with the Astro Carrier all but finished (I hopefully pick up the cast bridge section tonight and it'll be done), and the added inspirational timing of Amanda's BR86, I thought I would start my BR52 in parallel.

Like Bangle, I have the Eduard "big Ed" PE set, resin and plastic nuts and bolts, the LZ upgrade set (Less the generator), some 1/35 Scaled coal, some Grain of Wheat bulbs to maybe light it up (I know - surprise surprise), some hex shaped styrene rod, and a heap of various sized wires for added detail. I even bought a PE folding tool - mind you, this will be the second time I've ever really used a full on PE set before and I have no idea on how to use this tool effectively, but I'll have a go. Whats the worst that can happen?....... famous last words

I am yet to decide on which scheme to paint it in. I do like the grey and yellow splinter, but I feel it could be better. So, as I often do, I am also thinking up a plausible What if kind of scheme. Maybe some kind of tri-color forest splinter scheme. There were 6000+ of these machines made, so who knew what they did with ALL of them? That's all I'm saying.....

What ever the scheme, it won't be black and red.

I still love Mic Bradshaw's What-if winter scheme - that just looked so many types of awesome and it was the trigger pull for my hankering to buy and build this kit.

Anyway, I am off to a slow start here, maintaining my spot in the "slowest builders" category. I've added some bolts to the axle surrounds and the top of the frame. The absence of any decent pictures of this type of tender make it hard to get proper detail., Unlike the the engine, the tender gets no photographic loving, so one must decide to add detail even if it may not be there solely for aesthetics. In other words, I just put them there because I thought they looked cool (It's my model and I'll do what I like with it )

However, I do want this build to hold some connection to reality, so I won't be doing that kind of thing too much on this build. Just down here where no one will look much.....

Mind you if it's wayyyy off and never could have possibly happened and there is photographic proof, then I will remove the offending part/s

Mostly putting together some of the smaller substructures, including making a base to hold the real coal in place. I cut away at the supporting braces where the cruddy molded "coal" would sit to lower the base.

Don't worry, I have already filled in those huge Ejector Pin marks - I just didn't photograph that insanely interesting piece of modelling that no one has ever seen before...

And the start of the wheels. I painted them using Alclad Airframe Aluminum and are currently being rusted up. Yes, I am going to try this hairspray technique for the very first time. So I thought the back wheels would be a good test subject - they are the easiest thing to strip and respray normally if things go horribly wrong

Well, that's all for now. If anyone has links to good photos of the tender, please feel free to share.

Thanks everyone

Si

[snapper_city]

Should be interesting. You have made a nice start.

[bangle]

Nice start! How about this for a scheme?

http://www.2iemeguerre.com/restauration/br52.htm

I wouldn't be without my folding tool, it's proved invaluable for my BR86 build so far. I'll be interested to see how the hairspray thing turns out, i've seen it done but never tried it myself so it will be interesting to see what effect you get. Keep up the good work!

Amanda

[Madhatter]

Yes, I've seen that scheme as well and was quite taken by it, but I have the wrong tender type for that particular engine. The CMK one is more than what I paid for the engine, so that's out.

Your off to a ripping start with your 86. You'll be done before I even get to the engine!

[bangle]

True, that's a shame, i'm sure you'll find something you like. Tarnanstrich is a good word if you haven't tried it already.

For me it was an easy choice, I love the black and red one

[sinnerboy]

couple of questions mate, where do you get hex styrene from & what size do you use?

ok three questions - how do you make the bolt heads? slice with a knife or saw & how do you get a consistent thickness...ok four questions or is that five?

TIA

Rick

[Madhatter]

No worries, more than happy to answer your questions

I bought some 1mm hex rod from a hobby shop here in Melbourne. I've forgotten e brand name but it's not evergreen.

I slice them up with a razor blade. As for getting a uniform length, most of it is done by eye. Any bigger ones just get filed down once positioned and dried. Easy. Just tedious...

Hope that helps

MH

Edited March 27, 2014 by Madhatter

[Madhatter]

greetings everyone

Well, things are now wrapping up with the carrier, so I am now able to start putting in some time on this.

I have found some reference pics (of sorts) that show I had the axle surround nuts in the wrong place and too many of them, so I had to carefully pick off the ones attached there, clean up the surface and then reattach some of the surviving nuts in the correct place.

So once that was done, it was time to turn my attention to painting and weathering the inside of the chassis. I figure it's better to do it now rather than wait until it's all together. Besides, it was a good chance for me to practice my rusting skills, which I am sorry to say are sadly lacking. It's a good things this is the inside and not clearly visible!

The shiny stuff in the wheels won't stay shiny for long.

And on to the construction of the coal box. Very basic stuff here and not very exciting I'm afraid:

And lastly, the PE stuff:

Eduard didn't exactly out do themselves with the amount of extra detail you can add here. Never mind. Some is better than none I guess...

Please let me know what you think of my rusting. I'd love to know if I missed the mark or it looks passable

Cheers

MH

[Madhatter]

some more progress today. I have sort of finished the inside of the chassis, I just need to lay on a misting of an earthy color to blend it all in a bit. I won't go as much on the side you can see as that would be more regularly maintained and more looked after. The insides didn't get too much loving back then

I realise I may have not quite got it right but it is a practice of sorts. I've never weathered a train before so reference pics are full on but none of them ever show the insides of the chassis, so I am making it up. I am trying to use the right sort of rust treatment for the surface it's rusting. Some more info on that aspect of this engine would be greatly appreciated

Lastly, got the wheels done. Again,not sure if I hit the mark though:

Well, your opinions are very much sought after - especially before I start the parts you can really see. Critique is very much invited

Cheers

MH

[bangle]

I'm not really much of an expert on loco modelling, only having done one myself but from the pictures I have in which Libor took (I got his pictures CD with my resin), the frame actually seems to be quite well painted. The rust seems to appear along seams and crevices and is very much in the direction of gravity, with streaks of rust on the paintwork where water has been dripping. Now the thing I don't know is, how representative this is of a working loco. The particular loco in question (the pale grey 86) appears to have been a static for a very long time.

What I do know from looking at 86 333 is that overall there is a lot of grease and plenty of black sooty bits. On the muckier side of things the dirt appears to stick to the locos pretty much like dust on any surface does.

I hate to say this but I also agree with you on the wheels, I think the rust around the edges is just too orange somehow (unless that's the light). I really like your rusting on your frames though, it looks really realistic and would be excellent for modelling an abandoned loco. It may be a little too rusty for a working loco though. Of course, not having any evidence other than the photos I have, I may be completely wrong about this and would certainly advise seeking other more knowledgeable opinions than mine!

I have managed to find a picture that may interest you though, it has a fairly good view of the front of the frame.

http://www.krefeld.de/c125747a0021daea/files/dampflok.jpg/$file/dampflok.jpg?openelement

Libor's thread also has some of the pictures of the 86 frame i'm referring to

http://www.armorama.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=146573

I'm very much enjoying your build and am looking forward to seeing more updates.

Edited April 1, 2014 by bangle

[Brad]

Good start. It took me 3 years to build mine. I dunno if your kit is the same, but mine had every single sprue misaligned so every part had to be cleaned up, drove me insane.

[Madhatter]

thanks for the pics and your opinion Amanda Gratefully received

I agreed about the wheels and removed the offending pigments. That's the great thing about pigments - a water wash will remove it all and you can go back a step without the hassle of redoing everything.

As you can see, I am really beginning to warm to pigments and will now start expanding my stock

I forgot to paint one of the braces which hold the 2 halves together, so I am currently waiting for it to dry. The brakes are also in the process of being painted, so between them they have halted me for the night.

I decided to see if the wheels went OK with the frame. This is what it looks like almost together:

And this side has stayed paint free until it is assembled. It won't look nearly as weathered as the inside.

I have a brief but plausible back story pegged which basically goes along the lines of:

At the end of WW2, the Germans were making their last stand. They recalled back to Berlin as many fighting vehicles as they could.

At an abandoned rail works in a forest somewhere in Germany, an overly sentimental Train driver and an over zealous SS officer decide/order a crew to cobble back together a battle damaged BR 52 into fighting/drivable condition, after being beat to pooh by a Russian fighter, by salvaging as many useable parts from other destroyed and damaged engines found in the convenient location of where they were. The rest is just details.

So basically, I'm aiming for my engine to be a Frankenstein like BR52 but repainted into something different. Sort of a "last salute" kinda thing.

As you can plainly read, my story telling isn't exactly up there with Clive Custler or Andy McNab, but I just needed a plausible excuse to do the paint job I have in mind

It'll also be outfitting with an AA gun on the back of the tender. I know - not exactly original but it looks awesome!

Anyway, that's all, I'm off to bed as I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm stuffed.

Still open to constructive feedback

Kind regards

MH

[Madhatter]

Good start. It took me 3 years to build mine. I dunno if your kit is the same, but mine had every single sprue misaligned so every part had to be cleaned up, drove me insane.

Oh yeah - I have all those issues as well. Ejector pin marks everywhere you don't expect them. Oh well, if you didn't get to do this it just wouldn't be fun

Ahh, thank you Trumpeter....

[bangle]

I have a brief but plausible back story pegged which basically goes along the lines of:

At the end of WW2, the Germans were making their last stand. They recalled back to Berlin as many fighting vehicles as they could.

At an abandoned rail works in a forest somewhere in Germany, an overly sentimental Train driver and an over zealous SS officer decide/order a crew to cobble back together a battle damaged BR 52 into fighting/drivable condition, after being beat to pooh by a Russian fighter, by salvaging as many useable parts from other destroyed and damaged engines found in the convenient location of where they were. The rest is just details.

So basically, I'm aiming for my engine to be a Frankenstein like BR52 but repainted into something different. Sort of a "last salute" kinda thing.

As you can plainly read, my story telling isn't exactly up there with Clive Custler or Andy McNab, but I just needed a plausible excuse to do the paint job I have in mind

It'll also be outfitting with an AA gun on the back of the tender. I know - not exactly original but it looks awesome!

Anyway, that's all, I'm off to bed as I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm stuffed.

Still open to constructive feedback

Kind regards

MH

Nice story! I'm glad it wasn't much of a pain for you to change the wheels, it really is a big improvement that you've made. They match the weathering on your frames so well. I look forward to seeing some more!

[Madhatter]

Thank you, glad it looks the part

I think I'll have to look at getting my thread moved to the armor section as this project is pointing more toward that arena.

More is the shame because I think it's quite cool having the 2 big trains being built simultaneously in the same forum but I should stick to protocol and put it in its correct area.

[bangle]

I think I'll have to look at getting my thread moved to the armor section as this project is pointing more toward that arena.

More is the shame because I think it's quite cool having the 2 big trains being built simultaneously in the same forum but I should stick to protocol and put it in its correct area.

I suppose it really should, I don't really think my build falls particularly neatly into any of the WIP threads which is why I chose vehicles. Maybe armour would have been the better choice.

[Pete in Lincs]

Other Modelling Genres

Locos, Trains and Layouts

This bit could be what you are looking for.

[Madhatter]

Funny enough, I have actually posted questions in that forum but forgot about it when I started. Unfortunately, I think a lot of people also forget its there, which is why i'll most likely put it in armor - it will most probably get some traffic there

[Madhatter]

greetings one and all

Well, here I am in the armour section - I have to admit, I have never once in my whole time building ever posted a WIP in this section. I've built one tank (Tamiya M60A3) and, if it counts, the Aliens APC. I hope to learn a lot about weathering here!

Minimal update tonight - I have spent most of my time finishing the Battle Carrier

The tender chassis is built and I am currently waiting for the base shade of rust to dry on the outside. I won't go as crazy here because from what I've seen of active 52's, they were kept up relatively well. I will do a few old scratched here and there - mostly near the top and a few around the axle housings.

Like I said - minimal

On a side note - I was a bit naughty today and bought the K5 to go with this. I am also looking at a couple of the LZ flatbed cars to - although they are a bit pricey - but seemingly worth it. Maybe one day - if my wallet doesn't kill me in my sleep...

Mind you - I have absolutely no idea where I would display both kits! I think the K5 will sit in the pile for a while until I move into a warehouse..

Has anyone got any references what so ever on the braking system of the tender? I have spent at least 2 hours straight on the net looking for pics or even a diagram, but struck out completely. If I had any hair, I would pull it out.. It's enough to make a man go bald! Any help would be greatly appreciated - both from me and my hair

Cheers

MH

Oh yeah - before I forget, what kind of guns did they place on the back of the tender?

Edited April 7, 2014 by Madhatter

[bangle]

This might help, it's got some nice pics of the tender

http://www.drehscheibe-foren.de/foren/read.php?17,5852699

I suspect you might be looking for this type of brakes

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druckluftbremse_%28Eisenbahn%29

but there's an article on other types here

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremse_%28Eisenbahn%29#Klotzbremse

This site may or may not be useful too

http://dlok.dgeg.de/74.htm

At the very least you might be able to find some good search terms.

[Stu]

Hi,

Trumpeter appear to have left out the tender brakes, probably because they weren't really visible. On the third pic showing the tender underframe detail you can make out the brake block through the holes in the frame. Lord knows how you adjusted or changed the blocks....

German loco's were air braked and a bit of light (!) reading make help if you need to find out more.

Here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_brake

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_air_brake

HTH

Stu

[Madhatter]

thanks for the links guys - hugely appreciated. I wish I knew how to read German - it would make things so much easier - but the pictures speak volumes fortunately. I will try to use a translator later when I have more free time to read everything.

I can't think why my Google searches didn't yield those kinds of results - I even tried searching under different terms and phrases but got nothing of use.

Very annoying

Thanks again guys

MH

[Madhatter]

Gidday folks - it's a glorious Monday here in Melbourne today – perfect for modelling and I'm feeling pretty darned good!

Which is surprising given how this friggin tender is giving me the irks!

I have base painted the chassis now and am beginning the weathering process. I don't want to go overboard with it. I want it to look like it's had a relatively new coat of paint maybe a year old or so. The Germans used pretty crap paint during WW2 and it faded pretty quickly, so that's how I'll TRY to replicate it.

Almost all the external details are now on. Eduard give you a rear cover but it's too short in terms of breadth, and I have no idea on how I'll fix it - if indeed I do. I kinda like the idea that it was a quick replacement for a damaged part and not quite right. I'm pretty sure a lot of that happened during the war.

Eduard also short changes you with the electrical boxes that go with the lights. I was one short, so I had to rip the one off the back of the coal box and use that one, whilst replacing that one with a scratched one for the coal box.

So, time for some pics. First up, the almost finished chassis:

Up front, you can see I've used some copper wire to replicate a hose that goes into the box on the side (something which I found on an old photo):

The detailing on the rear of the tender is now done:

And how it looks overall as of now:

Still a looooong way to go yet!

I'm still torn on what kind of camo to do for it - splinter or normal. I think a splinter camo would certainly look cool, but so would a normal style camo. Ah, decisions decisions... the joys of modelling and modellers block!

The grey is actually darker that what the pics show you. It just goes to show that you can have the fanciest camera in the world, but it's only as good as it's user!

Well, must go and do some modelling instead of typing. Will update again soon

Till then

MH

Edited April 14, 2014 by Madhatter

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Sweet.....It's Von Hatter's Express!

Big choo-choos seem to be all the rage on here at the moment.....Amazing paintwork on the thingies (What do you call those bits?), the worn paint & rusted metal effect is incredibly realistic.

[Madhatter]

lol - seems that way doesn't it?

Question for all of you out there: would a tri-colour 3 dimensional splinter scheme be a bit too outrageous and wrong for a WW2 steam loco?