Trumpeter 1/35 BR-52 Steifrahmentender

[Madhatter]

Well, the chassis is all but finished. I still need to paint the dangly things on the rear bumper (my knowledge of correct terminology is bloody terrible - sorry) and the new buffers.

I did take some pics of the chassis but I can't seem to get the white balance right - the pics make it look washed out. In reality the weathering is subtle and not so obvious.

I am really happy with how it's come out - especially given it's my very first time trying out this rusting effect.

As I touched on before, my RB Models buffers arrived on Wednesday and I have to say - they are just gorgeous. They even have little springs in them that make them work. A bit of a toy-ish gimmick but still pretty cool. Easy to assemble as well.

I am not in the process of filing back the molded on backing which is a PITA because everything is already painted. Oh well.

On a side note, next week, the wife goes away for 2 whole weeks - so that's some serious bench time right there! I so can't wait!! I reckon I'll be able to get the main frame built and detailed in that time and might even make a start on the boiler tonight.

Quick edit: forgot to include shots of the RB Buffers!

What you get in each set:

The globe buffers:

the flat ones:

Altogether now:

luckily, I only have to do minor touch up paint work on the rear bumper.

Thanks for stopping in

MH

Edited April 18, 2014 by Madhatter

[Madhatter]

Well, I have finished the base painting of the tender - but before I begin the weathering process, I want your opinion. Is this scheme OK or very wrong? I would like to know now before I invest any more time in to this scheme because if it is wrong, then I can strip it back and respray it boring grey or black. I have yet to fade the green out more, but that'll be done soon.
Does this look WW2-ish or not at all?

Thanks for your opinions guys

MH

[Will Vale]

This should be worth seeing, your attention to detail on the space stuff is great and there should be plenty of room to go to town on a big Kriegslok. Personally I'd be terrified to attempt one of these.

I think that your rust might still be a bit OTT - from what I've seen you don't get much fresh rust on the running gear of locos and wagons because it gets covered by brake dust and dust generally, and tends to weather to a fairly uniform brown. I suspect the uniformity is because everything's spinning. I'd mist a suitable "track colour" paint over the front and rear faces of the wheels - I like Vallejo Brown Leather for this - so you can see a hint of your rust for interest, but not too much. You might want to do the same with the tender side frames but maybe as a final step at the end of the build to bring it all together?

I'm also not sure that the backs of your wheel flanges should be shiny - the wheel tread and flange inside are kept clean by wear on the track (same reason the rail heads are shiny) but unless the tender brakes bear on the rear of the flanges they should be the same browny colour as everything else. I don't know for sure where the brake blocks are on this tender so take that with a pinch of salt.

Cheers,

Will (lapsed railway modeller)

[bangle]

I love your scheme very much! As to being ww2 like I have no room to comment, I really don't have a clue, but my imagination says it's a plausible wartime scheme. Your painting skills are excellent, I like the variation of shades within the colour. I wish I was that good!

[streetfighterjeff]

the colours look great, really nice. dont know if you know this technique for the big flat surfaces, but this iswhat use in 1/16 rc tanks. use small blobs of dirt couloured oil paint, and i mean small, along the top of the flat surfaces and with a soft , flat brush loaded with white spirit drag it down in the direction of gravity. be very subtle and it looks just like a dirty, rainwashed surface, but i would practice first. you could also try flooding the surface with spirit before you add the oil paint. dont know if that helps, or if you already knew it.

jeff

[Madhatter]

thanks guys and thanks for the great tips both Will and Jeff. I'll be taking care of the wheels as you mentioned I am going to spray a light misting of an earthen color from the bottom upward anyway, but the wheels I hadn't thought of.

Jeff, I am using acrylics, so I guess I would need to spray on a flat coat first to seal it all in before I take to it with white spirits and oil paint? I don't actually have any oil paints, so I'll have to go buy some. Any particular colors I should look for? I have seen that method you described, but have never implemented it. The sides I get, but what about the top. I am assuming that the direction of flow would be backward in line with general movement of the loco?

Any hints like that I am all for - I have never modeled a Steam Loco (or any train engine for that matter), so I am using real pics to try and get a feel for it.

Will, mate, you should have a crack at one of these engines they're not as scary as you think (say's me who is only up to the tender - the easy bit!) I reckon you'd do a bang up job with your paint skills!

MH

[streetfighterjeff]

when i did my King Tiger i used tamiya paints then overcoated it with hairspray. its all holding up well. i just used cheap oils from the works(i think). any sort of dirty colour will do, all you are really putting on is a type of filter. next time you are near anywhere with heavy equiptment, take a few pics, nothing better than seeing real weathering. lots easier than trying to imagine it.

jeff

p.s the results are really quick and very effective. i'll try and get some close up pics later, got to go easter family visiting.

[Will Vale]

I'd suggest that stuff generally flows downward on the sides (even from the top of the boiler) and pools on the top. Definitely check prototype pictures for streaking in other directions - you do see it, but it tends to be very specific things. Trains don't go that fast (especially WW2 heavy freight locos!)

You don't strictly need a barrier coat to use enamels/oils over acrylics as the paint chemistry is different, but you might want to use a thin layer of acrylic gloss (e.g. Klear) to seal and smooth the surface. Otherwise the oils/enamels can stain the surface and be really hard to clean up or blend.

HTH,

Will

[Madhatter]

cool - thanks guys - your help is definitely appreciated and taken on board

I have sprayed the track dirt from the bottom upward:

There is actually paint on the backs of the wheels - but it is a light coating.

the buffers have been sprayed rust, then hair-sprayed then base coated ready for chipping. Will wait a bit for the paint to finish drying more before I do that:

Hopefully, that will help blend it in more. It does to my eyes, but I am not a train modeler, so I can't really say for sure.

Thanks for stopping in

MH

[Will Vale]

Looks really good to me.

[tommy1drop]

Love these Trumpy trains, looking forward to seeing more

Tom

[Madhatter]

thanks guys

Well, the wife and the boy have disappeared for 2 weeks now, so I'm hoping to put some serious bench time into this - provided I don't run out of steam - pardon the proverbial pun.

I have finished painting the tender now after having spent some time darkening the edges of the greens and highlighting the middle sections in an attempt to give the illusion of depth. Well, that was the aim, but I am no Picasso, so I leave it to you to judge for yourselves if you think I achieved that or not.

Personally, I am actually really happy with it! Once it's dried more, I'll flat coat it then weather it, but not before reattaching the things I broke off! I have no excuse for my clumsiness....

Well, that's it for now, but I have made a start of the sanding inside the main engine chassis. I'm going to get started in that tonight, so until then!

Thanks for stopping in

MH

[elmarriachi]

Looking great. The weathering on the wheels is fantastic.... great job!

Michael

[Madhatter]

thanks Michael - greatly appreciated.

I've had a minor a issue with the tender paint work after I sprayed Humbrol's Acrylic Matt Varnish over it. The top part has gone very faded and almost milky but not the sides?! I have no idea why it has done that, but in a positive twist to it, it has kind of added to the effect that makes it look sun faded and foot worn. With exception to some misting on the back side of the tender, I might leave it like that. Effect by fluke - my way of modelling!

I have spent most of today detailing the main chassis - adding the bolts and plates that Trumpeter missed. It took nearly an hour in total just cutting hex chips for the nut heads. I have kept a uniform measurement but placement is all done by eye - I didn't end up making a template like I have seen on other builds. It just didn't work for me.

Anyways, I'm happy with how the 2 sides have come out. They look like my reference pics so that's all that matters

I have also moved out of my man cave and have liberated the dining table - where I have a great view of the TV and can put on movies whilst I build. So much more room!!However, I can't get used to it, so I'll enjoy it while I can

Well, that's all for now, see you again soon

thanks for looking in

MH

[Paul Ayrey]

Really impressive work so far, look forward to seeing more!

[Madhatter]

It was a cracker of a day here today - sun was out, it wasn't to hot or to cold - it was just right - so what did I do? I spent most of that day inside building. Makes no sense does it?!

So what do I have to show for my wasted day? A fair bit I think

I spent a fair while modifying the plate that holds the brake assembly on it's back and I am happy with how it came out. The frame is now put together and I'll spray the inside or it tomorrow.

Time for some pics I think:

Also added some oil lines (or at least that's what I believe they are) up front:

Need to go to a hobby shop on the other side of the city tomorrow to buy some more hex rod, so it's off for an hour long drive to Cheltenham in the AM. God I hope they have the sizes I want in stock - other wise it will be an entirely wasted trip. Well, to help combat that aspect, I'll also pick up some more paint whilst I'm there, plus some other bits and bobs.

Thanks for stopping by

Till then

MH

Edited June 8, 2014 by Madhatter

[streetfighterjeff]

still looking good, but you are not going to get much modeling done with that x box controller. put down call of duty. lol

[Madhatter]

Well, I have been slowly bumbling along on this build, but I haven't done as much as I would have liked - mostly through distraction. Bloody Xbox....

I have put together the boiler and am beginning the detailing stages. I have decided against using the Eduard cap covers (or what ever they're called) as I didn't really see the point of using them. I will use the locking mechanism though - it's a nice touch.

I've also begun closer inspection of the LZ parts and some things are just way over sized - or at least they appear to be. Not even sure the whistle even looks like a whistle. If it is - it's a tad big!

I'll do some pics of that stuff later when I have more to show you

In the mean time, I have all but finished the tender now - I have weathered it to show it's been put into service from an industrial area - so lots of coal dust and the under side shows dried mud and operational dirt. That part was listed very lightly upward, so it's really only highly visible when you look at it from that angle - other wise, you barely notice it - which is exactly what I was going for. I'm really happy with how it's turned out and am becoming more confident in my painting ability -which I have constantly maintained is my weakest ability.

excuse the weird white balance of the pictures - it's a cloudy day here and not conducive to photography.

there are a couple of this to fix up - mostly at the front where the frame doesn't actually meet the box section. Not sure if that's bad engineering or bad building - most likely the later I think. Anyway, it's an easy fix

Well, must be going but I'll keep chugging on and continue to wait patiently for my replacement hex rod.

Till then

MH

[Will Vale]

The tender looks very nice - I like the smooth airbrush work blending in the patchy weathering, neither would be as good apart as they are together, if that makes sense.

Hope you don't mind a suggestion (I'd hate to put you off your process) but the contrast might be a little high on top - maybe some dust or discolouration or something as part of a later weathering pass? It could be the photo though since it's not apparent from the lower angle shots.

Cheers,

W

[Madhatter]

thanks Will

Yes, I agree with you about the top and No, I don't mind at all for a suggestion - I have yet to discolor that part as I had only just finished respraying it after the whiting incident.

I'm going to put on an AA gun on the top, so I'll have to think about foot traffic weathering etc as well.

[Will Vale]

Cool! That'll definitely be interesting to see.

[Madhatter]

I have just seen a brand new super glue run stain on the very front of the tender I used what I thought was a drop to secure the box to the chassis - but it ran and I didn't see it until now. Really not happy - I have no idea on how I am supposed to fix it either. - but I will
I've taken what I think are better shots, so I thought I would up date them - excluding the glue stain

I also made a lens for the light at the rear using a small cut of clear sprue, dipped in future and then glued onto a chip of white styrene giving it a better look:

I'll do something similar for the other 2 lights there.

Anyways, thanks for looking

MH

[bangle]

I've also begun closer inspection of the LZ parts and some things are just way over sized - or at least they appear to be. Not even sure the whistle even looks like a whistle. If it is - it's a tad big!

I have also found one of the LZ parts to be way over scale for the BR86 so it's probably not just you. For mine it was a part of the lighting system, the part was very obviously over scale by quite a way so I just stuck with the molding on the kit, which was very small itself so didn't really need super detailing anyway.

I like your lighting solution, it looks really good!

[Madhatter]

HI and thanks Amanda

Gosh, I'm sorry for my delayed reply - I have been so lazy lately.... no excuse

I've done some work on this - but not a lot. Mostly putting the boiler together and some of the frame work, but in all honesty - I've done pretty much nothing.

However, I have done something which is good. I'm going to try and finish off the sand taps tonight and if they come out OK, I'll take some snaps.

The frame is quite bad really. A lot of sanding required and I'm still not done!

Well, must go, but I'll be back again with an update

Thanks again to everyone who's been watching

MH

[Madhatter]

hi all

Well, I have finally got my hands on some more hex rod - it's only been over a month since I ran out! And to top it off, I didn't even get it from the only store in Melbourne who stock it - a mate gave them to me instead. I put in the order over a month ago and they haven't contacted me or anything. Obviously they don't want my business - which if fine by me. I'm going to buy the RP Toolz hex punch set so I can make uniform height nuts.

I'm still working on the Galactica as well - 2 major projects at the same time...hmmmm - will see how long THAT lasts

Well, since I got the rod, I haven't done much on it. Here's where I am currently up to:

Airlines have been added up front and so has the small electrical box by the front bumper (still to add the lights and wires to them which I'll try and do tonight)

and I have had to add some strip styrene to the boiler supports so the boiler actually sits on the supports as opposed to hovering over them these still need some sanding and shaping to get them right:

Well, that's all for now. I just have to go back through my above posts and relink the original pics after I moved them in photophucket

Thanks for looking

MH