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Scratch Build of 1951 Pullman Carriage


hendie

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What loveliness... the panelling on the inside of the roof is ... is... well, a great idea 🙂 

 

Being near the finish always give me an extra boost of energy, and that's after a couple of weeks or months... I can't imagine how you must be feeling after all this time!

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Alan, I've solved your display cabinet problem. What you need is an oven with a glass door. Put the carriage on the turntable, and mount the roof on the Rottisserie. It will all revolve and be displayed to the delight of your audience.

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Looks fantastic, Alan. Like Jeroen said. You’re probably happy to have it nearly finished, but what will you do then. After so many years it must leave you with a feeling of “emptiness”. Although there maybe many neglected chores that you have to do around the house😏

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You know at some point you are going to run out of bits to add Alan.

"The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in with a portion of chips, you could hear the vinegar sizzle on them." (Sid Waddell)

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On 8/23/2020 at 1:45 AM, Pete in Lincs said:

We're nearly there. Wow!

 

sucks in breath and holds...

 

On 8/23/2020 at 2:47 AM, CedB said:

Wow indeed! Gorgeous, as always :) 

 

ta Ced!

 

On 8/23/2020 at 2:59 AM, JeroenS said:

What loveliness... the panelling on the inside of the roof is ... is... well, a great idea 🙂 

 

Being near the finish always give me an extra boost of energy, and that's after a couple of weeks or months... I can't imagine how you must be feeling after all this time!

 

a bit strange to be honest. 

 

On 8/23/2020 at 4:58 AM, bentwaters81tfw said:

Alan, I've solved your display cabinet problem. What you need is an oven with a glass door. Put the carriage on the turntable, and mount the roof on the Rottisserie. It will all revolve and be displayed to the delight of your audience.

 

:rofl2:

 

On 8/23/2020 at 8:30 AM, Pouln said:

Looks fantastic, Alan. Like Jeroen said. You’re probably happy to have it nearly finished, but what will you do then. After so many years it must leave you with a feeling of “emptiness”. Although there maybe many neglected chores that you have to do around the house😏

 

oh there's plenty of chores. I don't think I'll ever run out of those.  Unlike white paint!

 

On 8/23/2020 at 3:11 PM, Svedberg said:

With that paneling you managed to make the ceiling look fantastic! A truly great idea!

 

Thanks Svedberg

 

On 8/24/2020 at 3:54 PM, TheBaron said:

You know at some point you are going to run out of bits to add Alan.

"The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in with a portion of chips, you could hear the vinegar sizzle on them." (Sid Waddell)

 

4 bits left. No... eight... wait... none!!!

 

On 8/24/2020 at 4:52 PM, giemme said:

Well, that was a heck and a half of an update! :worthy: :clap: :clap:

 

Ciao 

 

Thanks G

 

A busy week prevented me from descending into the basement - that plus a whole lot of "cannae be bothered" this week for some reason. But the weekend comes around as it does most weeks, and on Friday night I couldn't be bothered either.

It got worse as I only managed to get half the grass cut yesterday before getting hit with a huge thunderstorm - which means that the grass cutting now hangs over me like a large dark cloud until I get it done - but it chucked it down again today so I sauntered off doon the basement.

First order of the day was to splat some brown/umber on the ends - a bit of a cheat, but this way the white will still follow the lines of the actual roof and the brown will hopefully fade into the background.  I doubt it will ever be looked at from this angle anyways.

 

P8230001.jpg

 

First pass of white paint.

 

P8230002.jpg

 

Then on the second pass as I was turning the roof around my grip slipped and the roof fell against my shirt.  Oh flip I muttered. 

 

P8230003.jpg

 

The main problem with the roof is it's sheer size. - Just over 600 mm long (2 foot'ish) and just over 80 mm (3 inch'ish) wide and since I am painting the entire top surface the only way I can hold it is by resting it upon my hand - and remember, I'm waving around a live airbrush in my other hand. So it's two arms waving around one balancing and turning, while the other tries to aim at the roof and not spill paint all over myself.  I'm not good at this multi-tasking malarkey.

 

giphy-3.gif

 

It could have been a lot worse - it wouldn't have been the first time I had dropped a model onto the floor while painting - though thankfully I haven't done that for a while now.

Rather than panic and try to rescue anything at this point, I sat it down, walked away and left it for a while. Once the paint hardened sufficiently I gave it a quick micromesh and smoothed it all out.

That allowed me to start applying the next coat.. until I ran out of white paint again!!!

 

Fortune was smiling on me this time though as I got enough coverage  and could call it a day. 

 

P8290011.jpg

 

There's still a few small gaps around the rain guides but I've applied some diluted PVA to close those up.

 

Now it was time for those last pieces of this six year jigsaw puzzle.  The brass channel got a lick of white paint (some dregs in the bottom of the jar)

 

P8230004.jpg

 

Then super-glued in position - after careful and repeated measuring to make sure they were centered.  Then just to close up any gaps that may be showing from the side, I glued small strips onto the roof adjacent to the verticals.

 

P8290012.jpg

 

I then spent about 15 minutes trying to find the tread-plates I had shaped a few weeks ago, but they were nowhere to be found - must be in that safe place again.  Just as well really because when I pulled out the styrene sheet I cut them from I realized it was way over scale.  I had a backup plan though - I had purchased some photo-etch tread-plate a few years ago for something or other - it may even have been for this job... who knows?  It turned out to be perfect

 

P8290013.jpg

 

Some more dregs from the paint jar were summonsed and there was just enough to cover the new additions to the roof.  

A half hour to dry then I hit it with the gloss coat.  Mr Color Crystal Clear is becoming a favorite - easy to apply and gives a nice shiny hard coat when dry. It goes on a lot more evenly than other clear coats I've tried.

I even had an Oh Crap moment when near the end, my airbrush coughed and splattered a few big drops just as I was finishing off.  Lo and behold - I was also using Mr Color Leveling Thinners - and the splatters leveled out before it dried. Amazing.  I think I'll be sticking with that combo in future.

 

P8290025.jpg

 

I'll run some micromesh along that brown/white border later once the clear coat hardens to clean up that rough look.

 

P8290026.jpg

 

It's hard to capture the gloss finish on a white surface, but it's there believe me.

 

P8290029.jpg

 

The completed roof - oops - still got the rotating vents to add

 

P8290030.jpg

 

That will be tomorrows job.

 

So, how does it feel after 6 years on and off of slogging on this build?   Well, to be honest it's all a bit of an anti climax and left me feeling a bit empty.  There was no huge "reveal" at the end, nor was there a "this bit goes here" and wow, all of a sudden, it's a train. It was 8 little pieces that could have been assembled anytime during the last few weeks.  Maybe it will sink in a bit more over the next few days or weeks.

 

As you are all aware I still have to order the display case.  I have deliberately delayed ordering it until this point.  Now that the roof is finished I can mock up how it will look in the case and check just how much room I need underneath it in order to be able to see everything with a mirror.

That means there's a little bit more to come on this build, but nothing as exciting as the last half decade.

 

keep yer masks on!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, hendie said:

Maybe it will sink in a bit more over the next few days or weeks.

I have this weird response in that upon finishing a build I promptly lose all interest in the subject. Can't work out whether it's simply a response to having been so deeply immersed in contemplation for so long that it's a way of transitioning to whatever is up next, or whether a mental reflex to ameliorate the knowledge that this hobby causes us to obsess over matters of detail and appearance to such extremity that whole psychological conferences could be held to study our condition.

 

I'm not saying you're mad.

Not completely.

 

 

 

 

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Well worth the wait Sir.

It has been an enjoyable journey, so enjoyable that I didn't realise how long until someone pointed it out. 

Not being military, it is rare to find a subject close to my experience on this site.

I can honestly say that there are components in this build that I recognise, and have operated (couplings, pipes, isolating valves).

Outstanding.

 

Now, she normally runs in a rake of 12 coaches. So we only need another 11, and a locomotive.......

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1 hour ago, Bigdave22014 said:

Now, she normally runs in a rake of 12 coaches. So we only need another 11, and a locomotive.......

I had to use the 'laughitstitsoff' reactions smiley when what I wanted was a subtle, slightly Mona Lisa smile.

 

 

 

damned intractible interweb...

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9 hours ago, TheBaron said:

I have this weird response in that upon finishing a build I promptly lose all interest in the subject. Can't work out whether it's simply a response to having been so deeply immersed in contemplation for so long that it's a way of transitioning to whatever is up next, or whether a mental reflex to ameliorate the knowledge that this hobby causes us to obsess over matters of detail and appearance to such extremity that whole psychological conferences could be held to study our condition.

 

I'm not saying you're mad.

Not completely.

 

 

 

 

I have to remind myself that the Bilvedere is merely 'holding' not completed, this psychotic 'ignore' behaviour seems less personal when I relate to what you are saying, phew.

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A long overdue update for me on this splendid creation Alan.

 

Much for me to catch up on but no surprises in the level of detail which is simply superb and the way you are crafting that detail is a masterclass in modelling.

 

Love it all!

 

Terry

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That roof is massive, by all accounts! :worthy:

Your description of how you painted it was enough to scare the bejesus out of me - I 'm at risk of dropping what I 'm painting each time, when its size is comparable to my hand  :frantic:

So, big KUDOS for the accomplishment :clap:

 

BTW: the shelf space this is going to take up for display would cover the required room for my builds of the next 20 years or so. Me jealous? Naaah!

 

:D

 

Ciao 

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On 29/08/2020 at 23:13, hendie said:

Oh flip I muttered. 

Yeah right! 

 

Fantastic job, a life's work one could argue. Oh wait, the next build will of course be "bigger and better" 🙂 

 

By the way those Levelling Thinners save my bacon all the time!

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Congratulations on bringing this one to a conclusion!

 A long road (track?) but a very entertaining and educational build. Now for something completely different!

 

Ian

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On 8/29/2020 at 5:34 PM, TheBaron said:

I have this weird response in that upon finishing a build I promptly lose all interest in the subject. Can't work out whether it's simply a response to having been so deeply immersed in contemplation for so long that it's a way of transitioning to whatever is up next, or whether a mental reflex to ameliorate the knowledge that this hobby causes us to obsess over matters of detail and appearance to such extremity that whole psychological conferences could be held to study our condition.

 

I'm not saying you're mad.

Not completely.

 

You're not alone, and yes, I'm probably part mad

 

On 8/30/2020 at 1:45 AM, Bigdave22014 said:

Well worth the wait Sir.

It has been an enjoyable journey, so enjoyable that I didn't realise how long until someone pointed it out. 

Not being military, it is rare to find a subject close to my experience on this site.

I can honestly say that there are components in this build that I recognise, and have operated (couplings, pipes, isolating valves).

Outstanding.

 

Now, she normally runs in a rake of 12 coaches. So we only need another 11, and a locomotive.......

 

Bigdave - thanks for your input through this build.  There are parts that I could not have completed accurately without your input, so many, many thanks.

 

a locomotive is tempting, but... maybe in another decade or so.  Talking of which, Tony is planning to build a loco sometime in the future

 

On 8/30/2020 at 3:22 AM, perdu said:

I had to use the 'laughitstitsoff' reactions smiley when what I wanted was a subtle, slightly Mona Lisa smile.

damned intractible interweb...

 

it's a plot I say!

 

On 8/30/2020 at 3:52 AM, Terry1954 said:

A long overdue update for me on this splendid creation Alan.

Much for me to catch up on but no surprises in the level of detail which is simply superb and the way you are crafting that detail is a masterclass in modelling.

Love it all!

Terry

 

Thanks Terry

 

On 8/30/2020 at 10:13 AM, giemme said:

That roof is massive, by all accounts! :worthy:

Your description of how you painted it was enough to scare the bejesus out of me - I 'm at risk of dropping what I 'm painting each time, when its size is comparable to my hand  :frantic:

So, big KUDOS for the accomplishment :clap:

 

BTW: the shelf space this is going to take up for display would cover the required room for my builds of the next 20 years or so. Me jealous? Naaah!

 

:D

 

Ciao 

 

yeah... still not sure where it's going to live Giorgio

 

On 8/30/2020 at 5:33 PM, CedB said:

Lovely shiny roof. Marvellous :) 

 

Thanks Ced - you're really into shiny objects these days aren't you?

 

On 8/31/2020 at 7:44 AM, Pete in Lincs said:

It's getting there then. (Ahem) 😁

 

here you go Pete, something for that throat

ECW1543719__68149.1460653836.1280.1280.j

 

On 9/1/2020 at 2:51 AM, JeroenS said:

Yeah right! 

 

Fantastic job, a life's work one could argue. Oh wait, the next build will of course be "bigger and better" 🙂 

 

By the way those Levelling Thinners save my bacon all the time!

 

Thanks Jeroen.  The next build is going to be as close to out of the box as I can get without Ced's COD kicking in

 

On 9/1/2020 at 5:53 AM, Brandy said:

Congratulations on bringing this one to a conclusion!

 A long road (track?) but a very entertaining and educational build. Now for something completely different!

 

Ian

 

Thanks Ian, but it's not over until the fat lady buys a display case

 

I got some better shots of the roof. Rotating vent in focus this time

 

P8300001.jpg

 

All vents and greeblies fitted, and shinied up

 

P8300002.jpg

 

This ones for @CedB - shiny enough for you Ced?

 

P8300003.jpg

 

I still need to address the whole display case thing. Not only the case but the tracks themselves.

They've been lying in my basement for the last several years, and the brass has started to get a bit grungy 

 

P8300010.jpg

 

That's nothing that a good attack with some wire wool won't sort out, but it did alert me to the possibility that this may happen over time in the display case.  As nice as bright clean brass is, I don't think I want the polished brass look on the tracks themselves. For one, real tracks are not brass, and two, shiny brass in the wrong setting can look a bit tacky.

A quick search on Amazon brought some brass blacking solution. Tracks were cut to length, and attached with wire wool. Blackening agent applied

 

P8300011.jpg

 

and it didn't go according to plan.  Some parts of the track looked really good, but in others the blackening didn't appear to work. I wire wooled the tracks again, then followed that up with a dremel clone wire wheel, then degreased the tracks and applied the blackening agent again.  Bugger.

Some of the black wipes off with just a light wipe of paper towel, and other bits need a good scrub with wire wool to get back to brass.

 I'm wondering if the black will give a good key for paint, and I may just spray the tracks, sleepers and all with a not quite black, black. Need to ponder that one.

 

I did make one discovery though - my original plan of mounting the roof in front of, and below the car was not going to work.  Now that I had the car and the roof I made a mock up - forgetting to take any photos and realized that my plan was just not viable. 

That lead to a mild state of panic before realizing that there was indeed a relatively simple option.  I could simply display the roof as if it were hinged open, like so

 

P8300007.jpg

 

A quick check with some plastic mirror reveals that this option will work.

 

P8300009.jpg

 

I still need to figure out the actual mechanics of how to mount the roof.  It's too late in the game to have a hard mounting point on the car itself - at least not without damaging something. However, the roof has to be close to the car in order for it not to look strange.

I'm mulling over support options for the roof but haven't yet settled on anything.

 

At least I can now get the final dimensions of the display case.

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, hendie said:

This ones for @CedB - shiny enough for you Ced?

Certainly is - lovely and shiny! :D 

 

I like the new mounting idea (fnaar!) and the mirror (snurf…)

No good ideas on supporting the roof though, sorry. Tricky eh?

 

Rusty rails with shiny(ish) steel tops - I'm with Pete.

 

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