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Pendle Princess Steam Traction Engine


Ian T

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23 minutes ago, Kallisti said:

If you have them, sanding sticks are useful for small areas with detail you don't want to damage. Sounds like you might want to move the brush nearer the model if it is that hot (or move tot he UK where it is cold and damp at the moment! :) )

Yes, sanding sticks will be good, I have a couple, but will look at getting a few finer grades.

I normally brush reasonably close, but I’ve only really painted small areas previously. This time I thought that I’d get a bit better coverage and lighter coats by having the brush further away. But it was a day when it was about 33C, so quite simply the paint dried too quickly. I may try a little bit of retarder mixed in, or simply pick a cooler day.

As for the cold and wet, originally I come from Plymouth, it may not get too cold there, but the south west gets very, very wet!! I don’t miss the cold and wet, but I do tire of the Queensland humidity in the summer as I’ve got older, on those days a cold Plymouth day has a lot of attractions .....

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On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 10:08 AM, Kallisti said:

(or move tot he UK where it is cold and damp at the moment! :) )

At the moment? Isn't it always cold and damp in the UK. Only lived here for 63 years. except for a year in Canada where cold IS COLD. -15 to -20 in January in Toronto on occasions...

 

Cheers, Alan.

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3 hours ago, Alan R said:

At the moment? Isn't it always cold and damp in the UK. Only lived here for 63 years. except for a year in Canada where cold IS COLD. -15 to -20 in January in Toronto on occasions...

 

Cheers, Alan.

You’re being a bit harsh there Alan, I can clearly remember a Tuesday in August 1974 when the sun came out. That is until everybody got their pale bodies out sunbathing and scared the sun away ....... 😎

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Enjoying this build, I remember the kit coming out and a lengthy build article in 'Scale Models'. Fancied it at the time as my grandfather loved traction engines as he remembered the ploughing engines from his days as a child and young man in South Lincolnshire. I remember going to rallies with him when I was quite young in the very early 60's. Never bought one as could not have afforded it at the time and would not had the time to build it. 

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12 hours ago, Mr T said:

Enjoying this build, I remember the kit coming out and a lengthy build article in 'Scale Models'. Fancied it at the time as my grandfather loved traction engines as he remembered the ploughing engines from his days as a child and young man in South Lincolnshire. I remember going to rallies with him when I was quite young in the very early 60's. Never bought one as could not have afforded it at the time and would not had the time to build it. 

I’m glad that you’re enjoying the build, I’m happy to say that so am I, despite my grumbles about bits not fitting and decals falling to bits!! I think that there must be a similar, but not quite so popular, nostalgic feeling about these traction engines as there is with steam locomotives. A lot of us remember them or have close relatives that remembered them. I can remember a school friend of mine being picked up from primary school in a road roller in the very early 1960’s, alas it was diesel, not steam, but these memories keep creeping out.

I hope that you’ll keep watching, thanks for your comments and your interest.

Regards Ian

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On ‎12‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 7:04 AM, Mr T said:

I remember the kit coming out and a lengthy build article in 'Scale Models'.

I remember having that issue. The guy liked the model a lot, if I recall.

 

Cheers, Alan.`

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I am just old enough to remember stream locomotives still running on the southern region back in the late 50s. Not many by then. I do remember the electric locos with their electric whistle. Odd sound that was...

 

Cheers, Alan.

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I spent the first nine years of my life near the Midland line to Lincoln and freight line that ran to Colwick goods yard when it was dominated by steam freight locos and so the sight of Midland 4Fs, Stanier 8Fs, and Standard 9Fs is ingrained in my memory, together with going to Nottingham Castle and standing on the terrace looking down into the goods yard and approach to Nottingham Midland. 

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4 hours ago, Alan R said:

I am just old enough to remember stream locomotives still running on the southern region back in the late 50s. Not many by then. I do remember the electric locos with their electric whistle. Odd sound that was...

 

Cheers, Alan.

I think that we must be of a similar vintage Alan, I can remember steam trains on the GWR (God’s Wonderful Railway or Goes When Rewound?). I lived in Plymouth close to the River Tamar and where the GWR and (I think) the Southern Region trains passed through St Budeaux. I remember my father holding me out over the edge of an overbridges as a steam engine passed at speed below us, he’d probably be locked up today for trying the same thing.

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2 hours ago, Mr T said:

I spent the first nine years of my life near the Midland line to Lincoln and freight line that ran to Colwick goods yard when it was dominated by steam freight locos and so the sight of Midland 4Fs, Stanier 8Fs, and Standard 9Fs is ingrained in my memory, together with going to Nottingham Castle and standing on the terrace looking down into the goods yard and approach to Nottingham Midland. 

Hi Mr T, great memories, thanks for the input.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Continuing with the theme of “its not perfect, but I’m happy” here is the completed water tank. After the lumpy paint finish described above, I sanded very carefully using very wet, 2000 grit wet and dry followed by the use of some polishing compound and overall, no problem. I didn’t lose any detail and there is a nice shiny semi-gloss appearance that is not really evident from these pictures. The decals went on reasonably well, but they do seem to have a tendency to move a little bit as they dry.

 

Anyway, you can decide for yourself, here are some pictures of the completed water tank. Please feel free to comment or provide any constructive suggestions.

 

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7 hours ago, Bigdave22014 said:

Given the age of the kit and indeed the age and state of the decals I think you're doing a cracking job.

Keep up the good work Sir!

Thanks for your kind words Bigdave, I’m really quite happy with the way that it is working out

 I was also given a Mercer Raceabout car kit of the same vintage by the same friend. But the instructions and decals are missing for that one. I’ve managed to get a set of instructions from this forum, but the decals will have to wait until I get around to starting the kit, but at least they’ll be new!! There are a few places that sell pinstriping decals or I may look at making my own, that would be something new.

Regards Ian

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I just noticed you've kept the moulded pipes on the belly tank. I sanded mine off and drilled holes and later replaced them with wires to represent the pipework and sanded them off the boiler as well - you can see the replacement pipes here

 

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and the sanding and drilled holes here

 

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Hi Kallisti

I did see this on your original build and it’s very impressive I have to say. But you’re a braver man than me, I would be OK sanding off the moulded bits, but I’d be stuck after that. So rather than make a botch up of it I decided to stick with the moulded bits and paint very carefully.

What did you use for the replacement pipe work??

Regards Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...

One month since my last post and nothing new completed ...... but lots of bits half done (for various, boring, reasons). Anyway, I had to take some update pictures for my friend who donated the kit to me before we meet for coffee next week, so I thought it may be a good time to update the forum.

 

Firstly the front canopy/roof bracket has been fitted to the boiler assembly, the decals took a definite turn for the worse and I’m 99.999% sure that it was a clear coat problem. I couldn’t really see the clear coat going on from the airbrush so I sprayed it until it got “wet”, apparently not a good move. Anyway another lessons learnt, I’d like to call it “weathering effects”, but no, an irreparable stuff up from me, not to be repeated. The picture is upside down because it wouldn’t stand the other way.

 

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And from the other side.

 

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Next is the steering drum fixed to the bottom of the water tank, this didn’t move until I added a few drops of silicone lubricant and it now moves quite easily.

 

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The dynamo is largely complete, I don’t have the skills to make a custom version as per Kallisti’s excellent build of the “Princess” so I’ve stuck with the stock standard dynamo that come with the kit. I did toy with trying to add some coils under the front plate which could be viewed through the holes, but in the end I decided that it probably wouldn’t add too much overall. I’ve still got a couple of minor bits to add and detail, but it’s nearly there.

 

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The two halves of the main body/smoke box assembly have been stuck together, but need quite a bit of soothing, filling etc. There is also a lot of masking to do between the brown and black required for the final paint finish, plus a lot of detail to be picked out, so this may take some while to finish.

 

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And finally for today the three components of the smoke stack, after the halves have been assembled and filled, ready for priming. I thought that I would finish the top and bottom sections in semi-gloss black and the joining ring in gloss black to pick out the separate components. The dry fit assembly in the picture is upside down as the curved piece that fits onto the boiler wont stand up on it’s own.

 

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Thanks for looking, regards Ian

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9 hours ago, Kallisti said:

Good stuff - those decals are certainly putting up a fight!

It’s very hit and miss, a few of the decals have stayed intact and gone in place nicely, while others fall into pieces just by looking at them!! The ones in the first picture above went on reasonably well but then went crazy after the clear coat (Tamiya) was applied. I asked the question on this forum and it seems that Tamiya clear coat has a bit of a reputation for this and a very, very light mist coat is required first. I didn’t do this and got a really nice wet looking gloss coat applied and then the decals dissolved.

 

So two lessons learnt (or reinforced), apply several light coats and don’t use Tamiya clear on dodgy decals. I had read about clear coating decals before , I think it was in some Tamiya instructions. So my own stupid fault on both counts. I’ve got some rattle can clear that my local hobby shop recommended, “Crystal Clear”, but I may just pass on the clear coat for this kit.

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  • 1 month later...

It’s been a good few weeks since I’ve lavished any attention on “The Princess”. My affections have been distracted by a new mistress in the form of a new guitar which has taken far too much of my time. So back to The Princess, another two sub-assemblies are nearing completion in the form of the rear boiler and the main body shell.

 

The boiler wasn’t too bad, I decided that the glossy gold “sticky” paper that came with the kit wouldn’t be a success going by the decals so I painted the bands around the boiler in Tamiya gold leaf and then clear coated it, it wasn’t too bad. But then the two halves of the boiler decided to come apart on the top (the visible side of course) towards the front. So I reglued them but they aren’t really a smooth seamless joint as they were previously. And of course I had the usual problems with the “decals from hell” as can been seen on the photos below.

 

The main body shell is OK, except for a few decals malfunctions. Both sub-assemblies still require a bit of finishing off, but are virtually there.

 

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The current state of completion is that I have four major sub-assemblies done, the front boiler with the  front wheels and dynamo, the water tank, the rear boiler and the main body shell. These are pictured here separately and then in a very loose approximation, where they will end up.

 

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So that’s where I am today and I’ll keep posting as I go. Thanks for looking and I always welcome comments and constructive criticism.

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11 hours ago, kpnuts said:

Great progress.

Thanks kpnuts, progress is a bit like a real traction engine ..... slow and steady!!

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Not sure I can offer any criticism, but I hope you'll take it as constructive to say that this is looking superb. And try as I might, I can't see the split in the boiler so it looks as though you've done a pretty good repair job on it.

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Thanks Spiny, I appreciate your kind words. The boiler has a small step where the two halves didn’t line up 100% when I fixed it. It’s probably a case of me being overly critical, but I guess that’s how we improve.

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