More DIY

After enjoying some reasonable results with the black 0-6-2 & 2-6-4 tank engines, I decided to stretch my artistic skills a tad further and try a different colour.

Looking at my collection and now that I've repainted my 80054, there is one loco that really lets the side down - my Duchess of Atholl. One of my early purchases, it was always intended that eventually it would need a repaint or a better body. Mechanically it goes like a scalded cat so no problems there. This pic doesn't really show how bad the paintwork really is:

The tender also isn't looking well - bent, scratched and paint missing all over:

I bought Atholl just as I was starting to get the collecting bug and bought it at a toy fair, along with a biscuit tin full of spare parts and several Montrose bodies.

So before I let rip on the Atholl, and just in case I wrecked it, I decided I needed to practice my painting and masking skills on one of the scrap bodies...

After taking this back to bare metal, I primed it...

I'd read comments from others in the HRCA that the recommended matching paints were too light, so time for another experiment - colour on top of black, in the hope that it would darken the colour. So an all-over coat of satin black...

I then masked up the cab roof and front and applied the colour, I ended up with this:

 For comparison purposes, here's the new body compared with the old...

Pleased with the results, I didn't have the heart to strip the Atholl body and repeat the process, so I'm going to use the Montrose body instead. The only major difference is that the Montrose had smoke deflectors fitted, I quite like the look so my Atholl will have them!

Now for the tender.

After stripping the paint I then straightened the metalwork using a pair of pliers...

Masked and primed the base...

And then the top...

Also removed the valve gear and gave that the same treatment... 

A coat of black again (otherwise the colours wont match)

 I then cleaned up the handrails, primed and painted the smoke deflectors and refitted them...

Finally refitting everything back onto the chassis...

Just need to paint in the front and rear buffers, black in the axles on the tender and order some transfers, no point trying to replicate these as they are easily obtained.

Once the transfers are in place I'll give it a coat of satin lacquer. Currently the red is shinier than the black so that should even things out.

For a first-attempt at masking and multi-colouring I'm happy with the final result and the colour match isn't too bad at all.

St Paddy

Finally!

I got my hands on (most of) a St Paddy.

I'm still trying to comprehend why anyone would do this to such a desirable locomotive but I should have sufficient spare parts to resurrect it. The body is in good condition and even came with an original (but tatty) box!

Another one to cross off the list, trouble is the locos that remain on my wishlist are the rarer, more expensive ones so it'll take a while to clear the rest of the list.

Wimrail 2015 & pictures

Our third outing for the layout and first opportunity to fully test the new fiddle yard.

After a leisurely two hour setup on Friday evening (1 hour to put the layout together and 1 hour to put out the stock) we agreed that Friday evening setups are far easier than trying to do it all on the day of the show. Especially with the older stock and infrastructure that we run, the extra time is very valuable and cuts down the stress levels no end!

Both Saturday and Sunday were reasonably busy. Again plenty of interest from people of all ages, lots of HRCA members this time and the usual amount of folks who either had HD as a child, or still have some tucked away in the roof!

Only only casualty - after repairing several over the weekend only one of the new repaints requires further work, possibly an armature fault as it became very slow and was drawing well over half an amp without a load attached. A couple of locos required minor oiling (which is to be expected) and Deltic Crepello shed two of its tyres so these were replaced on the day.

Lots of opportunities to run all of the stock, rotate the loco usage and try more double-heading. All of my recent DIY repaints were put in with only the aforementioned loco failing.

Another potential booking received and after two solid days of continuous running it was all over. Show ended at 4.30pm and by 5.15 we were loaded and away. Home before 6pm with plenty of time and daylight to unload the car!

Once again we were very well received, even the Bachmann CEP seemed to go down well with most people!

Next show in May.

Pictures below...