Walker Diesel Class F - ECMbuild in 4mm for OOn3

[murrayec]

After several hours tweaking and running- the loco started to run OK in both directions, so the final bits were installed- the lights;-

Fibre optics for the marker lights and mini led for the headlamps. A bit tight for space in there so the leds were done by soldering the resistors in line and not using a board like the marker light system. The chassis wires take up the remainder of the space!

Lights up. The other marker light is the red rear light which has a bit of red painted on the end of the fibre.

The loco is complete.

And the boxing photo.

This project was a very good exercise in building a scratch chassis and scratch motor drive for the smaller scales, a few things I would do differently if I have a go at another one ....... not for a while!

Eoin

 

 

[popeye]

Beautiful model and thanks for the pictures of the building process.

 

[David Holman]

Another Eoin special, which now begs the question - what's next? Love seeing these projects unfold.

[Colin R]

A great model Eoin, I still have three to build, you need a Swilly 4-8-0 Tender loco to go with that one now

 

Colin

[murrayec]

No. 2 sooner than I thought!

These parts arrived in at the Train & Model Fair this morning......

...... here we go again!

Eoin

[Colin R]

You will need some of those Worsley works West Clare coaches to go with them or some 3D print WCR vans, I am wonder what else came from the model train fair today.

Colin

[murrayec]

4 hours ago, Colin R said:

..... I am wonder what else came from the model train fair today.

A partly built/converted C&L 4-4-0 tank locomotive also OOn3 requiring some treatment....

.... and two West Clare tank kits went back

Eoin

Edited May 23, 2021 by murrayec

[Galteemore]

That is very nice - even better when you’re done with it!

Edited May 23, 2021 by Galteemore

[Colin R]

West Clare tank kits tell me more I didn't think anyone had done any West Clare locos

Colin

 

[murrayec]

3 hours ago, Colin R said:

West Clare tank kits tell me more I didn't think anyone had done any West Clare locos

Colin

 

Sorry Colin - they were Backwoods CDR kits, with all the Walkers I stuck in Clare

Eoin

 

[Colin R]

Hi Eoin I know it might be a bit late as he may have already sold them, but if you know the guy I might have some one interested in the Donegal kits if he still has them.

 

Colin 

[murrayec]

1 hour ago, Colin R said:

Hi Eoin I know it might be a bit late as he may have already sold them, but if you know the guy I might have some one interested in the Donegal kits if he still has them.

 

Colin 

I'll contact him and come back to you. He took them back to sell them, don't know if he had a buyer?

Eoin

[airfixfan]

Or indeed any of the kits of the former Swilly 4-8-0s for example?

[murrayec]

@Colin R

The kits are still available, he has;-

1. Backwoods Donegal Class 5 Kit.

2. Backwoods 6 goods wagons made up.

3. Backwoods Donegal Rail Car kit.

He's watching this thread so if you express interest he will PM you about details.

Eoin

 

[airfixfan]

Which CDR Railcar kit is still available?

[Traingamer]

This is some of the work done by Eoin in the last few years with Irish Narrow Gauge, 00n3 scale running on 12mm track.

[Colin R]

Hi Eoin the class five has interest as does the rail car, depending on which one if the seller would like to contact me off list I can have a chat with him about them, the wagons sound good as well.

 

Colin

[David Holman]

Lovely stuff, which is what Eoin does. Beautifully built with fine paint jobs too.

[airfixfan]

6 hours ago, Colin R said:

Hi Eoin the class five has interest as does the rail car, depending on which one if the seller would like to contact me off list I can have a chat with him about them, the wagons sound good as well.

 

Colin

Agree 100% with Colin the CDR models get my full attention.

[airfixfan]

Checking some published colour photos of CDR rolling stock from Geoff Lumb  in my collection the Grey van is too dark but the coaches are a good match but still not 100%. The shade of red on the CDR loco is slightly too rich as well. 

[jhb171achill]

17 hours ago, airfixfan said:

Checking some published colour photos of CDR rolling stock from Geoff Lumb  in my collection the Grey van is too dark but the coaches are a good match but still not 100%. The shade of red on the CDR loco is slightly too rich as well. 

Domes and boilers on CDR locos were actually always painted red, rather than black - but often so filthy they LOOKED almost as dark as black (same with some GNR blue, and GSR / CIE grey locos...)

Edited May 28, 2021 by jhb171achill

[airfixfan]

Know that John which is when work on Drumboe at Whitehead is completed it will have a red dome using archive photos to ensure the correct shade of red!

Edited May 28, 2021 by airfixfan

[Irishswissernie]

Checking through my photos I have a feeling that some locos did end up with rather black looking  domes. Check out Erne and Blanche below, both domes  look polished rather than dirty but there is a hint of red on Erne's dome. Possibly wiped down with old oily rags but on Erne they didn't bother trying to clean the cab front

[jhb171achill]

Yes, and the cab front and back, and tank ends and tops could also look solid black!

In the early days of the RPSI, despite being only a few years since blue engines were all over the place (ex-GNR area), there was even a debate over what parts of the frame were, or were not black. 

Today, people forget how dirty an environment railways were in steam days. I can even remember layers of dirt on all surfaces in UTA stations in the sixties.

Sheer dirt is another reason why many thought that all CIE engines were black. And it’s not just the grey locos - I’ve seen pics of green ones which, if you didn’t KNOW were green, you’d swear were black all over.

Look at pics of CIE steam engines in their last years. See any red buffer beams? Very often, absolutely not a trace of red - but they were red!

So, steam-era people - get absolutely STUCK into those weathering powders!

[Mayner]

With its focus on railcar operation the Donegal was down to a few steam crews in its final years presumably with maintenance staff focusing on essential maintenance and little time for cleaning steam locos.

Interesting the shiny dome and the fallout from smoke and ash on the cab & sidetanks.

There was an interesting weathering pattern on the coalfired black Cumbres and Toltec steam locos (still 3' gauge) 

The upper part of the locos were weathered grey with ash with only the vertical surfaces black and a hint of a sheen on the sand and steam domes, on American locos the smokebox and chimney is usually painted with a heat resistant graphite paint. Interestingly the weathering appears much more subdued and less noticeable in photos than when I saw the locos in operation.

The neighbouring Durango and Silverton locos appeared to be cleaner possibly different coal source or a greater focus on cleaning and presentation. 

While the C&TS appeared at least to me to be the more "authentic" of the two railroads, the boxcar (generator car) was a nice tribute to the days of the weekly "Silverton Mixed" which operated in the 1950s

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Mayner

[jhb171achill]

The whole issue of weathering is actually deserving of serious attention in articles maybe by our more skilled “weatherers” here.

That produced by brake dust, coal dust, chalk, shale, gypsum, ballast dust, sand, or other mineral dust, cattle wagon poo, limewash on trucks, diesel fumes, sun or wind or salt air bleaching, underlying rust, heat scorching and the like, are all as different as chalk and cheese, or politicians and common sense.

Many of these are of particular interest to modellers, especially in cases where prototypes - like above - were almost never, ever seen clean.

Edited May 28, 2021 by jhb171achill

[David Holman]

Missed these posts, but the simple answer is to get your hands on The Art of Weathering by Martyn Welch (Wild Swan). It is the definitive book on the subject and has never been bettered. Does locos, wagons, coaches, track and buildings. Although he makes use of that Spawn of Satan, the airbrush, quite a lot, he also just uses paint brushes. 

 The techniques used are certainly no quick fix, but done carefully, results can be extremely satisfying. Probably my most 'go to' book!

[jhb171achill]

49 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Missed these posts, but the simple answer is to get your hands on The Art of Weathering by Martyn Welch (Wild Swan). It is the definitive book on the subject and has never been bettered. Does locos, wagons, coaches, track and buildings. Although he makes use of that Spawn of Satan, the airbrush, quite a lot, he also just uses paint brushes. 

 The techniques used are certainly no quick fix, but done carefully, results can be extremely satisfying. Probably my most 'go to' book!

Interesting, your views on the airbrush. While dirt in real life IS effectively “sprayed” on rather than brushed, I’ve often seen models with what I presume to be airbrushed weathering which is unrealistically even.

[David Holman]

Mmm, that is very much the theme of Martyn's book. Weathering is a subtle process and on the wrong setting, he likens an air brush to a muck spreader and not pretty!

 The best 'quick fix' I have found is through weathering powders, but getting them to stay where they are put is not straightforward. Martyn advocates Humbrol enamels. The trouble with that is some tinlets are not available since Hornby took over and it would be interesting to see a reprint as the book has been out over 20 years now. VERY much still worth having though!

[Colin R]

While some paints may have disappeared, it might be worth looking at one of the colour charts on-line such as this one  https://www.paint4models.com/download.html

I have to admit I prefer to use acrylics for washes and most of my painting as it gives a better base coat finish.

Try looking at the citidal paint range for war games role play some very interesting shades on there.

 

Colin R

[murphaph]

Thx for the tip David. I've just ordered a copy to have for whenever I try a bit of weathering. Sounds like a good reference, though I won't start spraying enamels any time soon! I hope I can just use acrylics instead.

There are some acrylic weathering sets specifically for model railways from Vallejo and Lifecolor and possibly more.

[murrayec]

Some weathering done with tips from Martyn's Book and a few of my own.....

Eoin