1/35 Scale SJ 891mm Project

[rich_eason]

As previously posted on this forum my father and I are in the process of planning and developing an exhibition layout of "a 891mm SJ Line"...in 1/35 scale.

Although the project will take some time to complete, this thread will be used to show progress on how the project is progressing and hopefully capture its development over time.

To bring you up to date since my previous postings... we have started!

YO1p
The YO1p is progressing after much discussion and planning on how we were going to build the railcar, primarily focusing around the forming of the railcar ends. It was decided that a wooden former would be made and that this would then be cast into a plaster mold. Once the mold was formed we would then be able to cast the ends using fiberglass or GRP.

At this time, the railcar end form is shaped and nearing completion prior to undertaking a test cast. All the cast faces have been finished smooth and polished and once a final dimension check is complete we shall begin casting the mold forms. Pictures to follow...

Gp Van
After much research online and the information receieved by a very kind member of this forum, I have been able to make a start on building the Gp van. The body is constructed of 3mm plywood box sections, braced to ensure that the risk of warping is reduced. Plasticard sections are used to replicate the profile sections and are as close to scale as possible, within half mm on the assumption that both the drawings and information is accurate. The side windows and end detail is still yet to be completed as many of the detail parts. To replicate the rivets/bolt heads, military modellers detail parts will be used to provide the detail of the many bolt heads and riviets on these wagons!



Opel Blitz
To help me visualise the scale, I purchased one of the excellent Tamiya 3ton 4x2 Opel Blitz military lorry kits. From this, I have "civilianised" it with the intention for it to be used on the layout to create a small cameo within a good shed scene. Seen here nearing completion, it will be finished in a very worn and battered condition as a testiment to its hard working life. The rear bed of the lorry will "hopefully" replicate the hard worn look with split planks. Final assembly, painting and weathering to complete.

[Ante S]

Very interesting indeed!

Ante

[rich_eason]

Duplicate Post

[rich_eason]

Bit of an update on the Gp van project...

A good 10hours have been spent on the van this week and at the begining of the week the van had all exterior framework in place and the end doors in place.



As I'm progressing with the model it is becoming apparent that in the larger scale things are more obvious. Where as in 4mm scale a dimple can be used to represent a bold head or rivet, in 1/35 scale its no so easy. The very nature of the larger scale makes the detail differences between bolt and rivet very obvious.

So I ordered a packet of Plus Models 1/35 scale etched nuts and bolts http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/plus ... 11449.html and used these on the van to represent the various (!) bolt heads found on the vertical body stanchions.

The bolt heads arrived... and what great little things they are. A Stainless Steel etch of what looks like 1000's of tiny highly detail bolt heads of various sizes and types all ready and waiting to go on the Gp Van. The largest 1mm, the smallest 0.25mm! Each head has enough visible detail to identify it as a bolt however I do beg the question of the worth of etching such minute detail into the etch as with a couple coats of paint I am sure the detail is lost.

Having spent many hours messing about with the DC Kits door hinges on their British Outline EMU kits, I was mildly prepared for what lay ahead.

So a new fresh tube of superglue, clean tweezers and blade, I set about applying the bolt heads to the van. Some 6hours later the van side is now representing something (or at least I hope it does) of the prototype.

[rich_eason]

As work on the Gp van continues, I have had to take a break away from it simply as I was losing the will to live. The thought of the hundreds of bolt heads still to be applied is demoralising enough to prevent me doing any modelling at all, so I have had to take a brief diversion.

Equiped with a drawing of an Op wagon and a few photos (which are proving hard to find) I have set about making a start on building a wagon…well two in fact. Using plasticard I have prepared enough material for two wagons. The first will be “ex works” and will have ends and sides in the raised position although showing signs of use, whilst the second will be a more work worn example with damage and the side panels in the lowered position on the wagon bed.

Work on the Op wagon progresses slowly to the point of getting one side of the body “nearly” complete. One sides worth of stanchions have been fabricated and located along the body side. These were made using 2mm dia. brass tube with a 0.25mm brass wire looped and soldered into the tube. Once cooled down a file was used to shape and create the eyelet at the top of the stanchion.

Unfortunately, unlike the prototype the stanchions are not removable. I looked at the possibility of using brass tube to represent the solebar level locating points, however it looked over scale and proved a challenge to reproduce to the same small length of tube 14 times.

A length of chain has been added to see “how it looks”. I’m struggling to find any finescale chain that actually looks like “chain”. Various internet searches pull up many suppliers however they all appear to look the same. Very round and high number of links per inch. This may be a point of compromise, however I will keep looking.

Other small details have been added to the underframe, included a number of the excellent Plus Model Etched Nuts and Bolt heads to the headstocks.

A few pictures of the work so far with the wagon sat on a pair of O gauge wheels still be turned down to profile…





There is still alot of work left to do and a lot of cleaning up prior to painting...thats a long way off yet!

Opel Blitz now complete bar number plates...



Cruel close up of the rust effect...

[rich_eason]

Some considerable progress has been made on the Op wagon...





Underframe detail including the air brake and reservoir tanks has been fabricated from brass tube and microstrip plasticard and mounted to the underside of the body. All brake rigging is in place and awaits fitting to the clasp brake shoes and tie bars once they have been scratch built. W Irons are now fixed in place and await installation of wagon compensation following the turning down of the O gauge axles to accomodate the narrow gauge.

The finer details to the sides of the wagon is also complete all bar the rope/lashing points located along the side of the wagon. These will be formed using fine wire and positioned accordingly. Rivet and bolt heads located along the body are a mixture of Archer Decals or the excellent Plus Model stainless steel etches.

And most obvious of all, the wagon has now been primed in a coat of Red Oxide Plastic Primer. I am currently in the search of trying to find a colour as near to the SJ red livery as possible. Although initially the plastic primer colour was way off, as its dried it appears to be obtaining a more of a red hue. As a trial I have sourced some other paints from the Railmatch and Vallijo ranges to see if there any alternatives available and/ or suitable. I would apretiate any comments on the colour to see if you think the it is too dark/light. Obviously I am only working off colour photos and limited by the inaccuracies of the developing processes.

Next steps are to form the roller axle boxes, end steps, clasp brake gear and rigging.

Custom decals are currently being drawn up and once located…final paint and weathering which I am not looking forward too!

[Hauk]

Cruel close up of the rust effect..

Wow, that Blitz looks great!
Could you describe the painting techniques in some more detail?

[rich_eason]

Cruel close up of the rust effect..

Wow, that Blitz looks great!
Could you describe the painting techniques in some more detail?

Sure, when I have some time tomorrow I'll do a step by step guide...

[rich_eason]

Cruel close up of the rust effect..

Wow, that Blitz looks great!
Could you describe the painting techniques in some more detail?

Sure, when I have some time tomorrow I'll do a step by step guide...

I hope this makes sense. Unfortunatly I didnt take any pics as I went along. The technique is an adaption to that used by Martin Welch in the "Art of Weathering" book by Wildswan.

1. Firstly a “base rust colour” was mixed using Humbrol enamels. The colour of rust depends on the material that is rusting. Iron tends to be very orange, steel tends to have a blue brown hue. Selecting colours various Browns, oranges, Brown/ Reds and blue these were mixed to form the base rust colour coat. This was applied to the areas where I wanted the rust to be on the vehicle.

2. Once dry a mixture of Orange and Gunmetal enamel and Vallejo Metalic Medium Acrylic was lightly dry brushed over the surface.

3. Once this had dried, Humbrol Maskol was used to cover over all of the patch areas.

4. The body colour was then sprayed over the top of the surface and allowed to dry to the touch. I used Humbrol Acrylic spray. To carry onto the next step it is vital that you do not let the top coat dry/harden completely.

5. Once the top coat is touch dry (c30mins), a pin can be used to start to pluck and pick at the Maskol and start to reveal the rust base coat beneath. As previously mentioned, if the top coat is allowed to dry completely, I have found through experimenting that the edges of the flaking paint are too “coarse” and can look over scale. With the paint in a touch dry condition it is possible to manipulate the edges back down onto the body and to define the results you are wishing to achieve.

6. Once the main areas of Maskol have been removed, I then used parcel tape (I tried masking tape but it was not tacky enough) rolled into a small ball with sticky side outwards, de-tacked on the back of your hand a couple of times and dragged across the surface of the paint. The effect is that it removes any remaining Maskol and removes tiny flakes of paint, varying pressure as you go. Through experimenting, I also found dragging the tacky tape across the surface achieves the battered, dull and damaged paint look.

7. The model is then left to dry completely.

8. Once dried, a thin wash of black enamel and gunmetal was lightly applied around the areas of the rusted panels, and once dried polished with a dry short haired paint brush to highlight the metallic finish.

9. The patches were then lightly dry brush stippled with orange/ rust brown paint to add texture and whilst still tacky very light dusting of MIG Fresh Rust weathering powders.

10. Once dry a light dust of MIG Europe Earth, and Mud were lightly dusted over the patches.

[rich_eason]

Slowly, very slowly the Op takes shape.



No thanks to having a cold for the last three weeks, progress has pretty much halted as I have neither been in the mood or capable of doing any modelling.

Anyway, last night I managed to progress one step further with the Op and I have fabricated the end steps and started to build the suspension gear. I am unsure if the steps will need to be "bulked up" as at the moment they dont look heavy enough, maybe some future work required.

A set of wheels wheels are now turned down on their axles and await the holes from the british protoype 3 hole wheels to be filled to create the disc of the Op. Axle boxes await fitting.

Meanwhile a set of decals is slowly coming together from the very sparse information avaliable, and a suitable shade of paint has been identified. The Only commercially avaliable colour near to that of the SJ red here in the UK, is that offered by Railmatch Paints - 609 GWR Indian Red.



I would apretiate any thoughts on the colour selection...