Garden Railway Forum

I just discovered this gem of a thread hiding in the depth of the forum
Thank you! most enjoyable hour spent catching up from the beginning
You sir, excel in all aspects of the hobby - an inspiration to the rest of us.

Hi Grant,

They are really nice shots and tell a lovely little story of a railway going about its everyday business. Pictures of your line always inspire me, not just for the excellent standards achieved but for the 'working railway' atmosphere that they always capture - and that's the bit of the hobby I love most.

Thankls for posting them.

Andrew

Good weather for steaming the last two days.
A short goods made up in No. 2 road, Hunslet in charge waiting for the dwarf signal. A short pause at Warringine. Round the curve. Crossing the main road. To arrive in the loop road at Nayook. The Rodwell's like to keep the store well presented. Cars staying clear of paint spatter! Water for the loco and a cuppa for the crew. Grant.

Superb pictures Grant, beautifully posed in excellent landscape. The weathering of your locos and stock is perfect.
Sorry you haven't entered the competition this time..... we would stand no chance against you!

Hello Grant,

Thanks for sharing todays operations. Your photos never fail to please, the setting is so believeable. As I think I've said before, it's my belief that this is enhaced further my your line being operated with purpose and accuracy in operating practice. It's a real railway doing a job.

That last shot of the Hunslet on the water column is one of my all time favourites!

Please keep 'em coming!

Andrew

Next time you weather a loco maybe you could do a 'how to' video. You've absolutely nailed the technique.

Thank You very much for the compliment Invicta
As I don't do videos, perhaps words might suffice.
Firstly my best friend for this is an original Olympus airbrush. I understand there is a copy now, but I've no experience of them.
For the uninitiated they are a high quality double action, airbrush with adjustable material volume. This means the trigger has two actions, pressing it down gives you propellant air, pulling it back gives you material (paint in this case) and the amount of paint is adjustable. For weathering in particular this allows you to have air on, and then introduce tiny amounts of paint into the pattern and hence the job.
The next thing to know is where to put what colours and why. I suspect you guys in England might be at a slight disadvantage here, as your locos appear to be kept much cleaner, although the older generation of modellers should remember locos in hard working life when the demise of steam was imminent.
I have admitted I do terrible things with paint, but it works for me so I keep on. The Hunslet mentioned above was originally painted with automotive acrylic from an aerosol can. The smokebox was painted with high temp. stoving in matt black. All the weathering was done with Humbrol enamels, finishing off with Revell matt clear for most, and Cabots Urethane gloss with matting agent stirred in (I ran out of Revell matt) for the dome, funnel, safety valve etc.
The high heat of real loco smokeboxes ends up blistering the paint particularly the lower part of the door where ash collects inside so a rust colour gives this effect, the heat is also concentrated as it enters the funnel so more rust here. In hard water areas, also as the lids of the tanks are banged about you get rust or scale developing. Rust is obvious, scale shows up whiter or very pale grey (old dictum, "there is NO white or black in nature") everything else gets a liberal coating of soot and smuts falling vertically, so matt black can be used from a distance to simulate this. Rods and motion work all get my favourite darkish milk chocolate colour (used to be called Humbrol Brown Bess, but they've changed it now) and couplers rusty or brown or black.
A good source for weathering is Tipong Colliery ex B Class locos, but there are plenty of others. Just spraying a surface with blotchy dirt colour doesn't really cut it, dirt has a source and a reason for it appearing where it does, and a bit of thought can add a really authentic look. Two views of the Hunslet after the weathering job.
My apologies for being so long winded, hope this goes a little way to explain things.
Grant.
PS just noticed I pulled back the rust on top of the smokebox door, the beauty of the airbrush, just keep going till you get it right!

Brilliant Grant, thank you for the photos and the description.

Whenever I think about selling the last of my 16mm scale stuff I see what you have achieved and it makes me want to get creativity again!

Thanks Tom,
I started off where you are now (5" gauge) in the back yard but never finished a steam loco, and my yard and wallet not really big enough. I always had in mind to build a railway not just a loco so have ended up in 16mm scale. There's still nothing like the satisfaction of opening the throttle on a passenger hauling loco, so I'm envious of your situation too.
Grant.

Nice weathering Grant, How did you build the Hunslet?

Mitch

Hi Mitch,
The Hunslet is a steel body on an extended Lady Anne chassis kit. It was my first loco in this scale.
Grant.

First Steam Run for 2020.
It rained lightly here most of the night, which cleared the smoke from our atmosphere. Eager to boil some water I gave the Lumberjack a run between the raindrops.
Grant.

Another great set of pictures, Grant.

Thanks for the info on loco weathering. Must admit that, apart from a couple of diesels, I've resisted weathering my steam outline locos but, as you say, the railways our layouts represent would have limped along with increasingly ageing and patched-together rolling stock. I can see the advantages of a decent airbrush for subtle weathering techniques. I think I'll have to try seeing what I can achieve with weathering powders.

Intrigued by how many levels you seem to have on your railway. I assume your yard has quite a severe slope.

Rik

Thanks Rik,
In answer to your query on levels of my railway, and something maybe I should have posted much earlier, below is a track plan that I hope comes out large enough to read.
When I had 5" gauge, I had track on a 1in40 down the side, but I've terraced that into two levels for 45mm gauge. So Leawarra runs from 1240mm down at the turntable/workshop end down to 650mm at the footbridge. the rest is on the upper level and extends out over the lower level on posts shown in the last two pics. of the Lumberjack above. I can't remember the grade indicated on the plans top and right hand side, it's not severe but does mean you have to drive an engine. There has been subsidence in places, but being laid in 5ft lengths of flex track they're all gentle.
Grant.

Lovely pictures Grant, thanks. The trackplan is useful as well.
Like Rik, I've also been wary about weathering. My attempts in years gone by have never really satisfied me. I think its probably due to me being too impatient and wanting instant results, rather than slowly building up subtle effects. That and the fact that I really have no eye for colours and how to mix them to achieve a finished effect.

Glad you are safe from the fires Grant.

If you have any photos of your 5" gauge days I would be interested to see them.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 9:44 am Glad you are safe from the fires Grant

Ditto! The grass certainly looks dry...

Thanks for the plan, I'll enjoy refering to that when you post pictures of the various operations on your line...

All the best,

Andrew.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 9:44 am If you have any photos of your 5" gauge days

That was a long time ago Tom, many photos but all taken on slides, so unable to post here. Sorry.
Grant.

Great seeing your brilliant line plan Grant. Love the shot over the bridge..

Hope you're not in any danger over there. And all of your fellow countrymen and women too. It's something that is very frighting to see and hear. Last night's news here told us about the young recently married couple who have just watched there home burn down, only saving their passports and a few belongings....Very sad..

Those reading the LEAWARRA GAZETTE noticed an article on Grays Sawmill, stating that with land values and rates going up it was becoming harder to mill timber at Leawarra and still turn a profit. The directors backed by the Accountant, have decided at a meeting of the Board to offer the large acreage for sale by public auction at a date to be fixed. Although this may mean job losses, it is hoped that many of the men currently working at Leawarra, will continue working at a new mill to be established on a timber tramway running from the present siding at Warringine.
The mill presently being constructed along with a tramway constructed to very high standards is taking shape as we speak. The tramway will involve some steep grades but the Engineers have assured the board that the locomotive they currently own, should handle the loads required. Whilst much building is still going on timber is already being produced.
Work started with a dozer removing the log ramp from the siding and preparing the ground for the new Tramway right of way. Showing a typical grade the locos will face against the load. The points on the siding are LNR property, with anything beyond them being Tramway owned, however strict rules will apply to Tramway stock running on LNR metals.
Grant.