A long gone era!

Mrs. Woody gave this to me as a Christmas present back in 2023. 

It is a beautifully presented train pack of one of the pioneering locomotives along with some appropriate rolling stock from a long gone era at the start of railways.

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Apart from looking at it, I sadly admit to never having run the train. However, that changed and it was unpacked and although the background of Gailston, my 00 gauge terminus layout is perhaps not quite the right era, it did at least allow me to enjoy seeing the loco and rolling stock on the track and running.

Getting it out of its box, two things strike you. One is how small it all is and secondly just how visually stunning the whole train is. You won't see something like this roll into your local railway station! Even Mrs. W was impressed by its looks!

The engine, Lion, even comes with a driver and fireman dressed in the style of the day. I guess that they really did not like any bad weather with the lack of any cab to protect them.

Meanwhile, in this long gone and different era, if you had the money a First Class ticket would get you the luxury of an enclosed carriage very much on the lines of the old horse drawn stage coaches that at the time were still being used.

Luggage would go on the roof!

Regardless of the weather, a third class ticket would get you a ride in this!

Little more than a wagon but I guess for those able to afford even the third class ticket it was a luxurious way to travel! I think I will be grateful for the luxury offered even with my second class ticket on todays railway system!

Evolution!

The evolution of a model is something that if you are working on it on a regular basis, (although 'regular' in Woody's World is probably a different interpretation with a much looser meaning to that most others have of the word) then you sometimes miss just how far a model has come on. One of the aims of doing this blog was for me to be able to look back on occasions and just see what I have been up to and what progress I have made on projects. The current 09 gauge project is a case in point as these three phots show.

Back on the 21 December I had this. A loco and three skip wagons in bare plastic looking interesting but needing some life brought to them.

By the start of the New Year the evolution had really started with it having taken on some life with colour added but it was in a pristine colours scheme looking like it had just rolled off the production line.

Going on a week things evolved further with that pristine look having given way to a weathered, battered, uncared for (this could actually be describing me!) and much more realistic look.

It is interesting and in many ways motivating to look back on the evolution of a project as it does show what you have achieved or in some cases not, but take that as a learning experience.

I just need to evolve this project further into a layout which will be another interesting evolution of a project!

Rust!

In my younger days I spent literally days trying to remove rust from things. Cars, bikes, gates, tools, and a host of other steel related products. I was never that successful as it always seemed to return no matter how much removing and painting work I did. Years on and I find myself in the strange situation of actually trying to add rust to things! Somewhat bizarrely, not steel related products but plastic is the material to which I am adding rust! The 09 project rolling stock is the current recipient of my rusting work. The skips and loco have been suitably corroded with a mix of weathering powders as the pictures below show. 

The difference between a rusted and a dirtied skip body shows what a dramatic effect rusting can have on a model and, in my view, making that rusty skip body look as though it really has worked over the years.

Having painted the insides of the skip in a metal colour, the rust powders give that nice contrast of areas of polished steel from what ever is carried in the skip to areas where rust has taken hold.

The loco was not as heavily rusted but it still looks fairly worn!

The interior of the cab also looks like it could do with a clean.

As does the radiator area.

It still needs some more detailing but I think that rust really brings out the character of the model. I just wouyld not like to have to remove the rust from the real life rolling stock!

A bit of dusting!

Much as I have talked about dusting of models and of course other non-model related items if Mrs. woody is reading, this dusting was actually putting dust on models. In this case the dust was weathering powders and the models were the 09 loco and skip wagons.

Starting off with the loco I added some earth and metal powders around the footplate areas and used some acrylic thinner to dampen and fix them in place. 

Next up was some ash coloured powder which was applied to the body panels. It dulls and fades the paint giving it that worn look. I just use a soft paint brush and occasionally a cotton bud.

The roof panel also got some treatment.

Next up were the skips and their running gear. It all looks fairly heavy at this stage but once a coat of matt varnish is applied it will tone down and in fact amy even need further application of powders to get the required look.

With some varnish applied my theory was confirmed that a further dusting would be required but it certainly all looks a little less prestine.

The engine block was coated in some enamel fresh engine oil mix to give it that 'working' look.

I also applied some of that product around the footplate area. Being an enamel product it will need a day to dry enough for further work to be undertaken. That gives me an opportunity to do some of Mrs. W's dusting!

Pizzazz!

 With the Fergie tractor put to one side after having found a minute to finish it off, I turned back to the 09 gauge project I am beginning to make progress on.  Having painted the loco blue and skips blue and added some red to the lower parts of the loco, the skip running gear was painted black and the insides of the skips metal. I think it all works well together as this picture of the wheeless skips and chassisless loco shows. 

As I did highlight previously, there is a need to weather the loco and the skips as they look as though they have just rolled out of the The Railway Locomotive and Rolling Stock Emporiums showroom. Before I can do that I do need to get them all in a matt varnish. The varnish helps to adhere the subsequent application of weathering powders and similar treatments as well as protecting the base paint. That has now been done so I just need to wait until the varnish fully dries and then I can start the dirtying process!

Talking of dirty, I have started to paint the two 3D printed 7mm figures that I have which will be part of this project at some stage! At this early part of the painting process they do look somewhat unkept and dirty but hopefully I can give them some pizzazz once fully painted! I think Mrs. Woody thinks that I should also paint myself in the hope of me gaining some pizzazz!

When I have a minute!

In my inevitable way I tend to move on from a project before it is completely finished with the thought that I will come back to that - when I have a minute! I have explained this to Mrs. Woody on many occasions when she has questioned when a job on her list for me to do will be finished but she doesn't seem to comprehend my words of explanation! Usually the gap between that thought and actually finding that elusive minute is sometime In some cases that 'sometime' doesn't mean days, weeks or months, it can mean years or even in some cases decades - just ask Mrs. W! However, in the case of the Heller 1/25th scale Fergie tractor, which I amazingly built and painted in little over a week, the job of adding the decals, which was indeed put off for that elusive 'when I have a minute', actually happened today - within days of the build! Absolutely amazing for Woody! But, I am not setting a precedent with this, it just happened this way and will probably never happen again! Please note Mrs. W!

The decal sheet supplied is hardly a large affair with two dashboard dials, three lights and two alternative bonnet badges so it was not going to be the most taxing of jobs!

I started off with the dashboard dials and disappointingly the white fuel dial decal broke up with the white backing splintering into tiny pieces. Not a good start! The other black baked one however went on without issue. Having no white backed decal I merely painted the dial moulded on the dashboard in white paint. I doubt anyone who hasn't read this blog will notice and it looked better than the grey of the dashboard. See what you think from the picture below.

The decals for the lights were added next. I would have much preferred mouldings with a hollowed out light shells that could have been painted and a clear lens added but the decals are what is in the kit so that's what I added. To be fair, they look reasonable, from a distance!

That is basically the Fergie finished. No weathering as such as it is a Show Tractor that has been restored and taken to shows on the back of a Bedford KM truck. Now you may wonder about that but the WMD Stores do have a 1/25th scale resin truck it for such a thing in stock! Handy! Unfortunately, that is on the backburner at the moment but when I have a minute.....

 

Blue is the colour!

 It is a bit more on the 09 project with more painting. The various components were indercoated in a dark grey as described in a previous post.

Top colour choice was something that I had wondered about for sometime. The prototype on the Leighton Buzzard railway is a bright yellow which was not really what I was after for my version so to be different it was either green or blue in my mind. As you can see it was blue that won the day! I continued with that colour for the skips as well. Might as well look as though they are a fleet in corporate colours!

However the engine block did get painted green.

It was then time to start painting in some of the details on the loco and this is where you really find the craft of the 3D designer and the quality of the printing equipment. 

Despite painting in details the loco still looked like a slab of blue so to break this up I decided to paint the lower part under the footplate red. Some masking up set the area to be painted and would hopefully avoid any unsightly blurred edges - I was never much good at keeping in the lines with colouring books as a child! 

Rather then spray the red I brushed it so it was going to take two coats to get some colour to it. This is the first coat.

With a second coat applied the red looked much brighter and with the masking tape off there were only a couple of small areas where the blue had to be painted in.

It is beginning to take some character on but it is all too pristine and requires some weathering to make it look uncared for - just like me! That is a job for another day though whilst I lyt all this paint harden.

No trespassing - I own firearms and a backhoe!

 It was the Rocks by Rail Museum Members Day yesterday so for an unfortunate Mrs. Woody it was time to venture out from the interior comfort of the comfy and warm sofa to the rather dismal day outside! However, it was an opportunity to show her the gabion baskets/cages that I had been talking about for the last few weeks and we were accompanied by some of the fitter and younger members - Alex, Thomas, Dan and George.

 

I have to admit that walking up to it a few days after having filled the first of the second layer of gabions it does look impressive!

I also had the opportunity to meet loyal blog readers Mrs. B, Gary and Alex who all are much valued by the WMD team - which is actually me!

Also on display was a rather nice 0 gauge model of Brittania. This was a retirement gift to Andy from none other than Jools Holland, he of musical fame. Andy has run a sound company for more years then he cares to recall although he can recall many fascinating stories of famous people which adds to the interest at lunchtime if he is at the Museum! During the last decade or so he has been working with Jools Holland and doing all his sound for his tours and TV shows including the Hogmanay show last New Years Eve. 

A beautiful gift and no doubt one that will be treasured by Andy sp much so that he refused my offer to take it away and run it in for a year or two!

Talking of the New Year I did take Mrs. W on her annual pilgrimage to the Newark Toy and Train Fair. She is not sure why she goes but I do facilitate the whole thing strictly for her benefit - at least that is what I have told her!

This years event was as busy as last year despite the storm over night. A lot of nostalgia on display which these photos may awaken memories from some older UK based readers. It is a big fair with a lot of stalls.

I was really tempted by this sign but having no firearms or backhoe made it a somewhat empty threat to any trespassers on the WMD estate!

A reminder of the 1990's with Churchill the dog from the TV advert for Churchill car insurance - Oh yes!

If you wanted a Mamod or similar steam engine, there were plenty there. Just don't expect to get the fuel pellets that are now illegal to own!

This is one of those, how did that never get made moments when you see something like this from the 1970's

And again, how did this Mecano set survive so well?

Lots of interesting things but Mrs. W bought some cookies and I bought this!

There is a reason for this and to some degree what is to the side of it may give some clue but in the meantime it is set aside!