O Gauge Class 25 and 26.

 

Another numbering session this week. Both Loco’s purchased some time ago and appropriate numbers selected after a lot of research. I have tried to pick loco’s that were a bit different from the loco’s as purchased.

The numbering was carried out using HMRS numbers and BR logo’s, plus Fox warning flashes, data panels and coupling codes.

The 26, being a Scottish engine has snowploughs fitted. In these days they were mostly Black , but I have seen some in mid Grey, undercoat perhaps. Speaking of snowploughs I believe some experiments took place, as I have seen a photo of a Class 31 with Red ploughs. Yellow ploughs became the norm in the early 70’s. Sadly just before my modelling era in O gauge.

Again I have not weathered them yet! I must catch up!

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O Gauge Pre Tops 08

Many years ago I purchased a bottle of Howes Railmatch ‘faded BR Blue’ paint. Up until now I have been a bit reluctant to try it. Anyway, after researching an appropriate 08 that fitted my requirements, number wise, body style and weathering, I decided to have a go at some faded areas on the body, mainly the bonnet top and the engine room doors.

I have to say that after fading with the areas required, I was a bit taken aback, the faded areas looked quite bright compared with the original Dapol BR blue. Anyway after a coat of Satin Varnish it did subdue the differences a bit.

After leaving the loco to thoroughly dry, I commenced a medium to heavy weather akin to photographs of the prototype. This was followed by another coat of varnish.

I am quite happy with the results and will use this method again. The weathering certainly breaks up any colour variances. See what you think.

 

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O Gauge Weathering for Colin French

 

Colin is the master of O gauge micro layouts and has appeared in many magazines and books recently. Coming away from his usual Industrial and Grouping subjects, he had decided to do early BR. This move I think was hastened by the Dapol 08 and Dapol/Lionheart wagons.

Here we have five wagons and one 08 that have been weathered.

 

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Bachmann Colas Class 66

On my visits to Ely, one of my favourite trains is the Hoo Junction to Whitemore Yard Departmental service. This can be anything from a light engine(s) to massive trains of engineers stock, including cranes.

These trains are usually hauled by Colas 66’s, but Colas 70’s are also used on occasions. Colas do not have many 66’s and only two of them have names. When Bachmann brought out the Colas 66, I purchased two. I then purchased Railtec transfers and Shawplan nameplates for 66849 and 66850.

In real terms this is not a complicated conversion and after removing the original numbers, the transfers and plates were added. Like all my loco’s I detailed the end with the driver and left the tension locks on the other. They will be lightly weathered later.

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O Gauge Class 15 and Class 37

After the arrival of some new loco’s the research started as which loco’s I wanted to represent. I still find that researching is one of the most interesting stages of bringing my visions to life. I am certainly not a rivet counter but I need to feel that a fair representation of the prototype is modelled.

After settling on the appropriate numbers, their position, styles and other graphics, work commenced. I used Fox Overhead Warning transfers on all five locomotives, I find they are still the best. For numbering I used a mixture of HMRS and Fox on the Class 37’s. On the Class 15’s I used the transfers supplied by Little Loco. There has been some criticism of these rather odd transfers but I followed the instructions and they worked fine. I think the key here is to leave them the ten hours recommended to dry, no short cuts here. After drying I peeled the ‘pink’ carrier film off by using a scalpel in one corner and lifting very gently.

Most add-on parts came with the locomotives. The only extra parts added were to the Class 15’s, these were the control pipes. these were Heljan products obtained from Howes of Oxford.

Only one of my Class 37’s, the blue one, needed a small plate added on both noses just above the coupling hooks. These are only relevant on centre head code variants and appear to have all been built without these plates. They appear to have been added from about 1968 onwards and they all seem to have been modified by about 1972. I do not know why this was done, but it appears to have been a small cut back and plate to ease coupling, but I stand to be corrected.

All loco’s have had their grills blackened in preparation for full weathering. The weathering will be light to medium based on how they looked around 1967 -69.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say what a welcome entry into the O gauge diesel market Little Loco have made, In my opinion they go straight to the top, and yes, I have ordered a 48DS already. Rumours suggest that they are looking to produce further main line type two diesels – bring them on.

I had to sell over twenty OO loco’s to fund these five loco’s – was it worth it? – you bet it was!!!!!!!

 

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