Saturday 28 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part ten


Painting

Once again I will be following the steps featured in this You Tube tutorial by Warren Judge. The dark brown colour was built up in thin watered down layers using a large flat brush.


I used Abstract acrylic paint - Burnt Umber with a tiny bit of Citadel Abaddon Black base coat added to the mix.


Tony

Thursday 26 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part nine


Painting

I'll be following this YouTube tutorial by Warren Judge. The first step was an all over black basecoat. It was applied in watered down layers with both a large flat brush and a stiffer round brush to add some subtle texture. 

I used some cheap black acrylic paint bought from LIDL but did mix in a touch of GAME COLOR Charred Brown from Vallejo to give a deep liquorice black colour.


Tony

Tuesday 24 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part eight

Undercoated

The scratch built locomotive was undercoated with an enamel spray paint. I used multiple light coats to get a smooth all over coverage and allowed the paint to fully dry before handling the model. I did make one silly mistake; I forgot to mask the clear panel to the front of the lantern but was able to scratch the paint off with a sharpened cocktail stick.

I always feel that the first application of paint, especially an undercoat helps to 'bring the model together', particularly when you have used multiple materials during the build. The next step will be to add colour and following the earlier You Tube tutorial featured in the previous post, this will be a black basecoat.


I should also point out that the cab is still not glued in place, this should make painting a little easier.

Tony

Sunday 22 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part seven



Research

Prior to starting this latest engine, I had watched a YouTube tutorial on Weathering From Dark to Light which showed step-by-step instructions on how to weather a logging cab and trailer by Warren Judge. For full details go to this link.

The YouTube tutorial was instrumental in convincing me to go ahead with this 'critter' and in particular, how I plan to paint it.

I'll be adding some paint very soon.

Tony

Friday 20 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part six

Super detailing

Today's post shows how I added even more small details to this narrow gauge, vertical boilered engine. Most of the additions were constructed from plastic card, but there are a few bits from my 'spares box'.

This is the stage of model building that I enjoy most, adding rivets, small details and widgets to 'busy up' the model prior to painting. With a free lance model you can go as far as you like.....

Prior to painting, I washed the whole model in warm soapy water to remove any bits of grease or unwanted dust. 

At this stage the cab is still not glued in place - this should make painting a little easier.


Tony

Thursday 19 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part five

Construction of the newest narrow gauge engine for The Yellow Pelican Mining Co. has continued with me adding more and more detailing. 

The large loco lamp to the front was copied from an illustration I found in an American railway magazine and includes an interior and a clear plastic card front. The felt roof was made from blue masking tape but was glued down with superglue and the rear grab handles or cab handles were bent from some wire before being superglued in place.


I still need to add some detailing to the lower chassis but am pleased with the work so far. You can 'click' on any of the images to show more detail.

Tony

Tuesday 17 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part four

The cab has been built from plastic card layered-up to show cab bracing and framing. I have opted for a rear entry design/configuration. At this moment, the cab is still removable so I can add detail to the interior and to ease painting.

Detailing has been inspired by the images found on the internet and featured in earlier posts. As you can see I am not following any one prototype or design, but mixing-and-matching as I go to produce a 'busy' model with features from many different sources.


So far modelling has been pretty straight forward with no real issues, this is why I enjoy building 'free-lance' steam engines rather than trying to copy an original or following a detailed plan.

Tony

Monday 16 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part three

Construction

My 1:27.7 scale engines are based on the simple and readily available Hornby 0-4-0 mechanism or 'Smokey Joe' model. In this case the chassis was shortened and the Hornby hook couplings were removed, this is a simple procedure as the plastic is easily cut with a modelling knife. I have added small sections of plastic card to the slide cylinders and crammed any openings with sections of lead which is held in place with superglue.

Other than that, the chassis is an untouched Made In China Hornby 0-4-0 model.

The new body was constructed from plastic card, some scrap wood (the buffers) and odd pieces from my 'spares box'.

I kept checking back to ensure that the loading gauge was the same as my earlier engines and that the model would fit into the tunnel entrances on the layout.


The free-lance, vertical boilered engine is 95mm long x 54mm wide and 92mm tall to the top of the spark arresting chimney (which was cut from a toy train).

Tony

Saturday 14 May 2022

The White Church - Miniature Wargames issue 470

Issue 470 of Miniature Wargames (June 2022) has the first part of a two part series showing how I built and painted this Greek inspired White Church. Part one shows how the model was constructed from cardboard, blue foam and DAS modelling clay and next months article will give details of how it was finished and painted.

The partially finished White Chirch has sat patiently on my work bench for some years, but was completed and painted to be used in a Silver Bayonet scenario.

For more information, see the latest issue of MW.


Tony

Friday 13 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive part two

Planning

An internet search soon found these images of a vertical boiler-ed steam engine. I think the first was an On30 on a 0-4-0 mechanism and the second an On18 on 0-6-0. Both had the compact characteristics I was looking for in my new locomotive.

A series of simple pencil sketches helped me to define the main dimensions and gave me the opportunity to play around with the layout of the boiler and cab arrangement.




None are based on actual locomotives (although I have used historical images of vertical boiler-ed engines for reference) and this gave me the freedom to scratch build a completely freelance steam 'critter' design. The only restrictions I had was keeping the same loading gauge as the earlier two locomotives and making sure that this new engine would fit into the tunnel and loading bay entrances on the layout.

Tony

Thursday 12 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive


My Yellow Pelican Mining Co. layout is a modelling project that has already taken over twelve months to get to this stage and although I've been able to progress landscaping and detailing work over the Easter holidays, I am still not sure how long it will be before it is fully finished.

For anyone new to this project - The Yellow Pelican layout, engines and wagons are built to the unusual scale of 1:27.7 or 11mm = 1 foot. The reason for this combination is to do with the scale/gauge dictated by the HO-OO standard track gauge of 16.5mm and modelling a mining railroad of 18 inch gauge. Hence the 16.5mm track when modelled at 11mm = 1 foot equals 18 inch gauge, an actual railway track gauge used in some industrial or mining settings.

Because of this gauge/scale combination, all of the buildings, rolling stock and even the figures need to be scratch built, however due to the use of HO-OO or 16.5mm gauge track, I am able to use proprietary or readily available 'Smoky Joe' 0-4-0 mechanisms and standard wagon under frames as well as narrow gauge 'crazy track' produced by PECO.

The image above shows my two scratch built steam locomotives. Engine No. 5 a single piston four-wheeled horizontal Shay type and Engine No. 3 a slightly larger, double piston engine. Both are completely freelance engines which were inspired by images found on the internet and engines used on On18 narrow gauge engines (7mm = 1 foot) running on 9mm gauge or N Gauge track.

For more information and posts, please use the 1:27.7 or Narrow Gauge labels to the right.

My intention is to build a third narrow gauge steam locomotive also running on a HO-OO 'Smoky Joe' Hornby Chassis to use alongside these two - as you can never have too many engines!

Over the next couple of weeks, my intention is to show how I planned, built and painted this 'new engine'. So check back to see how work is progressing.

Tony

Sunday 8 May 2022

Vernacular Architecture by R. W. Brunskill


The Illustrated Handbook of Vernacular Architecture by R. W. Brunskill and published by Faber and Faber was a real find at just £2.00 and I am confident it will be both an interesting read and of use when modelling wargame structures.

The book is full of illustrations and photographs of features and buildings from the UK. It has many details showing construction and materials that I am sure will be of use to me.

It was picked up from a second hand book shop in Droitwich earlier this week.

Tony

Friday 6 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. May update part two

Taking inspiration from an image I found on the internet, I modelled this refuelling station from a couple of resin oil barrels (sculpted by me and then cast in resin) and some scrap stripwood cut and sanded to shape.

Painting was done with various acrylic paints and washes, with some weathering powders dusted over the rusty barrel. the fuel pump and pie were built from plastic scraps and some wire.


I'll be building more of these small vignettes to place around The Yellow Pelican layout.

Tony

Wednesday 4 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. May Day update.

Work on the narrow gauge layout has continued over the May Day Bank Holiday. The rocky outcrops have been finished and I have started to texture the groundwork. The rocks have been modelled from various foam off cuts and blended-in with both DAS and Modelling Compound. The groundwork texturing is a mix of sieved stones, sand and cat litter applied over PVA glue and then 'flooded' with 'wet water' - water to which I have added a drop of washing up liquid. 

Throughout the work, I have been careful to avoid clogging up any inside track areas or crossings.

The rear has been further detailed with more off cuts of plywood and any gaps filled with DAS.


My next job will be to fill any screw holes in the fascia before adding some paint to the scenery.

Tony

Tuesday 3 May 2022

Railway Magazine Haul


Here are the secondhand magazines I picked up at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Steam Railway, Toddington on Bank Holiday Monday. The recent work on The Yellow Pelican has meant that I have been looking for more inspiration to build another small engine and wagons. The visit to GWSR was the perfect opportunity to search through the secondhand shed/charity stall and pick up some magazines. I could have picked up many more, but throught that this was enough to be going on with.

Tony