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Masterclass

Inspired by a Yugoslavian Class 62 still at work in Bosnia, George Dent transformed a ‘USA’ tank into a freelance industrial locomotive that has survived well into the diesel age.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE DENT

The corrugated bunker extension and cab shutters give the ‘USA’ a unique appearance. The etched Simone nameplates were found in George’s spares box, originally created for a different project that was abandoned years ago!

Indulging in a little freelance modelling now and again can feel hugely liberating, compared to being bound to replicate specific prototypes as faithfully as possible. After seeing Tony’s images of the grimy ‘Yugo’ Class 62 in Bosnia, I felt moved to tinker with one of Model Rail’s exclusive ‘USA’ Class S100 060Ts – of which we only have a single version left in stock, in limited numbers.

While I didn’t fancy trying to convert the ‘S100’ model into a true ‘Yugo’ Class 62, I did want to add some extra details and give it a new coat of paint. The National Coal Board’s livery of the donor model may have looked great, but I wanted something a little different. Rummaging through my box of styrene offcuts (I rarely throw any leftover modelling materials away!), I found various scraps of Plastikard sheet and Evergreen strip, plus a sheet of thin corrugated plastic. The latter would be perfect for mimicking an improvised extension to the coal bunker, while the plain sheet and strip would be harnessed to form a set of sliding cab side and roof shutters. Some wide ‘U’ section styrene would also be cut and shaped to form some extra footsteps on the bunker and cab sides.

Perhaps the trickiest element of this project was the partial dismantling of the model to allow the body and chassis to be modified and repainted. Removing the coupling rods and wheels demanded a modicum of care (especially in not losing any of the tiny screws and bolts!), although the task is eased by some clever design by Bachmann. The lower base plate of the chassis, which keeps the axles in place, also has the delicate wiper power contacts installed, but instead of fiddly wires and soldered joints that would be easily damaged, the system employs a pair of simple sprung contacts. Accordingly, the base plate could be removed fully and set aside in a safe place. By weathering the brake shoes, which are incorporated into the base plate moulding, with a brush, the wiper contacts were not disturbed or contaminated with paint, making reassembly easier and drastically reducing any risks to performance.

Moreover, painting and weathering the wheels, chassis and body elements separately also allowed the motor, gears and electronics to be protected with masking tape, while the wheels could also be masked and cleaned much more easily.

So, it may have taken longer to prepare the sections of model for the painting and weathering, but much time was saved later during re-assembly and testing. It was important to re-lubricate moving parts, where necessary, before giving the model a test run.

I’m really happy with the finished results, with the shabby green ‘USA’ forming an interesting – and eye-catching – addition to my industrial steam fleet. Hopefully, it will look at home on my South Wales colliery-themed layout, shunting coal wagons around, in the presence of BR blue diesels.

The array of fire irons, oil cans and tools atop the tanks add extra character.

What you will need

SHOPPING LIST

• 2702-076 Tank Engine Fire Iron set

• 2704-076 Loco Oil Supply cans

Availability: Modelu
Web: www.modelu3d.co.uk

• LifeColor acrylic paints, thinners, airbrushes and equipment, Model Craft masking putty

Availability: The Airbrush Company
Web: www.airbrushes.com

• Tamiya acrylic paints and thinners, aerosol paints and masking tapes; Mr Surfacer aerosol primers, glues and styrene material

Availability: Scale Model Shop
Web: www.scalemodelshop.co.uk

TOOLS

• Modelling knife and spare blades

• Tweezers

• Drill and bits

• Needle files

• Abrasive strips (various grades)

• Steel rule

• Cutting mat

• Paintbrushes

• Airbrush and equipment (optional)

STEP BY STEP

1 The body is unscrewed after removing the NEM couplers to reveal the mounting screws. I also removed the crankpin bolts and coupling rods, then unscrewed the keeper plate and extracted the wheels.

2 The side frames and wheels were de-greased using an electrical contact cleaning fluid and cotton swabs. When dry, I masked up the axles and gears, plus the motor/electrics, cylinders, rods and front end of the chassis.

3 I trialled a tin of masking putty, which proved ideal for protecting the wheel rims and flanges, to allow the faces of the wheels to be primed and painted. Wooden clothes pegs are great for holding wheel sets securely.

4 The chassis side frames and wheels were treated to a coat of red oxide primer and, when this had dried, a deep red gloss topcoat was applied. I had a tin of Tamiya Pure Red to hand, which produced a tough, glossy finish.

5 While the underframe was drying, I began preparing the bodyshell by wet-sanding the tank and cab sides to remove the NCB lettering and numbers. The shaded lettering looked lovely, so I had second thoughts for a while!

6 After marking out its location, I drilled and cut out an opening in the roof that will form a ventilation hatch. Once the bulk of the waste was cut out, I used a flat needle file to form the aperture to its final size.

7 I also decided to cut away the cab side doors. A few passes with a sharp scalpel along the recessed seams allowed the doors to be snapped away. I’ll re-fit them later, so they were kept safe. The cab edges were filed smooth.

8 Using offcuts of thin styrene sheet and strip, I fashioned a sliding roof vent cover and rails, fixed in position with Tamiya’s Extra Thin liquid poly cement, using the fine brush supplied. This cement creates a very strong bond.

9 A similar set of sliding shutters and rails was cut and fixed to the cab’s side apertures. Again, scraps of plastic, saved from previous projects, provided the materials – proving that it’s worth holding on to offcuts for future use.

10 A sheet of corrugated styrene was marked out and cut to form a simple extension for the bunker. I trimmed the material imperfectly, to mimic panels that have been bolted together. Little touches like this add oodles of character.

11 After installing the side extensions first, the rear panel was fixed in position, the parts bent to fit around the original coal rail. When the cement had cured, I added a retaining bar around the rear and sides from styrene strip.

12 I cut some footsteps from offcuts of wide ‘U’ channel Evergreen styrene strip, chamfering the upright sections to mimic mounting brackets, then bonded them to the sides of the coal bunker, two per side.

13 The cab side doors, removed earlier, were trimmed in height and their edges were tidied up with files before being fixed back into the cab in the open position. This will make it easier to add a crew later.

14 After cleaning up the body sections, I masked up the cab interior and rear bufferbeam before spraying a couple of light coats of Mr Surfacer 1200 grey primer. This was left overnight to harden completely.

15 In a nod to the Bosnian Class 62, I fancied a light green livery, although a dark green shade was applied first. Tamiya XF-81 RAF Dark Green was thinned slightly and airbrushed over the tanks, boiler and cab.

16 Tamiya’s XF-71 Cockpit Green was darkened slightly with a few drops of XF-81 and then misted over the bodywork gradually, allowing the darker shade to remain in recessed areas and around raised detail.

17 Only a small amount of the lighter shade of paint was required, misted gently and patiently with the airbrush, to retain the subtle shading effects from the initial coat of darker green.

18 I mixed up some Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-69 NATO Black and XF-10 Flat Brown, then targeted it on the smokebox, tank tops and cab roof and footplate, using a piece of card as a masking template to protect the green areas.

19 A blend of LifeColor acrylics (LC02 Matt Black, UA 736 Burned Black and LC37 Burned Umber) was brushed over the underframe and wheels. Swabs removed most of the paint, but left traces behind to represent dirt.

20 The same blend was applied to the body, one section at a time, wiping it away with vertical strokes to ensure remaining streaks mimicked the action of gravity. Dipping a swab in thinners helped shift stubborn deposits.

21 Finishing touches to the weathering were made with the airbrush before re-assembly, using the same mix of Tamiya paints (see Step 18). A darker blend was created and applied to the upper areas, smokebox and cab roof.

22 The weathering paints were left to dry fully before the model was carefully reassembled. Various fire irons, oil cans and tools, from the Modelu range, were fixed to the top of the tanks using Glue ‘n’ Glaze adhesive.

23 After installing footplate crew, I added some real coal into the bunker, arranging it into a suitable pile before securing it with Ballast Bond, applied through a needle tip applicator and leaving it overnight to harden.

24 One last mist of the Tamiya paint mix (Tamiya paint lasts for a long time after thinning, if kept in an air-tight container), disguised any visible traces of glue on the tools and around the coal, leaving the ‘USA’ ready for service.

With its shabby paint and grimy appearance, Simone is very much at home in an industrial setting.

GRAB ONE WHILE YOU CAN

This may be your last chance to buy a Model Rail/Bachmann ‘USA’ tank, as we now have only one version in stock (NCB No. 36), with only a limited quantity left. The models feature an excellent level of detail, superb build quality and smooth performance, with a 6pin DCC socket. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! Turn to page 102 or head to www.modelrailoffers.co.uk to see the latest offers on the ‘USA’ and our other exclusive, limited-edition models.

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Workbench

Making structures from scratch can be a far more satisfying – if time-consuming – project, and it offers the chance to create something truly unique, as Peter Marriott discovers.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER MARRIOTT

On earlier layouts, I have used and adapted resin-built structures, or assembled plastic, cardboard and wood kits. This time, however, I decided to scratchbuild the main structure for this project, which depicts a modern rail-served industrial depot. While it may take longer to build structures from scratch, the process can be much more satisfying and offers the chance to create something truly unique.

On studying images of real modern industrial units, warehouses and depots, the structure is often simply a big steel box. For the main fabric of the depot, I used some packs of Auhagen corrugated plastic sheet. Each pack provides two 100mm by 200mm sheets, which are injection-moulded and feature a convincing texture.

At approximately 1mm thick, the sheets are rigid enough to be largely self-supporting, while also being easy to cut and trim to the required size and shape. The dimensions of the corrugations lend the sheets to ‘HO’, ‘OO’, and even ‘TT:120’ scenes, and the material is ideal for forming walls and roofs of all manner of warehouses and industrial buildings.

It’s often the small details that make a model, so I also added various detailing products, including homemade signage, to enhance the building’s visual appeal and interest.

To represent a modern, sustainable industrial development, I added panels of green foliage to the roof using mixed fine scatter materials. These living roof systems offer several benefits in the urban landscape – from providing habitats for birds and other wildlife to reducing water runoff – and are relatively easy to replicate in model form.

The depot took around five hours to build, and once it was in position, I spent a couple of hours adding details, including a security camera, air-conditioning units, signage, waste bins, and figures.

In reality, modern parcels depots are huge, so this project is not entirely realistic, but the idea was just to capture some of the flavour of a modern rail-served depot using products that were new to me. I am pleased with the result, and it has also provided a useful diorama for displaying my rolling stock.

What Peter used

SHOPPING LIST

• Auhagen 52233 corrugated cladding sheets (£10.25)

• 80352 Stabilizing pieces (£12.50)

• 80102 Suction removal system (£9.25)

Availability: Golden Valley Hobbies
Web: www.goldenvalleyhobbies.com

• Bachmann Scenecraft 44-528 air-conditioning units

Price: £4.95
Availability: Bachmann stockists
Web: www.bachmann.co.uk

• Mounting card

Availability: Art/craft stores

TOOLS

• Modelling knife and spare blades

• Cutting mat

• Steel rule

• Abrasive sheets

• Paintbrushes

STEP BY STEP

1 These twin-packs of corrugated plastic sheets by Auhagen provide useful material for scratchbuilding modern industrial structures. Each sheet measures 100mm by 200mm.

2 The lower edge of each sheet features raised ‘pips’ from the moulding process. These must be trimmed flush with a sharp craft knife before the sheets can be joined together.

3 Another pack of useful parts from Auhagen is this set of ‘stabilising elements’, providing internal bracings for internal joints. Similar parts can be cut from scrap, but this saves time.

4 I joined two of the corrugated sheets using cyanoacrylate, although a liquid poly cement would also work. One of the braces was added to the inside to reinforce the joint.

5 I cut window and door apertures (for pedestrians and rail traffic) into the corrugated sheet to form one of the end walls. I made the cuts in stages and I tidied up the edges.

6 I found a suitable window frame and door in my spares box, and the apertures were cut to suit their dimensions. After fettling to achieve a neat fit, the parts were bonded in place.

7 The opposite end of the building features a plain wall. The side and ends walls were glued together and left to dry, checking the outer corner angles were set at 90º.

8 I reinforced the interior and added a small offcut of corrugated sheet to the inside of the larger door aperture. After checking the corner angles again, the walls were left to cure.

9 To form the flat roof, I cut a piece of artist’s mounting card to size, strengthening the underside with card offcuts folded into angles to add rigidity. These were bonded with PVA.

10 Strips of card were also added to the upper inside edges of the walls, onto which the roof will sit. The card roof was painted grey, save for areas where extra panels were to be fitted.

11 Four square panels of card were cut, painted brown and bonded to the roof. These will form a sustainable ‘living roof’ system, mimicking an increasingly common feature of modern buildings.

12 I blended various fine scatter materials in a small pot to mimic sedums and short wild grasses typically seen on roofs. Clear matt Mod Podge was used to bond the scatter material.

13 I applied the Mod Podge to the roof panels with a small piece of sponge, dabbing the glue onto the painted card. While tacky, the scatter material was gently sprinkled over the roof.

14 After the glue had fully dried, I turned the building upside down and collected the leftover scatter material for future use. I was pleased with the random appearance of the living roof panels.

15 To alleviate the plain appearance of the side wall, I opted for an industrial extraction/ ventilation system, courtesy of another handy pack of plastic parts from the Auhagen range.

16 I glued the ventilation unit to the wall after painting it. The air-conditioning extractor fan is a resin-moulded item from the Bachmann Scenecraft range.

17 The DPD sign was printed off on my home printer and glued to a piece of mounting card. When dry, it was cut out using a sharp craft knife and steel ruler over a cutting mat.

18 The plastic drainpipes down the side of the building were courtesy of my spares box, and various signs were also added, being left over from other kits. The white security camera was from the Bachmann Scenecraft range, as were the waste bins and other detailing parts. The bicycle that can be seen in the picture below is by Artitec, with the motorbike alongside it by Noch.

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