Scorpio Models BR Class 3 tank engine build.

Well the tank engine has now reached the final painting stage which saw BR Loco Green applied and the black areas hand brushed in with Tamiya Flat Black, buffer beams were again lightly brushed in with Buffer Beam Red. BR also painted the insides of loco frame the same colour which this loco has also be treated likewise. After a lot of chopping and changing for a loco identity I finally decided on 82003 in green and a recent book purchase from Rob Pulham gave a great picture of 82003 in green with early cycling lion emblem on a Barmouth freight working in 1962... so that was all the evidence I needed go with this livery. Anyway here we are now ready to apply lining and transfers having allowed the gloss varnish to rest a few days.

 

can you fetch the special plonking spanner out the Omo box Andy duck ? ... ten past two Philip

 

well sort of but I'd have preferred to do an Ivatt 4 which would fit perfectly into Leek Station... but then a Standard 4 tank build isn't a million miles off what I've nearly completed... it would have to be an MOK kit and that takes us up a class or two

 

With light fading fast its time for a touch of evening photography to see what happens, not a great shot but one that adds a touch of mist and mystery, so with one side done we have 82003 as it was prior to 1965 when it ran along the Cambrian Coast... I gather from research that when transferred to Patricroft soon after it didn't have much work but was tarted up and used on an LCGB railtour the Cotton Spinner in April 1966, 82003 was called to Cashmore's of Newport for scrap in early 1967.

I'm still waiting on replacement lost wax brass brake hangers and brackets which will replace the white metal ones supplied in the kit which TPH really were not up to the job, that was a last minute decision and once fitted I shall complete the motion and return crank.

 

Waiting for replacement brake rigging with the cylinder block removed in readyness... 82003 painted, lined out both sides and varnished, glazing and backhead to fit along with number and works plate etch from Severn Mill. Won't be long now to complete finish as this little loco stands on Elton Crossing layout against a certain Caprotti 5.

 

Thanks for the nice comment Gormo, the roof isn't canvas its just showing strange in the picture. The cab roof is etch brass which I rolled to shape then painted black before matt varnishing... I then brushed the can roof and smokebox ring in Tamiya flat black to give the effect of soot tarnish, this worked on the smokebox but not really on the cab roof which I'll touch over again with matt varnish before doing the weathering.

 

No Andy nothing missed, originally I sprayed the roof as a separate item using Halfords satin black then varnished in a matt clear and it looked good, see the post of a recent previous picture taken in evening light in the garden... I then got clever and decided to lightly brush the black roof with flat black which worked ok on the smokebox wrapper but looks poor on the roof. Only option is put it back into matt varnish and winner ... all is well again.

 

Indeed Gormo, I think the secret is in spraying an inconsistent varnish coat which gives a kind of pock mark finish... akin to a light dusting if you like, this adds another build coat onto the already completed primer and spray black layers then brush on a fast coat of Tamiya flat black which then exaggerates the previous pock mark texture to look like a tarpaulin canvas. It does work on brass etch ... be interested to see if it works on plastic or even cartridge papers.