I use one or two 1/4" stainless steel ball bearings (to reduce the risk of them corroding and contaminating the paint) and an old laboratory vortex mixer. 8)
I have some little glass beads that I got from a hobby shop somewhere, that are just small enough to fit into a Vallejo bottle. I think a bag of 100 was 2 or 3 euros, and they do help.
WM183, I think your models look excellent. I've custom painted a few WM units in the Circus "Trail Blazer" paint scheme. Here is my WM GP40. Thanks for posting your great looking models.
Thank you! I love the circus paint scheme too! That looks great! I want to run a bit of steam too, so no circus for me... Even my chopnose gp9 is fudged by, oh, 10 years. Still I could always just have two eras of equipment.....
The WM was an awesome road in so many ways and had such a cool roster. When I visited Hagerstown in the very early '80s I found a BL-2 in WM paint still working in the yard. I couldn't believe it. You're probably a member, but the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society is a first-rate organization with an excellent magazine, the Blue Mountain Express.
Hi Hardcoaler, Im actually not yet a member; I was, but my move to Netherlands messed my modeling related activity up on all fronts. I need to contact them and ask how we would go about membership from here. I need to order some books while im at it! I love the range of steam and diesel types, paint schemes on rolling stock, and the pride WM took in itself. It's a perfect modellers road!
I'm fascinated by construction and engineering and the WM's Connellsville Extension began in 1912 was built in a notable era which saw many other impressive lines built. The Connellsville Extension featured remarkable viaducts and tunnels, all done on a grand scale. It was a superbly well built railroad and it most certainly egged on the B&O to build its nearby and magnificent Magnolia Cutoff soon after.
This means that the only speed lettered power that you can have are the FA-2s (one of which actually did make it into the Circus scheme). WM had two BL-2s, both of which survive. At one point, both of them were running, but, there may be only one that currently runs.
Hi Brokemoto, I am "fudging" the time period a bit, hence my speed lettered chopnose gp9, which appeared in 64 I think? In addition to wm's lines through beautiful country their variety of different paint schemes is one of my favourite things about them. I suppose I might just have 2 sets of power (and a few era specific cars) to cover the early 50s and the early 70s eventually, but for the moment im just aiming to sort of capture the "spirit" of the Wild Mary in the 50s, and have fun building structures and locomotives while I do so. It's a 14x4 L shaped shelf and it is certainly a learning experience!
You would not have a chop-nosed GP-9 next to steam. WM got rid of its last steam some time between 1952 and 1954, but I forget the exact year. i too, am pushing it, as I have a consolidated and a Pacific in 1955. The other diesels are in fireball, except for the four FAs, which got their speed lettering either in 1953 or 1954, I forget, exactly. It is odd that the ALCo s got theirs before the Baldwins, as the Baldwins spent more time in the shop than did the ALCo s. If I can get some parts from IM I want to do the F-3s that came back as F-7s. They showed up in speed lettering in 1955. If I can figure out how to get some grilles onto my LL E-6s without doing to much damage to the grey paint, I can have the B&Os E-6s to E-8ms. They returned to the B&O in 1954 or 1955, I forget which. I just did a B&O FPA-2 (A and B--B&O had FPB-2s, as well), which means that Rapido ought to be announcing its in N scale any day now. I do hope that they do the same numbers in N as they did in HO. They did only one with a pre-1957 number, 811. I put 809 on mine--B&Os were 809-817, but odd numbers, only. There were five A-B-A sets of FPA-2s (the railroad numbered them 809-809X-809A; 811-811X-811A---the Xs were the Bs and the As were the second A unit in the A-B-A set). But as long as you are enjoying it, why not?
Hi Brokemoto, Indeed I am fudging a bit! I have speed lettered hopper cars in too large a proportion to have ever been seen around steam, but I figure "Oh, let's say WM didn't completely dieselize until B&O did... and let's say they chopped those GP9s and repainted them early, as part of the new image..." I adore WM's wide variety of diesels, but I also love their steam engines; very distinct with those bent flanger pilots and those big square tenders. But I also love B&Os clean Baldwins and that gorgeous cab unit B&O paint scheme, C&Os brutish mallets and mikes with their flying pumps...
Number 82 runs and is on the Durbin and Greenbrier in West Virginia. It was at Cass in 2017, where they worked on it. They outshopped it that year in fireball paint. Number 81 is at the B&O Museum and is also in fireball paint. I do not know if it still runs. Both of them had the old 567 prime movers. Some of the later 567 parts will not fit the earlier versions. I do not know if the railroad ever updated any of the prime movers while the things were in revenue service. WM Scenic had an old Northwestern passenger RSD-4 painted fireball, as well, but I do not think that it is there, any more. I do not k now what happened to it or if it even still runs. WM never had any RSD-4s or SD-7s; curious when you consider what it hauled and where it ran.
If I'm understanding this correctly, it is likely that the gloss coat on the RS2, despite over spraying later with matt, is likely the reason the RS2 is glossier. BTW: nice job all on your decal jobs. I absolutely hate N scale decal work. My fingers are too fat, I have little patience and whatever dexterity I may have once had is long lost to the years......
Hi NorsemanJack, I suspect you're right, and I probably should have figured that out on my own... I had a bit of the dumb that day I guess. I like the glossier paint on the locos (WM took very nice care of their equipment) so I will probably do the gloss coat - decal - then some matte varnish before weathering on any future locomotives and things like cabeese. Also, thank you for your kind words on the decals! I use plenty of decal fix, a small wet brush, and a toothpick to set them in place, and it's definitely a test of patience. Decalling one loco took me probably 4 or 5 hours! Amanda
I think you're doing it the "correct" way (i.e. gloss > decal > flat/matt). That's what the experts recommend to enable "easy" decal positioning. If you wind up with "too glossy," I would imagine that another coat or two of matt/flat would dull it down. I've used ample Microscale Micro-set, toothpick, wet micro brush, etc. The problem for me is that when I've got it "just about right," I try to achieve perfect and bad things happen. Last week I was trying to place a tiny "F" onto a locomotive (the prototype identification of the front of the locomotive). That little "F" would spontaneously rotate by just looking at it. Add to that the fact that even with my best close up reading glasses (3.25 power), it was nearly impossible to even see which direction it was oriented. No joke, I wound up taking a close up photo with my digital camera and zooming in on my computer to confirm that the "F" was oriented correctly. Life is too short for this!
I think it looks mighty good! But since you asked, black on, and especially in, the stack. Those Baldwin VO diesels didn't burn their diesel oil completely. Also, more dust on the trucks. If there isn't more dust on the trucks than anywhere else, the engine is still within seventy feet of the wash rack. Well, look at the bright side. At least you now know what that F stands for...
LOL. Next time I look at one of those "F" decals, I'm thinking that a word other than "front" will come to mind.
