Custom Milk Wagons - Bashing Newqida Tank Wagens

[dunnyrail]

I think that they are a super job.

 

[Paul M]

Looks great

 

[curtis]

Thanks! Need to continue with the two others now!
Another dairy tanker for a different dairy (white gloss tank) and a Starbucks wagon (dark green and white!)

 

[carnellm]

With the run-up to Christmas, I'm going to have some time off work. I decided I'd like to spend some time bashing some Newqida Tank Wagons after being inspired by the incredible creations of other members of this forum. Full disclosure, this is my first attempt at a bash

Sourcing
I found a seller on eBay here in Germany that seems to have a good supply of Newqida stock. I was able to buy x3 tankers for around €75 (~£68). [Here is his page if anyone is interested. Not sure about international shipping charges].

Plan
My fiancé and I are keen to make it our railway. Currently, it's mostly continental steam themed without being much more perspective than that. The plan is to convert the 3 fuel tankers into milk wagons (or at least, my interpretation of them). They will each be liveried slightly differently based on things important to us:

• Home Farm Dairy - this is my my Step-Dad and Mum's dairy farm
• Goose Rocks Dairy - this is an Ice Cream parlour in Kennebunkport, Maine, USA that my fiancé visited a lot of a kid
• Starbucks - Because my fiancé loves it and it's part of our Sunday morning dog-walk tradition

For the first two, I've mocked up some logos/text as they didn't have any quality ones to hand and will print them on waterslide paper using a laser printer. I've tried this once before and it worked out well but I didn't seal it resulting in them silvering (going white-ish).

View attachment 277392

For the liveries, I am thinking:

• Home Farm Dairy - matt cream (slightly lighter than the the LGB Leuna tank wagon)
• Goose Rocks Dairy - gloss white
• Starbucks - gloss white dividing stripe with the dark green for the rest of the wagon. I need the white backing for the decals as I can't print white (which was one of those things that was obvious after I read it!

Progress
So far the wagons have arrived and I've used a fibreglass pen to scratch off the existing markings on the tank itself. I've not tackled the actual markings on the chassis (e.g. the fire warnings and the running reference etc). That I think I'll simply respray with matt black and deal with in the future).

View attachment 277389

After removing the markings, I sprayed the tanks with plastic primer and began applying the paint in layers. This is probably only my second time using spray paint so I watched a few YouTube videos before hand. A couple of things I don't think I took into consideration - the temperature outside (-1oC) and the cylindrical shape of the tank seemed to give odd results - in some areas the paint grouped and in other places it ran (this is probably my excuse for my poor technique of trying to apply thin coats).

A quick search suggested using some fine grit sandpaper to smooth down the uneven areas, washing it to remove any debris and reapplying. This seemed to work reasonably well
View attachment 277390

I've now applied a glass varnish to the cream wagon and I'm rather impressed with myself. I'll print the decals this week at my office.

Currently working through the second two. The white gloss spray is going better but have still got some drips (again, putting down to my technique and I'm a little more cautious about sanding this one for fear of causing unevenness in the final product). I've started dismantling the final wagon ready to start priming and spraying this afternoon.

Keep us updated - especially on the decals. Will be really interested in how those work out.

 

[Fred2179G]

Nice job on the paint and decals!

get hold of an old cardboard box. about 2' by 2' by 2' 60 x 60cm or larger would be fine.
put it with the opening to one side on a table or stool - and ready is your spray studio!
your decking should be safe(r).

I stopped using a box long ago. Spraying with cans requires that you start at one side of the object and make a sweep at a fixed speed across the surface to be painted, ending up beyond the object, then returning with another sweep to cover the next area. If you start the spray on the object you'll get too much paint. A box is too restrictive. (But maybe I was painting 34" 1/20 coaches which need a lot of room.)

I use an old sheet, or two, to cover the general area a couple of feet beyond the spray target area. Then I put the object on a sheet of cardboard and/or newspaper to catch the immediate over-spray. It all stays outside as my wife is very susceptible to the fumes, so bugs are just a problem. Can't cover it while all the volatiles are disipating.

The 2X paint-and-primer Rustoleum seems to work nicely on plastic, though you can't beat a good coat of primer follwed by a gloss spray.

 

[OLD FELLA]

Your Tanker efforts look very fine -- but you will need to shunt them VERY S L O W L Y to stop all that lovely fresh milk from sloshing out of the Capless Filler!!
I always applaud the Kit-Basher and the Improvers to mass-produced items -- yes, even LGB!

 

[Riograndad]

Great bash,if this is the first I expect to see more!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[curtis]

Nice job on the paint and decals!

I stopped using a box long ago. Spraying with cans requires that you start at one side of the object and make a sweep at a fixed speed across the surface to be painted, ending up beyond the object, then returning with another sweep to cover the next area. If you start the spray on the object you'll get too much paint. A box is too restrictive. (But maybe I was painting 34" 1/20 coaches which need a lot of room.)

I use an old sheet, or two, to cover the general area a couple of feet beyond the spray target area. Then I put the object on a sheet of cardboard and/or newspaper to catch the immediate over-spray. It all stays outside as my wife is very susceptible to the fumes, so bugs are just a problem. Can't cover it while all the volatiles are disipating.

The 2X paint-and-primer Rustoleum seems to work nicely on plastic, though you can't beat a good coat of primer follwed by a gloss spray.

I may transition to this when the weather is warmer (we have a lot of old sheets and our balcony is mostly covered. However, with temperatures hovering around 0oC I'd be afraid

Your Tanker efforts look very fine -- but you will need to shunt them VERY S L O W L Y to stop all that lovely fresh milk from sloshing out of the Capless Filler!!
I always applaud the Kit-Basher and the Improvers to mass-produced items -- yes, even LGB!

It has been added now. It was a few coats of paint behind the rest (I simply kept forgetting). These are all Newqida wagons. I have acquired a very old LGB "Magnesium" wagon cheaply which is horribly discoloured. I'm planning on making that into something custom. I'm either thinking a cattle or horse transport or a branded boxcar (similar to the US Reefers)

Great bash,if this is the first I expect to see more!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually (almost) completed another one today. Again, needs the filler cap added and a final once over with the decal fix to make sure it's secured.




My limitation now is varnish. I tested a gloss varnish on a decal on the underside of the tanker (out of view) and it appeared to make the paint curl. and split. I'm wondering what I'm missing here.

 

[ebay mike]

I may transition to this when the weather is warmer (we have a lot of old sheets and our balcony is mostly covered. However, with temperatures hovering around 0oC I'd be afraid


It has been added now. It was a few coats of paint behind the rest (I simply kept forgetting). These are all Newqida wagons. I have acquired a very old LGB "Magnesium" wagon cheaply which is horribly discoloured. I'm planning on making that into something custom. I'm either thinking a cattle or horse transport or a branded boxcar (similar to the US Reefers)




I actually (almost) completed another one today. Again, needs the filler cap added and a final once over with the decal fix to make sure it's secured.


View attachment 277670

My limitation now is varnish. I tested a gloss varnish on a decal on the underside of the tanker (out of view) and it appeared to make the paint curl. and split. I'm wondering what I'm missing here.

Cellulose or acrylic varnish? I cocked up one of my Orient Express coaches by using the car paint type. Got round it by using very light layers of Humbrol spray gloss varnish.

 

[dunnyrail]

I may transition to this when the weather is warmer (we have a lot of old sheets and our balcony is mostly covered. However, with temperatures hovering around 0oC I'd be afraid


It has been added now. It was a few coats of paint behind the rest (I simply kept forgetting). These are all Newqida wagons. I have acquired a very old LGB "Magnesium" wagon cheaply which is horribly discoloured. I'm planning on making that into something custom. I'm either thinking a cattle or horse transport or a branded boxcar (similar to the US Reefers)




I actually (almost) completed another one today. Again, needs the filler cap added and a final once over with the decal fix to make sure it's secured.


View attachment 277670

My limitation now is varnish. I tested a gloss varnish on a decal on the underside of the tanker (out of view) and it appeared to make the paint curl. and split. I'm wondering what I'm missing here.

I use Humbrol Acrylic Varnish with no problems.

 

[curtis]

dunnyrail , I ordered some and it worked perfectly! Thank you for the recommendation!

For future readers of this thread, you can find a complete summary of the steps, my learnings and advice from this thread on our website: Custom G-Gauge Rolling Stock – A Guide to Modifying Milk Tankers – HSBA Garden Railway

 

[melph1]

I have several of these tankers which will now become milk tankers! Thanks for the thread