Re-painting a LGB 4-wheel carriage...

[jameshilton]

Re-painting a LGB 4-wheel carriage

Following on from my other threads on improving some of the second hand stuff I aquired for the Elly James and Keith light railway I've found time in recent weeks to crack on with improving a pair of LGB coaches I aquired via the Wanted section on here!

They started out as nicely finished but a bit ghastly 1985 150 years of Deutsche Eisenbahn - I believe they were originally part of a set marketed in the US? Anyhow - they had the larger bodyside windows and most importantly a flatter roof profile then others I found so were perfect for this project.

I wanted to re-create a pair of Zillertalbahn coaches - so had some custom transfers made via John at Precision Labels. I drew up the artwork in Adobe Illustrator and he had it printed using his ALPS printer (in white) onto transfer paper.

I thought sharing this with you all might encourage you to have a go with your stock - I'm now on the look out for a second set of 4-wheelers to do in an all over olive colour so keep your eyes peeled for when that starts!

Step one: Strip down the coach to it's component parts.

 

[jameshilton]

Step two: The body is then rubbed down using 1200grit wet and dry paper, used wet, over the kitchen sink.

Step three: Clean up and then apply primer - I use Halfords rattle cans, the grey plastic primer in this case. Cheap and readily available producing a nice fine finish. This was applied to both the coaches and the roof. I used masking tape on the underside of the roof to protect the original light grey finish. Leave for 24 hours.

Step four: Apply the top coat - I use Humbrol enamels an a £100 airbrush/compressor set - the best £100 I've ever spent - it's from Expo tools. Dilute the enamel paint about 60/40 - 75/25 ish. Apply several light coats with a 5-10 minute gap and then leave to dry for 24 hours - and then apply a second coat. For my Zillertal model I needed to create some black panels for the names and numbers. I masked these out carefully using Precision masking tape from B&Q - the blue expensive stuff - and protected the rest of the body with the cheaper, wider yellow tape from B&Q. Satin black was then dusted carefully onto these areas - and the tape removed whilst the paint was drying to avoid a sharp edge. Always peel the tape back on itself to avoid smudging.

Step five: Apply gloss varnish where transfers are required. Leave to dry for 24 hours before moving on!

Step six: Apply the transfers using Microscale Microsol - this is a product that dissolves and softens the backing film - so be very careful and apply sparingly. However if used well it can totally eliminate the silvering that can occur when applying transfers that would look terrible on a flat bodyside like this.

Step seven: Seal the transfers and apply an overall coat of satin varnish to the roof and bodywork. This not only protects the transfers but gives a more realistic finish. Leave to dry for at least 6 hours.

Step eight: Re-assemble - step back and admire your handywork.

So there you go - reasonably straight forward and you can achieve a custom paint job making some unique vehicles very easily. If anyone wants any hints and tips give me a PM. I've been modelling in 4mm for many years so this stuff is just a scale up of those skills. I'll be asking for plenty of advice when it comes to track and building construction where I'll be entering into the unknown!!!

Cheers!

 

[dragon]

Brilliant. Most enjoyable following the thread.

 

[stevedenver]

great job

suit the coach nicely

smart, clean look but not overpowering

!looks better than factory
the flat model paint always does!

i have the blue version-which i dont mind too much

ive seen these 150 eisnebahn in red, dark blue, yellow, and a very nice light plant green with darker olive and yellow-

 

[jameshilton]

Thanks guys - if anyone wants the PDF file for the set of transfers let me know and I'll see what I can sort out. I know what you mean about the finish - taking the 'sheen' off the model really lifts it from 'toy'. I hope it still stands up to outdoor use - time will tell!

 

[MR SPOCK]

[align=center]Very neat job James I would have had a few thumb prints on mine hehe

good info on prep tho
[/align]

 

[pugwash]

Great work, but weathering (at least the underbody workings) would lift it a treat.

 

[stockers]

Yes please James - PM sent. The Stainz one that is.
I sprayed the cab of this back in the summer.