Commission: Knostrop No.2 in 7/8ths…

Every time I get to this stage with a commission I have fallen in love with it, through the hard won effort of bringing it to life mixed with the emotion instilled in it’s artistic finish, these models are of me and I can’t think of a better job than to bring them to others…

Often when previously working in 7/8ths I’ve relied upon my design skills to generate the basic model but in this case I’ve been enjoying working on a kit. Yes, a kit, well conceived and superbly executed the Swift Sixteen model is a great start and rewards personalisation and creativity in it’s finish.

What we have here is a Tin-turtle in post-war service, based upon Number 2 at Knostrop sewage works that today is preserved in the North East. Unlike the 16mm example I had earlier built, this model required customisation to create a few of the distinctive features of the prototype.

The window frames are probably the most distinctive. I was kindly provided with a drawing of the prototypes by my customer which allowed a CAD file to be generated for laser cutting these, kindly done  by my friend Matt Nunn of Harecroft. These are 3 parts, with two outer frames sandwiching a glazing piece, painted before glued together with solvent weld and finishing.

The prototype also had only one of the side plates fitted, along with an exhaust guard, faithfully recreated in miniature. My customer wanted to include some bespoke buffers, including a hook and loop as well as a buffing surface and top hook which gives greater flexibility than the prototype supplied in the kit. They’re also closer to the prototype as well…

These were designed by me, based on some pencil sketches before being 3D printed in a bronzed steel. The metal finish is tough but a little rough so they were filed smooth before being fitted with small bolts to each buffer beam.

The paint finish is probably my favourite aspect. Given a little free reign by my customer, inspired by the prototype in industrial service I used a base of Humbrol 80 grass green with a 33 black chassis. Once dry they were sprayed with a clear lacquer, deliberately patchy (as with the previous 16mm example) and left for a week to harden. This is important because if the lacquer isn’t fully cured then the weathering can remove it and result in a right mess…

The weathering begins with an all over wash, wiped mostly dry which creates streaks and collects in nook sans crannies. Further more detailed washes and micro painting bring this to life, and stippling and then dragging rust marks down with a moistened flat brush add to the rain washed worn appearance. The edges of the roof seem to rust on the visors, and these cause a distinctive mark on the bonnet which was enjoyable to replicate. The exhaust is a mix of techniques, a base of Humbrol metalcote was followed with stippling of a rusty colour and a wash, which catches the light beautifully. The exhaust ‘spatter’ and build up is from the airbrush. The number 2 on each end of the roof were hand painted with a lining brush. The model was lifted by dry brushing with gun-metal all over, and then a dusting of road dirt toned things down and pulled the finishes together.  

It should be remembered that this is a sound fitted model, and I’ve featured this during the build process on the blog previously, however I have taken a further video of the effect out in the garden on some improvised 45mm track. The sound is incredibly realistic and the way it works feels so natural that working and playing with the finished model is an absolute pleasure. 

If you would like to work with me to create your own dream model, whether it’s from a kit or scratch-built, I’m any scale, gauge or prototype, do get in touch for a personal proposal. You can use Facebook to email me, or the contact form on here, or a forum messaging service. In the meantime, I’m off to play with the Simplex again before my customer collects it next week! More soon….