SPA weekend…

It’s interesting that certain models and colour schemes still command such elevated prices on the second hand market. I’ve wanted a flame red SPA since I began dabbling in British N gauge a few years ago but they’ve always been north of £40. I caved and bought a Railfreight metals one, and more recently a civil link ‘Dutch’ liveried example…

However, neither was red! More, the grey and yellow liveried example just didn’t feel right. I tried weathering, I started adding a load of sleepers, then concrete trunking. Nothing worked. I couldn’t repaint it as the yellow is so thick, and would snow through any later paint scheme and I couldn’t strip it down to wash in IPA as the chassis and body seem bonded. I was close to selling it… 

Then over the weekend I was enjoying one of the Michael Rhodes ‘South Wales’ books from Platform 5 and in Cardiff Tidal sidings was the answer… sheeted loads! These loose tarpaulins covered coiled wire loads from Allied Steel and Wire, but importantly, covered the top edges of the sides, where the thicker yellow paint was!

I loosely masked the underframe and interior and primed, then applied flame red. Gloss lacquer followed by some Fox decals, not entirely accurate but good enough. Underframe touched back in with black/brown and levers and tie downs in white - then sealed with lacquer. A usual 98/33 wash applied to the sides to tone them down too… and disguise, slightly, the incorrect number. 

The load is a pair of Evergreen styrene tubes with the ends thinned. These were painted in 53 gunmetal. The tarp is a piece of packaging tissue paper, cut to size, and washed over with scenic cement so it goes solid and has a more realistic draped appearance. Painted in a dirty blue, it completes the illusion.

So a SPA weekend, a lovely quick project and I am pleased with the results. They look good on Paxton Road with my other ‘South Wales’ stock and 09013, certainly ‘good enough’. What helped this along was having the materials to hand and a project that could fit around real life - whilst being completed at pace. 

Spurred on by this success my latest 37 conversion is progressing nicely - but that, as they say, is another story. Until next time, more soon… 

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