I’m told POSCA paint pens are good. I have one but I have not got around to using it yet. There are cheaper versions available on Amazon.

 

Hi Conrail,
Also have not used the paint pens.
But from making a couple of those kits, using just acrylic paints, it’s much easier to paint the pieces whilst still attached to the sprues especially the lever handles, which are by far the most fiddly parts -

Tried it both ways here and on sprues much easier-

Also as you say once fitted in the Signal Box, you don’t see that much anyway.

Good Luck and have Fun, Cheers Norm

 

I second Norman's suggestion, paint all the bits on the sprues, then separate them when ready.

If you can do a reasonable representation of the colours, you could consider lighting it later, but even then it wouldn't have to be finished to anything like the Pendon standards. From memory, I think I did use a silver paint pen for the plates on the levers.

As an aside, the track diagram was done in Word using the shapes, then scaled it down to suit.

 

That looks like a resin model. What model is it?

 

Hi again,
Further to SRMans post above with the wonderful images of his Signal Box interior.
Also bought a silver fine point brush tool at a show, but have still yet to try it -

Cheers again Norm

 

thnank you Norm, Eltonfrog &SRman, planning to paint on the sprues, just looking for easist option, pen would be easier to hold than paintbrush. this getting old is a bugger, I'm running 00 and now have to use a re-railer to put rolling stock on the track, gone are the days when I would just put them down
brilliant phots, again thank you

 

One more thought: silver Sharpies are useful too. I have painted window detail on an EMU kit using a Sharpie.

 

Would also agree on the usefulness of the Sharpie Pens, in particular the Metalic ones, including for lead flashing on building models, plus lots of other uses too. Also very easy to use as well.
Cheers again, Norm

 

I’ve been known to use a Sharpie on the layout too in a couple of places.

 

Also look useful for painting handrails on coaches.

 

they look fantastic SRman, I have ordered a pack, silver, red, blue, white & green included,I have some windows laying around from older kits and buildings that I can prectice on.

 

Hi again Conrail,
Sounds like there will be no stopping you once they arrive.
We will look forward to following your kit build progress idc.
Good Luck with it & Enjoy, Cheers Norm

 

I like to use the artists' graphite sticks of various colours , with a light finger tip moistened with lukewarm water (or cotton bud for a narrow crevice). I've found a good way of creating brown weathering finish too. Put some (cheap!) coffee powder into an old mug, add a part-teaspoonful of water and stir well, leave for a hour and apply with a paintbrush, again using a finger tip to add special effects. Also I use black carbon paper on vehicle and building roofs, again with fingertip & water. Hope this helps!

 

well paint pens have arrived and I have started, will post pictures when further on, going to use SRman's picture because some parts appear to confuse me no idea where they go, confusion is so easily done these days,

 

Hi again Conrail,
Sounds like a very good plan & Good Luck; just take your time too.
Sometimes it's also worth washing the plastic kit in a bit of soapy warm water, before doing anything, just to get / wash off any residues / oils on the plastic kit itself, which don't go well with trying to paint them - 1st hand learning for sure
Again, Enjoy & Good Luck again, Cheers Norm
PS. This is a very nice model Box interior from David / Dwb on here too, used as a reference here -

 

I wouldn't guarantee mine is 100% accurate. At best I'd say it's reasonably so.

Also, some real signal boxes are arranged "backwards" compared, with diagrams, switches/levers and block machines at the back of the floor rather than the front, but I chose a fairly typical layout.

 

Mine fell apart on Friday. First the track Diagram fell off the Block Shelf, then as I took it out of the Signal Box to fix it, the Lever Frame decided to split and shed a lever.....
[Out with the Loctite Extreme glue, this time!!!]

If it is any assistance to Conrail, it used to look like this. [How it was laid out in the Instructions - I can't remember which Box it was meant to be, but I have an inkling that it was somewhere N Devon or N Cornwall - not sure...]

At least the arm-chair and Stove are still in one piece..... ..... well, for now, at least.....
J

 

Mine fell apart on Friday. First the track Diagram fell off the Block Shelf, then as I took it out of the Signal Box to fix it, the Lever Frame decided to split and shed a lever.....
[Out with the Loctite Extreme glue, this time!!!]

View attachment 38845


If it is any assistance to Conrail, it used to look like this. [How it was laid out in the Instructions - I can't remember which Box it was meant to be, but I have an inkling that it was somewhere N Devon or N Cornwall - not sure...]

View attachment 38844


At least the arm-chair and Stove are still in one piece..... ..... well, for now, at least.....
J

Julian,
How many times have you been told, you must play nicely & be careful with your "Toys", especially if you want them to last ...............................

 

This was a much earlier signal box I did, with very similar results. The interior was then a Wills kit with white metal parts. the build predates my previous layout, so I built it most probably in the late 1980s.

The building is not usually in this location, I put it there for some new photos. the bracing bars get in the way a bit, but as it is quite old now, I found the sides were tending to bow inwards. Not all is as it appears: the signal box itself is a French MKD kit, which came with a felted roof style at half the price of a Wills box, even though it was obviously produced under licence, or produce for MKD by Wills. I used Wills tiles for the new roof.

 

Hi again SRMan,
Funnily enough have one of those Willis white metal kits, still only partly built / painted, as was put off by needing to cut a slot in the Box floor to lower the lever frame into, hence went for the sit ontop Ratio kit as Conrail has. Never know maybe one day will be brave enough to cut a slot in the floor of one of the Lofts various signal boxes to fit it ........
Yours looks very good indeed however, Cheers for now, Norm

 

thinking of throwing my kit away after seeing all these fantastic photos, I wont but they are all fantastic and give me some good ideas, basically the layout wont matter so much so long as it looks like a reasonable facsimilarity, thank you one and all, much appreciated

 

Sure you will be fine & enjoy building it, just take your time

 

That's the golden rule: take your time. If you get frustrated, put it aside for a while and go and do something else, then come back to it later.

 

Reported - translation of first Para here -

Fiwfan is a rising dating platform for those looking for serious relationships or new friendships. With its user-friendly features and open community, starting a new chapter in your love life is easy and fun.

J

 

Did you get a phone number per chance?

 

Gone. Seems the AI assistance which is filtering out a lot of this type of spam doesn't read Thai - yet.

David

 

update, kit coming on nicely, bit fiddley as hands are not as steady as when I was younger, some advice please on fitting the levers into the lever frame, 1st one as I cut it off the spiggot flew flew the air and dissapeared, 2nd one in situ but doesn't look right, problem is levers wont slip into the frame and trying a bit of pressure bends them

 

Hi Conrail,
Good to hear the kits progressing well.
Do seem to remember the levers fit into the frames were quite a tight fit - made even more challenging if the levers feet or the frame inner slot faces have been painted - as mentioned before did build the sets here fitting them before & after painting.
Seem to remember, albeit a while ago now, after finding similar tight fit problems, used a sharp knife / scapel, to shave the sides of the lever arms free of paint & also to clear the inner space of the base frames slots too. Best to do all the frame slots to start with, as once levers are being fitted becomes much more difficult - with more damage very likely.
Also seem to remember either fitting the levers from one end to the other or the centre batch followed by the two ends - seems to work well too.
Again, just take it nice & slow - the kits do include some spare levers too, so there is some wriggle room thankfully
Good Luck & Keep Enjoying it, Cheers again, Norm

 

thank you Norm, for the one fitted I did use a narrow screwdived blade into the slot, lever painted but not then frame

 

Hi Conrail,
David / Dwb posted a short YT Video on another thread a little earlier regarding painting using the various types of paint pens / markers now available; whilst it was on painting figures, thought it might be of interest to you -

https://www.modelrailforum.com/posts/695833/

Hope you are winning on the signal box levers / kit front to of course.
Cheers as always, Norm

 

sorry about the delay Norm, great video, thank you, much appreicated