Tractor Loco

[marc_reusser]

This is a small industrial diesel tractor locomotive. These types of locomotives were built using a farm tractor as the mechanical and motive power, and then modified /built into frames/chassis to function on railroad tracks.

The tractor portion was for this model was built from heavily modified parts from a Bandai SdKfz kit. The frame was kit-bashed and scratched using parts from a Grand Line Battery Mine loco. I still have a quite a number of parts and details to add. The model is about 5cm long.

So far the painting process is pretty straightforward:

After primer, preshading was done using Tamiya ?Nato Black?.
Base color was Tamiya ?JN Grey? (XF-12) at  lightened to about 90%. This was then followed by two ?fading? coats of the same, each at about an additional 10-15% lighter.



Following this filters were added using Windsor Newton artists oils:  Prussian Blue (#33), Sap Green (#37), and Naples Yellow (#29). When dry, it was given multiple light washes of Paynes Grey (#32), and Black (with just a smidge of Burnt Umber).





I needed to chip and oil stain some of the areas that would be difficult to reach once the remainder of the parts were attached. For the chipping I used a mix of Vallejo Acrylics German Camo Black Brown (#822) and Black Grey (#862). Oil staining and ?goop? was done with a mixture of artists oils, Bragdons weathering powders, and Guache.



Further painting and weathering to come...


Marc

[marc_reusser]

Came home last night after a dinner and a few stiff drinks, and decided to start the chipping on the critter frame.

The chips and scratches were painted with Vallejo acrylic paint For the chipping I used a mix of Vallejo Acrylics "German Camo Black Brown" (#822) and "Black Grey" (#862)., using a 0/18 brush. The wear on the horizontal surface was done using a small piece of fine sponge, and the brush. The frame took about 4 hours.

Looking at it this morning, I think I got a little bit carried away on the edges/corners of the front and rear?..but I fortunately found a prototype photo that helps vindicate this (whew!)?plus (hopefully) I think the rust, dust, and oil, will tone this down and blend it out a bit.









Scratches on the side-frame were dine with the 0/18 brush. I used piece of styrene with a radiused edge, laid parallel to the side-frame, to draw the brush along.




Marc

[finescalerr]

Please keep the posts coming, Marc. I don't know whether anybody else is following your progress but I certainly am.--Russ

[marc_reusser]

Thanks guys.   

Took some photos of the rusting process (took them outside in natural light). So far the rusting has taken 6 hours. I still have to do the rest of the side-frame at the rear of the left side, and the gas tank (not quite sure yet of how I want to approach the tank wear/rusting??I am also considering changing it to a different style gas tank.)







The diamond tread plate in the drivers area is an O-scale styrene product painted with washes of Life Color Acryrylics. The the gauges are from a 1/72 WWI bi-plane ?pre-colored? PE set from Eduard.



The brushes and paints used for rusting.




The next step will be ?pre-dust???but I am not quite sure about how I want to go about it...whether I want to use Guache, or Tamiya Acrylics.  A bit concerned about screwing it up.


Marc

[Krusty]

Marc

That's looking really neat. Reminds me of a loco that once worked in an Enzed boatyard with a Fordson Major power unit mounted in an old battery loco frame.

I am also considering changing it to a different style gas tank

I guess a nitpicker could argue that a convex-ended tank like you currently have is more typical of a pressure vessel than an ordinary unpressurised fuel tank. It's not the sort of construction you see a lot of on older machinery -- it might be quite a nice effect to paint it as a replacement item, in better condition than the rest of the loco.

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Krusty....great idea!.....what would you think of the tank in basic red oxide, but the strapping and mounts in the same waethered green as the loco....sort of like they found a new one that fit the old mounts?

Marc

[Krusty]

what would you think of the tank in basic red oxide, but the strapping and mounts in the same waethered green as the loco....sort of like they found a new one that fit the old mounts?

Yeah. That should work. Or maybe yellow, or a different shade of green. It would want to be sufficiently different in colour to obviously a replacement, but not so different that it hits you in the face. You would want to look at the lok for a few seconds before it dawned on you that the tank had been replaced.

[HectorBell]

Hi Marc, Rich, et al,  I've got back on board!
Nice critter Mark, love the weathering.  Might I suggest you cut off the ends of the tank and simply turn them round so they're concave.  That would look more in keeping maybe, then do as Rusty suggests too?
Cheers, Hector

[marc_reusser]

Oh, just swell!.....now I need to see if I can pry that thing off cleanly (I guess that's where Oils and rust stains help hide any problems ), and find or make a suitable replacement ......Iactually cant use the same tank and make it convex, as it is a solid white metal casting.  The one I am thinking of would likely be abit "narrower", so I will need to re-think the mounts also. ...well, I guess better late than never.

marc

[lab-dad]

Marc,
You could use some wood to make up the difference in the mount/tank diameters.
Looks like thats what they did on my Plymouth (and what I am doing).
I'd be happy to turn you a tank if need be.
-Marty

[TRAINS1941]

Marc

As always another awesome project.  Just outstanding.
-MJ why no pictures?

Jerry

[HectorBell]

Marc,  the chances are a flat end would be most likely, maybe you could use the whitemetal one, still.  Styrene ends, but don't forget the little rolled seam round the outside!!  How's that Rich.  Now can I have my Mr. Anal prize, pleeease!
Take no notice of these people Mark, they're winding us up.  Fact is they can do it just as well
Bits of wood chocking the tank out to existing straps would show it as a replacement, n'est pas?
Hector

[marc_reusser]

oooohhhhh....this tank thing is giving me a headache.......Ineed to ponder it over a bit, and see that I can come up with. I may build one or two first, before removing the old one.

But in the meantime, to kind of get my mind off it for a day or two, I have started on the aforementiond dreaded scenery.

In order to elevate the loco for better viewing, and to give a hint of context for the model I decided to build a display base. The base is built out of .080 sheet styrene, and some assorted strips, from Evergreen. Once built and sanded the top of the styrene was shaped to mach my proposed ground contour. A Piece of 1" thick  insulation foam was then cut and inserted into the base, and shaped to match the styrene edge contour.

Fabrication time to this point about 6 hours. Cost about $2.50.



Next he base was then primed with Mr. Surfacer 1000, and the foam received a brush applied base coat of Liquitex modeling paste, tinted with Woodland Scenics Raw Umber tint. 




Next step is to see if I can vacum form some pressed metal sectional track ties....that should be fun 



Marc

[HectorBell]

Rich, those cherry clusters make it the very devil to sit at the work bench, guess I'll keep taking the tablets, eh?
Hector

[marc_reusser]

No worries Rich...I knew what you meant...just giving you a hard time.

Well it took all darn day on Sunday, but I finally got 5 sleepers made for the sectional metal track piece.
I ended up making them out of .003 paper, so they scale out more prototypically?..I was going to try and vacuum form them, or emboss them in sheet brass, but neither of those proved a workable solution??so I did the same method I did with the OOB 38t corrugated?I soaked the paper piece in diluted matte medium, and then press embossed it into a two part styrene ?form?.  When dry, they were removed and trimmed, then sealed with a brush coat of Dullcoat. For stiffness under the rails a short (34? scale) piece of inverted .100 styrene channel was  ACC glued to the underside.  I still need to make the small bolt fasteners o hold the rail to the sleepers.

The ties are each a scale 5-1/2? x 2?.

Coloring was done using using the new Life Color weathering set/washes, Bragdons weathering powders, and artists oils

These photos were taken after I had to remove all the rock and dirt scenery around them and on the base, because I did not like the way it came out. The orange rust are some areas where  I used a wash of  Bragdons powders to color some damage from and remnants of the scenery. These will be better blended in the final finish. It was actually not bad, the damage left texture that looks like built up/crusty dirt and rust along the bottom edge of the ties?.just like prototypical ones I have seen.

The white strip that can be seen under each sleeper is just a spacer I added to lift the sleeper to fit with the eventual scenery/grade.








Marc