PAINTING AN ‘O’ GAUGE PANNIER.

DAVID BREWER EXPLAINS HOW TO PAINT A TOWER BRASS 57XX.

HISTORY OF THE PROTOTYPE.

The Great Western Railway produced a wide range of successful side and saddle tanks for many years. The switch to pannier tanks led to a better balanced locomotive that was not subject to surges of water under speed. It also led to a standardised fleet of locomotives, of which the frames, motion and running gear were basically identical. The 57xx Pannier Tank was designed for heavy shunting and general line duties.

A Total of 863 Pannier tanks were built and they have a good claim to the title of the best six-coupled tank engine. The first batch of 57xx Panniers were built in 1929, the last survivors remaining in service until 1971. They were versatile, reliable and relatively easy to maintain. Whether coupled to a shunters truck, hauling a pickup goods train or working heavy empty stock the Pannier Tank was far more versatile than any of the competitors such as the Fowler Jinty or J72.

THE MODEL.

Latest introduction to the Tower Brass range of locomotives is the G.W.R. / B.R. 57xx low cab Pannier Tank. Produced in ready-to-run unpainted brass the model features a Canon motor with fitted flywheel, sprung buffers, compensated chassis, screwlink couplings, rivet, brake and backhead detail. It even includes as a separate item, the pair of steps to be fitted to the fireman’s side of the bunker if the B.R. version is required.

As supplied the pannier only needs painting, lettering and number plates to complete. The function of this article is to explain how to turn the production model into a fully finished locomotive.

DISMANTLING AND CLEANING.

Before dismantling the locomotive it is sensible to give it a good running session. Straight from the box the locomotive should run well. In the very unlikely event that the locomotive does have a running problem it would be a simple matter for the supplier to adjust or replace the locomotive. However, this is not so easy once painting has been carried out. Once happy with the running qualities dismantling is quick and easy.

As supplied the locomotive has been polished to give it a bright, clean appearance. Unfortunately the polish will prevent the paint from adhering to the brass. Fortunately the Pannier has been designed to be easy to dismantle. It breaks down into convenient sub-assembles which can then be cleaned, primed and painted.

To start dismantling the locomotive first turn it upside down. Remove the body from the chassis by undoing the four screws behind the sandboxes. Next remove the six screws that hold the chassis closing plate to the underside. Undo the plates above the front and rear axles. (four screws in each) and the four screws that retain the motorplate to the underside. Next un-solder the wires from the pickups (important note here: Do not unsolder the wires from the motor.) The wheels and motor will now slot out as one unit and can be left aside until painting is completed. Finally slot out the front a rear pickups only. The centre pickup fouls the brake hangers so should be left in place and carefully masked. Returning to the body, the roof can be removed by undoing the screws front and rear. The running plate can be separated from the rest of the body by undoing the six remaining screws underneath. Once completed, to re-assemble the locomotive just reverse these instructions.

The separate assemblies can now be cleaned. The Pannier has not been lacquered but the process of assembly and cleaning at the factory means that the brass parts will have a residue of acid flux, chemicals and polish, all of which must be cleaned off prior to painting. If this is not done thoroughly then it is likely that the paint will simply flake off sometime in the future. The parts are cleaned by either soaking them in cellulose thinners (brass parts only, not the pickups.) or thoroughly rubbing them all over with a fibre glass pen. Once clean the parts need to be washed. If you use soap then make sure it is totally rinsed off as the lanolin in soap will also prevent paint sticking. Allow the parts to dry before proceeding.

PRIMING AND PAINTING.

Priming the brass prior to painting is essential. It provides a suitable surface for the paint to adhere to. Painting the raw brass will result in the paint flaking off and no amount of varnishing will prevent this. Some people will recommend the use of etched brass primer but I do not use it. It is expensive, often rather gritty and very prone to block airbrush jets if not thoroughly cleaned after use. The normal method of priming is car undercoat which is readily available, cheap and it works. Two or three thin coats of undercoat are preferable to one thick coat. Once dry the top coat colour can be applied.

If you are using an airbrush I would suggest the use of Railmatch paint suitably thinned with Railmatch thinners. Railmatch paint is also available in spray cans. If a B.R. Pannier is being depicted then spray the whole body black. Again several thin coats is preferable to one thick coat and several will be required. If a G.W.R. green Pannier is required then spray the whole body G.W.R. green. Once dry the black on the footplate, cab roof and smokebox door can be applied by brush. Use a fairly large brush as a small one will result in streaks in the paintwork. The buffer beams can be hand painted in buffer beam red and the details in the cab picked out with a small brush. A worthwhile tip here for modellers spraying for the first time is to test the spray on some scrap material ra5ther than the model. If the spray is too close to the job flooding and drips will result. If the spray is too far away then you get an orange peel texture to the paint. It is just a matter of trial and error

TRANSFERS.

Depending on the livery required both Pressfix and Methfix transfers are available from the H.M.R.S. Alternatively waterslide transfers are produced by Fox Transfers. Either way these are tried and tested methods so it is simply a matter of choice. I prefer to apply a coat of decal fixing solution such a Decalcote to Pressfix transfers once they are dry. It settles the transfer and prevents it curling at a future date. Fortunately there is very little lettering on Panniers. Once completed a couple of thin coats or varnish can be applied. I use matt or satin as required and always spray it on.

FINISHING TOUCHES.

Number plates and for the B.R. version, shed plates, were obtained from Guilplates. These are simply stuck on when the model is complete. Ensure that the pickups, wheel rims and tyres are kept free from paint and varnish. When re-assembled, the locomotive should run just as well as it did before. If it doesn’t then you have re-assembled it incorrectly. Springside produce a nice range of accessories such as locomotive lamps, fire irons and a locomotive tool set which can be added to the finished model. Just fit a suitable driver and fireman to the cab and the job is complete.