Waterslide Transfers for LB&SCR Models

This web page details transfers for small scale models of locomotives belonging to the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, that are available to members of the Brighton Circle (contact Ian White and Eric Gates). The products include loco lining “kits”, carriage class and garter marks, and bespoke transfers for locomotive names (2/4/7mm scales). Details of other bespoke transfers of use to 4mm scale LB&SCR modellers are also presented. For details of commercial transfer products please refer to the LB&SCR web site; see also links.

BESPOKE SERVICES SUSPENDED!

Photo (click to enlarge): 4mm model of Craven Victoria Class single (Stroudley rebuild), showing use of the lining set, plus bespoke name and number plate transfers (see also detail) [Photo and model Copyright IMW]

Contents

Loco Lining Kits

Eric Gates developed 4mm lining “kits” for his own models of Stroudley and R. Billinton period locos (see passenger kit and goods kit images), and these are now available to other members of the Brighton Circle. Each “kit” provides enough lines for at least one tender or tank locomotive. In the detail image of the passenger kit, lines are identified as follows: 1 – boiler band (the modeller must first apply dark green paint); 2 – buffer banding; 3 – valance frame edging; 4 – panel lines. The kit also includes complete panels to help with lining tender and bunker toolboxes, and buffer beams (slightly simplified), and the upper flared panels of tenders. There are also curved and angled corners and a variety of large radius curved lines, mostly in white to the inside and outside versions. The goods kit contains essentially the same elements and is for the red-black-red lining of Westinghouse fitted locos, which is a simpler design than the passenger livery.

The variety of parts is adequate for all commonly modelled prototypes. However, unusual prototypes, such as Victoria shown above, may require a little innovation.

For further details of the lining “kits” contact Eric Gates.

Eric has provided the following notes and photographs of a model before and after the application of the passenger lining:

Before - Brompton, built from an Albion kit, in grey undercoat, with the ochre, lining green and valance claret applied. Polished metalwork is still covered in masking fluid.
After - The lining has been applied, and only very limited touching up has been required. It has come out a great deal better than I had any right to expect - particularly looking at the "before" picture! Both photos were taken at (one of the more completed bits of) Cardinal's Wharf yard.

There are no 4mm scale lining kits designed specifically for the post 1905 umber livery period.

Ian White has developed transfer panels for 2mm scale kits of Billinton E4 and E5 locomotives. These are as follows:

E5: Post 1905 umber livery period only and proportioned for the Langley kit rather than a perfectly scaled model. Panels are provided for the tank side, cab sides, splasher and rear of bunker using gold-black-gold lining (can’t produce a good straw-yellow line). The letters LB&SCR in gold and a number plate (587) are included within the panels. LB&SCR, LBSC and numbers are also provided in straw-yellow. The set also includes panels of black line that should be applied first as guides for painting the darker brown edges. Plain gold lines are provided for use either side of the cast boiler bands.
E4, such as the etched brass kit produced by Worsely Works:

Panels for the post-1905 umber period. Panels of gold-black-gold lines as per the above E5 kit but with the addition of cab front/rear and tank front. Lettering and number plate as above but with the number 581 as a number plate. Black lined painting guides, and gold lines to assist in production of boiler bands, as above.
Stroudley goods livery panels; red-black-red lines as above (but without the black lined guide panels). Boiler bands are supplied both as red only and as red-black-red lines. The name "Birch Grove" and number 473 is included.
Stroudley passenger livery panels will also be available. Red-black-white lines as above, with black lined panels to apply first as guide lines for painting the dark green edges. Details of boiler bands to be decided. The name "Birch Grove" and number 473 will be included.

Members of the Brighton Circle with an interest in these 2mm transfers should contact Ian White.

Bespoke Transfers

Design for Locomotive Names

Ian White developed loco name transfers for his own models and these are now available to other members of the Brighton Circle (2/4/7mm scales; S scale also possible). The font was based on a standard PC font, stretched and modified as required to be a reasonable match to the Stroudley font. This was shadowed with green and black, and red flashes were added in a manner similar to that used on the prototype (e.g. Gladstone at the National Railway Museum). The prototype font also included some white flashes but these were omitted because the print process introduces pale stripes across the green and red print, the effect of which in small scale is similar to that of the original design (see enlargement and Overbury, A., 1990, Stroudley passenger locomotive livery, The Brighton Circular 16: 49-52).

Whenever possible artwork is prepared with reference to side-on (or almost side-on) photographs of the prototype (e.g. E1 Shorwell) but sometimes the match has to be made to another name with the same number of letters on the same size of tank side (e.g. D1 Balham was matched to Pelham). Splasher names for tender locos require a smaller font and can only be produced if there is a good photograph that is side-on (e.g. Albion). The long names on the Belgravia class used an even smaller font (e.g. Goodwood) [note that the blue background was removed prior to printing].

Members of the Brighton Circle with an interest in having names for their pre-1905 locos should contact Ian White.

Other Bespoke Transfers

Ian has also used his printer to make other transfers, some of which may be of interest to other members modelling in 4mm scale, e.g. oval wagon plates (example), some POW sides (example set 1 and example set 2; artwork based on privately collected photographs or drawings, by permission; models by Ian White, except Swift by Peter Barker; Payne & Birsdeye and Heasman are freelance designs). Other items that have been developed include the LB&SCR coat of arms, Marsh loco monogram and floral pargetting as used on Ardingly Station. Some of these items may also be suitable for production in 2mm scale.

Print Technology used for the Bespoke Transfers

The printer used for the bespoke and other transfers produced by Ian White is an OKI DP-5000 (known in some countries as ALPS MD-5000). This uses a dry print method based on separate ribbons for the primary colours (yellow, cyan and magenta), plus ribbons for black, white, metallic gold and finish (a varnish coat). Most colours are made-up of a mixture of yellow, cyan and magenta (as per ink jet printing) and these appear as stripes at high magnification. Furthermore, these colours lack sufficient opacity for application on to Stroudley improved engine green, so white is initially applied as an undercoat where these colours are to be used. Only the black, white and gold can be printed as unbroken areas of colour. Finally, a finish coat is applied to give some protection to the print but varnishing of the completed model may be desirable for additional protection.

The transfers are printed on a carrier film which is continuous across the entire backing paper, and in this respect they differ from commercially printed (and normally mass produced) transfers, where the carrier is printed on to the backing paper and confined to the area of each transfer. These transfers should therefore be trimmed fairly close to the print, and a transfer fixing and softening agent should be used to dissolve the edge of the carrier film.

Sadly suitable printers are no longer manufactured but for the time being, ink is still available.

Carriages

Eric Gates has developed 4mm scale carriage transfers (image) and the small remaining stock is still available to other members of the Brighton Circle, e.g. 2nd class carriage (a Woodham Wagon Works kit, painted in the varnished teak livery).

Ian White has developed 2mm scale carriage transfers for Stroudley and Robert Billinton period livery (letters as gold shaded red) for use on the Etched Pixels 4 wheeled stock. Enough guard, first, second, third and garter marks for a set of 5 carriages (two brake 3rds, 1^st, 3^rd, and 1^st/2^nd composite).

Following purchase of some of the M.A.R.C. Models 4mm scale 1895 type Pullmans (“Pup” No 29, “Her Majesty”, “Duchess of York”, “Princess of Wales”) Ian White produced transfers to apply to his models. The carriages were completed in the original all-umber liver (see side view of unglazed “Pup” and “Her Majesty”; oblique view of “Pup” to show end patterns; detail of “Her Majesty”). Anyone else interested in producing these Pullmans in original livery should contact Ian for details.

Links

The Brighton Circle (Brighton Circle) was formed in 1974 for the furtherance and publication of original research into every aspect of the social, technical and economic history of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and its constituents.

The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) web site introduces the history of the LB&SCR, as well as presenting lists of available models and modelling materials (including other transfers), and catalogues of detailed information including bibliography, loco list, carriage drawing list, and notes on building drawings.

Contact Details

E-mail:

4mm Carriage transfers, Stroudley lining – EricGates<at>aol<dot>com

All other items – White<dot>dacus<at>btinternet<dot>com

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For postal addresses see back numbers of the Brighton Circle Modelling Notes