On behalf of all of us, we’re really proud of what you’ve accomplished! Starting out as super basic but usable rolling stock, and now a BEAUTIFUL scale model of a locomotive that’s obnoxious to make? We’re proud of you Sam, and hope you can continue to make more of these beautiful projects in the future haha
You really hit it out of the park with this, Sam. This is an excellent piece of work considering it's a one-man job, and the researching and testing makes it even better. Years of working with existing models clearly left a good impression on this. Regards, Samuel Farris.
I don't know how to express my happiness and amazement, the locomotive turned out majestic. You really are one of the best youtubers dedicated to this.
Transfers can best be applied on a gloss surface; after which you can still varnish them with satin/matt or gloss. Whichever you prefer! Microsol/microset can help on rough surfaces to soften and set the decals in place. Lovely build!
These design and build series are rapidly becoming my favourites of your videos. I really love the increase in fidelity with each model you produce. can't wait to see what's next
Something that you can be really proud of. A magnificent piece of work and well worth the effort. If I owned a large commercial company on the look out for an opportunity I would be knocking on your door! Thank you for sharing the process with us all, it really has been enjoyable watching it all come together.
Let's not also forget that wheel assembly jig that Sam 3D printed for himself. It's one thing to make the model (done very well), but it's even more amazing to make the tools that make the model as well.
Took one look at the thumbnail, and i knew we were in for a treat - great to see it fully decorated and running - very smart livery. Once again you amaze us again! Great video sam
Months of work, and this must have been so rewarding in the end Sam. You're selling yourself a bit short perhaps. She just looks stunning. On camera little niggles might show but she just looks fabulous. She really does. And what a leap up here. Especially the sheen is actually spot on as well; accidental perhaps, but just exactly right. I use cotton swaps to roll out air traps from transfers (don't push!) but specially bigger ones usually are a real annoyance and quite often do require more than one attempt. Yeah very annoying but that's how it often is. To remedy gaps, just use modelling putty Sam. Also remember that in physics, pulling requires less effort than pushing in similar circumstances. The latter adds to overcoming more friction. It's just how it works in physics and often explains some differences in performance at reversing. The single big wheel simply adds to the problem I suppose, lol. From both of us; well deserved compliments 👍 👍 👍 Cheerio.
Very impressive indeed Sam, you should be proud of that. Couple of things I have found out when doing decals / painting: 1) Decals need either an unpainted shiny plastic or a high gloss surface to properly sit on. Get yourself a good quality gloss varnish to go over the decal area first. 2) You mention using a sharpie for the nameplate (good outcome that), also have a look at paint pens. I have used Posca with success (available with very fine nibs). Best
Transfers, do a coating of gloss varnish under them, this gives a smooth surface for the Transfer to stick to. Thus reducing the chance of air bubbles getting under the Transfer, preventing silvering. You can then spray your preferred varnish finish over the top, helping to seal the lot in. But mainly, what a great job, I wish I could have one!
Christmas was just around the corner. Up and down the country, people were getting into the Christmas spirit. It was no exception in this cozy house in Derbyshire, where our dear Sam lives. ‘Sam, I’m back from Christmas shopping!’ yelled a middle-aged woman from the doorstep, it was Sam’s loving mother. On her arms were bags full of colourful Christmas goodies. ‘Wow, is it December already? Time really does fly.’ Sam said as he climbed down the loft ladders. He could barely contain his excitement! It only seemed like yesterday when he was ramming the Heljan Hymek into a sea of polystyrene balls. Had it nearly been a year? This year had been amazing for both him and his channel. Getting to handle Awdry’s original Thomas model, what could’ve been better than that? That was only one of the many great things he’d done this year. ‘Mother, is that what I think it is?’ Sam pointed at a giant red box buried underneath some decorative candles. He could make out some golden letters on the box. ‘Ugh, I was hoping to give this to you as a surprise! Nevermind,’ chuckled his mother, ‘You’re just like those eagle-eyed viewers who could tell what model boxes you have from a mile away, but with food!’ Sam couldn’t help but laugh. It was a frightfully accurate comparison. Sam’s mouth began to water as he admired the red box. On it with shiny golden letters read ‘Lindt Advent Calendar 2023’. Sam had always enjoyed chocolate, with Lindt being his absolute favourite brand. ‘Ding dong’, came the sound of the doorbell. Sam rushed to open the front door, a blonde girl wrapped her arms around him. ‘Sam, are you ready for us to spend our third Christmas together?*Apologies if this is inaccurate.*’ she whispered into the ear of her handsome boyfriend. ‘I should get back to filming,’ Sam told Chloe softly, ‘Want to get that Coca-cola tram review out this year!’ Chloe squeezed Sam’s hands tightly, she wanted to spend more time with Sam, but she understood that Sam’s job is important. He mustn’t disappoint his audience! Sam’s mother yawned lazily on the armchair, ‘All that Christmas shopping has tired me,’ she mumbled. ‘I’ll go upstairs for a nap.’ Chloe was now left all alone. Her eyes darted around the living room. What was something interesting to do? She giggled when she saw the medieval soldier costume folded neatly in a cupboard. Somehow, she had not spotted it there before. A 22-year-old Sam had once been in that outfit for a Halloween video. Earlier this year, she watched that video with him to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of his main channel. That was a fun video to film. Making videos with Sam is fast becoming one of their favourite activities together. Chloe’s tummy made an awful growl. She hadn’t eaten anything all afternoon! She went instinctively into the kitchen, hoping to make something to eat. What caught her attention, however, was the box of Lindt chocolate on the pantry. She was sure that Sam would not mind her taking a few. The naughty girl carefully slid the box open... ‘Hey, fancy seeing you here,’ came a voice from the kitchen door. Chloe’s hands flew behind her back to hide the box of chocolates. It was Carrot, one of Sam’s sisters. ‘I’m just checking what food we have left,’ Chloe stammered. Carrot took a spoon of yogurt from the fridge and left. She didn’t doubt Chloe one bit! After all, Chloe is such a wonderful chef. Carrot and Sam both secretly hoped Chloe could come and cook for their family every day. Even Sam’s signature dish, the Modelrailwayman’s Broth, isn’t a patch compared to what Chloe can make. With Carrot gone, Chloe quickly popped a few pieces of chocolate into her mouth. Yum, they were delicious! She could replace them afterwards. Sam would be completely oblivious. A few days later, it was time for Sam to open the first window of the advent calendar. Oh no, the silly girl had forgotten to put the chocolates back! Whatever would her boyfriend say? Chloe crossed her fingers, dreading Sam’s reaction. In the nick of time, she remembered the knight costume she’d seen, ‘Hey Sam, would you look at that?’ said Chloe, pointing at the costume. Sam let go of the box of chocolates. He was amazed to see that awful outfit again. He thought his mother had thrown it away ages ago! ‘Sam, would you mind putting this on?’ pleaded Chloe. Sam gave his girlfriend a funny look, what a weird request! Being the kind man he is, he would simply do anything for the love of his life, so he grabbed the costume and retreated to the bathroom. ‘Chocolates, chocolates, where can I find chocolates?’ Chloe thought furiously. She slipped her hands into her pockets mindlessly. Golly! There were some of her homemade chocolates! She quickly slid open the box, popping her sweets into the empty slots. Sam marched into the room in his Halloween outfit. ‘H...h...how do I look?’ he whispered humorously. Chloe handed him the advent calendar. Without a second glance, Sam ripped into the first partition. Chloe watched in silence as Sam munched joyfully on her homemade piece. ‘Hmm, did Lindt change their formula?’ Sam murmured. Chloe’s face fell, he had noticed after all. Would Sam be mad with her for stealing his food? Would he decide to break up with her? ‘This taste even better than last year! The workers at Lindt deserve a pay rise!’ Sam went on, giving Chloe a wink. Chloe let out a huge sigh of relief. She looked thoughtfully at the mistletoe hang high up above the door, as Sam planted a nice warm kiss on her cheeks. Has she successfully fooled Sam? We will leave that to the reader to decide.
Gotta give yourself more credit. This looks amazing and you’ll definitely get better over time. Your custom locomotives and rolling stock need their own Sam’s Trains custom packaging
One thing I recommend for the decals having bubbles beneath them (also known as "silvering" in scale modeling terms) is to use decal solutions like Micro Set/Sol and Humbrol Decalfix, what they do is softening the decals so it conforms better to more bumpy surfaces.
I rarely comment on videos but am totally impressed with what you have accomplished! What would make it better? Sprung buffers! I jest, but only because you make a point of testing them all the time. I’ve seen lots of comments on the decals and how to improve on that, all very supportive. Thanks for including us in this journey.
Outstanding, I am in awe. Well done. With a single large driverloco a 24v motor works fine. I replaced a Triang single with a modern 24v motor and the running became more closer to prototype and smooth and powerful. You did a spectacular job on this Sam.
Seeing three different locos you made yourself running along the line really is heartwarming. You're a right little Awdry now, aren't ya? I think all you need to give a try at now is kitbashing.
This is really impressive. Yes it's not a professional model but I believe that most of your viewers, myself included, would be more than satisfied if we were able to produce a model this good. The vents on the splashers particularly stand out for me. Other modellers tips all say to apply a gloss or semi gloss finish before applying decals, a matt or satin varnish can then be used to dull down the gloss to the level you require. A little more time and effort but helps eliminate silvering and air bubbles.
You did a great job paining the locomotive Sam, don’t be so hard on yourself; I think you did great. Keep up the great content, and the great work you do for the model railroad community.
Sam, your projects are amazing and you do yourself a disservice every time you compare your loco decoration to what a factory can produce. Genuinely in awe of this amazing project. If I could design in CAD to even 10% of what you can do, I'd be pleased with myself. Good idea on re-visiting Copper knob in resin. The 552 would be superb in resin too. Well done again.
On a operating track in public, it is grade 'A'. Close up and in hand, grade 'C'. Mechanically with a small consist, as would be its normal operating condition, grade 'A'. Back in it's normal operating condition of 2 to 5 double axial cars it works fine. I don't know why most modern operators try to build up trains with loads of trains of 60 years later which still stall out. A very pleasant prototype.
I had no idea these engines were painted green! I always assumed they were always in lined black like most other LNWR engines I've seen pictures of. This model looks like something I would see in a museum! Such an amazing scratchbuild. I would suggest using crushed coal instead of a 3D printed coal load for your next steam loco build. I want to see you make a diesel or electric locomotive/railcar in the near future.
This is mental! You're becoming better and better with Model making! if I could give you a idea, perhaps a diesel? like not expres but just a small little box diesel shunter, it would be a simple body so you could add more details along the body?
Wow!! That’s amazing! I would never have been able to pull something like that off!! I thought the unpainted version was good but this is off the scale good!! If I had to pick one of your trains from your collection to be mine then I’m picking that in a heartbeat. Watch out Hornby there’s a new legend in town!!
"I doubt I'll ever produce a perfect model." he says. I say boulderdash! That Problem Class looks and runs amazing for a model you've designed and built in the attic. Come on mate, give yourself some more credit, if this is what you can do now I want to see what you'll do next. Look out Hornby/Bachman/Dapol, modelers like Sam are about to give you a run for your money.
Fantastic job. Democratising production like this is really good for the hobby because it’s long been at the mercy of corporations who see their customers as a sponge to extract all the money they can from, just because the key demographic is thought to have masses of disposable income. Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, and the initial outlay for equipment and materials is quite steep, but I’d loved to see more people in this hobby attempt their own rolling stock and even engines. Please carry on with this sideline on this channel!
Sam, you have been an inspiration in designing and building this model. I think you have been too hard on yourself with “Sam’s your model review”. What an a achievement! You not only the talk with your always consistent and considered model reviews, you clearly “walk the walk” in your understanding of what makes a great model locomotive that is also value for money.
The only very minor but important thing I can note is the fact that when you look through the driving wheel, you can see the opposite driving wheel through the non-existent boiler. A bit ironic really because most commercial locos some years ago were criticised for an inability to see daylight UNDER the boiler! Nonetheless, a brilliant model, Sam. At 81, my modelling days are coming to a close. Yours are burgeoning wonderfully!
Outstanding Sam, loved watching this series. What is impressive to me is the engineering to get a large wheel running at the same speed as the smaller ones. Each model you've built has certainly pushed the boat out a little further. Think Copper Knob still my favourite. What's telling is you went from nothing to design, to prototype to build in 3 month, so why does it take so long for the big companies (2 years plus plus) to get their products out. If time is money I'm sure that adds to the end cost. Thanks from Aotearoa.
I have seen some toy restoration videos where the raised details were "stamped" with fine foam dipped in paint. Possibly dabbing with the the side of a small foam brush might work. An area for experimentation with paint thickness etc.
If you still want to add things to that list of projects, how about trying to make print in place rolling stock? Something like a flat wagon that you take from the build plate, remove any supports, give the wheels a turn to check that they rotate freely and put it straight on the tracks. Bonus points if it can be printed in multiple colours.
I have to say, the 3D locos you make are absolutely marvelous. They go to the length of realism. Given you started out small with the manning wardle, and those freelance designs, you have certainly grown up in that sense. Well, we've focused on Old Copernob, Gladstone, GER 552, and Problem. Guess we need a fifth loco to join the team...
Brilliant Sam ,well done. Nice to see GER loco and Coppernob out on the line again too.If I may make a suggestion for the next one, how about a Scotland for inspiration? I know HR 103 is in the pipeline, but no RTR manufacturers have ever touched the Great North of Scotland, or the Glasgow and South Western. Both had a good selection of attractive engines. Take a look, you'll find something you like I'm sure.
It’s a good effort and performs fairly well, it’ll be interesting to see how the resin lasts for the moving parts. To take things further you could use some of the many available detail parts such as hand rails, valves and whistles etc, yes they will cost a bit more but still be less than a RTR loco. The metal parts will add a bit if finesse to the finished model.
Apologies for the lots of separate comments, dodging kids means I have to watch these in stages! Tips for painting… When painting coaches I use a fully gloss varnish (nice and shiny) for 2 layers, then apply the transfers and a final layer of satin varnish (I used windsor and Newton Acrylic Varnish) gives a nice shiny, satin finish but not too shiny As for embossed lettering, I use citadel black, wipe the paint off on the side of the pot and use the side of the brush perfectly flat across the top, it will paint the top of detail and leave the background uncoloured Hope this helps, great job on this, love the lining on the tender especially
9:20 a way to do embossed lettering that I've seen before is to print the piece the colour you want the lettering to be, then spray paint it, then sand the paint off
Regarding the bubbles under the decals/tampos (sp?): spray a semigloss clearcoat over the model. It will provide a good surface for it to adhere to. Apple and coat the decal with Micro-sol (or the equivalent) to get a painted on look.Then spray another layer of clearcoat over the model to protect the decals.
Fabulous Job, it looks really good and a very well built chassis and mechanism too. We've gone on for years about having details like daylight under the boiler, but daylight through the boiler? You're leading the industry Sam!🤣😂🤣
That's absolutely beautiful, Sam. I was racking my brain to see if I could think of what it reminded me of. Then it came to me: Lord Belborough's engine that he drives in the classic stop-motion children's show, 'Chigley'. It's also where the catchy, and oft parodied Song 'Time Flies By, When You're The Driver Of A Train' comes from. Sorry.
To apply decals without bubbles, Sam, I'd recommend the use of some decal setting solution. I've used 'Micro Set, and Micro Sol' (#notspon) for Possibly 30+ years now. If you do use them, please read the instructions, and obey them to the letter. You'll have no problems if you do. If I still had hair, I'd have pulled it all out in frustration, at the number of modellers on TH-cam who use them incorrectly. Decals work best on a gloss surface, and when they are set, can be given a light spray of matt or satin clear coat to fix them permanently, and allow you to weather over the top of them, if you wish.
Fantastic result. +1 for the Sharpie! Use then quite regularly around here - even on commercial kits. I'd love to see an update to "Old Copper Knob" on the Resin printer.
That is so much more than just "okay". It is absolutely GORGEOUS, even larger-than-life-size on my monitor. I appreciate your honesty in scoring this as you would any commercial product, but the score seems low to me. Jason Shron, owner of Rapido Trains, had a modest start (but high standards, and a delightful and righteous madness) - and look what he has achieved today. There is nothing holding you back from greatness.
I deal with transfers too, the first transfers i made had some of those issues you had aswell, the flat matt probably made it worse, but what I do to avoid bubbles is let it dry for the night before putting on any varnish. Also the tiny layers of the printer are visible, but they are so minuscule that you can hide them in the priming stage. I give my 3D printed trains a few thin layers of primer till those layers are completely gone before painting it the colors. It hides any trace of the production process. All in all you can be very proud of your work! Keep it up! Also the wheel slip is not a bug that is a feature, I would be surprised if the real thing with this layout did not have wheel slip.
It looks pretty damn good for being home made, so congratulations are in order! If you're looking for a good satin varnish though, I can strongly recommend the VMS stuff, sprays well with or without thinner but I would add some thinner for sure if your air brush needle/nozzle is smaller than 0.5mm. normal hairy brush application still works a treat though!
Lovely yet again sam you should be very proud of your self watching these three locos you built yourself running around is a joy and from a distance you can't tell the difference 👍
Sam, for the decals, you should use waterslide transfers on a gloss finish. That way, the transfers stick better. The matte varnish has to be done after all thats done. I will try this myself as well, since I heard about this before. I hope this helps!
Honestly, compared to some commercial models, yours is simply awesome. I won"t drop brand names this time... I think most of the price of the commercial models is taken by conception, manufacture and amortization of the molds. An injection mold costs between GBP 50K and GBP 150K depending on the complexity, as far as I know. I invite anyone with a knowledge of plasturgy to complete my intervention, because I don't have the knowledge to say more.
I pretty much agree with your rating. Here’s my take: Detail: 4 Performance: Power: 6 (pre-grouping)/2 (late post-grouping) coaches Mechanism: 3-1/2 Quality: 4 (I’d give it 5 if it had a DCC decoder in the tender) Value: 5 I’d say, “Fantastic job, Sam!”
I thought it might look good in the well-known LNWR Blackberry Black, but the Green looks even better! Well done - and I'm sure we're all looking forward to your next project...
It is a beautiful loco, but I think that one thing is missing- driver and firemen! Maybe you could print or buy the figures and place them on the footplate. This would make the loco less odd too look at while running.
Gorgeous model. Resin printing has greatly improved the detail and resolution and now it looks like you're really getting close to professional models in terms of detail and finesse. I've been watching this project with an engineer's eye and I actually have a few ideas on how to improve things even further: - You've probably already thought about it but I think it would be a good idea to use metal threads whenever possible, especially for frequently removed parts like the base keeper plate. Just create an opening with a nut cross-section from the other side (the requirement is that the other side must be accessible of course) and fit a nut into it using a semi-tight fit so that it doesn't fall out too easily. Square nuts are perfect for this if you don't mind looking for them specifically - When I watched you fit pickups to this loco I had an idea. I remembered those spring loaded contacts that Dapol (I think it was Dapol?) used on one of their models. These are also called pogo pins and they're actually meant to be used as pcb connectors but clearly they also work as locomotive pickups. Some of them are around 3-4 mm of total height so with a little bit of imagination they should fit in a loco chassis as long as the driving mechanism is not in the way. They might be a little bit tricky to solder cause most of them are made for pcb surface mount (they don't have any soldering terminals) but I think some do have a short pin on the other end that would make the soldering easier. If you managed to get your hands on some of those that are small enough to fit inside the loco chassis I think it would greatly improve pick up reliability and spare you some wire bending. Not sure what the added cost would be cause that probably depends greatly on where you buy - Sprung buffers? Lemme guess you're already working on those aren't you?
Outstanding work. You've come a long way with your resin printing, and frankly most of the things you point out in the video as being "issues" is pretty much just inherint side effects of resin printing. I'd say there just isn't much more you can do re: layer lines/ warping at this stage with where the tech is at, and imo its only noticable with a macro lens for most people's eyes, anyway. In terms of the flat finish, there's a bit of a trick some scale modellers use which I recently discovered. Starting out with 1 or 2 layers of gloss varnish makes a great smooth surface for working with decals, plus it tends to offer better protection for the paint. Once you've done this and sorted out your decals, you can then at a mat varnish to bring it back to the finish you want with gentle thin layers (just make sure you do a deep clean of your airbrush before applying several clear coats. Any fleck of dry paint sittin gin the nozzle with spoil the effect).
3D modelling like this takes ages in terms of design and development, and you can tell you’ve put a lot of thought in to the design to see it come together and operate so well. I think the review was fair, and you have identified some areas for improvement. Good job 🎉
Great job! Your skills are really developing and the move to resin is paying off big time - this is your best loco yet, and a fantastic prototype to boot! You can be justifiably proud of this model. More pre-grouping please!
A great model there Sam, a single wheel loco is one of the most difficult to design ,build and have run properly. Love to see a full cab version in a shiny lined black.
Regarding painting the nameplate, first paint the black, allover if you wish and leave to dry. Then add the fill colour. Whilst still wet, use a bit of solvent dampened cardboard wiped over the surface in one movement to remove excess fill paint, revealing the black high points again.
REMARKABLE !! You are a master craftsman. Your work is better than probably 80% of professional models that you reiew. You are far too hard on your work! More an 8.5 than a 7.43.
I think the finish has a faded weathered look to it. I think the results are excellent! You should be very proud of yourself. A very nice model that would look great on a period layout. I remember seeing scratch built locomotives many years ago, made out of necessity because they weren’t commercially available. Well done Sam!
On behalf of all of us, we’re really proud of what you’ve accomplished! Starting out as super basic but usable rolling stock, and now a BEAUTIFUL scale model of a locomotive that’s obnoxious to make? We’re proud of you Sam, and hope you can continue to make more of these beautiful projects in the future haha
omg molly hiii
Very proud of you Sam
@@Its_PacFanmlem, is me
It really is a beautiful model of an interesting looking loco.
@@_molls yuhhh how are u???
Who else remembers when Sam thought he couldn’t do something like this!? Fantastic job and a fantastic result.
haha it wasn't that long ago... I can't take full credit though... it's this technology that makes it all possible!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
You really hit it out of the park with this, Sam. This is an excellent piece of work considering it's a one-man job, and the researching and testing makes it even better. Years of working with existing models clearly left a good impression on this. Regards, Samuel Farris.
Thank you so much Samuel - it sure was a long but fun process :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Finally the LNWR Problem class is finally finished, you did a absolutely wonderful job on making this Sam :)
Cheers Jasper & Willow
I don't know how to express my happiness and amazement, the locomotive turned out majestic. You really are one of the best youtubers dedicated to this.
Transfers can best be applied on a gloss surface; after which you can still varnish them with satin/matt or gloss. Whichever you prefer!
Microsol/microset can help on rough surfaces to soften and set the decals in place. Lovely build!
These design and build series are rapidly becoming my favourites of your videos. I really love the increase in fidelity with each model you produce. can't wait to see what's next
Something that you can be really proud of. A magnificent piece of work and well worth the effort. If I owned a large commercial company on the look out for an opportunity I would be knocking on your door! Thank you for sharing the process with us all, it really has been enjoyable watching it all come together.
Thank you so much - I think it was worth it too, really appreciate the kind words!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrainsAGREED!!
WELL DONE, OL' CHAP!!!
Let's not also forget that wheel assembly jig that Sam 3D printed for himself. It's one thing to make the model (done very well), but it's even more amazing to make the tools that make the model as well.
Took one look at the thumbnail, and i knew we were in for a treat - great to see it fully decorated and running - very smart livery. Once again you amaze us again! Great video sam
Thanks Jack - really glad you liked it my friend!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrainscould you do a class 69?
Cheers boss
Better than Hellman lol
If I didn't know this was 3-D printed, I would've thought it was a commercially made model. Great job on the design, production, and decoration!
Months of work, and this must have been so rewarding in the end Sam. You're selling yourself a bit short perhaps. She just looks stunning. On camera little niggles might show but she just looks fabulous. She really does. And what a leap up here. Especially the sheen is actually spot on as well; accidental perhaps, but just exactly right. I use cotton swaps to roll out air traps from transfers (don't push!) but specially bigger ones usually are a real annoyance and quite often do require more than one attempt. Yeah very annoying but that's how it often is. To remedy gaps, just use modelling putty Sam. Also remember that in physics, pulling requires less effort than pushing in similar circumstances. The latter adds to overcoming more friction. It's just how it works in physics and often explains some differences in performance at reversing. The single big wheel simply adds to the problem I suppose, lol. From both of us; well deserved compliments 👍 👍 👍 Cheerio.
Very impressive indeed Sam, you should be proud of that.
Couple of things I have found out when doing decals / painting:
1) Decals need either an unpainted shiny plastic or a high gloss surface to properly sit on. Get yourself a good quality gloss varnish to go over the decal area first.
2) You mention using a sharpie for the nameplate (good outcome that), also have a look at paint pens. I have used Posca with success (available with very fine nibs).
Best
You have done amazing work, Sam. You should be very proud. Can’t wait to see what your next project is
Transfers, do a coating of gloss varnish under them, this gives a smooth surface for the Transfer to stick to. Thus reducing the chance of air bubbles getting under the Transfer, preventing silvering. You can then spray your preferred varnish finish over the top, helping to seal the lot in. But mainly, what a great job, I wish I could have one!
Christmas was just around the corner. Up and down the country, people were getting into the Christmas spirit. It was no exception in this cozy house in Derbyshire, where our dear Sam lives.
‘Sam, I’m back from Christmas shopping!’ yelled a middle-aged woman from the doorstep, it was Sam’s loving mother. On her arms were bags full of colourful Christmas goodies. ‘Wow, is it December already? Time really does fly.’ Sam said as he climbed down the loft ladders. He could barely contain his excitement! It only seemed like yesterday when he was ramming the Heljan Hymek into a sea of polystyrene balls. Had it nearly been a year? This year had been amazing for both him and his channel. Getting to handle Awdry’s original Thomas model, what could’ve been better than that? That was only one of the many great things he’d done this year.
‘Mother, is that what I think it is?’ Sam pointed at a giant red box buried underneath some decorative candles. He could make out some golden letters on the box. ‘Ugh, I was hoping to give this to you as a surprise! Nevermind,’ chuckled his mother, ‘You’re just like those eagle-eyed viewers who could tell what model boxes you have from a mile away, but with food!’ Sam couldn’t help but laugh. It was a frightfully accurate comparison. Sam’s mouth began to water as he admired the red box. On it with shiny golden letters read ‘Lindt Advent Calendar 2023’. Sam had always enjoyed chocolate, with Lindt being his absolute favourite brand.
‘Ding dong’, came the sound of the doorbell. Sam rushed to open the front door, a blonde girl wrapped her arms around him. ‘Sam, are you ready for us to spend our third Christmas together?*Apologies if this is inaccurate.*’ she whispered into the ear of her handsome boyfriend.
‘I should get back to filming,’ Sam told Chloe softly, ‘Want to get that Coca-cola tram review out this year!’ Chloe squeezed Sam’s hands tightly, she wanted to spend more time with Sam, but she understood that Sam’s job is important. He mustn’t disappoint his audience! Sam’s mother yawned lazily on the armchair, ‘All that Christmas shopping has tired me,’ she mumbled. ‘I’ll go upstairs for a nap.’ Chloe was now left all alone. Her eyes darted around the living room. What was something interesting to do? She giggled when she saw the medieval soldier costume folded neatly in a cupboard. Somehow, she had not spotted it there before. A 22-year-old Sam had once been in that outfit for a Halloween video. Earlier this year, she watched that video with him to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of his main channel. That was a fun video to film. Making videos with Sam is fast becoming one of their favourite activities together.
Chloe’s tummy made an awful growl. She hadn’t eaten anything all afternoon! She went instinctively into the kitchen, hoping to make something to eat. What caught her attention, however, was the box of Lindt chocolate on the pantry. She was sure that Sam would not mind her taking a few. The naughty girl carefully slid the box open...
‘Hey, fancy seeing you here,’ came a voice from the kitchen door. Chloe’s hands flew behind her back to hide the box of chocolates. It was Carrot, one of Sam’s sisters. ‘I’m just checking what food we have left,’ Chloe stammered. Carrot took a spoon of yogurt from the fridge and left. She didn’t doubt Chloe one bit! After all, Chloe is such a wonderful chef. Carrot and Sam both secretly hoped Chloe could come and cook for their family every day. Even Sam’s signature dish, the Modelrailwayman’s Broth, isn’t a patch compared to what Chloe can make. With Carrot gone, Chloe quickly popped a few pieces of chocolate into her mouth. Yum, they were delicious! She could replace them afterwards. Sam would be completely oblivious.
A few days later, it was time for Sam to open the first window of the advent calendar. Oh no, the silly girl had forgotten to put the chocolates back! Whatever would her boyfriend say? Chloe crossed her fingers, dreading Sam’s reaction. In the nick of time, she remembered the knight costume she’d seen, ‘Hey Sam, would you look at that?’ said Chloe, pointing at the costume. Sam let go of the box of chocolates. He was amazed to see that awful outfit again. He thought his mother had thrown it away ages ago! ‘Sam, would you mind putting this on?’ pleaded Chloe. Sam gave his girlfriend a funny look, what a weird request! Being the kind man he is, he would simply do anything for the love of his life, so he grabbed the costume and retreated to the bathroom.
‘Chocolates, chocolates, where can I find chocolates?’ Chloe thought furiously. She slipped her hands into her pockets mindlessly. Golly! There were some of her homemade chocolates! She quickly slid open the box, popping her sweets into the empty slots.
Sam marched into the room in his Halloween outfit. ‘H...h...how do I look?’ he whispered humorously. Chloe handed him the advent calendar. Without a second glance, Sam ripped into the first partition. Chloe watched in silence as Sam munched joyfully on her homemade piece. ‘Hmm, did Lindt change their formula?’ Sam murmured. Chloe’s face fell, he had noticed after all. Would Sam be mad with her for stealing his food? Would he decide to break up with her? ‘This taste even better than last year! The workers at Lindt deserve a pay rise!’ Sam went on, giving Chloe a wink. Chloe let out a huge sigh of relief. She looked thoughtfully at the mistletoe hang high up above the door, as Sam planted a nice warm kiss on her cheeks. Has she successfully fooled Sam? We will leave that to the reader to decide.
That was awesome great work! Chloe will be very glad to hear she didn't get caught! Thanks for doing this :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great story, well done !
Thanks! :)
Gotta give yourself more credit. This looks amazing and you’ll definitely get better over time. Your custom locomotives and rolling stock need their own Sam’s Trains custom packaging
One thing I recommend for the decals having bubbles beneath them (also known as "silvering" in scale modeling terms) is to use decal solutions like Micro Set/Sol and Humbrol Decalfix, what they do is softening the decals so it conforms better to more bumpy surfaces.
I rarely comment on videos but am totally impressed with what you have accomplished! What would make it better? Sprung buffers! I jest, but only because you make a point of testing them all the time. I’ve seen lots of comments on the decals and how to improve on that, all very supportive. Thanks for including us in this journey.
Outstanding, I am in awe. Well done. With a single large driverloco a 24v motor works fine. I replaced a Triang single with a modern 24v motor and the running became more closer to prototype and smooth and powerful. You did a spectacular job on this Sam.
Seeing three different locos you made yourself running along the line really is heartwarming. You're a right little Awdry now, aren't ya? I think all you need to give a try at now is kitbashing.
Thank you so much - haha I suppose so!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Blow your own trumpet Sam! What a wonderful result!
Fantastic model you've made here! You can justly feel proud of this one 🙂
This is really impressive. Yes it's not a professional model but I believe that most of your viewers, myself included, would be more than satisfied if we were able to produce a model this good. The vents on the splashers particularly stand out for me.
Other modellers tips all say to apply a gloss or semi gloss finish before applying decals, a matt or satin varnish can then be used to dull down the gloss to the level you require. A little more time and effort but helps eliminate silvering and air bubbles.
I'm amazed again at how much you improve with every loco. The learning curve you go through is super steep. And I loved to see this new project.
An amazing job sam 👏 well done my friend. The loco is something to be very proud of . Good work sir 👏
Well done Sam. Thank you so much for picking my favourite LNWR locomotive and promoting the LNWR to a wider audience.
This is a lovely loco, all of your locomotives are beautiful!!
Saw the thumbnail, its just amazing! You've outdone yourself once again Sam! Really love that green livery. Keep making locomotive Sam, they're great!
You did a great job paining the locomotive Sam, don’t be so hard on yourself; I think you did great. Keep up the great content, and the great work you do for the model railroad community.
Sam, your projects are amazing and you do yourself a disservice every time you compare your loco decoration to what a factory can produce.
Genuinely in awe of this amazing project. If I could design in CAD to even 10% of what you can do, I'd be pleased with myself.
Good idea on re-visiting Copper knob in resin. The 552 would be superb in resin too.
Well done again.
On a operating track in public, it is grade 'A'. Close up and in hand, grade 'C'. Mechanically with a small consist, as would be its normal operating condition, grade 'A'. Back in it's normal operating condition of 2 to 5 double axial cars it works fine. I don't know why most modern operators try to build up trains with loads of trains of 60 years later which still stall out. A very pleasant prototype.
I had no idea these engines were painted green! I always assumed they were always in lined black like most other LNWR engines I've seen pictures of.
This model looks like something I would see in a museum! Such an amazing scratchbuild. I would suggest using crushed coal instead of a 3D printed coal load for your next steam loco build. I want to see you make a diesel or electric locomotive/railcar in the near future.
At only your fifth loco model, you've done amazingly well,Sam. If you could crack the decorating side and the sprung buffers, you'd nail it!
This takes the term "Scratch Building" to a new level. Locos that never got produced by the "toy" makers can now be kit produced.
Train art - it’s an engineering BEAUTY. Thanks for sharing this
I think Mike Sharman will be looking down with a smile on his face! A great model.
Yes... He was a great fan of the early (Era 1) locomotives...
We used to call this scratch building back in the day and you're smashing it! Top job slipper lad.
This is mental! You're becoming better and better with Model making! if I could give you a idea, perhaps a diesel? like not expres but just a small little box diesel shunter, it would be a simple body so you could add more details along the body?
I absolutely adore this locomotive, it’s beautiful with its livery, and the 2-2-2 wheel base is just amazing.
Thank you so much, so glad you like it!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Just one improvement I can suggest Sam. You can see light through the driving wheels where there should be a boiler in the way
Locomotives always look nice in mint green.
Wow!! That’s amazing! I would never have been able to pull something like that off!! I thought the unpainted version was good but this is off the scale good!! If I had to pick one of your trains from your collection to be mine then I’m picking that in a heartbeat. Watch out Hornby there’s a new legend in town!!
"I doubt I'll ever produce a perfect model." he says. I say boulderdash! That Problem Class looks and runs amazing for a model you've designed and built in the attic. Come on mate, give yourself some more credit, if this is what you can do now I want to see what you'll do next. Look out Hornby/Bachman/Dapol, modelers like Sam are about to give you a run for your money.
Bless you Matthew, that's very kind - thanks a lot for the positive words!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Fantastic job.
Democratising production like this is really good for the hobby because it’s long been at the mercy of corporations who see their customers as a sponge to extract all the money they can from, just because the key demographic is thought to have masses of disposable income.
Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, and the initial outlay for equipment and materials is quite steep, but I’d loved to see more people in this hobby attempt their own rolling stock and even engines.
Please carry on with this sideline on this channel!
this is your best one yet dude! I can't wait to see what obscure steam locomotive you'll bring to life next!
Thank you so much! I already have some plans :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam, you have been an inspiration in designing and building this model. I think you have been too hard on yourself with “Sam’s your model review”. What an a achievement! You not only the talk with your always consistent and considered model reviews, you clearly “walk the walk” in your understanding of what makes a great model locomotive that is also value for money.
Sam, you are completely leading the way. This is incredible.
Wow. WOW. This model is genuinely brilliant!!
I can sense Accurascale shivering in their seats...
Looks absolutely fantastic, Sam!!!! Great work! Looking forward to building a similar!!!!
Thank you so much - I hope you do! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains I'll happily pay for the stl files!
The only very minor but important thing I can note is the fact that when you look through the driving wheel, you can see the opposite driving wheel through the non-existent boiler. A bit ironic really because most commercial locos some years ago were criticised for an inability to see daylight UNDER the boiler!
Nonetheless, a brilliant model, Sam. At 81, my modelling days are coming to a close. Yours are burgeoning wonderfully!
Outstanding Sam, loved watching this series. What is impressive to me is the engineering to get a large wheel running at the same speed as the smaller ones. Each model you've built has certainly pushed the boat out a little further. Think Copper Knob still my favourite. What's telling is you went from nothing to design, to prototype to build in 3 month, so why does it take so long for the big companies (2 years plus plus) to get their products out. If time is money I'm sure that adds to the end cost. Thanks from Aotearoa.
The loco would tremendously benefit from a glossy finish! A superb job!
You should be very proud. That looks excellent. I think you've underrated it. Superb job!
Awesome vid Sam, looks fantastic! Again, so pleased I could help you! 😊
Thanks a lot mate, really appreciate it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have seen some toy restoration videos where the raised details were "stamped" with fine foam dipped in paint. Possibly dabbing with the the side of a small foam brush might work. An area for experimentation with paint thickness etc.
If you still want to add things to that list of projects, how about trying to make print in place rolling stock? Something like a flat wagon that you take from the build plate, remove any supports, give the wheels a turn to check that they rotate freely and put it straight on the tracks. Bonus points if it can be printed in multiple colours.
I have to say, the 3D locos you make are absolutely marvelous. They go to the length of realism. Given you started out small with the manning wardle, and those freelance designs, you have certainly grown up in that sense. Well, we've focused on Old Copernob, Gladstone, GER 552, and Problem. Guess we need a fifth loco to join the team...
Brilliant Sam ,well done. Nice to see GER loco and Coppernob out on the line again too.If I may make a suggestion for the next one, how about a Scotland for inspiration? I know HR 103 is in the pipeline, but no RTR manufacturers have ever touched the Great North of Scotland, or the Glasgow and South Western. Both had a good selection of attractive engines. Take a look, you'll find something you like I'm sure.
It’s a good effort and performs fairly well, it’ll be interesting to see how the resin lasts for the moving parts. To take things further you could use some of the many available detail parts such as hand rails, valves and whistles etc, yes they will cost a bit more but still be less than a RTR loco. The metal parts will add a bit if finesse to the finished model.
Well done Sam...looks superb....
Thank you!
Apologies for the lots of separate comments, dodging kids means I have to watch these in stages!
Tips for painting…
When painting coaches I use a fully gloss varnish (nice and shiny) for 2 layers, then apply the transfers and a final layer of satin varnish (I used windsor and Newton Acrylic Varnish) gives a nice shiny, satin finish but not too shiny
As for embossed lettering, I use citadel black, wipe the paint off on the side of the pot and use the side of the brush perfectly flat across the top, it will paint the top of detail and leave the background uncoloured
Hope this helps, great job on this, love the lining on the tender especially
9:20 a way to do embossed lettering that I've seen before is to print the piece the colour you want the lettering to be, then spray paint it, then sand the paint off
Regarding the bubbles under the decals/tampos (sp?): spray a semigloss clearcoat over the model. It will provide a good surface for it to adhere to. Apple and coat the decal with Micro-sol (or the equivalent) to get a painted on look.Then spray another layer of clearcoat over the model to protect the decals.
Fabulous Job, it looks really good and a very well built chassis and mechanism too. We've gone on for years about having details like daylight under the boiler, but daylight through the boiler? You're leading the industry Sam!🤣😂🤣
That's absolutely beautiful, Sam. I was racking my brain to see if I could think of what it reminded me of. Then it came to me: Lord Belborough's engine that he drives in the classic stop-motion children's show, 'Chigley'. It's also where the catchy, and oft parodied Song 'Time Flies By, When You're The Driver Of A Train' comes from.
Sorry.
To apply decals without bubbles, Sam, I'd recommend the use of some decal setting solution. I've used 'Micro Set, and Micro Sol' (#notspon) for Possibly 30+ years now. If you do use them, please read the instructions, and obey them to the letter. You'll have no problems if you do. If I still had hair, I'd have pulled it all out in frustration, at the number of modellers on TH-cam who use them incorrectly. Decals work best on a gloss surface, and when they are set, can be given a light spray of matt or satin clear coat to fix them permanently, and allow you to weather over the top of them, if you wish.
Fantastic result. +1 for the Sharpie! Use then quite regularly around here - even on commercial kits. I'd love to see an update to "Old Copper Knob" on the Resin printer.
That is so much more than just "okay".
It is absolutely GORGEOUS, even larger-than-life-size on my monitor.
I appreciate your honesty in scoring this as you would any commercial product, but the score seems low to me.
Jason Shron, owner of Rapido Trains, had a modest start (but high standards, and a delightful and righteous madness) - and look what he has achieved today. There is nothing holding you back from greatness.
I deal with transfers too, the first transfers i made had some of those issues you had aswell, the flat matt probably made it worse, but what I do to avoid bubbles is let it dry for the night before putting on any varnish.
Also the tiny layers of the printer are visible, but they are so minuscule that you can hide them in the priming stage. I give my 3D printed trains a few thin layers of primer till those layers are completely gone before painting it the colors. It hides any trace of the production process.
All in all you can be very proud of your work! Keep it up! Also the wheel slip is not a bug that is a feature, I would be surprised if the real thing with this layout did not have wheel slip.
Haha I'm so happy you like it, I'm sure Chloe will too. Anyway I do hope you have the Coca-cola tram review ready for Christmas! :)
It looks pretty damn good for being home made, so congratulations are in order! If you're looking for a good satin varnish though, I can strongly recommend the VMS stuff, sprays well with or without thinner but I would add some thinner for sure if your air brush needle/nozzle is smaller than 0.5mm. normal hairy brush application still works a treat though!
Lovely yet again sam you should be very proud of your self watching these three locos you built yourself running around is a joy and from a distance you can't tell the difference 👍
I’m not a steam fan, but admire what you have achieved with this model, well done sir👍
Sam, for the decals, you should use waterslide transfers on a gloss finish. That way, the transfers stick better. The matte varnish has to be done after all thats done. I will try this myself as well, since I heard about this before. I hope this helps!
Honestly, compared to some commercial models, yours is simply awesome. I won"t drop brand names this time...
I think most of the price of the commercial models is taken by conception, manufacture and amortization of the molds. An injection mold costs between GBP 50K and GBP 150K depending on the complexity, as far as I know. I invite anyone with a knowledge of plasturgy to complete my intervention, because I don't have the knowledge to say more.
I pretty much agree with your rating. Here’s my take:
Detail: 4
Performance: Power: 6 (pre-grouping)/2 (late post-grouping) coaches
Mechanism: 3-1/2
Quality: 4 (I’d give it 5 if it had a DCC decoder in the tender)
Value: 5
I’d say, “Fantastic job, Sam!”
I thought it might look good in the well-known LNWR Blackberry Black, but the Green looks even better! Well done - and I'm sure we're all looking forward to your next project...
Wow! So beautiful, and she really flies!
LOVE that wheel slip !
It is a beautiful loco, but I think that one thing is missing- driver and firemen! Maybe you could print or buy the figures and place them on the footplate. This would make the loco less odd too look at while running.
Yeah that's true - they would make it look even better!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I love these project vids, gives me some hope for me as most the models I want I will have to 3D print the body’s and some of the chassis
That is the nicest loco I've seen. Fantastic job!
Gorgeous model. Resin printing has greatly improved the detail and resolution and now it looks like you're really getting close to professional models in terms of detail and finesse. I've been watching this project with an engineer's eye and I actually have a few ideas on how to improve things even further:
- You've probably already thought about it but I think it would be a good idea to use metal threads whenever possible, especially for frequently removed parts like the base keeper plate. Just create an opening with a nut cross-section from the other side (the requirement is that the other side must be accessible of course) and fit a nut into it using a semi-tight fit so that it doesn't fall out too easily. Square nuts are perfect for this if you don't mind looking for them specifically
- When I watched you fit pickups to this loco I had an idea. I remembered those spring loaded contacts that Dapol (I think it was Dapol?) used on one of their models. These are also called pogo pins and they're actually meant to be used as pcb connectors but clearly they also work as locomotive pickups. Some of them are around 3-4 mm of total height so with a little bit of imagination they should fit in a loco chassis as long as the driving mechanism is not in the way. They might be a little bit tricky to solder cause most of them are made for pcb surface mount (they don't have any soldering terminals) but I think some do have a short pin on the other end that would make the soldering easier. If you managed to get your hands on some of those that are small enough to fit inside the loco chassis I think it would greatly improve pick up reliability and spare you some wire bending. Not sure what the added cost would be cause that probably depends greatly on where you buy
- Sprung buffers? Lemme guess you're already working on those aren't you?
Outstanding work. You've come a long way with your resin printing, and frankly most of the things you point out in the video as being "issues" is pretty much just inherint side effects of resin printing. I'd say there just isn't much more you can do re: layer lines/ warping at this stage with where the tech is at, and imo its only noticable with a macro lens for most people's eyes, anyway.
In terms of the flat finish, there's a bit of a trick some scale modellers use which I recently discovered. Starting out with 1 or 2 layers of gloss varnish makes a great smooth surface for working with decals, plus it tends to offer better protection for the paint. Once you've done this and sorted out your decals, you can then at a mat varnish to bring it back to the finish you want with gentle thin layers (just make sure you do a deep clean of your airbrush before applying several clear coats. Any fleck of dry paint sittin gin the nozzle with spoil the effect).
Sam I think it's your best one yet, luv it! Of course I love all the stuff you have done so far. Robert from the states.🤗
Wow! What a great job! Well done! Really fun to watch!
thats not a home made toy train, its a work of art. it looks so cool!
I always thought that the LNWR always painted there engine's black, very interesting color Sam.
Cheers Jasper & Willow
They started out as green for the northern section and red for the southern...😀
3D modelling like this takes ages in terms of design and development, and you can tell you’ve put a lot of thought in to the design to see it come together and operate so well. I think the review was fair, and you have identified some areas for improvement. Good job 🎉
this does look amazing i wonder will you be making the stl files available in someway so that people can try to make there own
before i read the title, i thought this was a real model, not 3D printed, great job!
Great job! Your skills are really developing and the move to resin is paying off big time - this is your best loco yet, and a fantastic prototype to boot! You can be justifiably proud of this model.
More pre-grouping please!
Apply transfers onto a gloss surface then when dry use the satin varnish to set the final look. Always use micro sol and micro set as well.
Well, Sam, you are definitely on the right track. (I'll get my coat). These locos are beginning to really look the part.
A great model there Sam, a single wheel loco is one of the most difficult to design ,build and have run properly.
Love to see a full cab version in a shiny lined black.
Regarding painting the nameplate, first paint the black, allover if you wish and leave to dry. Then add the fill colour. Whilst still wet, use a bit of solvent dampened cardboard wiped over the surface in one movement to remove excess fill paint, revealing the black high points again.
Looking at your end result, I think you are under selling yourself. I think it is brilliant! Well done.
You've excelled yourself; well done.
Blown away! You are making something most of us can only dream, and improving each time. Keep it up - loving these videos :)
REMARKABLE !!
You are a master craftsman.
Your work is better than probably 80% of professional models that you reiew. You are far too hard on your work!
More an 8.5 than a 7.43.
I think the finish has a faded weathered look to it. I think the results are excellent! You should be very proud of yourself. A very nice model that would look great on a period layout. I remember seeing scratch built locomotives many years ago, made out of necessity because they weren’t commercially available. Well done Sam!