Sandy 306.02

[the-orient-express]

~*Legends are Invincible*~ I finally found some time to rework the original promotion poster with the proper engine base I originally intended for Sandy. I used a mixture of a photo I took years ago while hiking with my grandparents and a photo of the model of the kkStB 306.02 I own combined with my hand drawn face of her. I also hand drew the kkStB winged wheel as it used to be shown on various railway related documents.

[the-orient-express]

~*Buffer to Buffer*~

When my boyfriend saw this photo, he said they look like they're holding buffers - hence the title. xD

Got a new custom James model here, but he's still a little too big given he's 00 (1:76) whereas Sandy is H0 (1:87) - I upscaled her a little in this picture to make their sizes more accurate. I will get a H0 James to be in scale with her some time next year though, already got a model suiting this scale to put the new body shell on once it arrives.

Sandy the Orient Express Engine © Me

James the Red Engine © Mattel / HiT

[the-orient-express]

A little late, but finally found time to upload again.

This year we're celebrating the 80th anniversary of The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry. A series of books that not only connected many people in their childhood, but still does connect them even now that they're adults. My own love and passion for railways and especially steam locomotives wouldn't be the same without the series. Thank you Rev. W. Awdry for all the good memories, all the friends I've made through the series you brought to life.

My drawing from the book "Branchline Engines" is part of the #rwscollab2025 and I am honoured to have taken part in it.

[the-orient-express]

This year we're celebrating the 79th anniversary of The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry. A series of books that not only connected many people in their childhood, but still does connect them even now that they're adults. My own love and passion for railways and especially steam locomotives wouldn't be the same without the series. Thank you Rev. W. Awdry for all the good memories, all the friends I've made through the series you brought to life.

My drawing from the book "The Eight Famous Engines" is part of the #rwscollab2024 and I am honoured to have taken part in it.

[the-orient-express]

Finally it's done, one of my planned illustrations for one of my fan fictions which I've been working on for years. This drawing took me roughly a week and I had to work with a lot of textures to achieve a little bit of realism. The background photo is one I took in Ireland years ago. The drawing of the LMS Duchess of Sutherland in the mirror is also one I made back in 2015 if I remember correctly.

[the-orient-express]

Something more creative this time. I dug out my Gimp skills and decided to try myself at a fan button for my main OC Sandy.

[the-orient-express]

They are finally here! I now own a pair of Orient Express mugs. Originally they were manufactured for the Venice-Simplon Orient Express by a Scottish company and were sold in pairs on a limited basis to individual people as well as they were available on board the train for purchase as a souvenir.

[the-orient-express]

One small new piece - even though it was just two days of work - but it’s at least one sign of me being alive. Here we have the matching teak Orient Express coaches for my previously created kkStB 306.02 in red.

[the-orient-express]

Steam Festival 2017

So I’ve been active at the annual steam festival at the railway museum in Ampflwang this year. Saturday has been amazing though a bit cold. I’ve been on assist conductor duty then on two of the 3 trains that were scheduled that day. Sunday was very bleh weather wise, but it was the day I was assist driver on loco No. 78 618 in the morning for a train and No. 77.28 in the afternoon for the turntable parade. I am already looking forward to next year. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU8K7d9tny8 PS.: Watch closely for the person in green with blue hat on loco number 77.28 on the turntable... That’s me. xD

[nayan1]

[the-orient-express]

Commission #2 out of 3. UP Big Boy No. 4014. :) Watermarked due to copyright reasons.

[conceitcd-blog]

the-orient-express

“Hm, so it really would be best to scrap those Troublesome Trucks and get some proper ones then. The railway shouldn’t have anything on it that causes trouble as it can ruin the reputation of the engines as well. But I guess that’s the Fat Controller’s inability to see who actually causes all these accidents as it’s certainly not the engines from what I heard.” *rolls eyes dramatically*

“Oh, thank you! It is quite an honour to hear that from you. I will see if I can talk to the controller at some point when I’m less busy some day. And I have to say, it’s been a long while since I came across someone as handsome as you are. ;)”

“Some Troublesome Trucks do get scrapped. Or, in the very least, pulled apart. Teaches the rest of them to stay in place. Funny you should talk about railways not having things that cause trouble; there’s quite a few engines here who do ruin my – err – Sodor’s reputation.”

He grinned and had to chuckle at what she said. “The Fat Controller can be quite silly. He knows what I’m capable of but decides to make me pull goods trains!” 

“Handsome? An engine should always try to look their best. It’s not easy, but we both know the results are worth it.”

[the-orient-express]

“At least they get taught some lessons, that’s at least something.” “Every engine should get work suitable for them. While you are mixed traffic, you are very well capable of pulling passengers, especially given you’re unique as you’re the only red engine here. That alone whould earn you more passenger trains as that is something to show to people rather than hide in a yard.” “Oh, that’s so true. Passengers, and where I come from the railway staff too, prefer good looking and hard working to dusty and grimy.”

[the-orient-express]

British engines are always the "easiest," but, in my opinion don't look near as interesting as mainland Euro designs.

They are very simple, but can also be packed with a load of detail nonetheless. Detail lays in the small things. :)

[the-orient-express]

Ever since my interest in steam locos and railways in general was rekindled back in 2012, I’ve come across a truck load full of spriters on DeviantArt. Needless to say most of them are a bunch of whiny crybabies who only upload recolour after recolour of the same base loco and then complain when someone dares to give them criticism.

Well, several of said people offered to make a sprite of my main OC Sandy and reversed back out of the idea once I showed them pictures of her class. They stuck with the long outdated and failed idea of a red Mogul hybrid as that apparently was “a lot easier to make”.

Tell ya’ll what, guys, they’re a bunch of lazy asses as this here proves very well how easy a 306 in fact is to make as a sprite, or side view digital art as I prefer to call it. At least the whining will stop now as I proved them wrong in every possible way with any of their statements that “it’s not possible/too hard”.

I’m still working on a face for each version as that will be pre-drawn with a pencil and then digitalized and fitted.

Sandy (c) Me Artwork (c) Me Watermark (c) Me

[the-orient-express]

Since I’m doing commissions now, I decided to upload them on here as well. This is the first out of 3 and the only finished one so far. Portrayed is @daniella-reaper in a hellish scrapyard fire scenery. I’d say it would fit more for Halloween than summer, but eh, I still liked working on this regardless.

Roughly 6 hours of total work in Gimp.

[conceitcd-blog]

the-orient-express:

“Well, Gordon will most likely grumble when he’s put on the freight and I’m on the express instead. Eh, doesn’t faze me at all though. I think I will forward some good words to the Fat Controller to let you have the express once in a while instead of Gordon again when I’m gone. My lease ends with summer ending and I will be moved North to Scotland to work there then. They should’ve sent your trucks here over to the mainland during war. That would’ve taught them some serious life lessons of how their reckless behaviour will affect hundreds of people negatively if their cargo isn’t delivered.”

“War? I didn’t actually ever hear much of it here on Sodor. Maybe the odd headline and train that needed to be pulled somewhere. I’m not sure if the Troublesome Trucks are even able to learn from their lessons. They certainly seem to have an inability to do so.”

“It’ll be a shame when you need to leave. Sodor does need more splendid engines. A few good words would be good, though. Maybe you’ll come back to Sodor, as some engines do – but that’s not for quite awhile.”

[the-orient-express]

“Hm, so it really would be best to scrap those Troublesome Trucks and get some proper ones then. The railway shouldn’t have anything on it that causes trouble as it can ruin the reputation of the engines as well. But I guess that’s the Fat Controller’s inability to see who actually causes all these accidents as it’s certainly not the engines from what I heard.” *rolls eyes dramatically*

“Oh, thank you! It is quite an honour to hear that from you. I will see if I can talk to the controller at some point when I’m less busy some day. And I have to say, it’s been a long while since I came across someone as handsome as you are. ;)”

[the-orient-express]

Commissions

As of lately, my financial situation got worse. To the point where I’m hardly able to pay my monthly bills at the moment.

Please refer to this for more information: http://the-orient-express.deviantart.com/journal/Commissions-691623654