Barry Ten's Blog

Lovely to see LG finished.

 

Can we have some more photos please?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Thanks, Mark. I've added another one above, will take some more tomorrow.

Hi Al. That looks wonderful. This viewpoint is one of my favourites among all your modelling. 

 

The thought of which prompted me to take a little tour back through your blog.  You have quite a back catalogue. The seasonal modules, and Wyvant (which I hadn't noticed before), Paynestown, the French building, the Enterprise, the loco builds, etc and on top of that the US modelling.  And everything to a high standard, it's very impressive. I wonder what's next?

More photos added above.

 

Mikkel: thanks! And yes, there's a lot of stuff - too much, maybe! I suppose I just get on with it. I rarely get in more than an hour's modelling of an evening, but I try to be organised and know ahead of time what I'm going to do, even if it's just a small job. Tonight I had grand plans, but I only got as far as soldering up a pair of coupling rods. Still, that's one less thing to do when I carry on during the next session. I think it also helps that I'm not a perfectionist, and once I've started a model, I don't like it to drag on for months and months, preferring to finish something to a reasonable standard even if it won't win any contests. Occasionally I get stuck on a protracted model like the Enterprise or the Blue Pullman which gets spread across years rather than months, but I'd much sooner open a box, finish a model, and move onto something new, before my enthusiasm wanes.

 

 

As for what's next, well more of the same really, upgrading old locomotives, building the kits in my stash (including a Dean Single!) adding a few more coaches when I'm in the mood, reworking some of the less-than-brilliant tracklaying on the summer module (it looks OK in photos, but there are some bad dips between rail joints, as well as some areas of track that aren't completely level in the horizontal direction, meaning that locos lurch to one side in a most ungainly manner. It's all down to my inexperience working with C+L, which is a lot floppier and more easily distorted than Peco, especially (as in this case) when it's all laid onto a foam substrate, so there's no hard surface to act as a reference). Your trackwork looks a lot better and neater than mine, one of the factors pushing me into relaying it. It won't be a horrible job, though, and I'll likely use the disruption as an excuse to add a trailing connection to the goods yard from the "down" (or is it "up") line?

 

In the long run, I'm still dabbling with the American layout, and there's a larger French project germinating, which I hope to be able to take to Simon Casten's Euro-orientated exhibition in Bath next year. Lots of planes to build, too. I just like modelling, really! The main thing, though, is to be able to share the models with such a great and friendly community as we find on the blogs, including your good self.

Hi Al, I agree about the advantages of getting a bit done every day. I've discovered the satisfaction of doing just a little modelling every morning when possible, it also helps to avoid frustration building up when things are going wrong!

 

Funny you should mention the track, as I've been thinking these past few days about going back to ready-made track on my next layout, especially now that the bullhead track is out from Peco. Mostly because track laying seems to be the point where my layout building always stalls for quite some time, and I'd like to try and overcome that. We'll see.

 

I like the sound of that Dean Single. Is it the Alan Gibson kit? I can already imagine it on the summer module. And a French project - I can certainly see the attraction of that. I've had a look at the Regions et Compagnies site, and was particularly taken by the station buildings for Dozulé-Putot (is it the GWResque livery?). Not that I've ever sat foot there.

 

These would complement your French buildings nicely:  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/257/entry-17685-french-urban-buildings-in-ho/

Those French kits can be dangerously addictive, so be warned!

 

As for the Dean Single, it's a second-hand M&L kit which someone had started and abandoned. I had a good look at the photos and decided I could have a go at it, after all there shouldn't be much to go wrong with a single-wheeler chassis! I'm not sure if the Gibson one is based on the same kit, or is something totally its own. I look forward to it.

Anything French can be addictive!

 

Thanks for info on the Dean Single, yes I think it's the same as the one in the Gibson range. 

.....As for the Dean Single, it's a second-hand M&L kit .....I'm not sure if the Gibson one is based on the same kit, or is something totally its own. I look forward to it.

 

The Gibson-labelled Dean Single is the same as the M&L. Alan took over quite a few M&L kits back in the late 1990s, and I don't think Colin carried on production of any of them when he took over. The moulds were probably all past it by then anyway.