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Having enjoyed RM Web for some three years now, the start of a new year seems as good a time as any to unleash upon the world my first attempt as railway modelling for 30 years or more. During this time my model work has been confined to dabbling with 1/43 rally cars and collecting various railway models associated with my youth. Rebuilding several classic cars, a short period of real rallying (as opposed to 1/43), continental driving holidays and photography have kept me busy - and poor!

 
It was the Dapol/Kernow weathered Western that got me back in to actually creating something. Here was a model that cried out to be photographed. But where? Why, build something of course! 
 
I have neither the time nor eyesight to build locomotives. Come to that my 'day job’ repairing real ones satisfies that need if there is such a thing!  However, a diorama seemed to fit the bill. There were lots of ideas but having admired some of the beautiful work on RM Web I set about building a depot scene - yes another one ! :) This has morphed into a kind of photoset - photo plank! - the sole purpose of which is to be a setting. I have found I quite enjoy building and scenery work.
 
My challenge was to make the pictures look as real as possible and I soon realised the importance of weathering… I am still learning and the curve is vertical…! Apart from the Wizzo I rarely buy anything that is weathered at the factory as usually the items look like they have driven through Keilder forest rather than been used on a railway.
 
I have just begun taking the model photos in earnest and that is the next vertical learning curve. Still, what is life without a challenge or two! Hopefully 2015 will see spare time and suitable weather coinciding so that I can take the work outside into natural light.
 
My interest is the West Country from about the late ‘50s till mid ‘90s. My steam fleet is/will be engines that were based in the far west, think Bodicote Grange, Patshull Hall, 5500 and 7715. Hydraulics of all kinds of course. Then the 37s.
 
I’m sure there will be many diversions. Recent holidays in Cornwall will ensure a class 57 will appear, not 'in period' of course.... who cares! The 37s reminded me of a holiday in Scotland, so maybe a section of Cowlairs bank or Queen Street 'throat' might make a future project. A scene around a GWR coal stage would be good…
 
Maybe I should finish this one first!
 
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At first I built a case around the model but soon realised this had to go as it cast shadows.
 
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A later snap showing the case gone and some scenery appearing. Orginally I intended to fix the bridge and shed wall but they are removable so that I can get a camera in. Incidentally the bridge is inspired by the one at Nancegollen on the Helston branch.
 
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Inspired by the roofless stabling point at Exeter St Davids, the shed wall is a heavily modified St Blazey shed wall from Kernow MRC.
 
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A jump forward now...
 
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One for the 37 fans! The tanks are out of the box but will eventually recieve some attention. The weathering on the 37 is commercial but modified by me to take away the 'rally car' look!
 
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Last one for now. My favourite. A much modified Mainline Warship bought for £20 on eBay. I must get round to altering that Woverhampton shed code!
 
I hope this is of interest and that I haven't offended any moderators before I've even started. Hopefully there aren't too many typos!  :) I'll post some more photos soon but progress is sporadic!
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This is very nice. What track are you using?

 

Thanks. :) Trackword is C&L bullhead except on the pits which are the supplied Peco flat bottom. I did consider building the pits myself and using chaired bullhead but time considerations won in the end.

 

Thinking back I wish I had plumped for flat bottom on the 'main line' as this was coming on by the late '50s I believe. - Live and learn!

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This is great, especially the trackwork and the following is not meant as any sort of criticism. Perhaps posing progress in the layouts thread may bring a wider 'audience'?

All the very best.

P

 

P.S. Apologies, I should justify my comment by saying I think you might get tempted to go beyond the micro!! If not, then ignore my ignorance and just enjoy.

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This is great, especially the trackwork and the following is not meant as any sort of criticism. Perhaps posing progress in the layouts thread may bring a wider 'audience'?

All the very best.

P

 

P.S. Apologies, I should justify my comment by saying I think you might get tempted to go beyond the micro!! If not, then ignore my ignorance and just enjoy.

 

No plans for a layout yet! Maybe in a few years when I retire....  The trouble is I would never make up my mind what to build!

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I was born in Exeter and started trainspotting in 1970 so know the roofless shed well,

my dad used to take me around on sunday after chapel, always lots of Warships, 22s, and oily puddles!

You have certainly captured the atmosphere with those low level shots.

 

cheers

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Have been playing with the phone... Black and white wins I think.

 

 

I quite like the colour version, maybe the drums are a little clean and bright.

 

Have you come across the work of 'Glawster Oldspot' on Flickr?

How about trying to recreate a scene like this?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68861278@N03/15417641927/in/photolist-puprNx-oNHXNb

 

cheers

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I quite like the colour version, maybe the drums are a little clean and bright.

 

Have you come across the work of 'Glawster Oldspot' on Flickr?

How about trying to recreate a scene like this?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68861278@N03/15417641927/in/photolist-puprNx-oNHXNb

 

cheers

 

 

Hey that's great! Thank you. I'm always on the lookout as it is my hope to create something like that. I'll add that to 'inspiration' file!

 

How can that be nearly 44 years ago - quite alarming!

 

Agreed about the drums, I'm gradualy spotting all this kind of thing. By the way I've seen lots of Shell red ones in photos and a few blue, im assuming blue was coolant. Does anybody know for sure?

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84A was Laira wasn't it? from 1963 according to my books.

 

 

Thanks for the 'prod'. Your post has sent me scurrying for my collecton of old ABCs. :)

 

It seems that the codes changed, presumably in 1963 when the WR took over some of the Southern sheds. Laira became 84A as you say, and took on the various Cornish sheds, eg St Blazey became 84B etc. Newton remained 83A and aquired the southern depots, Exmouth Junction for instance became 83D - the Southern men must have loved that!

 

Previously Laira and the Cornish sheds had been sub sheds of Newton which is logical given that there was a works there.

 

I think that's right!

 

So the Warship is correct after all! 

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Short thread on Oil Drum colours here - Blue seems to have been anti freeze......

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/21026-colour-codes-for-oil-drums/

 

 

Thanks Mickey, I had a feeling that was it. Somewhere I have a photo of Old Oak with lots of Red/Yellow drums and just a couple of blue. 

 

In the Irwell Press Warship book it is explained that, in order to save on oil changes, BR fiddled with the oil control rings so that the engines actually burned oil. Quite mind boggling in modern thinking, let alone the fact that a diesel engine burning it's own lube oil is capable of running uncontrollably to destruction...

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Thanks for the 'prod'. Your post has sent me scurrying for my collecton of old ABCs. :)

 

It seems that the codes changed, presumably in 1963 when the WR took over some of the Southern sheds. Laira became 84A as you say, and took on the various Cornish sheds, eg St Blazey became 84B etc. Newton remained 83A and aquired the southern depots, Exmouth Junction for instance became 83D - the Southern men must have loved that!

 

Previously Laira and the Cornish sheds had been sub sheds of Newton which is logical given that there was a works there.

 

I think that's right!

 

So the Warship is correct after all! 

There was a big shift around of territory in '63. Previously, 84A had been Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, and the other '84s' were the ex-GWR sheds around Shropshire, Cheshire and mid/north Wales (with the exception of the Cambrian sheds, which were 89); these were ceded to the LMR, whilst the WR took over the SR west of Salisbury. Whilst the 'A' shed was normally the biggest/most important, there were exceptions; 87E (Landore) was more important than 87A (Neath, Court Sart)

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Thanks for the 'prod'. Your post has sent me scurrying for my collecton of old ABCs. :)

 

It seems that the codes changed, presumably in 1963 when the WR took over some of the Southern sheds. Laira became 84A as you say, and took on the various Cornish sheds, eg St Blazey became 84B etc. Newton remained 83A and aquired the southern depots, Exmouth Junction for instance became 83D - the Southern men must have loved that!

 

Previously Laira and the Cornish sheds had been sub sheds of Newton which is logical given that there was a works there.

 

I think that's right!

 

So the Warship is correct after all! 

 

It'll always be 83D, to me or perhaps even LA!

 

Brian.

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Just picked up a seconhand copy of 'The Last Days of Steam in Plymouth and Cornwall' an album by Maurice Dart. Cost £5.00 delivered and well worth it.

 

The photo reproduction isn't good by today's standards but there are lots of interesting and varied shots of the SR and WR scene. Eg the inside of Laira Junction box, a pair of B4s on shed at Friary, HM Dockyard Devonport engine shed, photos around St Blazey and Truro sheds, the Falmouth and Helston branches etc. Many angles I've not seen - and I have far too many Cornish books!

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Decided to have a play with the DSLR today. I've come to the conclusion that photographing real trains is much easier! I know that soon or later I'm going to have to get into focus stacking and that means updating my image programme. Too much at the moment!

 

The 37 started life as 'The Saltire Society'. I chose 37413 as one of the ones that ran i the west country still fitted with snowploughs. Apart from the bogies and fuel tanks I've kept weathering to a minimum.  I will probably tackle the roof at some point but I'm dead scared of cocking it up - a £20 non runner from eBay is one thing but £100 worth is quite another!

 

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'Magpie' and 'Western Princess'. The Western is Kernow MRC as it came but I need to make a minor repair to a lamp bracket at one end. Also the end handrails need some attention as when photographed from certain angles the paintwork looks damaged even though in 'real life' it's fine. Odd!

 

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Lastly a D63XX and Grange. The D63 is untouched but the Grange is Hornby 'Bucklebury' renamed, reversing and drain cock rods painted and capuchon removed from chimney. There are several other jobs I want to do on this and my other Grange - 'Bodicote' -  before deciding on weathering. The plan is to have one filthy and the other cleanish.

 

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I have a couple of 'arty' phone shots but enough for now!

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Spent some time yesterday fitting headcodes to my Dapol/KMRC Western. I used Precision Labels 4mm tall, a bit of a fiddle but well worth it. By my reckoning the headcode 1V40 is for a down inter-regional. 1C40 on the other end. Also wielded the paint brush on some of the cab bulkhead detail and, with my heart in my mouth, moved the wiper blades a little. Tiny details but well worth it I think.

 

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Next up will be the headcodes in one of my NBL type 2s...

 

 

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Great work - both on the micro layout and the photos.  I have a smallish layout like this as well but your photos are much better. :-)

 

I also noticed in the second picture in your first post that you use steel wall brackets to support the layout - I have been thinking about using the same, so what are your thoughts on them?

 

Cheers,

William

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Great work - both on the micro layout and the photos.  I have a smallish layout like this as well but your photos are much better. :-)

 

I also noticed in the second picture in your first post that you use steel wall brackets to support the layout - I have been thinking about using the same, so what are your thoughts on them?

 

Cheers,

William

 

 

Thank you for the encouraging comments! There are many things I would do differently now but I will press on and learn for the next project.

 

As for the wall brackets I used them because they seemed ideal for the purpose and have been laying around for years. The actual supports underneath needed extending and I did this by welding small pieces of steel rod to them. Finally everything was rubbed down and given a couple of coats of white 'Smothrite'. We are lucky in having good walls made out of real blockwork (!) and the uprights are rock solid. It looks pretty tidy in the spare room and and has proved very successful.

 

Occasionally I buy a copy of Model Railroader and my reply has made me remember an American modeller who built a basement layout supported entirely with welded aluminium sections. It must have cost the earth but I'll bet it was rigid!

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It's been a long time since I posted but I haven't  been idle... more like 'easily distracted'. Inspired by Killybegs on the Worseter thread I've been having my first go at 'plastic bashing' for many, many years.

 

My interests are varied and when I saw the job he made of 4114 I just had to have a go. Just as a challenge... Basically a very battered GMR prairie, bits of an old Dapol kit, Comet chassis and sundry brass bits from various sources. My only regret is that I wish I'd had the nerve to sort out the outside steam pipes... next time...

 

There will be a pause now for a few days in The Duchy starting next week, then I must sort out some wheels and a couple of other odds and ends. This one will be 4136, one time resident of Taunton, Exeter and Penzance so a good west country pedigree.

 

I've just spotted that the front vacuum pipe is screaming for a bracket! As usual so much to do, so little time!

 

T

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