TheCromptonParkinson

I love the fact I login to have a look at a few bits, to see any new models and the initial reaction. Then Log back on about 50 hours later to see people moaning, Andy Y stepping in and people doing handbags at dawn. Crazy. I like the Western BTW - Well done!

Julia being Missy, all makes sense. I'm pretty stupid at connecting 2+2! Thank you for your help, didn't want to order the wrong axles. Thanks again, Oly

This is probably pretty basic for a 2mm question, but I guy has got to start somewhere, I brought my first ever N gauge wagon after chatting to the lovely lady on the 2mm demo stand upstairs at St Albans this weekend. I was wondering what axle size I need to order from the 2mm society to replace the wheels is it 14.80? It's a peco WR vent van, here is a pic after I had a little go at weathering tiny tiny style, it needs some 3 holed discs too (I think). Kind regards, Oly

Mine knew about it before we'd even really hooked up, she likes it as she knows I'm not out doing something 'else'. I also find modelling calms me down, I can be very rock and roll at times, and in the past it's always been the one thing that I can stop and chill out. She appreciates it for that too. However my GF before that was a different kettle of fish, I've always looked older than I was, and at 17 I left school to work in London, and I looked in a suit about 22/23. I met her on the train commuting and she had just finished Uni. I never lied about my age, I just did not tell her. After getting WELL into a relationship her constant bugging to go meet my parents not only lead to a confession of having a layout in my bedroom with my single bed and train pictures on the wall, but being just turned 18. To cut a long story short, she was pretty miffed about the age thing, but her father modelled trains. And after getting over my age, we did some very interesting things on the layout and I was with her 3 something years. When we moved in together I had a giant roundy in our attic, and she let me choose a house which looked out over Tonbridge West yard. Were still great mates and her Dad and I often meet before exhibitions and have a drink. The moral is just fess up as soon as NORMALLY possible. I would never go 'Oh my names Oly and I like baby trains'. I know some girls who really are adverse to it, they are not the girls for you as a passionate modeller. Oly

The 4mm sentinel hauling the 2mm one is epic! Love this layout, need to see it again soon! Oly

Modelling is slowing down ready for the Christmas break as the spare room gets taken up by sleeping family members. Plus I'm in the vain hope that if I don't crack on with my Bachy/Hornby 24/1 model Hornby will announce it on Monday. The 40s are tucked up and waiting for their Bachmann Chassis, or selling on eBay if the new Bachmann retool really is the holy grail. So for "FWL" three class 47s appeared. These girls are from 3 different ilk, and really transcend my active modelling years. 1764 (Bachy's first GFYE beast) was brought for me when I was 19 as a leaving present for my first job. The BFYE headcodes and yellow weathered duff I treated myself too when I was quite a bit more well off from a pro modeller, the final duff an out of the box duff who's bad headcode box had seen her enter the 'I'll fix that one day' shelf. And now the layout Klaxon has called and they are required. Also the new calendar for 2013 arrived, the missus hasn't seen it yet. I know the Bachmann 47 is far from perfect, but to me it looks the part, and as it's a side show to the NCB's finest we hope you'll be distracted by some hellfire 0-6-0s rather than the duff's bogies. Here they are out of the shoe box: Part way through her 'deweathering' All polished and ready for some transfers: All three are now wearing their liveries minus numerals. GFYE will get new numbers in the corporate font. The pair of BFYE end examples (featuring the never modelled by Bachmann headcode/serk grille combo) will carry two differing variations of blue, one with arrows behind the cab doors and the other with a single one in the centre of the bodyside. Everything will be pre TOPs to fit into the 70-72 period. Roll on Monday and what 'Shocks' Hornby's announcement contains!

Today I taught a friend how to weather, although I've barely done any steam locos! So it was the blind leading the blind really. He wanted something dirty, but clean, and this is the result, Let me know what you think, I'm happy with the results. Still a little to do. Oly

After an accidental time wasting visit to Staples I discovered them flogging off desks for £27, a small nook in the spare room means I'm off the precious dining room table and into my own space! Its a tad cramped. Here we see 'Build your own GTi', I had an old Heljan 33 chassis knocking about from an ancient project gone pete tong. I found a perfect Pre TOPs BFYE GTi on Ebay and some spares from Howes, saw me bag a 27 for around £27. AWESOME. Here she is going together. What else has occurred? GSYE 26 gained her horn covers and a new bit of weathering on her roof. And the 27 had her window seals done black with a marker, both now sit calmly waiting for a dose of Laserglaze and a final weather. The BRCW GTi is a bit mad, as the connecting door should be there, and it is, but Heljan have only choosen to inscribe the centre, with no ridge nor groove on the outer sides. Meaning that my technique of weathering and then bringing back gives you a mad looking line right down the centre of the cab. The seals just need some powders to calm them down to stop them looking so shiny and black. They do make the Heljan body look suddenly much more like a 27. They both need their awesome two arm wiper blades fitted after the glazing. And the 3rd project saw the need to get convincing looking 40s, cheap and easily for the FWL (Future Welsh Layout) as without them we'd be pretty screwed. Thanks to Red Devil I got some railroad 40 tanks and set about converting a random Bachmann 45 chassis knocking about. Oh how I thought I was being clever. It doesn't fit at all. I got it sat on the body, all too low, and the 45 chassis a good few MM too short. That shows me for being tight and trying to be clever. However all is not lost. The plan is too keep it mega simple and mega cheap so we can easily knock out 4/5 without too much aggro. They aren't perfect by any imagination, maybe one day when things calm we can go back and revisit them with some more Shawplan bits. But for now, it's Shawplan etched windscreens, some new headcode boxes, a shaved and shaped bonnet and opening up the cabside windows - again massive thanks to the guys over at emgauge70s.co.uk as without their amazing website and modelling I'd be back at where I was at 14 (and of course RMweb). Anyway here is 337: So she needs glazing, wipers and her boxes finishing off. We'll get there. But it turns out that a Lima 40 with only a little breathing on makes an ok model. Maggie seems pleased anyway. Happy Modelling Oly

Yes of course, it's my old favourite Tamiya, and their Standard Brown X-9 with some darker humbrol shades dried brushed on.

I probably should of started this sooner, I'll give a round up of what i've been doing over the past week or so and then continue to update as work is completed (hopefully) As Stoating Bank's exhibition invites have dried up its given me time to concentrate on some other diversions, namely my clubs new layout and my new layout. Working on a layout for me involves ChrisM planning it on templot and me getting the T&RS ready (nothing like skipping forward!) The clubs new layout, has a Welsh flavour, and mine very Scottish. So a lot of locos we can get away with on both (rather handy) I'd toyed with P4 for mine, but on thinking it through and the fact I'd have to buy nearly everything twice (not to mention the waiting times with Ultrascale) I decided to stick with OO finescale. But more on the layout later. So this week I've mostly been doing wagons, which has been an eye opener. Usually the locos look ok pulling around factory fresh wagons. My foray into P4 meant a Parkside Dundas riveted 16T had been built and could be practiced on. After speaking to ChrisM he mentioned the technique of Salting, and after a google I gave it a go: First off was the brushed rust layer on some Tamiya primer, Then the salt applied with water and left to dry followed by an airbrushed coat of wagon grey after it dried, chip of the salt, Then BOOM a wagon: It was then decided to treat the whole of Stoating's 16T: I used modelmaster's decals. Problem is I ran out so they're only done on one side!!! And at the rear is a Dapol break van finished off and made in P4 only to be converted back to OO! So for the locos, Crude is the close up, here we have a Heljan 26 with Laserglaze, and some other bits like painted out D numbers (deliberate different shade of blue!) The 25 is Hornby body on a trimmed down Bachmann chassis, also with laserglaze not fitted quite right and with my microwave in the background. ScR 1970 layout would not be complete without: And coming along is this old BRCW, just waiting for some horn covers, a roof respray, laser glaze, her wipers and some nice black ploughs, And this mornings pleasure was a VERY subtle weathering of this newbie: No need for it, but it ran in Kent and was sub £70 so it figured! And here is a quick sneaky peak of the layout: Next week should prove quite fruitful, anything worth looking at I hope to remember to post!!!!! Thanks for looking, Happy modelling. Oly

Any news on the 29 CAD/CAMs? Only asking as I've pre-ordered 2 and I wanna wet the old appetite.

Great stuff, been watching for a while. I'm ITCHING to get some 4mm 25/3 cabs, I'd happily go with the one's shown further up. Do you have any idea when they maybe available? Oly