It suddenly occured to me I hadn't posted very much for a while, been a bit busy out there in the 1:1 scale world, not least with my 1:1 scale railcar projects..

I have achieved a small but significant milestone, a wholly kitbuilt carriage. As you may know, the Severn Valley Railway has a fine (unique?) rake of LMS designed carriages in everyday use, a must for Victoria Bridge in N. Among these are some BR-built 'porthole' carriages which are painted to match their earlier counterparts. So for starters, a 60' coridoor composite built from an Ultima kit of some vintage, finished off with etched porthole sides supplied by Mr. Pixels' excellent contemporary Ultima range.

You will have seen better executed builds, not least within this Forum, but it fills an important gap in my fleet and pleases me greatly! Next up, some similar brake carriages concocted from similar bits.. Maybe Bachmann might, as a reward for my efforts, put their 4mm version though some sort of shrinking ray!

Up close, approaching Arley:

Making up a short LMS rake (the slightly increased length shown off to good effect):

Inspired by Alex Duckworth's excellent finescale rendition..

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60050-two-new-models-now-both-finished/page-2

I am nearing sort of completion with my not exactly finescale, in fact 'far from scale' but captures the look of the real thing version!

I am still enjoying adding little bits of foliage when the mood takes me, this sort of modelling is best if allowed to evolve over a good length of time (my best excuse!)

I have been enhancing my LNER set with more layers of muck and varnish, in equal measures. The trick with preserved stock is to achieve an appropriately lived-in look, clean, but still with soot and bird cr@p etc.. on the roof, and deeper tones along the side to bring out the excellent detail that pops out of a Dapol box!

Re-done GNR 'repaint' (reprint?) adapted from photographs taken from the Engine House balcony at Highley. The window spacing of the Dapol LNER version is not quite right for the earlier GNR version, but it makes a handsome approximation:

More roof weathering practice.. with an old Farish four wheeler. makes for a nice 'Victorian Diversion' from my 'modern image steam', I will have to make some more, maybe as a 3D print?

You will see that the original hacked about wooden bridge is still in place. I have been having a puzzling adventure getting the design of the printed sides right and within the right tolerances for Shapeways to print (though I'm getting there), hopefully if it comes out as well as the T gauge prototype it will look just the part.

PS.. More fun with the ludicrously small, painting my 1:450 scale 'bubble'... more practice needed I reckon!