On ‎26‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 10:33, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

Lucky dogs get to go to Cornwall by a superior service:

Lucky Dogs

Special pasty, anyone?

On 25/02/2019 at 07:39, Mikkel said:

Thanks Northroader. I haven't been giving this layout much attention in recent years, so it's nice to "rediscover it" and run something other than goods trains again. The original idea with these layouts was that I could dispose of one, build another, and it would still be the same station. But they have grown on me (not literally!).  

Are you suggesting its a case of the tail wagging the dog Mikkel?

Superb photography and great at drawing the reader in, as ever.

Rich

15 hours ago, Job's Modelling said:

Hi Mikkel, I think all the complements are already given. I loved reading your story with those beautiful pictures.

Have to learn to look more often to my notifications on the RM web. I almost missed your entry.

Many thanks Job.  Now that the layouts have been reduced in size it is actually easier to take photos, as they just sit on a table.  But you know all about that from your superb dioramas of course.

13 hours ago, MarshLane said:

Are you suggesting its a case of the tail wagging the dog Mikkel?

 

Superb photography and great at drawing the reader in, as ever.

 

Rich

Ha ha, thanks Rich. Photos are taken with an old point and shoot camera, one or two are image stacked. I am forever in need of a better camera. I have tried using my smartphone, looked good at first sight but the quality was poor when blown up. It's a fairly cheap  phone though, maybe an Iphone would be better. 

On 27/02/2019 at 00:29, Dave John said:

Mikkels stories always lead us into meandering thoughts, which is no bad thing . 

 

 

Though really it should read one dug ..... 

15 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

 

Special pasty, anyone?

Maybe it's time to restore the Great Western's reputation regarding dogs! There was Tim the railway dog for example, who collected for charity at Paddington. There's a nice BBC article on railway dogs here - although that immediately opens the door to another story!

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28420246

Quote

In 1896, a gang of criminals picked up Tim, an Irish terrier who worked at London's Paddington station, and held him upside down over a suitcase, shaking him to free up the coins from his collection box. When released, he bit one of his assailants on the calf.

4 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Ha ha, thanks Rich. Photos are taken with an old point and shoot camera, one or two are image stacked. I am forever in need of a better camera. I have tried using my smartphone, looked good at first sight but the quality was poor when blown up. It's a fairly cheap  phone though, maybe an Iphone would be better. 

You do really well. The latest iPhone is good, for this kind of thing with the image reduced by around 50%, quality is nice. I’ve used a cheap second hand Nikon DSLR body (must have a usb socket) with a 35mm macro lens before and the Helicon Focus software they came out really well.

Anyone else reminded of this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq0eFkptu2c

11 hours ago, MarshLane said:

 

You do really well. The latest iPhone is good, for this kind of thing with the image reduced by around 50%, quality is nice. I’ve used a cheap second hand Nikon DSLR body (must have a usb socket) with a 35mm macro lens before and the Helicon Focus software they came out really well.

Thanks for the info. I see they make macros for iphones, but they're suspiciously cheap!

6 hours ago, Coryton said:

Anyone else reminded of this?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq0eFkptu2c

No matter what we come up with, the Simpsons have always done it first! 

Mikkel,

Superb story and modelling as usual.

Your Mr Finklebury puts me in mind of Mr William Davis the Traeth Mawr Milliner, but your man appears to have grown a beard and I am sure stands up to close photography better than him

Thank you Chris!  I just did a search for Mr Davis on your thread but Google does not seem to know him. Has he been shown to the public yet?

As for Finkerbury's beard, I originally painted him without it. But I have begun to take close-up photos of the figures during the painting process, as it allows me to zoom in on the photo and see if I've got it right. This revealed that he is sculpted with a moustache (and that other things needed more work too).

For most people this won't matter, but things like this can look odd in the close-ups that I take for the stories.

Mikkel,

I obviously did not notice the moustach, but i think for this character he looks better without it.  I do use a large magnifying glass so I should have seen it but I do notice that when I photograph my figures I see things that I missed, but then again if I cannot see them I may not be able to correct them. 

I present Mr William Davis, Milliner.  His address in Davis Fine Hats, Market Square, Traeth Mawr, Merioneth, Wales.  He says if you are ever in the area he would be happy to find you and your dear wife suitable headgear.

7 hours ago, lightengine said:

Aside from the figure painting and stanchion rivets I noticed that the luggage on the platform actually looked like luggage and not just like rectangular brown things.

The credit for that goes to Dart Castings, as these are from their range. It does pay though to weather them and pay attentiontion to the details. Reminds me that I also have a golf bag and a gun bag somewhere from the same range . That would be go well with a Saloon coach, methinks!  

2 hours ago, ChrisN said:

Mikkel,

I obviously did not notice the moustach, but i think for this character he looks better without it.  I do use a large magnifying glass so I should have seen it but I do notice that when I photograph my figures I see things that I missed, but then again if I cannot see them I may not be able to correct them. 

 

I present Mr William Davis, Milliner.  His address in Davis Fine Hats, Market Square, Traeth Mawr, Merioneth, Wales.  He says if you are ever in the area he would be happy to find you and your dear wife suitable headgear.

 

Pleased to meet Mr Davis! He is clearly a very smart character and would scoff at Finkerbury's worn suit.  Traeth Mawr is clearly a very stylish place, I'm not sure I dare go there!

You've got that boater just right (I hope that is the correct term, otherwise I'm sure Mr Davis will soon correct me). I went for something less stylish and may have had Indiana Jones in mind 

 Mikkel,

Thank you.  I do try annd weather my clothes but of course Mr Davis is selling hats so has to look his best.  My impression is, and it continued up until I was young and was blown away by the sixties, is that people always wanted to make a good impression on others and dress was a part of that.  Also clothes lasted a lot longer as they were made better and I suppose were relatively more expensive.

Your description of the boater is correct, at least as far as the english is concerned, and thank you for your comment.  I like the look of Finkerbury's hat, it has worked very well.

I am not sure Traeth Mawr is that stylish, I am sure the good people of the cities in Wales, and even more those from London, except of course the young Englishman, would think them very rural and not very fashionable at all.

13 hours ago, ChrisN said:

Mikkel,

Thank you.  I do try annd weather my clothes but of course Mr Davis is selling hats so has to look his best.  My impression is, and it continued up until I was young and was blown away by the sixties, is that people always wanted to make a good impression on others and dress was a part of that.  Also clothes lasted a lot longer as they were made better and I suppose were relatively more expensive.

 

Your description of the boater is correct, at least as far as the english is concerned, and thank you for your comment.  I like the look of Finkerbury's hat, it has worked very well.

 

I am not sure Traeth Mawr is that stylish, I am surethe good people of the cities in Wales, and even more those from London, except of course the young Englishman, would think them very rural and not very fashionable at all.

 I think you're right Chris about the importance of dressing up neatly in those days. I suppose there isn't much difference really to the way people try to present a certain image of themselves on social media today - except it's not necessarily about neat clothing now! 

8 hours ago, Charlie586 said:

Fantastic photography as well as the painting, modelling and story telling. 

 

I don't suppose Mr Finkerbury has an 1880 working timetable amongst his files does he?

Many thanks Charlie. So far, Finkerbury's files seem to concentrate on the Edwardian period - but you never know how things may develop of course 

Thanks very much SJS, that's really kind of you. Although I should of course point out that this is all based on fact.