Right, no more apologising about poor quality photos on the blog, have invested in a posh new camera of sufficient complexity to see me running, uncharateristically, to the instruction manual!

Anyhow, back to the trains...

'Modern Image N gauge Steam'

Severn Valley Railway Preserved Locos and Stock

The most succesful of my recent experiments has been the conversion of a blood and custard Dapol Gresley carriage to a reasonable representation of the Great Northern Railway carriage beautufully restored on the SVR. The underlying carriage is a close, if not exact match, but hopefully the decoration gives a flavour of the real thing. The decorative wooden 'panels' are simply created from photos taken of the real thing...

Less succesful, in need of more cosmetic fettling, is a representation of the Air Conditioned Mark One 'Griddle Car', a familiar sight on the SVR in recent years (now on the Weardale Railway). Of course at this stage I play the inexperienced N / 2mm modellers card of blaming the cruel precision of a camera in macro mode!

Locomotive wise, I am going to have to bite the bullet soon and get an Ixion Manor, modelling the SVR in N it would be rude not to! For now, my Manor fleet consists of this composite of whitemetal bodyshell, 'modern' Farish Hall chassis (note the improved pony wheels) and Hall tender. It represents the SVR stalwart 'Bradley Manor' whose distingusing feature is a tender larger than those normally seen on a Manor. I am reasonably happy with the subtle (ish) weathering and homemade overhead warning flashes

Finally for todays update, another SVR favourite (currently on display in Highley's Engine House) Standard Tank 80079. Modifications so far include more of those pesky little yellow warning flashes (weathered down a little) and darkening of the motion. I'm not sure of the best way to tone the wheels down though...

...apart from the more drastic method of buying a Farish China version, with blackened wheels, and effecting a chassis swap!

Tune in next time for more on the Victoria Bridge diorama