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Chris Nevard's Blog

A blog by Chris Nevard in RMweb Blogs

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About this blog

Welcome to my RM web BLOG, it's used like most to highlight recently modelling projects and photographs. The postings here tend to mirror my independent BLOG at http://nevardmedia.blogspot.co.uk/

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Old Postcard

nevard_110404_brewhouseQ_IMG_9582_BW_postcard, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. I was shifting through an Ebay purchase of some 10x8 black and white prints recently, and found this shot taken on the real Brewhouse Quay (it's on the Kennet and Avon on the edge Bath by the way). I gather the photo was taken in 1949 by all accounts. As you can see, it's a very tidy place with little in the way of much going on. Still, 1949 was very much like the present time with everything run dow

April 5, 2011

6

Old Film of Brewhouse Quay

[media=''] [/media] I have just found an old 50ft spool of standard 8mm Agfachrome of Sentinel 'Mendip' arriving and shunting a brake van along the Marriott, Dent & Foster Brewery sidings at Brewhouse Quay around 1956. I'm currently suffering audio problems with this clip - select 240p if you cannot hear anything! Edit: Here's the clean version

August 29, 2011

6

Now that's clever..

111007_cornish_int_IMG_1430_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Track laying on the Cornish thing using C+L components; note the folded etched brass chairs where strengthening copper clad sleepers are required. They are a test product from Pete Harvey Designs www.phd-design.co.uk/ of this 'ere parish. Normally one would simply solder the rail to the sleeper top, then have to cut in half the C+L plastic chairs and glue - quite a fiddly task. All that's needed here will be a good splos

October 7, 2011

2

Not a Train in Sight

nevard_101128_catcott_IMG_8455_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. I must admit to when photographing model railways, apart from the odd cut-away sort of shot to show a cameo or fine detail when shooting a layout for publication, I tend to always have a train in shot somewhere. This is probably something to do with the fact that inevitably that's what I end up doing when photographing full sized railway scenes where the train is very much the star. In an attempt to break the h

November 30, 2010

7

No Buffers

nevard_110422_brewhouseQ_IMG_9816_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Brewhouse Quay Update: Rather than end the sidings here with buffer stops, a gate suggesting the rest of the world and large sliding doors to another warehouse/workshop has made a more interesting 'end'. Hopefully the effect will suggest that this is only a tiny section of a much bigger brewery complex. The temporary lack of casks give the effect of a closed brewery - maybe Whitbreads have bought it out and shut the

April 21, 2011

5

New view and a little digression....

nevard_110831_BQ_IMG_1073_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Here's a view of Brewhouse Quay which has only been possible for a day or two since the exit to the extra fiddle yard was created. A short telephoto effect makes an interesting slightly compressed view showing off the lightweight track and various ground textures between the rails and around the yard. As soon as one views 90 degrees to the light source, all sorts of interesting things start to happen texture-wise - the lighting

September 1, 2011

7

New Sign for the Pedant & Armchair

111205_polbrock_IMG_2125_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. The Pedant &Armchair is now fully open and is complete with appropriate signage on the front. The nearby railway also has warnings to warn of its presence, but of the course the clientele would never dream of wandering onto the line because they almost certainly read government health and safety guides before going to bed. They are also unlikely to be drunk, 'mother' would never allow it. I just need to think of a suitab

December 4, 2011

18

Neoprene Rubber

nevard_110416_brewhouseQ_IMG_9735_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Brewhouse Quay: to the right, the latest scratchbuilt warehouse in the BQ saga (think of it as satellite telly, you can tune to another channel if you're as bored as I am). I had to photograph a rather nice china clay works earlier today for the popular press and needed to dig out a small diesel loco in the form of this Bachmann 03 (or is it an 04?). With hindsight, it actually looks rather good here on the

April 15, 2011

7

Natural Window Light

nevard_110123_combwich-53809_DSC_211127b_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. At Combwich, a nicely buffed up 82005 prepares to take on coal next to the foreman's Morris Traveller. For most layout photographic commissions we have to use portable studio lighting to get the best out of layouts because most model railways are nowhere near a good source of natural light or are lit by domestic spotlights. This type of artificial lighting, whilst popular is totally unsuitable for photography

January 27, 2011

6

My Workbench for March 2011

My workbench depends on what I'm doing, so it tends to be set up all over the place depending on current circumstance. Here is the mobile workbench as seen right now at the beginning of the month of March. Click on the image to reveal a bigger view and to be able to read the rather hastily added pointers of what is where.

March 3, 2011

10

My Palette

nevard_110406_BQ_colours_IMG_9599_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. I frequently get asked what colours I use. The trick I think is to avoid anything too bright and certainly don't use manufactured 'railway colours', they're always too bright and lurid. Here are the colours used on Brewhouse Quay and Catcott Burtle - they're all Humbrol or Revell matt enamel. I tend to dry brush them onto a grey/brown undercoat (Halfords aerosol primers). You'll notice I also use enamel rat

April 24, 2011

12

My First White Metal Kit

Old tosh: Templecombe's familiar ex-LSWR G6 No. 30274 is captured here under stormy looking skies at Combwich on one of its very rare outings from shunting in Templecombe Upper Good Yard. Click on the photos to enlarge. Fact: Here's my very first white metal kit in the form of a Wills LSWR G6. I recall at the time buying a Wrenn SECR R1 0-6-0 for the chassis. In 1979 when I built this kit, the missing centre flange on the heavy duty chassis was reasonably acceptable, with many rea

March 1, 2011

3

Mr Grumpy's Friday Snap

nevard_110222_catcott-collett_DSC_1470_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Swindon's finest 3206 pauses at Catcott Burtle with the 2.20pm service from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction during the rear end of the summer of 1965. Note the brisk westerly wind catching the exhaust (which I admit to being Photoshoppery). OK, enough of the old tosh, hopefully the grass is a good advert for static grass "ground foam is so 90's don't you know?". The reeds are not the right colour and

February 26, 2011

4

Moonlight Express

nevard_111120_warely_IMG_1980_MOON_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Under a crisp full moon, 44560 passes Kimble North Signalbox with the late service. Captured at The Warley Show last weekend; the sodium light is unsuitable for serious photography, so rather than battle with the mixed sodium and daylight, a little Photoshoppery was used which primarily involved removing the ceiling of the NEC and replacing it with a Mediterranean sky. I also decided to de-saturate and colourize m

November 24, 2011

19

Midnight Oil/Brewhouse Quay Plan

I suffered from a little insomnia last night, so between midnight around and 2 am I worked on my rough brewery trackplan pencil sketch to produce the below using a little Photoshop to tidy up some of the rougher bits. I've tried to avoid that computer look - preferring that 'back of an envelope/organic' style as seen in magazines like the excellent French model railway magazine Voie Libre and the wonderful illustrations of Paul Lunn. I'm in a lucky position to have been asked to come u

December 15, 2010

13

Midland Elegance but with the Dexterity of a Hobbit

nevard_110823_BQ_IMG_0960_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Part bull: 40564 was one of the very last of the elegant ex-Midland Class 2P 4-4-0 locomotives to run on the 'The Dorset', it being finally withdrawn in 1962. In latter years, it would be frequently used on the 11.30 'Beer Express' from the Marriott, Dent and Foster Brewery in Bath down to Bournemouth West. On a bright morning in 1960, the train is captured departing Brewhouse Quay for its holiday resort destination freshly loa

August 25, 2011

5

Micro progress

111002_cornish_int_IMG_1427_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. The little GWR/LSWR-Cornish-esque 2'10" x 12" micro continues to take shape. Not bad I guess seeing it was only a twinkle Sunday before last - but it is only dinky winky so no great challenge. Yesterday you saw the GWR 'pagoda' and platform manifest, and the afternoon before saw a little track construction using C+L components. Note the lower level siding and catchpoint, something that's nearly always missed from sidings

October 3, 2011

5

Mendip Colliery

nevard_100705_pithead_IMG_7394_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. If you buy Model Rail Magazine, you might have read my little piece about Mendip Colliery, my 4 x 2 foot coal mining micro layout project. Due to space restrictions the finished shot of the pit head building is couldn't be shown too large, so to prop the feature up here is a BIGGER VERSION of the photo of the finished building. They say that conventional communication using pen and paper is dead; not quite the

November 19, 2010

3

Lower Writhlington Colliery

nevard_110601_writhington_DSC_2419_web, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. This is my first post for over a week, that's because we needed a well earned break. However whilst away, we all know that a train buff will never really switch off, especially when close to such a former rich industrial area like the hilly landscape a few miles south of Bath. For some time, I've been gathering information and constructing buildings for my Mendip Colliery project, so a spare hour of so in the Radstock

June 4, 2011

6

Looking back at the weekend show

nevard_120123_45xx_DSC_1208, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. As mentioned in previous blog posts, the Astolat Model Railway Circle 2012 Expo in Guildford was to be Combwich's last outing for a while pending a total re-wire to take some of the lottery as to whether the layout will perform or not. Luckily, and much to my surprise the old girl, which has now turned 30, presented very few problems other than a dickie frog polarity switch under one of the run around crossover points. On the odd oc

January 24, 2012

7

Look, I Shrunk the Wife!

Click on the pics to enlarge to 1024 pixels... Ok, now I've got your attention with my wife superimposed in unseasonal clothing onto the little bridge that crosses the remains of the Glastonbury Canal next to Catcott Crossing, the reason for this post is to highlight a little basic weathering on the rather splendid new Hornby ex-GWR Hawksworth Brake Compo. These rather stylish coaches were regularly used during the final couple of years of the former SDJR Highbridge Branch. And yes th

February 6, 2011

7

Kits of the Sixties!

nevard_110909_BQ_IMG_1203_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Upon my return to the hobby a decade of so ago, a very kind gent sold me around 50 kit-built wagons and half a dozen Maunsell and Bulleid passenger carriages for the price of a round of drinks. As required, I've been slowly refurbishing selected items to bring them a little closer to current standards. Behind Radstock (with oversize buffers from Gibsons to avoid buffer lock on sharp wharf curves) we have a rake of kit-buil

September 10, 2011

5

Ivan Locksmith's Jowett Javelin

Influenced by Ivo Peters' fabulous photo of of his famous Bentley posed next to a down goods train at Binegar (or was it Chilcompton?); Ivan Locksmith didn't delay in creating a similar shot to Ivo on the day he part exchanged his elderly Austin Seven for a shiny Jowett Javelin. Here is the photo that was taken at Catcott Burtle with goods from Highbridge Wharf. Just a bit of fun! Wants to see the colour version? http://nevardmedia5..../p68631542.html

January 7, 2011

4

It's not the 1st of April, but.....

nevard_120130_combwich_IMG_2324, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Photo: 30587 departs Combwich with the 2pm service to Stogursey. ...but in the ethos of populist journalism for the masses, today I'm not going to let historical accuracy get in the way of a good yarn! Until 1955, a light railway served the small town of Stogursey up in the Quantocks. This railway was part of a grand scheme to link the port town of Combwich with Watchet, but sadly the railway company owned by Sir Henry

January 30, 2012

5

I'm alright Jack....

nevard_110413_brewhouseQ_IMG_9709_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Brewhouse Quay: This is what happens when the over ambitious new kid upsets the union shop steward - especially as they have a car, something that few of your working men at the time could afford to buy, suggesting some sucking up to the management or such. The real reason for this post is that early today I bought out Addlestone Model's entire stock of Peco barrels. They had 2 packs. These come moulded i

April 13, 2011

6

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