Buckjumper's Blog

Dunno much about Highland Railway, but I can see your point about exuding character. A very nice little wagon, sir. A small piece of ancient kipper glued under the body would exude even more atmosphere.

 

Dennis

No kippers available today, so just look in the mirror and wish.... Well, at least we know how the Great Western moved fish out of Neyland, just that the use of low containers with ice is too late for Basilica Fields.

Whilst I don't think we are certain, there is a strong suspicion that fish was loaded in these fish trucks under turf for insulation. I think as such it is enivitable that they were then covered with a tarpulian sheet as otherwise the turf would get washed away on the average Highland afternoon!!

 

I have a book on the fishing trade at Wick and this very definately went in barrels; that is what I am loading in my fish trucks. When I get them a bit further, look out for them in my "Highland Miscellany" thread here.

Using the GW as template can never be wrong :-)

 

Many thanks for sharing this. The Smiths ones are nice but only show one variation/period. I had not thought of doing these on the PC. You say you want it proffessionally printed - will a standard printer not be able to print it on thin paper?

Pointstaken: An ancient kipper would indeed bring that je ne sais quoi to the model. However I'd appreciate no more of these sort of suggestions when I get to fill my GE wagons with 3cwt barrels of dog poop for the tannery...

 

Graham: Yes, no Atlantic fishies to Billingsgate via Basilica and the GW, but North Sea herrings, sprats and winkles will come in from the GE lines.

 

Mark: Thanks for that - yes logic indicates they would have been sheeted, turf or no turf, and thanks for confirming barrels were used - some now on order. I'm keeping an eye on your thread.

 

Mikkel: A desktop printer will easily cope with thinner paper, but a printshop should have lots of different gsm papers to hand with different finishes so I can chop and change until happy - then I can get a couple of sheets filled with these printed off, which for this railway company will last me a lifetime. It'll also give me a head start when I come to get some GE, GN, LBSC and various other company sheets printed for which I'll need a vast number. I can just squeeze four 7mm wagon sheets onto A4, but printing on A3 would be even better, especially when the numbers of wagon sheets required for Basilica is well in three figure range - so I'm looking at the printshop route as being a recce for future wagon sheet printing en masse.

Still think that you need a stink-decoder, especially given the humungus number of references to fish in radio comedies.

 

Wagon sheets, about ten years back Bernard Weller introduced printed wagon sheets and the key feature of that product was that the sheet was applied wet to the model (or a wagon-kin) and then stretched / folded as required. The sheet retained the resulting shape upon drying. Now what was important about this technique was that the ink had to be waterproof. If you are interested I can ask Len if he knows anything about Bernard's production of the sheets.

 

Graham