Leaderboard

Click on the photo above for a 1024 sized version. This snap shows a typical Highbridge Branch train as seen in the last 2 years of the line's existence; a single Hawksworth Brake Compo and a ex-Southern Railway bogie-van for perishables (fun things like cider and cheese). You can see some rather nice prototype photos of such trains here. Note the narrow gauge trucks in the background used for transporting peat from the nearby moor. I hope to get that aspect operational before the next show. Of more interest to photographers, might be that this photo was taken using a Nikon Nikkor 35mm focal length prime lens dating from the mid-1960's. We tend to think of digital photography as throwaway, but this need not be the case, many makes of digital SLR allow the use of wonderful older lenses - and 'vintage' is so cool! So, if you have a limited budget, the smart money will always go on a good lens, the chances are that you or your kids might still be using it 45 years later like here - whereas that expensive camera body will be down the car boot sale with all the knocked off tat in just 5. And the real bonus is that 'camera make' prime lenses are frequently optically far better than mid-priced zooms and go for pennies on Ebay! Of course that smarmy salesman called Wayne in the out-of-town megastore will not tell you any of the above for obvious reasons. So, here we have a portrayal of the end of steam scenario, taken on a lens that was around when steam ruled supreme, well just! Below, hopefully some of the answers to the blizzard of questions that will no doubt follow...... Loco: Bachmann Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2 renumbered, detailed and weathered. Coach: Hornby Hawksworth Brake Compo after a bit of fettling Van: Ratio (Kit) SR bogie van. Layout: Catcott Burtle. Toys: Nikon D200, Nikkor S 35mm f2.8 shooting RAW with the camera tripod mounted. Exp: 3 sec at f16, using 6 exposures combined in Helicon Focus to extend the depth of field. Lighting: The layout's own fluorescent lighting. Cheating: The only computer addition is the loco-clag using 'Clouds' in Photoshop. Not-cheating: The sky is physically there, actually part of the layout and was produced photographically - proof here for those that think everything is make-believe: http://www.nevardmed.../p57399245.html . I'm mid-way through writing an article for the popular press on doing such.

I remember reading about the initial tinkerings - this all looks very promising

Looks good, just the sort of thing a preserved railway workshop often has lying around!

Looking rather nice for a generic locomotive, I'm sure sure a product will be appreciated. If you are looking at getting it printed, it's worth noting each part has to be a certain thickness in order to be produced. At least with Shapeways anyway, who seem to be quite reliable. I'd imagine it's the same with other companies offering similar services too.

I agree entirely - best to get the faults fixed - especially if they are making you not want to run your railway. We found all sorts of errors on our track when we took the calipers to it. I've really got no idea just how some of them were created, but created they were. It's always painful to re-do stuff like this but I reckon it probably gets more painful the later you leave it because you'll probably have invested even more work that will get damaged or destroyed. Andy

Follow up to http://www.rmweb.co....n-silo-presflo/ I'd set off on a desire to be different more than anything else in trashing a previously perfect Bachy Presflo into a twin silo variant. I set off knowing that I'd got no reference material other assumption and guesswork and even the resources to complete the model in its supposed form. Looking back Hornby Dublo produced a Presflo in a slightly bluish green with ICI logos and bulk salt and Dapol some years later in an even more garish shade. That's all I'd got to go on other than Paul Bartlett's reference material to the later life Slate Presflo which was actually more helpful than the pseudo-collectable items of yore in taking a stab at what the colour may have been before age and filth took them to the state shown in Paul's pictures. Trying to achieve a 'is that blue or is that green' shade took some trial and error with garish shades of Tamiya acrylics that would look more fitting on some yoof's Corsa and a touch of black. I was happy when I'd got a shade that seemed to change in tone dependent on the light it's in. I'd never expected to find the ICI logos and had an alternate DIY plan for them until I called Modelmaster to get the lettering. I mentioned the ICI logo and lo and behold I was advised that sheet 4651 contained just what I needed. Brilliant. However it's no exaggeration to say that applying the transfers takes longer than the conversion shown in the previous posting. Out came the Tamiya weathering powders again for pure guesswork on how such a wagon in that usage would have weathered. It's at this point when this blog entry gets posted that someone will step forth with definitive proof that I've got it wrong. Great, do it; I'm ready and waiting with another blank canvas that I can rectify these wild assumptions.