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I've neglected to maintain much of a presence on here for a while; it's not intentional and a refusal to participate, more of a desire to spend a larger proportion of the modelling time available (which isn't enough) to devote to actual modelling and making some headway rather than sharing progress throughout the interweb. However, I have been maintaining a forum thread on the scalefour forum... primarily due to my scalefour committee involvement and desire to have some form of presence on the dedicated forum for the society... and I was finding it hard to maintain a momentum on more than just the other forum... and there's only so much time. Anyway, I'm pleased to say that since the first posting of a link to the thread, much progress has been made with bodywork details and sprung and detailed bogies... with work to be done on the under-body tanks and further etch details to be added once acquired... but progress is pleasing and hopefully worthwhile The full story up to date can be viewed at http://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=4161&start=50 ... and I think that it's fair to say that sometimes its important to maintain a proper balance of what's possibly and what's not really practicable. I'll be taking the model, as it is, to scaleforum this weekend; i'll be there all weekend so please stop by and say hello if you're there and see me. Jon

To complete the signalling on my layout I need something to control the exit of traffic from the exchange siding across the double slip. One route leads out onto the main and the other onto a short head shunt, so two arms would be required. I could have employed another twin arm siding signal similar to the one that controls the exit of the loop, but liked the idea of a ground signal to add a bit of variety. As my layout is set in Edwardian times it predates ground signals using discs to indicate routes. In thIs period miniature arms on short posts were used to to control stock movements. I searched around to find a suitable kit that I could use to build a 7mm scale version, but unfortunately nothing appears to be available. I suppose there probably isn't a huge market for a GWR signal that was obsolete 100 years ago! I decided that the only option was to have a go at scratch building something to represent this long gone esoteric beastie:-) I want the signal to be operational and plan on using servos to control the arms in a similar fashion to the other signals on the layout. For this reason I decided to construct it from brass which should have adequate strength despite the small size of the components. One of the features of this type of ground signal were the position of the balance weights. Most GWR signals that I've seen have these weights fitted to the external walls of the post, however this type of ground signal has them set inside an arched housing at the base of the post. I started construction by soldering three lengths of square brass tubing together and then filling out the U shaped slot in the base of the thicker piece. Brass tubing soldered together Balance weights were cobbled together using left over components from the MSE kits that I used to build the other signals on the layout. A pivot hole was drilled through the wide section of the post, so that a 0.7mm wire could be inserted through the post and the two balance weights to hold them in position. A flat piece of brass was also cut and soldered to the base of the post to allow the signal to be installed on the layout and stop it falling over during construction! Small L shaped pieces of brass were then soldered to the post so that lamps could be mounted on them later on. Post, base and balance weights The brass wire was threaded through the post and balance weights and then carefully fixed in position. I chickened out of using solder for fear of gumming the whole thing solid and instead used 5 minute epoxy resin, with Vaseline as a barrier on the pivot points. Lamps were found in my bits box and once again fixed in position again using epoxy resin. Weights and lamps in situ Small sections of tubing were cut to act as spacers to make sure the signal arm cleared the lamp lens during rotation. Tubing and pivot wire The signal arms were cut from pieces of scrap brass fret left over from my Dean Goods project, it just goes to show never throw anything away! The arms were drilled to take an 0.8mm wire and then brass wire was used to form the pivot points. Operating wires were bent from 0.5mm wire and clearances were checked during movement of the arms. Arms and operating wires Once I was satisfied that things worked as they should I could make a start on making the arm look more like a GWR miniature arm. The lenses were cut from coloured acetate sheet available from Model Signal Engineering. I sharpened the inside edge of a piece of brass tubing and found by twisting this on top of the acetate it was fairly easy to cut out circles that could be used to form the signal arm lenses. Acetate lenses Notches were cut into the brass arm to allow the fitting of the lenses using a 2mm abrasive bur. The signal arms have a raised border around their edge and I formed this by using cyanoacrylate to glue Plastikard microstrip around the edges of the brass signal arm. Addition of lenses and raised edging The raised border around the arm also continues round the signal arm's lenses. I made curved sections of Plastikard microstrip by wrapping a length around a 2mm diameter bur and then placing it in boiling water. Once the water had cooled down the plastic strip had thermoformed into a permanent curve. Plasticard strip around bur Sections of the curved microstrip were cut and then glued into position around the lens using cyanoacrylate glue. Sections of curved plasticard strip After much fiddling and a bit of light sanding with an old nail file "borrowed" from Mrs Wenlock the arm started looking quite promising, so the same technique was used to make the second arm. Finished arm The signal was then primed with an acid etch primer and painted using Humbrol enamels. I've painted the post in my interpretation of "Torbay Bright" which I hope is appropriate and convincing! Finished signal ready for installation on layout The next step is to mount the signal alongside the double slip on the layout, but I think I've gone on enough for one post, so we'll leave that for another day Best wishes Dave

Long time since I posted on this blog. Today I was looking for a loco and came across a number of locos I hadn't photographed for my loco list. A lot are 2-6-4T - luckily they will come in handy for Mike Edges' extended version of Herculaneum Dock. DJH Fairburn tanks awaiting weathering and couplings having been purchased recently. a Trafford Park Loco and a Bachmann version of Lostock Hall and a Stanier 2-6-4T again last shedded at Lostock Hall. This one gas been rewheeled using Gibson wheels and interesting conversion. more to come.... Perhaps I need to start to get out more...

It may seem like things have gone very quiet but I have been busy (honest)! There just hasn't been any progress really worthwhile talking about yet... So when I last wrote about 'City of Lincoln', I had just broken the model down to it a number of subassemblies (body, chassis and tender) and was about to put the lot into paint stripper. After a few days sitting in white spirit I was able to remove the vast majority of the original paint finish; I found two variations of GCR livery and three of LNER, plus two coats of grey primer below all of that.... no wonder the paintwork looked a little thick! Once it was all cleaned off and dried out, I repainted the model in GCR green livery. Firstly a coat of grey primer, then two coats of Humbrol gloss Brunswick green enamel and two coats of Humbrol matt Brunswick green acrylic. The dark brown/ crimson splashers are Humbrol no.73 enamel, over a coat of Humbrol satin mid-brown. Now came the puzzler! Coming to put it all back together, I found that the body didn't want to go squarely back on the chassis. Then I found that the loco chassis didn't have any pickups fitted- hence the obtrusive wire back into the tender, where the pickups lived (what an odd set-up). I decided that the best way to deal with the problem was to re-chassis the loco, and picked up a Hornby RailRoad Patriot chassis- the wheel spacings and sizes are pretty much a dead match for the Sam Fays. I then had to remove a large amount of material from the underside and inside of the boiler to get it to fit right, but managed it eventually. So, as of tonight, this is what I have...

Well the Domestic Overlord abandoned me last night, so in a vain attempt to take my mind of the monsters outside the house waiting to get me, as I was home from work late, I had to make do with listening to the Wigan match on the radio, watching the World Cup opening on TV and maybe do some work on the re-livery of my Jubilee. So it was easy I had three objectives, and I think only one was marginally successful, for a Start Wigan got beat . The World Cup opening ceremony was terrible, and what was the point of that so called poet, as an ex-rugger player the only poetry we like are limericks and usually start with "There was a young........" However I did manage to get some more of the lining applied to "Rodney" and one side is nearly completed, all I have to do is apply "LMS" the second stripes of lining to the cylinders, add a crew, re glaze the cab. Then I have to touch up some of the lining (quite a lot of it), widen the crimson band round the cab, and maybe apply a little weathering (or a lot ), then add a crew, paint the buffer beams, add lamps (I still don't know what duty to assign her to) and then maybe she is complete....simple....OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE....until the next time as ever Happy Modelling

Evening everyone, as advertised here: http://www.svr.co.uk/SEItem.aspx?a=68 I will be at Arley Station on Saturday and Sunday for the Autumn Steam Gala with my Victoria Bridge layout on show, back either by popular demand or because I pestered the station staff to let me get involved again. I will have an assistant this year from among the RMWeb ranks who might make the operations on the layout look more competent, though he may be shocked when presented with a H&M Clipper control box....! Do drop by and say hello to Tom or myself. Also on show will be the latest progress on my model of Arley station, still largely a bag of bits but the bits are looking more like the real thing. Now that I have a Hawksworth from Farish running on the 'Bridge' my old scratchbuilt one can be converted to a 12 wheel sleeper for Arley's siding. It is probably a bit short but the scene will be foreshortened a touch anyway! I also now have a 3D printed weighbridge so the station will be supplied with 1:148 scale cake. In other news (on show this weekend) My continued adventures in Z3 (1:220 scale on 3mm T gauge track)

Well as far as I am concerned when it comes to railways the work ended on the terrible day BR was formed , and the brilliant machines built by the LMS were given the indignity of being painted in "mouldy green" which suited the mediocre machine of the other railways more Right now that controversial remark has probably got a lynch mob formed screaming for my blood I must admit sometimes I really do wish I modelled BR if only for the ease of walking into a model shop and being confronted with almost endless options to spend cash. Anyway, in the past some ride people have remarked that I am as "tight as a camels ar*@ in a sandstorm" but I prefer to think I'm just prudent, but sometimes I have a relapse and my hand goes into my incredibly deep pockets and sometimes it reappears with some cash. On one of these temporary lapses of fiscal control I walked away from a local shop with a Jubilee to add to my collection (nearly a £40 saving). The only problem was it was in a terrible BR green livery, in fact it was so terrible I could barely bring myself to look at it, so it went into the "to do" box (I cant be the only one who has one of these?). Anyway it had hidden long enough and it was time to fix the old girl, and give her a proper livery to wear, LMS post-war lined black. So how did I decide on the name to apply to the old girl? Well I'd like to say that I thought long and hard about it, but being "prudent" I just picked the number for the nameplates that came with the engine, after all why else would anyone chose the name "Rodney" There is still a lot to be done, I need to apply the lining to the tender, and tidy up a bit, well actually quite a lot on the loco, and apply the number and nameplates, but its getting there slowly, and may be ready to be pressed into action for the Warrington Exhibition in October? Well if the Domestic Overlord, ever asks I have had the loco for years, and you can never have too many loco's can you, as ever until the next time Happy Modelling

The client was in the process of commisioning this product from another company when we became aquainted. A few weeks ago, the model arrived and I was asked if I could 'breathe' on it.. Jobs to do... 1. re-affix the centre chimney which the client had removed in error. provide 'flash round all the chimneys. 2. Add guttering and down-pipes to both extensions and the rear of the building(?) (the platform side will be dealt-with by a gulley between the building and the (still to be started) canopy (another story! 3. Replace those windows! (to regular exhibition-goers, the source of the building might be apparent from the glazing supplied...) I think sash windows will look LOTS better! With the windows already 'drawn-up' - about a days work...

I have mentioned in previous posts certain advances made in the scenic decoration of my layout and would now show a few photographs. In June I posted some photographs and requested suggestions for filling in the bare spots, but none were forthcoming. So I went ahead on my own initiative. First, there was this bare corner: Which has now become this and to which I may add a few cows. Then there was this space at the other end, thus. Which has now become this after lifting the last track section of the siding, which could be deemed as redundant, since you can't leave wagons parked on the level crossing and to leave an odd one stuck out on its own at the end seemed out of place. Also, after installing the Metcalf subway accesses on the platforms, it seemed appropriate to replace the scratch built one with something better (albeit not up to the standard of the Metcalf ones) and so this new one was installed, which at least does have a flight of steps going downwards (unfortunately not very clear) There are still a lot of bare patches to be covered and other details to be finished, such as platform benches and finishing the other station with its walking passengers and certain items of rolling stock that do not perform well have to be adjusted. I have, however, managed to solve the derailing problem of my City Class Locomotive tender. A U.K. supplier did not have any wheels but he replaced the original tyres with flangeless ones. I still have a problem with the tender end coupling but I have a Forum thread open on this. After seeing that another member has a NRMA Standards Gauge (I am unaware as to whether he is a U.S. member), I decided that I wanted one and, after doubting for a while at the cost, I went ahead. The price of the article was 12 dollars but, here is the catch, the postage from the U.S. cost 54 dollars, more than 4 times the cost of the object itself.

So much for starting on the station building... A quick trip to my 'local' modelshop ('Alton Models' about 10 miles away) provided me with some 'Knightwing' parts so the centre bearing cover (with some judicious use of a razor saw) was made from these - At the same time the 'locking latch' was added to the table - and I'm sure you can recognise the origin! The locking pin itself will be on the 'walkway' - made from my favourite material, 'Depron'. In this case the 2mm thick grade. Scribed for a 'stone' surround then cut out with an 'Olfa' cutter and suitably painted... The locking pin referred-to above will be put in place once the entire unit is 'bedded-in' on the trackbed. Now, while the paint dries, on with the station building. BTW - has anyone else got a problem with the blog editor regarding automatically starting a new line?? Fed up already having to hit the 'return' key every few caracters!

It is a while ago since I did any wiring on the layout when the UP and DOWN main lines were partially completed and wired with their own BUS bars and droppers. I decided it was time to get on with some more wiring and started making more droppers out of 1/0.6 wire, these being soldered onto double ended tags which can the be fixed to the underside of the boards. Over 200 of these were made up in preparation for the task. The single core wire is easier to push through the 1.3mm holes drilled through the baseboard and do not fall back out onto the floor. The photo shows the remaining droppers after installation. All my hand built trackwork has been prepared for wiring using Palatine Models rail droppers which are fixed to the bottom of track rivits during assembly. I also choose to solder them to the rivit to add extra strength before assembling track. These rail droppers can been seen in some of the following photos. This photo shows part of the UP and DOWN main line track BUS Droppers prior to trimming to size and soldering to the rail droppers. The eagle eyed will notice Days Road Bridge in the background waiting until the new sceniv board is made befor e it can be positioned on the layout. The underside of the Coaling tower board showing the array of droppers with their double ended tags before fixing. Next task is to strip out some cable to prepare some more BUS bars.