Anthony Ashley

Lee, I have another question for you. What or where is Bodlondeb. I am very happy to have modelled it but have no idea what it is!!!. You can never have too many pictures in terms of recreating a scene or piece of geography. Regards, Anthony ashley

Lee, Can you tell me where the BRM email was located as I am interested in having a look at it. It may have been on RM Web but not sure. Simon and Kris, Thanks for the suggestions. I realised when I tried to fit the 2 portals that they have to be slid into position from the top down due to scenery obstructions of plaster rock and walls. Of course with the long tunnel liners attached this was not possible. I ripped them off and using card cut to exactly the right size poked the right shape through the tunnel from end. I used this technique I used on the first tunnel but it was shorter. This worked fine even on the longer tunnel. I thought there was a bit of a bend in this tunnel but it must be very slight as it had no appreciable effect. I shall have to stick the liner onto the card again as the first one is now well and truly ripped, cut it to exact size, poke it through the tunnel and then attach to the tunnel portals which will be affixed before this, given the difficulty in getting them into place. I am about to catch up with your suggestion Simon, bit it has taken a few weeks with me now working on a work project. I did consider putting a cut down plumbing pipe into the tunnel, but it is really too small for the pipe I have, and the card with paper should do the job as suggested by Simon. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, I have messed around with the tunnel lining. In an effort to retain the correct shape I have bent wire to hold the card in place. Will try it out on the layout tomorrow to see if it works inside the tunnel. A couple of photos of the idea. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Simon, It sounds like a great time was had in Australia, although some time ago. One thing about Australia is its diversity given how large it is. There is something for nearly everyone. I once tried to drive back from a friends place through the middle of Sydney about 1 hour after the mardi gras with only a 15 year old street directory to navigate. It was horrendous as many of the streets were blocked off or 1 way. Took 5 times the normal time to get home!!! I think it was James Bond who said never say never again!! John, I have a large variety of hats. Hopefully one for every occasion. I did a little bit of decoration by putting in some road support. Photo of the area is below with my effort below that. More vegetation wok to move around the bend of the layout. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Richard, I think it unlikely I will get many takers but I am prepared!!! Simon, Thanks for the attempt, much appreciated. As for a Brisbane visit it sounds as though it was may be 20 years ago. Time for another visit. I have attached photos from my phone on further vegetation work. I think the clarity of my phone photos is much better, as there is less operator error involved!!!! I shall continue to make my way around the layout with more vegetation, Regards, Anthony Ashley

Simon, What ever you can do is great but if you are too busy then that is fine. I have really appreciated all of your advice in assisting me so I totally understand. Bogie all visitors are always welcome. I have a spare bedroom with ensuite overlooking a park and lake so it is an ideal spot for a short holiday. I is however a very long way!!! I have done a little more vegetation. Photos are below. I shall move onto the cliff areas tomorrow with more vegetation. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, Some vegetation has been added to the avalanche shelter. Photos are below: More vegetation to follow. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Lez, Thanks for the comment. As I said in your site there are so many options for a modeller to specialise in by creating a model train layout. Please find enclosed some photos of the initial vegetation in the area of the first avalanche shelter. Nothing added yet to the actual shelter, but will focus on this next. I have only added the lowest level of the vegetation and will add more chunky vegetation ontop of the lowest level next. I think the highest level would be om top of the ridge lines areas next, losing height as vegetation moves down to the bottom of the ridge line. Photos below. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Lez, I have been looking through your site and am amazed at the patience in constructing the track. You have been very complimentary about my modelling but the track building you are doing needs to be so accurate. It is very impressive and I shall continue to follow your site from now on. I guess your fundamentals in building the layout will take a long time, given progress in actual track building must be very slow. I looked with interest at the switch blade jig posted on 8 Jan but have no real idea how it works. I presume every screw is hand drilled into the correct position by hand to then provide the anchor points for the rails. The thing I enjoy about the rail modelling hobby is that there is always something for everyone to enjoy at their own level of expertise. The skilled artisans will go to your level of detail and precision in making their own tracks. I look forward to following and understanding the journey!! Regards, Anthony Ashley https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/71151-north-welsh-coast-railway-welsh-dragon-rail/page/49/

John, I look forward to seeing your signal box constructed. Will you be putting the interior in as well? Such tasks as these seem to fit in nicely while watching TV over an hour or so. Regards, Anthony Ashley Welsh Dragon Rail https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/71151-north-welsh-coast-railway-welsh-dragon-rail/page/49/

Dear All, Just a few more photos of the painted avalanche shelter. Next is vegetation finally over this whole cliff area, the avalanche shelters and the cliff area with scree around the corner. Hope all are well Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, I have been working on the walls next to the tune portal and the cliff walls. Pictures are below. T There was a need to use the jack hammer by workers on the cliff face and surrounding rock in order to have the avalanche shelter removable with the wall sections in place. The pristine white areas of rock (plaster) are where they did there work suspended on ropes and abseiling down. Quite dangerous really!! Yu can also see the new road wall on the road section above. Need to finish off the Avalanche shelter with painting and a whole lot of vegetation on a huge area. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Ben, Thank you for your comment. In answer to your question the period of the layout is the summer of 1960 as I have a time table for this period, and it will allow me to run a selection of steam and diesel. Most of my locos I have bought are suitable for operating in the LMS environment, However I have a few odd assortments with which I just decided to buy. All are relevant to 1960 of thereabouts but a few would be more likely on the LNER regions. The excel spread sheet below has a list of nearly all of my locos and a time table for a 24 operation in the Summer of 1960. I hope it will work, but will need to post it to check. Locos listed include: BR 4MT Tank Royal Scot BR Std 5 MT X3 A2 (licence here) Britainnia A3 (Flying Scotsman I think from memory - It did once visit the Holyhead line I believe!) 4F X2 Castle (I have the loco so will use it Licence involved) Jubillee X2 Class 25 BR Std 4MT X3 3F Jinty WD Austerity Royal Scot X2 Princess X 3 Black 5 X3 Class 24 Fairburn 3F1 BR Std 3MT X3 DP1 Deltic Prototype (Baby Deltic) A4 (Again a lot of licence!!) 4F Class 24 DMU 101 X3 - I have been looking for Derby Light weights but not found any Class 20 A1 Sunday Train rakes 6 Oct 19.xlsx Hope I have answered your question. Thanks again for asking. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Bogie, I guess I am a glutton for punishment. Andy, I had a novel thought. Perhaps the missing puzzle is sold in Australia online. Have checked it out and it is available so will purchase on line. Thanks for your involvement. I should have thought of local purchase sooner. Am working on the road walls now. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Phil, John, Howard and Mr Gibbons your encouragement is really appreciated, as it is really great to be finally adding some substantial scenery to the layout. Andy I did finally get an email back from them, only to be told the copy of the Snowdonia puzzle that was in stock had been sold and there were no more in stock. They have had trouble with deliveries and do not know when restock will appear. At the time that I tried to buy the puzzle for delivery to Australia they did have stock, but COVID restrictions meant they could not sort out relevant postage costs, and in the mean time the available copy was sold. I am a long term prospect having spent 7 years building to date with at least another 5 or more so will wait patiently. If you are able to assist it would be great. Thanks for the help. Will need to pint my tunnel portals and create some 8 ml road walling. Regads, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, A little more work today and finished the plaster work. Only vegetation to go in this area. Photos are below. A few photos of my road creation system. First is a thin bead of plasticard on the edge of the road to create a surface of 3 ml to sculpt the road. I then add plaster with black concrete colouring powder to crate a grey toad surface. I use a spatula to smooth brown the road surface and then sand back. It seems to work well. Edging is visible in this photo. View of a completed road surface and some with edging installed Patented system to glue the edging!! View from the viaducts to the cliffs and tunnels. The yellow surface behind and in front of the loco needs ground cover and vegetation. The visible road and track area needs an edge wall 8 mls in height. The avalanche shelter needs ground cover and stone walls added. Looking form the start of the cliff face to the viaducts. The avalanche shelter and wall below it need stone work. View of the cliff face and viaducts. I need to add more foam under the avalanche shelter and a variety of scatters and vegetation to the rock scree above the avalanche shelter. I think the news paper will be covered by more stone wall. I need to add rocks to the base of the cliff as well. Wider view of the transition between the cliff area and the viaducts. View down the viaducts. H0pe everyone enjoys these photos. I feel that are a consolidation of about 12 months work. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Scotty, Your comment is quite perceptive. Fortunately I think there are not too many more huge long cliffs. The photo below show significant and long elevation change in the housing area of Bangor next to the station , but fortunately it is heavily vegetated with no rock showing so a foam base will do. I have finished the first wash over the cliff face and am happy with the result. I use the first wash to pick out areas where I have not properly covered the no more gaps used to stick the plaster sections. Once I have identified those areas I reapply with a pipette the plaster filler. The photo below is the area I am trying to model. Next is my attempt to model the above. The patches of no more gaps are obvious as the paint does not bond to it as shown below. Last section with plaster moulds added and plaster fill to be completed once dry. I have also added the plaster filler to cover the no more gaps in this photo, which are the white patches needing paint reapplied. Then a quick paint wash with paints. Close up of the plaster filler before painting. I am happy with this progress as it is a substantial area. Once this cliff face is finished prior to vegetation I shall focus on the stone walls below the avalanche shelter and any other walls I have by passed in this process. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All and John, Got a reply from Monks after I sent a third email. They are no out of stock of the puzzle and are having problems with resupply. I shall wait patiently. Completed most of the plaster work in the cliff area. Photos are below. It is amazing how the water based paint brings out the detail in the cliff face. The wire showing below the road base will need to be removed and pylons added to the outside edge of the road. I shall add a small open box painted black fitted with the open side having the pylons, to give the illusion that the ground is visible under the road. I will paint it tomorrow. There is a lot of vegetation to add to this area. Regards, Anthony Ashley

John, Simon and Ed, Thanks for the input from all of you. The last section I have added plaster to I was able to add larger pieces which sped up the process. Just one more large piece to mould to finish that part of the process. Once I have finished off the end of the tunnel area all the remaining sections are dirt or scree and therefore much quicker. Further work moving down the layout. The last photo shows the remaining section that I need to mould in terms of another large flat piece and then fitted. It should be an easy fit being relatively square. I have not heard back from the shop that stocked the "Snowdonia" puzzle. This was the email address of the shop and the fellows name was Andy Asheder- info@monkbarmodelshop.co.uk Has anyone dealt with these people before? They last promised info on postage but despite repeated emails no response. This is the message on their web site: "Welcome to the website for Monk Bar Model Shop. COVID-19UPDATE OUR PHYSICAL SHOP IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED WEBSITE MAIL ORDERS WILL CONTINUE AS NORMAL. TELEPHONE ORDERS CAN BE PLACED 10AM - 4PM MONDAY - FRIDAY Thank you for your continued support" Any idea on how I can get some action from them would be appreciated. Perhaps they have decided they do not want to post to Australia. Regards. Anthony Ashley

Lez, I agree it is coming on but oh so slowly. Have filled in the gaps of the plaster areas I have done so far. Had to mould more plaster sections and need more again to progress further. Photos are below. More plaster moulds and sticking to the foam. Not a lot more to go. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, Some more completed plaster work. I shall fill in the gaps in the completed plaster work next. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, I have sculpted all of the sections and plastered the next section but quite a lot more to go. Photos are below. The above area will need to be filled in using plaster and a pipette. Then I shall continue further around the layout. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All, A little more work has been done, but still unable to go under the layout. Restricted to standing activities on the outside of it. Fortunately there is more than enough tasks to keep me busy. I have sculpted the foam and now need to add the plaster peaks and rocky areas with my plaster moulds. When I tested the first peak I realised I need to mould at least three times the amount of peaks to cover the area. Just one used all that I had moulded but it is quite long. Photos below of the sculpted foam. Next is to mould more plaster and add the pieces to the foam sections. Regards, Anthony Ashley

Dear All. More foam work on the cliffs. Photos below. Next is to sculpt the foam and add plaster sections. After this I will be more into scree slopes with more vegetation so a lot quicker!! Regards, Anthony Ashley

Howard, Thanks for the good wishes. Simon, I agree with your assessment of backs. They seem to be suddenly injured and then slow to fix. I shall take your advice and diligently apply myself to the hourly exercise regime prescribed by the physio. I want to get on with the cliff face working back to Penmaenmawr, having created the foam base and moulded a lot of plaster pieces. Regards, Anthony Ashley