Roger Sunderland

Thanks for all the lovely comments, we are all re-inspired. I'm currently building the tank house, quite an iconic building, before making a start on the station. Pics will follow.

Thanks DLT. The track work in the yard was first ballasted with very fine sieved sand (from the New Forest actually). The sides of the rails and sleepers were sprayed with Railmatch sleeper grime. Then we brushed on some Geoscenics track powders. These give the impression of caked on ballast and we've used the same technique in the platform areas and where locos stand but with more black pigment to represent oil deposits. On the real thing the yard was mainly gravel so we spread a layer of PVA on the area and sprinkled on a mix of the sand and Woodland scenics gravel, buff colour. This was then soaked with a diluted mix of PVA water and a drop or two of washing up liquid, to stop bubbling. When dry the whole thing was toned down with an airbrush using a mix of rust blacks and greys. Certain areas were treated again with PVA both round and between the tracks, and a mix of static grass fibres, Noch mainly, were put on wth a grass machine, I use a Greenscene one. The mix of fibres Is between 2 and 6 mm in length. Finally the area was again toned down with an airbrush to take the shine off the grass. To be honest there is still further work to do, the gravel still looks a little fresh to me and I'd like to see some rosebay willow herb in there somewhere

A final shot of the goods shed, photoshopped by a colleague. Detailing (weeds ) done in the goods yard.

No problem Frank but I forgot to mention your role. Not only have you been very supportive but also provided us with a mountain of info and the most wonderful translation of the original building plans into workable drawings. Many thanks.

I'd just like to clarify an important, point. The baseboards were built by Dave, a key member of our group, and the "box of tricks" was built by Steve C, who is the only person I know who could have done it. He also mastered Templot and produced the track plan, overlaying on the OS map and giving us templates for the points. For those interested in these things the layout is DCC controlled and the control panel uses a CML electronics module to allow push button control of points and signals. It also sets any one of 12 routes using just one push button. All DCC equipment is by Digitrax and point motors are Tortoise. As Frank says, the plain track is C&L but we built the points using Templot and copperclad sleepers as they were pretty much all non standard and include two scissors crossovers and a double slip. Point work was built by myself and Dave. Ballast is Woodland scenics 'N' scale, a mix of buff and brown, but the ash ballast in the yard area is fine sieved sand. Signals are mainly from MSE components, still awaiting LSWR finials in some cases and operated using servos and the brilliant GF control units giving slow pull off and bounce on return. The first building has now been completed and installed, the goods shed. This and future buildings will utilise a new (to me anyway) material called Foamex ( not to be confused with foamboard) which gives great rigidity but is very light and easy to cut. If anyone is interested I'll try and post some pics.

Many thanks for starting this off Frank and thanks for your comments Andy. More pics as they become available. Next big jobs are the station buildings and completing the fiddle yard.

Yes, I agree entirely. I own an Iwata airbrush which is excellent but it gets used for the more precise jobs like weathering. IMHO, the Halfords range of paints is the finest there is, never had a bad finish and lasts to the last drop, never clogging the spray head. Personally I will not buy Railmatch or Prescision in cans as. 1. They are enamels, far inferior to the industrial acrylics in Halfords range 2. They simply do not work effectively (and I've given them plenty of chances) Until somebody produces a range of railway colours as good as the Halfords paints I for one am happy to go for the closest match available, after all, as has already been stated, there is no such thing as a uniform colour. Rain,sun,smoke etc saw to that.

Steve Inspirational as always. I'm sure you may have covered this before but can you tell me where you get your wooden staging from and exactly what to order please?

As far as I can recall Steve the first class curtains were an orange colour. Seats in 2nd class were maroon in the main with a gold/yellow maquette pattern on them, blue with similar in first. Some pics in Philip Parkins Mk1 book.

It's always amazed me that Parkside haven't done a Palbrick. I've asked at shows but they say "no demand" but I'm sure there must be more demand for this interesting wagon tan some of the more left field kits they do.

Be fair. If only every manufacturer were as helpful as WWS seem to have been.

You're right Phil they did, don't suppose you know where one might be available?

In the late 60s and, I think , in the 70s, Drott excavators (small bulldozers realy) were used by BR in connection with track laying. There are pictures (Paul Bartlett I think) of them loaded onto flatrols, Lowmacs etc. would love to see one produced. Plant machinery, pre the modern stuff, is very badly catered for in 1-76. So we've had Oxford military, commercials, fire et al, why not Oxford Plant?

Being a Midland modeller myself, how I've missed this thread I've no idea. Wow, fantastic modelling Derek, the Trackwork flows beautifully and the buildings are superb - well everything is superb. Can't wait for further updates.

Ok guys, if I've missed this somewhere else please forgive me. I have just purchased 8 of the new hoppers from Hattons. On wrestling them out of their boxes I thought yes looks very good BUT ON PUTTING THEM ON THE TRACK, oh dear!!!!! Apart from having no weight whatsoever (something I can correct with a load) the wheels do not turn freely at all, appearing to catch either on the sides of the hopper or on the under frame. For a wagon costing this much I don't expect to have to undertake major surgery to get free running. Anyone else experienced this?

Many thanks Steve, keep producing the detailed pics.

Hi Steve, truly inspirational. I'd like to get some of the parallel action pliers but they seem to come in a variety of sizes eg 6" 5.5" etc. please can you advise the best to use for 4mm work.