37672

Thank you. I cut out the original moulding, leaving a frame around the edge, then fitted some styrene rod for support before fitting paper over the top, which I then painted with diluted PVA. Whilst wet I shaped the paper. Apart from the original being too uniform, it's also completely unphysical, as the stretched canvas should be flat, not curved as Dapol have it. I'm trying to think of a more efficient way of doing this, as I have a few more to do. Kevin.

I'm currently working on Dapol CDAs to represent their as-built condition. This includes, I think, an improved representation of the canvas canopy, adding the shield that protected the canopy during loading and changing the buffers for heavy duty versions, as well as a lot of other minor work. This is the first one, appropriately 375000, the first production CDA: Pictures of the real thing in 1987 are here: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/latest-input--news--old-pictures-etc/tuesday-29th-august-2023 Comparison between the Dapol (top) and my representation of the canopy: Cheers, Kevin.

Thank you. Just been looking at your Wenford layout, very nice.

Thank you. I still need to do some work on the weathering, but it's almost there.

Hello, It's been a while since my last post on my 4mm micro-layout Trethosa, and a lot has happened since then, including moving house. Here I'm introducing my 7mm scale layout based on the former Carbean Branch near St Austell in Cornwall. Yes, another Cornish branchline! The layout is set in early 1988 and addresses the question "what if" the Goonbarrow and Carbean Branches had not been closed, and instead the line was upgraded for modern diesel locomotives. In reality the terminus of the branch at Carbean was very cramped and, from old maps, photos and satellite imagery, I have been able to create a reasonable representation of the track layout in the space available. Below is the original track plan (on a 0.5m grid), since then an additional siding has been added at the top of the plan, between the old wharf and the clay loading shed. The curve is 1.8m radius, which roughly corresponds to the minimum curve for a real class 37 or class 50 locomotive. The fiddle yard is off the bottom of this plan. The layout has been in progress since August 2022, and at the time of writing I am preparing to extend it. The extension is based on another "what if" and will extend the branch beyond the old wharf (off to the left on the plan above) to sidings at Greenbarrow (the name of a current Imerys facility just to the north of the site of Carbean Wharf). The extension will allow trains to run through Carbean to hidden sidings in the next room, where locos will be able to run round. The clay loading shed will be for clay slurry, with bulk and bagged powdered clay being laoded off scene at Greenbarrow. In early 1988 CDA wagons had just been introduced and two of St Blazey's 37s were out of traffic following damage sustained in a shunting accident at Tavistock Junction Yard. This means that clay hoods and CDAs will coexist (I don't currently have any OOV wagons, but they are on the list), and the small fleet of BZ 37s will be supplemented by class 50s (including 50149), providing some added variety. The sidings at Carbean and Greenbarrow are also sufficiently busy to justify a class 08 outstationed from BZ. There is still much to do scenically, and for most of 2023 I have focused on building and detailing locomotives and wagons. I have attached a couple of pictures here, but more are available on Flickr at Cheers, Kevin. A printed polybulk (kit from Simon BT Blue with additional scratch built parts) and Dapol CDA. Both require weathering. Old Oak allocated 50021 arrives, covering for an unavailable 37 on the trip working from St Blazey. In early 1988 50s were still common in Cornwall, working the Plymouth to Penzance local services, the TPO between Paddington and Penzance, the Penzance sleeper and the odd cross country as far as Birmingham. In addition 50149 was regularly found on local clay traffic. At the time 50021 was allocated to the Provincial sector, PXXA, but could turn up on just about anything. 37674 sits in the fiddle yard wearing grey primer. This will be finished in Railfreight red stripe livery with snowploughs. 08955 is on the right and 50035 lurks in the background.

Hi Will, Thanks for your kind comments. I used pictures of the underframe from a variety of sources. I found some online, others in books (I think the Haynes book was quite useful) and a few underframe photos that I have taken over the last 30 years. I think I even used online pictures of 50041's derailment outside Paddington, as some show bits that you definitely wouldn't normally see unless the loco was jacked up minus its bogies. Even with all of the photos it was tricky to work out exactly what goes where, and I'm not claiming that my model is totally accurate by any means. I just wanted to recreate the complexity of pipes, etc. If I can find the links to the pictures I'll share them here. Cheers, Kevin.

Hi Will, Thank you. I really enjoyed making the Penbits detailing kits, and they do look good. I wish Penbits did the sprung bogies for the 50, and in OO. Cheers, Kevin.

Hi Wayne, I enjoyed doing the Railiner. I think it might of been becasue I knew I'd only have to make one of them! I'm not a big fan of repetitive work. I've attached an old pic of mine. Still needs weathering properly. Hope you get some more time for modelling soon. Cheers, Kevin.

Hi Will, Thank you for your kind comment, and apologies for my slow response. Unfortnunately I have not been able to do any modelling for a while now. I hope to get back to it in the next year or so. Regards, Kevin.

Hi Wayne, Apologies for the slow reply, almost a year! Yes, I contibuted to a MR article on modelling china clay operations. It featured 37175 (now looking very dated) and some of the wagons that I have built. I also had two further articles in MR, one on silver bullets (way before the RTR model) and the other on a Ferrywagon and the TRL Railiner, which were rebuilds of the Roco and Hornby models respectively. Still no progress on Trethosa. Unfortunately my current house is just not big enough to have a home office and a modelling workshop - and the office had to take priority. I am working on a solution but it will take a while longer. Hope all is well with you. Cheers, Kevin.

Hi Pete, Looks amazing so far, I'd never guess it was 2 mm from the pics! Best wishes, Kevin.

Hi Wayne, Nothing has happened for a while due to family commitments, but I hope to get back to it soon. Cheers, Kevin.

Thank you for your very kind comment

Hi Wayne, Things have been very slow recently, well stationary actually, as I've been suffering from a back problem which started Easter weekend and is still not quite right. It meant I couldn't sit for long, so modelling had to go on hold for a bit. I hope I can get back to it soon. The intention is for my 37672 to be in red stripe as well, but I want to get on with layout some more before starting that, so I expect your's will be finished first! I look forward to seeing it. Hope the kitchen floor went well! Cheers, Kevin.

Thanks guys, your comments are much appreciated. Cheers, Kevin.