Dufus

Hi Jake, That is looking really good. If you want some colour pictures of rockface try googling the cliffs at Hunstanton. That is chalk at the top and carstone (a form of iron ore) below. Best of luck with it Chris

Well done. Absolutely brilliant.

Hi Paul, Seeing what you are doing is inspiring me to maybe have a go at extending one of my cake boxes. When I did the Accident with the Rocket I had always intended extending it. I had a 3D printed open carriage for the Rocket that would not fit the cake box. Because of that I never got around to gluing it together or painting it. This would give me an excuse to to get on and finish it. I also have the files to print a closed carriage, but they are too big for my 3D printer. I have always thought I might try cutting the long sides in two to print then gluing them back together. An alternative might be to 3D print the chassis and try printing the body on card. Just need to find a few more hours in the day. I am not entering the challenge this quarter but still don't seem to find the time to do all the modelling that I want. I'll follow this with interest and hope it will keep me inspired to finish the RTA layout. I likewise have changed printer. A little more drastic as work have given me a colour laser printer to replace an old inkjet. I have yet to try sealing the colours on the new one but did find I had to use the spray on the old inkjet with care or the ink could run! Regards, Chris Have a Merry Christmas all.

That clay pavement is brilliant. A tip, if you are short of corrugated fencing - Starbucks coffee cup holders are a slightly finer scale corrugation than other well known coffee shops. Not that keen on their coffee but it makes a fine roof for the workshop I am building on my layout. Regards, Chris

Hi Joe, Looking really good, just to be awkward I prefer the single cabin, as you say in this case less is more. A double stack would draw the eye away from the welder who is a key feature of this layout. Either way it is looking good.

Or maybe Platform 93/4 at Kings Cross?? Just aim at the brickwork Harry!

Thanks every one for your comments. Phil, Just to let you know a package arrived yesterday from Hornby/Humbrol with a selection of goodies. All will come in very handy. Thank You Chris

Thank you all. Really pleased as there was some very tough competition. Chris

Hi Stewart, I got my transfer paper from that well know auction site. Search 'Waterslide Decal Paper' should find it. They do a transparent or white version. Costs about £4 for 10 A4 sheets (less if you buy greater quantities. Be warned though, I found it shrinks when you put it in water. I ended up printing my images 20% bigger to allow for shrinkage. It did work however once I worked out what size to print at. The other issue to be careful with is if your transfer is big, there is a danger of it warping. Just need to be careful and tease it back into shape. I did some stained glass windows for my oo gauge church this way. Regards, Chris

That is looking good. I like the welder, that effect really works well. Look forward to seeing it complete. Chris

Brilliant, That brought back some memories.

Hi Marly, In 1964/5 my dad was stationed just down the road at RAF St Athens. The back garden of our married quarter backed onto the military railway branch that ran into the camp. There was just a chain link fence between the bottom of the garden and the track that I could squeeze under to put half pennies on the track. We would regularly go to Barry shopping and would take a bus over the viaduct towards Barry Island and look down on all the old locos in the yard. I can remember a high brick wall near some of them but don't see it in any of the photos. I can also remember there being a bank of earth where you could stand and look over the top of some of the locos. They seemed to go on forever! Sorry,I can't remember what the fencing was like there, I was only 10 or eleven at the time. Ten years later I was posted to the North Atlantic Weather ships based in Barry, I traveled down by train from London, took one look at the old Flower class corvettes and decided I would rather go to sea on one of the scrapped locos and quit. There were still rows and rows of locos there then and by now all looking very rusty. I recall there were security fences up now as there had been lots of pilfering. Haven't been back since. Good luck with this project, Regards, Chris

Hi Marly, Is this the type of picture you remember. This is off my office wall and is a picture of one of my daughters holding a picture of herself holding a picture of herself holding...... It goes down at least 5 levels before it gets difficult to see. Regards, Chris

Hi Kev, That is exactly what I have used them for. I missed out last year but have had a go at all 3 this year and used them to try out techniques before using them on my main layout. I have had a go at static grass, weathering, using Slaters plastic brick, etched brass and 3D printing. It is a great way to learn, and never mind the competition side of it, you should have a go anyway. You will find a friendly bunch here, always willing to make constructive suggestions and help. regards, Chris

Yet another check. Did you get 'Camping Carriage'? Regards, Chris