Tricky

Or maybe a fancy Farrow & Ball shade like ‘Clunch’ or ‘Dropcloth’….?

A quick question if I may: what colour would the gutters and downpipe have been on the engine shed c1907? Crimson Lake?

You may recall me making mention of a photo plank. I’ve made a few now for customers but have decided to make one for myself. I started one a little while ago but in reflection it was too shallow to get a retaining wall in plus some undergrowth behind it. So I’ve started again. This time with a hardwood frame and rebate to take an acrylic dust cover. I’m also repurposing a bracket signal redundant from Monk’s Gate and added the toe end of a turnout to a) justify the bracket signal and b) give a bit more interest. The groundworks will be taken care of by my very good friend Neil Podbery. If anyone wants to make use of the Mk I photo plank then I could finish it off for a good price.

Also on page 9 of the latest Midland Railway Society Journal I see…

Beautifully bonkers!!

My life just got shorter thinking about it…!

The effect after hoovering off.

Speaking of mortaring, I’ve also had a play with the long rear wall. I splodged some mortar over small areas and then when dry rubbed it all over with wire wool. The effect I think is quite pleasing. Next will be to blend it all in and further weathering. Two more photos in the next post.

Back ‘on topic’, not that any of the foregoing is ‘off’…! I did a bit of work on the shed, namely adding the coping stones to the end wall because I made an error in drawing the wall brickwork. These are maple strips and will be painted grubby stone colours. I think it looks quite ‘Midland-esque’ though…! I’ve also mortared the brickwork ready for further weathering and picking out brick variations.

An interesting digression - where might I find a drawing to use for scratch building?

Definitely hinder!!!

Superb Dave, and well worth the wait. I’m building a tank myself for Tewkesbury shed. In real life you couldn’t see the tank sides but I’m making mine visible - because I can! Question: where some planked over and others not? The photo on the front cover of your book shows water.

That’s very interesting - perhaps in my instance a Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST, also under Rule 1? I forgot to mention I’m looking at 7mm for the saddle tank.

Hmm. Loving the discussion on black verses red verses brown etc etc. Just wondering if I’m going to have to lick ALL the chocolate off!

I guess in my period being modelled it will be about 7 or 8 years old so would already have has a repaint.