Tricky

Can I ask - when roughly did they begin re-building with brakes both sides?

I was indeed expecting to have to cut the door from the side, but to my pleasant surprise they come as separate parts in the 7mm kit.

And also the completed GW signal box. It’s a bit drunk on the table because it’s resting on the connector for the internal lights!

I’ve posted this over on my own thread Monks Gate Models but thought you’d like to see it here too. It’s a Slaters van kit I’m building with sliding doors. Done using brass strip let into the top and bottom of the doors, running through brass angle. So far so good…!

I have a customer who has asked me to build a Slaters O Gauge van kit. So far so good. Except he wants the side doors to open and close. Hopefully these photos show how I’ve done it. I have let brass strips into the top and bottom of each door and then these are held but very fine brass angle. They work surprisingly well - let’s hope they still do after painting!

More work in progress - almost there on the signal box, fitting windows. These have to be double sided as the interior is very visible. No excuses for the messy bench - it’s not always like this, promise! What does your bench look like?!

Not very good photos but here’s a 7mm signal box I’ve been working on today. It’s based on an Intentio bespoke kit but with added internal detailing, loo, winding staircase and new roof. Windows, guard rails and guttering to add.

Top photo is Neil’s real shrubbery, middle photo is Neil’s real greenery in the foreground, bottom photo is Neil’s real shrubbery blending into Paul Bambrick’s painted backscene.

I used Neil Podbery!!

Today I added a significant feature on dioramas to the 'Latest News' section of my website. Take a look as there is lots to inspire you with plenty of photos of completed ones as well as thoughts on some possible potential new ones.

That's very helpful Michael, thank you.

@Michael EdgeIs there any chance you could post some model pics of the arrangement of the handrails and their supports, including the stepped-out refuge platform? I'm a bit unsure from the instructions where everything goes! I'm hoping a pic or two will clarify. Also, the 4mm instructions mention using 0.5mm wire for the handrails - I propose 0.8mm in 7mm. Many thanks, Richard.

I knew you’d appreciate that…! 🤓

To say ‘modest progress’ seems to be my stock phrase! But ‘modest’ is better than ‘none’! Fairly self-explanatory what’s happened. Good to begin getting some colour on…the ED wagon provides a mirror-giveaway… The red is one of many coats of paint to go on and is nowhere near as garish in reality. The lighting in the workshop doesn’t agree with an iPhone!

Today’s update from the MGM workshop - I fairly easily managed to put together this little hut, slated two roof panels and cut out a simple door, window and barge boards. I also finished the last bit of track, fitted the tunnel brick lining (although there is another layer to go on at the front edge). For the right hand end of the tunnel I realised in my mind I was making it more complicated than it needs and simply added a mysterious sloping bit of brickwork (which was lying around in the brickwork soared pile) as this edge will be mostly hidden by the front fascia, but I forgot to take a photo of it! I think next I will need to paint the brickwork which means I can fit it and then start the foliage etc between it and the backscene as well as the main groundworks.

Small progress today in that I have made and fitted the buffer stops. And now I realise I should have primed and painted them before fitting! Oh well… I have also added the brick lining to the tunnel. It will need trimming to the angle of the end wall. I’ll do that tomorrow as well as hopefully start building a small hut to sit alongside the buffer stops, and decide what to do with the right hand side of the tunnel mouth.

‘Swann Morton of course’….priceless throw-away comment - genuine lol from me over my branflakes!

I don’t think the curve is that tight in reality although I will check in the morning!

The track is fixed down. The front one is a through road into the single track tunnel, the rear one is a siding which will have buffer stops and then a hut of some sort next to it, so you could park a ballast or ED wagon there.

As promised, here are some photos of the diorama build in progress. I have yet to decide what happens to the right hand side of the tunnel facing the front, and the bit of brown brick paper lying on the floor is 0.6mm laserboard engraved brickwork to line the inside of the tunnel. The left end has a proper mirror to give the illusion of considerable length. I forgot to measure the whole thing before closing up the workshop but it’s about 1200mm long and about 250mm deep. I cannot claim I painted the backscene as this is a Paul Bambrick original! I will try and keep up with ‘in progress’ photos as I work on it. Meanwhile whilst the whole diorama will be for sale, I may also sell the tunnel mouth as a kit in 4mm and 7mm, along with the retaining wall.

I agree, although I’m not a member of a club!! But in my defence and perhaps to explain/help the OP, for years and years I considered my hobby a lonely and if I’m honest a rather nerdy sad one. As soon as I started posting pics on here, I discovered loads of like-minded people who responded, appreciated, encouraged, commented and otherwise kept me spurred on. Quite a few I now have the honour of calling them my friends. Speaking personally, I respond best when someone posts on whatever subject with enthusiasm and pride in what they are achieving, regardless of whether I may or may not consider I could do better. The issue I think is for the creator to have the courage to bare their wares as it were. And we all respond to one another’s enthusiasm with reciprocal enthusiasm. Hope at least some of that makes sense…. By the way, sadly some of the harshest critics can be those who are jealous but can’t show any evidence that they could actually do better. Brush it off…

What aspect would you say you are best at, or enjoy the most? If, for example, you critically consider a whole layout not up to scratch but enjoy building wagons, then build some, photograph on a display plank in outside lighting and post on here. We will all love it! ATB, Richard

It is with some sadness I announce that what progress was slowly being made on ‘Tewkesbury’ has had to take an indefinite pause. The layout has had to be placed in storage as I simply ran out of room in the workshop. I did, however, remove the buildings from the baseboard before storing so at least I can work on those, plus motive power and rolling stock. I truly hope that at some point it can be raised Phoenix-like from the basement…!

Happy New Year to all my fellow modellers! Sort of first day back in the workshop, on and off at least - inbetween taking the decs down! A little while ago I started building a static diorama. Not for any real reason other than I fancied it. Construction stalled on it for a number of reasons but I have decided it has been languishing in the corner for too long and needs to earn its keep! Once the fake Christmas Tree is once again tamed and packed away I will take some photos of progress. The plan for it has so far only been in my head and there are still some decisions to be made in how it will finally look. The plan being that it will make a suitable stage set to display a variety of motive power and rolling stock. I will also post measurements of it. I should also mention it’s O Gauge and once finished will be for sale.

How to make an octagonal tapering chimney, if you happen to have a planer! Starting with a square planed lump of timber (pref hardwood), I made a sledge which basically positions the timber on a slope relative to the planer bed. Plane two sides and then double the slope to plane the other two. Then hold the timber at 45 degrees and plane the other four faces. The real chimney sat on a square base so I made a block of the appropriate size. Next up will be to laminate laser brick paper around the chimney in 8 separate tapering sections to ensure the brick courses line up around the chimney. Very clean and very accurate. Happy days!