Little Muddle

[Limpley Stoker]

Your  pigeon van looks just right and a lovely shade-  it makes r-t-r shades look anaemic. I found this cartoon to cheer up its occupants.......

 

 

 

 

[KNP]

Postman just delivered the figures I ordered from Hardy's Hobbies after being pointed to the website by The Fatadder on his thread Inspired by Brent.

Seem very good for the price.

 

 

 

The chap loading the sack appears to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The man on the left is smoking a pipe and has a shouldered shotgun (not got the angle quite right to show properly)

Bases appear to be all funny angles I assume to ease painting....

 

PS

Also emailed them and asked if they had any plans to do ordinary motorcycles from the 30's onwards.

Let you know the outcome.

 

Edited March 27 by KNP

[The Fatadder]

Looking forward to seeing how they come out with a better standard of painting, I am impressed with what you get for the price (and a pretty rapid turn around).  Maybe I shouldnt have posted about them, don't want them getting popular and the price going up... 

 

 

I like the look of the chap with the shotgun, I think he will be added to my next order.

[teaky]

2 hours ago, KNP said:

 

A question if I may for all you LNER followers out there, I have noticed in many pictures of the actual van a single lamp bracket is fitted to each ends about two thirds up on the centreline, should I fit some?

 

Did you find any photos of the real thing without the lamp brackets?  The preserved one at the NNR and the old photos I did find of the real ones all had the single lamp brackets.  You would need to have somewhere to hang a lamp if it was the last vehicle in a train after all and these were used in passenger and parcels trains as opposed to goods trains with brake vans.

 

Have a word with the local Little Muddle blacksmith.  I think he said he'd have some time once he'd fixed some broken hinges on a shed door.

[KNP]

1 minute ago, teaky said:

Did you find any photos of the real thing without the lamp brackets?  The preserved one at the NNR and the old photos I did find of the real ones all had the single lamp brackets.  You would need to have somewhere to hang a lamp if it was the last vehicle in a train after all and these were used in passenger and parcels trains as opposed to goods trains with brake vans.

 

Have a word with the local Little Muddle blacksmith.  I think he said he'd have some time once he'd fixed some broken hinges on a shed door.

 

The pictures I have that clearly show the end wall all had a bracket, so I will contact the LM ironworks to manufacture two.

[Mulgabill]

From recent experience, I suggest you make that at least four. (To allow

for shrinkage, or similar)>

 

Mind you I did find a handrail knob yesterday. It went missing about

a month ago. It was not what I was looking for.

 

TONY

[KNP]

We'll all been there in loosing things but I reckon I might have the best one.

 

A few years ago I was cutting some bits of plastic (can't remember for what) but I needed quite a few the same size and shape.

I was nearing the end of a bit of a boring job and I yawned just as I miss-cut one and it shot up into the air straight into my month and I swallowed it never to be seen again.

It was only tiny but it felt huge as I swallowed it.........

 

Morale of story - keep your shut when cutting......!!!!!

[John Besley]

2 hours ago, KNP said:

We'll all been there in loosing things but I reckon I might have the best one.

 

A few years ago I was cutting some bits of plastic (can't remember for what) but I needed quite a few the same size and shape.

I was nearing the end of a bit of a boring job and I yawned just as I miss-cut one and it shot up into the air straight into my month and I swallowed it never to be seen again.

It was only tiny but it felt huge as I swallowed it.........

 

Morale of story - keep your shut when cutting......!!!!!

Or wear a mask ....

[KNP]

Time for a classic GWR combo, the auto-train,  as it rolls into Little Muddle.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27 by KNP

[KNP]

4825 swings into the platform

 

 

 

Now there is one thing I have noticed and that the Dullcote seems to be wearing away in one place on the tank sides over the years.

I tend to pick this loco up by handing the sides and this one side is loosing its layer I assume by damp/sweaty fingers....

 

As I have just covered the pigeon van with my Artists UV varnish I have done the sides of both 48xx's as well.

Lets see how this lasts!

 

 

Edited March 27 by KNP

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, KNP said:

4825 swings into the platform

 

 

Now there is one thing I have noticed and that the Dullcote seems to be wearing away in one place on the tank sides over the years.

I tend to pick this loco up by handing the sides and this one side is loosing its layer I assume by damp/sweaty fingers....

 

As I have just covered the pigeon van with my Artists UV varnish I have done the sides of both 48xx's as well.

Lets see how this lasts!

 

 

It is noticeable now that you mention it.

 

[MrWolf]

I have one of the older models that was matt green from the factory which is suffering in the same way, but I suspect that the paint has become polished with handling rather than any varnish wearing off. It's due a proper service detailing and renumbering anyway. I might just try W&N UV matt varnish over the lot.

[Mick Bonwick]

Whatever youu protect it with will be affected by the oil and grease on your fingers. The only effective way of preventing this is by not touching it with your fingers. That doesn't mean using your toes, but having something between your fingers and the model, like thin foam packaging, paper towel, cotton glove and so on.

 

Or you could wait until it's worn away the protective coat and then apply a new one . . . . . . . .

 

[KNP]

Ladies and Gentlemen please allow me to introduce....

 

The Little Muddle Gymnastic Team complete with boxes, sack and a shot gun.

In support are the trio of Balancing Shovels

 

They will be appearing in a town near you, but you won't be able to see them because of the lockdown, I expect that will be a small mercy in some way.

 

All have been painted in grey primer.

 

 

 

The only problem I have is the angles of the bases and I can't paint them like like so they will have them surgically removed so I can work on them in the normal upright position!

The quality of these Hardy's Hobbies figures appear to be good

and I looked forward to seeing them finished and placed on the layout.

 

To conclude here is a close up of the shotgun wielding Dr. Agon a fiery gent from the manor house.

 

 

Now to separate.

This process will not be filmed in order to protect those of a nervous disposition...

 

 

Note. Normal disclaimer just an increasingly satisfied customer

Edited March 27 by KNP

[Tony Teague]

Kevin

Would it be fair to say that whilst they add a further range of figures that will provide variety, their finish is not quite to the same standard as those from Modelu? (Which are of course, more expensive).

Tony

[wamwig]

9 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

Kevin

Would it be fair to say that whilst they add a further range of figures that will provide variety, their finish is not quite to the same standard as those from Modelu? (Which are of course, more expensive).

Tony

Tony

 

From my experience they are not quite as detailed as those from Modelu (Modelu print in HD resin) but they are not that far off, certatinly at OO you would be pushed to see the difference at a normal viewing distance, and are much better than some of the amorphous 'blobs' that we have had in the past!

 

Just a personal experience from someone who has both (and those from a couple of other manufacturers) and will order from all of them again.

 

Anthony

[John Besley]

1 hour ago, wamwig said:

Tony

 

From my experience they are not quite as detailed as those from Modelu (Modelu print in HD resin) but they are not that far off, certatinly at OO you would be pushed to see the difference at a normal viewing distance, and are much better than some of the amorphous 'blobs' that we have had in the past!

 

Just a personal experience from someone who has both (and those from a couple of other manufacturers) and will order from all of them again.

 

Anthony

Do you remember the ones that Slaters or was it Merit did in the 60's that looked like they'd been put through a mangle... how we've moved on

Edited February 17, 2021 by John Besley
Correction

[Benbow]

24 minutes ago, John Besley said:

Do you remember the ones that Slaters or was it Merit did in the 60's that looked like they'd been put through a mangle... how we've moved on

 

I always thought the old Airfix now Dapol ones were very good for their time and are still worth a look even if only at the rear of the scene. Far better than most of the cast ones.

 

[wamwig]

8 minutes ago, Benbow said:

 

I always thought the old Airfix now Dapol ones were very good for their time and are still worth a look even if only at the rear of the scene. Far better than most of the cast ones.

 

Indeed many of the Dapol/Airfix figures are still good for use! There were some stinkers out there though!

[teaky]

1 hour ago, John Besley said:

Do you remember the ones that Slaters or was it Merit did in the 60's that looked like they'd been put through a mangle... how we've moved on

The Mangle family are still available if you're feeling nostalgic. 

https://peco-uk.com/products/standing-passengers-set-a

[MrWolf]

There were far worse offenders. The flattest and most emaciated were possibly old 70s Prieser figures, but I fished these out of the junk box.

 

 

L to R. Merit's skinny gloss black porter has size two feet and was originally fitted with a clear perspex "surfboard". Springside's signalman not only looks like he's wearing M C Hammer loon pants and a shemagh, but his hip joint appears to be halfway down the thigh. Next is the firewood cutter from Springside's venerable (and otherwise very useful) garden workshop set. If you study the figure, you will realise that his left leg is nearly twice as long as his right. Last one is the driver from Slater's Midland Railway cart kit. I still have the excellent (slightly broken) cart and re-homed the horse for shunting work only recently. This figure is almost Prieser flat, size two feet again and rather underscale.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by MrWolf
Paws not good on touch screen

[KNP]

And to think at the time we where happy with these and plonked them merrily on our layouts.

How times have changed.......

[KNP]

I did find a simple way of getting rid of the boiler side finger mark.

Monochrome and turn the contrast up.....

 

 

Edited March 27 by KNP

[Neal Ball]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

There were far worse offenders. The flattest and most emaciated were possibly old 70s Prieser figures, but I fished these out of the junk box.

 

 

L to R. Merit's skinny gloss black porter has size two feet and was originally fitted with a clear perspex "surfboard". Springside's signalman not only looks like he's wearing M C Hammer loon pants and a shemagh, but his hip joint appears to be halfway down the thigh. Next is the firewood cutter from Springside's venerable (and otherwise very useful) garden workshop set. If you study the figure, you will realise that his left leg is nearly twice as long as his right. Last one is the driver from Slater's Midland Railway cart kit. I still have the excellent (slightly broken) cart and re-homed the horse for shunting work only recently. This figure is almost Prieser flat, size two feet again and rather underscale.

 

 

 

 

I think I’m right in saying the rather flat chap on the right was also produced by Hornby. I’ve got several in the crew drawer.... the Modelu chaps are keep Mr Flat down :-) 

[St Enodoc]

31 minutes ago, KNP said:

plonked them merrily on our layouts

Some of us still do!