Wright writes.....

[Headstock]

No retirement date in the offing for me, rather a case of do what you can when you can. Recently, having left the fitting out basin ( see post 18568) and now in undercoat, is this NE railway non gangway third. A slightly more protracted build than usual due to research being required into the arrangement of the underframe equipment for the LNER/BR period, the kit features the original arrangement to the early carriages as built. The images are taken prior to final clean up for undercoating and the roof is just sitting in place, minus the cornice, I shall fit that after the roof is attached to the body. The design of the kit precludes its fitting until final painting of the body, unless you wish to exclude the interior and glazing. I usually prefer the roof of carriages to be integral with the body, but a method by way this can be achieved simply only occurred to me after completion, next time pherhaps.

[Barry Ten]

My Branchlines LBSCR six-wheeled van is now in primer, and next to it this week's project, a Collett bow-ended Ocean Mails van from the Comet kit.

 

 

Alastair

[St Enodoc]

I have to admit that my choice of camera was always dictated by my job as a field geologist back in the 1970s.  Much as I would have liked a medium format camera it would have been impractical.  First the weight (considering I also had to carry rock samples in my rucksack) but also the risk of damaging it.  For example, my relatively new Nikon F2, which I still have, was dunked in an Indonesian river many kilometers from civilization in 1975.  I whisked it out and quickly removed the film and dried everything I could there and then with a handkerchief.  Very little water actually got inside the camera and its only electric connections were between the lithium battery holder (in the camera body) and the rather fancy pentaprism light meter head.  As everything came apart for easy cleaning, etc., I was soon able to load a new roll of film and carry on with my day's work.  The camera still works today even though I have never had it serviced.

 

I could not have done the same with my last film camera, its successor the F5.  And I once ruined a Fuji digital camera by tipping a glass of water over it.  Lesson learned, do not put glass of water and digital camera on the same bedside table!

 

Elaborating on the deterioration of my 1970s and earlier slide collection, a tropical fungus (so I was told) is particularly fond of gelatin even in the layers inside a transparency.  I kept my Kodachrome slides in the yellow plastic boxes they came in and this did help to keep the fungi at bay, but 8 years in the tropics without air-conditioning did mean that many slides were ruined.  The Ektachromes in cardboard boxes, as well as the "best" baby photos foolishly kept in a carousel were the most badly damaged.

 

The good news, of course, is that those slides worth keeping have been scanned.  But even here there are troubles looming.  First, my scanner, a very nice Nikon LS2000, only has a SCSI interface, second, Nikon no longer support the software (I use Vuescan now) and who knows how and when the images will last.

 

What I have done is to back up everything to a hard drive and now have elected to use iCloud as well, as an off-site backup.

That fungus (or one of its cousins) was/is fond of VHS video tapes as well.

[Headstock]

My Branchlines LBSCR six-wheeled van is now in primer, and next to it this week's project, a Collett bow-ended Ocean Mails van from the Comet kit.

 

lbsc3.jpg

 

Alastair

 

Evening Alastair,

 

It's just not a proper model railway unless you have an ancient six wheel van.

[rodger5591]

The pins are made by Pony # 25202 and they're available from Reticulate Fabrics, 11 Blackhall Yard, Stricklandgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4LU. Tel: 01539 729947. E-mail:hello@reticulatefabrics.co.uk  www.reticulatefabrics.co.uk

 

Hi Tony

Slight correction to the name in the email address and link you gave - its 'Reticule' rather than "Reticulate"

Rodger

[Hroth]

My Branchlines LBSCR six-wheeled van is now in primer, and next to it this week's project, a Collett bow-ended Ocean Mails van from the Comet kit.

 

lbsc3.jpg

 

Alastair

Nice!

Leave 'em in primer and you could have a "Ghost Train" set.....

[gr.king]

I've used these brass pins for valve gear for a while now, supplied in bags of 100, choice of 0.5, 0.7 or 0.8mm dia. No complaints.

http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/amati_nails.html

[Michael Delamar]

Always turn to this thread for some inspriation Tony.

 

On my bench at the moment, EM gauge Comet chassis and high level gearbox with later Hornby Fowler tank body as the lining is much better.

 

Needs a pin/nut and bolt for the crosshead at the moment.

 

 

And need to model the pipework under the cab too.

 

[queensquare]

Ballyconnell Road 01.jpg

 

This picture was taken with a full-frame Nikon Df using a 55mm Micro lens. 

 

I've included it, not for its photographic merit, but because of its modelling merit. It's Irish broad gauge 3mm scale, where just about everything has to be made by the builder. This loco even has working inside motion! 

 

 

Ballyconnell Road featured in one of my MRJs a year or so back and I would agree with everything Tony has said about it - fantastic modelling of an unusual prototype.

The loco is the work of Mick Rawlings and does indeed have working inside motion. What makes it even more remarkable is that Mick doesn't have a workshop bulging with machine tools. He has a Proxon minidrill and stand and the normal selection of hand tools. He has done me an article on how he built this loco using what I refer to as kitchen table technology which will appear in a future MRJ.

 

Jerry

[coachmann]

Always turn to this thread for some inspriation Tony.

 

On my bench at the moment, EM gauge Comet chassis and high level gearbox with later Hornby Fowler tank body as the lining is much better.

 

Needs a pin/nut and bolt for the crosshead at the moment.

 

IMG_9334.JPG

 

And need to model the pipework under the cab too.

 

IMG_4247.PNG

If you are modeling 42343, note the Stanier bevel rim wheels on the trailing bogie.  Gibson do them.

[Michael Delamar]

If you are modeling 42343, note the Stanier bevel rim wheels on the trailing bogie.  Gibson do them.

Thanks I havent decided which loco to model just yet there are a few options.

[Izzy]

The good news, of course, is that those slides worth keeping have been scanned.  But even here there are troubles looming.  First, my scanner, a very nice Nikon LS2000, only has a SCSI interface, second, Nikon no longer support the software (I use Vuescan now) and who knows how and when the images will last.

 

 

When I first went digital, end of last century (always wanted to write that!), I used a Acer also with a scsi interface. I did manage to find a SCSI to usb adapter in later times, an Adaptec usb2xchange,

 

 

but when the Acer failed I tried going back to an old technique used to copy negs and slides, photographing them. Although the Acer had batch scanning it was still a slow process, but using a standard digital camera makes it very quick. Handy when you have many thousands of images to copy/scan.

 

In the past this was mainly done using dedicated equipment made for the task and some is still around, but I made my own copy stand from mount board lit using a small lightbox as the light source. To copy 35mm stock you do really need a macro lens with 1:1 magnification. They also mainly have a flat field and accounts for why they were often called 'copy' lenses in past times. I used a 100mm macro with my old Pentax 35mm, but with my current Canon 600D the 60mm macro gives the same result since it is a smaller sensor format.

 

 

The results are actually mainly better than I got from scanning whatever software I used, Vuescan etc. This is mainly because scanning copies the stock material where as photography copies the image not the base stock it's on, a subtle difference. Negs images do of course need reversing, but quite easy to do in such as photoshop as is adjusting any colour issues in levels.

 

Izzy

Edited August 24, 2017 by Izzy

[Focalplane]

Many years ago I owned a Nikon slide copier but part exchanged it when I bought my F5. Originally I used a standard lens mounted backwards on the camera, again using Nikon accessories including bellows between back of lens and front of slide copier. Living in Singapore meant I got very good deals from a shop on Dhoby Ghat because all our office visitors would ask me to get them the Best Price. My equipment cost me dealer cost plus 2% markup.

 

Anyway, I never got acceptable results and the process was expensive, I was literally copying slides, not scanning them.

 

A really good Macro lens is essential, my Micro Nikkor 60mm is the best lens I have ever bought. Flat field and 1:1 and not too close to the subject.

 

I really should use it more often.

[Theakerr]

Thanks for the feedback on Sighting Boards.  

Apologise for the delay in thanks but the day after I posted I lost my internet connection and have only got it back today.  Also had to go and bring back my Camper Van that had failed on the way back from meeting up with the children in Revelstoke (Canadian last spike town).  Good news was that it broke down on the way back just after the 1/2 way point.  So 4 days and 3200 km it is back and being got ready for winter storage.  Now back to modelling and building my station stop unit

[Tony Wright]

Hi Tony

Slight correction to the name in the email address and link you gave - its 'Reticule' rather than "Reticulate"

Rodger

Thanks Rodger,

 

Now corrected.

[Tony Wright]

Just to let folks know that I've been able to retrieve the 'lost' images. I say 'I've', but it's really Ian Wilson who did it. Talking to both him and Andy York today it looks like the card is dodgy. I'll get another. 

 

 

It would have been a pity to lose images like this. It'll be appearing in BRM most likely in the autumn. 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Tony Wright

[it's-er]

The other week it was naval battles in the North Sea, this week the merits of various esoteric cameras in the film era and memories of dark rooms and infra red lighting ..... this thread has endless fascination, especially when we also get first rate railway modelling! Many thanks to all.

 

John Storey

[APOLLO]

Just to let folks know that I've been able to retrieve the 'lost' images. I say 'I've', but it's really Ian Wilson who did it. Talking to both him and Andy York today it looks like the card is dodgy. I'll get another. 

 

Staly Vegas 10.jpg

 

It would have been a pity to lose images like this. It'll be appearing in BRM most likely in the autumn. 

 

By gum that's a grim grey industrial town - the tunnel looks particularly "scary" to walk (run!!!) through. Nicely modeled though.

 

Brit15

[coachmann]

A bit more moody as befits northern grot?  I will delete if told to do so.

 

 

Or just plain grainy...

Edited August 25, 2017 by coachmann

[mullie]

I still remember London in the 70s, many of the buildings were black not this colour. This included Parliament, St Paul's etc. presumably because they had never been cleaned since the Clean Air Act. Look much nicer now though Big Ben will be very quiet for some time unless on radio 4!

 

The approach to Liverpool Street was so black it was difficult to work out the colour of the brick work, have no idea if it is still like it? This was the era where my brother would be asked to paint pub ceilings 'nicotine' colour when pricing up jobs so staining wouldn't be a problem (He is a surveyor).

 

Martyn

[Headstock]

I still remember London in the 70s, many of the buildings were black not this colour. This included Parliament, St Paul's etc. presumably because they had never been cleaned since the Clean Air Act. Look much nicer now though Big Ben will be very quiet for some time unless on radio 4!

 

The approach to Liverpool Street was so black it was difficult to work out the colour of the brick work, have no idea if it is still like it? This was the era where my brother would be asked to paint pub ceilings 'nicotine' colour when pricing up jobs so staining wouldn't be a problem (He is a surveyor).

 

Martyn

 

I would agree with you that model railways don't get how silky black soot encrusted building could be. However, I still find the above modelling pleasing from an aesthetic point of view, even if it is an interpretation rather than a dead copy.

[Focalplane]

It would have been a pity to lose images like this. It'll be appearing in BRM most likely in the autumn. 

 

Tony

 

What an atmospheric model!  It immediately reminded me of the walk along the canal from Wolverhampton Low Level to Stafford Road shed.  Back in the late 1950s the canal had yet to be regenerated and many of the canal side buildings were falling into disrepair or just plain falling down.  But the model actually doesn't show any dereliction so perhaps I am taking things too far?

 

Paul

[coachmann]

Didn't a wartime soldier from the USA say it was a pity Manchester Townhall was built from coal....So black was it. 

 

I took the blackness on everything and the soot laden air for granted as a young man. Many of the very early 1950's movies on Channel 81 (Talking Movies) show this all too clearly where the end of a road is lost in mist. This ready-made moodiness must have been a godsend to British movie makers. I think PPC's 'Dirty Black' would be useful for spraying (diluted) on buildings and especially stone walls. Stone seemed to readily absorb soot.

[Headstock]

I can remember when Leeds Town hall looked like this. A nice bit of weathering detail is apparent, due to the countless feet marking out a path clear of soot on the steps and between the pillars.

[Headstock]

Last time I was back up north, it still looked like that!

Nah, it looks like this now.

 

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/14686056.jpg

 

Original, there would have been a myriad of golden hues to the stone work. Unfortunately, the cleaning process removes this as well as the soot, leaving such buildings a sickly yellow colour verging on beige.

Edited August 25, 2017 by Headstock