Wright writes.....

[Tony Wright]

I'm most impressed that great restraint has been shown and that the station forecourt only has one motor car present in the ubiquitous black 'livery' – a very plausible scene.

 

One thing that always strikes me when I see LB images is that the 'colour design', to borrow Hollywood nomenclature, is simply superb. Wide open spaces bathed in soft light giving a wonderful harmony between all the elements. It's the quality of that light which resonates with me – there are no puffy white clouds scudding across an over-optimisticly blue sky but instead we're presented with one of those hum-drum days of gentle overcast. None of these aspects and their certain qualities of ordinariness are easy things too pull-off in miniature form. It's one reason why many models look more believable when shown in black and white. There's often a tendency to 'over-model', to try too hard, when restraint and critical observation is really what's needed to achieve realism and it's here in bucket loads. Bravo!

Thank you for those very kind words.

 

In every contemporary prototype picture I have, there are very few private vehicles; on the road or by the station. Most, however, show one or two commercial/BR vehicles in the goods yard (very often a Thames Trader), so that's what I've attempted to show. 

 

With regard to colour in the scene, it's always been my aim to have muted tints and shades, both in the actual use of pigment/scenic materials, and, certainly, in how I photograph it. 

 

Last month, our friendly electrician installed 100% more in the way of 'white light' tubes. They've made a huge difference, with a lovely, overall 'soft' lighting effect. Any too-dark shadows are taken out with pulses of fill-in flash, often bounced off the matt white ceiling and walls, or directed underneath valances, footplates, solebars and so on. The pulses are not powerful, with the Metz set to F 4.5 at most; the camera aperture is invariably at F 32 (and a bit). 

 

More recently in the model railway press, I've seen a tendency for models (particular some layouts) to be presented in a most-lurid fashion, with vivid, polychromatic renditions of colours, often dazzling to the eye. I know many of today's real railway colour schemes were arrived at by asking a (not particularly bright) child to come up with something using nothing more than primary poster colours and a fat brush, but the sun doesn't blaze down every day from its zenith. It's not only colours on the stock, but what about the lurid greens representing Mother Nature? One longs almost for those wonderful 'black & white' days in publishing of yore. 

 

Certainly, with regard to LB appearing in the MRJ, the brief was for muted colours. Not only that, but an attempt to produce pictures in as 'natural' a way as possible. Neither Barry Norman nor I wish to learn about the mysteries of stacking or other computer jiggery-pokery. We leave that to those (particularly in my case) who are clever enough to learn. Another factor in the brief was to 'show it how it is'. I know this has been discussed before, but I don't see any dichotomy in showing it as it is, yet still taking out the background clutter. What I certainly haven't done is improve the model by altering anything on it (I tell a little lie, because I removed a spec of scenic material off the road in front of the booking office). Not long ago, I saw pictures of a layout in a mag and then saw the actual thing itself. I couldn't believe it. The real thing had things out of plumb, rough edges and blobby painting in part. Not in the pictures. I didn't agree with that at all. In a way, I longed for the blinding honesty of my medium format camera equipment, where what you took was what you got. 

 

So, in my pictures of LB, all the colours are toned/muted down, both on the model and in the pictures. Depth of field is obtained optically, so, if a piece of ballast at the photographer's feet is not in razor sharp focus and, in the same scene, neither is the furthermost telegraph pole, then so be it. The most important elements are in focus, just as they should be in a painting. Or, so I was told at art school. And, if any part of the model is a bit 'rough around the edges', then that's what you'll see. 

 

That little figure of yours, reading his book as the A1 sweeps through (how could he not look up?) is exactly as you 'planted' him last year (or was it the year before?). Entirely natural in reality and in the picture. Many thanks. 

Edited August 9, 2016 by Tony Wright

[Tony Wright]

Nice renditions of the brickwork colour on those lovely new buildings. Does that almost grey shade count as "yellow" in brickmakers' parlance?

I think it does, Graeme. 

[Tony Wright]

Tony,

This looks great, can't wait to see Bytham with the buildings finished.

Would be good to get an aerial view, or as high as you can, for an overall view of the whole station

 

Regards

Lee

Lee,

 

Will do.

 

Please pop around whenever you like.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Barry Ten]

 

 

More recently in the model railway press, I've seen a tendency for models (particular some layouts) to be presented in a most-lurid fashion, with vivid, polychromatic renditions of colours, often dazzling to the eye. I know many of today's real railway colour schemes were arrived at by asking a (not particularly bright) child to come up with something using nothing more than primary poster colours and a fat brush, but the sun doesn't blaze down every day from its zenith. It's not only colours on the stock, but what about the lurid greens representing Mother Nature? One longs almost for those wonderful 'black & white' days in publishing of yore. 

 

 

One magazine (not MRJ) is a particular offender in this regard, at least, with a tendency to push all the colours to their eye-popping extremes. Presumably it's not always the fault of the photographer or even the editor, but something done at the printing stage to give the pictures more punch, but it's very jarring when you see Welsh collieries with blazing blue tropical skies, and grass and foliage so vividly green that it would give the Teletubbies headaches. I was looking at the recent shots of Robert Dudley-Cooke's layout in MRJ and admiring the way nothing was jarring, even though the modelled scenes contained a variety of scenic elements and colours. It looked just as good on the BRM DVD as well. Very much looking forward to seeing Little Bytham in MRJ.

[great central]

One magazine (not MRJ) is a particular offender in this regard, at least, with a tendency to push all the colours to their eye-popping extremes. Presumably it's not always the fault of the photographer or even the editor, but something done at the printing stage to give the pictures more punch, but it's very jarring when you see Welsh collieries with blazing blue tropical skies, and grass and foliage so vividly green that it would give the Teletubbies headaches. I was looking at the recent shots of Robert Dudley-Cooke's layout in MRJ and admiring the way nothing was jarring, even though the modelled scenes contained a variety of scenic elements and colours. It looked just as good on the BRM DVD as well. Very much looking forward to seeing Little Bytham in MRJ.

I don't think it's just model mags either, there is one 'prototype' mag that has taken on the same kind of colours. I'm know that the real railway doesn't look like that, I work on it every day. Not sure if they're from the same publishing company, if so perhaps trying to show some odd kind of 'house style's?

[Headstock]

An interesting conversation as regards the colour reproduction in magazines. This is most definitely not the fault of the printers, they will try to reproduce what is decided on either deliberately or not in the photography and editorial stage.The CMYK printing process has actually a rather small colour space, while digital devices such as  cameras have a larger colour space and will record more colours than the printing process can reproduce. Reproducing accurate colours in print is about controlling the colours through lighting, camera settings, monitor calibration and colour profiling. I have actually used a certain amount of manipulation in photographs intended for print articles. Not to enhance the photographs, but to de digitise them, so I will remove over exuberant stacking and incorrect colour rendition. I don't see this as cheating, rather correcting the image so that it looks like the layout as seen at exhibition rather than the Hollywood  movie version. The MK1 eyeball is your most important tool in this respect but is of no value if you are not running a tight colour management regime from camera to print. Without examining an individual process it is difficult to decide whether over saturated colours are by accident or design. My own thoughts are that the photographs are taken like that, assuming no enhancement is involved at the editorial stage. My own involvement would indicate that this is the case. My own files are fully tagged with colour profiles and my monitor calibrated so that what I see on my screen will go to print and be reproduced as I see it.

[glo41f]

It just keeps getting better!  As mentioned at the weekend it is just the track now Tony. A really stonking layout of the first order and beautifully crafted to represent those days of yore when a visit to the local lineside would always produce entertainment.

 

(Where is the Pokemon hidden?)

 

Martin Long

[Focalplane]

Tony

 

Your latest photos of Little Bytham are excellent. The discussion about eye-popping magazine colours is interesting in that in the good old days of film one could select a film to match one's intent. Fuji marketed some interesting slide films, including Astia and Velvia. I think Astia was the professional version of Sensia but there is veryy little difference. The modern magazine mentioned would love Velvia while I imagine most of us would prefer Astia, a much more natural emulsion.

 

When Kodak and Fuji competed, i was struck by the impression that the packaging mirrored the emulsions on the film. For example, Kodachrome emphasized yellows and reds and came in a red and yellow box. Astia had a more blue green bias and came in a blue and green box. Velvia should have been in a lurid Jungle Green box, glowing with radioactive hues.

 

I have followed the Eastern discussion of restaurant cars with interest while doing a major renovation job on a property in North Wales. My own kitchen car build is of a Stanier Period III as used on the Midlander. Even in the late 1950s this was all gas powered with only pass through cables connecting the adjacent coaches.

 

Paul

[Tony Wright]

In response to a request, here are some overall views of Little Bythan.

 

 

This was the state of play some little time ago.

 

 

Much more can be seen to have been done in this shot, taken today. 

 

 

 

As with these two. Interestingly, they also show how different cameras made by the same manufacturer can render colours. The earlier shots were taken with a Nikon Df, today's shots a Nikon D3. The lens was the same in both instances. The greater amount of light in the later shots is as a result of the new, extra strips. I prefer the colour rendition of the Df.

 

Naturally, I packed too many trains into the later views. However, it does show how scale-length trains can be 'properly' accommodated on a layout, providing that layout is scale-length too. That's the caveat, I'm afraid; try to squeeze too much in or compress too much and the effect is poor. Having just photographed the vast Carlisle, I realise just how small my own layout is in comparison. That said, the compression is minimal and, I hope, it visually works.

 

There's still a lot to be done, but it really is coming together now, very much down to the work of others.  

 

 

 

Though there's nothing new in the fiddle yard, the shelves holding spare locos have far fewer on them. So far, some 15 modified RTR locos have been sold on, and the locos in view in these shots are (with a couple of exceptions) my work. I accept, it's a personal thing of mine to only run things I've made myself. But, at least I can tell their constructional stories. 

Edited August 9, 2016 by Tony Wright

[Tony Wright]

Following on from the previous post, here are a few shots of some of the RTR locos I've modified and now have sold on. As I write this, two are already in the hands of the PO and a further ten will be on their way tomorrow.  

 

 

The Hornby A4 on the left will be with its new owner soon. The A3 approaching is nearly 40 years old, but I certainly won't be selling that. 

 

 

This Hornby A4 will be in its new home tomorrow, but the B1 (which is a Bachmann body on a Comet chassis) is going nowhere. I made it go, and that's more important to me. 

 

I dislike the skies in these two shots; too blue.

 

 

 

ENTERPRISE will be on her way soon as well. 

 

 

Another shot of GANNET. 

 

 

The modified Bachmann B1 will also be on its way soon, though, for the moment, the Hornby B1 remains.

 

 

Featuring in BRM last year (or the year before), I told the story of how I altered this Hornby K1. However, I have two kit-built ones, and I have a much more interesting story to tell with regard to those. 

 

My selling of these locos should not be taken as my being dissatisfied with them. Quite the contrary; if I were, I'm sure others wouldn't buy them. But, apart from their having new bogie wheels, added detail, close-coupling of loco to tender, lamps added, real coal in the tender, a crew aboard, a new identity and weathering, that's all. I hope the new owners will be delighted with what they've bought and I'm really pleased that these locos will be used (they've all lived in drawers for far too long). But, they were not my build. A personal point of view, I know, but very important to me. 

[Arthur]

That train carried bar steel. Lysaght's works produced this for rolling into sheet in various rolling mills in South Wales. There may also have been some pig iron shipped by this train. There was a stand-off, pre-war, between Lysaghts and the LNER over the cost of shipping pig iron to S. Wales. This lead to the steel company trying both road and sea transport in a effort to reduce its costs. I presume this traffic reverted to the railways during WW2.

For modelling purposes the sheetbar steel produced at Normanby Park was 12" wide and ranged from 1/4" to 3/4" thick, lengths would vary, usually between 20 and 30 ft. That was its main product pre WW2.

 

However, by 1953 sheetbar only accounted for around 20% of production and most of it was for electrical steels processed by Lysaghts Orb works in Newport.

 

The works was also rolling and supplying billets up to 4"x4' and small slabs up to 17" wide x 2.5" thick. About 1,000 tons a week of slabs were going to John Summers Hawarden Steelworks on Deeside (later better known as Shotton works) by the late 1940s.

 

In 1951 GKN had transferred the rod mill from Castle Works in Cardiff to Normanby Park. Coils of small section rod, up to about 1/2" diameter, were a major product, 3,500 tons per week by 1954, much going back to other GKN works in South Wales and the West Midlands.

 

Yes, post war their Flixborough Wharf was mainly handling incoming coal and ore, rail taking the bulk of the works output. The wharf was opened In 1938 primarily to ship sheetbar to Newport.

 

 

.

[The Fatadder]

fiddle yard south end.jpg

 

Though there's nothing new in the fiddle yard, the shelves holding spare locos have far fewer on them.

 

I really like the spare loco bridges at each end of the fiddle yard, I'm going to have a look and see how I can implement something similar once I build the fiddleyard for Brent. Although it will be a while until I have enough locos finished to actually have need for it.

[Anglian]

Thank you for those very kind words.

 

In every contemporary prototype picture I have, there are very few private vehicles; on the road or by the station. Most, however, show one or two commercial/BR vehicles in the goods yard (very often a Thames Trader), so that's what I've attempted to show. 

 

With regard to colour in the scene, it's always been my aim to have muted tints and shades, both in the actual use of pigment/scenic materials, and, certainly, in how I photograph it. 

 

Last month, our friendly electrician installed 100% more in the way of 'white light' tubes. They've made a huge difference, with a lovely, overall 'soft' lighting effect. Any too-dark shadows are taken out with pulses of fill-in flash, often bounced off the matt white ceiling and walls, or directed underneath valances, footplates, solebars and so on. The pulses are not powerful, with the Metz set to F 4.5 at most; the camera aperture is invariably at F 32 (and a bit). 

 

More recently in the model railway press, I've seen a tendency for models (particular some layouts) to be presented in a most-lurid fashion, with vivid, polychromatic renditions of colours, often dazzling to the eye. I know many of today's real railway colour schemes were arrived at by asking a (not particularly bright) child to come up with something using nothing more than primary poster colours and a fat brush, but the sun doesn't blaze down every day from its zenith. It's not only colours on the stock, but what about the lurid greens representing Mother Nature? One longs almost for those wonderful 'black & white' days in publishing of yore. 

 

Certainly, with regard to LB appearing in the MRJ, the brief was for muted colours. Not only that, but an attempt to produce pictures in as 'natural' a way as possible. Neither Barry Norman nor I wish to learn about the mysteries of stacking or other computer jiggery-pokery. We leave that to those (particularly in my case) who are clever enough to learn. Another factor in the brief was to 'show it how it is'. I know this has been discussed before, but I don't see any dichotomy in showing it as it is, yet still taking out the background clutter. What I certainly haven't done is improve the model by altering anything on it (I tell a little lie, because I removed a spec of scenic material off the road in front of the booking office). Not long ago, I saw pictures of a layout in a mag and then saw the actual thing itself. I couldn't believe it. The real thing had things out of plumb, rough edges and blobby painting in part. Not in the pictures. I didn't agree with that at all. In a way, I longed for the blinding honesty of my medium format camera equipment, where what you took was what you got. 

 

So, in my pictures of LB, all the colours are toned/muted down, both on the model and in the pictures. Depth of field is obtained optically, so, if a piece of ballast at the photographer's feet is not in razor sharp focus and, in the same scene, neither is the furthermost telegraph pole, then so be it. The most important elements are in focus, just as they should be in a painting. Or, so I was told at art school. And, if any part of the model is a bit 'rough around the edges', then that's what you'll see. 

 

That little figure of yours, reading his book as the A1 sweeps through (how could he not look up?) is exactly as you 'planted' him last year (or was it the year before?). Entirely natural in reality and in the picture. Many thanks. 

 

 

Tony,

 

I think it must have been February 2015 that my father and I visited. I think there's a real lesson to be learned here in that you have gone to very significant lengths to control the colour of the layout and also how it is reproduced as still images. In other words it was designed to be so and the colour key was not the result of a happy accident. I may be wrong or this may come down to my lack of knowledge but it's not a subject I recall reading about in the model railway press and yet it's so important. To continue with the theme of art college days (as we share that history) such an approach is fundamental to, say, the painter who very precisely controls colour to create a mood or feeling. In model railway terms one layout which I felt managed this same painterly narrative was Hudson Road – the creator's name escapes me. That leaden sky worked so well.

 

Another thought about conscious minimalism in regard to model railways is the notion that I often hear repeated – a layout is never finished and there is alway more detail to be added. If only we could be transported back in time to the Royal Academy to be able suggest the same to Mr Turner history might then have recorded an immortal utterance in response. Part of the skill of the artist is to know precisely when to stop working on their canvas and whilst the modeller can continue to change the actors – the rolling stock, there is surely a point when the they need to realise that the stage they have created is complete and to do more would be quite wrong.

 

The figure reading Bradshaws 1958 tome made me smile – I didn't notice him at first and so he'd momentarily become an equivalent of Cuneo's mouse.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Anglian

[Focalplane]

I remember an article written several years ago that suggested, with excellent examples, that colours should become muted the further away the scene is from the viewer's eye. Foreground should be in brighter hues than the back scene. This mimics real life during typical smoky or hazy conditions we experience so much of the time in the UK. The exceptions I can think of would be

 

Low angle sun light conditions as on a cold winter morning or just before sunset

 

Desert scenes where the light would be clear and bright

 

The former would be difficult to model, the latter would not apply to a British scene.

 

The difference between the two Nikons must surely be due to the additional lighting rather than the digital system employed? I have noted quite strong differences in colour rendition between competing camera makes, but much less so between different models of the same make.

[Tony Wright]

Tony,

 

I think it must have been February 2015 that my father and I visited. I think there's a real lesson to be learned here in that you have gone to very significant lengths to control the colour of the layout and also how it is reproduced as still images. In other words it was designed to be so and the colour key was not the result of a happy accident. I may be wrong or this may come down to my lack of knowledge but it's not a subject I recall reading about in the model railway press and yet it's so important. To continue with the theme of art college days (as we share that history) such an approach is fundamental to, say, the painter who very precisely controls colour to create a mood or feeling. In model railway terms one layout which I felt managed this same painterly narrative was Hudson Road – the creator's name escapes me. That leaden sky worked so well.

 

Another thought about conscious minimalism in regard to model railways is the notion that I often hear repeated – a layout is never finished and there is alway more detail to be added. If only we could be transported back in time to the Royal Academy to be able suggest the same to Mr Turner history might then have recorded an immortal utterance in response. Part of the skill of the artist is to know precisely when to stop working on their canvas and whilst the modeller can continue to change the actors – the rolling stock, there is surely a point when the they need to realise that the stage they have created is complete and to do more would be quite wrong.

 

The figure reading Bradshaws 1958 tome made me smile – I didn't notice him at first and so he'd momentarily become an equivalent of Cuneo's mouse.

Thanks once again.

 

Hudson Road was built by (I think) Jonathan Grant, and I photographed it many years ago in Sunderland (years before digital photography). 

 

Our 'shared' history of art-school training is very relevant when it comes to the subject of colour rendition on a model. My backscene is still in the 'under-discussion' situation. I painted it, then the electrician installed more lighting, and I think it now appears too bright. Some toning down (a light wash of matt varnish with some added white is probably called for). I'll report accordingly. It's no more than dabs and squiggles of paint. I let the observers do all the work. 

 

My palette is very limited - sap green, white, payne's grey, burnt umber acrylics and little more. I've seen some backscenes/scenic modelling painted in viridian green, surely one of the most unnatural colours, at least for trees/grasses.

 

I know if I'd been any good at art I'd have done more than just teach it. I think I've mentioned before how art school and I parted. It was the summer of 1966 and I was questioned by the principal as to how my preparation for an important painting was going. Not at all was my response, at least over the last week or two. I'd been to Waterloo, Basingstoke, Winchester and Southampton chasing the last main line steam in the country. I still think I made the correct choice, though it resulted in my leaving art school. 

[coachmann]

I too wasted time in art school, although my treatment by parents glad I passed at 13 yrs old but not prepared to clothe and feed us beyond 16 was not unusual in the old days. So art college - Manchester didn't happen...........Aren't some parent wonderful!  But, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and start all over again daa-dee-daa. Thinking back over my working days, had I become a teacher or worked in a commercial art studio, I would have missed the great outdoors working on steam trains as well as the buses, the latter offering me opportunities for advancement had I not decided to move to the seaside. And I would definitely have missed the freedom of working for myself and the clients that became good friends.

 

Re backscenes, the plain almost white backboard does not give any perspective problems when taking photos on my layout, but a printed backscene just might introduce problems. I note from you images in post #11005 that you took one of your backscenes below baseboard level. This is always a good idea for when taking photos.

[Anglian]

My understanding is that viridian green was a colour created to always be mixed. I don't have a tube handy to know for certain but there are some colours which work extremely well when mixed with viridian to give a natural range of greens. Yellow ochre springs to mind as one option but that may be too obvious a colour and something unlikely such as scarlet lake may be the magical ingredient.

 

I had to smile at the story of your parting from art school. For me it was my refuge – I was told at grammar school that it was the only educational institution that would tolerate my attitude towards learning that focused squarely on what I felt I needed to learn rather than learning purely for the sake of doing so. Consequently much of my time at school was not spent in school at all but rather tucked away in a quiet corner of some bucolic East Anglian farmyard or in the edge of a field painting away. However, it was that 'extra-curricular' activity that got me into my first art college and on the right path. Not unlike your own experience in ensuring that you were set on the correct trajectory for your career.

 

For most of my professional life I've been self-employed so have a relatively good control over how I spend my days. I worked full-time in a central London design studio and it nearly killed me, such was the pace and the hours. Ironically perhaps I've never felt that creative when working in studios with others. It's a false environment and once anything becomes tarnished with a corporate umbrella somehow it looses it's appeal fairly rapidly. Wandering over fields and laying in the garden is far more conducive to original creative thought, at least it is for me.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Anglian

[Focalplane]

I have a book (somewhere) on the impact of geology on scenery in the British Isles. The author worked for the British Geological Survey. Searches on the internet suggest it is no longer in print.

 

The reason I mention this is that, to a geologist, many model railway layouts simply don't look right. Little Bytham has small outcrops of limestone and I remember Tony saying that the real rock was used to model the cuttings. Bravo, Tony! Those of us who use real coal in our tenders (mine was collected from abandoned open cast mines in southern France) do so for good reason.

 

The flora that forms most British countryside scenery is very dependant upon the underlying rocks forming the soil. To give an example, there is one limestone formation in north west Scotland that can be identified simply by the plants that grow on its soils. And anyone modelling the Settle and Carlisle around Ingleborough will take into account its characteristic sedimentary rocks outline.

 

If I can find the book I'll post the details here, with Tony's permission of course.

[Tony Wright]

I have a book (somewhere) on the impact of geology on scenery in the British Isles. The author worked for the British Geological Survey. Searches on the internet suggest it is no longer in print.

 

The reason I mention this is that, to a geologist, many model railway layouts simply don't look right. Little Bytham has small outcrops of limestone and I remember Tony saying that the real rock was used to model the cuttings. Bravo, Tony! Those of us who use real coal in our tenders (mine was collected from abandoned open cast mines in southern France) do so for good reason.

 

The flora that forms most British countryside scenery is very dependant upon the underlying rocks forming the soil. To give an example, there is one limestone formation in north west Scotland that can be identified simply by the plants that grow on its soils. And anyone modelling the Settle and Carlisle around Ingleborough will take into account its characteristic sedimentary rocks outline.

 

If I can find the book I'll post the details here, with Tony's permission of course.

Paul,

 

You don't need my permission to do anything. And, even if you did, it's automatically granted. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[jamie92208]

Nice to hear that other people use real rock. Most of my ballast came from the quarry at Horton in Ribblesdale. I was in the office asking if they'd got any old photos of the PO wagons that the quarry had run (Answer was none) but I asked if it was possible to have some dust. They asked "How Much" and said a small amount. I was then pointed to a stack and told "There's 10,000 tons there". Also real coal in locos looks a lot better. I've got a coffee jar full of coal from Prince of Wales pit at Pontefract, that a contact there gave me. All washed and graded. The ash that surrounds the shed on Green Ayre is sieved from smokebox char from the 4F at Keighley.

 

Jamie

[LNER4479]

You don't need my permission to do anything. And, even if you did, it's automatically granted. 

Really?!!!!!

[Focalplane]

Here is where I "mined" my coal:

 

 

Quite a hike up the hill and then down into the hole, but I finally found a seam of really good coal that had a strong vitrinite content. This breaks down nicely with a hammer to form scale sized chunks. The site was closed a couple of decades ago and is slowly reverting back to nature. Many of the miners were of Polish origin. Both mining towns shown are almost ghost towns these days. More photos of the area can be seen here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/87321-graissessac/

[Focalplane]

And I found the book on returning home this evening:

 

The Hidden Landscape by Richard Fortey

 

No ISBN in the book, Publisher Jonathan Cape, 1993

 

Thank you, Tony for permission to post!

 

Paul

[Barry Ten]

Although with an American focus, understandably, this is a very good book which - among other things - looks into regional geology as an important consideration when designing scenery:

 

[St Enodoc]

Nice to hear that other people use real rock. Most of my ballast came from the quarry at Horton in Ribblesdale. I was in the office asking if they'd got any old photos of the PO wagons that the quarry had run (Answer was none) but I asked if it was possible to have some dust. They asked "How Much" and said a small amount. I was then pointed to a stack and told "There's 10,000 tons there". Also real coal in locos looks a lot better. I've got a coffee jar full of coal from Prince of Wales pit at Pontefract, that a contact there gave me. All washed and graded. The ash that surrounds the shed on Green Ayre is sieved from smokebox char from the 4F at Keighley.

 

Jamie

I've been waiting for some clever-clogs to suggest that we need to make sure that our tenders have the right sort of coal in them. No use putting Prince of Wales in a GWR King for example...