Traeth Mawr -Building Mr Price's house , (mostly)

[NCB]

Do you have any guidance on which one should want?  I tend to go for the 'waisted' type, since the narrow ends are easier to fit inside cosmetic axle boxes.

 

Yep, reckon the waisted ones cover most needs. The only non-waisted ones I've used are where the body is thinner anyway; these tend to be shallower so not always appropriate. The only use I've heard of for flangeless is in rewheeling old Triang rolling stock, but doubtless there are other uses.

[ChrisN]

I am at last posting again as I have something to post.  I have been very busy over the summer and at one point the modelling had to be cleared from the table so absolutely nothing happened for at least two weeks.  During this time, two, if not three people have started to follow the thread, for which I say , 'thank you' and welcome aboard.  (It does make me wonder if I stop posting for two months and I get extra followers what would happen if I stopped posting completely, would I get more the longer nothing happened?   )

 

So here is some of what I have actually done

 

 

Yes out of focus Andrew Stadden 1950s locomen.  Why you say?  They are the wrong period.  Yes for me but they are for someone else and will be 1930s locomen.  Here are the first four pairs.

 

 

You will notice that not all drivers are on the regulator and not all firemen are shovelling coal.  You will also note that they are covered in dust, sorry I was doing this in a hurry.  Some are leaning, some firemen are adjusting the water inlets, (forgotten the proper name,) ah injectors, some are turning brake gears etc.  It is in fact quite difficult to get the Stadden figures to hold a shovel in the usual fireman way, you have to practically break there arms, well at least bend them.

 

 

The first driver is pulling the whistle, one on the regulator, and the rest not doing much.  Some may look a little dirty as I gave them a black wash, not all though and I did it in pairs, hopefully making the fireman dirtier than the driver.  Hard to see from here as I did not want to over do it.  I have swung from despair with these to thinking that they are alright. 

 

They are quite easy to attach heads and arms as they have spigots and holes, very nicely done.

 

Finally a teaser.

 

 

I think it was about 18 months ago Penlan challenged me/ asked me/ suggested I do this.  I started straight away but it got stalled with the coaches being built.  When I take some more photos of them, and have dusted them off, I will do a post on how they were done.

[Edwardian]

Like the loco crews, nicely painted.

 

The star of your post is, undoubtedly, the convict transportation vignette, in irons, too.  And I love the gawping lady passenger.

 

You must take us through the conversion process.

[ChrisN]

Like the loco crews, nicely painted.

 

The star of your post is, undoubtedly, the convict transportation vignette, in irons, too.  And I love the gawping lady passenger.

 

You must take us through the conversion process.

 

James,

Thank you.  I forgot to say about the crews that I wanted different shades of blue to show aging uniforms.  I did think of using different blues, and in fact I have used umbrol 77 Navy and Humbrol 104 Oxford Blue but male the paler blues by adding white.  I thought this very clever as it would do exactly as it would in real life and just pale the same blue.  The problem I found was that even though I numbered the figures and made notes of parts white to parts blue trying to reproduce the same colour when putting on the second coat was almost impossible.  However, second coat in a slightly different blue is in fact not too bad.

 

The convicts were fun, and a challenge.  When I get a chace to take some more pictures I will write it up.

[NCB]

What's the symbol on the prisoners' garb?

[ChrisN]

What's the symbol on the prisoners' garb?

 

It is meant to be a broad arrow mark.  I am sure before I drew it I saw some on prisoners clothes that had the line across the top but cannot find one now.  Oh hum.

[ChrisN]

This is the follow on post with the convicts.  They are being taken from the assizes at Dolgelley to the Prison at Caernarvon.  I have yet to interrogate them myself to find out their names and what they did. 

 

Firstly the two convicts.

 

 

The lady is based on pictures like this. These ladies do not seem to have the broad arrow on their uniform, but I have seen pictures of suffragettes with them.  It may be when these photos were taken.  I also seem to remember seeing a picture of the arrow with the bar on top but cannot find it now.

 

 

This is to show the ribbon holding the hat on.  This was made out of paper cut very thin, then painted white and attached with superglue.

 

 

I was originally going to give the lady an apron.  I made one, then lost it.  I could have made another one but at first she was in plain grey but when I put the arrows on her it changed her appearance completely so decided against it.  The arrows were drawn freehand using a felt tip pen with a tip of 0.1mm.

 

The manacles were to be of 3A fuse wire but I could not find it.  (It was where it should have been and I did not see it!)  I therefore used wire from the inside of plastic bag ties, wraped around as much as I could and glued in place with superglue.  It is a case of over scale, probably, looking correct on the model.

 

Where did the figures come from?  They came from this Preiser set.  I wanted people with forage caps so this set seemed ideal.  The lady has had her handbag removed and the man is a combination of one set of legs and a top. 

 

Although on the Fickr pictures from Gloucester the trousers appear to be long I have seen pictures of trousers tucked into breeches/socks/boots from other prisons.

 

 

 

Detective Constable Benton, famed later in the case of The Honourable Slipper Boy is on secondment to Wales, and is there to supervise things from a railway point of view.  I am sure the GWR is charging the Cambrian a fair fee for his presence.  You will notice that he is actually shorter than the lady, and she has had her feet chopped off!  I am not sure if it is because they are 1/72 or if they are overscale or all Americans are considered to be at least 6ft tall.  This is why Detective Benton stands at the back so the height difference is not noted.

 

I think that is enough for one post.  Book now for post 2.

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.

Edited September 25, 2017 by ChrisN

[Simond]

I think the arrows with tops on are "benchmarks" which IIRC relate to military ownership. I'm not sure about prison garb, but suspect it may have been a plain arrow.

 

Wikipedia seems to agree with me!!! (At least in part - the ones with a top are OS marks)

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(surveying)

 

Best

Simon

Edited September 25, 2017 by Simond

[ChrisN]

I think the arrows with tops on are "benchmarks" which IIRC relate to military ownership. I'm not sure about prison garb, but suspect it may have been a plain arrow.

 

Wikipedia seems to agree with me!!! (At least in part - the ones with a top are OS marks)

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(surveying)

 

Simon,

You are probably right.  I think I did it that way as having left it I got confused.  Perhaps it is ex army surplus stock. 

[Edwardian]

This is the follow on post with the convicts.  They are being taken from the assizes at Dolgelley to the Prison at Caernarvon.  I have yet to interrogate them myself to find out their names and what they did. 

 

Firstly the two convicts.

 

The Two.JPG

 

The lady is based on pictures like this. These ladies do not seem to have the broad arrow on their uniform, but I have seen pictures of suffragettes with them.  It may be when these photos were taken.  I also seem to remember seeing a picture of the arrow with the bar on top but cannot find it now.

 

Two side.JPG

 

This is to show the ribbon holding the hat on.  This was made out of paper cut very thin, then painted white and attached with superglue.

 

Two behind.JPG

 

I was originally going to give the lady an apron.  I made one, then lost it.  I could have made another one but at first she was in plain grey but when I put the arrows on her it changed her appearance completely so decided against it.  The arrows were drawn freehand using a felt tip pen with a tip of 0.1mm.

 

The manacles were to be of 3A fuse wire but I could not find it.  (It was where it should have been and I did not see it!)  I therefore used wire from the inside of plastic bag ties, wraped around as much as I could and glued in place with superglue.  It is a case of over scale, probably, looking correct on the model.

 

Where did the figures come from?  They came from this Preiser set.  I wanted people with forage caps so this set seemed ideal.  The lady has had her handbag removed and the man is a combination of one set of legs and a top. 

 

Although on the Fickr pictures from Gloucester the trousers appear to be long I have seen pictures of trousers tucked into breeches/socks/boots from other prisons.

 

Benton.JPG

 

 

Detective Constable Benton, famed later in the case of The Honourable Slipper Boy is on secondment to Wales, and is there to supervise things from a railway point of view.  I am sure the GWR is charging the Cambrian a fair fee for his presence.  You will notice that he is actually shorter than the lady, and she has had her feet chopped off!  I am not sure if it is because they are 1/72 or if they are overscale or all Americans are considered to be at least 6ft tall.  This is why Detective Benton stands at the back so the height difference is not noted.

 

I think that is enough for one post.  Book now for post 2.

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.

 

Brilliant stuff.

 

1889:

[ChrisN]

Brilliant stuff.

 

1889:

 

I can see me getting the grey paint out again.

[Simond]

Sorry...

[ChrisN]

Sorry...

 

Simon,

No problem.  I should have rechecked the evidence before I did it.

[Northroader]

[ChrisN]

Some photos I have found show that the arrows could be fairly random, but of course not always.  Prints and drawings tend not to be so.

Edited September 26, 2017 by ChrisN

[MikeOxon]

Simon,

You are probably right.  I think I did it that way as having left it I got confused.  Perhaps it is ex army surplus stock. 

Please note that, according to the same Wikipedia article:

 

"It is currently a criminal offence in the United Kingdom to reproduce the broad arrow without authority .... Section 4 of the Public Stores Act 1875 makes it illegal to use the "broad arrow" on any goods without permission."

 

So, you may soon have first-hand experience of exactly how these marks appear

[Edwardian]

Please note that, according to the same Wikipedia article:

 

"It is currently a criminal offence in the United Kingdom to reproduce the broad arrow without authority .... Section 4 of the Public Stores Act 1875 makes it illegal to use the "broad arrow" on any goods without permission."

 

So, you may soon have first-hand experience of exactly how these marks appear

 

Oh dear, do you suppose anyone has told this fella? http://www.wdmodels.com/

[Simond]

I suspect that if the CPS were daft enough to charge you, and, given the photographic evidence, you were found guilty, the judge would consider a penalty at approximately one seventy sixth of the recommended minimum to be appropriate.

 

Simon

[ChrisN]

As I think most of the act is defunct would I have to be tried in a Victorian criminal court?  As the offence is in 1/76, would I be tried or a miniature of myself, and if so could James defend me, or a miniature of him?  If it is in a Victorian court then as computers will not have been invented for about 60 years I think all evidence is inadmissible. 

[Edwardian]

As I think most of the act is defunct would I have to be tried in a Victorian criminal court?  As the offence is in 1/76, would I be tried or a miniature of myself, and if so could James defend me, or a miniature of him?  If it is in a Victorian court then as computers will not have been invented for about 60 years I think all evidence is inadmissible. 

 

Marshall Hall, step aside!!!!

[ChrisN]

I have not yet got my grey paint out but before I do I need to make sure I have not misplaced my 0.1mm felt tip.  So onto the female prison officer.  You may ask why I have a female officer and not a male one as well.  My thinking was that the man would be looked after by a policeman and although there were female police officers I decided as the prisoners were being taken from prison to the assizes and back again then a female warder would be fine.

 

 

This lady is modelled on this one, who is in fact the senior warder but perhaps she wanted a day out.  The original is the 'Young Lady' from Monty's Models.  She is a rather useful figure, I have one already modified, another being modified and the possibility for two more.  The skirt is Milliput, and yes I have Mnot got the flow of the skirt, as usual, correct on both sides.  My only defence I that I was sure it was before it dried.  Someone once said that Monty's ladies were a bit flat so I have tried to thin the waist as if she was wearing a corset which is not easy when her arms are at her side, and added some more Milliput up top.  Maybe too much but she looks alright and you cannot see that anyway.  Her hat had the brim cut off and filed into a forage style cap.

 

 

I have cut her hair and added a bun, then attached to painted black strips of paper to form ribbons.  If you look through the Flickr list they did have these and they were quite long.  They have suffered in the varnishing process.  When I painted her I opened my matt black and it was to thick.  I then open my next one and it had a crust but under the crust was too thin.  As I had time to model and new paint was a few days away I decided that if one was too thick and one was too thin then if I used them both it should be just right.  Well, the too thin one seemed fine as I used it which surprised me.  When I finished I realised I had got the wrong black and it was coal black.  When she dried the colour was shiny black and she looked as though she was wearing black latex, not really what I wanted.  I hoped, and assumed, and was proved right that the matt varnish would tone her down.  I also used a dark grey wash on some parts to give a colour variation but am not sure it was enough.  (I am always worried about over doing it.)  You may ask why I did not cut her arm off her side so that she could hold her prisoner.  My answer is that is a very good question but I did not ask it until she was finished.   Her collar is a piece of 10 thou plasticard by 30 thou curled, glued with superglue and then cut to size.

 

 

The policeman is from the MMS range which as of the end of this month is no more as unless he has found a buyer the owner is retiring.  This is a real shame as he does some excellent figures even if they are mainly WWII.  I believe his uniform is the same as earlier ones and I have cut/filed his tin helmet and gas mask off his back which I believe is not appropriate.

 

 

This lady has come from the Preiser GDR Street Scenes and has had the usual Milliput treatment including tiny Milliput balls on her hat to make flowers.

 

So there we have it, the first maybe models with broad arrow convicts on a model railway, well once I have repainted the convicts anyway.

Edited September 26, 2017 by ChrisN

[Edwardian]

I have not yet got my grey paint out but before I do I need to make sure I have not misplaced my 0.1mm felt tip.  So onto the female prison officer.  You may ask why I have a female officer and not a male one as well.  My thinking was that the man would be looked after by a policeman and although there were female police officers I decided as the prisoners were being taken from prison to the assizes and back again then a female warder would be fine.

 

HMP Officer front.JPG

 

This lady is modelled on this one, who is in fact the senior warder but perhaps she wanted a day out.  The original is the 'Young Lady' from Monty's Models.  She is a rather useful figure, I have one already modified, another being modified and the possibility for two more.  The skirt is Milliput, and yes I have Mnot got the flow of the skirt, as usual, correct on both sides.  My only defence I that I was sure it was before it dried.  Someone once said that Monty's ladies were a bit flat so I have tried to thin the waist as if she was wearing a corset which is not easy when her arms are at her side, and added some more Milliput up top.  Maybe too much but she looks alright and you cannot see that anyway.  Her hat had the brim cut off and filed into a forage style cap.

 

Officer behind.JPG

 

I have cut her hair and added a bun, then attached to painted black strips of paper to form ribbons.  If you look through the Flickr list they did have these and they were quite long.  They have suffered in the varnishing process.  When I painted her I opened my matt black and it was to thick.  I then open my next one and it had a crust but under the crust was too thin.  As I had time to model and new paint was a few days away I decided that if one was too thick and one was too thin then if I used them both it should be just right.  Well, the too thin one seemed fine as I used it which surprised me.  When I finished I realised I had got the wrong black and it was coal black.  When she dried the colour was shiny black and she looked as though she was wearing black latex, not really what I wanted.  I hoped, and assumed, and was proved right that the matt varnish would tone her down.  I also used a dark grey wash on some parts to give a colour variation but am not sure it was enough.  (I am always worried about over doing it.)  You may ask why I did not cut her arm off her side so that she could hold her prisoner.  My answer is that is a very good question but I did not ask it until she was finished.   Her collar is a piece of 10 thou plasticard by 30 thou curled, glued with superglue and then cut to size.

 

Constable.JPG

 

The policeman is from the MMS range which as of the end of this month is no more as unless he has found a buyer the owner is retiring.  This is a real shame as he does some excellent figures even if they are mainly WWII.  I believe his uniform is the same as earlier ones and I have cut/filed his tin helmet and gas mask off his back which I believe is not appropriate.

 

Oh my!.JPG

 

This lady has come from the Preiser GDR Street Scenes and has had the usual Milliput treatment including tiny Milliput balls on her hat to make flowers.

 

So there we have it, the first maybe models with broad arrow convicts on a model railway, well once I have repainted the convicts anyway.

 

Excellent, and very informative.

 

Upset about MMS, wish I'd found it sooner.

 

I wouldn't want to cross that lady warder from Gloucester

[ChrisN]

Excellent, and very informative.

 

Upset about MMS, wish I'd found it sooner.

 

I wouldn't want to cross that lady warder from Gloucester

 

Thank you.

 

I have a couple of Wartime Bobbies set 2 left.  I think it is a great shame.  I have mentioned this company before but not recently and anyone I did mention it to already knew about them, so sorry.  You still have a couple of days to put an order in.  I am surprised he is not selling as he would at least make more money than just closing.  Hopefully he will sell the moulds.  His figure quality is very good.

 

I think you are right about that warder.  She must have been a pretty tough cookie to be in that position.

[ChrisN]

Just for completeness, here are a couple of not very flattering pictures of the two after I had re-done the broad arrows.

 

 

 

At normal size the arrows do not look too bad.

 

I spoke to the lady as I was repainting her and she was quite disappointed that I did not remove the arrows altogether.  Apparently her name is Mary Anstruther and she has been found guilty of Embezzlement., Conspiracy to Embezzle and Obstructing a Police Inquiry.  The man would not talk to me only grunted but she told me that he was Harold McNulty, and despite his name comes from London.  He was found guilty of the above plus Resisting Arrest, he broke an arresting officer's nose.  She says she was in a loveless marriage and fell helplessly in love with him and he persuaded her t do what she did.  She was given 5 years and he was given nine.  Her husband, complained to the authorities that he did not want her in a prison near him, so they moved her to Caernarfon Prison.  They then decided that he should be tried for perjury, and that she should stand trial as well.  They moved him so that she would not have to move prisons again and they are just going back to Caernarfon from Dolgelley having both been found guilty and sentenced to another year each.  No evidence was offered against Mary Anstruther this time but it was felt that she must have known he was perjuring himself and never said anything.  Of course the legal facts of the case my be a little hazy but then it is hard trying to listen to someone who is only 23mm tall.  Others on this thread my be able to advise and also the likelihood of her getting out early for good behaviour.

[Simond]

Well, it seems unlikely that she'll behave badly...