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Evening folks, Completed a couple of Parkside opens recently and took a few pictures of the painting process. It has involved a few techniques i have read about and a bit of experimentation. The wagon is primed using halfords grey Matt spray, the body brush painted with phoenix precision pre 1964 bauxite, thinned right down. I paint the underframes humrol dark grey 34. I used humbrol stone colour, humbrol light grey and humbrol black to pick out the bare wood planks and a mix of different humbrol browns and reds to vary the plank colours suggesting fading. The bare plank mix is dry brushed (more like scrubbed) over some of the planks to suggest flaking paint and ware.

I have recently been honoured by having an article entitled “Slow Modelling - an alternative way forward” published in the Model Railway Journal (No. 274, page 276). This described some of the recent changes in my modelling practice and the relationship between modelling and wellbeing, but it did not really get to some of the underlying problems. The original, first draft, of the article included what might be seen as more contentious comments about the natural of railway modelling as we are confronted with a radically changing world. I have posted some of the originally text here. I hope this makes sense without the article as published. The original pieces of text are in italics. I am sorry this is a rather longer post than usual! Firstly, some addition comments on the relationship with models having used the article to outline the importance of scratch-building that gives a strong degree of connectedness with models made. “For many modellers of my age the desire for connectedness is not new. This connectedness often focuses on a nostalgia for the dying days of steam and is supported with a wider range of very high standard ready-to-run models of a then ever before. However, ironically these models have little connection with the audience and are produced by people for whom they are culturally alien. The ‘craftsmanship’ may have been done on a computer or even directly scanned from the original, but the owner of such an item has no real relationship with the model. Technology has produced a model ‘for us’, but it is not a model made ‘by us’ or ‘from us’. Technology has reproduced a piece of the past and presented it to us in the ‘now’, to support our connectedness with the past. “The act of purchasing and possession, of ownership, is more abstract than the act of making something. We surround ourselves with artefacts that are produced remotely, often of materials that are not sustainable and in working conditions that might be considered as less than desirable. Indeed, there might be a similarity between our knowledge of the model railway factories and what was always said (but often untrue) about city children, that they did not know where milk came from. However, for many of us the desire for instant gratification far outweighs less assured and more distant rewards to be found in scratch building. What really counts is the process; the process of working materials into the artefact by way of taking our hands and brain cells for a walk. In so doing one changes the relationship between oneself, the materials and the process to make something that is ‘of you’ and not just ‘of your list’. (Or should that be ‘off your list’?)” The canopy at Axminster. I have always liked these fairly bold canopies found on many of the old LSWR stations west of Salisbury, often in association with a station buildings designed by Tite. Laser cut LSWR station canopy in 1/64th scale. Of course there is no commercial model version of the canopy in any scale let alone 1/64th. So I went for a little laser cutting project for this. It could have included the roof flats and the skylight surrounds, but that would be over the top (sorry about that!), so it was just the valance that was laser cut. This seemed important as the repeats of the up and downs and the curves would be very hard to achieve with the necessary level of consistency when working by hand. Secondly, for a great deal longer than many, part of the function of being a geography teacher, I have been aware of what has been going on in the global environment. This awareness, which developed from the 1970 onwards (Yes, the early evidence was there as long ago as that!) has lead to an examination of how to proceed in what will most likely be the last decade (hopefully two) of my life. This paragraph raises wider issues about the nature railway modelling, nested as it is at one end of the spectrum in the toy industry and at the other in model making. “For some years I have been increasingly concerned about the human fascination for injection moulded petroleum based plastic and the way this fascination, or perhaps I should say addiction, is passed on through contents of the average child’s brightly coloured toy box. (Although I hear that Lego are going over to bioplastic.) It is also a concerning to look at the environmental impact of modelling as with so many other products. This is not just about the materials used, but the whole pyramid that imports of finished models stand on, dodge chemical industries, industrial pollution, international shipping (a very dirty industry), packaging, production energy, etc. It’s no good saying that we do not need reduce our carbon-foot print while China continues to pollute. We exported our (the UK’s and our individual) carbon-foot print industries to China, a shedding of responsibility that seldom seems to be mentioned in the media. But then the media does little to improve the understanding of economics, trade and the environment.” While it is easy to write such words, it is not so easy to act upon them. It is all too easy to hypocritical in comments on this topic… to offer “do as I say” advice rather “do as I do”. Actions speak louder than words. “Indeed the last year has seen some fast action with the introduction of a far reaching rationalisation programme applied to my modelling projects. Dr Beeching would have been proud to see those with a low return (measured in fun, creativity or challenge) being cut back and the rapid disposal of redundant equipment would have gladden his heart. There are siren voices warning against such quick and decisive action... while others greet me with what are you selling today! With just a few final items on eBay and some esoteric bits being offered to more specialist markets the clearance is nearly done. Interesting that one of my eBay customers was someone who helped operate my Cornish opus - St Juliot, at RailWells some years ago. “But as I type these last words, I hear the bang of the carriers van door and by the time I get to the front door there is a parcel with my next set of laser cut plywood baseboard components! These are made to my design, but the cutting out would now be beyond the capabilities of my recently refurbished workshop, which is now more of a studio. Indeed, I would have designed them differently if they were not to be laser cut. I can still take short cuts and perhaps I have to settle for being ‘selectively concerned’ about the impact of my modelling. The reality is that we are drawn into modern production systems and that resistance can only be limited… whatever the scale! at sixty nine I may need to take some short cuts to produce even the smallest of projects. The fact that these boards are circular with a width of 100mm and a centreline radius of 571.5mm, automatically limits the size of one’s project.” There is, of course, a paradox or contradiction here. What to do with the ‘stuff’ one already has and would really like to keep? My collection of German (German by both prototype and manufacture) 1/160 scale (N Gauge) has nowhere to run. It was purchased for sentimental reasons and I would like to make a little layout, using one of these test tracks and some extension materials remaining from previous projects. As mentioned above, this design was originally made for a friend but was developed with a view to marketing these simple and rather useful items. However, this idea has not been followed through, partly as it only encourages further modelling developments. Klein Holtzapffell This layout developed out of the idea of a circular test track base to carry a circle of Peco Number 4 set. With the rolling stock from the original Holzapfel layout to hand, felt the need to have somewhere to see it run. This circular formate has the great constraint of size limitation, so greatly reducing the potential amount of material required to complete a layout. The missing, forth board between the tunnels will carry a simple fiddle yard with four fixed roads in the middle and two 'traverser points' at each end. ‘Arkade Tunnel’ Made on baseboard already laser cut, using extruded polystyrene off-cuts already purchased. The tunnel mouth by Faller has been recycled from the original Holzapfel. The only new purchase seen here has been the Faller foam ‘arkade’, which was a cheat to get the retaining wall built quickly. Now called the Kapelle Arkade, the chapel has been recycled from the previous layout, while the walls are finished off with some copping stones cut from art-board card off-cuts, as are the cable throughs. The white Plastikard is not the most appropriate material for the inner retaining walls of the little under-bridge, but it was to hand from the scrap box. This will be hidden when the stone retaining walls are put in place once the bridge design has been finalised…. Stone arch or girder? But this questioning is only part of a series of actions:- This is the left hand end of St Juliot in 1/64th scale. The track is the most resent offering for bullhead track from the S Scale Society, with the centre line being the through road. The van has a resin cast body; the bicycle is a Southwark Bridge etch and the basket on the platform is a piece of white-metal produced for 7mm. Apart from those items, everything was scratch built or hand made mostly with off-cuts and recycled card. The trees and the grass pose a bit of a problem but care has been taken to keep the waste (overspill) materials from these operation in the waste bin rather than being washed down the sink. These sorts of micro fibres are able to escape the waste water treatment plants and end up in the marine environment…. Along with the fibres from fleeces and other recycled ‘plastic’ clothing!! The whole layout has been passed on several times and is now probably being recycled into some other configuration. Draft plans for Mellstock Intrinseca. The boards and some track are made for my one large project. However, since this picture was taken the thing has been scale back a little more to give a much greater sense of space and to reduce the the amount of materials required for the project to be completed. But it is all scratch building, so should keep me busy for a while….. Conclusion While some will no doubt thick my words here are rather extreme, I am of the view that some modellers (perhaps I should call them ‘glazed box openers’) are rather more extreme. I recently came across a layout which included multi-storey fiddle yards with capacity for 140 sets of coaching stock. Whatever is the point? They probably require more space to store the empty boxes than most people have for layouts. However, such extremes become more balance when one starts to to live by the creed of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The most important of which is Reduce… Such an alternative approach has also caused me to think carefully about the role of exhibiting. Having switched from exhibiting layouts transported by road, I proved to my satisfaction that it was possible to take layouts to exhibitions by public transport. I have now got to the stage where I feel exhibitions are just a means of encouraging dissatisfaction and of the initiation of new plans and further consumption. While the quality of finish of a scratch built model may not compare with the very best of the those resource consuming mass produced items, the benefits to the modeller of producing something of your own with your own hands far outweigh the short-term adrenalin rush of buying a glazed box or receiving an order from a bespoke model supplier. Increasingly, it is also of benefit in much wider, if very small, way in the future management of our environment and our resources. Is railway modelling very high on the list of human activities that can be sustained in a future society concern with these issues and a world with a more equal sharing of resources? I rest my case!

As a change from Blagdon I can share some of the limited progress made with Westbrook. This was a very small station on the Golden Valley Railway that ran between Pontrilas and Hay. I had already constructed a baseboard and laid the track but since then that baseboard has sat under Blagdon. Rather than buy anything new I thought I should get the unfinished projects completed so a faltering start was made on completing Westbrook. The first job was to construct the station building which I did some time ago and I also built the platform, this time of wood rather than Plasticard as I've done in the past. I also completed all the station "furniture," aided by a few photos of the prototype although, annoyingly, some corners of of the station have escaped the few photographs taken at this remote location. Having completed the platform I wanted to see how it looked on the baseboard so withdrew this from under Blagdon (a task that requires our back door to be open). I've taken a photo as below but please ignore the backdrop of cleaning materials and paint brushes. Photos of course show up any flaws and I have corrected the leaning milk churn. The slightly wonky fishplate needs a little more work. Although out of focus you might notice the wooden lean to attached to the side of the station building. The fencing was Microstrip and is a good match for the original. The other point worth noting is the nameboard. I used the posts from a commercial item but the nameboard itself was constructed from Plasicard. The broad surround might look odd but follows the prototype. The Slaters letters (not quite in line!) do not match GWR running in board lettering. I recollect etched brass letters closer to the font used were available at one time but not it seems now. I'm quite pleased with the trackwork which illustrates a feature rarely modelled, flat bottom track in sidings. On many branch lines chaired bullhead rail replaced the original flat bottom rail secured to the sleepers with spikes but this was usually done on the running lines only. Sidings, which had far less use, were more often than not left as they were. Oddly Blagdon retained flat bottom track to the end but with stone ballast. The Golden Valley line was upgraded to chaired bullhead but with inferior ash ballast. The gardens were a feature of Westbrook, as indeed they were at Blagdon, and both seemed to have been made in the same way. The beds were edged with large stones, the ones on Westbrook came from sieved sharp sand (also called Thames grit) which has small stones within the sand. Whislt doing this I came across a tiny shell fossil which of course found a place in the flower bed. The layout of seats and lamp posts is taken from photographs although it seems that sometimes the seat migrated to the front of the building. The platform was edged with the familiar blue bricks with a diamond pattern set upright. I used a diamond pattern Plasticard for the top and ridged for the edge. The latter does not look completely correct but captures the look that would be hard to reproduce otherwise (the only way would be to cut each brick individually and I'm not doing that!). The scenery will be poystyrene blocks glued to the wooden frame of the baseboard. I was partcularly keen to keep weight to a minimum so only the trackwork is on a MDF base. As Westbrook was sited on fairly open land the backscene is going to be particularly difficult. At Blagdon a long line of "GWR firs" provided a very effective visual stop. Once I've got a little more done I'll keep readers updated but in the meantime having acquired a second-hand copy of the comprehensive HMRS publication "All about Iron Minks" it will give me the opportunity to take a closer loook at my minks and see if any further detailing is required.

Some photos from Tolworth. A good show, well attended and with plenty of quality layouts. This IoW layout, or rather three linked layouts was just across the road from us. Always a nice subject and nicely done. Harlyn Pier was our next door neighbour. A lovely layout with a T9 - one of my favourite locos. It moved off before I got a pic but the pannier was nice too.

So in a brief interlude from the Attacker build (waiting for the filler to cure properly), I decided on a quick build. This kit arrived Thursday morning: The parts removed very cleanly from the sprue and only need a minimum of clean up. Though an older tooling (2006) the fit was very good. Obviously I've diverged slightly from the instructions because of painting.. To give some extra weight the lower hull is die-cast, so super glue is needed to glue the front & rear panels to the lower hull. At this point the wheels and tracks should be fitted, however I decided to make things easier and build up the top of the hull and the turret (the top of the hull is secured to the bottom half of the hull by two screws) Next wheels, lower hull and the underside of the topside of the hull painted. The wheels, idlers & drive sprockets where glued to the lower hull and the tracks returned from paint. With the tracks assembled and fitted the hull could be closed up finally and a Cromwell appears. With some minor filling and clean up done, the tracks where masked up and it was ready for paint. A coat of Nato Black was applied. Then a shadow coat of Insignia White After several coats of Dark Green and some details painted the Cromwell is nearly ready for Decals. A photo taken under more different lighting. That's all for now. TBG

So, after an extended period of procrastination I settled on the final position of the conveyor pit - right over a strengthening rib under the baseboard LOL Nothing now for it I got the 2 layers of 3mm foam core stuck down to bring the level up to that of the boxfile and then using some left over View Glue I stuck down the track plan It was important to get this down as the positioning of the dual gauge pointwork is critical to the plan. Next steps are to start cutting holes - a nice slot in the backscene behind the boxfile so I can marshall narrow gauge trains - the plan is for tipper wagons to trundle out from behind the boxfile to then be shunted over the conveyor pit etc. Oh yes, the hole for the conveyor pit along with removing some of the strengthening rib. One more hole will be needed for the fiddle yard exit, but as I've not yet decided how high this will be it will have to wait until terraforming has been done ......

Hot on the heels of the Tempest and defying my normal convention of posting a cameo of my next build - as I have three unfinished (and I'm unmotivated to finish them yet), I opted for a quick and simple build instead. I've had the Attacker in my stash for nearly a year, so I thought what the hell let's build it. Up first here's what's in the box... The sprues a clean a crisp, no shorts or burring and a minimal flash. I assembled the cockpit and jet pipe, I opted not to paint them as on test fitting within the fuselage the tolerances a very tight - so painting before will cause problems.. The ejector seat is dry fitted, as this can be fitted after painting. Something of note - fit the intakes, before gluing the fuselage halves together, as it makes getting decent fit easier. Fuselage glued together, it needs only minor filling. Wings and tail planes assembled - no issues though some minor filling is needed around the cannon. Tail-planes fitted with no issue. However the wing need so fettling to fit and then to remove the anhedral - nothing major. Wings corrected a few lumps and bumps added. Belly auxiliary fuel tank* and arrestor hook fitted. * The tank doesn't have to be fitted, but it covers a lot of joints Flaps fitted and ready for some Mr Surfacer 1000. That's all for now TBG

Evening folks, Here are the concluding stages of some painting and weathering I have been working on. Again, as with my quick and dirty weathering blogs, I do not own an airbrush and have endeavoured to produce something comparable to the results one can get with an airbrush (but acknowledging the superiority of the airbrush). Here is the wagon painted using different tones and modelmaster decals added. I use decalfix by humbrol to silvering as I didn't want to gloss varnish the vehicle as I felt the subtlety of some of the planks would be lost glossing then matting. Next, the wagon is treated with decalfix and weathering powders, flowed around the raised detail. This is the shock open I have also been treating. certain planks were dry brushed with humbrol stone to suggest worn paint and the grain of the wood. The metal work on the end of the wagon are treated with heavier amounts of powders to suggest the flaking, rusty metal work. These are dabbed onto wet decalfix and built up using humbrol smoke powder and Carr's rust colours. The underframe is lightly treated with brake dust colour powders. The top plank on the wagon was done by dry brushing onto wet tacky paint to maintain the brushstrokes to give the appearance of the grain of bare wood. This has been an enjoyable little project.

I haven't been able to spend a huge amount of time on the layout recently. As a result I have started many things but haven't completed much. Some projects have been started, scrapped, restarted and stalled! Some simply require more time to complete. I prefer to post when I have something significant to show. So in order to get away from the nightmare building project, I tackled something easier and altogether more enjoyable. Some low-relief buildings for my farm and a small stable block. I gathered lots of pictures from the internet and integrated my favourite features to bring these rather dilapidated and totally generic farm buildings to life! All for now, Jonathan