AJon30

Thanks Chaz that's very useful - I have struggled with using red/crimson paints in the past (normally over primer grey) but had not thought about using an undercoat of a brown base colour. For info what other colours, apart from the Revell 77 did you use? Although it's wildly inappropriate, the coaches that Bachmann finished in Great Northern orange/green scheme always seemed attractive Rgds Andrew

Yes it is rather dull, but a coat of varnish may make a big difference (varnish being the american "slang" for passenger coaches. The Rio Grande Southern had a red/brown scheme, and the D&GR also used red on their business cars. As with most things, its your railway, I'm sure you can invent a story to cover most colours (although pink may be stretching it a point.....) Rgds Andrew

Railcar colours. The East Broad Top M1 stuck with the Pullman green (which seems to be the default colour for a lot of american coaches) but with a brown roof (to match the locomotives. The Silverton went for a yellow to match their coaching stock (but that was a more modern vehicle) It was common, on standard gauge at least to paint the driving end (will you have a cab at both ends?) with stripes as a warning So perhaps the basic Pullman green with a dazzle end? Rgds Andrew

Hello. In my continuing quest to get a quart into a pint pot, i have been looking at my bridges. The main bridge covers a baseboard while the small bridge needs to be removable because of the backscene (by the way this "half" bridge causes lots of comments at shows, not always complementary! I wonder why that is - if you were painting a picture and you had a bridge to one side, you would not continue onto the frame?) Anyway, these are quite cumbersome but delicate and have been traveling in their own crate. Ever mindful of the costs to exhibition managers I have been trying to get to a situation where I can get the 19ft version and 2 operators in my car. Looking at the layout I realised there was a void above the sector plate behind the backscene, which was just big enough to get the bridges in (packed in bubble wrap). Once they were in the the top of the layout was covered with a rug to allow legs etc to be loaded on top. With that I was able to get rid of one crate and allow seating space. So off to Bexhill today! Rgds Andrew

Great 2 day show at Southwold. There were a few visiting locomotives on the layout this weekend

Normally its not a problem, but at Chatham there was a large square area with layouts around the edge, with a large space in the middle. With layouts all around there was a constant stream of people going backwards and forwards, which is difficult to keep an eye on when you are operating. Luckily(!) it was only a camera that can be easilyt replaced....... Rgds Andrew

Yes it does get a bit wearing at times, but still enjoyable - in August we have Southwold / Bexhill and Milton Keynes on 3 consecutive weekends plus the Great Train Robbery (Nene Valley) and another layout - Coldharbour lane at Northampton, then its the turn of QUESTA in September (Soar Valley & Mid Essex) finishing off with SHLR at Worthing & Sudbury - then Peterborough, Chelmsford, Gravesend, Rainham, Royston (with a variety of layouts) up to the middle of November! It was just so disappointing - perhaps I had a rosy view but would not expect another modeller to behave like that. Will have to be much more security conscious in the future. Rgds Andrew

Hello. Sorry its been a while, but I've had no camera to record events, as it was stolen from the back of the layout at the Chatham Show. Yesterday the 19 foot version was out at the Hoddesdon show, here's a few photographs. This was a first outing without the scenic extension board between Pertenhall & Swineshead and Kimbolton Town. The join between the two existing boards has turned out reasonably well. With thanks to Mick Boyd there were a couple of visiting loco's The pug with the newly finished "tender" And the New order That was the SHLR's 30th outing, which considering it has only been exhibited since April 2013 is approx once a month. No wonder I don't seem to have time to finish things as I am also out with other layouts as well (Harpenden East at the GCR 3 day show and Treloar Sidings at Basildon 2 day show, recently) Rgds Andrew

Well that was a busy but successful weekend at Ely and Stow. Here are a few pictures. At Ely the B17 Association had a stand and they also had an O gauge B17 which was given a run on the layout. I am sure the loco was not overloaded hauling the SHLR coaching stock! First time at Stow, seemed to be busy and I believe they had a good attendance Queen Mary hard at work Next stop - Chatham on 12 / 13 June Rgds Andrew

Been a little busy with real work this week. Hope you can see us at Ely (Saturday) or Stowrail (Sunday) Rgds Andrew

Thanks Don. The motor itself was causing the problem, I've already changed it out and sorted the problem. It was a second hand unit I bought so I'm not sure how old / how much use it had already had. Just got to check the linkages to make sure there is no binding in the operation. For a change tomorrow I am taking my On30 module out to a Slim Gauge Circle meeting at Rugby. Its nice and simple, just a scenic board with a bridge, I can leave someone else to look after the electrics etc! Rgds Andrew

Hello Don, sorry you couldn't make it today. I took my camera but, as usual, forgot about it until it was too late! The layout performed OK but a point motor failed at Great Barford and took out all the points because of a short circuit. It took a while to work out what was happening but eventually isolated the offending point motor and more or less normal service was resumed. I don't know which part of the country you are in Don, but we are at Ely next Saturday with the full length, then on Stowrail on Sunday with the 19 foot version. Then its quiet until Chatham with the long version on 13/14 June. Rgds Andrew

Finally completed the missing link building in the brewery, which includes a cover over the loading dock, implies that the loading dock is longer.. You have been warmed! Rgds Andrew

Thanks Neil Rgds Andrew

Thanks Don. I think this is the problem - how much staining of the wood would there be from a coal load, especially as in some cases the coal would be in the wagon a while? I think coal dust would shake out of the boards before too long, but there would be residue in the corners. I presume coal does not dissolve in water otherwise it would be shipped in covered wagons? Most coal is washed before being loaded in railway wagons so there would be little staining from other materials. Annoyingly there are few colour pictures of empty coal wagons as most people concentrated on the locomotives. Rgds Andrew

Wandering around the garden this morning (before deciding it was far too cold and I should come back inside and do some more modelling!) I was shifting some old wood that has been out in the open for at least 5 years, and I was struck by the colours. Sorting out some examples and then getting some wagons to compare produced the following picture It was interesting that a. the straight out of the box RTR wagons either had colours that represented new wood (Lionheart) or colours that seemed unlikely (Dapol) b. that weathered wood paint is far too flat grey. These are the top 4 wagons IMHO: 3 have been finished in the Lifecolour Weathered Wood paints, using the Cold base colour and a variety of other shades, while the NE open was finished in the Humbrol 110 Natural wood with some Cream & Dark Slate Grey to give the variations, and some rusty brown around strapping etc. I have thought the Lifecolor paints a little pricey but the pots are 22ml while the Hunbrol pots are 12ml or 14ml. For around 17.00 for Lifecolor you get 6 pots while the equivalent Humbrol pots would be a bit more, depending on where you cab get your paints. Is it just me, and I know painting & shades etc are very much "in the eye of the beholder", but it does erk me somewhat when I see rakes of wagons with the interiors painted solid matt black. For an example of the "real thing" here are a couple of shots of an old open wagon on the GCR. Its condition would probably have meant that it would have been repaired or scrapped a while ago if in revenue service, so the wood is probably further gone than is normal, but still not black. To add, here is a picture of a brand new wagon, taken at the Swansea Waterfront Museum, which does support the Lionheart colours (I suppose it would depend on what type of wood was used?) Rgds Andrew

Hello. There were a couple of outstanding items at Kimbolton Town so, following the outing at Stowmarket, I decided to sort them out and also look at doing some more work on the scenery. The wiring problem was easily solved (too tight a joint between baseboards was solved with a couple of quick goes with the file), while the isolation section at the dock was changed so the whole section can now be isolated so it will be possible for the locomotive to stand next to the water tank (much more believable rather than it going up the the buffer stops) The occasional derail of a locomotive on the point by the coaling stage was down to a slightly undergauge section of track and I also replaced the checkrail with a longer section which seems to have helped. Finally one other checkrail was slightly misaligned so that wheel flanges were hitting the frog, again easily resolved. It is amazing how much maintenance the layout needs, but then it has been out on average every month since it started, Stowmarket was its 25th outing in 2 years. The station area was very basic so the opportunity was taken the improve its appearance. I sprayed the platform itself with a stone fleck spray I saw in my local B & Q, which has been surprisingly effective. Fencing was added, station signs, some lamps, seats and a bit of extra foliage has made a big difference. I have some milk churns, a platform trolly and other bits & bobs still to add. Rgds Andrew .

Good day at Stowmarket. Catering up to its normal standard! View down the layout Have enough stock to run milk & parcels train Rgds Andrew

Well today has been set aside to do a bit of fettling after the show last week, and get ready for Stowmarket tomorrow. Thankfully there was only a few minor problems: a switch blade that had lost its bonding, a point motor that was very noisy and one that ran on for a while before switching off. A feed wire to the copper clad sleeper should have solved no.1, a replacement motor solved 2 and no.3 was found to be loose microswitch on the Fulgurex motor (one of downsides of the Fulgurex are these very fiddly microswitches) which was soon tightened up. Additionally a few thoughts and comments from my highly trained team of operators has required a little bit of re-wiring that should make operating a little easier. When I built Great Barford I decided not to fit an end backscene so that I could keep my options open for future extensions (!). That said I would still like a scenic end to finish it off. Then I remembered that I have a "fill in" piece of baseboard that I use when exhibiting the short 9 foot version of SHLR. The main board is 5 foot, the other 2 sections are 3 & 1, so I needed a 1 foot section to enable it all to be packed together. This section was built in the same way as the rest of the boards so that it can be bolted together. When I offered this piece up to the end of Great Barford I was pleased that it bolted straight into place (the joys of standard end fittings). So, what to do now? Firstly I will move the buffer stop from the end of the engine release track onto the extension board, so that it leave the track free for through running with different extensions. I am also thinking I could do the same with the next track, which would perhaps allow a small goods shed (a first for the SHLR!), and then just leave the rest for a goods yard approach road. Hmm, time to get the sharp pencil out! Rgds Andrew

Hello. Held our show at Hitchin yesterday. After working out how its all goes together (!), it performed very well with only a couple of minor electrical problems to resolve. Here are some shots of the full layout We had a good day at Hitchin, show seemed very busy (did you come / what did you think?). Thanks to John Percival of Walsworth Models who loaned a J15 to run on at Great Barford. It just fitted into the run-round and looks very nice (Damn, need to add to shopping list!) Rgds Andrew

A selection of shots just before I break it down and package it up for Saturday. I have painted the cardboard mock-ups and the platform and that has made a considerable difference to the overall look. Obviously I had hoped to be further advanced than I am. Rgds Andrew

Thanks Don. Its the madness of helping set up the exhibition as well (roster planning, car parking, layouts plaques, what sort of filling for the sandwiches etc etc), but hey ho, life would be boring otherwise! Rgds Andrew

Finished off a couple of LNER loco's to provide the interchange service at Great Barford. A couple of Jim McGeown's excellent Connoisseur brass kits - a J71 & J79 Planted some static grass as well, not as completed as far as I would have liked, but have also been working on our new Club layout - Central Works - and there are only so many hours in the day! 2 days to go! Rgds Andrew

Basic ballasting completed. Now just need it to dry out, then clean out points & check rails etc I know its a bit of a cliche but I have an old rusty tractor in one of the fields. See you at Hitchin on Saturday Rgds Andrew

Hello Don. Yes I am showing the large version of SHLR at Reading. Rgds Andrew