Chubber

There are one or two, Keith, but there is a dearth of 1930s [and pre 30s] small commercial vehicles. I can see that I shall have to buy and chop up an old taxi and/or an old Dennis fire engine if I'm to have anything other than the Cooper Craft AEC Monarch, [ then a new model ] collecting goods from my shed... Oh, and while I'm whinging, why-oh-why-oh-why can't all suppliers indicate the year the vehicles first appeared in their publications/advertisements? Classix label their boxes accordingly.... Doug

Taken at Lauterbrunnen in 2008, I don't know whether this first picture belongs here, or in the 'What makes you smile' thread? Naval service kept me away from home during my daughter's very early years, and I did not know until later how much I missed it. The joy on these faces as they 'raced' the train makes me smile each time I see the picture.. Doug. [it's a large file, and if clicked gives a lot of detail, my first year of using a tripod...]

...one I took in Florida last year.. I mean, who would know better? and......my Border terrier sunbathing, never fails to make me smile! Doug

Some MHR peoples... Alton ground frame Bittern at Ropley Doug

t-b-g, this is great news, I'm working towards an article on JA, currently in NW Spain, but would like to be in touch soon as I'm back, a week or two more depending on the weather and the wallet! Doug

John H. Ahern John Henry Ahern, known as ‘Jack’, was a London insurance broker who in early 1939 began a regular series of articles published in the Model Railway News centred broadly around the construction of two successive small 4mm layouts each called the ‘Madder Valley Railway’ and the means of scratch-building small light railway locomotive models. With the advent of the Second World War in September of that year, severe restrictions on the manufacture of ‘toys’ meant that virtually everything had to be home-built from household materials or hoarded material. Contemporary modelling trends were to model mainline locomotives on large double-tracked layouts. These layouts were largely the preserve of the wealthy, the emphasis being firmly on the locomotives and rolling stock, with scenic modelling playing second fiddle. The Madder Valley railways were unusual for that period in that they were from the start ‘scenic’ railways, running through whimsical landscapes containing cardboard and wooden buildings built to a most exacting standard. Quite simply, no one had taken so much care or paid so much attention to structure modelling. His methods and drawings, brought together in ‘Miniature Building Construction: an Architectural Guide for Modellers’ ISBN-13: 978-0852421925 enabled many to follow his lead and encouraged what we think of today as ‘Railway Modelling’. Taking early retirement in 1944, he moved with his wife Gladys to a house in St John’s Wood situated behind Lord’s Cricket Ground and there set to work building the final Madder Valley Railway. An intellectual, a member of the Fabian Society and friend of H.G Wells he would probably be amused to think that his most lasting memorial is a 1930s themed model railway, now preserved at Pendon Museum. Doug Dickson Also By John H. Ahern Miniature Landscape Modelling ISBN-13: 978-0852426845 Miniature Locomotive Construction ISBN-13: 978-0853440758 [First published in Railway Modeller Magazine, 2010]

Quality modelling Woody! I like the way in which those areas which would be called 'cameos' on other layouts just seem to be in place naturally, more please, and more video, too. Is there an extension called 'Evenmoor Murkle' in the wings? Doug

I am full of admiration for those of you with the ability to use these classic tools, I have tried, but I am as likely to line out a coach with a bow-pen as a cow is to play the ukulele. I can take a [simple] architectural drawing and cobble together a 4mm version, I can grow vegetables well enough to win prizes, paint watercolour pictures that people are willing to pay for and knit words together with photographs sufficiently well to occasionally induce publishers to part with beer tokens for the right to print the result, in short I should count my blessings..... However, I'd love to be able to draw that unwaveringly even hairs-breadth line which turns through 90 degrees to a perfectly regular continuation of the same line. Furthermore it is heartwarming to see that devices completely devoid of micro-processors which would have been quite recognizable when Churchward was building locomotives are still in regular use. Pictures, please! Signed 'Mr Blobby' [aka Doug]

Those are very expensive....... buy the book and build it from that, together with dozens of other things...... Copyright CV Russell and E Fells Reproduced with their kind permissions. You'll find a copy of JA's 'Miniature Building Construction' on the web for less than £10.....I'm interested in their copyright permissions and will be contacting the holders of the copyright. Doug

Thank you for posting all this lovely work, plenty of little notes taken for details. Doug

...approach a [say] P4 Edwardian station to fiddleyard layout and ask the operating crew 'Can you buy the extra track for this TRAIN SET , I'm sure my little boy would like one if it went round in a proper oval shape....' Doug

First-class work, top-hole, Tim, I really will have to try a Howards Scenic model or two, I fancy the shops. Doug

Wow! This really has opened my eyes to what card can do, I'm full of admiration. I totally agree on how strong card can be made, even shellac can turn a piece of Packeto-Cornoflako into an 'engineerable' product, and as for super-glue, I use it on the corners of all my roof structure coverings by applying it to the 1/2" around each corner, preventing delamination and damage during the rest of the build. Thank you for the 'heads-up', Doug

Thank you for your explanation re the window frames, I must be suffering 'thick-itis' because I can't quite picture it in my mind. Have you any 'work-in-progess' pictures/sketches of this method? I'll have another think after my 'red-laughing-water' has worn off, but I would dearly like to build windows as good as these cottage windows. Yours 'aye Doug

We got guzumped on a house in Mutley, back in the late 70s. Ended up in St Budeaux. Cap'n Tim, I'm enjoying this, I notice from the pictures above there is a 7mm drop between houses. That looks right to me, so I shall use it too. Keep doin' it, Doug

An interesting subject, if you were to weather a model with that degree and contrast in the efflorescence I'm sure some would say you had overdone it.

Very timely as far as I'm concerned, thanks for posting, I have 3-4ft of rising buildings at the rear of my narrow layout to plan, having seen this I think I'll do it in groups of 2 or three to leave my options open.

You might like to consider this method of imitating the 6" 'Wave' asbestos commonly used in industrial buildings for both roofing and walling, notably the Loan Act sheds built in the 30's. http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=1401&forum_id=11&page=2 Doug

Very yummy! Serious equipment shortage alert!.......No kettle ...[on the stove]! Doug

There are certainly some chuckles here! My only experience of pet-sitting was to agree to look after a little old lady's budgie when she had to go to hospital, a friendly little bird that would say 'Gip's a lovely boy' and run round his cage dinging his bell. The day of the handover I was given a biscuit tin with his feed in it and a bunch of millet spray on a string. I rested his cage on the tin, got into the lift to go downstairs and moved over to let a lady holding a baby in beside me as the doors closed. The cage slid a little, the bars rested against my face and like a striking peregrine falcon 'Gip' shinned up the side of the cage and, seized the side of my right nostril in his beak. My shout made the baby cry, the blood [gallons of it...] poured out and as Gip flailed away with his wings it went everywhere in a fine mist............ The lady was screaming, and I was shouting things roughly like 'Silly budgie, DO let go!!!!' as we reached the lobby and the doors opened to group of residents waiting for the lift. Gip dropped swiftly to the bottom of the cage and began to run round, dinging his little bell in its orange plastic ball. To this day, the sound of a little bell makes me shiver. Doug

We went to Discovery Cove to swim with dolphins for SWMBOs 60th. As I hate flying and detest 'theme' parks I was not too keen but as it was her special trip I wasn't going to be miserable. Discovery Cove was wonderful! Our dolphin encounter was late in the day, so I had no choice but to 'stick it out' all day BUT it was great. Snorkelling around a reef with 10ft rays and huge coloured fish, feeding shrimps to smaller rays whilst wading in a shallow lake, tropical birds that feed from your hands, 'free' food and beer all day and as we were the last group of six meeting the dolphins, all those who hadn't done a turn came out to play and we petted and rode beside three of them. No rides, no music, absolutely no aggro and admission limited so it wasn't crowded. Though not cheap, the tickets included parking all day and 'return as often as you like' for a week, and similar entry to Busch Gardens and Sea World. We did do Sea World, there it is a theme park, and you paid for parking and all food and drinks. We saw the Sea Lion Show, and performers being thrown high in the air by dolphins, manatees, sea-lions etc. I'm rather proud of the picture below.... Doug PS The Avondale? Next to the Dockyard gate? A chippy next door selling 'Oggie Specials'? D

Geoff is on the button. The machine takes multiple images at finite small intervals. Your rig will have moved 'X' feet during the sequence indicating your speed during tha flashes and the Mercedes will be shown to have moved a greater distance in the same time scale indicating higher speed/later entry to the box. Worry not. Keep on trucking. Doug

Those of you missing the Navy Lark, Goons and Round the Horn will be doubtless pleased to know that they are available on the BBC I-Player radio site. Those, and others were once available on BBC Radio 7, but when BBC Asian Radio was to be cut to save money, all sorts of people objected on all sorts of grounds so Radio 7 got the axe instead, and it has combined with Radio 4 Extra. My favourite there is 'Yes Minister', clever comedy to my simple mind! Doug

I think it depends on your pocket and patience! The inexpensive Dapol figures are made of a nice easy, soapy plastic, ideal for adapting exactly to your own needs, thi may help.....if that's the way you'd like to go. http://www.rmweb.co....__1#entry235970 Doug