ChrisN

Interesting. I have just wanted to fill in the corners of a carriage, and opened a tube of Humbrol filler. A smelly clear liquid came out, I think it had separated in the tube. I tried shaking it then read the warnings, : Use Eye Protection, Gloves, protect your clothes and use in a ventilated area.' It also said, if you put too much on it will eat away the plastic. It is for a model! I hastily put the lid back on and returned it to the drawer it came from. Wood filler seems eminently more suitable, or something similar, but perhaps not for coaches. Looking good.

Mikkel, I have used Slaters, random stone, so the mortar lines are not very deep between the stones. On the platform facings it is SEF and the mortar lines are deeper. They might be better for the polyfiller method. Mortar. I think older mortars were more grey than white, especially with time, but as you say it depends on the building. Most houses around here are 40-50 years old and have red bricks with distinctive yellow mortar, but the ones over the back to us have much paler bricks with a dark mortar. Photos of your buildings are always helpful, but the bricks and mortars will have aged and, depending on where the building is the air quality will have changed. Since the smokeless zones came in during the sixties many buildings in cities have been cleaned up, and even where they have not been they would have been cleaned by the rain, (I always thought that the Natural History Museum was a dirty brown colour naturally, until it was cleaned and exposed the beautiful multicoloured stone work.

Mikkel and GWR57xx, @Simond suggested using polyfiller on my stone walls, but I was concerned that he had used it in 0 gauge and I was not sure the mortar gaps would be big enough in 00. Thank you, I think I have my answer. If I did the sort of experimenting that you have done I am not sure I would finish anything. (Now, now, I have finished at least one model, I think). As to the milky thickness of paint to fill the mortar, I have used that successfully on the Ratio station kit of ?Corfe Castle, but the gaps between the stones was huge so I was surprised how well it did on your trial.

Hi, I cannot help with the Circut but maybe I can with the plasticard. @Mikkel in his blog says that he has problems with Slater's embossed sheets, and yes you should cut them face down. I have never cut embossed plasticard myself but for plain plasticard my settings are Blade depth : 4 Thickness: 17 Speed: 1 Hope this helps.

Mike, Had to think about this one. Butler and Valet in First Class? Ladies Maid in First Class? Cook in Second? Downstairs Maid in Second? Upstairs Maid in Third? Scullery Maid in the luggage compartment? The other day on Downton Abbey, (Honest, your Honour I do not watch it, but my wife was looking for something else, It was only on 5 minutes), they went on holiday, (from Yorkshire, (?), behind a green SECR 0-6-0), and they left the Butler and the Housekeeper behind with other servants to run the house and do the jobs that they could not do when the 'family' was at home.

It will probably depend on whether I want to build another carriage.

There is the model that has a horse drawn tramway on it, with the horse sort of moving. In the background there is someone hitting two halfs of a coconut together. It has been discussed on a thread here, somewhere.

Jonathan, Yes, I had not thought about a carriage as well., and a horse. Unless they came to stay in a hotel, but then why bring your servants? I suppose they could rent a house. Sir Jon who is coming from Oak Hill has a Brougham, so perhaps I shall have to see if there is another suitable vehicle. Would it need a CCT or an open truck? A GWR horse box will be needed as well. Gary, @BlueLightning. has just put into his shop an LSWR horse box and carruage wagon, perhaps I will need a LSWR saloon as well. Salmon pink though.😑

Mikkel, Yes, there are several of them, although this one is one of a kind. There are other diagrams that are similar but with a different configuration. I only need someone to tell me it was only used by the Duke of Clarence on wet Tuesdays when there was an 'r' in the month. 8am Monday morning. Now look Guv, it's a supply problem. 'Aving difficulties wiv gettin the stuff. No probs though. Once it comes we're away. Well, when we have put up the guttering on the station, and given it a lick of paint. Archetecs done all the drawins. It will be a doddle, you'll luv it. Nice little bit of garden as well, close to work, so you won't 'ave to walk far. What's this? You hav'nt got a desk. Cor, luv a duck, you must be jokin. Do you want your house built or not? All right, all right. I see what I can do. Look you can always go and sit in the refreshment room. Okay, okay, I'm goin. I will do your room right after the refreshment rooms. What is the problem with that? Customers to sit at the tables, and painting them. Can't do that 'till spring. Why? Technical reasons. Right must go. This talkin won't make the baby a new bonnit. See ya.

Well, in lieu of me posting any proper modelling here is another side project. Now you may wonder why a side project. I have nearly finished the flashing on the station chimneys and then it is the guttering, but I really need to sit at my table to do that. I have also got the sides of the Cambrian Third Saloon together and now as Dart Castings have sent me some W irons to hold the wheels I can progress with that. So why this project? Well, I would like to start on Mr Price's house, (shh! He may hear and get excited), but I have given away my mounting card and have decided to go to foam board and have yet to buy some. So, as I want to do something while my wife is busy, and also to be in the same room as her, I have progressed another coach on the Silhouette, and brought it to the point of cutting. The coach is a G41, a 4 wheel saloon. At one point I did not like saloons, as I prefer compartment coaches, and a saloon reminded me of the Mk1 Tourist Opens, and all modern coaches. (Sorry for the bad language.) I then realised that these coaches were different and could be hired. I looked for coaches that I had heard about, as I wanted a coach with a saloon, a smoking compartment and a servants compartment. This has those plus a toilet and servants quarters. I had started with a G35 but found this was used exclusively by the Prince of Wales, Edward that is, the future Edward VII. Here it is. I had hoped my Cambrian Third would fit onto a ratio chassis, but of course I was kidding myself, hence the parts from Dart Castings but this one will fit on a ratio chassis and I have the right one, and it has the correct wheel base. So it is likely to get built, as I want to see if my Silhouette Program on a Windows 11 computer still talks to my machine, while I still have an older one that does. It will however languish in the 'to do' pile waiting to be painted. If you have been, thanks for looking.

Gary, As you have as many as the LB&SCR I hope that they are all renamed and numbered. 😄

Shaun, I had intended to make my next model from mounting board and embossed plastic, but I gave my sheet away to my grandson. I have some black foam board but I think that it would be difficult to cover the colour, on the inside of course so I will need to get some white. Most Victorian houses would have had a double thickness of bricks so about the same thickness walls as cavity ones. I still think internal walls will be, at least on the next build, card. If I had used foam board on the station building the internal dimensions of the rooms would have been tiny. As it is I am having to use H0 people in the refreshment rooms, or else no one would be able to get in!

Shaun, I often think that if I run out of Statins I will go on low dose asprins as it should stop any clotting. I tried dropping my cholesterol by diet, mainly by cutting out a weekly fried breakfast and cheese. My eldest son then said, as I had found the high cholesterol out by going to the doctor because I was always tired, "Dad is not only tired, now he is depressed as well, (from cutting out fried breakfasts and cheese.)" The diet never worked. The only person I know it worked for was my sister-in-law who is vegetarian, she cut out cheese and it dropped like a stone. Still there is no cholesterol in anything when you are on holiday, or in really, really strong cheddar, or stilton Honest! 😄

Ah, Statins. I have had high cholesterol for years. My last GP said that I did not need statins as they would not reduce the risk of a cardiac event by very much, but I could go on them when my risk was at either 10%, (the then proposed guidelines for prescribing statins), or 20%, the then guidelines. My current GP when I joined him advised Statins as my risk was 13%. I declined and said I would wait. Long before my risk reached 20% I threw a blood clot that, fortunately, went into my right eye and has damaged my vision in that eye permanently. My only risk factor was the high cholesterol, so I went onto Statins then. I said, 'fortunately as if the eye had not stopped it, I would have had a stroke. I have had no side effects from Statins. I would always ask people why they are taking Statins and what risk are they at. Knowing my experience I could not advise people not to take them. I at least had been given some information to base my decisions on. (Note: In the States, in general, the policy is to prescribe and treat for any and every condition, the cynic would say, and with some justification, because the doctors get paid for it.)

Shaun, Is this 5mm foam board? Is it too thick for the windows or at a scale 1ft 3" does it mimic the thickness of the walls correctly?

It does seem a very nice space, and still very tidy

Hi, There is a serious model of the Cambrian Railways called LlawryGlyn by I think Richard LLoydall. It appeared at an ExpoEM South. Serious as it was it also had a model of Ivor, plus a cattle wagon that had smoke coming from it, which, of course contained a dragon. It is a beautiful little layout. Unfortunately I did not take any picture of Ivor. Just found this link as well. Third wagon along is from Grumbly Gas Works.

Brian, Thank you again. I shall start putting my pennies into my piggy bank.

The file name says the picture is 2 July 1908. The Regatta was on that week.

Well, it is that time of the year again, when I do my annual review of my modelling, or to put it another way, a look at how little I have done. First, my list from this time last year. Now this year's list, you will be forgiven for thinking that nothing has changed. You may wonder what is the difference between 'Finished' and 'Done'. 'Finished' means it is finished, that there is no more to do on the model. No seriously, finished. 'Done' means it is as done as far as it goes. The Tin Tabernacle may at some point get a pipe to carry hot water, a model pipe carrying pretend hot water, but that will take lots of time for no scenic effect on the outside. The coaches need passengers, and checks to make sure they run well. The carriage truck needs chains and chocks. What is most amazing is that the Kiosk and the Tin Tabernacle where not even on a list last year so they have been completed in one year. Is this a record? In the 'Current' section I am still trying to get some brass blacking for the 645, and the GWR Saloon is waiting for painting. The 'Traeth Mawr People' is an ongoing project and some have been done this year but there are lots in the pipeline. You may notice that this list has grown. The Cambrian Third is a short side project, (cough, cough), the G41 I am making the file for cutting as I sit next to my wife while we watch Christmas TV. The Dean Bogie is going to go under the E25, which may or may not be cut this year. The point motors I tried to finish last year, but will take a concerted effort of a number of hours in one go to fix the fact that they are not working. I am not sure that will happen. So stay tuned for, 'Will he finish the station building this year?', 'Will Mr Price's House get built this year?', 'Will Station Road get made?', 'Will Mr Price get released from the display cabinet?', 'Will watching paint dry be more interesting?' If you have been, thatnks for looking, and a Happy New Year with lots of modelling.

I am not sure if they could answer these particular questions but @MikeOxon has a Broad Gauge blog and @Charlie586 has a Broad Gauge thread.

James, Thank you. Yes Traeth Mawr was at the time in Merionethshire. I think Police uniforms did not change much until after WW2, although this one has slight differences to the ones I have seen. When, Sergeant Roberts appears, probably not until I do the next layout and the market scene, he will be resplendent, probably, in a 'Peelers; uniform complete with top hat and tails, next to the mayor. Reason? The Mayor put on his chains and he dressed up as there was going to be the recruting parade of the Volunteers, and because I had an Andrew Stadden figure that fitted the bill and i thought, 'Why not'?

Duly noted. Still looking for Cambrian ones, and small cattle wagons for 1895. I think when I get that far they will have to be scratch built.

Just too late for Christmas. 🙂 I believe/hope something from your shop is wending its way to me for Christmas. (We had Christmas a weekend ago, yesterday, tomorrow and Thursday. This is the fun of having three sons with families and seeing them at different times.) This will either have to wait for next Christmas, or much more likely I will order it as soon as it is on your web site. (Well, soon after it appearing.)