Jol Wilkinson

My LNWR carriage lining has always been done with a bow pen and Rotring pens. That is because I never cottoned on to the idea of using mixed white and yellow inks to increase the opacity that yellow alone lacks, so did the yellow with Humbrol enamel and the black usually with the Rotring. Latterly I had started to use the bowpen for the straight sections with PPP LNWR coach lake enamel and a tubular pen for the corner infills. The result Mike gets are really great and the tools probably more readily available. You need to have a good bowpen, Kern being highly regarded but only available S/H. Besides a collection of Kerns I also have an Ecobra and a Haff, which is what Ian Rathbone uses in his video. Ian shows how to "tune" a bowpen which I have done with a couple of cheap ones but without much success. AFAIK none of these high quality bowpens are still manufactured, but are available S/H. As Chas says practising helps considerably. I use some black plasticard as the surface is more like the paint finish I get with airbrush applied cellulose paint.

As you point out we are all entitled to enjoy a hobby in whatever way we wish (provided it is legal). What social media and forums like this have done, is to give everyone an easy opportunity to be a critic. In some cases, long held beliefs across the modelling community have come to the fore. Some like to belong to a tribe and often don't understand/like what those not in their gang do and enjoy.

Etched kits replacing white metal ones.

Income inflation should also be considered. Apparently £1000 was considered a good salary in 1967. The average salary on 2021 was £29,600. So todays models can probably be considered more affordable. The posts in new product announcement topics would indicate that people are buying plenty of the new improved models each year.

I have found the ex George Norton tender kits straightforward if you follow the instructions but bending the inner and outer tank sides need care. I like the idea of a former, but I don't think my woodwork skills would be good enough to make one. For P4 I found it necessary to leave out the etched brass axlebox/spring supports to give enough clearance for the wheels. I don't know if that may be required for EM.

Your last sentence is valid, but it depends on what you want to achieve. Even in OO, Little Bytham might not yet be finished if it was the work of only one person. For some, myself included, the journey is as important as reaching the destination. Some want the layout of their dreams, others are serial layout builders where the end result has to be achieved within a short time span and therefore take whatever steps are needed to achieve that. Some take a middle path, balancing what the use of readily available products with building those items that they need to achieve a more "realistic" result. Personally I prefer to see a small to medium size layout that is well observed and created, rather than a large one that has aspects that detract from the overall image. OO and N products can provide the "shortcuts" that most modellers want, sometimes at the loss of a more realistic appearance. The difference between the Norman Solomon's track and the PECO points in the LB storage sidings shows that clearly. One of the biggest giveaways of RTL OO track is not just sleeper spacing and check/wing rail gaps but the gap between the switch blade and stock rail. To quote a guest, who creates handmade watches, on Radio4's Start the Week "Mastering a new Skill" programme on 3rd April , "it is about minimising the imperfections".

To add to Chuffers and Polybears post C&L also list brass slide and crossing nose chairs. I suggest using them would be very expensive at £1:00 each. I think the downsides to which PMP refers are totally outweighed by the look of good trackwork with flowing curves and more realistic checkrail gaps. I model in P4 and find building track to a Templot design straightforward and very satisfying. I build points using ply/rivet for the more important locations like the crossing vee nose, check rail positions, etc. with Exactoscale plastic chairs everywhere else. Okay, so it takes more time but it depends where your preferences lie. This is P4 but shows what trackwork can be like without too much effort. You could achieve something like this in OO but I don't know if the standard OO and EM kits would provide it. Many etched kits are designed for all three 4mm gauges so aren't a problem to build. Your post indicates the NER may by your main interest, for which there are plenty of loco kits. There aren't many NER RTR locos available. so converting them isn't going to be a major challenge. Joining the EMGs is a great idea if you are not already a member. They have about twenty Area Groups, your nearest being Sheffield based.

Judge, prosecutor and jury all in one?

These have Been available for years from one of the hobbies etched kit suppliers at five for £1:00. Another useful clip is the small wooden clothes peg.

IIRC, John Redrup at LRM used to occasionally have one of these Walsworth J52 kits on sale at shows, many years ago. I They were "flat backed" so may not have included the castings, etc. which would fit with a price of £40.00 for only the etches.

Had that article appeared on the Autosport, Motorsport F1 or BBC websites I would give it more credence, which I would very much like to do. One thing that has appeared on Autosport is "Verstappen: Hamilton did not follow racing rules in first-lap F1 battle" (I can't find a way to link it). The Dutchman has developed from a t*rd in a Red Bull to a polished t*rd in a Red Bull. The Australian GP showed again that the rules are either not fit for purpose and/or that the Stewards aren't either. Perhaps Michael Massi's appearance in the paddock cast some sort of spell.

Keith, my limited experience with Shapeways has been of poor quality, expensive items. This has been with a couple of LNWR vans which aren't worth the effort of attempting to turn into a finished model. Products on the Shapeways site ate normally a digital preview, not the item you will actually receive. Bill Bedford - Mousa Models - appears to have moved from resin cast kits with etched running gear to almost totally 3D printed kits. Presumably a more suitable solution for low volume kits, although I prefer the resin cast/etched ones. His approach to assessing customer demand by requesting a minimal deposit to assess demand for proposed products does seem to identify demand is insufficient on a regular basis.

Mike, after seeing the photo of the parts you have made and looking back through earlier posts I realised that what you are building is an 0-4-2 Bissell Tank, aka a Dock Tank, not the Crewe Special saddle tank shown in the weight diagram and photos. I have had another look at the LNWRS DMS but very little turns up, just a side and front elevation without dimensions and one photo in which the rear half of the loco is visible. There is only one side elevation photo on the main LNWRS site but nothing else. There is a good side elevation photo on Wikipedia and a 3/4 front one with an inconvenient fence rail along the line of the running plate edge. I don't know if a GA exists and I don't know if any of my books have any more details than Talbots. I'll have a look on Friday when I next get a chance to go up to my workshop. Otherwise I don't know what to suggest. Jol

How do we know what the target audience is? Has anyone from the programme or Hornby defined that? There seems to be an assumption that it isn't, in part at least, aimed at model railway enthusiasts. Or perhaps just RMWeb members, with their wealth of knowledge.

The photo behind the resin casting in your middle picture shows that the splashers and cab side extend well out towards the edge of the running plate. Unfortunately the drawing doesn't give the running plate width. The LNWRS Zen folio photos are either side views or 3/4 front, mostly taken at running plate level so difficult to see the bunker details although it does appear that the flares extend out beyond. I also had a look through the LNWRS DMS data base. This has a number of detail drawings and more photos. Unfortunately the drawing previews aren't very readable on screen so I couldn't see any dimensions clearly.

Whilst I usually lament the loss of regional food specialities in England, I am starting to have doubts. The Fish Dish, an excellent fish restaurant in Felixstowe, lists Chicken Parmo on its menu. Variations include with pepperoni, prawns and a Chicken Kiev version. My wife and I have been intrigued by this dish, which we had never heard of but now I think I'll stick to their excellent fish meals.

The Special Tank photos on the LNWR Society Zenfolio site shows that the sides of the bunker extend well out towards the edge of the running plate. So it would seem that the resin casting is more accurate than the scratchbuilt one.

Thanks Graham, I painted the outside cylinder Jubilee and lined it with a mix of SMS (now Modelmaster, I think) and HMRS transfers. I used cellulose paint over PPP 2 pack etch primer and varnished with Ian Rathbones suggestion of Ronseal satin varnish with a small amount of black enamel added. The two cylinder Renown was lined and varnished by Ian, although I had already painted it with black cellulose. I got Ian to do this model and a LNWR 4' 6" tank as the sight in my right eye was damaged following several operations and I have yet to do any painting and lining (There are three partly finished LNWR carriages awaiting). The obvious difference are in the lining. Ian does the full grey/cream/black/red version, the transfers are just grey/black/red. He also does the black rectangle on the front buffer beam, missing from the Jubilee "Warrior". Ian also paints the cab gauges and hands, something well beyond me. Graeme King makes an interesting point and getting several locos professionally painted is the only time I have had "outside" work done on my models other than a couple of wagon kits a friend has built and painted as part of his "apprenticeship" in P4 model building. I have some D&S NER carriages being built by another friend who built quite a lot for Bramblewick and who I will pay (if he finishes them in my lifetime). Another friend volunteered to build a Mallard LNWR Railmotor kit for which I had designed a new power bogie, but that has become something of a mythical creature. Apparently it is out there somewhere! Jol P.S. I forgot the Andrew Stadden figures Cat Gibbs painted for London Road. I must go and sit on the naughty step.

Something the late Ray Earle did with his models and layouts. Alternatively have different numbering on opposite sides, or even, with carriages different liveries, e.g. LMS fully lined or simplified./

Mick, I think we are all feeling the pinch to some degree, but looking at the frothing that surrounds new model announcements and the posts stating that people have ordered this or that, sometimes in several iterations, and the photos posted showing this or that new acquisition(s) on their layouts, then it does seem that a lot of money is still being spent. Perhaps some people are "struggling" to spend as much as they used to. Has it reduced my spending? No, not much but then I probably spend less than many in the first place. I have several professionally painted and lined kits (by one of the painters listed in this topic), as does a friend. The cost has been considerably less than you estimate. Building a kit however generally takes much more time and I would expect the cost for a detailed etched kit build by someone who is good at it to cost considerably more. Perhaps I am fortunate in modelling the LNWR as the loco livery is one of the least complex. The attached photos show one professionally painted and lined loco and one done by an amateur. Not a lot of difference but it is still there.

Well, not every loco is available from the RTR manufacturers, especially if you model pre-group or even pre-WW2. So if that is your area of interest, the kit manufacturers are where to look, whether it is locos or rolling stock. RTR prices seem to be very varied, so while it was invariably the case that etched kits in particular were more expensive when all the bits were added in, it doesn't also seem to be the case nowadays. And clearly, if you aren't into building and painting, then kits are a total non starter. But please don't make comparisons about kits being uneconomic. It depends on how much you want to spend on your modelling. The new RTR product announcements often include statements about how many models people will pre-order/have bought. Some talk about the number of models (usually locos) they own, running into the tens or even hundreds. In my experience, those that build from kits have a much smaller number. They don't feel the need (in my case at least) to have far more models than their layout can accomodate. Building my own models has been more economical than my having the sort of collections of RTR models that several friends have.

I don't think the Margate premises qualify as a factory any more, or did you envisage a trip to China?

I think it will need more than a few pre-group RTR locos before we are likely to see a significant increase in pre-1923 layouts of any specific railway company. So far pre-group rolling stock hasn't also become readily available to match the relatively few locos so far produced, excluding of course the inaccurate generic coaches from Hornby and Hattons. Of course, it really depends on what is thought of as a pre-group layout. It could be argued that you can model a small branch line, but anything comparable to, for example, Cyril Freezer's popular Minories concept couldn't be reasonably achieved in LNWR (my own particular interest), MR, NER or quite a few others at present and in the foreseeable (based on announced current future product introductions) future. As most modellers memories apparently cover the last days of steam up to the modern day, and likewise the majority of RTR models cover that period, then surely that is what the majority of layouts will portray.

I have a Unimat 3, with milling attachment. Although not regularly used, it was invaluable when I was more kit bashing or making casting patterns. I haven't now used it for about four years, although the very odd occasion arises when I think it would be a good idea to get it out of its box and set it up. Perhaps the time has come to put it on eBay! Axminster offer a range of their own lathes, besides Proxxon. I would go for one with a cast iron bed, rather than aluminium. They may be of Chinese origin, but should be fairly good, although not all Far Eastern products are.

Looks good, Jonathan. I have built P4 single and double slips, following the guidance by Tony Wilkins on the S4 forum; https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5727 The single slip build appears right at the end of the article. I found it quite straightforward, but have a good selection of track and checkrail acquired over the years. Some of the roller type have narrow rail "guides" that fit between rails that are close together which helps considerably.