James

And Sharks aren't brake vans now, they are just ballast ploughs. Ploughs don't always appear in possessions either now, RRVs are often used for this task now. It's a shame in some ways as they're quite good fun compared with shovelling ballast!

Tim, when you see photos like that you can easil forget about the arguments behind the scenes

Exactly - can you imagine if they'd wanted to section Green Arrow?! I think that Ellerman Lines is different from rebuilding things like Linda and Blanche as they are very much working engines rather the preserved for posterity - even here Charles is there to represent the original form there for the future.

I think they might in the same circumstances now - Ellerman Lines was ex-Barry iirc so would have needed a huge amount of work to restore and their were other examples either restored or in the process of.

Yes there was, sorry! Moment of extreme dyslexia - and amazing the difference three letters can make!

Now I can't really hope to expand on Dutch Master's well reasoned reply, but I think you're both saying very similar things; that the only way forward was in a newer, heavily engineered way but you may be approaching this conclusion from different directions! I think the FR is an organisation which pushes for better engineering standards - did you know that Taliesin is actually slightly larger than the original loco? (Though it is technically a rebuild...!) It makes for a more efficient and easier to operate loco which can share more componets with its double ended siblings as a result too. Not a strictly historically accurrate result but it makes sense in the real world. There's no getting away from the WHR being a modern railway - it has to be otherwise the WHR would destroy the FR for a second time. Senior people involved with the WHR would agree too. This is also why it was important that it wasn't lumbered with massive debts too. I don't think anyone who's seen the new WHR can deny it is an amazing engineering project but it isn't a preserved railway but still a wonderful achievement.

You can argue that virtually all preserved lines are not 'like it used to be'. As you say, it's a case or of changing or failing. And I do agree about the W&L - the Llanfair end still has a lovely atmosphere despite its obvious development. It's one of may favourite lines!

Neil, I'm torn between the two camps if I'm honest - the neglected narrow gauge railways of wales I've read about have a real magic about them but the reality for their survival now means they have to have changed. If you reas Rolt's Railway Adventure you see the Talyllyn hasn't really been preserved, it's evolved and I'm not sure if Rolt would approve - he virutally says toruism will be the death of 'real' Wales. Likewise Boyd in his book seems to conclude that the 'new' TR has lost something along the way. But is it better that the railway has survived? The new WHR is an amazing engineering project - people like Andy Savage have run it with a real professionalism (then he is a rather senior railwayman!). Although to a strict budget, nothing has been scrimped (sp?) upon - the way it has been financed is clever too as the project will not be in debt. I may be biased; I had a week on p-way there in 2008 and it's a week I treasure The new WHR will never recapture the original WHR but as an attraction I think it will last and take many people through Snowdonia - having between Rhyd Ddu and Pont Croesor the views are wonderful! That will bring 'normal' people back. For people like us the occasional site of Russell hauling heritage stock through Aberglasyn Pass will be magical - I dearly hope that this will happen.

Been going through some old photos today and found this teenage effort - Sunshine after the rain effect? Not sure!

I understand what you and Neil mean, but the new WHR isn't for people like us, it's for tourists and in that it succeeds wonderfully! The FR has more for enthusiasts I think. W&L, yes but having just read Railway Adventure I'm not sure the Tallyllyn is really preserved as it was - probably for another thread. In the same way some people would liked to have seen the WHR as it was, I'm not sure what Rolt would make of the TR now.

There are good people on both sides so hopefully the historic stock will be used on the new WHR. Talking with friends a while ago we had an interesting conversation discussing the fact that the WHHR and their museum is about a railway which was really a complete failure from the word go, whereas the new WHR is very much a high quality modern railway, quite a difference!

The one future, one aim concept is interesting - from what I understand the reason why the FR wanted the WHR trackbed was because they wanted to stop any development on the old WHR as they didn't think two railways out of Portmadoc could survive. I think a major issue in all of this is that the FR doesn't actually need the WHHR whereas it seems that the WHHR desperately needs to FR to go beyond their small site. The do have Russell but the new WHR doesn't need the older stock in order to survive. I suspect the overwhelming majority of passengers on the new WHR aren't bothered or even aware bthat it's not the original stock which is operating the services.

I think this is one of the best photos in this thread - it looks superb! Very realistic and not just a model photo like the majority of photos on the thread. By the way, can we see more of your stuff please?

Brian, I do like those photos - as a nine year old I remember being blown away by a photo spread of your work in the second edition of BRM!

I rather like the look of this layout Looks better than a number of 'modern' layouts I've seen too!

I'm not sure... I knew what the prototype was when I first saw the layout but if you showed me a picture of that building on the backscene I'd had no idea where it was from. The backscene works as part a whole in this case which is exactly the result we want! It's a compliment!!!

But it doesn't stand out and I think that's what Jim is getting at. It is part of the overall scene yes, but it doesn't dominate it.

I like the use of Lego parts!

Jon, it's only a small mis-alignment. You can just see it in this view I think - it's less than 0,5 mm but it is there. It's one of those things which is hard to spot, though it may not look quite right; but once you see it, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Have a closer look; if you decide to realign them it'll allow you to really reduce the gap between body and bogie frames.

Jim, from my own experience of Deltics I actually think you need to do both to the Bachmann model - then you can replicate the very small gap between the body and bogies.

On the only Deltic I've done the sideframe benefitted from being moved in slightly and raised about 0,5 mm - they're the same design as the 37 frames. The newer class 37 frames just need narrowing - these are a new design - the ones from the all axle drive locos. With the drop it won't be noticable but this does over emphasise the gap between the body and bogies. The main thing is that your Deltic looks heavy like a 100 ton plus loco sitting right down on its underpinngs

The Deltic looks much improved! Did you realign the bogie sideframes too? For fine chain try craft stores for fine jewelary chain; my mum deals with jewelary at craft fairs and got me some rather fine chain which I've used on my class 37s - Chain from these soruces doesn't seem to attract the odd premimum which chain from model suppliers seems to have.

How is 'creative' defined here?! Do these count?

That looks rather nice - I do like the Tyne Dock ore workings May I make one suggestion for the weathering? The motion is very 'matt' and I think it would really enhance the appearance if you add grease/oil to help add texture in this area.