Miss Prism

I'm sceptical about this technology for wheels if the design axle bore tolerances are in the order of 0.1mm or greater. FUD is quite brittle though, so an attempt at an interference fit might result in too much stress and possible breakage. Maybe one of the more resilient plastics would be better than FUD?

Bore tolerances of greater than 0.1mm could play havoc with bore-to-crankpin distances.

I'm even more sceptical about the ability of this technology to produce self-quartering solutions. Plug in a 0.1mm tolerance on a keyway design or D-shape aperture and the possible rotational error of wheel on axle is large.

I wonder how it would have looked in 4mm scale?

Better. Better still in 7mm. Or 10mm etc etc. As others have said, 2mm scale items are pushing the current technology.

It would have been nice to have seen some 'as received' pics, before cleaning up and priming, to give everyone a view of the limitations and what they might be up against in terms of the work involved to get equivalent items looking better. It's good to see a recommendation for Chris Ward's service (no connection), because I think we do need to see some competition in quality in the marketplace.

Ignoring for a moment the matter of the axis orientation of the piece in manufacture, which seems to be a bit 'pot luck' with Shapeways, my question is this - in design terms (which is what Shapeways seem to be complaining about), would it have been better to arrange several separate parts 'sprued-up' a la conventional plastic kit sort of thing?

John Lewis is of the view that goods brake handrails did not begin to be painted white until sometime during WWI.

I feel the hump in the overbridge is too much. It might be an idea to reduce the vertical radius, or even continue the gradient of the road slightly toward the front as it disappears into the screen.

Fantastic weathering, but, being hyper-critical, I feel you've overdone the rust on the body ironwork a little bit.

Did T34s (built 1894-6) have those tall oil pots?

If you could make that A5 into a B5, your locos will thank you.

The IKB V2 is better than the Colin Waite version because the latter incorrectly included a bunch of panelling on the long waist panel.

I had assumed all V2s were fitted with 'outside-rigging' clasp brakes. Maybe some of them were updated with more modern gear later?

The point of contention is whether the red should extend to metal solebars and headstocks. Given that many/most vehicles of the era (c 1880) had wooden underframes, and that it was common practice for body colour to be used on solebars and headstocks on private owner wagons, the use of red on metal solebars and headstocks would seem to be a logical and consistent choice.

Not that logic has any connection with history of course!

Yep. Nice.

The AA16 could probably benefit from a depot branding (in script letters), and maybe a tare weight branding as well. (I think in the era depicted, they were still 10T.) *

* Hmmm. Looks like goods brakes didn't get marked with their weights until after WWI.

Sorry my comment last night on lettering size was a tad brusque. Nick's clarification is quite correct. It does however point to the need to sharpen up the generalisation of the wording on gwr.org.uk, which is not always easy, since there are, sometimes, exceptions to the 'general rule'.

You should have 16" G W

Without the right reference material convenient for me, I think that might be a K19 rather than a proper K22. (The differences concern the provision of the number of toplights.)

That livery is conjectural. All K22s (and K19s for that matter) were shipped in lined crimson lake. The last batches were delivered into service a month before the new brown and cream edict was officially 'signed off'.

It's an interesting historical supposition that a couple of them might have been whisked back in the paintshop to have their livery changed so that they would not look out of place topping and tailing the Cornish Riviera Express (the showpiece of the new brown and cream livery).

But that is supposition. The more likely scenario for the average K19/K22 was a life in crimson-lake followed by either the post-1927 'plain' livery or an all-brown introduced mid-1930s for full brakes.

The bogies bear no relation to anything GWR. 9' Americans were de rigeur for these very handsome vehicles.

Looks like you needed the the deeper-drilled Markits bearings in that first Bill Bedford unit.

How does the size of the casting compare with the size of your master?

No. Mikkel, I meant on the back wall. (The wall behind the figure in the above pic.)

I'm amazed you put a 0.4mm drill right down the axis of those handrail knobs. Was it tricky?

Not sure what you mean by 'close off the view along the mezzanine'??

Fantastic Mikkel - you've been a lot more adventurous than I had envisaged when making the suggestion for the mezzanine, but this is even better. It's become wonderfully busy, and I like the odd angles of the structure.

I'm just wondering whether some kind of closed trellis on the back wall on the mezzanine level (indicating an entrance to a covered way going somewhere else to the back of the scene) would enhance the mystery.

Great pictures.

I do like those fishplates - could have done with some like that recently! Presumably attached with a quick dab of the iron, but how do you keep them aligned nicely when attaching them?

I like this. Good scene 'blockers' at either end. I wouldn't want to put you off the jigsaw sections, but I do wonder whether you really need them - they too have edges and boundaries that need careful disguising, and that's not easy where the ground is flat. The baseboard joint on the running lines is hidden (a bit) by your PW Dept, but this will depend on how big those buildings are and at what the layout default 'eye level' is. Similarly, the front coal depot office, if removable, could simply be placed across the baseboard joint, as you have shown.

I think the biggest visual challenge is the backscene, particularly at the left-hand side. (The essentially flat East Anglian terrain makes backscenes very problematic, and I can't help wondering sometimes if backscenes are better absent in such cases.)

Steady on, Cap'n - when the WR re-ballasted a branch line, it was usually a sure sign it was about to close!

Hubba, hubba...

<picky mode>It's probably the way the light catches the model, but those guard's compartment grabrails do seem to have too much 'to the right'</mode off>

Looking good, Craig. (I've just rediscovered this blog after the last forum 'upgrade' destroyed my favourites list.)