CF MRC

The original Farish Jinty has a decent chimney and pointy dome, whilst the newer version has a decent dome and a poor chimney. I’d leave the chimney. One thing to consider when setting up a chassis is to have slightly loose muffs that allow you to check that everything is going to run OK and then to use the definitive muffs that are a tight fit for final assembly. Tim

I had a quick canter round the CMRA St Evenage Show today. Despite everyone’s doom & gloom, I must say that I thought the standard of modelling, presentation and even running was frighteningly good on most of the layouts. Compare it to where we were twenty years ago - different league. Our hobby is always evolving. Tim

I think that David’s comments are well made. However, I would suggest that the 2mm scale exhibition layout environment is relatively more hostile than that of 12” to the foot scale re: loco mileage. The amount of debris & fluff that our locos pick up during exhibition running is far larger, pro-rata, than a larger ‘model’ would have to endure - and there is no way of stopping it. Some exhibition halls are particularly filthy. CF is undoubtedly the hardest (best?) layout for stress testing 2mm scale locos & stock! Tim

Maybe Mons Meg might make a Modbury movement? Tim

The current brick arches on the new station also look as if they are moulded in plastic Grahame! Tim

It’s never a good idea to handle unpolymerised resins because of the risks of contact dermatitis. However, do not assume that wearing gloves will give protection, as the small monomer molecules will transit any nitrile or latex gloves and concentrate next to your skin. So no-touch handling of the resins is a good idea. The surface of the polymerised resin will probably also have free monomer, but I presume that will be washed away with the IPA. Tim

I would say that strapping is spot on Richard. Much easier to paint & letter. Tim

I think we’ll stay with gallons for the time being, so as not to confuse the youngsters. (It was also easy to add 3d & 5d) Tim I think we’ll stay with gallons for the time being, so as not to confuse the youngsters. (It was also easy to add 3d & 5d) Tim

I tend to dunk everything in chemical blacking solution. Then paint as required after assembly. Tim

He’s absolutely correct Ian. It’s on our list to do. Ironically, the building at the bottom is nearly correct for spelling, but we only recently realised that it was TYLORS rather than EBONITE on the tower, which was as we saw it just before demolition in 1983. Tim

A method for making ghost signs of a complicated design or those directly written on walls is to use colour photocopied / printed computer paper stuck to the walls. The trick is to make the paper fag paper thin by scraping away the backing with a scalpel blade (No 15 is good) until it is almost down the the ink. It will almost be transparent when held up to the light and very delicate. If the background to the sign is light, then the area of wall should be painted white otherwise it may darken the image. The sign is stuck onto the wall using dilute PVA glue. When it’s dry the glue shrinks the paper down onto the brickwork; a sort of poor man’s decal / transfer. The artwork can then be distressed with paints to show bricks weathering through. There is lots more careful weathering to do. Richard is making a superb 1930’s garage to go on the northern end of the complex so we will soon start to get the area more detailed. It is quite thought provoking, that the small area of CF that we are currently working on is as big as some 2mm layouts! Some well known RMWeb 2mm names are also appearing on the shops. Tim

We’ll look out for the gillet Jim! Tim

There has been some over-night inflation: Tim

It does now! 2* & 4* prices.Tim

Funny you should highlight these ghost signs Andy, but I am currently working on some for a new group of buildings on CF. One of the advantages of modelling a real location is that there are some wonderful prototype shots that it might one day be possible to reproduce. If you look carefully, you will see a splendid sign advertising petrol at 1/- a gallon (1p a litre for the youngsters). That is actually remarkably cheap petrol even for the 30s. This group of buildings is being made for CF by Richard Wilson and so we have used this photo as a basis. The sign was made by hand drawing some artwork at four times oversize and then reducing in a colour photocopier. I have used digital imaging for signs on buildings, but the effect is a bit too perfect and lacks the character of old sign writing. Close examination of the photo shows that this sign was actually on a bill board fixed to the wall, rather than painted directly on the wall I am currently working on other wall painted signs for Richard’s building and will post some more details when complete. Tim

One of the advantages of modelling a real location is that there are some wonderful prototype shots that it might one day be possible to reproduce. If you look carefully, you will see a splendid sign advertising petrol at 1/- a gallon (1p a litre for the youngsters). That is actually remarkably cheap petrol even for the 30s. This group of buildings is being made for CF by Richard Wilson and so we have used this photo as a basis. The sign was made by hand drawing some artwork at four times oversize and then reducing in a colour photocopier. I have used digital imaging for signs on buildings, but the effect is a bit too perfect and lacks the character of old sign writing. I’m not sure if Tony will be able to bend his camera to reproduce the opening shot, but at least it’s one of our boxes ticked for CF. Tim

Could they be made in 2mm scale as well, pretty please? Tim

Iron rail fencing always reminds me of estates. I doubt that many yeoman farmers would have afforded it. The other thing that is seldom modelled is an estate wall, but very useful for hiding a baseboard joint or lift-out piece. Fencing and conventional wooden field gates are often incorrectly modelled, with gates hung upside down* - the diagonal bracing timbers should always be under compression - and no straining posts in a barbed wire fence when it changes direction. Useful to remember that at an outside boundary e.g. next to a road / railway, the wire or rails were placed against the livestock. Growing up on a mixed farm, I spent many hours helping with fences and gate hanging. Tim P.S. *My first ever item published in a model magazine was a letter to RM suggesting that Allan Downes should put his gates the right way up.

As a youngster, I had an accident driving the farm mini van. It stopped very abruptly and a whole load of hedge slashers and bill hooks sped forwards through the (thankfully) empty passenger seat. Quite an edifying experience. I recollect seeing hedge laying next to canals, as assuming they own the boundary, it is hard to make access for current large hedge cutting equipment. In 2mm scale I used parts of a loofah as the basis for a layed hedge on my original N gauge layout. Tim

I would be a little wary of such field boundary perfection. Well maintained hedges could certainly be seen on some well managed and funded estates, but it should be remembered that British agriculture had been depressed since the 1850s and only really came out of it during and after WWll. Consequently, the state of the fields & buildings could be very variable and not always well kept. Also, to make a layed hedge, requires that the original hedge is grown quite tall and hence straggly. This process would be undertaken in a sort of rotation. Another consideration is that some parts of England will always have prosperous farms whereas other, poorer regions with lower soil fertility will be much less well cared for. If in doubt, look at photos! Tim

Afraid not, Jim. Happy New Year to you and all the other followers of this select part of RM Web. Tim

The true art of finescale modelling is knowing what to leave out. Tim

I grew up exactly one mile from the so named bridge on the M1 in Bedfordshire. It was pure vandalism when they painted over that graffiti! Tim

Grahame, I hope you have a road bridge with ‘Free Nelson Mandela - with every packet of cornflakes’ on it or, ‘George Davis is innocent’ Excellent atmosphere in those shots. Tim

If you have chance you should visit St Albans signal box, Jerry. I always like to see its jolly colours at the station. http://www.sigbox.co.uk/sigbox/home.eb Tim