aberdare

Great work Nick, Shame I didn't get to see you at Coventry, I wanted to go but was unable to make it so a meeting and viewing will have to wait. I noticed Heki 1675 mentioned a few posts back and I found it very good and have used it for making Ivy, though I do add my own scatter mix to it after a quick PVA misting. Good to see you making MM even better, is that possible? Jim

Those who follow this thread regularly will remember the big trees (pages 10 & 11) and that they weren't quite finished, I had more leaves to add and I was thinking of some Ivy. Well they went into a box while I was moving things around - including the layout - to avoid damage until I was ready for them, that time came not long ago and they are now a permanent fixture on the hillside. So enough from me and what about the pictures. (click for large picture) Three differing views showing new foliage on the left hand tree, Ivy on both and a few dropped leaves. A couple of close up shots of the Ivy There that's it, told you it was only a little post. Jim

Jaz - That made me smile as when my hair gets to a certain length, ready for cutting I see it sticking up like that most mornings. Funnily enough I was out in the shed earlier this afternoon, combed out the loose stuff, wetted it and and done a combover to cover the ridge and left to dry, with a bit of luck it should be flat tomorrow for a dab of glue. Chris - don't worry I never tear myself up about anything but if I believe I can do better I have no problem in trying again, I just like it to look like the vision I had but at the end of the day 'it's only a model' Andy - Thanks very much and it's good to share things once again with you all. As for the home front a minor setback means I won't be able to post for a few days but hopefully no longer. But another brief post coming up just to show a little more that was done, but it is only a little. Back in a few minutes.

Chris - My first thought was 'Was I', but then I remembered it was for the Engine and Carriage sheds, I should really have picked some up when I was at York earlier in the year but I'm easily distracted as you know. I have also turned the layout around so I now look down the hill into the station as this makes it easier for me to operate as I will be closer to the track with less things to reach over, so the change has now made me focus on the cottage/factory end as that will be against the far wall so needs finishing first so I can finally fix it in place. I'm glad you like the slates as I tried hard to get them right, it's the first thing everyone sees isn't it - the roof. Thanks Neil - and of course for the mass of likes that appeared. As for the slates they do take a bit of work and I know Jason (Bacup) used to get a few aches and pains from cutting them as well, I spread mine out a bit to make it easier. It took a few coats of paint though to get the finish I wanted and I think I will need an odd stain or two from the stacks now they are fitted with the flashing. Mikkel - thanks for your kind words once again on the building, believe it or not there are a few bits I'm not happy with but I'll keep them to myself. As for grass I've lost count of the number of times that has gone down but I think I now know what I want to use after accumulating a huge amount of different materials. My thanks to everyone else for dropping in and leaving feedback. Jim

Thanks Gary, I'll try and keep you updated too. Updates have been a bit thin on the ground lately due to my caring role, however the modelling did not cease entirely and looking back I seemed to have achieved more than I first thought, so here is some of what's been happening. The cottages are approaching completion and are starting to have all the surrounding groundwork completed ready for bedding in, so I'll have to take you back a bit to where I left off. As I keep changing from one thing to another as the mood takes me - or failures in some cases - it has been difficult to arrange the pictures into groups of the same topic, so it's possible you will see something not talked about with the part I am on about, if you see what I mean. The slate roofed cottage was first to have its top completed and for those that do this you know how long it takes, but here it is. I then got around to adding gutters, chimney stacks and of course painting the slates and this is how it stands at the current time, still a liitle to do here and there when I feel in the mood for fiddly things. The thatched roof has also been progressing with stacks added and now the ridge under construction, I'm looking forward to seeing this complete and matching what is in my mind, how I'm going to get there is something else While all this was going on the groundwork was underway so I could finalise the positions with everything else and I must admit I did get a bit carried away with this and ignored the cottages for a while, after giving myself a severe talking to I got back on track - for a little while. (I think the next picture shows how I drifted away to scenics from building, no gutter or chimneys and only a half thatched cottage) First the roads and some grass went down to set the boundaries..... ...and now some walls are going in, more on this later. Still a lot more to sort through and I'll try and get these up toward the end of next week when I will have a little more time. I hope you have enjoyed your brief but long overdue update. See you soon Jim

Hi Andy I can't believe that my first post on here is on page 67, and there's still no sign of a railway. Since I was last active on RM you have had a lot happen but still achieved so much, I think you need to come up here and I can teach you how to live in the SLOW lane. I think we are both on our lifetime projects now but I have no doubt that this time next year you will have passed me and left me trailing in your wake, probably sticking the 547,123rd leaf on a tree Take it easy mate and stick to that 1 or 2 hours a day like me - I can't have you getting too far in front

Cheers Neil I found a number of likes from you when I logged back in today, thank you.

I use one of the RCTS locomotive books, part 6, four coupled tank engines. For my own use I have then cross referenced with the GWR engine sheds for more info and sometimes into the RCTS absorbed engines, part 3. I'm usually lost under a pile of books when researching. From what I've read it would seem unlikely that a 517 would have run into Ruabon but what do I know? I;ll keep an eye open and if I find anything I will let you know.

Hi Neil I love the photo in #82, the 517's are one of my favourite locos so I had a read through some of info and found that 215 was built in June 1876 and scrapped in Jan 1934. It spent its early years in the Northern divisions until around the late 1920s, it was in an accident at Curry Rivel, Somerset in 23 so probably moved to the central Wales area after that. It was fitted out for auto train working prior to 1922. The number 215 was later used on an 0-6-2 (I think), anyway if you want me to look for any more details if there are any I will happily do so. Like I said they are a favourite of mine with very interesting histories as some of them changed so much during their lives. Jim

Hi Chris I think the first coach roof is the one to go with, it just looks right. As for the panels on skirts/dresses if you remember I did one of mine with a metallic type paint (#44 in the Victorian figures thread) to try and give the impression of a more expensive material, my theory being this could be a finer, better quality than the rest as it could be lifted slightly if needed. Oo! a flash of ankle how thrilling. I'll have a more thorough look later, so a few more likes on the way. Jim

I must admit that I have three sheets off the last demolition job stored behind my new shed, as long as they aren't drilled or cut they are quite safe sitting there until I get round to disposing of them. Maybe I'll smash em up and put em binbags one dark night

I should think it is due to the cement/asbestos roof sheets as they usually seal all your doors and windows, spray the area with water when dismantling and double bag or wrap the sheets, or at least they do round here. I got a face mask from a builder friend for asbestos and then set about mine with a sprayer bottle and some heavy duty plastic sheets and kept them as intact as possible as recommended, but when I got to the tip I was amazed to find everyone else had just smashed theirs up and put them in two binbags. The old boy who controlled the asbestos skip said that was quite normal and said it was unusual for someone to go to the trouble I did. So in your case Andy I'd check your councils guidelines, get a good mask or two, remove the sheets and bag up then take a ruddy great hammer to the rest and skip it. Like a lot of people I used to cut this stuff up, drill it and fit to houses back in the 70s.

Hi Neil Good to see that you have made a start on a thread and what you have done so far has been given careful consideration which is obvious from your plans. I'm all in agreement to follow the prototypical route where possible - I just can't do freelance - and try to get the model to look as good as it can when compared to photographs, I have managed to get Hemyock near as damn it to scale size and only shortened the line to the butter factory. I will have to make similar compression to you for the junction though. Reading DLTs post is it possible to get a few extra inches at the station end by having a slight taper on the board so it has a little extra width that end or are you definitely at maximum allowable space. I'm looking forward to seeing it progress over the coming months (years?) so I can compare it to the photos in my branch line books, I can then see what I missed by not choosing it. All the best Jim

Hi Chris Some useful pointers there so thanks for that. I know the other figures well as I always have a chat to the owner of MRD at Doncaster and buy a few every year, but I am yet to paint any to see what the results are like, the last set of figures was the one with the Holmes and Watson. I also have around thirty Aiden Campbell figures and have enjoyed some long chats with him at York about the best way to paint especially with my colour issues, I got some mixed bags of cheap flashed figures which need cleaning up but I thought they would come in handy for cutting up for interchangeable parts. So look out for a few Frankenstein type characters when I get around to it. like Jeff I congratulate you on reaching the 1000 mark.

I like the changes you made to the Dart figures, they look very good. This is something that I have thought about doing but have never bought any figures to try so far, maybe when I am at York next year I'll have a closer look at them and try and decide which ones I can use.

You have a great eye for detail Adrian and I have picked up quite a few good ideas from your posts. I now spend much more time taking notice of my surroundings to observe how things grow and look in the real world. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Hi Al That goods shed is absolutely brilliant inside and out, you have set the standard for us to follow now and I have my work cut out to come anywhere near close to that when I build mine, I'll have to start giving it a lot of thought. I always thought I wouldn't bother with lights but you have shown how good they can be, reminds me of my Pendon visit and also why it is a good idea to model interiors, yet more food for thought. Keep up the great and inspirational work.

A superb photo and it shows the detail off so well. what makes it so realistic to me is what is in the foreground, that chimney stack, the weeds on the bridge walls and the work on those roofs. The whole scene just looks right and shows what a great modeller you are Jason. Setting standards for the rest of us to follow. Great stuff.

I'm saying nothing but you joined this forum just over three weeks after me and I have not long passed only 600 posts. , but you do keep us fully entertained and we keep coming back for more. It's a great group to be part of.

I've got some boxes just like those full of models I bought in the late 70s and early 80s, most are unbuilt but I hope to start on them in a year or two. Fantastic looking coaches when built and I have to agree with Wenlock on the choice of locomotives especially the River class, my all time favourite, I nearly got one once but got a Duke instead thinking the newer kit would be around longer, how wrong I was. Still kicking myself now. Like others I intend to build one sometime. Great blog and I have enjoyed the read very much. Jim

Well I've not seen him around here unless.........He's under that pile of rubble

Khris - it will be just like the real thing then so maybe in a few years I can model it being re-thatched, I'll have grown some more hair by then too with more grey in in it, perfect. As for the beard to head ratio if I had a beard at that sort of ratio I'd keep tucking it my trousers with my shirt. Thanks for the link John, I had seen it before but it is always good to watch again as it reminds me of how thorough in measurement I should be. Andy - I remember that from your Kingsley thread and thought then how it looked pretty good, I had a choice of that, hemp or my hair, guess which one was free and I had a limitless supply of - so far. Back into the garden tomorrow and there will be no modelling until I move the other shed and put all the stuff back that is in mine.

Just 6 days Bl**dy hell! it takes me that long to do one tree and months to do the rest. Great respect for your good lady. Jim

That's a nice surprise coming across that today Allan, I never knew you had made a version of Hemyock but then again I don't think I was doing or reading any modelling around that time. I bet it took you a lot less time than mine is taking me. It looks very good. Thanks for posting Jim

Chris, I always thought as my hair dropped onto the floor 'I wonder if .....' so gave it a go and it seems to be working OK so far, as for thatch in Wales it tends to be on the other side to where you are modelling as there are quite a few around the borders. Weeds, Jaz got it in one. Jaz, well spotted they are in fact dandelion seed. Cheers Andy, I'm looking forward to seeing it finished too, I just hope it turns out OK, if you hear no more then I ****ed it up. Thanks Mikkel, maybe enough hair for a small cottage? What I haven't said is how many cuts it has taken to get that much and as for the seeds, two different activities indeed. Now those seeds. I was up in the Polytunnel a few days back and moved some boxes out of a corner and there it was, this huge dandelion head, nice and dry and ready to use so in the bag it went. When I had time I shook the seed off into a carrier bag, loaded the air brush with some light tan/brown or something like that, poked it in the bag and sprayed while agitating the bag. It's best to let the fumes die down a bit before opening to have a look and do it outside. I let them dry for around fifteen minutes and then shook them out, a bit of a spray with varnish later and they were trimmed and ready to go. I poked them into gaps in the other foliage and with another spray of varnish, job done. It looks a lot drier today so back to the garden work. Thanks for looking in. p.s I do remove the seed from its floaty bit, just in case.