DonB

Not radical at all!

If you were mounting the PL11 beneath the board, then it would be in the same orientation (ie. upside -down ) as you are proposing.

In metallurgical laboratories the polishing of metal samples by hand for microscopic examination was similar but with emphasis on ensuring that when moving to the next finer grade of emery / wet & dry, the sample was turned 90 degrees, to show uniform material removal, retaining a flat surface.

After, say, 800 or 1000 grade grit,  for final polishing to an optically scratch-free surface we used "Selvit" (**) cloth as a carrier for  "Brasso" or "Silvo" for non-ferrous materials, or a diamond paste for harder iron or steel.

In more recent years a Mechanical carrier was used to hold the samples being polished, relieving the lab. technician of considerable amount of tedium.

(**) "Selvit" cloth is similar to the material used by opticians for cleaning / polishing lenses, and small strips are often included in the spectacle case.

Just looked back at the earlier blog, and see that there appear to be inverted cup shaped feet in the etch, and do I detect something for top corner location? An impressive design.

In the (good old?) days when I was in gainful employment these things were called "stillages", not sure why!

They would be stacked, sometimes as much as 5- or 6-high by fork lift truck. The feet were either 1). shaped to nest over the corners of the one below or 2). had an inverted cup shape to locate with a knob on the top of corners of the other stillages. Can't tell which type of foot you have from the pictures, but looking at the etch I suspect type 1). ??

But, what an extremely neat bit of folding and soldering !

I feel sorry for the modern generation with all the technical stuff to negotiate when starting a new job.

On first day my priorities were to:-

1.) Introduce oneself to the telephonist, a vital link to the outside world--- whatever happened to them ?

2.) start to learn the company jargon.

3.) start worrying about what have I let myself in for! 

Be interesting to see your plans for the layout and siding, and how you will get your wagons / vans into place for loading because I think that smelly, smokey engines would not be allowed under the roof potentially contaminating the carefully prepared biscuits.

Beautiful work as usual !! Thanks for sharing.

Having worked in a factory making Mechanical Handling equipment, I did recognise some of the classic machinery gearing still common today, but made lighter and smaller now.  that film is a great find!

A bit of Photoshopping to remove the door(?) with it's frame and the picture(?) on the far wall would also improve the artistic appearance.

To add to your blog:-

Click on your own log-in name, top right any page- displays a list :-

Click on "manage blogs"  brings up a page with a button "Options" :- another list! 

Following up on the Enamel signs, I found a catalogue at http://www.invertrain.com/  With a page devoted to them. 

seem to have just two suppliers :-   Langley models,  and  Pocast

I didn't check on the scale sizes of the catalogued items.

Sorry, I was convinced that you had used representations of the enamel signs in your earlier blogs... Moral... (and reminder to self !)... don't make statements without checking first !!!

My understanding of the concrete fence is that the panels needed to be supported by a vertical concrete post of "H"-section, I do not recall seeing a concrete fence without supports, but I cannot claim to have made a study of them! I was around in the '50s but don't know when they became a regular sight.

I  like the look of your corrugated fence, especially the rusting effect. My recollection of such fences is that one or more of the panels had been pulled aside by the local urchins to allow illicit access to a "playground" 

Brick walls at the rear of terraced houses often had a full height door for access to the "Back Yard". the opening in the wall could occasionally be arched, but I think, more likely to be just a wooden frame built into the wall, Don't forget that a brick wall would need buttresses for support and stabillity.

One of the faults with some pre-printed models of terraces is that the necessity for access by an alley-way between each pair in a terrace to the rear of the row is ignored,

Generally there was no real problem with Graffiti, but chalked goal posts and cricket sumps were common, even on what we would now consider a very busy street. There was far less traffic in the '50s.! You have already, in earlier blogs, shown the use of the enamelled signs. 

The sign over the Contractors doors would almost certainly have had a 'phone number.... "Phone 347" for example, and possibly an "Establshed xxxx" date

I did a double-take at "a set of bogies" which I read as "a set of bodies" !  

Looks like that wagon has responded well to the recovery programme, and hardly needs weathering. A nice addition to your rolling stock roster.

Have you seen the posts and blogs by "johnteal"

Search for RJR in the site search feature -- top right of the screen -- for details of how he laid his garden track and how he modified Playmobil units.

Far too many posts (about 30-40 ) to give individual links. He seems to have lost his railway mojo, and hasn't posted here recently. 

Having worked in companies with associated metal bashing (the technical term) areas, often called The Fabricating and Assembly shop, I am not surprised to hear that there is a paucity of "work in progress" photos.

It's not that the manufacturers are /were not proud of their work, it was just mundane run-of-the-mill stuff. Someone may have photo'd the finished item but even that would be a rare event, usually when a new catalogue or exhibition flyer was needed,  

I have often thought that a "click to write, click to store" Biro would make a simple point-operating device for small shelf layouts. (I'm sure that someone must have done this in the past!).

Just solder a wire to the protruding brass "nib" of the Biro tube, File the end of the pen to clear the solder if required, put an omega bend in the operating wire, connect to point and fix the Biro body to, or into, the baseboard. 

I have a hoard of expired Freeby Parker pens with company logos as distributed by salesmen attempting to interest potential customers in their product, I'm too mean to purchase refills! 

How much of the original would have existed if LNER and Steam had survived this long?

Thanks for reply.... I admire people who can just "get it right with a bit of sand paper!"

Those of us with less talent need a bit of guidance !

My Blog has also suffered truncation!  Sounds painful, and it may prove to be, if the original input is permanently lost and the only remedy is to reload as an edit.

Our PDFs, home printed, are likely to fade anyway, Digital storage in obviously not 100% reliable however many back-ups are made, and changes in technology will render present systems obsolete, like VHS, sound tapes, Photo-film etc

There is a battle going on in Government circles where some want to ditch the use of Velum for records. Seems that Paper and ink are not good enough for replacement..

How did you do the roof end curves? By eye? using multiple templates? 

A blow-by-blow account would be useful. It looks like a shaped block of wood ???.

Suggest that you duplicate this request in the "wanted" section of the forum. 

I have a few pictures of a "Potato Railway" taken during a NGSociety visit way back when. Must dig them out, modelling would have the same scenic break problem, although having seen "Up The Line" this weekend at Mickleover.... they just run off scene and it seems right!!

For how to do it  - Snitzl's blogs - a superbly illustrated guide to construction techniques.

Also Mikkel's  "how to eat an Elephant"  series , somewhat skewed towards GWR prototypes, but superb modelling.

I just looked back and the picture comes from 

 

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/brentford_dock/index5.shtml

 

and it is supposedly Brentford Dock, I remain unconvinced however.

 

Mark

The items being transferred don't look much like Aluminium Ingots to me. More like bales of some fibrous material?

The trailer looks to have a short wheelbase and support wheels typical of articulated trailers used in conjunction with the Railway's Three-wheel tugs. Does the width/fatness of the pneumatic tyres help with the dating ? Clicking on the picture gives a date of 1950. 

Have a look at this:-  

for ideas on how to make a start. 

At the end you should see a few other video suggestions for water effects.

I think that the paints mentioned are available but may take a bit of finding in the UK.

This is a subject that does not seem to get much exposure, so please report back on your progress!!

I have seen the original Johnson's Klear (if you can find it!) recommended for this glueing application. No frosting of the clear window material claimed.

Klear sometimes appears on ebay, but it would be cheaper to go the comet route!

Pedant mode!!! (Sorry!)  "Break" means reduce to pieces.... "Brake" means help to stop.... (Pedant mode off)