TomE

Hi Graham, good to catch you with you again too! 

Thank you very much for that offer, it's very much appreciated! I don't think I'll be taking the layout out again until 2016 so you are safe for a little while!!

Cheers, 

Tom. 

Thanks Robert, it was good to meet you too! 

Jerry, I did have a victim volunteer in mind for this show, but then he went and got his own layout invited along too! In the event it proved Ropley can be transported, setup and operated by just me, which is handy to know if it is ever nessecary again the future, but it would certainly be beneficial to have help!

See you at Farnham!

Tom. 

Cheers Andy. 

I think it was busier today (Sunday), certainly during the morning there seemed to be more people around. I spoke to 3 or 4 who has done TINGS the day before and then RMweb Live the following day. 

Tom. 

Hi Andy.

It was good to have a chat at RMweb Live on Saturday. The tank is looking great, the photos above not really doing it justice! The method you have used for getting thin edges to the sole bar has really paid off. 

The square post signal was very impressive too, despite the, erm......."challenging" angle the balance weight mounting would need to be  

Tom. 

Hi Will.

I noticed we are now in the same block, which is much better!

You probably won't notice much scenic progress since you last saw the layout, most of the work has been structural in order to get it operable for the show.

See you Friday!

Tom.

Thanks Pete. 

I was thinking the clamps might be useful as a crowd control method But yes, they are temporary!

Tom. 

As with the comments above, it will be a great shame not to see your work here on RMweb Julia. However, new blog duly bookmarked!

Tom. 

Thanks both.

Carl, looking forward to seeing Vale of Oxbury again, might even get chance to have a proper look at it for the first time!

Cheers,

Tom.

Thanks gents. 

It's actually a little more on the vivid side than I was planning, but hopefully once the scenery is in place on top of the embankment it will blend in nicely. 

Cheers, 

Tom. 

Thanks all.

Had my doubts it would ever get to this stage, but it's amazing what a deadline does for progress!

Pete, kitchen is still accessible, just, by ducking under the board!

Tom.

Thanks Pete. 

I referred to a blog entry of yours made a while ago about viewing heights, so thank you for that. The settings on the Draper Trestles give a height just over 1200mm so they are more or less spot on for the layout. 

Tom. 

I am planning on having a few trees ready, but.........

The back scene needs another coat of white, and then some blue to give a better impression of sky. 

So much to do...!!!

Tom. 

Thanks Andy.

The second board is now largely complete, just waiting for the runners to arrive so the traverser can be fixed in place.

Tom.

Thanks Will & Pete. 

We're all fine, we've had a while to accept the inevitable and at least Dad isn't suffering anymore. Besides, there is nothing like taking your stress out on some timber! Fiddle yard No.2 is coming along nicely!!

Tom. 

So, blue and silver, or silver white & blue for the sky traffic?

Tom.

Thanks Julia  

Tom. 

Thanks all!

Superb as ever Tom!

 

Whilst you jest about the pigeon - there are some available: http://www.shapeways.com/model/499052/n-scale-1-160-pigeons-set-of-121.html?modelId=499052&materialId=61. I have a sheet (if that's the right word) if you need fancy a couple.

2mm scale 3D printing pigeons, whatever next! Cheers Steve, may well take you up on that offer!

Tom.

Excellent stuff Julia, looks great, and nice to see some progress on the layout!

Tom.

Thanks Mikkel. I'm really quite please how this has turned out so far. It's almost a centrepiece item for the layout, even though it's just a plain old water tower!

Tom. 

After seeing the 'bag-o-shame' of city parts at various stages it's nice to see it with a boiler! Is that 3D printed or scratch built?

Tom.

You wouldn't think that was the same tender from the first photos! Top stuff as usual!

Tom. 

Colours look ok on the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Britishrailwaymodellingmagazine/posts/755342261165483?stream_ref=10

Tom.

Thanks Andy & Rich. 

Weathering will prove interesting given preserved railways tend to keep things cleaner than they would have been 'during the day' so a fine balance will have to be struck between getting just the right amount of grime, and the right amount of shine without making things look un-realistic. 

Tom. 

Hi Julia.

Lovely work as always. The 56XX is looking great, especially given its apparent heritage! 

See you at Abingdon!

Tom. 

Thanks Jeremy. 

I went for the individual rails between the uprights, thinking that having straight uprights would be visually more important than wonky ones! I'm really pleased with how it tuned out, and will use a similar method for the point rodding when I eventually get around to that. 

Tom.