Daniel W

Is anyone aware of the position that this leaves the Red Panda range in? Are they considered part of the Parkside business or a seperate entity?

There is a distinct lack of industrial English Electric designs available in kit form, so that gets my vote.

I took delivery of my copy of 'Modelling the East Coat Mainline in the British Railway's era' today, very much looking forward to reading it, even though I have no interest in the East Coast mainline! The Crowood press has produced some of my most used modelling titles and their presentation is always excellent. It's good to see them adding the esteemed Mr Wright to their stable of writers. Dan

I recently discovered a project by Google called Deep Dream Generator, I clever webapp that allows you to upload photographs that are converted to paintings using clever filters. I have no idea how it works, but it is brilliant. There are all sorts of filters, some more abstract than others, but you can even upload your own filters. So out of curiousity I uploaded Tony's Silver link photo above (hope this is ok) and used a David Shepard painting as a custom filter. I must say I am highly impressed with the result. For those interested, here is a link to the site. It does require that you sign up, but other than that it is free to use: https://deepdreamgenerator.com

There is some fantastically subtle weathering on those vans Tom, is it powders or airbrush or something else?

Any thoughts on the new Dapol Black Label A4 Tony?

Interestingly I am reading that book at the moment! Quite a nice publication, although the mainly black and white photographs date it somewhat. Tony does make mention of an attempt to build a Dave Bradwell WD 2-8-0, I do wonder if he succeded.

I would also like to say that it would be a great shame if this thread was closed. Although I am frankly a 'lurker', this thread is almost like a electronic Model Railway Club in my eyes, a place where the more knowledgeable and experienced members can help those relative newcomers to the hobby like myself. Dan

Just so you know Tony, I am the same Daniel you met a Preston show, I changed my username to something more suitable. I am far far too young to remember working semaphore signals of any kind, indeed so is my father! Therein lies the difference I suspect, for me the steam era is part of history, something that for the most part I have learnt about from reading books and watching archive footage. For the older generations, it is part of their lives, something that exists within their memory as past experiences. I can well imagine that if I had been alive at the time and experienced the immense network of signals at my local station of Preston, I too would see them as being (almost) as important as locomotives and rolling stock. Regards Daniel

I suspect that the main reason why so many modellers do not model signals in much detail, is frankly because they may not find them that interesting. I know because I am one of those people, hence why my planned layout will be the type of location with little to no signalling. Its only natural that we will focus more on the things we enjoy within the hobby, in my case this is building up a stable of prototypical rolling stock, for others it might be building scenery or ultra realistic weathering. I suspect that many of the modellers whose layouts are lacking in the signalling department, are fully aware of the models prototypical deficiencies and are willing to live with the compromise.

Thanks for the swift response, I am likely going to be at scalefour north, so will pic one up then.

Hi Mike I've been meaning to purchase one of your Industrial loco kits for some time now, but I'm unsure which to go with. I was quite keen on the 'North British/Paxman 0-4-0DH', but that Brush shunter is very nice too. Which would you say is the better option for a new comer to loco building?

On a less DCC related note, I did mention to Tony on Saturday that I would try and pop my head in from time to time and so I present my humble effort. This is a Parkside Kit for a Midland Brake-van, that will at some point be painted up into Departmental Black, along with a stripped down Hornby Shark. This is my first attempt at doing so many handrails and they came out fairly well. Not 100% sure about the lamp irons though and the roof has not been glued on yet for those wondering. Obviously it pales in comparison to much of what is posted here, but I am quite pleased with it.

D'oh, thanks for pointing that out. Yes its still unfitted, I was going to built it with vac-brakes but unfitted made more sense, fortunately I can just snip it off.

I'd just like to say what a pleasure it was to chat with you on Saturday Tony, I'm Daniel the one who asked you to sign my copy of 'A Lifetime with Layouts and Locomotives' and who thinks coaches are rather dull (controversy!). I'm till chuffed with that Mercian Super D I picked up on the cheap at the show, the instructions are fairly simple, but the kit is also deceptively simple and despite it size it might be a good one to attempt as a first loco kit. Although, I would like to get a few etched wagon kits under my belt first. Thank you for the offer to come and see Little Bytham, unfortunately I am moving house soon which is disrupting things a little, although it also means I will have space for a layout. There is also the small matter of needing to pass my driving test! However, at a later date if the offer is still open, I would be pleased to take it up. Daniel

I attended Preston show on Saturday and as per usual this really spured me on to finish some of my projects. Top of the list are these four engineers wagons in Gulf Red, they have been sitting 95% finished, in the dreaded 'WiP tray' for months now during a real lull in my modelling. All that was required was adding smiths couplings, wheels and the end chains to the mermaids. The last part proved to be the epitome of fiddly tedium, but the end result was worth it. I also had the chance to meet Tony Wright in the flesh, who was very pleasant to talk to and was gracious enough to sign my copy of 'A Lifetime with Layouts and Locomotives'. I also picked up a Mercian Models kit of a Super D for the princely sum of £60 from the MillHolme Models/Stephenson Carriages chap, a definite candidate for my first loco kit build as it's deceptively simple and if it all goes wrong there is always my Bachmann one! Anyhow, on to the models. The first wagon is another Cambrian Catfish, this one has been built with whitemetal oleo buffers and some spare plastic roller bearings as per the later batches: Next up is a Ratio LMS 3-plank, this unfitted example has recently been transferred from revenue traffic to the engineers and has been repainted in gulf red. This is pretty much OOB, except for the obligatory white-metal buffers, an etched tiebar from Cambrian and some etched brake hangers. Last of all are these two Cambrian Mermaids, despite the bad reputation this kit has, I honestly didn't find it that bad, although my skills have been honed on the Cambrian Catfish/Dogfish kit! Are they a little wonky? Most certainly, but despite this they are far more accurate than the Flangeway frankenstein version and cheaper too! And of course they have more variety, one has the kits split axleboxes and whitemetal oleos. The other has cast welded axleboxes and self-contained buffers. Next up will likely be a couple of brakevans, namely a respray of a Hornby Shark that i stripped ages ago and also a Parkside kit for a Midland Brake-van that is currently half-built. DW

Indeed, I am 26 and recently purchased Bob Essery's 'An Illustrated History of Midland Wagons Vols 1&2'. I'm also planning on acquiring similar wagon books for the LNWR and L&Y.