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The old Kitmaster Lowmac EK, now produced by Dapol, still finding a use in 2024. Note the hinged flaps on the end loading dock, based on a prototype at Southminster, Essex.

Track re-laying in progress, five years ago. Peco individulay components, flat bottom, curved double slip with switch crossing.

Despite forty years experience of painting pictures, backscenes are a very different art form - I am still experimenting, and learning on the job!

As far as I can tell from old photos, the usual GE design was of wooden construction; it seems that the LNER replaced them with steel as required.

It has to withstand a wide range of temperatures and humidity in the loft environment, so the wires are only soldered where they end at a gate post, leaving them free to expand elsewhere - a lesson learned from wire and post platform fencing that distorted terribly when soldered to each post. The photo shows a post that has been drilled - note the spacing of the rails to keep small animals secure - the top wire is thicker at 0.45mm, the remainder are 0.4mm. The base does slope towards the drain - a layer of 2mm styrene sanded and scored to represent channels cast into the concrete. That's the easy part - the difficulty is in making the gates which are bent from strips of nickel silver, drilled through using another jig - the number and spacing of wires being different to the pen - then the diagonal support is two lengths of square 0.4mm n/s wire (Wizard Models point rodding) soldered to the horizontal bars, forming a sandwich with enough solder run between them to fill the gaps - this needed some tidying up with a sharp knife. Making gates exactly the correct size so they fit between the posts is no easy task...!

Thank you; remember that any success I might have is built on a mountain of failures!

Yes, it was built to replace a Ratio model, now located down the line at Elmleigh Market. Before that there was another, more prototypical version made with plastic rod, which was far too brittle - it is in a vulnerable spot at the front of the board. The bullhead rails were drilled in a simple jig, and wires bent to fit in prototypical fashion . Gates use handrail knobs and wire hinges. All very solidly constructed on a thick plywood base to keep everything straight and level.

Stratford St. Mary cattle dock, based on the LNER replacement for one at Clare, Suffolk. Rail and wire construction, all gates are hinged for photo posing.

Night is drawing in as the last train of the day departs Stratford St. Mary,

Even the prototype was in a cramped location, at the base of Clare Castle Mount, which probably accounts for the shed being slightly narrower than the 'standard' GE sheds of the time. Photo of Clare in 1949, after the awning over the loading bays had been removed. Photo via 'Britain from Above'.

As I (Robin) was largely responsible for rebuilding the goods shed, I can give you some background. Kelvin built the original structure from Wills Scenic sheet material some years ago, partly based on the prototype shed at Clare on the Stour Valley line. There were many compromises in the model, which made it virtually free-lance, so when I decided to 'enhance' it in 2020 it was sawn into many pieces and the remains were incorporated into the side wall where lorry is unloading. The other three walls were all new, still using Wills sheets to match; only the office part was salvaged intact from the original model, although it was also completely re-detailed. Having said that, I must confess that I regret using the Wills material as it is too 'rustic' for the rather fine Victorian brickwork found on the prototype! Ground texture is buit up from fine horticultural silver sand and diluted PVA, laid very wet and rubbed down with various pieces of wood, fingers etc. when dry, then painted and rubbed down again until tone and texture look about right - luckily I had a colour photo of the prototype in the 1960s for reference. The shed was bedded to the ground on a layer of filler mixed with PVA, (with clingfilm over the base of the building to make it removable) with some of the mixture blended into the ground to smooth out the heavily trodden areas.

Stratford St. Mary goods shed interior.

Shades of evening fall over Dedham Road crossing at Stratford St. Mary. These pictures were experiments in using reflected light and unusual settings on my phone camera to show the overall scene with lamps lit. The ever-vigilant pump attendant, also ready to jot down loco numbers!

The photo ''Rush Hour' at Stratford St. Mary' previously posted by my brother was the result of a 'happy accident'. This was the originally intended composition, with a Lima bodied - Hornby mechanism Brush type 2 loco featuring the single B headcode. It has had some extra detailing - handrails, lamp brackets etc. , but no bufferbeam pipes or improved windows. During the photo editing stage I noticed the cab's moulded side windows were not properly fitted, so consigned this picture to the reserve collection, and re-shot the scene using two DMU's.

The BTH type 1 - Class 15 - seen in the video with 90 wagons, reveals it's inner workings. Dave Alexander's whitemetal kit had many details, notably the window frames, replaced with nickel silver. The motor is fitted with a large flywheel, and is suspended from a brass frame to give clearance underneath for the driveshaft, connected directly to the wormshaft on each bogie, which also allows a full depth cab interior. There are a couple of large Scalextric gears that transfer power from the motor to the driveshaft, which is fitted with my own design of very compact and hard wearing universal joints to suit the very short drivetrain. Electrical connection from the bogies to the chassis is by Gibson plunger pickups, with press-stud pivots allowing easy removal.