S.A.C Martin

Gets my vote...second time of asking!

Very true phil - very true.

If that's the worst problem found with CoT, it's not exactly the end of the world chaps - I'll still be picking mine up with a smile Easily fixed with a little modelling, no biggy. EDIT: Lo and behold...the solution! Great model I think - just seen pedanticmongrel's video of his 3440 in action. Both video and model thoroughly reccomended. Can't wait to get my standard issue one

Can I just say, I don't think Ryan Giggs should have won sports personality of the year. He should get the lifetime acheivement award - in a few years time when he retires. He's not performed well enough in the last year that he should have been in the running for the BBC award. I have always thought, because its "Sports Personality of the Year" that it was done on a year on year basis (not on the basis of 20 years hard work). If its sports personality of the year, who in British football stands out? I'm not sure anyone does...

Thank you Tom,but you want inspiration? Jim S-W's Birmingham New Street, or Roy Jackson's Retford, Tony Gee's work on Narrow Road or The Gresley beat. All of those have that factor of believeability which is attained through breathless detail - but I would wager with a little steam in a still photograph, could look a thousand times more real than my own efforts.

Thank you very much chap That's exactly what I was trying to go for. I keep looking at my late grandad's pics, and the collection I've amassed at exhibitions of Copley Hill, and the one thing I've always wanted to capture is that smoky atmosphere and just - I can't even define it! That something that takes it from being a few model trains to being something more tangible and emotional. It's not even the accuracy that defines it - its that moment where you believe, for a fleeting moment, that it is real.

Hopefully, Wayne Rooney. What a poor, disgraceful example to set to the potential England footballers of the future with that dive. Did I hear the commentators praise Martin Atkinson for making the correct decision - a yellow card - for Wayne Rooney's dive? Not a bit of it. Guaranteed, he won't referee at Manchester United again - too good and too fair for them! Well done Villa who have done what I have been saying everyone should have been doing to United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool this season - getting in their faces with aggressive, attacking football and it's paid off for them. Now for my part... Stockport 1 - 2 Charlton - I'm a very happy bunny this evening, with Leeds drawing we move within 2 points of the table toppers (who still that annoying game in hand, but never mind).

The driver of 60119 (later named Patrick Stirling) polishes up the smokebox door straps and numberplate while 60114 looks on. Copley Hill, 1949.

I found this amongst a few other tatty photographs in a drawer at my grandmother's house. It shows some photographs of Leeds, Copley Hill as my grandfather knew it in the late 1940s and possibly early 1950s. Is that him standing on 60119's front, cleaning its smokebox door? Of course, this is just the layout with the smoke machine in use and the camera set to sepia and grayscale modes. But there has been some modelling - more grime, the lintels are done on the shed as well as the supports. There's more lumps of clinker here and there, and then there is the smoky atmosphere... Sometimes I will squint, look along the layout at eye level and see my grandfather climbing up the cab of Kestrel... Next time I hope to have 82026 on the layout as well as adding some yard lamps and more weathering to the buildings and rolling stock.

Stockport - Charlton....come on you reds!

Thanks chaps - feeling a lot better. Got home yesterday and had a little play with the layout, pics for the finished shed will be up shortly. I'm now looking into getting some proper yard lamps to finish the look off.

Yes, precisely. I'm a little unclear as to why they've been withdrawn - aren't they a very reliable class of d/e (I certainly thought that)?

I wonder if one could be earmarked for the national collection?

I've been quite ill over the October and November period, and for the most part, confined to bed. However my darling girlfriend bought me an E-Z Command Controller (to act as a spare for my ever suffering Dynamis system at home), and some track so I could play with the birthday present she'd got me in September. Happy man, despite the swine flu and infected lung! At any rate, my little test track on my desk at university has been reborn, with the sole intention of testing models and generally playing with trains while bored... Now, here's the lovely present she bought me - a Bachmann K3: You'll note the fact that it has an entirely unprototypical clean and "doled up" appearance quite becoming it. There's a good reason for this - I started mucking up the bufferbeam and said missus got a little upset ("it'll look like the rest of your mucky engines if you do that - make it look fabulous"...) Ho-hum. So I duly cleaned most of it up (retaining a little grime around the buffers to make it look used), and started doing my usual sprucing up I reserve for the pacifics. Silver smokebox straps, dart and buffers (GamesWorkShop's Bolt Gunmetal used), copper piping (GamesWorkShop's Elven Elixir) real coal added to tender (PVA plus coal) and a crew stuck in with a little vaseline. Hence I present 61823 - "Charlotte", who is awaiting completely unprototypical nameplates to arrive, in a similar manner to "The Great Marquess" and a few other locomotives now wearing nameplates in preservation. I might have lost a few man points for not dirtying it up, but what the hell...it does look grand: Last thing for today - big shout out to the Loughborough Model Centre, where I bought this wonderful Blood & Custard Gresley Brake Composite for just ??20 today: Love these coaches - I am starting to build a rake of them at home, and one more to the collection can't hurt, surely? That's pretty much been my modelling for the last six or seven weeks. I plan on finishing GNR. no.1 over Christmas (at least getting the physical aspects done, handrails, splasher etc and then perhaps paint in the spring), and also looking forward to receiving a few ordered goods in the next few weeks - one City of Truro, one Tornado and one 3MT. That'll do me until Christmas 2010, I hope!!! Well the wallet will want a break at any rate, after Kestrel Until next time!

That's very true, and I did think long and hard over my choice of tender. However I wanted to model it as I remember it when I first saw it with my dad at the NRM, and it had to be the sturrock tender and not the stirling one. I've no doubt she'll look magnificent, however, when she does get the correct tender attached. What engine could we "new build" to put behind the sturrock tender, I wonder?

How many of us have owned a model of 4472 in our lives? It is however nice to see that a model of such an iconic locomotive is getting a great press and a great model to match. Has to be said, anyone wanting to model the NRM has a great choice of models to choose from RTR - the caledonian Single and Truro lineup from the 60s can be finally made in 00.

Just a heads up fellas - four weeks, 13000 views! Hurray, my first viral video, I hope!

From Tuesday I will be adding photographs to each of the Episode Synopsis pages - the photographs being a mixture of stills, works in progress and behind the scenes action. I'll also be adding a full index page for the episodes (including the shorts), and an index page for the planned Character Profiles - which will be going up in due course over the Christmas period. I am also working on the BRWS fansite, and hoping to get an update done over Christmas, with Episodes 16 and 17 being added to the site as well as a few more character profiles. I'd like to make a small announcement - Episode 18 will be going into production next week, aiming for a relaxed story-boarding, screen testing and final filming/editing schedule to be completed in late April 2010. August 2010 should see the first 20 episodes of the BRWS complete. There have been some significant changes to some episodes over the last few weeks, and the front page of this thread will reflect this when its overhaul is complete. And lastly...many thanks to everyone for their support regarding Episode 17 - that episode now has 13,000 views over four weeks! Making it the most popular BRWS episode over the first four week Youtube period. Many, many thanks everyone.

Actually 250 at ??195 is being made. Like Deltic, there is no limit on production of the standard model (??145 I think). The model comes with a replacement front bogie for detail, and a few other extras as well as being supremely detailed. ??145 isn't too far out of the range of the latest Hornby Clans RRP, after all, though these have sold for less than their RRP if you shop around.

The blog works! Unfortunately I've already been in contact with Bachmann over that - they are categorically not allowed to use any tooling which has been previously used for their Thomas & Friends range (an absolute pity as the single would have been a seller), which is why the "Stuart", "Greg", "2005" and "GWR" Junior items are such a rarity - they were deleted after only a year being sold. Given they also produce "Salty" - which AFAIK is based on a British Rail Class 07 dock shunter. Ripe for detailing too, if the cab wasn't fully enclosed: This image is the copyright of BachmannTrains USA and is reproduced for educational and comparative reasons only. There's that and Mavis of course: This image is the copyright of BachmannTrains USA and is reproduced for educational and comparative reasons only. As with Emily (which I am doing my best to turn into GNR no.1 at present), these are examples of models which will never be released over here but which are ripe for detailing, I feel. Back on topic somewhat - if it comes down to it Jim, I think everyone said after Deltic that there'd be a steam outline model on the way. It was the difference between joking that it was CoT and meaning it however - and I for one did say CoT, but meant it in jest as I was so sure it was going to be the GNR no.1...!

I've done them, don't worry If you look at episode 16/17 you'll see the shed has been finished - this is just the first batch of pics, taken at the end of August

Perhaps you could do that and then auction it off as a "one off" to raise money towards the engine's next overhaul? In a similar vein to the J21 of course. I'm certain it would reach a high bid. I have to keep looking back at that picture to make sure I'm not dreaming! It really is a thing of beauty that model, captures the real thing perfectly in every way. I don't think mine will ever be relegated to the cabinet in all honesty - may have to make room in the shed for it...

I take issue with that - it's called a student loan

Thanks Chris - what a superb model, you lucky chap! Convinced me, I'm phoning tomorrow to order one.

Thank you chaps - it was swine flu plus lung infection! Not fun! But back to business, thankfully.