sean hpw

That is such a fine photo, yes the grainyness is there, but damn that is a beautiful shot, I like the 114, the signal you mention, unfortunatly, it is no longer there, the distant replaced by a more conventional BR standard post and doll.. As you can see the red light of the signal in the background. Giving it some clag, Colas Rail, 47727 (again) Rebeca, Sean

love the pics so far, I will watch for more Sean

You can never have too many B1's as a friend of mine regulatory says to me! the J11 is nice too! a little clean for the latter though Sean

Following that consensus, Keith, Are there any exhibitions out the Plymouth direction? as my wee hen is at uni there! SeanxX

Hear hear 37403! I have just gotten a GF (god knows how!) who is activly curious about the hobby and railways in general I am over the moon right now :: Sean

Well done to you Will!! I hope to go there next year so who knows Sean

Maybe, wear three parracutes and a bungee rope for luck! Sean

The specialist colours are more expensive, I swear by the Precision range, rusty rails, rail dirt, sleeper grime, weathered concrete, break dust, soot, oil leaking's and many many more Humberol metallic black and gun are always handy to have, Humberol track brown, any of the wide range of browns, greens, blacks, metallic range and more, the best answer is to have a visit to your model shop, and see what you can find, as has been said, don't be shy to try things like tester pots, artists paints and soft pastels all have there uses in weathering... One thought for the grass, is to grind up a brown soft pastel on a nail file or emery board (on newspaper!) spray some cheap hairspray over the grass (a little at a tie is easier) and sprinkle some of the ground pastel powder over the grass, again, build up gradually, you can also get the effect of burnt grass and coal dust on ballast using a black pastel ground in a similar way... Hope that gives you some ideas... Sean

Hmm, for the track, a fine paint brush is just as good as a rust pen, and cheaper too dont forget the vary the tones a wee bit, for the ballast, if you have an air brush its easier, if not, a flat paint brush is just as good, build up layers and have a good look at pictures and so on, some ballast is almost black, others go yellow others go redish, it shouldnt be a challenge for you with what you have done so far Sean

Jaz has just produced the closest thing to it I have ever seen! Sean

I have just read this through, and am frankly amazed, for a first layout this is brilliant, one suggestion, have you thought about weathering the track (tedious I know) and Ballast? I am looking forward to more installations on this project, also, reading your signature, you have impeccable taste in railways too! Sean

Well, Jonny777, that is a highly interesting photo, I notice it is still double traced between Heckington and Sleaford there... I have a photo of the 'box at Heckington taken tonight to show you momentarily, I admit, the N gauge layout at the Heckington club makes use of the signal kits available, so knowing its somersault signals could be highly useful for other projects of mine... I did not know where the railway hotel was, so thank you for telling me, and the signal type you mention seems to be a common enough type out here, I know there is one on a disused line out of Spalding, as you say, a Junction signal with just the one doll, something to do with improving visibility I think... Anywho, on a soggy night at Heckington we have the signal box and the modern signal there. Not a good shot I know, but still, does anyone know what causes this noise in the shot??? there was reason for my standing on a wet Heckington station tonight, can you tell what it is yet? If you said class 47 giving it some serious welly, give yourself a pat on the back! with a shutter speed of 1/20th of a second we see Colas liveried 47727 Rebeca with 10 steel coil wagons, you could hear the engine struggling for over a mile away! Sean

FINALLY, A useful guide to girls/women! Sean

No Offence Big James, but do you have to wear an aircraft warning light when you go out at night?? There in at college I was nicknamed Big sean, as the other sean was only 5ft 2... Im the family midge at 6ft... :: Sean

Hmmm, well lets see, My most recent ex girlfriend HATED models in all there forums, and she decided one day to call in on my workshops, and within half an hour I had anoyed her with my attention to detail, having spent half an hour building the chassis for a wagon she started getting restless (why she came around the 'shop I dont know) and started fiddling with things... withi 5 minutes she was scuttling off and I was single... again... Its a laugh if nothing else. In all honesty, I hope I do find somone who will at least put up with my modeling... Sean

I LOVE to play trains and I hope I always do! Recently I built up an old Wills Finecast (before they were taken over by SE fincast) LMS Flatiron kit, followed the instructions, and the weight distribution is simply non existan, HOWEVER It did give me a good hour of amusement watching the old Tri-ang OO chassis doing wheelies around a track on the floor! Sean

well, Jonny777 That strikes true with what is left in the area, on the Eastbound side there is still a distant, so the one in the remains on the 'yard is most likely to be the distant you recall, it is also on an aged concrete post. I can imagine the signalmans joy at having to pull off a signal located over a mile out, unfortunatly, the only other somersault I know of is at Boston, and that has been out of use for some time, so the odds of catching that in the off possition is minimul. I can imagine the joy caused by the removal of the link you mention between Boston and Sleaford, and the working of the Dub you mention is highly interesting, I have added it to my note book, when I get to the Search Engine next, I will see if I can find anything about it, as i have always been a local lad to Heckington, and am really interested in railways history, in all honesty, I prefer steam traction, but that is in rather short supply now I can just imagine how that would see, damn its enough to give a young lad goosebumps. I have always had a love of the WD locos (well the 2-8-0 and 2-10-0's at least, I was never much of a tank engine fan!) I admit, I have only ever seen old cine footage of loose coupled working, so I would dearly love to see a proper loose coupled freight the WD clank is one sound that is iconic to the class, as I recall, its to do with the amount of side play in the motion work and wheel base, however, the preserved examples always look strange, compaired to the pictures of them in use, usually with oil leaking profusely, and a healthy coat of grime... Please, do not appologise, I am rather glad that the photos are triggering some memories, and it is always interesting to here things like this, as no amount of books, photos and film can replicate the memories people still harbor of steam in its working function. Sean

there is a signal still sat on it side in the remains of the goods yard, although not the one you mentioned, it is likely to be one of the Distant's between the Great Hale crossing and the station its self, I have spent a good number of hours there myself, although much less complex now... the slip you mention is indeed a single, I know this is the Heckington MRC has made a model of the station in N and the single slip causes hell for shunting! I share your pain at missing an A1 through Heckington, my friend, I can imagine the stick you would get for such a thing! OK, a mix of steam traction tonight, some Loughbrough, some NRM and a poorish mainline shot, Starting at Loughbrough, GCR SR number 777 Standard two (Ivatt) trying to get away from the clasical 3/4 view of the loco and the Carraige and Wagon sidings at the GCR Now off to the NRM With 5XP and 5MT's in view in the great hall some time ago GWR City of truro, an old friend of mine 5XP again Ex LNER Great Marques preping for a steam tour, I wonder how long all that coal would have stayed put! And a lady that has been more trouble than any other I know of the ex LNER A3 flying scotsman, in the works As a final trip for tonight, we head to Grantham about 4 weeks ago, we see Bittern at speed in p**s poor lighting conditions, And an east Coast trains HST, also at Grantham Thats all for tonight my friends, hopefully some more as i upload them off varying memory cards and so on! Sean

A huge thank you for sharing these amazing pictures, its taken me a good 8 days to go through them. Sean

Jonny777, Your recolection of Heckington are really something, the old goods shed still stands, in fact, my 2013 challange entry is is based on the shed there... The goods yard is now a car-park and lorry depot, the Pea Rooms are flats, but the building its self is still standing.... The Windmill is out of action at the moment, as the sails need replacing again. the distant and outerhome signals you mention are still on unusally long posts, all be it on BR standard one, and the distant (I think) has a grey background plate now, when I am out there again, i will have to take some pics. Boston still has a somersault signal, ganted not in use, but its there, along with the octaganal signal box on the dock side... Sean

I LIKE the class 70's! How ever, there should be some nice clasic traction shots next week Colas still run the good old class 47's out my neck fo the woods... Also, I do love the Grids... 56302 is a regular on the Boston steel trains and an unidentified 56 again at Heckington

Thank you to all for the replys, and comments I agree David, I share the interst in all things railways, and don't forget the Colas class 70's coming in too! its going to be a very good year for traction.... Yes, there will be more pics soon... Oh, I like that Will, I must try that sort of thing at some point OK, the nest batch for the frieght fans out here... At peterbrough. A little slower shutter speed, and a light engine class 66, from A window of an HST EWS class 67, also through a HST window... Grantham is a regular stoping ground of mine, and a good spot to find ECML trafic. Sean