MarshLane

Work has progressed this afternoon on the construction of the new doors for the shed. The problem with modelling while convalescing is that you get tired so quickly, that nothing seems to get done, or that it takes you four times longer to do what you wanted! One door is now complete, and the cladding is going into the framework for the second. I've also done another test piece of Plastikard, this time using Opulence Red paint from the Wilko range, with mortar provided by the same store's Mineral Grey colour scheme. Overall I'm quite happy - although I think the red needs longer to dry, before the grey is applied and wiped off. Still at least there's progress, and I might bite the bullet tomorrow and paint the shed end!

Hi Jinty, Looks good. Can you describe how you've done it? Weathering is a mystery to me, but would love to learn. Rich

Nice little Scottish scenario there with the 37 and 26 - perhaps a little engineers yard Can recommend 37043 ... That was my first O gauge purchase! A tower repaint, and still my pride and joy to this day! Walked in to Tower Models to find out a bit more about O gauge, and walked out with the wallet a lot lighter, a huge smile, and this under my arm!!! Rich

Thanks Peter. I'm enjoying putting the shed building together, but will be pleased to move onto a baseboard and be able to run something!! The reassignment of 31299 from Cairns Road Works to Marsh Lane should only be a couple of months away. Andy is transforming it with the PH Design etches for me, as well as the repaint! I'll keep you up to date. Which 7mm models do you have? Rich

Hi Chris, Sounds a good proposal and layout idea. Looking forward to following along, I've loved watching Cwmbach. Rich

Yes, I know what you mean. I'm working on the assumption that Heljan are doing their usual limited run, with a fixed profit margin (which I guess you could say helps us all out in the future as their limited available keeps prices high - look at the split head code 37 and the 47 models!), but that Dapol are going the other way, with a high quantity production run (or runs), and a lower price to build on the back of the terriers. It has the effect of flooding the place, and we'll see O gauge 08s popping up everywhere! But if it brings the costs down for us, I'm in favour! I see a couple of places are doing their own commissions with Dapol on the 08s, which is another avenue to keep costs down of course. Going to be very interesting to see where LittleLoco Company can price their 24 - if its around the 350-400 mark then I think there's a definitive hit on their hands, and a challenge to Heljan to reduce costs. NThDegree at The Little Loco Company is not in my good books tho - the introduction of a Class 15 was just an outlandish move!!! Love the design of those locos, so he's caused me the expense of starting a 1960s fleet to have one!!! Hehehe! Certainly an interesting time to be in O gauge, just wish I hadn't missed out on the Western's early on now Rich

Yes, at the price you just can't let them go. I'm also told they will be quite happy with the OO gauge Zimo sound decoder (apparently what the DCC versions will come fitted with if I've read things right) so that also makes the DCC application somewhat cheaper too! I'm trying to decide whether to go for a green and a black or a green and pre-tops blue for the 1960s era. One of the problems of having two fleets lol! Just hoping they are as good in the flesh as the prototype pics we've all seen as Dapol really seem to have pulled out the punches with these. And now an 03 from Heljan as well!! Shunter heaven!! Rich

Ah! Ok, later than I thought in revue earning service then. Thanks Jinty. Rich

Do you do, or have any plans to do a traditional GWR timber signal box, akin to the style on the demonstration lines at Didcot? Rich

Those look nice Andrew ... A move to O gauge coming up??? Welcome to the club :0) On a separate note, were 'Toad' brake vans around into the BR era in revenue earning service? How long did they last? Rich

Hi Rod, Ah well you have mini trainspotters in the long grass!! That gaugemaster matt doesn't look bad, perhaps a little bright on the colour for my liking. But you mentioned static grass, I've never used it yet, but it viable and/or cost effective look at producing your fairways and the like entirely out of static grass? From the demo's I've been, the quality used is minimal for the area, but the effect is very convincing, and with the different lengths of grass available, you could easily recreate the fairway, the rough and the tee areas? Just a thought. Rich

Hi Rich,Thanks for the comment, I'm hoping so! Really up for the challenge and looking forward to doing something productive that at the end of it I can say, I created that. Whether I can achieve my expectations and high standards is another matter! Ah well your from God's county Barnetby I have to say is nothing without the semaphores, but I, very fortunate that I got to spend some time in Wrawby Junction box, officially I may add, during its last operational shift on Christmas Eve 2015. Very strange and emotional day, but it was interesting to remark to the signalling manager, that with the exception of track circuits, if the very first Wrawby signaller returned from the grave and walked into the box, he would be right at home and signalling trains - absolutely nothing had changed!! That's part of where my incentive for the control side of this layout comes from - keeping the past alive, having been lucky enough to experience it. Great to have you along! Thanks for the mineral explanation, I knew it was something like that just couldn't remember which way round it was! Rich

Andrew, Coming from you that's praise indeed! Thanks, nice to have you along. Have a few ideas for developing things in the future, that haven't been mentioned, but taking it in little steps, one by one for now. Mhmmm ... I'll go seek out George's kitbuilding thread and find out what you've been acquiring! Rich

Hi Paul, Thanks - not something I can take the credit for tho! The large logo 47 was repainted for me by Jon Gavin, while Andy Cairns (Cairns Road Works) is currently deal with another 47, which will emerged in Intercity Livery as 47406, and a Heljan 31, in Railfreight Grey. I wish I could weather things!! The 08 is a San Cheng model, with full cab interior. I think these started life as the Bachmann brass versions. Lovely smooth runner, and fitted with a Zimo DCC sound decoder. It's going to be supplemented by a couple of Dapol 08s shortly, another one in Blue that will become one of the Tinsley unofficial named engines, and probably a green or black example, to add to the early-mid 1960s fleet. Rich

Hi Peter, Just been catching up with the thread. All looks really good - love the shot of 45141. At some point, being an O gauge modeller, I'm going to have to attempt or commission a build of one of the 45/1s. I can just remember them coming in an out of Scarborough on TransPennine workings, while on a day visit to the seaside as a kid. My dad would take me up to the station and we'd peer over that big wall, usually with me on his shoulders!! Love the realism of your photos and stock tho. Cheers Rich

Final quick update for tonight. The initial glue construction of the first main door frame for the shed worked well, and I've made a start at putting the exterior cladding on the door. Personally, I'm pleased with the look so far - lets hope the rest of the shed works as well! While that is drying, I've also cut out the brick paper for the external solid end of the shed, now just need to work out how the best way of painting it is .. See earlier query if anyone has any ideas? Rich

Hi Steve, Looking good mate - keep up the good work ... Following with interest!

One of the first steps in the shed construction is to cut out the Slaters brick plastikard for the outer and inner walls. Last night, my mind started thinking about the best way to colour the brickwork. I decided to paint the whole thing Brick Red, then once dry lightly over paint in a grey mortar colour, then wipe off the grey with kitchen paper, hopefully just leaving it in between the brickwork. The result on a test piece seems to have worked and taken the harshness of the red down a bit ... But how does everyone else paint these sheets? Are there any other better or easier ways? Are there any paints that work better or worse with this material? I haven't yet worked out how to include images with the text, rather than at the bottom of a post! Sorry if the quality of the images isn't great - these are just taken using the camera on my iPad Pro ... But I think they look quite decent. The internal roof lights for the new shed have also arrived this morning, which if I do say so myself look quite good. Yet to work out how these will be fitted or suspended however! Shed Doors In the meantime I've done a dry run on compiling the main shed doors this morning, with the frame, first image, overlaid with the exterior panelling. As a result, I've taken the next step and glued the interior frame work. The photos attached, show the dry run, and the exterior paneling above, along with the 'glue' run. Part of me wants to varnish them and leave as they are, the other part says they could be varnished on the inside and painted with black and yellow chevrons on the outside. Not too sure yet ... Any thoughts? Rolling Stock I have been fortunate to acquire a Lionheart Trains 16-ton mineral wagon this morning. Never used, but fully weathered. To me it looks superb. I can never remember the reason for the grey and bauxite coloring, I seem to recall that one is for fitted wagons, and the other for unfitted, but I could be wrong. I'm full of admiration for you guys who can create this kind of look. Can anyone recommend any books, websites or threads on here, that would give a step-by-step approach to weathering of wagons? I've got a Parkside mineral kit that I built years ago, although it never ran as the frame isn't straight! I have thought of using it to play with weathering powders, but have no idea where to start ... Rich

Gilbert, Stunning layout, and those final shots are awe-inspiring. As somebody who never saw steam in the real days, this layout really provides a look into the past for me - well done. Rich

Yes a superb option for Nth Degree and the Little Loco Co., I think. Id be up for a couple! Rich

Hi Nick, Thanks for the kind words. There was so much about Pengwynn Crossing when it emerged. Modern traction, superb weathering, a busy single track location with lots of activity, china clay area's were seldom modelled but very different, and of course it was a layout curved, with very little straight track! Pure genius on the part of the builders. I'm looking forward to really getting stuck in, once my re-cooperation is sorted, hopefully in the next few days. Rich

Hmm valid point. Although if it was against the end of the warehouse, by a short fence perhaps separating the railway arrival from the Harbour scene ... Possibly? There is the odd tree on Wexford Waterfront in Ireland... Rich Edit to fix link

Now that is spooky! I looked at the earlier shot and thought, that looks a great little diorama in its only right ... Isn't it a shame the buildings don't climb up as it may give some depth to the scene! My only concern if you take the backdrop off, is wont the low relief warehouse looks a bit short? However, if you leave the back scene in, I was going to ask how your planning to disguise it ... Perhaps a very dense tree placed in line, so the trains appear from behind it? Rich

Hi Randall,Many thanks for your kind comments. Yes all is fairly ambitious and a lot of it is new to me, so much to learn and mistakes to be made, but that's part of the fun! I'm hoping that by cutting it into manageable chunks, the ambitious part decreases a bit, so is all doable! Fingers crossed. Carried on unpacking the shed parts this afternoon, all are now sorted and I'm hoping I may be able to start doing a dry run on assembly this weekend. Attached is a shot of the laser cut rear of the shed. The top is in 3mm MDF for the outer skin, the bottom in 1mm MDF for the inner skin of the building. Rich

Looks good Spenc, Always had a bit of an affinity for the old parcels trains, fabulous operation in their heyday. Layout looks good and very impressed with your BG build. Rich