Iain C Robinson

I'm guessing plumber's hemp? I think I've seen something else from Pete that was made similarly. cheers, Iain

Allan, the pitch looks fine to me. It's pretty much the same as the dormers, which is as it should be...any steeper and it would look as if it had once been thatched. The whole thing looks excellent, don't sweat it! cheers, Iain

Superb, maestro! cheers, Iain

As president of the newly formed "Lee's Goods Yard Preservation Society" I have to say that I have just slapped a grade 1 listing on the structure. If you get rid of it there will be a heck of a "to-do"! cheers, Iain

Beautiful water effects and birds, Jaz. cheers, Iain

Lee, I know nothing about track plans, so can't comment on that...it looks a scheme with scope for some fun. But the station building...it does look a little, well, green...doesn't it? ONLY JOKING! It's superb!! cheers, Iain (runs off down the nearest adit)

Cheers, Lee... just got back late last night and am sitting at the workbench looking at the plans for my latest project, which I will share on here. Your drawings look great and it sounds like a very good idea to use the plotter. I find that my stone vertical courses develop a "lean" to the right after a while! Allan, I really think I should be due a discount, fifty quid again? After all, we are both members of the veteran card scribers and Colron sniffers association, no? I noted in my absence that things had gone awry with the thread, arguments about door bracing, photos of interesting tea and beer trays etc... good job I am back to keep the peace! cheers, Iain

Hee hee...glad to see I'm not the only one to have to completely rethink a project because I've made a mistake! Petra says she's going to start using that Polyfilla stipple technique for the roofs now it does look amazing. cheers, Iain

Ah, that is, of course, brilliant. Fantastic textures. However, upon my return from the silver city I can see I will have to up my game if I have any hope of beating this. cheers, Iain

We really must speak to the mandarins at RMWeb and get them to put a horror rating for us to use on posts...this is getting like all those poor mutilated toys on Toy Story....are you sure you haven't turned into a modern day Peter Cushing , building a Frankenstein-style steampunk Yorkshire in miniature? Ah well, I know the end result will be brilliant...worth all the trauma....repaint, all ye who enter here! cheers, Iain

I do have a couple of nice model railway jobs about to land on the bench after a wee trip to Aberdeen...I will show progress as and when it starts to look like something! cheers, Iain.

I am still in shock. I was looking for a button for "horror" in the ratings but there isn't one... Jason's photographs are great and reminded me of when I used to live in Lancs...sandstone and millstone grit buildings, all uniformly black until the seventies. I had also forgotten the trick of raised pointing...glad that nobody has asked me to replicate that. Anyway, Lee, whatever you do I am sure it will be perfect when you have finished. Like the others wiser than me have said on this thread, keep looking at the real thing. Incidentally, the rust on those light green drainpipes on jason's council building photo is wonderful...quite an inspiration! cheers, Iain

"The esteemed Mr Robinson"...thank you! ...I like that! (£50 Costa's coffee token on it's way, White Rabbit) I have to spend most of my time making fairly soul-less replicas of gas modules and shopping centres, so when I get a chance to let my imagination fly, I take it. I do occasionally get railway modelling oriented jobs where the customer wants an exact replica and I will do that if the money is right, but I much prefer when the customer lets me do something from scratch and lets me give it the full treatment with weathering and detail etc. Luckily, I have a couple of very lovely customers just now who let me do what I do best (no, not mining...) I also get pretty burnt out after the jobs for rather unpleasant business folk with their suits and deadlines, even if it does pay very well... but railway modelling is so much more civilised. Allan has created another masterpiece of texture and form, he really is the Constable of structure building and I am now sure he has done some sort of deal with the devil...how do you work so quickly mate? Colron, I guess, taken intravenously. Anyway, this Tintagel model is wonderful.I had thought I'd seen it all from the master. Apparently not. cheers, Iain

Lee, I'm glad that the rather ill-mannered and thinly disguised challenge that I threw out has resulted in such a masterpiece! That wagon actually looks heavy and has an appearance of mass far beyond it's actual size...brilliant. I tend to use acrylics for everything although I agree with Jason that enamels are also a superb medium. It depends what you are used to. With the structures I have built, the fundamental principle has been removal of layers of paint...you can do that with acrylics, so long as it is within that critical five minute window...but I certainly couldn't do that with a years old loco!! Obviously, for me, time is also of the essence...but it is notable that the "greats" like Brackenbrough and Welch all use enamels. cheers, Iain

Hi Bill! Ah, the fountain of eternal Colron....the holy grail! cheers, Iain

Album? Oh, that...an easy listening album with some Swedish death metal bagpipe band ...you really don't want to go there. Sorry I have been scarce, I have been involved in a couple of projects for business customers and they won't let me share any photos...they are singularly lacking in humour of any kind. After my next trip to Aberdeen in a week's time I'll be starting a new project that I can share. Great news about the Model Rail feature...sales will go through the roof, I predict! You don't need Petra for liaison...what about that nice Sylvia lady with the fascinating socks? Anyway, Petra will be too busy working on my next modelmaking commission. Oh, by the way, I hope you are getting more than £8 a page from MR... runs for cover! cheers mate, Iain

I didn't realise I'd shown you the album! cheers, Iain

Sorry, Lee, that was a cheap shot about the van. Although I bet you would make a bloomin' brilliant job of weathering it. Looking forward to the blog post. Sunlight...what's that again? cheers, Iain

Have to agree with the guys, this is looking ever better. Just about perfect now, and kudos to you for being a perfectionist and not stopping until you are completely happy with the way things look. I think that van needs a bit of weathering, though... The goods shed has so much atmosphere. I can imagine it against a backdrop of terraced houses and grimy mill chimneys. Looking forward to seeing the shed and station in situ, in sight of each other...it will look very L&Y! cheers, Iain

Fair do's, Iain...I agree. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now (earning £8 a page) if it wasn't for big Al. And he's still a force of nature in the modelmaking world! cheers, Iain

Phew...thought I had perhaps gone a bit too far there It is looking great, of course. ..slinks back underground... cheers, Iain

Hi Lee, it was fab...a mate told me of a new route and we ended up spending about six hours at the mine...photos will eventually be on Treasure Maps... just wiring a building for lighting right now, not one of my favourite jobs...groan... cheers, Iain