Fair Oak Junction

Lovely choice of model, can't go far wrong with an Eastfield large logo 37 👌

Fantastic news! 👌

I'm not a fan of overhyped things in general, not just FS. And it's not like my opinion matters. People will still go to see it in droves 😉 I would argue Mallard SHOULD be the more famous and the bigger draw, but I don't think it even comes close to FS on terms of international fame and recognition. FS still running around while Mallard is stuffed and mounted probably doesn't help in that regard. Edit: Also I'm not having a go about people who like it, I just don't care about the engine itself. It makes people happy, fantastic!

I haven't either, unless I saw it when I was really young and just can't remember. I've tended to avoid the Flying Scrapheap if I can help it.

Now that's a wonderful sight, can't wait to see it finished! 👌

Huh, where has C1s tender gone?

Excellent 👌

Yes, hence why I didn't use Rain, Steam and Speed as my example 😉 Edit: Also I'm not saying making exact models of paintings, I'm saying using them as a basis for the style of a model is not a bad thing.

It might not be a bad idea to sometimes think about modelling early railways as being more like the style of 19th/early 20th century artists/illustrators. Most paintings, drawings, and illustrations of the early railways (even contemporary ones) are of questionable accuracy. But they do generally succeed in getting across the atmosphere, the feeling, the buzz and excitement around this new and novel form of transport. And sure you can pick them apart until the cows come home, but you can still enjoy them. And the same can be said for making a model railway based around them. Sure it won't be 100% accurate, but does it get across the feeling? The atmosphere? Of course this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it can still work really well. A painting in model form. And maybe I've been too hard on Hornby's "Era 1" items. I absolutely wish they were more based on academic research than on illustrations, but they do still allow people to make an interesting model of the early days of the L&M. And it makes people happy, which matters. I feel sometimes being a "modeller" puts you under more scrutiny than say an artist or illustrator, but being a modeller does not mean you HAVE to be obsessed with minute details. Abstract or impressionistic modelling has just as valid a place as scale modelling. Take J.M.W. Turner's The Fighting Temeraire. It is one of the most popular, well respected, and beloved paintings. And yet it has noted accuracy problems. It's a romanticised view of the scene, but what matters is the atmosphere. It's capturing an important event and it gets that across superbly, so people generally ignore the inaccuracies. But I guarantee if someone made a model of the scene with the same inaccuracies it would be torn to shreds! "The tug's mast is in the wrong place!" "Temeraire's topmasts had already been taken down!" "the hull planking is 0.0000001mm out of scale" etc. We're all in this hobby for different reasons, and I don't expect people to agree with me. But I feel it's at least something worth thinking about and giving consideration to.

I love that painting! There is so much about it that ranges between highly questionable and lunacy, but it's just so evocative. I adore the atmosphere it creates 👌

Considering that is how the fireman was dressed on the 1925 centenary run then I'd say Hornby have modelled it exactly as it should be 😉

It would be nice to get some of the loco crews from the Pockerley Waggonway at Beamish scanned by Modelu, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

To be fair to Hornby, nowhere have they stated the model is of anything but Locomotion No.1 as preserved. It's even marked as Era 11, not Era 1. I'm pretty sure the crew figures are based on the crew who drove the replica for the 1925 centenary event, who were wearing top hats. So blame the people of the 1920s for that one! 😄 And for the replica run then the Accurascale chaldrons are indeed correct. Those of us using the model and chaldrons to represent the actual S&DR are doing so fully in the knowledge that it isn't historically accurate, but that it's the closest we are ever going to get. Yes we could scratchbuilt more accurate chaldrons, but the Locomotion isn't in any way accurate for in service. condition. And the work required to make it accurate you might as well just scratchbuild an entire new model. It's a case of making the best of a bad situation. But unlike their "Era 1" items, in this case Hornby are being very up front.

Briefly going back to the stagecoach question it's very much a question six of one, half dozen of the other. I've just had my Varney kit out, and it's.....okay. I'm sure it can be made up to be a lovely model, but it is super fiddly and suffers from a general lack of detail often inherent in whitemetal. Lots of flashing, enough to make even an old Warhammer model blush! And despite the box art, the four figures are all the exact same which won't give the nicest impression when finished. However it is an accurate representation of a classic Royal Mail stagecoach. IT does also come with transfers, but given they are probably at least 40 years old there is almost no chance they would be usable sadly. The Wild West stagecoach Jason linked is a decent alternative and has the huge benefit of being far easier to get hold of! It would require body modification, but being a plastic kit that shouldn't be too hard. Suitable figures would also need to be sourced, which leads to the problems of to total lack of suitable figures in OO for the 1820/30s period. As it stands I may not bother using my Varney coach and just keep the unbuilt kit as a bit of history.

So Locomotion/Active as preserved and as modelled is not as it would have appeared in service, but is it close to any of the other S&DR locomotives? Black Diamond, etc? Or is it basically a Frankenstein's monster like Lion?

Wow, what wonderfully done little wagons! 👌

Grey does seem to have generally been the more common PW/ED stock colour of the grouping era, so it's most likely a safe bet.

Liveries of PW/ED stock can be a minefield at the best of times. Researching the liveries of SR ED stock made me want to tear my hair out 😄

The NRM have got back to me with a list of NER drawings they have of the Gaunless Bridge, so I'll make a trip up there at some point to have a look at them.

Lovely little things! I can see them being popular.

If a layout is well made and interesting to watch, then I couldn't care less where it's set. I love seeing layouts from all over the world because it gives us a window into railways we don't normally see. And I think if they can then shows should have a mix of UK and ROW layouts, but obviously that isn't always going to happen just because of percentages.

Congrats on starting the new venture Graham! Those buildings are all superb.

Definitely looks a bit better under that light, and if these locos were used in the Middle East campaign then that is the sort of shade you'd go with. The polished safety bonnet and chimney still look odd on a camouflaged loco, but I don't know what they were like in ROD service.

Another related one I've always liked: We don't stop playing because we grow old: we grow old because we stop playing. - George Bernard Shaw

Complete with a wrongly painted door? 😉