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paulprice

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  1. paulprice
    Well it was the weekend of the Warrington 2015 exhibition and the first time Foster Street has been at a 2 day exhibition. Despite varying degrees of panic leading up to the exhibition, mostly about whether the layout would stand up to 2 days of constant operation, and public scrutiny it seemed to have gone well.
     
    There were a couple of minor sticky points, namely when the shuttle unit decided to blow itself up, or when a couple of the locomotives decided to take a nose dive off the layout and then bounce of the floor but I suppose these things happen, apart from this the weekend was a very enjoyable one if very exhausting.
     
    However the highlight of the weekend for me, was the support I got from the team who came to the exhibition with me, the team certainly made a better job of operating the layout than I did and certainly kept the public entertained, especially with the making sure the Elephant train made regular circuits to entertain the younger visitors and of course me
     
    So Phil, Stuart and of course The Domestic Overlord Tim thanks for all your help, support and tolerance in effectively babysitting me for an entire weekend and keeping me away from the superglue
     
    Not only was Phil a good operator, even though he had a habit of constantly sneaking an SR locomotive into the storage yard, he managed to take some photo's in which he has managed to make the layout look presentable, so I thought I would include a few below.
     
    Until the next time as ever Happy Modelling
  2. paulprice

    Sad news

    By paulprice,

    This is Tim, the Domestic Overlord. Paul died last Wednesday. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to come on and post this before. We were together for a long time, and I know just how much he loved modelling and loved being able to get things just as he wanted them. I'd like this blog to stay up here if that's okay by the administrators.
  3. paulprice
    Well its been a while since I last posted an entry on here, some might say its not been long enough . The reason for this is not because the Domestic Overlord has been scheduling my every waking moment.
     
    The real reason is that in part I have lost my modelling mojo, and because I have been bogged down with some of the boring time consuming jobs that have been backing up, like wheel cleaning etc.
     
    Anyway thanks to Phil of this parish the fiddle yard on Foster Street is finally having the point motors wired up, and route matrixes fitted to make operation easier. Now Phil reckons, or rather tells everyone that he is an electronics Guru, but I know he is still jealous of my God like soldering ability.
     
    Anyway one of the jobs I needed to do is not only clean the wheels on the loco fleet, but to finally fit traction tyres to the Jubilees which decided to throw at least one, at the same time, at the last outing. So I got the stock box down and decided to at least get this job completed, the problem is nothing is ever easy for fast, and if I have anything to do with it usually a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

    Most of the fleet has been weathered to some degree or another, so while I had them out I decided to touch up a few areas, and ensure that they all had crews in the cabs. Not a quick process (the excitement of fitting traction tyres has to be experienced to be believed) anyway after working out how many footplate crew I needed I set about the hacking/ mutilating the little people about and fitting them to their locos.
     
    Being a cunning little squirrel I took advantage of this and added my latest Evil Bay bargain Jubilee to the fleet, which means I now have 6, I also added officially my latest Royal Scott to the fleet to, which was a gift from some very good friends. Its in the preserved Maroon livery, but its a little stunner so will stay in this livery and enter the fleet, all it needs is headlamps adding and some very light weathering.
     
    Anyway time for a quick rant........ At the latest exhibition outing, a very nice Chap, commented that my freight trains were un-prototypical as there were too many tarps on the wagons, and that they looked totally wrong.
     
    Apparently they were the wrong colour, size and the lettering was all wrong, my heinous crime must have been totally horrific as he failed to notice the presence of the Elephant train on the layout.
     
    So I took all his remarks on board, as he left viewing the layout, still with the use of his legs, and with a little smug look on his face, I vowed to resolve the situation. So what did I do? Did I return home and remove every tarp from the fleet, NO I DID NOT, I applied even more to the fleet, and as the commercial ones were so WRONG I made my own.

    Apparently I can be a little stubborn from time to time, so I have to procure more open wagons and then I can have more tarps........HA READ THAT AND WEEP ANORAK MAN....
     

    Well I think the Domestic Overlord is about to send me to bed, so until the next time, as ever Happy Modelling
  4. paulprice
    Well if you read the Blogs by AndyRam you will see that the WESTON 2014 exhibition he is organising is shaping up to be the Model Railway event of the year, miss it and miss out (I think I have missed my calling in publicity ), the only thing that may put a damper on things is that Foster Street is booked to attend.
     
    So in an attempt to break my record for the most consecutive days without gluing my fingers together I thought I would spend a little time working out what trains should fill the limited storage yard to provide some interest for the visitors to the exhibition. I thought this would be an easy task so armed with a pencil, and notebook (cutting edge technology for the 1800's) I headed to the spare room to look through the stock boxes and work out some train formations.
     
    ANDY IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT - Before I knew it the transformer was fired up and I was playing trains (sorry conducting some serious research )
     
    I have learnt a couple of things today,
    Firstly I think my storage yard is too small as I have only really looked at milk/parcel and local trains today, not even got round to the coal trains, mixed freight or express trains yet (The Domestic Overlord - thinks I may have too many trains - The boys a fool - there is no such thing as too many ).
     
    Secondly I have a lot to do before the exhibition deadline, but more operating research maybe needed, all in the name of accuracy of course.
     
    Until the next time, as ever happy Modelling
  5. paulprice
    Well after nearly a two and a half month stay in Hospital, thanks to the fantastic and severely under appreciated NHS I have survived and live to write more blogs.
     
    I really cant find the words to thank all the staff who looked after me and went above and beyond to provide me with the care and treatment I needed.
     
    I have a long period of rehab ahead of me, in learning to walk again, regain control of my right arm, and build up my muscle mass again but this is a small price to pay,
     
    So the bad news is as a type this with a very shaky left hand is that I wont be able to do any modelling for a long time to come, the good news for many of the people who read my blogs is that I wont be doing any modelling for a long while to come
     
    So before I nod off again (this rehab is exhausting) a massive thanks to anyone involved with the fantastic NHS, we are truly very lucky and should be very grateful that we have such and organisation to look after us. I literally owe them my life
  6. paulprice
    Well thanks to a little coercion from various people on here (you know who you are) I have secured another Jubilee from EvilBay for the fleet. Being a very very good Boy I told the Domestic Overlord what I had done, and I was told that it does not matter as I could have as many trains as I wanted, HOW Lucky am I?
     
    Anyway before I go on a mad Jubilee shopping spree (don't worry it wont happen, as I like having money I have not used yet too much) I thought I would start a proper stock count of the collection, and so I started with the box that had my Jubes in. Maybe I's going mad but I thought I only had 7, as it happens I have 8 plus the one soon to be delivered (lets hope its not a dog).

    I have to say personally the Jubilees are one of the most beautiful loco's ever built and that the only livery that suited these machines was Crimson, but having repainted two of them into Post War lined black I think this livery really suites them.
     
    So two questions remain to be answered, do I repaint the latest addition to the fleet into post war black? and how do I tell the Domestic Overlord I found a Black 5 and Royal Scott I sort of forgot I had
     
    If there is one thing I have learnt though today is that stock counting your collection may not be a good idea, and I've only counted one box.
     
    As ever until the next time Happy Modelling
  7. paulprice
    Being a simple sort of a chap, I have spilt the world into two types of people, Railway Modellers (even those who model the SR) and Non-Railway Modellers.
     
    The problem is that unfortunately there seems to be far more Non-Railway Modellers in the world, which kind of make me thing I'm an endangered species, I certainly feel this way sometimes when I'm threatened with extinction, when the Domestic Overlord has to clean up the aftermath of some of my modelling miss-haps (hot soldering iron in pocket, glued slipper to foot, spray painting my had to name a few).
     
    Anyway some of the strange ones (none modellers), often make comments to me along the lines of, "do you really need another toy train" to which I usually mutter something under my breath an slope off the layout. Anyway after years of these comments, I think they may have a point, do I really need more trains.

    I had some time I few weeks ago so I set out to complete a few little jobs on the Jubilee's and Rebuilt Scots in the fleet, mainly fitting lost traction tyres, toutching up some weathering and fitting lamps etc.
     
    It was then that I noticed I had added two new locos to the fleet (seen in the back of the photo), one was a crimson Jube at a bargain too good to resist price, and the other was a BR Green spares or repair Evilbay bargain.

    The Jube just needed to be re-numbered, fitted with a crew and headlamps and then she received a spot of light weathering (unusual for my Jubes) and she was ready to join the fleet.

    I'm not too sure if the subtle weathering is for me so I might have to apply a little more grot to her in the future. As for the Scot, my original intention was to portray a war time unlined black and grotty appearance.

    The problem was that during the research process, I found photos of a couple of Scots in what appears the be simple red lining, and like most things one thing led to another and she got some lining. I applied a little weathering mainly to hide my shaky lining, but also to portray a well kept hard working loco, headlamps fitted for parcels so I will have to see how she looks on the layout.
     
    So there you have it, I think they are right I have a problem, so to the question of "DO I need another locomotive" no I can honestly say that no I don't need another locomotive, I need LOTS MORE LOCOMOTIVES:)
  8. paulprice
    Just a quick entry this time - Try not to all cheer at once
     
     
    I need a quick break from re-inventing the laws of physics and more particularly the laws governing electrics.
     
    I NEED HELP,
     
    The bay platform, and the goods yard on Foster Street are accessed by electro frog points, the are isolated from the main lines by double insulated fishplates, everything went well, running was great.
     
    After the track was ballasted and painted, second testing and everything went well, until now.
     
    Locomotives run well up to the first point, then crawl over it as if the brakes are applied, then stop on the second one. The rails are clean so its not rail top dirt, however if you squeeze the rails together at the switch end and hold them, the locomotives run at the same speed as they did approaching the points.
     
    AAARRRGGGHHHHHH its probably something simple, but its driving me mad, I bet my track rubbers have had something to do with it??
     
    HELP
  9. paulprice
    Well as the little cherubs at work very kindly allowed me nearly two hours of uninterrupted sleep this evening before calling me to kindly illustrate another example of their mind blowing ineptitude.
     
    So as I wait to see if the "intellectual giants" have the ability to remain conscious and follow the simplest of commands, I thought I would let you know about the progress of my latest project, that is if anyone is interested :if)
     
    As you know I model the years prior to the dark day the railways were nationalised, which means the majority of my stock requires some form of alteration if its from an RTR source. A couple of my pet hates (and I have many) are empty cabs and tenders that are always filled to the brim with moulded coal.
     
    So in an attempt to improve this situation on some of the as yet untouched members of the fleet I headed to the spare room to select my latest victims. I was lucky on the weekend, as the Domestic Overlord was feeling a little ill (no I don't mean I was happy they were sick) what I mean is because I am a totally selfless person I despatched the DO off to bed to get some rest, which meant I could have a couple of hours to "play with my choo choo's".

    So I took a selection of locomotives downstairs, armed myself with some superglue a Stanley knife, a selection of paint and other bits and bobs and set to work.
     
    First this to attack was tenders, like most N gauge modellers I al well aware that the Farish Fowler tender is far to long, and that scale kits are available (I have a load in the to-do-drawer), but they are quite heavy, and there are some simple improvements you can apply to the tenders to make them look better.
     
    So armed with the mini drill I drilled a series of holes as close to the tender sides as I dared, then joined them up and removed the moulded in coal, while I was at it I attacked the Duchess tenders in the same way.

    This is one of those deep breath moments as you always worry you will make a mess of things but its not that bad, a few minutes work with the knife and all traces of the original coal load is removed, I then apply a few strokes with a file to tidy up the sides and they are ready for the next step (its tempting to try to thin the tops to near scale thickness but this can be a bad idea, so I generally just try to thin them a little).

    The next stage is to decide how "full" you want the tenders to be and then cut some plati-card to form the base of the coal load. I know the Duchess locomotives had coal pushers and I intend to model these at some stage but these two (recent Evilbay bargains) are just going to have slightly empty tenders.

    Once the glue has dried I normally paint the area black, in preparation for a real coal load to be added, for the fowler tender I intend to model it as one with the tender vents at the back of the tender, so at this stage I'm not too worried about their absence. Seeing as I had the superglue nearby a locomotive crew was soon firmly attached to my fingers, a few minutes work alter and I had managed to get them in the Crags cab and the Scots too.

    To me the tender already looks much improved on the original? Seeing as I have finally got the Scot running sweetly after removing all that DCC rubbish and hard wiring it (long story), I thought it need a little weathering as even LMS express locomotives got dirty (some even filthy) so I applied the first stage by painting the cab roof, smoke box, deflectors and front footplate areas a dirty black colour.


    Which even if you leave it at this, gives to my eyes a least and improvement on the standard out of the box model, and more of an impression of a real loco? While I had the paint out I decided to paint all the wheel edges on the Duchess's to help hide the overscale look, and of course on any of the highly visible contacts, and that was about as far as I got

    What I need to do now is figure out where I have safely stored my coal, figure out which LMS liver to apply to the Duchess loco's and if one should be a Semi? and apply some head lamps, but most importantly hide the evidence of yet more trains from the Domestic Overlord.
     
    If anyone wants to find out if I manage to make a real "hash" of these projects, or if the Domestic Overlord finally works out how many trains I have and kills me, there may be an update following soon, but until then as ever Happy Modelling
  10. paulprice
    Well after being at work for a monster 17 hours, not including travelling time (I know what your thinking, it's not one of my ploys to escape the demands of the Domestic Overlord ) my boss said that I could take a day off to recover. So in typical fashion, despite being "dog tired" I could not sleep, so I needed to find something to do to help me maintain my delicate metal state, so I tried to do a couple of little jobs on the layout.
     
    So the first thing I thought I would tackle was the lining of one of the storage trays I have made with foam, everything was going well, I managed to get one tray finished, and then boredom hit me and I gave up, well at least one of them is finished. All I have to do now is line the second one and them build the remaining two trays, but I think this can be a job for another day.
     
    So I decided to tackle one of the other outstanding jobs, and see if I could start to tidy up the viewing side of the layout by finally adding a facia to the boards. I must admit I'm quite pleased with the progress on this. I have used one of my favourite materials mounting board, which I cut to follow the contours of Foster Street. This was then glued on to the front of the layout, and even though they have not been painted yet, they have certainly made a impact on tidying up the presentation of the layout (all I need to do now it to decide what colour I should paint it a nice black or LMS Crimson). Before this though all I have to do it fill in a couple of gaps in the scenery and the job should be complete simples (I know something is going to go wrong, but what.......
     
    Well it nearly went wrong with the weathering, in an attempt to make Foster Street look more dirty and industrial, I have slowly been weathering the layout with the help of Humbrol powders. I must admit this is the first time I have used these things and I am quite impressed. I'm also impressed about how much I seem to be applying yet when I stand back and look at the layout it just looks like it needs more. I think I have managed to get the basics right on the track to represent areas where locomotives stand and drip onto the permanent way, but like most of the jobs on the layout there is still a lot more to do.
     
    Until the next time, as ever Happy Modelling
  11. paulprice
    Well I don't know how I managed to do it, but I managed to find some modelling time and managed to spend it productively for once. In my previous post I mentioned that I had decided to that the station buildings should be modelled on those used by the LNWR.
     
    As most people know, they built some of their stations from standardised wooden panels, and as a result they could erect buildings that suited their intended environments quickly and cheaply. I must admit being a prudent (some people say I'm as tight as two coats of paint) the cheap construction really appealed to me so I looked into it a little further.
     
    Basically the I could get away with constructing the station buildings using three different panels, a blank one, a window one and a door one, and following the cheap, sorry cost effective approach they would be constructed from card.

    A little time making out the panels on some card sides, and blunting several knife blades (thank god I use the cheap craft knives from the £ stores) I soon had the basic shells knocked up.

    To make fitting the planks that form the panels easier I then covered each side with some graph paper, and then had to cut out even more window and door apertures. The station entrance will be located at street level on the right side of the bridge so I have used a Metcalfe subway mini-kit to provide the platform access.

    The problem is I'm not sure if I like the way the buildings look on the station so I may leave them on the platform for a few days to see if they grow on me, the benefit of card is if I don't like them I can just bin them and start again at minimal cost

    I think the fact that the building will have a canopy will mean a lot of it will be hidden so that's a bonus, what I have done so far is black the interior walls so that if I do fit lighting to the buildings I wont get any bleeding through the walls. The only problem to adding lighting is that I may have to then fit interiors, so yet again I turn a potentially easy task into a considerably harder one

    One of the other little jobs is to get my Stanier Mogul finished then I maybe able to add it to the stock for the layout, which leads to another problem of which auto-coupler I should add to the stock for the layout, I have some DG's in the tool box but I have never used them before.
     
    Well I guess I will have to end this post now, as I don't want the Domestic Overlord thinking I have any spare time, especially enough to model with, as this is vital to my plan to get enough sympathy that the DO will slate a few model roofs (insert evil laugh here)
     
    Mikkel you may have to get ready to bow in the dust as ever Happy Modelling
  12. paulprice
    Well since the last update I have come to realise as few things, some more important than others but the major discoveries are.
     
    1. Modelling time is still incredibly rare.
    2. I found my box of tanks wagons and a couple of other things that will remain secret.
    3. I think I have a bit of a collecting problem.
     
    My last update highlighted a couple of bargain Shell Electrical Oils wagons I found in a local box shifters, I remembered that I already had maybe 4 or 5 of these and that they were in a box with a few other tanks wagons. A few years back when tank wagons could be found for £5-£6 each new (before you say it, it was still this century) I had a habit if I went anywhere that had a model shop of picking the occasional one up.
     

     
    Working through the box I found 13in the collection, which means I have a nice string of 15 Shell tanks. As I was opening the boxes for the first I was amazed and the inconsistent build quality of these wagons. Of the 13 from the collection 8 of them have little defects that need a little attention, either before they could be used on the layout or weathered.
     
    The lost common faults being
     
    1 Brake levers either being attached at one end only, or completely lose.
    2 Axle boxes being compressed so the wheels do not freely run.
    3 Wheels not actually in the axle boxes
    4 Tank securing wire not attached on one side (tiny predrilled holes for these but wires not located).
     
    I suppose the plus side is fixing all the little faults will give me something to do, the disappointing thing is this will use up even more of my incredibly rare modelling time, I should be finishing projects not creating new ones.
     
    As for my collecting problem..... well I always thought it was silly to accumulate stock and never use it, just for it to sit in boxes unopened. In fact I use to decry people who just collected stock and never used it, and I think maybe I have almost, nearly, almost become a collector.... What am I to do, should I hastily get rid of this excess of stock? OR SHOULD I BUILD A BIGGER LAYOUT???
     
    Until the next time Happy Modelling.
  13. paulprice
    Well another exhibition, gets dangerously close, and the pressure is mounting to finish off, all of the outstanding jobs on Foster Street. What a sensible modeller would do in my position would be to get on with these jobs, but I don't think I could ever be described as being sensible for anything, let alone modelling, so I have spent a little time on a couple of my on-going locomotive projects.
     
    There is still a lot of work to do on these, but if all goes well the crimson contingent on in the Foster Street roster will increase by 2 more, a Parallel Patriot and yet another Jubilee. I have cheated a bit by picking 5517 for the Patriot so I could get away with out nameplates, so I have only cheated a little bit ??
     
    The question is what identity so I chose for the Jubilee, I'm thinking maybe a North West based example, but I really have no ideas, HELP
     
    As ever until the next time, Happy Modelling
  14. paulprice
    Well in the last couple of days the Domestic Overlord has been very gracious and allowed me a couple of free hours, from duties around the house.
     
    Being unaccustomed to such freedom at first I sat there in the skirt I borrowed, from next doors washing line caked in blue face paint contemplating plans to free other such enslaved modellers and leading a revolt against all the oppressors in the country, and then I thought, sod that I'm going to do some modelling.
     
    So still wearing the skirt (purely for reasons of comfort) I set about finishing off the re-numbering of various locomotives that have been patiently waiting for their identities. For this I use transfers from the FOX range as not only do they cover every variant you will ever need but they are really easy even for me to use.

    Now if you have ever re-numbered an N gauge locomotive, you will know how difficult it can be sometimes to get the numbers lined up. However the process went without any problems, and so they were soon ready to be sealed with varnish, as this is a job that needs some close up work, I got myself ready and it must of been the fumes because.................
     
    "Billy Grimes how many times do you need to be told the keep quiet, if you carry on you won't see your next birthday! There is no such thing as Mickey Mouse, and if there was he would not be seen, anywhere round here. Now get out from under my feet, and don't you come back dirty, its not bath night until Sunday".
     
    So I headed off to see if I could meet Mickey Mouse as the lads at School said they had seen him down at the Station yesterday, so to a master detective like me it should be easy to track him down.

    Every good detective has his snitches, so I'm off to ask Joe, he knows everything, and he will tell me as nobody can resist the "Grimes interrogation". Ha the weak minded fool, he coughed up that "mickey" would be here in about ten minutes, so I pick my spot and wait.

    Well what a waste of time that was, ten minutes waiting and all that happens is a old local runs in, as if Mickey would be on a train like that.

    Still nothing will stop super sleuth Grimes so I will look around for clues, and if I happen to do some train spotting along the way bonus.

    A strange grinding, wheezing sound coming from the goods shed, breaks my concentration but as Sherbert Bones, always says the game is 12 inches, or a foot or something.

    This thing must be a way of moving sheds to customers, it must be a new service after all they moved Aunt Violets sofa by train all the way from Manchester. That's is LMS stands for "London Midland Sheds". They can't be doing that much business as its not moving very fast and its leaking creosote everywhere, old Joe said it was a new diesil, but it does not look new to me.

    It must be waiting for its customer, as it was soon dumped at the end of the siding, at least its not making that horrible nose now, and I have resolved the mystery its not a shed its a pigeon coup, which explain all the lovres. Well now that's solved back to the missing mouse, a distant whistle means another train is due, perhaps this one will have the elusive Mr Mouse.

    Well I give up, no sign of Mickey Mouse just another one of these stupid new locomotives, but you have not fooled me Mickey Mouse, you wont escape my eagle like sight for long....................
     
    Anyway, back to varnish fumes, apparently they can be quite strong and if you inhale them they can make you go a little strange, maybe to other people but not to an experienced modeller like me. Until the next time Happy Modelling
  15. paulprice
    Well this morning as I awoke in Price Towers, an almost once in a lifetime thing happened, the weather reports on the TV were actually correct, it was freezing cold.
     
    Still like I told the Domestic Overlord as they lay there apparently shivering, the heating does not go on until we see Penguins marching up and down the streets (and I don't mean Nun's )
     
    Anyway as the Domestic Overlord was apparently suffering from "hyperthermia" I took advantage of the peace and quiet, well once I had closed all the doors and put the stereo it soon blotted out the noise supposedly someone shivering, coughing and spluttering.
     
    So I got my trusty weathering paints and brushes ready, put the fire on (to ensure the paint dried correctly) and applied some dirt to the latest victims.

    The targets today, where a Jubilee, Patriot, Ivatt class 2 & 4, and just for fun a couple of Stannier coaches. Using my usual dry brush method and a limited pallet and the grime was soon applied.

    I use to worry about applying a bit of dirt and grot to crimson locomotives, as you would think in LMS days they were kept clean, but a little research has shown that some of the LMS express fleet were for want of a better term filthy. Plus a little weathering tends to hide some of my lining issues so I think a little more may be applied?

    I always find black engines a little easier to weather, though I think I have been a little light with the Ivatt's but my excuse is that they have not long been out of the works so they have hardly had time to get dirty.
     
    As for the coaches, my main target was to get away from the uniform looking roofs, for these two I wanted to try to emulate a new to service look so I just applied a coating to look like they have just seen a lot of wet weather just like we would expect in the North West.
     
    Well all I need to do now is wait for the paint to dry, so to ensure a nice even finish I will leave the fire on for a little longer, and maybe have a nice coffee, then maybe see if the Domestic Overlord is still moaning about the cold.
     
     
    Until Next time as ever Happy Modelling
  16. paulprice
    Today's big question Is where does all the time go? I managed to finish work relatively early today, all I had to do was beat the traffic on the motorway. Drive to the bank to get the money for the repairs to the Domestic Overlords Car, park mine close to the garage but not too far away from where we live (halfway).
     
    Then walk (yes actually walk ) to the garage, pay for the repairs then drive the worlds smallest car home (more like wear the car home as its not easy to drive it when your six foot seven tall ) without anyone you know seeing you, and ignoring the looks of ridicule and laughter on the face of pedestrians as you chug by.
     
    Then find away of getting myself actually out of the car, and clicking my body back into some form of normal shape, then get in the house and have a quick coffee the first of the day, despite being out side the house for 10 hours . Then walk what seemed like the length of Cheshire to where I had left the normal car, for normal people, not like the micro machine.
     
    Then drive home, get some dinner and then, time for modelling, except its too late to hammer or drill because it might disturb the neighbours, I have no idea how I can do that as they seem a bit disturbed to me already
     
    So as I type this I'm actually trying to work out what I have actually achieved?
     
    Well I managed to collect the Domestic Overlords, Jam Jar
    Added three points to the storage yard
    Managed to cut the water surface on the Canal (don't ask it may form a future entry if it works)
    Lost the camera so I'm unable to take any photo's (don't cheer so loudly)
     
    So I guess all in all it was not the worlds most successful modelling night, am I the only one this happens to?
     
    Until the next time Happy Modelling
  17. paulprice
    Well I'm not sure what the active service levels of the Southern Railways Terriers was like, but I bet its better than the activity of our two Terriers. Having suffered the indignity of being woken up from 10 hours overnight sleep to be given a nice breakfast including a cup of milky tea (which is more than I get), the terrible physical demands of eating made them plonk themselves on my knee for a nap.

    I think this is the result of training from the Domestics Overlord in an attempt to put a stop to my modelling ambitions, but even with 3 of them plotting against me now, but I will prevail.
     
    To prove the point I managed to spend a little time getting some of the locomotives on the workbench closer to completion. First to get some attention was my second Jubilee in post-war black.

    I have to say it, but this is becoming my favourite livery applied to Jubilee's but its deceptively simple and can be a real pain to apply. Thankfully I don't have to worry about my shaking hands messing up the lining on this one too much now as I have got her fully lined. I even managed to decide upon a number and name for her, New Zealand, obviously chosen because of my love of Rugger, and nothing to me referring to the Domestic Overlord, as a Hobbit
     
    Anyway this will be the last time she will be seen in such a clean state, as she will soon receive a coat of weathering, in an attempt to hide some of the worst of the lining. I also need to order her plates, from Modelmasters, I get the feeling this will not be cheap, as I have 9 other locomotives still waiting for plates.
     
    In an attempt to take my mind of the pending pains to my wallet, I decided to start the first stages of detailing an Evilbay bargain purchase of a Farish Crab. So far all I have managed to do is give the chassis an quick overhaul, re-number her, remove her moulded coal in the tender and add glazing.

    I really must stop adding bargains like this to the fleet, as it just eats up valuable modelling time, but as my Sister has been known to remark "its rude not to buy a bargain", or "rude to pass a shop with a sale on", the dotty old moo :0
     
    The most progress I have made is on my attempt to produce a Stanier Mogul, the original tender I knocked together for her, just did not satisfy me and the lining was not the best. So I knocked together another tender and made a bit of a better job of the lining.

    I still have a few little (when I say few I mean lots) jobs to complete on her, and then a spot of weathering and she maybe able to join the fleet in time for the Wigan exhibition.
     
    Rather worrying is that this means I will a model of all the principle LMS moguls, this is not good I could soon run out of loco's to model, this could lead to none LMS types joining my fleet.........NOT GOOD
     
    Until next time as ever Happy Modelling
  18. paulprice
    Well today I was another year older, so in an anti-celebration mood the Domestic Overlord and I walked (yes actually walked), into our local town to partake of a meagre spot of breakfast, spot the healthy tomato

    Once we managed to get on the outside of a weeks worth of calories, and still having the use of our legs we managed to walk home, this healthy living is easy. Anyway I set off to the railway room to work on a few of the outstanding jobs that never seem to get finished, and actually managed to get one of them finished, well sort of That's when it all went wrong before I knew it I had fired up the controller and just played trains.
     
    Before I knew it one of may favourite 8F's was plodding around with a typical train


    Only broken up by the passing of an even more typical local service



    Soon another old timer was seen plodding round with another rickerty old local



    Well I suppose it was not a total waste of time, as it provided a good run in for my recently overhauled 8F, but what I need to do now is get all those little jobs completed and out of the way, maybe I can start on them tomorrow, after another one of those breakfasts, after all they say its the most important meal of the day.......... until next time Happy Modelling
  19. paulprice
    Hello my name is Paul and I have a problem, well its more of an addiction, I have this uncontrollable habit, it all started with one private owner wagon, and then it led to another, then another, then another...................
     
    Before long, found myself hiding this addiction from friends and family, I would visit my local pusher, had over some cash, and I would be given a small package, that I would nervously hide within my coat, rush home, sneak upstairs to the spare room and with mad abandon give in to my shameful vice, before overcome with shame, I hid my latest fix in a shoebox, before going downstairs again and acting normally (well as normal as I can ever expect to be )
     
    Well today my shameful, shameful habit came out into the open, they do say the first step is the hardest, but once you do it you feel like a great weight has been lifted from you. Well I can tell you that's a load of rubbish, trust me if you have a habit similar to mine KEEP IT SECRET
     
    It all went wrong this earlier today when the Domestic Overlord kindly let me spend some time with my trains, like a lamb to the slaughter I almost skipped into the spare room. Overcome with excitement I decided to fill two roads of the fiddle yard, with what will become an full and empty coal trains, an hour or so was spent carefully removing 60+ private owner wagons from their lovely little boxes.
     
    Happily smug with my achievements I sat basking in my own greatness thinking about what locomotives to attach to the trains, when the Domestic Overlord appeared in the doorway, and my dirty secret was discovered, "Don't look at me, Don't look at me" I shouted as I was found surrounded by the empty boxes of my secret shame...................
     
    Admitting the extent of my problem to the DO, I promised that I would not get anymore and I would content myself with maybe weathering them and filling one of the rakes with model coal.
     
    They do say that addicts can become devious and untrustworthy, as their desires no their need takes over, "Not me" I thought to myself as the DO left me alone in the room with my shame, and my other secret stash of yet more shoeboxes full of PO wagons, hahahahahahaha (insert evil laugh here )
     
    Until next time as ever happy modelling
  20. paulprice
    HELP ME I THINK I AM SERIOUSLY ILL - I'm actually contemplating adding a DIESEL to the locomotive roster for Foster Street.
     
    I have a prototype Deltic which occasionally runs through now and again, but it's my trainset and what I say goes (well sort of, Phil - no more Southern)
     
    Of all the projects filling my head, that I really want to start, the one that keeps jumping to the front, is to paint one of those old farish 08 models, black, and produce a lash up of the shunters the LMS had (even though the one I have is in EWS livery, whatever that is and is supposed to be limited - pah bring on the paint).
     
    The only problem I have, is should I delay and hope that the concussion that I obviously have clears up (how else can you explain wanting a diesel), or do I give in to this madness and plough head long into this insanity
     
    Until next time, as ever Happy Modelling
  21. paulprice
    Well this time last week, the Domestic Overlord and I were running around trying to get fit the proverbial quart into a pint pot, or more accurately Foster Street into the a Focus.
     
    Well it just about fit and I just about fit behind the steering wheel, anyway a week later, and no modelling has been done, to be honest I needed a bit if a break from it.
     
    However I could not quite break away from it entirely, and I have spent a little time working on a list of the things that either need completing, improvement or even starting.
     
    The problem is even I am amazed at how long this list is, and how many things I have added to it that are not really a priority like my pressing urge to build a breakdown train, and before anyone remarks upon it, its not because my motive power keeps failing
     
    Anyway during my moments of musing of the expanding jobs I had a look at some of the photo's of the layout taken by Phil who volunteered (press ganged) to help operate the layout at its first exhibition, and despite his constant moans about how the LMS is vastly inferior to the SR seemed to enjoy himself.
     
    What hit me is how Phil's mastery of that instrument of the black arts, aka a camera, has managed to make even my modelling look passable so here are a few of his photographs.
     
    Until Next time as ever Happy modelling
  22. paulprice
    Well the weekend finally arrived well at least Saturday did, an I got my long waited for lie in, it was bliss instead of getting up for 4am to get ready for work, I got up at 5am so I could spend a few hours in the office, then I rushed home to escort the Domestic Overlord out on a shopping expedition.
     
    Anyway eventually I managed to get everything completed so I could spend a little time on Foster Street, to try and get it ready before the rapidly approaching deadline.
     
    I had intended to get some of the electrics sorted, as I still have to complete the re-wire and fit new point motors in the goods yard, and work on a reliable N gauge uncoupling system. So with all this to do and a few other things, yes you guessed it I played trains, well actually I spent a little time sorting out two of the 9 trains that will fill the storage yard.
     
    In each direction I will have a 10 coach express formation, hauled by a Maroon Jubilee (if they don't shed anymore traction tyres) or a Scott or if I can justify it a Duchess - well it is my railway
     
    So how did I spend my time tonight? Well I did a little weathering of the coaching stock that forms these trains, using my usual simple methods in an attempt to portray trains a little work weary and showing the effects of our typical North West weather (Rain, rain and more rain).
     
    I will leave it to you to decide if this was successful, all I have to do now is wait for them to dry....

    Now when can I get the time to work on the other 17? Until next time as ever Happy Modelling
  23. paulprice
    Well, rather like Topsy, Forster Street just sort of grew, my original plan was to build the layout from 3 equally sized boards to give a maximum length of 9 feet, however when I visited my friendly timbre merchants, I managed to get boards measuring a total of 10 feet.
     
    Not a problem I thought, they will still fit in the spare room, as its 11.5 feet long, and it gives me a little more railway well what I have come to realise now, is that the 1.5 feet of space between the end of the layout and the bedroom wall is not that big to a six foot seven Gorilla like me.
     
    Not a problem I thought, if I fix the layout on tall enough legs, it will not be a problem to duck underneath it when I need to access each side, then I realised that maybe an exhibition layout set 5.5 feet from the ground is not a good idea
     
    Anyway today I moved board number 3 from the Kitchen table to the spare room to be joined again to the other two boards, and what an exercise this turned out to be, after much swearing, frustration and trapped fingers, the boards where finally together (not due to constructional errors, just due to a Numpty like me)
     
    The problem now is that I have to crack on with the following job list before its exhibition debut, just a short list, so not a problem
    1 Completely re-wire the layout, should be simple its a simple track plan.
    2 Rebuild the storage yard to include space for the branch line
    3 Give the backscene on board 3 another coat of paint to tie the colours in with the other two boards.
    4 Get the Domestic Overlord to finally built the "promised" trees
    5 Fit some sort of automatic de-coupling to allow hands free shunting in the goods yard (I may just glue staples to the peco couplings and use perm magnenets)
    6 Sort out the exits for the main lines and the branch through the backscene
    7 Sort out the final list of trains to fill the storage yard
    8 Ballast the last remaining odd section of track
    9 Weather everything in site
    10 Add as many of those small details as I can in the time I have left
     
    Easy or what, I really don't know what I'm worried about (please help your suggestions for any of the above would help) Until the next time as ever Happy Modelling
  24. paulprice
    Its official the Domestic Overlord has confirmed that at the grand old age of 38, I am now a "Grumpy Old Man", and I am almost at the stage you can set your watch by one of may rants.
     
    I don't think they are rants just mild essays into the areas of life that are beginning to grind my gears, and can range from the so called "Pull to open" tabs on anything from Ginger nuts to Washing powders which don't actually work, just leave you with a pointless piece of packaging in your hand, and the products still securely wrapped taunting you...........
     
    Anyway one of my modelling rants I relates to model locomotives, especially ones you see either at exhibitions or in the modelling press, that have either one of the or all of the following
     
    1. No crews in the cabs
    2 Multiple locomotives of the same type with the same running number or name.
    3 No lamps showing,
     
    So in attempt to make sure I can't rant at my own locomotive fleet, I set out with my modelling arsenal of Doom (yes including my favourite Superglue) to improve the situation. My hit list composed of 3 x 4-4-0 compounds, 1 x 8F and finally 3 x Jubilees, which passed through the works to get the treatment.
     
    Was I successful in my aim, not really to be honest, all require lamps as the one I have in stock are actually GWR pattern (yes I have GWR stock too ) and one of the Jubilee's needs a new number and nameplates adding (once I get them ordered as the ones I thought I had I have miss placed), but I do now have Galetea and Trafalgar ready for action.
     
    After all the effort am I happy with the results, not quite but then again I am a "Grumpy Old Man", the grubby Jubilees look ok, but I need to do something about the moulded coal, the coal loads in the other tenders could doo with a little tweaking, and they could to with a little more weathering, but for now they will pass muster I think?
     
    All I need to do now is get some LMS lamps from Sringside and decide on the name for the 3rd Jubilee and get the plates, oh and remove the headlamp accidentally glued to my hand, though its been a couple of days and I'm getting use to it now, as ever until next time Happy Modelling
  25. paulprice
    Well the good news is this will be a very short update, in fact it will probably take me longer to type this than I have actually spent modelling (I can use multiple fingers - the problem is it multiplies the mistakes )
     
    Anyway I have made a little progress on the streets around Foster Street and as you can see the Street lights are starting to go up, even though with the advantage of the camera (pesky thing) some of them appear not to be totally vertical .
     
    I have even started to add a little more interest to the area that climbs up over the tracks to the left of board 1, by modelling a scene of the railing being removed from the front of the stepped terraces. There is a war on you know and metal is metal (I got bored of cutting strips of plastic to made the railings) all I need is so obtain a suitable lorry, so more on this may appear in a future entry.
     
    I really need to improve some of the backscene too, another thing to add to the list
     
    I suppose the time is approaching, when the population of Foster Street start making appearances around the layout, so this will be one of the next tasks to be completed (started at least), speaking of the locals I have not seen that scamp Billy Grimes........I wonder what mischief he has been up to??
     
    Until the next time Happy Modelling
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