paulprice

I think we need a bigger tin opener

I must admit I have thought about re-painting one of my N gauge halls into war time black, and maybe converting one to a oil fired example but at the time lack of decent research made it a non starter. Oh my god I have just admitted to having GWR stock, is there no hope for me

I think I will keep watching your progress with interest, its amazing how many times I have passed the area in the car, or on the train to central and never paid it much attention

Thanks Andy there is still a bit to do yet to bring it up to standard. I must admit the thought of cleaning all those N gauge wheels is making me think maybe I should move to 4mm and build a shunting plank???

Brilliant, very informative maybe Hornby should employ you to show them how to "fettle" their locomotives into good runners Have you ever considered working in N gauge I know some of my fleet could do with your attention.

Well I managed to spend a couple of hours on the layout today, and I am beginning to realise I still have an awful lot still to do At time like this a modeller should be completing jobs on the layout rather that creating new ones (all the point motors in the goods yard are fried). I set out today to complete the storage yard for the layout and I must admit its nearly complete, all I have to do it finish the branch line yard and the job is a "gud un" and I have the cut and damaged fingers to prove it. I quick test showed that in the smallest of the loops I should be able to fit a 35 wagon train. Excuse the wonky lines, but it seems to work, all I have to do now it fix the track permanently and then sort the wiring for the inter board joints. The next job I need to tackle was the canal, I have been meaning to add the water to this for weeks but never seem to get round to it. I decided that I was going to make the surface from clear pasti-card, so to work out the required shape I used that leading edge technology, a paper template. Once I managed to get the template the correct shape a couple of minutes later I had the water surface cut, a test fit showed that I managed to get the correct shape, the problem was though that the surface was a little low, I needed more water! A few off cuts of card strip soon had the correct level, and a test fit of the water brought the canal boats up to the correct level. All I need to do now is to work on the murky canal water, so I will build up this colour on the underside of the surface, once this is done, If I ever finish the Canal Boats I can glue these to the surface, and then use gloss varnish to add a rippled surface. Next time I think I may use real water it has to be easier, oh and I managed to destroy one of the street lamps Well what about the new jobs I mentioned, well Job number 1 sort out all the inter-board wiring connections, Job number 2 figure out how I can split one loop in each direction so that I can use smaller trains (locals etc) I mean I cant just run long trains can I Job number 3 re-fit point motors in the goods yard, the old one are fried/not reliable. Job number 4 figure out what type of trains to fill the storage yard. Job number 5 colour all the white edges near the canal Job number 6 clean all the track, and wheels I'm giving up now, listing jobs is not a great motivator, and I thought modelling was meant to be fun Until the next time as ever happy modelling

Looking good

I think I have a 4mm class 20 somewhere in the loft, if you need to borrow some proper steam trains to run on your layout you know where I am I must admit it scary when you think, the rail blue and early sector liveries where all over the place as a kid, and know people refer to them as historical, lol I must be getting old

The Domestic Overlord is from near that part of the world so I know how people from down there can moan.... Personally I would have asked them if they remembered "Play School" as if they would like to chose a window I would be happy to throw them threw it....... To think I have mellowed in my old age

The Domestic Overlord is from near that part of the world, so I know how people from there can moan, personally I would have asked if they remembered "Play School" because if they would like to pick a window I would happily throw them threw it. To think I am mellowing in my old age

looking good, now where are the steam engines??

Not a problem As long as the Domestic Overlord does not read this

I did not actually get much modelling done but at least the Domestic Overlord has their jam-jar back, as for a future payoff, I never do things expecting a payoff, I do them because I'm a good boy honest

Atso, what's happening with the day job?? More importantly post some details of your layout, stop making excuses and get modelling

Mad, Mad you say, we just view the world from a slightly altered perspective

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

its just stunning

Yes they are all fully crewed at least I managed to complete that job, I have a lot of lamps to fit, just need to find a local source of supply now

Mikkel - how rude 1, they are not red they are MAROON and 2, run GWR trains, Im supposed to be a railway modeller and surely the GWR cannot count as a railway

I do have a rebuilt scot in my fleet, but one in original condition and a Patriot are on my build list (they have been on it for year though )

Well the Domestic Overlord and I have spent a brilliant few days away in North Yorkshire and returned home today feeling totally refreshed. Then it hit me, its nearly the end of September and the exhibition deadline is rapidly approaching. So I decided to start to overhaul some of the locomotive fleet, four use on the layout, I must admit I thought I had more maroon locomotives but I was wrong, ad two of them are Duchess's not what you would expect to find on a secondary line? The problem is I found this lot lurking in a stock box, and I believe I have things called Pannier and Prairie tanks as well hiding somewhere (all in various stages of detailing - from a past layout built when I was suffering from a head injury) If ever a chap needed an incentive was needed to get the rest of the fleet serviced its the thought of having to use Great Western engines. Oh well only a load of Black Fives, 4F's Compounds, 8F's, 3F's, various 2-6-4 and 2-6-2 tanks to sort out! Now what to do with those green things, I suppose I could use the chassis for something.......................... Until the next time as ever Happy Modelling

If you want somewhere really good to eat in York, you have to visit "Little Italy" the food is stunning the service brilliant, and it near a decent model shop

EXACTLY, I know its free to get in, and I always make a donation for this, either at the point of entry or by buying something from the hugely overpriced models/posters on display as you enter. AND I can almost forgive the idiot welcoming us at the visitors desk with remarks like "we have some lovely shiny blue and red engines for you to look at", as I suppose at least while he is at the NRM his village know where he is.........but what I cannot forgive is the total way they rid off people with their outrageous food prices. I was suffering from a sugar low, so the other half when into a worry frenzy and shepherded me to the café, before I fell over, then I saw the prices and nearly had a heart attack, how can they justify £4.50 for a manky tuna sandwich?? Well it was the shortest visit I have ever made, because I turned my back on their offerings and used what energy I had to get into a coffee shop in York for something to eat. I know some people like myself have wondered why the NRM has wasted money on some of its recent events and rebuilds but I certainly wont be wasting anymore of my time or money visiting the place.