paulprice

Mikkel - thanks for the kind comment, like most of my modelling it looks a lot better from a distance, and if you turn your back to it . Once I have decided if the factory looks/fits right, I will start to add a little more detail, which takes up huge amounts of mu modelling time.

your storage yard puts my layout to shame, that reminds me I will have to actually finish my storage yard

The Domestic Overlord is definitely plotting something as I seem to have been given a lot of freedom to "play with my trainset", only time will tell what evil, nasty machinations are planned for me but for now hay ho As a result progress on Board 3 has cracked on at a pace, and I have not glued my fingers together once (nothing to do with the fact that I have not been using Superglue, the Domestic Overlord has confiscated my supplies and my hidden one as well). Anyway using my new favourite material, card I have built the girder bridge that carries the railway over the canal, put the base of the canal in (though it may need raising as its a little deep), and I have managed to build another factory. So being a "busy little Bee" I may even get round to finally finishing off the canal barges I started several long months ago, where does the time go? Once I have decided if I actually like the factory, it will require lots on detailing and of course weathering, I can see the job list getting bigger. At this rate there may be a risk of actually getting the board to basic level before the November deadline, of course now I have said that something will go wrong. I think I have discovered one of the reasons the Domestic Overlord has allowed me to use the kitchen table, it appears its closer to the cooker, I must go now, as the boss has just posted his dining requirements for this evening........must go as culinary excellence doesn't just happen by itself. Until next time, as ever Happy Modelling

The picture are brilliant, though I must resist the temptation to model a GWR terminus, must resist, must resist, must..........

The Standard 4 looks brilliant

I may be going over the top, but I reckon if I find myself a lookie-likeie like the chap in the Iron mask (no I'm not wearing an Iron mask, though some have commented it would improve my looks ). Then I an basically live in the spare room feverishly working on the layout, while the stand in does all the domestic rubbish, ER I MEAN VITAL DOMECTIC DIY AND GENERAL DOGS BODY DUTIES.

Perhaps starting a new project it just what you need, and the coastal terminus idea sounds interesting, I take it your still going to use 00 gauge

Jez we should be at the Weston 2014 show, that's if I ever get the layout finished Normally I sneak of to the spare room too, which must be incredibly well sound proofed because when I am there I cant hear a thing. The Domestic Overlord had allowed me to work on board 3 on the kitchen table, supposedly because it will be easier for me but I can smell a plot brewing...................

As you know from previous blogs Foster Street is made up of 3 boards, the first contains Foster Street station and Goods yard, and the second covers the transition from the urban sprawl to the start of a more rural environment. In my mind at least board 3 was to be the easiest to complete, to my mind at least as it was just supposed to be a representation of your typical Northwest scrubland So with Foster Streets exhibition debut rapidly approaching (November) I have been slowly working through all the important jobs left on my to do list, like deciding upon a form of auto coupling, or finishing the storage yard, of the electrics, or some of the finer details etc. So when the Domestic Overlord, commented that seeing as I had been a good Boy recently, I could spent some time on my "trainset" like all good modellers I set out to finish some of the more important jobs. That's where it all started to go wrong, suddenly being presented with officially sanctioned freedom from the Domestic Overlord, I decided to work on the storage yard. So getting all the required tools and equipment ready, I set off to the kitchen form a pre-work coffee, before I knew it I was hard at work......not on the storage yard but a complete re-work or board 3. Yes before I knew it board 3 was sitting on the kitchen table, and I was mixing some plaster and pva in one of the desert bowls conveniently located not far from where I was working. My plan for board 3 was to have the scene made a little more visually interesting by having a lowered section, which would contain part of a canal and warehouse/mill and the area crossed by the railway on a bridge (yes I now all highly original). I had got quite a lot of this work completed, but to be honest I was not happy with it, so the offending areas were removed and binned. So before I knew it the majority of the offending original work was removed, and I had a good base on which to start improving the scenic area, I mean adding green stuff how hard could it be? The areas of new plaster can easily be identified, and they still require a further coating to refine the finish, and then another coating of the green stuff and the jobs finished. So whilst waiting for the plaster to dry, I set about making a list of the jobs I need to complete for this simple scenic upgrade.... 1. Cover the new areas with grass/bushes. 2. Blend the area in with the existing green environment. 3. Ballast the track. 4. Decide upon what type of bridge will cross the canal. 5. Build the bridge 6. Build the canal side. 7. Add the water to the canal. 8. Build the Warehouse/Mill 9. Finish the backscene. 10. Lay the track for the branch 11.....................................OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE to finish this lot I will have to be more than a Good Boy I will have to be positively Angelic, now how to conn, I mean convince the Domestic Authority of this???? Until the next time as always, Happy Modelling

Bangers and Mash Bangers and Mash Bangers and Mash

Roast Spuds should be part of your 5 a day,

I want spuds I want Spuds

What about the Roast Potatoes

I the words of the great Harold Steptoe, "you dirty old man"

your all dirty old men lol

Well I set off to the spare room to do some work on Foster Street and its Exhibition debut is looming (Its not until November, but that's not time at all). So with all the best intentions in the world I set off to the blast furnace that is currently our spare room. I think it must have been the effect of the heat, but before I knew what I was doing the controller was fired up and I was as the Domestic Overlord puts it "Playing Trains". Despite its age and its inaccuracies I must admit I have a soft spot for the old Farish Compound, so much so that I have a few examples in my loco stud, all modified to try and improve their appearance (mostly fitting the tenders, with coal, a crew and a light weathering). I know their haulage power is not great but at the head on 3-4 coaches they can look the part, A couple of examples from the fleet, where soon employed on local passenger, and showing the correct head codes, I keep meaning to convert a couple of these into 2P locomotives, I mean all I really basically have to do is remove the cylinders, how hard can that be? I think though that I may have to obtain a couple more examples. Some people and you know who you are, have accused me of having just LMS locomotives, but I do have a few locomotives from the lesser companies, and occasionally I give them a run out. One of which is my kit built version of a J39, nowhere near as detailed or as refined as the latest Farish model, but it will do for now. looking far too clean (I think in need of a better paint job), a train load of decent LMS coal is stolen for use in inferior LNER fireboxes. Not just content with stealing decent Lancashire coal those pesky people from over the Pennines have resorted to stealing trainloads of decent Lancashire black puddings, I believe they eat some strange food over there Well now I have probably started another war or the Roses and have that crazy "White Rose" mob screaming for my blood I'm off to work on the list of jobs I MUST finish before November, so until the next time as ever Happy Modelling

I must admit I need coffee too, Its just a little frustrating being a "pre-nat" modeller, seeing almost constant releases of post 1948 models and then when something new is released that does not fall into category it appears to have a very limited or specialised area of operation. I understand that retailers have to make a living, but sometimes I just have to apply a little hard nosed logic to my purchases, its hard enough to justify spending £100 for an N gauge loco to the Domestic Authority when they make comments like "but this 00 stuff is twice the size is it not better". That's even before I take the new purchase home and strip the factory applied paint finish off to repaint it. I suppose the answer could be as others have suggested, is to take the easy route and just model 1948-68 like everyone else appears to do but who wants things to be easy?

Regardless of how much discount these attract at the point of release they are still very expensive models and must be a major chunk of most peoples modelling budgets. I know the level of detail now on the models particularly coaches is fantastic, but I hate to sound like a heretic do we really need it? I mean I really appreciate the detail but from usual operating distances do you really see it? My Farish Stanniers are fantastic, but couple them up to my old Ultima models and from the usual operating distance I cant tell the difference. I must admit to sometimes being a bit tight (prudent) when it comes to parting with my cash, I know I am not alone, but have you noticed how many of us ignore the initial releases of products, and wait, and wait until retailers get twitchy and pick up models at the "desperation must clear stocks" prices you quite often see? I know someone who wanted a string of MK1's, initially he was looking at about £120 (practically £20 each), waited a couple of months and picked the models up for £13 quid each, which is almost the old Farish MK1 price.

your right, I have plans already to add two black examples to the fleet

I don't understand why we had Scotts Guardsman in LMS black, a few years ago, then the same engine released in LMS Maroon, what a wasted opportunity, all I wanted was a Jubilee in LMS Black, oh well, perhaps your right about trying to stop supporting N gauge. What I have noticed is if you look at 00 gauge, is the amount of "new" stock of releases two or three years old still sitting on the shelves in shops and not even discounted? I must admit I want an Ivatt 2-6-0 but every time I go to but one, I see the 00 version and feel a little short changed so leave the shop empty handed.....dam the 00 gauge lot

I wonder why I felt at home

your all a load of veg eating hippys