alderson.eric.j

Dear Brian, Thanks a lot for the comment about our "demo" at the MRC stand. I know it's not often easy to "break" the barrier and start to speak to visitors as an exhibitor. I may be also guilty of having it easy as I have worked for 20 years in a Library and now 5 years in a book shop in a major Belgian city. But if I'd have an advice to give you for when you arrive at a demo stand, is to first look what the chaps do, then get away a moment to think about the questions you'd like to ask, then ask them to them. often, as you show interest to what they do, they'll be more inclined to engage in a friendly chat about their modelling & techniques; but also do not forget that it's sometimes hard for people to get over their natural shyness there... Hope you've enjoyed your chat with us and we hope we'll see you next year. Eric, one of the two "Belgian chaps with the silhouette"

Thanks to Bluebell Railway & the others for your photos & videos posted here & on the web. Thanks to you I'll be able to see many a layout I was not able to see... As I was doing demos at the MRC stand, only had 30 min. to eat plus 30 min. for shopping each day as I detest leaving for more than that due to respect for the visitors who had to wait to ask advises on our techniques (CAD-CUT with Cameo cutter & lasercut...) Eric, MRC London.

Nah... Better go "Daffy Commando" style : A goid heavy hamler down the bonnet with the characteristic "Schultz" barked by the eagle-offizier ;-) In fact I never answer those kind oh "hate-msg"... Morons are best answered by silence ;-)

Hi there, Thanks for your kind comments. Glad our explanations of the use of laser cut, cad-cut with the cameo & 3-D printing in railway modelling to build structures were useful to you. If you've got any further question, feel free to send me a message and, if I'm not able to answer, I'll forward it to my friend Jiffi (John Francis) who will then answer your questions (I'll act as translator, as his English is not yet as good as mine - he's working quite hard on it, still ;-) I think also I'll start a thread on building structures with those techniques, as I'm bound to built the Ingatestone station building for the OO layout at the MRC, as well as working on Five Arch Bridge Signal box and, later, other structures for Copenhagen Fields... Again thanks for your kind words, Eric and Jiffi.

Thanks, Andy. I bought it via Internet. It's made by the French factory "Zébulon". They produce two type of stone patterns (pack of 5 A5 embossed Canson paper sheets) and also some plaster brick molded plastic plates (about 1/4 A4). Just check the "Zebulon" embossed paper range there : http://www.zebulon-vpc.com/produits-pour-le-decor_11_papier-estampes_.html(sorry, only in french). There you can also directly purchase the sets that are for HO scale (1/87) but are still good for OO scale. Eric.

Hi everyone, This is my latest modelling project : Cottages fronts in OO Scale. Foamex basic structure, covered with Zebulon embossed paper stones, Goover Model tiles roof, doors and windows handmade with Evergreen strip styrene and 1/2 mm thick plasticard. the gutters are from Auhagen, and the chimney top from Wills. Next step : painting & weathering + adding an interior complete with lights for some of the windows. This building will be ultimately part of a diorama to display weathered GWR models for the 1939-1945 era. Eric.

Well, another solution is diluting a lighter blue colour with water & alcohol to create your own "blue wash" and then apply it on the cab. This worked well on my models before Vallejo released a blue grey model wash colour... Eric.

Wow... This looks impressive ! Just need the perfect backdrop (a building undergoing renovation) and it'll be a show stopper ! Cracking work you've done there, and the weathering looks quite good too, just the cab that seems a bit too "clean" for my own taste, but that's just my own opinion... Eric.

Wow. Looks really great, and the effect of the black wash on the grey parts of the lorry deck is just excellent, depicting how dust & dirt soils such a surface in real life. All I'd advise also is that you use a blue wash on the blue parts of the truck (cab). I use the Vallejo Model Washes for the same purpose : toning down a paint job and reproducing the look of fading, aged paint. Also, the black wash mixed with blue wash and a bit more diluted can be used a bit like China Ink in aircraft modelling : darkening the panel lines ! All you'll then have to do is simply add a bit of dirt & mud on the truck's underframe and a bit of natural umber on the deck (represents well sawdust); Here is a photo of a HO truck I weathered with weathering powders and washes (homemade washes, as the Model Washes were not available when I weathered this one) to show you what you can achieve with the Washes. The two tarpaulined loads were also painted using the washes. I simply brushpainted them white (using Vallejo Model Color's Foundation White) then brushed on three various colours of model washes (Light grey, dark grey and black) to create the aspect of an old and dirty tarpaulin. The last step was of course a drybrush of Vallejo Model Color London Grey mixed with Foundation White to highlight the edges of the loads.The black car on the left just received a coat of matte varnish, then a few washes of dark grey and light grey to age the paint. Hope those little advises will be helpfull to you. Eric.

Relly looking great.

Ahhhh... You really remind me of what happened to me when I was building "SiMais" (my old HOe layout) back in 2003 for Expométrique Paris. I was soldering a few last wires from the layout to the control pannel, and the solder iron rolled out of the table, and I too grabbed it by hand by the wrong end... I'm sure my yell and expletives were nearly the same but the fact they were mainly in French and in Walloon dialect... The bad luck being that it happened just a week before the event in Paris, and I had to operate the layout and perform weathering demonstrations with the middle of my right palm looking more like sizzled bacon than a normal human palm... The good side of it is that it became an inside joke, as I entered the "Défi Gemme" competition, and finished third !!! (the joke : seems I always have to hurt myself if I want something I'm doing to succeed... friends even nicknamed me at the time "The Clumsy Belgian Modeller" - or CBM for short...I'll say that it went with a Bang !!! )

Thanks. I definitely plan to detail the interior of the shed. I even plan on detailing the whole roof superstructure (beams, etc.) as I want to be able when taking a picture through the doors to have the same view as the ones I have on the pictures I took there last year. And about Ally Pally, I was indeed right in front of the LNER Society stand, and right beside the one of Wrenn models... Even found me there three ex-War Department wagons in BR livery I plan to paint back in WD colours for my future GWR 1944 layout. Cheers, Eric.

Hi Enginelane, Well, just came back from Ally Pally, and lounging a bit in front of the computer in my B&B room near Tavistock Square... And Ally Pally indeed treated me a hell lot better than well. You'd tell me I'd start again the same exhibition next week-end I'd say "Hell Yes" without a second thought... This was the best experience I had in an exhibition in all the years I've been attending to such shows in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. This was my first one on this side of the Channel, and all I can say is that I really enjoyed this new experience. I've posted a picture of the stand in my thread (Leddysh Gate's Workbench) as well as a picture of an N scale Amtrak diesel loco I weathered yesterday. Today, I worked on a Dapol Drewry Shunter (C-Kit) painted in BR green livery... The second kit will have to wait a bit, as I plan to modify it to match several pictures I found on the Web... Cheers, Eric;

As a solution to this problem, why not using a fresh wash of paint as a base. Let it dry half way then either dab on or sprinkle on the paint. This base of paint will fix the weathering powder on the surface. I often use Vallejo Model Wash paints as both a base and also often use it after applying the weathering powders to enhance the fixation of the powders and also add more variety to the colour. See below an example on this HO scale bogie weathered with this technique. (Note, you can also use the Humbrol Washes if you prefer). I also like to mix the weathering powders with some sepia Game Color Wash from Vallejo to a muddy consistency, then applying it carefully on a still fresh coat of model wash paint to depict rust or dirt stains, for example on this NYC boxcar for the rust near the structural elements of the body and also where the paint has been scratched by the gliding door when opening. Once dry, you'll have a more textured effect than with paint, but also a stronger pigmentation than when using dry weathering powder and spraying varnish or fixative (this firstly removing some of the weathering powder and also reducing by 20 % minimum the colour strength of the pigments...) - The glossy aspect is due to the fact the paint had not totally dried when I took the picture... Hope this will help. For those who'll be in London next WE, I'll be glad to show them how I do this at the London Festival of Model Railways where I'll be holding demos (stand 61). Eric.

Ah, but I'm not coming by car, but by Eurostar (easier for me from Belgium as I live just beside the main railway line from Liège to Brussels) and all my stuff for the exhibition holds in a "normal" trolley suitcase. I have a metallic toolcase for my paints, tools and paint stand (homemade, a bit like the Humbrol one), another to hold my rolling stock, spare place for the computer, camera, and an empty backpack to carry back some furnitures home (mainly tea I can not find in Belgium, and also a small stock of British delicacies like some Shortbreads and also some Potted Stilton for my boss... - I know, I'm a lost case when it comes to tea and typical British cooking ) We'll see if I can attend some other shows in the UK with my weathering demonstration at Ally Pally. It'll be a "première" for me holding demonstrations in English for two full days (as I'm more used to "perform" in France, Belgium and the Netherlands...) But definitely I'd be glad to get up north next year. Could you therefore already tell me when and exactly where the exhibition will be held and the conditions for exhibitiors coming from the other side of the pond ? I'd be really glad to attend and hold demonstrations of my weathering techniques with the Vallejo paints. About the "conditions", if I may, I'd tell that when I go in France (like Mulhouse or Paris), the exhibition holder take care of the hotel costs (A Ibis Budget or other Budget hotel is fine with me - In London I stay in a small budget hotel near Russel Square - and all I always like is to have a healthy English Breakfast in the morning before going to the exhibition...). So if you're interrested, I'd be glad if you can send me all the necessary informations for me to enlist for this show. I'd try to stay then perhaps a few days in London on the return leg, using the opportunity to relax and do some "shopping" there... Thanks again, Eric.

Gosh ! That's just perfect... Really like the result you got with the weathering powders. Would you be at the London Festival of Model Railways on March 22 & 23 ? I'll be there making demonstrations of weathering with Vallejo's paints and weathering powders... If you're there, I'd be glad to treat you to a Beer and have a chat about our respective techniques... Eric.

Wow. That weathering is really "Spot On" ! I really like the dirt effects on the side of the wagon... Did you use weathering powders ? I'm using them mixed with Model Wash paints from Vallejo for such effects to just add a bit of grain, or only use model wash paints when I want more subtle effects. I'd be quite glad to know how you achiedved such a result...

This really is looking good ! I really like your coils !

Wow. This building really looks great ! Thanks for explaining how you've done the ridge tiles. Eric.

Wow. I really like the roofs, and the weathering you've done on the painted one is quite good. Eric.