-missy-

That looks absolutely awesome Bryn!

J

HI.

You are a modelling genius! By far the best miniature engineering I have seen on this forum. That is amazing, even if you sadly didn't get it to work. I'm intrigued about how you formed that plate, especially how you got it to that shape with just pliers, a vice, and some steel rod.

I'm loving the gearcutting, that is something that has always alluded me.

Missy.

It looks really good so far Andy. How did you make the vertical braces?

Julia

Hi Don.

Yes, the tanks are on Shapeways but not available to the public. I have had some interest in the wagon but not enough really for me to justify making them available at the moment so its remaining a personal project for now.

Julia.

Thank you guys

Dare I ask what the conversion components are and how have you solved the issue of farish chassis bearing slop?   I assume it uses etched rods and association wheels.

 

Regards

 

Guy

Hi Guy.

I cannot take credit for the bearings as they are the work of Alan S on behalf of the 2mmSA, it has taken a few attempts to get the dimensions of them correct but I think we have now cracked it. The coupling rods (and wheel counterbalance weights) are etched from my own artwork (and not transparant as Richard suggested!). Fingers crossed all the bits will be available through the association in time.

Julia

Hi Richard.

I am glad you managed to solder the LED in the end. The signal looks really good.

Julia

Thats interesting.

Im looking forward to seeing more on these wagon chassis. Hopefully there are some great ideas there which I can steal. :oP

Julia.

Hi Tom.

Im really sorry to hear you have lost your Dad. My thoughts go out to you and your family.

Julia.

Well for something that is a total mixup of bits and pieces it looks pretty good to me! There is some nice chopping up of bits there!

Julia

Hi.

Its comming together well. What colour are the LEDs? Are they the blue/white ones or warm white? I am still a little sceptical about lighting a layout with LEDs and the colour of them is very 'precise'. The thing is though they are so practical to use.

Julia

Hello Again

Why not ask Mick S about what's in season all at the same time?. He has allotments on Wansbeck and manages a real prototype one within view of his workbench. Should be able to advise on rhubarb with maybe a photo!

Thanks Andrew but I have been looking online and I am pretty confident all the flora and fauna fit into what I am trying to achieve.

What kind of tree is that behind the soldiers in their greatcoats?

Its meant to be a well maintained Poplar tree. The trees and bushes around the station area were looked after really well.

ps the fencing might need the odd slanting in-line strainer bracing to the posts

Fortunately most of the fencing is going to be hidden behind bushes and hedges. I agree that it should have it but you will never see it.

how about a standpipe and coiled up hose and watering cans for the allotment?

Thats a really good idea and I now have a plan on how to make them, watch this space. Thank you.

Julia

Thanks again for all the replies, its really appreciated.

The face of the soldier on the right seems to be 'fuzzed-out' - is he the MI6 man?

LOL! Yes, the faces of the privates have been blurred out to protect their identities! Seriously though, the castings havent really got much in the way of facial details but then they are really really small in real life (the models that is).

Lovely veg patch for the, hmm, Stationmaster - needs some beans and I'll be happy

Beans will be planted soon. Of course it will be a bumper crop, its very much 'the darling buds of may' there.

The field looks smashing really lovely job although perhaps a bit early for sugarbeet - could well be spuds at the time of year that matches the veg patch and it does look like spuds.

Thanks, potatoes it is then! I had a 50/50 choice of potatoes or sugarbeet so I am happy with your choice.

Also need to think about those army overcoats vis-a-vis seasons though

Yes I agree with you Andy. I am sure I can come up with an excuse though...

What date is the model set Missy?

Thats a very good question Julie. I dont really know if I was honest. It seems to be heading towards summertime at some point in the 40's / 50's / or 60's(ish). The whole layout is a mismatch of bits and pieces so its difficult to pinpoint exactly what its based on.

I love somethings, they are especially good when boiled lightly and served with gambon and stir-fried passivate. 

Brilliant Mikkel! I wouldnt expect anything else than an excellently observed and superbly executed comment from you!

Need some rabbits munching the plants in the field though

Now thats a cool idea, thank you. I do have some pigeons to add at some point too.

Tell me, how did you do your fences? they look fantastic

Thanks Owen, they arent anything special. Just some 0.5mm square Brass for the posts with some fine(ish) wire wrapped around them.

Julia

Thanks Guys

Absolutely superb; Looks like someone's sat in the rhubarb overnight though.

Thank you Andy. Yes, I think I will have to plump them up somehow. Like with most things in 2mm Scale, you dont realise how bad something is until you see a photo of it.

May I ask: The rhubarb (and to the right, onions?) how did you do those?  Are they etchings? Homemade?

The rhubarb was kindly laser cut for me by a guy from the Oxford 2mm Group. The onions are small amounts of hemp twine dipped in pva then painted.

I am absolutely no expert but I think you might need to look at if all these things are in season at the same time!

That is a very good point and its something I am trying to do. If there is anything that is obviously out of place then please let me know.

Julia

Why is the cut being made?

I think its probably down to my inability to cut straight when I removed the board from the layout!

Julia

Thank you guys, I am trying my best!

Coming together nicely.  I like the subdued colours, really important in 2mm.

Thanks Mark. I am striving to make everything look toned down, I agree with you saying its important in 2mm too. It makes everything blend together much better.

I had to look up your keyword 'sloath'   According to http://www.riotseason.com/REPOSELP023.htm " Sloath are a sickly, unwholesome, long & short-haired five piece from the south coast of England, brought together by a mutual desire to play the slowest, loudest and heaviest music possible using guitars, bass, drums and chant-like vocalisations."  Perhaps you're a fan.

 

Lovely modelling - I have to keep reminding myself that its 2mm.  Keep rolling

 

Mike

Thank you Mike. Im surprised that people pay attention to my 'tags', kudos to you for looking them up online too I will never disclose my reasoning behind them though

There has been a bit more progress today, I dont know if to do another blog post so soon or to wait a bit until a little more is done. Any preferences?

Julia

Thanks for the post Andrew.

I agree with you about modelling a prototype, its a double edged sword indeed. One one side its easier to get things right as you are in effect copying something that actually exists but at the same time if you drift away from the prototype it gets very difficult to keep it looking correct and obvious when its not.

I am still undecided as to the fate of the tablet catchers right now so have decided to move onto something else for now. I am sure it will becomme obvious where to put them in time.

Julia

Hello Andrew.

Its really nice to see the layout preserved for the future. It took some effort removing it from his loft so its nice to see that effort rewarded by someone taking it on. I really hope you enjoy it and I look forward to seeing it on here and possibly at a show sometime in the future.

Julia

Thanks

(When the northern section was double-tracked, I think all the intermediate stations became 'tokenless blocks'.)

Most of the photos I have seen show that there werent even signals at Highclere in the later years so that makes sense to me regarding the tokens. I am guessing it was through the lack of and serious amount of traffic after the war which meant the change in operation.

Thanks for the vote MP, option 1 is my preferred one but as I have 'chopped' the station around so much I wasnt sure how valid an option it would be. The thought was to plant them inbetween the signal and the end of the platform.

J

Thank you Miss P.

I think the moral of this story is never to bend the truth too much as it gets complicated. That makes sense to me as the token apparatus looks like it was removed when the passing loop was lengthened. To add to the complication I am using the rebuilt signal box which was situated past the end of the platform near the sidings and not on the platform where the previous signal box was.

Its amazing how by tweaking the truth a little, how much it can change! It seems there are a few options...

1. Place the token stuff as per the prototype at the end of the platform and have it a large distance from the signal box.

2. Place the token stuff near the signal box so it looks in the right place although not prototypical for Highclere (but then the layout isnt anyway)

3. Not bother with the token stuff and flog them on ebay or something!

J

Thanks guys

That is interesting because in the photo I have (in that book) it clearly shows two sets of token apparatus at the end of the platform opposite to the signal box (where the signal is in the last photo above) so would this mean the token exchange would take place there away from the signal box? I must admit its where I had planned to put them (well 1 of them until I build the second one) but I am a little confused about it all now. I could put them by the signal box at the other end of the loop by the sidings if it makes it all look a little more realistic but this will be deviating away from the prototype, but then alot of the layout has already done that!

Julia

Hi Guys

Thank you for the replies. I cant post a picture that I have but if anyone has got the 'Didcot Newbury and Southampton Railway' book by Paul Karau there is a photo on page 131 which shows where I was thinking. It makes sense to me as well to have them close to the signal box but from the picture I have of the prototype it seems to be at the other end of the platform to the signal box.

Just a thought, but might there also need to be two sets - one for each direction of travel?

 

Andy

Yes, I havent made the other ones yet!

I don't remember them but I DO remember the research for them!

Castle

Yes, I enjoyed that day, thank you very much for helping me out.

Julia

Usually in the vicinity of the signalbox.

A person of few words! The originals were around the end of the platform (as in the photo) whilst the signalbox was towards the other end of the platform.

J

The problem is that so much would have to be scratch built including wagon wheels (although with the wheel tyres now being available from the Association that might be possible albeit quite expensive).

That hasnt stopped me so far! I have had ideas churning away for a bit now...

J

Brilliant Ian!

The only trouble is seeing this tugs at my heart strings to go and build some broad gauge stuff. I am running out of excuses now...

The way you are building this is ingenious, I will have to borrow some of your ideas sometime (if thats ok?)

Julia

Hello Folks

Thank you for the comments, I know its been a while since my last post and therefore the last work on the actual layout but my enthusiasm comes and goes for it so please be patient. For now anyway, its nice to do some more work on it and hopefully it will continue. Who knows, it might even make an exhibition or two in the near future!

All looking very good Julia

 

I have a vague recollection that many blogs ago you wrote about that yard crane.  If I am remembering correctly, it was an etch and there was some talk of whether it could be made available to others.

 

John

Thanks John.

I sold the artwork for the crane to Nick T of N Brass http://www.nbrasslocos.co.uk/ so it would be worthwhile sending him and email. The last time I spoke to him, he was finishing off the artwork so it might appear sometime soon.

Julia