richard i

if i do a "raised in France" one then i do not need to worry about which was which as they would not have any markings to put on.

The decision to spray paint a batch of wagons has meant that progress has been made on the building front, but the wagons are in the raw. It shows up any dodgy building. There is the war flat and a gunpowder van. the gunpowder van is a reddish colour (alizarine vermillion) that i need to match against USA paint suplies, or wait to pick up a pot when i come back to Blighty in the summer. precission paints apparently do a pot. I will need to make up my own transfer for the Gunpowder van, unless someone does "gunpower van" in black to put on the side. Still at least that is easier to print than if it was in white. Then the war flat. It only has one whippet on it as the other came with two left tracks so GRA models are sending a replacement part (good customer service) However, until it arrives there can be only one. I am not sure the sprung bogies are worth it, a lot of effort and the ride and roll are good but no better than the unsprung ones i have previously built.

I know the Bachmann wagon is later, but if i am building a warflat for WW1 what would its paint scheme be?

great thanks but would they have been plain green or had unit markings or were they sent over to a pool to be allocated to units once in france?

there is a crompton model in the science museum which is a working model. Just push a button. My kids love watching the motion

Steam lorry done. It is amazing how much time can be spent in google looking at the colours of different areas. So much so that i found a full size one for sale......and was tempted. Still not otally settled on where it will be placed in juxtapostition to the weighbridge. It is Pattinson's after a friend who has offered much sage advice, and whose modeling skill i aspire to emulate. Next up a war flat for a nice change of wagon. However, it leaves question after question . What colour were they in WW1? What end did the whippets face, (back to back, nose to nose, the same way)? What colour scheme did the whippets have in the UK- before in theatre paint schemes were applied? Any help any one (Clive) can give would be appreciated. Richard

It is coming along Clive. Can i say having rodded my layout, you are doing it the right way around, fix it then paint it, it is an absolute swear the other way around. Also i pity you all that rodding it drove Andy and I nearly insane. Think ballasting but worse.

Work has been off the layout recently, building a steam lorry, such a nice kit from scale link It even has brake pads and chain drive. It saved me having to make my own. I have always had a thing for these steam lorries and they had long lives so fit well with the idea of a wider time frame for the layout. This particular one was built from 1919 to 1929 and would have survived into the 50s(?) It will be Patterson Pattern makers to be an industry which helps Cluro castings. I just need to make up my own tranfers for it. I have had time to place some sheep, hopefully in a natural way in the first field to be finished. Still got the fence to do along the rest of the embankment and in front of the wood.

Point rodding was in before we came stateside, i did the rods around the signal box and Andy did the rods down the baack of the station. The other one tried to build a building but he does not have the patience.

they blend nicely into the scene as if they were always meant to be there. Out of the 32 how many did you use?

how much help? none, he is far too independent and determinded to master things on his own.

The latest building on the layout. In fairness it was built by my 4 year old son who insisted it was time he built buildings like Dad, it is his first scratch build and he only had the off cuts box to work from and i was not giving him a scalpel. He thinks it looks good here and it should now be glued down i told him we should see if it looks best there before we glue it down.

Yes John would have. The garrett is an impressive machine though it is floppy before going on the track so handling it was interesting. I did like the lighs which lit up when moving. Thanks Thom for bringing them. They did not run on the GC as far as i know but they did cross over it. As for Hogwarts castle, it is on a diversionary route as there was engineering work on the ECML. Prototypically definately happened. Richard

The obvious ones here would be matchboard stock of the GCR which would look great here and lasted well into the BR era, they would go with th D11, J11 and the london extension station buildings, but have yet to appear. You have almost the same issue with LNER days with lack of catering stock etc. I for one am happy to keep on making them.

Always sage advice thank you. ......and so to burning, will need to give this some thought as i live in a building which does not allow naked flames, fake burning will need to be done. I have a smoke wash i could put on but will need to find a picture or two of burnt banks to get it to look right. Richard

more bushes added again from cast off from my first ever layout. Then they were rather unconvincing horsehair hedges, but take a pair of scissors to it and planting it around it gives small bushes, i might paint little flowers on some if the mood takes me to change from all green. I do have an issue with the bank not looking real, it is missing something. But what? Rocks? more plants? definately will be cutting back the bushes comng down from the tree to the tracks, it just does not look right. Richard

Thanks for the kind encouragement, more progress has been made and i will post once i have stopped feeling the need to plant shrubs. Also opened a 6 wheel barake to start work on. Richard

i have just nticed how obvious the rear angle shows of the B5 that the layout is OO.

thanks for all the likes, it helps gives me a second opinion on the layouts progress. Next up is the load for the rail and timber wagon, the rails are a scale two and a half feet short but who will know?....drat i have just told you. Then the goods yard has been worked on. To start with the entrance, gate, fence and scrub. I am finding the camera gets distracte from the latest bit worked on and creates a whole picture, but then isn't that the purpose of the scenery? lastly my next bit to play around with........fences on the embankment. They are not fitted but are being trialled to see if they look organic, for realism. I seem to be on a role at the moment.

Would love to come but it is my duty weekend. I will ask around for cover and might see you there. Besides i still need to fix your Beyer Garrett.

So to playing trains, i am pleased with the affect. I know it is an unworked on Bachmann J11, but it will in time g through the works and detailled, but the basic loco and lining are first rate. Also tried some new photographic angles. It is coming together. Only one untouched area : the goods yard which i will make a start on now. Then ballasting and signalling to go Oh and then little details.....stock....telegraph poles... does the list ever end? No? great!....... more modeling to do.

my aim was to get the trees to look natural, no even spaces, not in a line etc. I hope it came off. I also started work on geting the weighbridge bedded in too. It prompted me to see how it ould look in the end.

I got an afternoon without the kids, it is amazing what can be achieved. First up is some foresting, including some trees from my first layout from 20 years ago. They were ging to be thrown out, but a tweek here and there and some serious refoliageing and they seemed good enough to fit to the layout. The results of planting to follow

This is good news, how do we go about ordering a power bogie? - through DJM or kernow? I am scratch building a GCR railmotor , but the power bogie is defeating me. Many thanks Richard

It is on the dart castings site, but it is under the shire scences brand, this means it is etched brass not white metal. it looks lighter but every angle and all depth needs to be formed by the builder, the wheels are in two bits, the axles are three folds to get the shape. It is worth soldering and cleaning up for strength for the best results. Stlll needs its horse. I have just got hold of transfer paper so may re do the name to make it look better. Richard