richard i

They are worsley works etches for the floor, sides and ends. The rest you make yourself. Luckily I was offered some d&s etches for most of the bogies. I hade to use one as a master to make an extra one. they were enjoyable to build. richard

Yes corridor side. It is more relaxing to look at as it is less busy. The frosted glass with coat of arms are fitted to the other side. richard

Kit building, if not locos, these are as near as finished as I am going to be able to get them. Any more accuracy to prototype has either been stopped due to lack of prototype information or lack of skill on my part to replicate the prototype, mostly in the painting department. the are another 5 but most would have to play spot the difference to know that I was not just putting up more pictures of the same carriages. Just as I can not tell most Mk2 carriages apart. to keep it on topic, care was taken with their assembly, which is why it has taken about a month to build each carriage. richard

The insides are in and the carriages have all been turned to the correct orientation. you can see the carpets if you angle the carriages and catch the light correctly. So definitely worth it. as usual you do not notice that the insides are fitted, but it is obvious when they are not. trimming the floors to fit did give me an idea how to get the brown on the solebars. Paint up very thin plasticard and lay that on as a sort of 3D transfer. It is all sunken and in shadow so it may just work. then it is on to the green Howard’s 2-4-2 to see if that can be brought to life. richard

The carpets are in. I drew the line at cutting out the tassels on each corner. I am looking at how to do the brown and black on the solebars. The transfers did not work. The colour was not deep enough. Painting the brown with masks of 1mm wide strips of masking tapes over the black did not give straight enough lines and it still leaves the gold line. How to do that. My bowpen work is very poor so if that is the only route then they are going to have to have everything else done except that and then come back to it when I feel more confident. just thinking out loud, any mileage in LMS lining? It is black and straw around the edges. I just remember from using it years ago that there was no edging lining, I had to paint out one straw line. ideas? richard

This one there are about 8-10 drawings of various carriages or rakes of carriages. All useful. Also information in the text. richard

On the most detailed drawing we have the flooring. third and smoking have an iron plate. Those could be made, but will it be seen? the first non smoking had....tiles.....carpet I could do that as a paper coloured in. Simple but what colours? worth it? I would need 5. It would be a couple of days of diversion. I know most are saying put people in, they would be more visible, just two per carriage would be another 14 to paint up. Not sure I have that many seated people richard

Not when you consider that some can build a br maroon carriage in 3 days including painting, or under a week at least. richard Home made. I found a design of mug. Printed it on paper to scale and then glued it around a plastic rod. The coffee pot/ tea pot is round plastic rod of various sizes. Cemented to each other. They are more impressionist than perfect, but should give the illusion looking through the carriage window. Others go further. Clive models the bacon in the frying pan. richard

The detailing begins. the prints are real ones. the bar has a mug, teapot and real gcr postcards, the map is the gcr one plus pictures. too far for something hidden inside a carriage? what else could I do. The filing cabinet in the station has an open draw with papers in it. this might explain why my builds take a long time. richard

I agree with all of your points especially this one. I would also suggest looking back at Spanish flu. It took a couple of years of uncertainty after it and then there was the roaring twenties, which for many years has been attributed to coming out of Ww1 but because of COVID has been reassessed as more of a response to the enforced social distancing imposed. Therefore exhibitions could be few and quieter for 2021/2022 but by 2023 will be running again. For me the change will be in what is there. More diesel and electric layouts, less br steam as memories of those prepared to exhibit are from those era. richard

Compartments taped off for the white uppers to the compartment dividers. Ready for painting. then pictures mirrors and seats to paint. have also printed my first transfers for the solebars let’s see if they work otherwise it is plan E for how to get the detail wanted. richard

The last interior has been built. it is much narrower than the Others because of the way the d&s body goes together. If the roof had been made to come off then it could have been wider. However, then I would be chasing the gap between ends and roof. you pays your money and you take your choices. Now to paint and fit with a bunch of paintings and mirrors. I am drawing the line at luggage racks richard

Always the better solution, no matter how painful it is in the short term.

Almost good enough to place and leave perhaps cover the skin with brick sheet. richard

If you dig a bit it is amazing how many were sighted on the GCLE. There is a photo of Edward Thompson at Nottingham Victoria in lner livery en route to marylebone for naming. If you want to change the numbers but not the name. richard

That has given me inspiration to tackle my B9. well done good modeling richard

Careful, you are making it sound very tempting. Once travel restrictions are removed you might find yourself inundated with requests. richard

Different height docks, not seen that modeled before. makes sense though. richard

I got a bottle of wine when I left. I must have worked in the wrong place. richard

Most drawings miss out the under frame detail and bogie detail which complicates building models. richard

The seat colours really stand out in that light. richard

Good to know, though part of me feels if I am going to put them in I should have a go at making some as buying them seems a bit like cheating on the bar as it is all off cuts of plastic so far. Have I got any clear sprue to cut a glass or two from? richard

The buffet car. went to town on the bar, but no turned beer bottles....yet. the plasticard has got dimpled where a bit of cement was used. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to when it does. richard

3mt?

The second set. perhaps the end of may is optimistic for making them all. Then this time of year is always busy at work. This year especially. richard