richard i

Less we forget, war is similar to sport where lots of people have to make decisions under pressure based on imperfect knowledge of what everyones is going to do. It is just that in sport it might lead to a missed goal, but in war the consequences are profoundly greater and the pressure is alos magnified. It is easy to reflect at a distence what should have been done knowing what the other side endded up doing. However, in the heat of it, these were only humans. No one consciously wants to lose, so i always try to consider they were doing the best as they saw it with what they had. Both sides cannot win in a battle.

Really Clive we are British, we don't do praise.

Trying my hand at casting with blue stuff. Cut into chunks and put in hot water. After a minute take out and make the mold In this case some bogie sides which are difficult to get for pre grouping stuff so I thought I would practice on ones for the Gresley stock. No loss if they do not work. Make the second half of the mold just a couple of minutes after the first. I have a feeling making four smaller molds here may have been a better idea, we shall see. Then put together And now wait three hours to see if it has worked. The guide on you tube suggests expo you putty is better than milliput as it has no mess. I had some milliput to hand so tried it. It is messy so will head out and get expiry putty for the second try. It certainly is easy and has a lot of potential. Richard

Plywood / metal. The important thing is you were dedicated enough to make it subtly different. The Thompson is the MTK kit. I actually really enjoyed building it. Does that make me weird?

The last of the transfers! The BR livery southern van Fewer transfers than the earlier versions. Then the guards vans I need to tone down sides with weathering. The CCT transfers made up from off cuts from others. I am putting on record how much of a fight pressfix transfers are. They are not my friend. How does anyone put them on neatly? Lastly the Thompson brake. Lining on an unmarked side by eye, avoiding the handles was a fight. Just got to make bogies for it. Richard

The images of the gwr stock came out poorly so in better lighting Then thought I had not posted the set number added to the quadart . It adds a touch of realism to the end Richard

Might be working but have kids off my hands so progress has been quick. How people without kids do not produce a model a week I do not know. LMS stock Can't seem to find 12T transfers to go between the LMS and the number. Then the GWR lot Can't find a suitable number for the beetle, anyone know one off hand. Also can not find a monster transfer so might have to make my own. The southern started What I appreciate is that these look the same, but Clive had made sure one was same planking, one different sized alternate planking and one metal sided. Great attention to detail. One post war LNER piece Bogies to go. I am working on that. Lastly the NER pair. Correct numbers but the 4 wheeler should have motor and carriage truck on its side. Again I need to think how I am going to replicate that.......without ruining the model with a poor rendition of it. 5 more need transfers then on to glazing. I dread to think how many. A quick maths sum worked out ther are over 100 separate transfers on the quad art alone! How many windows on all the stock here? I am trying not to think about it. Richard

I had found banks webpage, I did also know of mike's offering, but I thought that as I only wanted two and it would have to come to the states it would make them very expensive. On looking again they are about ten bucks, five dollars a piece . Tempting at that price. Thank you for the advice.

Kind words, but always up for constructive advice, it is amazing how a tweak here and a tone down there can make such a vast difference to a model. The finish of my builds has vastly improved by taking an extra couple of file strokes to clean up each join. Came from some advice. Only way to get better. I will look at them again, though the camera never quite shows what is seen in the flesh.

Change of subject. Modeling question. Does anyone know the dimensions for the square roof ventilators on LNER coaches. I am converting a Kirk kit into the cinema coach for a bit of variety. They look to be similar to the ones on restaurant cars or kitchen cars, I could be wrong on this. I want to scratch a pair up. Many thanks Richard

I assume you were most drawn to the two without bogies? They were my playing around to get a heavily weathered, long in the tooth look on a couple of carriages. It is supposed to be dirt rather than the teak. Still too much? I could have a go at taking it back more to the edges. Views? Richard

Trying the camera on the new I pad work forced me to swap to. My old one worked fine and I understood it....a bit. Now have to learn a new one. Any one brave enough to do a quadart in lner teak needs his head examining. First in teak so painting and then transfers for every door. Enough to send one round the bend On the plus side set78 was photographed in Nottingham Victoria on an excursion to skegness, so we can have it. Just have to build the j6 which was pulling it. The others are transferred up too. The last is numbered 4140 as I have decided to convert it to the cinema coach. Black out the windows, boards on the roof and some extra rectangular vents on the roof and we are all set. Now just the other companies stock to do. Richard

I think we all hark back to a golden age. America has done a lot over the statement "make America great again" I do not want to get into its speaker's politics, but the discussion has gone along the lines of when was the USA great? The 1960s? but there was civil rights issues. 1940s? War. 1930s? depression for a great number. 1920s? the Klan, and so on. There is no age that is totally golden, we just have to find the bit we are most comfortable with. For me GCR 1910-1920 fits the bill with a litle LNER 1930s thrown in which is why my layout is a through the ages affair. Richard

GCR chimney were also changed as they were too large to fit snifting valves behind them. So when they werefitted some got a new pot.

After doing the picture, It is now on my to do list so photos once it is done.Richard

A month away without modeling. Previously unheard of. I had to make do with colourising old photographs. It really helped to pass the time on the long flights. Some modern image ones i am afraid, but they have persuaded me to do one or two things. Normal service will hopefully resume shortly. Richard

The chassis looks like the Stanier never built eight coupled express loco. If it is i will be eager to see how it all comes together. Richard

likely a myth but did one manufacture of old give instructions: " Make chassis, Make body, Fit body to chassis, paint as required." Some i have found are much longer than this but about as helpful. Others have been superb, but all benefit from finding a photo...or two of the specific one to be built for further referencing. Richard

Or by length, three wagons on gauge three most likely equate to several train loads of 4mm.

Wait until it is weathered and has transfers, then it will look dead sexy.

The D9 always had the full cab, it was the D7 which had the cab extended just like the J9. Clive you are too much a midland man in GCR territory.

To keep Clive happy. Brown now repainted, found also had orange making, most noticeable. It covers as badly as the red. Also altered the longer version. Can't insert for some reason on I pad today. Richard

The future is uncertain even if we think it is not. I have had to move six times since I started my layout. Sectional boards have been a godsend. That does not mean they can not be built in situ. Richard

The little one has some connection to the SECR whether based upon or actually from, but the notes on the end one say it came from LSWR unless a southern guru can enlighten further as not my area of expertise. Richard

Finally got a run at the roof of the Lms and southern stuff. (Technical Term) Discovered simple trick to paint roof by sticking surplus sprue on to its underside to hold much like on people painting. The break is hidden inside the coach once finished. The Lms stock one still missing axel boxes and springs. If I painted it black would anyone notice? Like Roy jacksons p2 2-8-2 has no rear wheel. Then the southern. First in brown as that was as far as I can discern LSWR colours for these and the a BR maroon van. The green set However these apparently originated on the SECR so one might be repainted....need to find out livery. Last one needs paint job finishing, black ends and subframe. I painted the ends green so I must have seen that somewhere I will check Perhaps they will be finished before my travels. Richard