Tom F

I've spent the day with a familiar looking layout... Geoff has decided to extend Cwm Prysor. A month ago, @Dan Evason of Tunnel Lane Model Railway erected new extension baseboards, and today I made the first visit, commissioned to do the landscaping and scenery. The first part, was the Welsh Hillsides heading off towards Arenig. Geoff and I have a few ideas which we are throwing around with regarding this area, and how to incorporate some visual interest. Stay tuned....

With the last of the weathering commissions finished for the year, it just leaves me to wish my clients, friends and followers a very Merry Christmas. I'll be back on the workbench on the 2nd, with a healthy amount of work to be getting on with over the next coming months. 2024 I hope to make the business more full time, so I hope to be able to share more examples of my work more regularly. All the best Tom

Recently finished a weathering commission of Nesta. Lovely engine to work on.

Something a little closer to home for me, was this lovely Bachmann 009 Quarry Hunslet 'Nesta', commissioned by @Sir Hadyn of this parish.

Moving from GWR prototypes, this week I've been work on some late LMS and BR Standard types. Both were weathered with reference to photographs provided by my client.

I recently finished weathering two Accurascale Manors for a client. Very nice models to work on, and the green livery was rather nice to work with.

I've been looking forward to being able to weather one of the new Accurascale GWR Manors. Looking for me two arrived from a client this month, which I finished yesterday. Very nice models indeed.

Thanks Tony That means a lot. I won’t take up anymore of your thread, but might post an update in a few months. Best wishes as always Tom

On the back of the recent visit to Tony's, I hope it is ok to share a couple of photos of my layout which recently had the skirting curtain added. Representing the Rev W Awdry's Skarloey Railway. Tony gave me a brief tutorial on railway photography a few years ago, and that has really set me up to the point I'm comfortable with the shots I'm producing. I do no post in my own thread these days, due to the Thomas fandom and it's attitudes towards copyright (one of which messaged me on here saying I should be pleased he was sharing my photos with the wider Thomas fandom, and couldn't see what he'd done wrong). Thanks again Tony, you've really helped me along the way on my modelling journey.

Yesterday, Ben and I travelled down to see Tony and Mo (Ben kindly drove the 150 miles after staying at mine on Friday night). What a wonderful day we had, which I think the smiles show clear evidence of. Great to catch up with Geoff too! I made the comment to Tony yesterday, that this year forms a decade of my visits to Little Bytham, and seeing this wonderful layout expand and grow over the past 10 years. Th hospitality and generosity from the Wrights is unmatched! It is fair to say you been possibly one of the biggest influences on my modelling and photography over that time. Thank you my friend. Speaking of my modelling, when we returned home, Ben helped by adding the black lining material around my layout, before an operating session until midnight. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Another V2 on the workbench, this time it is the newly tooled Bachmann model. Gresley V2 4771 'Green Arrow' Finished to my clients specification 'with an oily sheen'.

Thanks Simon! I like oddities and I’d say 63603 fits into the class 🙂

Two more locomotives for Mike's Walton on the Hill layout. A Thompson O1 and Robinson (with O2 boiler) O4/7

A variety of locomotive commissions have passed through the workbench this last week. First this Class 37, which my client kindly supplied me with prototype photographs to work with. Today I completed two locomotive for Mike's Walton on the hill

My content is still viewable if you wish to find it in my private Facebook group (I believe there is a link further back through the thread) and in future magazine articles. I’ll sign off for now, you guys know where to find me. All the best Tom

Andy is aware of the situation, and was as helpful as he can be, but unfortunately as part of the software update a year or so ago, as the person hasn’t commented in the thread they can’t be blocked from the thread.

Just a brief update, sorry to disappoint.

Hi Tortuga. Have to be honest this was just a brief update and due to my concerns with one user here and the thomas fandom/photo sharing I wont be regular. Please try again Tortuga, I generally turn away requests that don't answer the group questions. Best wishes Tom

Hello everyone. Thought I'd do a little update after so long. What started as a 3ft 6inch diorama is now around 40ft of 2ft 3inch narrow gauge railway. I'm about to add scenics to the next section of the layout 'Skarloey' Station' but the landscaping is predominantly finished for the entire layout. I'm in the process of writing an article for NG&I which I hope to be first of several with the help of a friend who has written books on slate quarries/railways, so I think I'm in safe hands. A teaser in B&W Ominous skies brood over Culdee Fell, as Peter Sam arrives on shed at Skarloey for water and coal. A good raking out of the fire maybe in order too.

Another LNER locomotive up next for the same client. I've always been a fan of a V2. Did a similar method on the boiler as I did with the C1.

Today's commission was a little close to my heart, as some of you may remember that it was an era I modelled back around 10 years ago. Special attention was focused on the paint work, to bring up a nice sheen to the finish.

Some recently finished commissions for clients.

I'm still in shock from this. I hadn't had the good fortune to meet Neil in person, but we were friends on social media and had chatted online, and as a fellow Sudrian modeller, we'd chatted regarding Awdry. I'd hoped for him to come for an operating session on my layout, but sadly that's not to be. I can only echo what others have said. I'm having an operating session with a friend tomorrow. We'll raise a glass to Neil tomorrow over lunch.

Fresh off the bench today. @Accurascale FranDeltic finished for my client. This is the second on I've weathered for them, and with this one they asked if I could remove the allocation panel (as it hadn't been added during their operating period). Superb locomotives to work on.

Merry Christmas everyone. I only dip in here occasionally these days, but always like to keep up with what Tony is up to. No matter what you do over these next few days, make sure it involves some modelling time.