Broadoak

Exhibiting a layout on ones own is not easy sometimes as I explained to my wife you have to suffer to create. A few years ago I did Watford Fine Scale show on my own, one of the members of the Watford club helped me carrying in the layout but I was able to set it up on my own. The club said they would provide me with an operator so I could take a break. I expected a gentleman like myself of more mature years to help but instead I got Demmi, who I must say quickly got the hang of things and operated more than I did. She helped on both days of the show so as you can see exhibiting a layout can be tough at times. Lost photos I'm afraid. Peter M

One of the most enjoyable exhibitions I did last year was at Stow on the Wold which was a most pleasant experience. My wife helped me setting the layout up, but a gentleman with a layout next door ran Two Sisters while I had a walk round outside in the sun. It is a fabulous venue in a charming Cotswold town. The show was very well attended by a record crowd, who came in to view the models despite the glorious weather outside. Peter M

Happy Christmas Rob and Eric. I wish you both luck with your projects. You will not regret taking this path I'm sure. If you need any help just ask. Oh and you will never have any one say " I think you'll find the mark two had a bracket that was bolted on." Regards Peter M

A few pictures taken at the Beds and Bucks open day last Sunday. I always enjoy specialist shows like this they have a relaxed atmosphere and a more knowledgeable selection of visitors. Peter M

A selection of pictures showing a Life like Rock Island SW9 #775 and the BL2 #429 making a welcome return to Benson. The original Life Like trucks fitted the Athearn side frames perfectly as I suspected they might. Life Like really did copy an awful lot from Athearn it would seem. Peter M

All I can say is I'm sorry Eric, but I think in the long run you will enjoy the project you have started. Good Luck. Regards Peter M

A few pictures taken a small exhibition in aid of church funds at Braunstone Leicester. The exhibition itself was inside the church and is an annual event that specialises in small layouts Peter M

Some pictures taken by David Pennington a visitor to the ExpoNG exhibition at Swanley. David has kindly given me permission to post them. Peter M

I am pleased to report the Rock Island Bl2 is running once more following a visit to my bench. I changed the complete trucks with some Athearn one I had in stock they fitted perfectly, in fact they have the more accurate Blomberg truck side frames. I believe the original LifeLike ones were wrong. I have had to use the Lifelike drive shafts and end mechanisms to hold the trucks in place. It runs better now than it ever has I'm pleased to say. All that remains is to paint the truck sides silver, although I may try pale grey then dry brush with silver. Peter M

This little Fordson N or Standard should really be painted bright orange which is the colour they were when built. Ford quickly changed the colour to dark green as loads of orange tractors at Dagenham made an excellent guide for German bombers in the last war. Mine a Scaledown kit is painted the same colours as the ones on the farm were I played when I was a lad. [ Peter M

Coming a bit more up to date this is a Fordson Major E1A, 1951-64 a most successful diesel tractor, although not much more powerful than the tall major in its original form it was more reliable due to a much more modern diesel engine. It also had a six speed gearbox and three point linkage so ploughs and implements could be mounted on the tractor. This meant the tractor was easier to turn and took less room on the headlands in the fields. The model is actually of a 1958 Fordson Power Major a more powerful version that had been developed by Ford. This is a ready made model by United Hobbies and comes ready made if not brilliantly glued together. But for around £20, ten minutes with a tooth pick and super glue to fix the loose attachments I still think it a bargain. The small red tractor is a Massey Fergusson 35 and is fitted with a 3 cylinder diesel. I'm not sure how many gears it has, I should know I have driven one on a local farm. The model is another Universal Hobbies version costing around £20. On Two Sister's Farm she is used for light yard work only. A back view of the Fordson E1A blue colour, showing the three point linkage for fitting mounted implements to. She is used for heavier work on the farm. A look at farmmodels.co.uk site will show the range of stuff available, but be warned tractors are addictive I have found. I have got several 1/16 scale tractors and they are also made by UH and are superb. Peter M

This is a Fordson Major E27N 1945-52 and is an early type without the three point linkage they were fitted with later. This means a 3 furrow plough for instance would have to be towed, in a similar way that a single furrow plough used by horses was. It as run on (TVO) paraffin but started on petrol, then changed over when the engine was warm. They had a three speed gearbox, a pulley for powering stationery equipment, like a threshing drum and a power take off at the rear just above the tow bar. The model is a Scaledown white metal kit and they cost around £70, this particular model is rather delicate so I tend not to use it at exhibitions. The lubrication chart on the wall of the workshop is actually for this model. These are my favourite tractor and as a lad I used to sit on the seat with the engine running with strict instructions not to touch anything, while my older cousin had his lunch. They were often known as tall majors because when sitting on one you are quite high up. It was to give better clearance over crops. Incidentally it is the same model used on my railtractor. Photo M Thornton This is a Fordson Model N 1929-45 a precursor to Fordson Major, it used the same engine and transmission. They too had a power take at the rear. The smell of a tractor running on paraffin is like the smell of a steam engine never forgotten, one that would be good if you could put it in a bottle. The model is also a Scaledown kit and like the major would be used to tow a plough as it had no three point linkage. I remember these as a lad too as the local farm had two of them, the drivers usually stood up when driving them. Peter M

Hi Rob, Yes the track is all code 100 Peco flexible with about a third of the sleepers removed. The points are dead frog Setrack, I tried 7 mm narrow gauge points but they took up too much room in the small area I had available. Most of the rail trucks and some of the shunters run on Athearn chassis, these have five pole motors flywheels and pick up on all eight wheels. So they all run superbly, slow and smooth. Some of the smaller four wheel shunters use either a Model Power with loads of weight added. The Fordson tractor based one runs on a Tenshodo bogie, the tractor is a white metal kit so is very heavy. The little Ruston runs on a Bachmann 44ton bogie. These vary and care is needed when negotiating the dead frogs, but plenty of weight seems to help matters. With regard to the tractors I will give more details, both model and prototype, when I post some more pictures. Regards Peter M

I have reset the camera to the M2 setting which gives images from 400 odd kb to 700 odd kb instead of 5 mb. The only thing I'm not too keen on is the instruction manual is on disc and not hard copy, but then I am very old fashioned and I was a printer in my working life. The quality is nearly as good from a posting pictures point of view as can be seen from the following pictures. Not bad results from a camera on offer at half price costing around £80. Peter M

Hi Rob, I am really chuffed that you like my figures, I just use watery washes of acrylic colour a little at a time. With regard to having a go at 1/32-1/35 I can thoroughly recommend it. When I started Two Sisters I thought about GN15 but I wanted locos and rolling stock with a bit more heft, if you know what I mean. Have a look at the figures mentioned in post no 78 and I'm sure you will be tempted by them. Thanks again for your interest. Regards Peter M

Highpeak, thanks for the information, as you say a raid on the blue box jobs is my best bet. Regards Peter M

Thank you for the information relating to the BL2 Highpeak. I read somewhere they were unsuited to working in multiple but it probably only related to the Rock Island ones that all ended up in suburban service, painted in solid maroon. I think B&A #557 looks very pretty. Regards Peter M

Thanks Rob, put it down to the Camera. It's Canon Compact SX160 IS. I have long admired your figures, it is probably best you don't look at mine. Peter M

I must admit I am very pleased with the Camera, it is a compact Canon and was on offer at half price. Its performance when used for close ups seems especially good. The image files are very large however and I was concerned about reducing them so that I could post the photographs. So here are a few more taken before I try some file size reduction experiments. The area under the rear wheel arch looked a little bare on the Quad so I added a small air tank and its associated piping on the offside. On the near side I added a small wooden toolbox. The men outside the workshop put me in mind of a formula one team waiting for their car to pit for tyres and re-fuelling. [/url] Bachmann V tipper chassis and a rudimentary wooden body made of plasticard with an engine and other items piled on it to be repaired in the workshop. It's Sunday morning and a quiet period in the yard, with the wooden bodied Simplex and Tilly resting between assignments. Peter M

Hi Mike, It seems the gear axle problem has caught up with me. I have removed the body from the BL2 and found that one end, the front was binding at times and making a loud clonking noise. I disconnected the drive shaft to this end and it ran slightly quieter, after running for a few minutes the other end is now clonking. I have somewhere in the loft a box of odds and ends from some old blue box Athearns so I will try to find them and exchange them for the Lifelike bits, should work I think. The hardest part will be finding the right box with the bits. I must say that in over twenty years and a fleet of over fifty locos this is the first problem I've ever had, so I should not complain really. Peter M

2013 was not a good year for electronic devices for me. Firstly my old computer died after some eight years use, then screen packed up and then to cap it all my wife's compact camera cried enough also. It has taken many images over the last thirteen years so I suppose I shouldn't complain really. I have never owned a digital camera, I always borrowed the one belonging to my wife in the past. With that no longer working I have had to lash out on a device of my own. These are a few images I have taken with the new camera while testing the layout and stock in readiness for the narrow gauge exhibition at Swanley. The re-bodied Simplex working in the yard. Peter M

Thanks Mal for your comments about the pictures, I have only recently got a reasonable quality camera, a Canon SX160IS. It was on offer at half price. I like to do low down shots because these make the models look more realistic, although the helicopter shots probably give more visual information. Mike, the workings of the BL2 model look very much like Athearn to me. I seem to remember the model breaking some sort of endurance record when it first came out. It is odd you mention problems with the gears mine has always been fine until a few days ago when it became a bit noisy, I will have to investigate. Regards Peter M

Many thanks Scott, A very Merry Christmas and a Happy new year from all the staff of Two Sisters Farm. Regards Peter M

The next locomotive featured is a bit like Marmite I think, you either love it or hate it. So we have what is not the most attractive locomotive it must be said wearing one of the prettiest colour schemes. The BL2 was a strange beast and when the Rock originally purchased them they were without steam generators. These were installed and the locos used in Chicago suburban service until 1953 when sufficient GP7's were available to take that over. In the condition that the model is in, without the boiler installation they worked in the Cedar Rapids division on freight. The BL stood for branch line and due to the lightly built frames could not be used in lash ups. I must admit I find them rather attractive but I'm not sure why really. The model an early Life Like example was always popular in my exhibition days in the early 1990's because people had heard of the Rock Island Line. Here is a selection of pictures RI BL2 #429 shuffling cars around Benson. Peter M

Sadly my old PC died in early 2013 so I have had to get a replacement. Among the features it has that I didn't have before was the facility to change colour photos to black and white or sepia. The new PC has this option so I thought I would give it a try. I thought it would give a few of my pictures a sort of period look. With such a small layout there is not a lot more you can do. I say my pictures but they are all by Mick T or Andy K of course. Overall I think I prefer the sepia look. Peter M