Les Johnson

Thanks so much Ken, what a great photo. Just need to try and identify some of those vans from the 'ribbing' or lack of it! Can also customise the doors and buffers. Any idea what year this was? After closure by the looks of it. Looks wintry or is that just the grainy photograph?Regards Les ( hope you're keeping well)

Box looking good Ken. Have you finished your Parkside kits then? I'm onto my second van,but still not allowed into the loft! Did you ever manage to get any info on the type of goods vans parked at the side of the shed? Cheers Les

Thanks Rob. I've looked at the rag stone one, but I've already scratchbuilt one for the moment (less chunky than the Mikes Model one). Can't send a photo cause I haven't quite mastered the art yet! Les

No chance of any GWR locos on my Arbroath shed layout!! Les

Latest vid is terrific. Thanks for your best wishes. Apologies for hijacking your thread! Les

Sorry if this fails! First attempt at sending a photo! Les Ps. Crinkles can be as large or small as you want!!

Nice one ?Chris. More than one way to skin a cat! Les

Chaz, I think everyone else has used up all the superlatives, so in the vernacular of the day, it's WELL TIDY! Everything about the layout just oozes quality, from the construction of the base boards to the track, buildings, stock, painting, weathering, everything. Just one point, a few pages back, you were weathering a van roof, and I know you love your talc ( or is it the wife's?) but have you tried to put texture there as per, I think Martyn's Welch? I use one ply of 2ply toilet paper(!) glued on and when nearly dry sand off the edges with an emery board(the wife's)! You could also scribe the roof first with planks(bothsides to avoid warping) and then expose the plank slightly. Or is this overkill? Or is life too short? I should know cause I am just recovering from a heart attack! Cheers and once again thanks for a most enjoyable journey through ?Dock Green. Let's know if you're ever 'oop North' ( Merseyside area) with DG Les

Hi again Ken. No progress from me and unlikely to be for a while. SWMBO won't allow me into the loft since my heart attack AND cardiac arrest at Easter! Talk about rising from the dead!! I'm OK now but taking it easy. Just started a Parkside kit for convalescence, ha,ha. Hope everything is OK in your part of the world. At least being 'ill' meant a visit from my sister with a pair of Arbroath smokies! I have decided that life is too short to change my engine shed from part built 'north light pattern' to as per your drawing, probably regret it later. All the best for now Les

Hi Jason, just spent the last fortnight nearly reading your epic whilst recovering from a heart attack, ha,ha! No, REALLY! It is truly amazing! I cannot believe railway modelling is so underrated, undervalued. It is to my mind, an art form, fine art at that , in 3D. There should be a Royal Academy for railway Modelling, and Bacup would be right up there with the very best. Keep up the good work and don't let anyone tell you it's not fine scale! Fine scale to me is not just about P4 and Scaleseven! You have proved it. Regards Les PS. Congrats on the marriage - it's the first 20 years are the worst then it's all downhill! Ha,ha

Nice photo. Is that the type you will be modelling at Arbroath? The one in my book is at Fort William, a single colum on a concrete plinth, with a hose coming out of each side, with some weird ironwork hanging off the top box? Cheers Les

Greats picture of double column in Treacy's Routes North, have you seen it? Les

Thanks Ken, that'll do me. The box is along way off. I need to finish the shed and it's environs first. Cheers Les

Hi Ken, do you have the Arbroath and Forfar book? If so would the signal cabin in the photo be similar to your Arbroath South box? Cheers Les

Thanks Ken, I got to it that way. There seems to have been a lot going on at that junction at one time? Cheers Les

Hi Ken, many thanks. I can't access that site but never mind, I'll take your word for it that there's only one ground disc. It will save me buying any more! With regard to the column, if the stove and the top 'box' (?) Are the same width as the column, that would explain it looking slimmer as nothing appears to jut out. Would the column face the track as in your platform photo? Cheers Les

Hi Ken, bought the Arbroath and Forfar book, made a start on the water tank and brick support. Hope I've read it correctly! Water column looks thinner than the NBR one. Could they have changed it at a later date? Also not being very au fais with signalling, would every junction in the shed yard be controlled with a ground signal? Regards Les

Hi Ken, can't thank you enough once again! One of these days when I'm a bit further on, you'll have to explain to me in words of one syllable how to attach photos. Many thanks again Les

Ken, really sorry to bother you again, last time for a while! Promise! Can you just measure the Mike Models water column for me? Height without finial and diameter of column itself? I know you model in OO but I can convert to O and guesstimate the other bits? Sorry for being a pain! Cheers Les

Ken, thanks so much for info and photies! Now all I have to do is emulate your NBR column! And wish I had been born sooner. Ahh, the nostalgia............ Or is it the alcohol? Cheers once again, Les

Thanks so much Ken. I'll be ordering that book today! I do have pictures already of the sand drying shed , one of which just shows the end of the bothy. Do you have a full picture of the bothy? Was it just a long single structure or was the roof stepped halfway? I didn't know there was any coaling stage? Would they have just manually filled tender from a coal wagon? Excuse my ignorance! Is the 'standard' NBR water crane the square topped one that you built or is it the round topped one I have seen elsewhere? Regards Les

Hi Ken, looks excellent on the layout. Your modelling is really neat. Another question on Arbroath shed complex - do you know anything about the water tower? What pattern would have been on the tank? Might it have been like that on the Far North layout? What colours might it have been? Would the building have been of brick? How big is your loft? You seem to have crammed an awful lot in there! Regards again Les

Sheds looking great Ken. Can't wait to see it installed on the layout. Many thanks for answering my two queries also. Most helpful. Better start building more vans! Hope your health problems are now resolved? I know it's late but happy new year to you and yours. Les

Hi Ken, any more progress with your engine shed? Mine is progressing exceedingly slow, although I have managed to scribe the front wall and the entrance with bricks! Only windows and roof to do now, ha,ha. Do you know from your plans if there were any 'internal' pits? Do you know what the 'two' long sidings in front of the shed would have been used for? Cheers Les