Billy Flathead

Thank you both for the kind comments, there's plenty of modelling because I prefer making things to operating and I'm on a very tight budget. I didn't want to go too dark with the stone work with it being in the background. For the nets I searched rmweb to see how others had done it, from the intended viewing distance I'm very happy with them.

Done some more on the terrace houses, I made the windows at work by scribing the frames, then filling with paint. The net curtains are toilet paper streaked with gray paint and the side walls covered in brick paper.

Still don't have electricity in the shed so I am limited in what I can do. I have started on something to fill the gap between the railway and the backscene, a row of terrace houses, stone fronted, brick behind. I've already made an mdf plinth to build it on. The walls are mounting board with stones imbost with a duff biro and painted with acrylic paint. David

Don't know how good the DJH version is but they seemed to be out of my price range, and I didn't fancy the slab like frames with them being on show on the crab. My problem is I can't leave things in the drawer. I bought a set of Sharman drivers for a fiver and out it came.

Thanks Brian, I'm trying to finish some things and move others on a bit, but the dark nights and no electric don't help. Hi Andy, it's an old Jidenco crab kit that I bought off ebay. It had an extra chassis etch and some other bits that I didnt need which were all relisted, in the end it cost me the price of the postage. The tender has been painted and nearly finished for about two years, the loco should be finished some time in the next decade. David

Not had chance to do much in the shed, the lack of electricity doesn't help. Using an extension from the house, the footplate and cab of the crab have started on. The cab sides are half etched so are very fragile. David

After two house moves in eighteen months I have a shed of my own, a bit bigger than the old one at ten by eight, but without insulation or mains electricity. The layout has suffered a bit of damage to the platform fencing and the track at the baseboard edges, I can't get the track to join up where the two boards join. The new work bench is already disappearing below piles of junk, I need another bench for the lathe and drill and some shelves and drawers.

Good idea to keep it open to a later date. It would be a through route from Sheffield/Tinsley/Attercliffe to Stairfoot and Cudworth so you can run almost anything. In the Rails Through Barnsley picture in post #177, behind the finial, is our school playing field, so if I could see a loco in the sidings I would walk up instead of waiting for the bus. Then walk home through Barrow pit yard.

Great job Brian, love the broken wall and the faded paint. Are you doing the station building and house? David.

Do you mean the big one near the station with the pale green trucks, always a fun drop.

Hi Mike , I do these builders merchants every day and they can be tight at times, but they have artics in regularly and have their procedures for dealing with them, Travis Perkins are usually the best.One branch I have heard about but not been to has a tight righthander to get out, you have to swing the cab round then two forklifts lift the back end of the trailer round. David

Top Tip Edinburgh council workers, too far to walk to the snack van? Simply park in front of Keylines gate, no one will mind. In fact truck drivers love this sort of thing and will show their appreciation by buying you a coffee, indicating their intention by "shaking the beans" in a Gareth Hunt style.

Can't afford the big boys toys Brian, I could see a work space for the hotrod in the middle and a long run through open country around the walls and out into the garden, but it would have to be OO.

Thanks Brian, looked at one last weekend that had a 40ftx20ft workshop in the 120ft garden, but Mrs F didn't like the bedrooms!

Done some more windows and painted the top of the signal box, just the two sliding windows at the front and the three downstairs left to do. The chimney, finials, hand rails and gutters will have to wait until I have a home work bench again, which won't be any time soon as the house is sold and we haven't found anywhere to move to. I won't be going over board with the interior but the signalman has a warm fire and a comfy chair. David

Where was the foundry Brian, I don't recognize it

Hi Brian, glad to see you back with the new layout, always jealous of the space you have but you need it now with the big boys toys. Well out of my price range. Like the stone work and the broken wall, is that the Railway Archive book with all the bridges from Meadowhell to Barnsley. Is that a localy based 37, my old spotters books don't go back that far. You need a DMU, I never took much notice of them at the time but I should have been taking lots of close up photos. Keep it up. David

Thanks Andy, that's a very interesting site. The rise in receipts is amazing, but then there had not been a direct Barnsley Leeds service since the early 30s. l have a Hornby 110 that will be painted blue with a head code, when I get own shed again. David

Thanks Andy, they look a bit one dimensional but are proberbly better than I could do in plastic. David

The signal box top is about ready for painting. I have also made the door and the first of the windows by scribing the bars and filling with paint. Don't know yet weather to carry on with this method or use plastic strip. David

Done some more on the signal box, most of the timber frame is on. I made a roof, but when it was placed on the model it just didn't look right. This is the second attempt, shallower pitched and raised up by adding an extra plank onto each side. David

Signal box top mk2, this time using 60thou for the sides and floor. I've started adding the corner posts and the door frame from 20thou. I will leave it to set for a day or two before I try rubbing the finger prints away. David

Hi Mick, I used only 10thou for the outer layer and maybe had too much plastic weld in some places and none in others which caused it to blister. I've started again using 60thou scribed with planking on both sides to stop it warping. I can only do it in my break at work, so I will post a picture next week when I have done a bit more. Sorry Andy, I don't have official documents of any sort although I am always looking. The local books I have show Metro Camm units taking over from steam. When I became interested in railways around 1980 it was mainly class 114 units with Metro Camms and 110s, what happened between I'm not sure. David

I used plastic weld, which might be a bit too aggressive for laminating, so I've ordered some limonene to try.When I peeled the planking off, the gable end was straight but has since curled up like a leaf, never mind its something to do while waiting to load. David

A rethink is needed for the signal box, I had to peel the planking off of the door end after it blistered. The bits on the front have gone the same way. I will try again using 60thou for the walls an fitting the windows after. David