Caley Jim

Generally I have only seen them in "L G W" livery, which were based in Leith.  The builders were Hurst Nelson, a Glasgow builder, though perhaps nothing turns on that, as Cambrian Kits state that HN's sales extended to the South Coast of England.  I'm using one of their opens in Norfolk!

'LGW' stood for Leith General Warehousing'.  Hurst Nelson and Co were in fact based in Motherwell, south of Glasgow and did indeed build coaches and wagons for all parts of the UK and beyond.  An other builder, based in Wishaw, next to Motherwell, was R Y Pickering, whose products can be identified in photographs by the diamond shaped builders plate.

Jim

Completely unfamiliar with the prototype, but that looks like a lovely paint job, Gary.  Look forward to seeing the next one!    

Jim

Where can I get me one of those!!!! servants I mean!!

My 6 year old granddaughter has one, who carries her schoolbag to and from school for her!  He's called a grandfather!  

I wouldn't like to show her that photo.      It might give her ideas!

Jim

Having looked at the NRM pics again, I'm now  thinking that white roofs would look the part.  I was going to try a mid grey, on the assumption that white roofs just wouldn't stay white for long.

Unless you want them to be in ex-works condition, then some shade of grey would be appropriate.  The longer they had been in service the darker (and 'sootier') the grey

Jim

Hi Ian,

The photos and drawings of Blantyre in the newest TTL (The True Line - Journal of the Caledonian Railway Association for those not of the faith) should give you some clues as to the appearance of the ends.  There have been a large number of stations featured in TTL over the years which will all be on the archive DVD.  I've just got a copy, but haven't had a look at it yet as I am busy with other things.  I do have all the TTL's, but the DVD will be easier to search.

Jim

Well, at last a little more progress on the layout.

The exchange sidings are now bounded by stone walls:

Ground texture has still to be applied to the fields.

The water tank has been fixed in place and bedded in:

Some bedding in has been done along the base of the retaining walls at the goods yard end, the platform end has been fixed in place and the scenic base built up above the walls:

In both the latter two areas some painting work is required to get the ground the right colour.  The DAS slurry dries so much lighter than you expect, no matter how much black powder paint has been added!   I thought I had added too much!

Hopefully it won't be quite as long before the next progress report, but you never know!

Jim

... Its almost as if she thinks I might come up with ideas for more layouts.

As if you would!

Jim

t the end of the day, we're a' Jock Thamson's bairns!

Jim

Aren't we all silly old fools? But why is the romantic notion confined to England? The Caledonian Railway had, at one time, the highest number of journeys booked at an average of 60mph start to stop of any other company!

Anyway, we're in our own little world, but it's OK, everyone here knows us. :-)

Jim

Observe that the backscene is just a plain pale blue, but because the scenic modelling is so good and draws your eye, you don't notice that there is no detail on it.

Jim

Nice article on the big girder bridge and retaining wall in the new 2mm Scale Association magazine, good to see Kirkallanmuir in print.

Thanks, Stephen.

Other commitments have left little time for modelling of late and 'diversions' within the hobby have taken up what little time I have had.  Some progress has been made, however.  The interchange sidings have now been walled round (though painting of the walls has still to be finished off), bedding in of the above mentioned retaining walls etc. has been started and the ground work between them and also behind the rear wall has also started.  More photos once these jobs are nearer completion (which might be a week or two at current rates of progress).

Jim

Aside from its other virtues, the novel centres on a Tontine, .......

There is still a Tontine Hotel in Peebles which was where the various meetings of the Promoters of the several proposals for the Peebles Railway were held.

John Farquharson M'Intosh

So: how do we remove a seven foot tall, by two feet, by two feet cupboard,.......

I was going to suggest 'with a big hammer' until I read the '.......without being noticed' bit!  

I think bribery and corruption might be the order of the day.   Perhaps Edwardian might offer to defend you in the resulting proceedings?

Jim

If it should go back somewhere specific could someone in the know shed light on that? If the GCR never had them let me know too and I will move it to the street scene on the yet to be built corner board.

I too can't comment on its authenticity, but in most photos I've seen barrows are parked adjacent to the station buildings in order, I presume, that they would be handy for their next use.   To confirm Poggie's point, they are generally positioned parallel to the side of the building, or, if at the end, end on to the building.

Jim

I would assume that incoming wagons would have their home companies label and leave with an LNWR one?

Back in the 1960's, while a member of a group of fellow students on a brake van trip to Brechin (then still open for freight), we found some old CR wagon labels in a desk in the trans-ship shed.  One of them was pre-printed 'Live Stock/ Brechin to Bellgrove NBR'.  At first we couldn't understand why there should be pre-printed labels to a 'foreign' station until we realised that the Glasgow abattoir was, at that time, adjacent to Bellgrove station!  Clearly there was regular traffic from Brechin of cattle for slaughter.  I no longer have the label as I passed it, along with some others we found, to the Caledonian Railway Association archive.

Jim

that's Tony Hancock

You mean Tony H-H-H-Hancock.  An that left arm looks as if it's had a whole pint of blood taken out of it, leaving it empty!

Jim

..........designing a couple of small lever frames for the group layout, in between other commitments.  Unfortunately I can't start work on the frames as I don't have the brass strip for the levers.  Hope to pick some up at the Alnwick Show next Sunday.

Well, didn't manage to get the brass for the levers at Alnwick, so had to send to Eileen's for it.

The lever frames for Sauchenford are now built and painted, ready for installing next time I get to a group meeting (hopefully October).  They are miniature, simplified versions of the frame I built for Kirkallanmuir http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95081-kirkallanmuir/&do=findComment&comment=1752300 .  Instead of catch handles the levers fit into notches at either end of their travel.

The frames in unpainted condition.  There is no significance in one of them being a wee bit shorter than the rest.  I must have fitted the pivot tube further from the end and didn't notice until I was assembling them into the frame.

And once painted, ready for installation.

Jim

My layout of a lifetime is still one in which prototypical full length formations run through a generous swathe of landscape.  I calculated that about 150 items of passenger stock and 80 or so locomotives would allow me, with much fiddling to produce balancing workings, to reproduce the mid-week winter timetable for the Newton Abbot to Plymouth section in the mid '30s.  One day, I'll manage it!

You need to move down to 2FS for that!  See the latest MRJ.

Jim

I have taken a couple of trial photos. Poor quality - but you should have seen the rejects!

 

The main problem is that this viaduct is set in a bay window and light simply floods in. Any advice as to speed and aperture settings for such circumstances would be welcome, as I am clueless on photography. 

Block out the light from the window with a blanket or something,either that or take the photos after sunset, and use artificial light to light the models.  You will never get decent photos when the light is behind the subject, unless you light the subject with stronger light from in front as the side you are trying to photograph will always be in shadow.

Jim (not a photographer, just speaking from experience)

...... Jim travel south its a eye opener all those lovely EMU's   

I did get a quick glimpse of Kent earlier this year as we passed through on a Eurostar, but the EMU's are not as nice as the subject of a Neilson & Co drawing i have on my wall here of a 'Bogie and Radial Tank Engine'!  Looks like an Adams Radial.

Thanks for the kind comment.

Jim

...( which everyone knows is Kent           )

That's no' awfy weel kent up here!  

Jim

....whats everyone else up to (other than melting in the heat) ?

Heat?  What heat?  Showers here this afternoon.

Not had much time for modelling recently.  Busy making up orders for my etches and designing a couple of small lever frames for the group layout, in between other commitments.  Unfortunately I can't start work on the frames as I don't have the brass strip for the levers.  Hope to pick some up at the Alnwick Show next Sunday.

Jim

....... Also roof colour - did it start off white?

Any roofs which started off white would not remain like that for very long.  The white used was white lead which very quickly formed oxides and sulphides turning it grey, not to mention the layer of soot they would acquire.

Jim

I have just read the latest update about the Forth and Clyde Area Group August meeting and I am very interested in the laser cut servo bracket. As I don't have a Google account (nor one of those listed there) I cannot post a comment on the FnC blog so I hope that Martin or Andy will se my question here: would be possible to buy two or three of these brackets?

 

Thank you,

I'll send mMartin a link to your post, Valentin.

Jim

 Presumably there was a standard for imperial fasteners.

For Whitworth bolts, the dimensions of a nut are 1½D + 1/8" across flats or 2D across corners, where 'D' is the diameter of the bolt.

Jim