Edwardian

Save that the little 'chap' is Jamesdóttir again, I couldn't agree more. The Shetland goes by the name Kipper. He is a right so and so, though seemed to take to me, for some reason! The Offspring came 2nd in the fancy dress, too, despite spending less than a tenner on foam-board and (hopefully) washable black paint. Artistry by the Mem. Budget modelling! And guess where the foam-board off-cuts are going? Yes, that's right, into the landscape of Castle Aching. Waste not, want not. Version for Kevin: Waist not, wont not.

Well, borrowed pony, borrowed horsebox, borrowed jacket (the Mem's), borrowed tie (mine), but she got there and rode well for a first timer (double clear rounds on the jumps), and had a wonderful time! And, yes, the Zebra was ridden (by The Boy). Very modellable building in the background. Light Railway in the Yorkshire-Durham borders?

Kelvedon Tollesbury Light Railway. Not a tramway, but famously in later years the repository for a couple of W&U tramcars. Before this, however, c.1905, it had its own tramcars, converted from old GE 6-wheelers, which also seem to have supplied about 50% of the structures on the line! Great collection of images here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0IzumB7tUw

I find that the GER is very well supported online, which is helpful, as I don't have any books on the company. I have learnt a lot about GE wagons from Basilica Fields, and GERS has some wonderful articles online, which really helped me to mug up on GE carriage development. Really like that IWC tank, Kevin. Bunked off work this afternoon to drop in on the Smallest Fry's first gymkhana:

Jim, is there not a famous house/cottage somewhere, round for the same reason? Oh, but I forgot. There was something at Redcar of relevance to CA; a GER horsebox. Marske today enjoyed the luxury of a little 0-4-0T to shunt for the train engines. She needed to get at some fish trucks to be added to a passenger train, but had to dispose of the GER horsebox first. The train engine, a BTP, did not have to exert itself beyond running round, while all the shunting was done for it.

What a wonderful church. I don't know where we might fit it in, but a great building. I like the fact it's clearly been b*ggered about; makes it all the more interesting. The photographs were excellent and the notes were very useful, as they included both some key dimensions and an explanation of how the top of the tower should look. Is there room for a Saxon Church to defy my Norman Keep? More tempting stuff. As far as CA is concerned, I have been researching suitable components for locomotives and GER wagons. Interesting, but time consuming. Went to a show at Redcar yesterday. Lots of inspiration there too. When I grow up, I want one of these:

Great idea. Unfortunately, my old shaving brush is my current shaving brush.

I have neglected my duties in order to go gadding about once more. Yesterday I went to Cleveland MRC's exhibition at Redcar. This had the great idea of only presenting layout set in the North East. Among these were 2 set in NER days. I make no apology for posting more pictures of Marske, it is a superb layout and I think I managed pictures that were a little less gloomy this time. This is O Gauge and set in 1915. The layout is operated end to end as the line is blocked by a derailment. I noticed that the locomotive on the breakdown train had changed! A new layout to me was another NER prototype location, this time modelled in P4; Danby, which was exquisitely modelled.

Excellent project, and one I must undertake too if I want to complete my 1930s GW coach collection properly. I am glad to find someone prepared to admit to an approach to such projects similar to my own; bold strokes launched from screwed up courage, punctuated by bouts of nerve-serrating terror. Look forward to more.

This is good news. These are wonderfully characterful prototypes. I need to start saving for one of each. I hope I become one of many new customers for these kits.

The end reminds me of some LBSC craven coaches, e.g Bluebell No.35, which has no vertical beading!

Any suggestions as to who might produce components similar to the following. I imagine several will be non-starters, but there may be some close enough to a proprietary accessory. I suspect Alan Gibson's range is the most comprehensive these days, but is not illustrated so which Midland Johnson dome or safety valve bonnet, for instance, is best, I cannot tell. I think the RT Models MW chimney, tapered safety valve cover, and buffers will be useful. 5and9 Models do Sharp Stewart buffers If there is anything particular you want to know, it's just possible that I might have looked it up, so PM me.

Off topic, but does anyone know of someone interested in a bit of casual labour? We need to address several things in order to get our house back onto the market. The property is near Peterborough (we are not!). If anyone knows anyone who is prepared to take on the work, we would be most grateful. Manual dressing on thatch roof. In parts there is moss. This needs to be pulled and scraped off, and then treated with a ph neutral moss killer. This will be several boring days' work for someone. A man with a van? We have a Luton's worth of boxes (including an old ex-exhibition layout and back copies of the RM!) to shift from Peterborough to Darlington. It will take a day of loading, driving and unloading. Laying carpet tiles in 2 rooms, each approx. 10' x 10' Replacing a plaster ceiling in a room approx. 10' x 10'.. Making good and decorating a boiler and laundry room. Where an internal block wall has been taken down, we need to make good the floor, walls and ceiling. A new block wall needs at least painting. The boiler room needs repainting. Thanks James

I think we have two distinct Sharp Stewart types pictured here. Surveying the examples of which I am aware, thus far I believe that I can identify 4 distinct types of Sharp Stewart standard gauge 2-4-0Ts. For my ease of reference I have categorised them based upon the size of the driving wheels, thus: Small 4' Class - This I believe should include Works No. 1924 of 1869 (LB&SCR Hayling Island/Inspector), and 2 locomotives supplied to the Jersey Railway, works nos. 2047 and 2048. I have yet to confirm the dimensions of the Jersey twins, but firmly believe that they will turn out to be the same as those of Hayling Island. The right-hand picture in Post 1452 is one of the Jersey locomotives, in later life in Suffolk. If Kevin is throwing down the gauntlet, this is the smallest of the standard gauge Sharp Stewart 2-4-0Ts of which I am aware. Large 4' Class - Same wheel sizes but longer w/b for a larger locomotive with wider boiler barrel. A quartet was ordered, for some reason, by Craven of the LB&SCR on behalf of a Tunisian railway! Only two made it sandy-side; the Brighton kept one (2242 of 1873, Bishopstone/Fratton, pictured above) and Jersey got the other (2241 of 1872). However, I believe that Works No. 2578 of 1876 was also of this 'class'. This is Watlington & Princes Risborough Railway No.2/GWR No. 1384/Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway Hesperus. 4'6" Class - Of this type are the 5 locomotives delivered to Cambrian Railways between 1864 and 1866. This is the familiar type for which GEM makes the body for the 3 that survived to be Swindonised. Mainly Trains does the chassis and Quarryscapes does 3D printed bodies for the 'as-built' and Cambrian re-built versions. There is also a locomotive of 1875 owned by the GER that appears to be identical to the original appearance of the Cambrian 5, save for a rather GE looking stove-pipe chimney and her GE number plate. 5'3" Class - These were the 4 supplied to the Barry Railway in 1889-1890, 2 of which went to the Port Talbot Railway and 3 of which were rebuilt as 2-4-2T. Also of this type is the similar locomotive supplied to the Neath and Brecon in 1893. See post 1410 on page 57. The Metropolitan Railway D Class was a group of six 2-4-0Ts built 1894-1895. Kevin posted a picture on Works no. 4077 at Post 1408 on page 57. To my mind the boiler looks fatter than on the Welsh 5,3". I don't have dimensions for the D Class, so I don't know whether they are of the same types as the Welsh 5'3" class or whether we have a fifth, distinct, type. EDIT: Wonderful painting of the Southwold, Kevin. You have to love a town with a brewery and a light-house stuck in the middle of it. Wish my in-laws still lived in Suffolk.

Ah, you have to love a line terminating at Boot.

Not sure I need a 2-4-0T quite this small - they're even smaller than the Cambrian Gem/Quarryscapes type (if I may use such a shorthand) - but that sounds like a challenge!

Well I don't have any books specifically on Sharp Stewart. I have simply picked up stuff on the interweb and from books on other railways. Quite a few companies had SS deigned locos, as well as contracting out the building of their own designs. The Metropolitan, Barry, Cambrian, LBSC and GER, not to mention the Jersey Railway, and some Light Railways, all had 2-4-0Ts, for example. I just love these little fellas.

No problems there; the line is part-owned and backed by the GE, who donate old stock, but, the Bishop's Lynn tramway is a GE line that feeds into the WNR system so it's W&U with a dash of K&T! This weekend I resumed building, using Shadow Dave's pictures of the Ostrich, Castle Acre.

Some inspiration for the Bishop's Lynn tramway, courtesy of Alan Price's Outwell Village, snapped today at Thirsk.

At Thirsk today, where the highlight for me was the 7mm Scale 'might have been' portrait of Seahouses. The Northumbrian coast is given a wonderfully bleak atmosphere. I think this is a superb layout, and I enjoyed talking to its owner.

That is good to know. Thank you. I have a photo (Tatlow book!) and a drawing with dimensions for the Mac K. It had struck me that the Dapol Lowmac was perhaps close enough to form the basis of a conversion, but I had not acquired the kit and checked against the drawing.

Well, I would say that I am glad you have posted some more figures and that I like them very much. It is easy to overdo highlighting and shading, and sometimes an excess of technique, dry-brushing, inking or dipping or outlining, can lead to a more or less stylised figure that is ultimately no more realistic than one painted in flat colours. I would say that your effects, which show up particularly well in the lower pair of photographs, are subtle and, therefore, appear most natural to my eyes. I can offer another contribution in return. I have finished some more Aidan Campbell. They are a bit bulky, but full of character, though the faces of the children pictured lack finesse, shall we say. I also found another Mike Pett Supercast figure, this time the flower seller; she is my tribute to Mrs Cobbit, late of Trumpton. By way of contrast, I have tried to back-date a couple of Dapol figures, Geoff (right) and Bert (left). Height and heft wise, these are one of the better matches to the 'true-scale' Stadden Edwardians, so should mix comfortably with those. Slightly taller, but not too tall, are the nominally 1/72nd Preiser 1925 airline set, which I have converted to produce a Naval Rating (arms re-positioned, and kit bag), Delivery-man, Horse-man (converting overalls to waistcoat and shirt and Greenstuff flat-cap), Yeomanry officer, and Lady (a 1920s lady provided with lengthened skirt and boater). Finally, I found some Victorian Naval Brigade figures. They have no railway application, but I painted them up for fun, as the subject appealled.

Agree. It would fit the bill and be logical, because one would assume that the Station Master's garden lay behind it.

As I mentioned a few post backs, I have allowed myself to become distracted by the Victorian Navy. All good painting practice, though:

Thanks. That is interesting, because I was planning to buy the Dapol kit to see if I could bash it into a GE Mac K. Clearly great minds think alike ....