winterbournecm

They do creak under the 136 tonnes mate! At least they never slipped on leaves on the line.

Another series of pictures showing one of final corners of the layout to be decorated. It's an awkward area to photograph with a train, so here is the work in progress... The area was built up using layers of polystyrene PVA'd together and covered with plaster of P sheets. (The tufts were shown to illustrate the level areas. The non grass areas were then stippled with Mod Roc and grooves added. Once dried, a light grey base was used for the colour and then concrete, brown and dark grey were dry brushed on. White and black powder paint was added lastly. Scatter including real sand, flock and ballast were added to give some relief then the hanging basket liner to the flat areas. The deep ballast boards were then fitted to the front of the area to prevent rock falls!!

After a lull in proceedings, I've been doing a bit of finishing scenery. I've been collecting FGW coffee stirrers with a mind to constructing some cutting barriers along the railway. I purchsed some H section from Kernow models and started constructing the sections. Some have rusted metal H sections, and some have concrete. I'm using metal ones for the branch line and concrete for the main line. Here are some pictures..

Hi mate - thanks it was a clolurful scene on any weekend back in the day. It's either 671 or 675 because of the plate on the side, probably 671. I have found some more which I'll ping over to Chris later. Here's 412 in another guise for you...

Hi fellas - it was great to see you & for you to visit and see my layout. Hope you had an eventfull weekend. Here are some pictures of BZ in your era. Cheers for now

The layout is coming along nicely. I work Goonbarrow box so if you want any photos for reference let me know Cheers CM

Hi Stu - thanks for the encouragement. I used matt black enamel for the roof. I now have the plates and will fit them and then give the loco the matt varnish treatment all over. Once done, I'll weather it and hopefully bring in a more uniform look. I'm planning to give the loco a weathered look, but I never saw 003 looking filthy in this condition. I'll update the progress on gere rest assured. I'm sure she'll fit in fine with the other 4 grey roof examples!

Hi Chris, Damian & John will certainly be there at some time. We are in the middle of a fortnight's annual leave so no work to worry about. Probably pop down Saturday (20th?) I expect. The new buildings are coming along superbly by the way. Has the signalbox starting taking shape yet? The MOM's office with un unique blue bricks would be a lovely building too. As for Sandy Hill, I'm tidying up some last areas to be scenerized and the layout is all but complete - will I keep it for years or start again? Bizarre - but I'be never got to this stage before, and enjoy running the layout. Maybe a continuous run would be nice though hm Anyway here's some recent pictures of 50003 with sexy black roof and red buffer beams, just waiting for the Shawplan plates now and I can start the weathering. Also the other areas I've been tinkering with.

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before - so apologies if it has.... I was interested if anyone knew of any railway ghost stories. I had a macabre book once (which I lent and lost) about ghost stories and hauntings through the years. The main story was Charles Dickens' "The Signalman" which was later televised and featured a ghostly figure emerging from the mist in a creepy cutting tunnel and waving a red lamp, which kept frightening the local bobby. (A good one to read alone at night in the box of course!!) There were other stories too. The ghost that we used to hear about was at Largin box in Cornwall. Some staff are reluctant to talk about it. The story goes that at change over time, the Signalmen would walk 1/4 mile from bird-cage down to the box across Largin East viaduct. One one occasion, on arrival the morning signalman mentioned to his relief that he was followed. Unaware of any other person in the vicinity he was unnerved and they looked back to see a figure in full moto bike gear on the viaduct. There were no trains due, and they we about to shout to the person when they vanished. The story was "sexed-up" to suggest that the figure jumped over the side of the viaduct - but noone was ever found below. I'm sure there are better stories around than that though!

Been a bit of a summer lull in proceedings, not helped by the fact the layout is largely complete. I am trying to wire grain of wheat bulbs to light the buildings, so hoping for some nice harbour night scenes. Haven't had many running sessions either. Maybe it's a dark evening pursuit. Have had some great news though BRM are planning a feature on the layout, so I'd best get tidying up!

My fotopic site has been superceded by smugmug too. craigmunday.smugmug.com I've uploaded mainly the last three years for photos and the model railway galleries as these got the most interest. I'm slowly adding the vintage Cornish stuff too, but having to rescan some images. The captions are the most annoying to have to retype though. Does anyone think a new host may be found, or is this a pipe dream?

Perhaps I should bring down my class 37 power handle for you Damian, that would keep you even more occupied!

Hi there - Trura - sorry about that - it's how many folk pronounce it down west. Bit like Camburn, or Snives.

As promised, here are the Cornish Weedkiller pictures hauled by 37207 William Cookworthy in 1986.

In the far west before the class 20/9's - any traction could turn up on the weedkiller. I'm certain it was the Chipman's train that treated the lineside in Devon & Cornwall. The Cornish leg could be worked by any traction. I have photos of class 37s & 50's working it. The train was normally propelled along the St Ives branch. I have a (slightly blurred sadly) picture of 50018 at Lelant in NSE livery with the train in 1987. I'll scan and upload later (lost with the crash of the fotopic site!!). Craig

The year I went along there was a textiles exhibition in the other building... unfortunately most of the totty wasn't heading for Warley. It wasn't hard to find the queue of patrons though. Reminds me of a line of bus stops bound for the WSR at Taunton station. It soon became evident of which stop it was - looking at the fashion, rucksacks and hairstyles gathered. Hopefully see you at Trura then! Best wishes Craig

I cant recall seeing them for sale in the UK. Dad usually picks them up when he's in the States. Surprising the range of equipment you can obtain over there that eludes UK suppliers.

Many thanks Mark. The bridge is an Atlas girder bridge available from Walthers. Howes may do them - or get you one. It has been altered as it comes single track only. It was a train bridge on my last layout! This is what we've done with two kits and some laminate florring board for the deck on my dads layout

Hi there. You're right. I tend to use bland cars that dont lead the eye, and hope to get away with it. I'd love some Mk3 Cortinas and allegros on show though! I should have more prototypical buses & coaches around, but dont fancy up to £20 on them. I'd rather the trains look the business.

Here's a line up of the specimens...

Peak Practise I obtained some Shawplan flush glazing for the fleet of original Bachmann class 45/46 locos recently. The original Bachmann blue riband locos were fitted with the newer chassis, buit retained the coarse Mainline body tooling. This included poor glazing and the buffers attached to the loco body. I could just cope with the buffer detail, but the windows really bug me. The locos were kept off the layout, as they looked awful compared to the majority of glazed locos. The kits themselves are fiddly. Each loco took around 30 mins to complete. I prefered the full side windows rather than individual quarter light & drop light ones. The bar needs removing to achive this. The secret seems to be cut across the corners, and leave a tiny "film" of glaze around the portion and allow that to adhere to the matt varnish. The windsrcreens are cut away to the profile to make a good fit. Lastly I drilled small holes and added staple windscreen wipers. I think they look 80% better. I intend to add Craftsman buffer kits sometime, but need to think about the couplings.