winterbournecm

I'm afraid I couldn't help myself. The hydraulics were just too clean... Heres 812 & 7035 having received some liberal weathering at Sandy Hill shops. D1023 is fast morphing into D1021 Western Cavalier, the indicator boxes proudly display 1021 as opposed to double spots. Got to get the nameplates and weather her as well...

I went mad a year or two ago building Cambrian & Parkside kits of Engineers wagons, only for manufacturers to produce them later on . Never mind they are unique I suppose. I constructed Dogfish, limpets, a shark, grampus,and Turbots. I'll upload some pictures later on

Hi This is an engineering service composed of cambrian kits turbot wagons painted in dutch livery.They are loaded with 10 commandments sleeper loads. I can do some close ups if you like.

Rick - pop over by all means. Owen, I havent taken the body off yet. I think it may be a permanent fixture. You could get replacement numbers from Precision labels and make up lenses quite easily...

Goodness, the 70's have certainly hit others "spot" too. They were wondeful days, I was only 8 when the last 1000's left the scene in Cornwall, but dads cine more than keeps them alive for me. The cast number & nameplates on our 57604 are a lovely touch, and she looks grand in green too. The other 57's have cast number plated too from memory - the "Western" lives on. To see Champion growling around the County in the last few years has been remarkable. She has pulled heavy trains (some with a dead loco on the rear) like a tiger and never lost he footing once. Just paint her blue & Yellow now please! Rick, you've helped inspire this era on the layout. I've loved seeing your hydraulics skirting your coastal run and been impressed how you encompass over 50 years of traction. I'm going to stay blue & yellow for now, but a faded maroon Foxhound or Cockade with full yellow ends may be too much to resist!

I collected my Heljan d1023 Western Fusilier from Kernow Models and am delighted with it. I have added some of them attachements, and this is the only disappointment really. The ridiculous shiny metal lamp irons are essential to fit, and are not pre-drilled or painted. I had to faf about drilling a small hole above the vertical grab rail and carefully trim them are they are too long. The brake block attachments don’t fit the holes in the bogie, and will hinder corners so I’ve omitted those. But when done, and lined up with fellow Bachmann 812 & Heljan D7035 I’m back in the 70’s. I’m toying with giving D1023 Precision number blinds as she wears G39 spots from 1977, but I’ll forgive myself that little indiscretion! The last line up like this I did, was Trix, Lima and Triang hydraulics – so this is light years from those days. How times have changed.

Friday night was a running night - what the layout was meant for. Nice to see it in action after doing water & trees for the last month or so. The scenery was almost forgotten as the layout was infested with mainly visiting Brush Type 4's and a new 66068, which whipped up 10 Tilcon hoppers with no hassle at all (just like it's 12"/1 foot big brother. Visiting locos were (Whoppits) 47079 in GW150 Green (my god 25 years ago...), 47581 in original NSE livery, 47361 Wilton Endeavor in grey, 56045 in weathered grey (Johns) 47212 in Petroleum livery (Yogi) 66068 47079 on a ballast working: 66068 on the bullets in the yard: Sequential spoons on the Oxford: 47581 & 582 47079 & 484 on the Postal - back to OOC and 591 on the Paddington relief

Modelling does funny things to your brain. I had a drink in the Sloop (for real) last Saturday. Spent so long studying it in OO form - it was surreal walking into the place! Bit like D it D Par Inn I guess. I've had people asking me where Tregrehan harbour is in Cornwall (via Facebook) - er it's a MODEL, made up!

Hi again, Goodness - they look excellent. I was planning to get a small tub of liquitex just to add some gentle movement, I dont think I'll go for much in the way of waves, as they will be static. As fir the trees, Kris - yes it given a gentle roll all over in a tray of PVA, then a small paintbrush is used to dab the inner reaches of "buds" that dont see any glue. Then the sprinkling starts (the best bit). It's super to see a tree come to life. (Perhaps i should get out more)!

Hi Rick Headcodes have become much more varied in the past few years, particularly for Engineers traffic. The main problem with using letters years ago was the old telephone dial train describers in the boxes. There was only 0 - 9 numbers so therefore only 10 letters available. From memeory they were A, B, C, E, F, M, O, V, X, Z. Once keyboards came into use, the whole alphabet was freed up. Tampers now are J's and each machine has its own identity, so 6J45 will be allocated to a certain machine, and stay with it. The exception are non-reliable Tampers that dont activate track-circuits. These are still 6Z09, 7Z09. Signallers have to deal with thses moves differently. Engineers trips were 6Txx until relatively recently (T for tripper I suppose), But the Western tends to use W nowadays. Ys apply for the high output trains. I'm still amused that everything down the Lickey bank to poor old Gloucester panel is still a V after all these years, the inter-regional headcoses dont seem to have altered much.

Good idea. Sorry a 6Wxx is a ballast train. The xx refers to the train number, so 6W24, 6W25, 6W26 would be all 6Wxx's. The Western region ballast trains are generally headcoded W, except the High output trains which are usually Y's. Er confusing isn't it?

OK Chris, I'll check it out. Hope you dont mind me pinching your idea for drying the trees from a washing line!! On 3 nights at BZ at the moment. Lots of 6Wxx's going up & down the branch 66s top & tailed with 1000 tonnes behind them - would look great on D ITD once the Autoballaster sets comer out - or a touch too modern for you?? Cheers Craig

Had some fun messing around with a flat wagon containing my HTC camera phone and a class 37 propelling it. Here is the resulting passenger's view of a trip around the scenic part of the layout. Luckily it fitted under the various bridges etc... Hope you like it. Plenty on shed to spot....

Things been a bit quiet modelling wise. Managed to make up some Sea-moss trees during a VERY quiet shift at St Blazey. They are a bargain for creating a forrest area, or wood. I cut the trees to shape, and removed the longer stalks, then painted the "trunk" a concrete colour (brown looks false). Once the paint has dried, gently brushed the trees in a dish of PVA glue and then sprinkle flock onto them. This takes some time so dont rush it. Then hang-em to dry. You may notice a novel use of the wifes smalls dryer from the washing line, and some eagle eyed signal enthusiasts may notice lever collars being employed to keep some smaller trees upright!

The second (and final) coat of resin went on today. I have found it falls fairly flat - no matter how much teasing up with a brush you do. I didnt much movement anyway, just a peaceful inlet. I found that by gently sprinkling in some white powder paint into the resin when nearly set, it gave the water a look of froth or movement. I've just got to bring up the sand levels on the beach now, and decorate the shoreline, and it's done (at last) The seweed is now submerged and some relief added to the surface The water swirling around the viaduct piers

I was going to add some comedy moments - like a shark fin sticking out & frantic bathers, Jaws style.... Oh and the Noch topless ladies volley ball team over by the Sloop:rolleyes: . Added some white froth on top of the first layer last night. It doesnt seem to have set solid as well, maybe need more hardener in batch 2. Oh and the missus and kids are moaning about the pong....

Thanks Chris, I'm going to go gently with the layers. The beach "furniture" will be a finishing touch, once I'm certain that the sand level is complete - I dont want the resin higher than the sand! That would look very odd! It will no doubt feature some Noch figures - no the too rude ones though, theres the little ones to consider...

Well guys, all the experiments and thinking done - today I started adding the resin. The house now stinks and I'm in the doghouse bigtime! Lets hope it's worth it. The first layer is only about 3mm deep and allows me to spread the resin lightly over the required area. I have added the bron flock as seaweed beneath, and quite pleased with the result. Some may be just visible on the surface when it's complete. Here's the first stage, like a millpond. After an hour, some movement added with sweeps of an OLD paintbrush. The postal rumbles over the viaduct headed by 47083

Yes - it was in the Kernow cupboard, but I'm not really a steam man.... The Hornby Freightliner flats and timber OTA's were looking good and more my era! Fantastic exhibition though (I maybe biased I suppose), with somethign for everyone.

Tea leaves sounds good. I picked up some "green-scene" fine brown flock today at the Carn Brea exhibition, I'll have a play around I think...

Hi Chris, goodness - you must have read my mind. I was toying of the idea of blackening up some lichen and cutting it into small pieces and setting it into the resin to look like seaweed at the bottom of the seabed. As for froth, I'm not too sure about waves as they're static on the layout which I like to video, and I would prefer a moderately serene surface to the water, rather than waves breaking. This may give reflection like pictures with trains above on the viaduct. I suppose there could be some sloshing around the piers, with currents, eddys or rip tides etc.... Hell this is getting technical now Thanks for the help though it's always appreciated. I may drop some white mixed with PVA & washing up liquid to give a foam effect, this can be easily wiped off it it looks rubbesh.