Ian Rathbone

Copydex, in a tube, is the way to go. Any hardware shop. Ian R

30926 by the lifting shed at 82G. Ian R

Another ‘Great Northern’, built by Mike Edge. Ian R

This may be true for horizontal dimensions but for vertical spacing it was included. Aesthetically lettering looks better if slightly above centre line, so if the dimension down to the gold, and up to the black, are equal, then the gold part will be slightly above the centre. I use the principal when setting out most lettering and numbers that use shading (or more accurately ‘blocking’). Ian R

Still using Maskol? Copydex is far superior. Maskol starts to break down to a gooey sticky mess after three days whereas Copydex will last for three weeks or longer.

BR used ochre to line both crimson and cream and crimson lake coaches. The same colour effectively was used by GW and LNWR as a stand-in for gold. The LMS used actual gold for corridor coaches and yellow for non corridor, with a red line each side. BR never used straw, except as a lettering colour. The correct colour, as near enough in modelling terms, is a 50:50 mix of Humbrol Tan (9) and Gloss Yellow (69). Select a lining transfer that is close to that. Ian R

Back to modelling - here’s a Brit built by a friend of mine, Pete Silvester. I don’t know much about them but I like the larger tender behind the Scottish ones. This one is to 7mm scale built from the DJH kit. Ian R

The L & Y ‘Flyer’ and the GER 2-4-0 have now been painted although the latter needs its number plates and the former a crest for the splasher. Ian R

Thank you for your ‘likes’. Repton was an occasional royal engine, used for to haul the Derby trains for HM. I have modelled it as it might have been a couple of weeks after such a duty, the brass work now tarnished and a light coating of grime. My thanks to the 82G team for the location. Ian R

My ex LMS 2P, before and after - Much improved. Ian R

Guilplates no longer trade in etched plates, and they are selling off their remaining transfers. Ian R

BR never specified paint colours for ‘non public’ areas so the various works continued to carry on as before. It had been the Doncaster tradition to paint the cab interior and tender front in the main body colour, so it continued under BR. As far as I am aware eight wheel tenders continued to have a green tender front. I don’t know about V2 tenders when the locos were painted green after 1956. Likewise I don’t know the Stratford practice for B2s and B17s. Does anyone in this group know? To complete the picture ex LMS locos’ cabs were black below the waist and white above, WR body colour, SR black below and Light Stone above. I am trying to document the minefield that is the BR livery, so all comments welcome. Ian R

Which page was it? Ian R

I remember criticising the article on an early web forum - can’t remember which it was. Yes, the editor was somewhat upset but, as I remember, there were 103 errors in it, not 50. It was appalling. Happy New Year Ian R

Can anyone tell me why RMweb is now covered in pop-up adverts? What is the point of an advert that covers the content and cannot be deleted? Why does an advert cover my notifications so that I can’t read them? This is a railway modelling site - none of the adverts is related to that, so what is the point? Revenue for the sponsors I presume, but they are bloody irritating. Ian R

I use the tube Copydex - perfectly effective, cheaper and far more convenient. Ian R

Land Rover Deep Bronze Green. Ian R

I’ve just finished painting the GWR 1361 saddle tank that Mike built. Nice little engine that goes well. Ian R

Fox are already doing them.

Regarding the BR crest introduced in mid 1956. It was derived from the crest (the bit above the helmet) of the BTC Coat of Arms - As it is an heraldic device it can only exist in the form granted by the College of Arms but I presume BR didn’t realise that so RH & LH versions were used for both locos and coaches (I have photos of the coach version, and Fox now produce the transfers). The situation only existed for six months so from early 1957 only the LH versions were used (there is much photographic evidence for this). The 1959 date in ‘Blood and Custard’ must be an error. I don’t know how one would decide which side of a coach gets which version. One of the NRM’s many livery errors was to give the ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ a RH crest even though it didn’t get its Crimson Lake livery until 1958. The cycling ferret was NEVER a crest. It was an emblem, badge or logo. Ian R

This must be pretty simple to do from the Bachman O4 - the ROD 2-8-0. The livery couldn’t be easier, plain black all over. This model in 7mm was built by Mike Edge. Ian R

Interesting that you mention a return to teak. In August 1956 I travelled with my parents from Newcastle-under-Lyme to Newcastle-on-Tyne, and thence to Tyne Dock. We changed trains at Newcastle for the journey down to the docks where the two highlights were that I could underline 26501 in my book, and that the coach next to ours had been newly painted into mock teak. I can remember the smell of its new paint to this day. It was steel bodied, side corridor and possibly a brake - my memory is vague on the latter point. Ian R

An update on Humbrol paint. I recently opened new cans of 9 and 69 and they were perfect, both were good and dense. Following the discussion on lining colours, I always dull down the colour, so with yellow I add tan, for white I use a light grey, never vermilion but Humbrol 19, for lining orange I use a can of 9 with a mustard spoon of 19 added. It is difficult to get lining down to a scale width, but dull it down and it looks more to scale. For gold I use Precision Paints ‘Brass’ which goes through a pen beautifully provided it is well stirred. Ian R

Here it is - Impressive model. Ian R

The V2 is one of my favourites too, though I’ve never built one. This one has been built by Richard Spoors from the 7mm Finney kit and I finished it. Ian R