Dave John

Thanks argos, its 10 thou styrene scribed in the silhouette, blade set right down at 1.

Well, been a while but I’m getting there. As promised a few shots of the platform building with the roof off. Useful, they show me where I need to tidy up and adjust the squareness of things. I can add more interior details as the bits become available ( or I make them ) The signage is on bit of copper wire, easy to adjust. Given that it will normally be viewed from a couple of feet away I think it will be ok.

I like methfix, I tend to use about 1 part meths to 2 of water. For getting them in place cocktail sticks which don't scratch the paint. Cotton buds to absorb the excess, and the bit where it says leave them to dry before wetting with water matters.

An impressive urban scene. The whole vista is coming together very nicely.

Very nice modelmaking brylonscamel. I always get in a mess with clay, but those setts look the part. I have been inside the mechanism for the swing bridge, maybe someday it will get restored. ( mainly since it would be fun to see one of those cyclists that ride along there like they think they are doing the tour de france encounter it in the open position and fall into the canal ) ....

It is Bowling harbour on the north bank of the clyde. A few more pics here, the building shown in Brylonscamels pic can just be seen on the left. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-19471-concrete-and-research/ Oh, and since its all about scratchbuilt structures heres a few pics of the viaduct I made for my layout in the style of the Bowling one. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-20017-some-viaduct-pictures/

I have never done a csb chassis, but I quite fancy having a go at some point. I'm interested to see how it all works out .

Oh well, if we are are doing dog pics here is one of the flying pup ....

Thanks for the tip that Historex are stocking Archers rivets. I have ordered directly from the usa in the past, a bit pricey and a 2 week delivery. I find the waterslide type excellent in use; http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-18626-girders/ Took 4 sheets to do all the girders.

Very atmospheric, the excellent buildings blend in nicely with the backscene. I do like the painting, the horse does have a life to it. I just want to step into there with the caledonian pup and treat it to an apple.

All rather impressive, I must admit I fancy a go at this myself since some of my loco crews are a bit artificial looking. Go on Mikkel, do the whole of the GWR Morris dancing team ......

Heh , enjoyed the fishy tale....

Looks like its the olive green livery to me.

Oh, I expect you all know the old "stealing wheelbarrows" tale. Many versions abound, but I think it might make a nice basis for one of Mikkels wonderful cameo stories.....

The devil is in the detail so they say. During the last two weeks I have been making various detail parts for the platform building, but it seems to be going rather slowly. If you look at period pictures of CR stations one thing stands out. Poster boards. The CR fitted a lot of them, and some of the posters have become collectors items. Really, have a look at ; https://www.1stdibs.co.uk/art/prints-works-on-paper/more-prints-works-on-paper/unknown-original-c1910-caledonian-railway-poster-golfing-girl-golf-scotland/id-a_1083043/?utm_content=control&currency=gbp&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuOrdyYKp2gIVYbftCh3TgQvGEAQYASABEgLcQ_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Right so when you have picked yourselves up off the floor I have had a go at modelling some. Micheal Dunn wrote a very useful article in TTL No. 139 in which he gives full dimensions of a poster board he has purchased and restored. I based mine on the information in that article. The silhouette was used to cut the inner frame from 10 thou, beading from 20 thou round rod added and a bit of filling and sanding. Various images were acquired and sized in affinity before being printed out on matte photo paper. Purists might argue that some of those posters would not be seen at the same time as others due to printing dates but sometimes you just have to work with the stuff that is available. Close up and photographed 4 times actual size they look a bit rough, a bit of detail cleaning up to do. Seen from a sensible distance they do look the part.

Ah , the same guitar strings I use for couplings and springs. I too leave them loose and bend the ends up . I'm following all this with interest, as I suspect most pre grouping modellers are. Though you got me addicted to the silhouette, and I haven't recovered from that yet .....

Excellent eye for detail as ever Mikkel. I must get some of Andy variable figures, which you have posed so well. I'm also glad to see you having fun with the silhouette, I'd be lost without mine these days.

Hmm, panniers. Some nice pics there which sent me off on one of my late night odd trains of thought. Numbers 1646 and 1649 were transferred to work the Dornoch branch in the mid 1950s. Now, Dornoch is in Sutherland. Not quite as far North as you can get by rail, but nearly. Which begs the obvious question, how did they get there ? Ok, drop the rods and run them as part of a goods train, but there is no modelling fun in that. So drive them there ? Out of Wales, up the WCML , then through central Scotland , via Inverness, quite a trip. I don't know what the operating range of a pannier would be between stops for water and coal, but not all that far at a guess. I reckon thats not far off a 600 mile trip, so anyone modelling anywhere on the way in the 50s could justify a pannier passing through on the way. Just for fun....

I think you could do that on an inkjet with white transfer paper. Bear in mind that its not the white that is printed, its the black part which is printed round the natural white of the transfer paper. When you cut the transfer out you tend to get a white edge which will need touched in to match the headcode box. If you are using this technique it does need a few goes to get the colour matched to the background, but short of buying an alps printer it is probably the simplest diy method. These transfers were made using white transfer paper, Not perfect, but try getting 1mm letraset these days .... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-18917-cr-diagram-3-wagon-build-painted-and-in-service/ With regard to printers I treated myself to an Epson ET - 2650 which uses liquid inks. So far, touch wood ( Disclaimers and things ) it seems to be efficient in its ink usage. I have been printing a lot of photo quality images for making a station building, seems to be making a decent job of it all.

I had the same issue laminating sections for a station building. After some messing about I ended up using tiny dots of Revell contacta . Some parts of the walls are 5 sections of 10 thou pre painted and laminated. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-20647-walls-and-magnets/ I also had a go at making a viaduct last year, foamboard structure, clad in styrene. The only thing I found that would really stick styrene to foamboard was superglue. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-20017-some-viaduct-pictures/

I decided to move the roof on a bit, seems like a good idea to get the lighting in at this stage. Very simple really , just 3 copper wires with LEDs via fine wire and suitable protection resistors. The internal and canopy lights will be separately dimmable. Easier to show a couple of pics than describe it all. Fairly fine wire, I think I’ll get away with it looking like gas pipe.

I'm no help, but good to see Reeves is still going. I had a happy hour wandering about the catalogue, wishful thinking ..............

Curves. To perfection.

Ah, I had missed that design aspect. That said its something to take into consideration for smaller layouts too. My previous layout ended up with the fiddle yards on an incline as the wall they were fixed to sank a bit. I do look forward to seeing the whole thing in operation, inspiration indeed.

It is indeed very impressive. One thought does strike me though, levelling. Because the layout is so huge might you encounter problems with finding an exhibition hall where the floor is level enough over that kind of distance ? Perhaps adjustable screw jacks on the legs, a benchmark on every board and a laser levelling device or similar ? These might already be built into your overall design and I have missed it while enjoying the scenery ....