Dave John

Hmm, RTR caley ? Mind you , conversion to EM and goods black ..... Still, if it gets folk into pre group modelling its a good thing, and then there is the excellent caley coaches kit for anyone that wants one in the meantime . Anyway , sorry to wander off topic a bit , back to enjoying Bens conversions.

Lovely. Those con rods are perfect. I polished up that handle so carefully, That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navy............

I think tiles. The evidence for this is a photo by Stuart Rankin of Partick West from which examples of the green and orange tiles used there were recovered. Also John Paton in his articles for "The true Line " also described them as tiles. I think glazed brick came into use a bit later. Certainly most Glasgow buildings from the 1890s use tiles on a sand and cement render over ordinary brick. In terms of size they are about 8 inches long, a bit smaller than a glazed brick. Much is still in evidence, numerous closes in west end tenements ( known as a wally close round here ) employ that technique and many are still in a good state today. They tend to be sheltered from direct sunlight and the original colours are well preserved, thats how I acquired the master photos for those.

It has taken a while, but I am now reasonably happy with the tiling. So here is a completed bit of wall, nothing like harsh close up photos to show all the errors. The tiles are printed on photo paper then given a coat of a photo matte uv resistant sealing spray. I have no idea how stable these things are long term. Time will tell I suppose. I think they will look ok from normal viewing distances.

Well, being self employed or running a small business is damn hard work. I have had good service from modelmaster over many years. Actually the same goes for most of the other small businesses that cater for the specialist end of modelmaking. If any of the small businesses in that trade decide to slow down a bit and deal with stuff on a bit slower basis then thats fine with me, I do in some ways look back to the days when you sent a letter with a list ( cheque enclosed, with some firms I would trust even an open cheque ) and then a small parcel arrived a few weeks later. So if anyone in the trade decides to just potter on and work at their speed rather than the one click instant world we now live in I for one am fully in support of that.

Those look very good, much clearer than the commercial offerings.

Just slightly damp cotton buds Mikkel.

Its a real building ? Honestly, I always thought it was a model by Allan Downes......

Thanks. I think the tiles are a bit too red, difference between the on screen image and the print. I will get some matte photo paper and see if its better. They are actually a photo from a close up the street built early 1890s, so the pattern and patina should be about right.

Interesting Corbs. I keep looking at maps from the Edwardian era, the thing that hits you is the sheer quantity of railway lines. The area around Empress docks is so typical, I see the same quantity of lines in all the old Glasgow maps.

So I have been making some bay windows. A few false starts but I think the ones I have ended up with have come out all right. Looking at the way the platform building was constructed; it is essentially a set of regularly spaced lateral girders holding up the roof supported by brick pillars. Th bits in between can be thought of as curtain walls , and the most symmetrical bits are the bay windows, hence the reason for starting with them is that defines the areas in between. Anyway , first thing some fancy windows. As ever the silhouette helps, effectively scribing all the astricals. I then ran some dilute ink into them and some paint round the edges. The inner and outer frames are added on the flat. helps to pre -paint them. So there we are just cut them out and stick them together. The dado is made up from 1mm quarter round with a strip of 1.3 mm 10 thou stuck on top. The walls were brick, but the L&D tiled them. In the case of Partick central brown below the dado, white above. They were laid in the same pattern as plain bond brick, but were smaller. The bit shown is experimental, not happy with it yet. Oh, and I made some chimneys based on photos of the originals. Really, simple plain ones? Heh , I wish…… Slow but useful progress.

If you are visiting the museum walk out from the city centre and along the edge of the exhibition centre. The big stone wall supporting the railway is worth a look for its sheer scale. To the north of the museum the railway crosses the Kelvin. Nice girder bridge. The Kelvin was effectively culverted by the construction of Partick Central for the L&D in the 1890s. As a very early mass concrete structure it is worthy of examination. As to the museum itself. Hmm. If I start commenting I will say something which would be thought of as distinctly politically incorrect. Really, probably one of the best model ship collections in the world and most of it is in storage? I must shut up before I say something like " its naff and laid out by folk who have never worked on a railway locomotive or a ship and would phone the AA to change a wheel on a car" No honestly I didn't say that .........

A couple of pannier tanks even ended up in Scotland. I notice that you have "Revell contacta " on the bench. So thats two of us that use it a lot. Odd stuff, but smells of lemons and tastes sweet. Which leads me to think its a limonene compound in a gel. I really like it as a plastic glue, it is slow and gives enough time to adjust stuff. Unlike the liquid solvents it stays put, MEK like things just flow all over and set too fast. Anyway, enough of glue tasting, good to see you chopping stuff up Corbs.

Nice. I like the mortar in the brickwork too( 3rd pic) , some of the best I have seen modelled.

Well, stuff on the traverser stays there, but I am very careful about shutting out direct sunlight. I have had bleaching problems with all sorts in the past. As a wise man once said " If it wasn't for Venetian blinds it would be curtains for all of us ............. " Sorry.

My worry is scrap etch. Over the years I have made all sorts of things from the bits left over from etched brass kits. But what if I run out ? Really somebody out there should start selling etches of usefully sized scrap etch....

Heh, I bet there are bits of the tramway still buried under the tarmac on South Street Ian. Certainly feels like it when you drive down it though officially the rails have been lifted. The CR lines along the embankment are now a walkway / cycle path, come the good weather the Caledonian pup and I will walk it with a camera and do a blog. There is a good burger van just along from where the photo was taken. Satisfied customer etc .......

I keep popping in, my blog shows what I am doing with the silhouette. Really I wouldn't be without it now. I have done stuff which I could not possibly do by hand, so thanks all for the research.

Reading with interest. I have tried focus stacking and so far I have failed. So keep discussing it, I might find out what I'm doing wrong ....

First place to have a look would be over here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/63-electrics-non-dcc/ To give any advice people would need to see a trackplan and know what sort of pointwork you have.

I find IPA is fine. Years ago I looked at rtr track cleaning stuff. Custom pads, special liquids, cost. So I knocked this up from junk box bits. The pads are roll up filter tips dipped in IPA Place the finger on the manual traction and force adjustment device ( ok, the drawing pin on top ) and push it round the track, easy since the wheels guide it . The pads are cheap enough to be disposable.

google "wellington statue glasgow pics" for a veritable archive of examples. Just a thought off the top of my head.........

I have had another go at the valence, new blade and a revised set of cutting curves. The elements still need cleaning up, but overall a bit of an improvement. So that let me push on a bit with the roof. Just some snapshots to give an idea of what it will look like in position. Still a long way to go. Having got to that stage I think its time to have a think about the building itself

Well, a similar 4-4-0. Fixed rear axle, beam from second driver to bogie. Split frame bogie for pickups, 3 point compensated bogie. Ok, I'm not a painter, but it never stalls and handles 8 coaches with ease. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2091/entry-18429-some-maintenance/

There is something very satisfying about soldering brass etches up to make small things. I made that langley one up years ago. Ok, the benches are a bit odd, but I model Partick. They would nick a GWR bench for the back close on the way home from holidays. Justifiable load for any CR cct ......