DavidMcKenzie

Cracking shots there Andy. Brilliant modelling. I am always motivated by how well you do both the detailing and the 'overall picture' or feel. It looks so life. Thanks for sharing. All the best Dave

Nice job on that class 90. The new model from Bachmann looks superb and I like the job you've done on rebranding it to freightliner. All the best Dave

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed

All very good points. I often forget these thing's, I currently live and work in Germany and both here and in Switzerland the % of people modelling n guage (or at least spur n which is 1:160, but very similar) as well as the people modelling cantenary is very high compared to the uk (although 10% in the uk does sound very low). I have heard from clubs and trade shows that here n gauge has grown over the last 20 years because of the huge improvement in quality of rtr stock and the space limitations so many people have. So maybe with time it will also grow in the uk as I suggest the problem for finding space is just as applicable in both countries. As for cantenary, I think there is just less fear of it here and once more people start doing it it becomes more 'normal'. I've just started a small section of my layout and even as a beginner it's not overly complex or difficult. Although a very interesting discussion, I am a bit concerned that we are moving away from the topic of the post which is the model from Bachmann in OO.

I don't think anyone was suggesting to "whip one up", I most certainly wasn't. I am by no means an expert, but I would imagine the process taking around 3-4 year's when you look at current initial announcements to when the models are actually available. Just the process needs to start at some point if something is to be achieved and all credit to Bachmann for putting into action all the background work that has been required to make such a lovely model. I agree with you that not everyone resprays models. But personally (despite not being all that good at it) I very much enjoy the process of respraying models. researching photo's etc., noticing all kinds of details I would otherwise have totally missed, attempting to improve my painting/modelling skills and learning about the railway along the way. If anyone does respray one of these model's I would be very interested to see it and appreciate the effort that's gone in. I'm amazed to see that somehow this interesting part of the hobbie is so negatively interpreted as a "complaint". There is no complaint from me at all, especially not at Bachmann and the brilliant model they have produced and all the hard work and effort that must of gone into making it look so good.

When you see how well the OO model is selling, combined with the other wcml stock available I'm surprised someone hasn't taken notice. With revolutions business model there is also much less risk to the manufacturer. I know I would directly take as many as I could afford. With respraying as a fun part of the hobbie there are about 10 different liveries I could happily fit onto my layout and I'm only doing a ~5 year time period. Over the 30 add year life span of the class 90 the livery and sales potential is huge. Maybe we just need to develop a shrink ray for use on the brilliant Bachmann model . All credit to them for developing such a brilliant model as well as taking the financial risk. It's part of the reason I feel the need to find a way to justify having one. Keeping it about the brilliant OO model does anyone have plans for a respray of this Bachmann model?

Being an N gauge modeller (due to space limitations at home) I am mightly jelous of the beautiful new class 90 model from Bachmann. What you have done there though looks really really good and has given me a bit of motivation for a way that I could justify buying something that will never run on a layout . All the best Dave

I just stumbled across this. Great to see your efforts at Sarah, brought back some good memories of the 100th anniversary run to Chesham. I must of been 2 or 3 year's old at the time and I can still remember all the excitement from that day. All the best Dave

Great picture Duncan thanks for posting. I agree about finding a picture first, I did that for the intercity and virgin 86s and it was very useful. I was a little complacent with the rdf one after the other two went ok and the end result is perhaps slightly less realistic. That railfrieght distribution livery on the loco at the front of the pair is maybe an interesting one for a respray in the future. All the best Dave

Possibly over did the weathering a bit. Someone might know better than me, but I don't remember the 86 rfd's on the frieghtliners to be so heavily weathered as this. I was going for a contrast to the passanger 86s that were left lightly weathered last week. To go with the two class 86s from last week I had a go at a DVT. The base model is very nice, but also looks a bit 'toy like' if it's possible to be both of those at the same time. They were often run with the cooling open at the front. I didn't dare cut holes into it, but with some black paint it looks ok. The close up is a bit brutal, but from a normal viewing distance on the layout it doesn't look too bad. The buckeye coupler is a nice touch from Dapol as well. Unfortunately it doesn't seem possible to buy the detailing kits separately (or the DVTs new anymore). Both of the DVTs were second hand and each came with half full detailing kits. I had to self build a few of the hoses and jumper cables from wire for this one. I'm not sure if my skills are upto a scratch built buckeye coupler for the virign DVT. All the best Dave

Layouts looking great Nigel. You've achieved a lot in just one year. The AL6 / Class 86 models from Dapol is a brilliant model isn't it. Always great to see the AC electrics on a layout. All the best Dave

Wow. You've posted some great stuff, but those last shots beat them all for me. They look amazing. So life like. Brilliant, brilliant modelling. Keep up the good work. All the best. Dave

Something like that it was a failed attempt at a freshly cut hayfield. Goes to show how bad it was when it could be confused with cow drawn ploughing. All the best Dave

Going back to a much simpler field seemed to show the railway of a bit better (in my opinion.) All the best Dave

Got myself into a little muddle on one of the fields last night. Although the photo's below are by no means finsihed, I've decided to stop take it all out and make it much simpler. Althought down at a realistic view angle it is maybe very slightly better, the view from above is very strange. It reminded me of zebras stripes rather than a freshly cut hayfield Looking at some of my favorite layouts, they tend to make the train the focus and the scenery is there and even often very well modelled, but not the focal point. So I've decided to take it out and make a much simpler forground.

I'd agree with you there Duncan, especially in photo's where there is no size reference or scale to see how small the model is in reality.

Sounds like a great show. Congratulations on the award it's well deserved. I'm looking forward to both the photo's of the show and the rolling back to 2000. I guess all the intercity livery stock had probably been repainted by 2000, but hopefully plenty of class 90s. All the best Dave

The second 86 was a lot faster to do than the first . Again went for the lightly weathered look. I guess these would have been pretty freshly painted around 1997. All the best Dave

I like all the 37s you've got running on your layout, they look cracking. The contrast between the heavily weathered in the last photo and the brand new in the post from Saturday is also a nice touch. Keep up the good work. All the best Dave

Thanks Duncan. That's exactly what I did. Just gave it a very thinned down darker coat. The first attempt would have looked right on a heavily weathered model, but I really wanted this one to stay as lightly weathered as possible whilst still looking used and realistic. Thanks again for the tip. All the best Dave

And a few photo's of the finished model from different angles. All the best Dave

After Duncan's help and advice I had a go at the cab roofs. The first attempt was a bit too light I think and didn't fit with the lightly weathered look I was trying for. After making it a bit darker

That's a shame. Even though I only have space for N gauge at home I am looking forward to seeing the Bachmann 90s. From the pictures so far they look like they will be a cracking model. I am keeping my fingers crossed they scale them down at some point in the future because I am not sure my wife will agree to buying a bigger house just so I can change scale and get some new class 90s to run . Even though they won't be there for the weekends show, at least it give's something to look forward to in the future. I a sure when they do arrive they will look brilliant running under the wires on your layout. All the best Dave

Sounds good. I missed that. Looking forward to seeing the first samples, should be a cracking model if it's anything like revolutions other's to date.

Cracking modelling and great pictures. Good luck with the show at the weekend. All the best Dave