Methuselah

I've bought a selection of 4mm whitemetal figures. They are in period clothing and are quite nice. However......there is just something intangibly more real about 3D figures produced from whole-body scans. They just look spookily real. At the moment, these are still rather expensive. This may change, as a single dataset from a scan can be used to produce an infinite number of printed figures. Hopefully, the actual printing will get cheaper. I have a laser-scanner, but at some point, I can see I'm going to have to buy a printer. Thankfully, the printers get better and cheaper every year.

.....I think we need a ModelU horse in harness....!

Here is a very similar horse bus/carriage that was used to shuttle passengers between the Swan Hotel and the GWR station at Tenbury. I have no idea whether it was owned by the GWR or the hotel - or both. It famously plied this trade until I believe the 1920's. As can be seen in this image, it was also dressed-up for the annual carnival. These type of carriages alway look to me like truncated hearses....! 😊

Some of the few colour images that have survived of Tenbury.

Thanks Mikkel. Yes - I love those chimneys too...! There wasn't much at Easton Court, but Woofferton Junction will be the biggest challenge. Whilst there is nothing left at Tenbury, apart from the Clee Hill Road bridge, at least at Woofferton, a lot still remains to examine for reference purposes, including the splendid signal cabin - which amazingly, remains in use. I'd have dearly loved to do this project in P4, but I've started too late in life. At least all the track on the scenic areas will be hand made Bullhead, albeit in 'OO'. The biggest change to my plans since my previous blog, is to dump the idea of open central operating areas. The biggest reason for this is simply that getting under a diorama in two areas - one of which will have track at several levels underneath, is too problematic. Added to that, my aged back is a factor sadly. Now, the plan is for a walkway on three sides, though, the central 'countryside' areas will be loose lightweight drop-in modules to lift-out for access when required, as it'll all be too wide to reach-over otherwise. The building/shed will basically have Woofferton down one side and Tenbury down the other, Woofferton takes-up 50', Tenbury quite a lot less. I'll have around 14' widthwise to play with. I'll blog again when the rest of the railway buildings are complete.

I'm a tad hazy - apart from name, number and white roof, were there not some other differences reflecting Hardwick as preserved. i.e - not correct for pre-1923...?

Go for it.... Looks like it's still there too. Chances are there were some willows around it, and those grow at a prodigious rate near water, so you can't go far wrong. It was probably there well before the railway. Personally, I find some model ponds where attempts have been made top create ripples etc a bit wooden, since real waves and ripples are entirely animated. Using a sheet of glass works well, as it's level and really shiny, as real water always is.

I can't believe that it's two and a half years since I last scribbled here. So what's happened in the intervening time...? Bluntly - not enough....! Sure, there are more boxes of 'stuff' collecting dust in the loft of the barn, but, since I've still not finished renovating the house, the 'train shed' itself is still, perforce, down the list of priorities. Perhaps later this year will see it happen - but, no shed - no railway....😐😐😬 My time being in such short supply, I did commission someone to start on the scratchbuilt buildings, which have turned out very well, but did require a lot of specially-made windows of course. These will, in total, include Tenbury, Easton Court and Woofferton stations etc. Thus all the lineside buildings will be faithful, and I doubt that many original non-railway buildings will be included, as the line side fields were mostly empty of buildings. Although my own house is outside the footprint of the railway, I will, in an abundance of vanity, sneak it in, having spent over a decade renovating it. I did even manage to get along the Warley show at the NEC last autumn. A vastly bigger show than the Warley shows of my youth, but rather a mixed bag, and I came away somewhat underwhelmed. Will I bother again this year...? I very much doubt it. I could leave it another fifty years and have my ashes wheeled around in an funerary urn on a trolley I suppose...! Surprisingly, I didn't purchase any new locos at the show, just a few discounted wagons and transfers, but having seen the Kernow Models GWR Steam Railmotor running with sound and lights - I subsequently decided to order one a few days later, and we are promised these over this summer - hopefully. This model is available in all liveries, and the earliest, the full Edwardian chocolate & cream, looked and sounded very nice and was my choice. If I'd have built one, I simply couldn't have gained any sort of advantage - especially in terms of finish. This delayed start to the actual physical build of the diorama of Woofferton Junction etc does at least have the advantage of allowing my old and addled brain to soak-up more information, and to some extent ameliorate the gap of five decades away from model railways. I never cease to be amazed and humbled by the sheer excellence of some of the output of modellers, both of kits, scratchbuilt, and in terms of scenery/dioramas etc. I'm acutely conscious that I need to ensure that all the niggles/annoyances that I see in lesser creations must not appear in my own efforts. However, I realise this will prove very difficult....! Certainly, the output of certain modellers - some well-known, some not, have proven to be very inspirational, and I do return to looking at their works regularly as inspiration. All of the infrastructure on my diorama will be set for the Edwardian period. Fortunately, hardly anything ever changed, apart from some minor signalling upgrades. Locos and stock aside, I am hoping to have various swappable elements such as figures and road vehicles, so as to better portray the key periods between 1900 and the curse of Nationalisation. I'm still rather daunted by DCC, not because I don't understand it, but it's the potential cost of equipping a lot of locos. I have some ideas for how to tackle this thorny issue, but that will have to wait until I have something runnable. Attached are images of the majority of the railway buildings for Tenbury, with only the two signal cabins awaiting windows to complete, and to be clear, these wonderful structures are the work of a friend - not my own hands. We had drawings for only some of these structures, for the rest, we have to size the buildings from large-scale O.S. maps and interpret photographs. As will be seen, these structures have followed the methodology used by the experts at Pendon, where the buildings plug-in to the scenery. This gives the huge advantage of avoiding the dreaded 'hovering-building disease' - the ruination of many an otherwise excellent diorama. Onwards & upwards...!

What is the optimum Wattage for an iron for kitbuilding....?

Two years on from the last post on this subject now. What are the current 2023 recommended irons for brass and whitemetal kits....?

Are there any drawings/photos of it in NER configuration/livery......?

I received the new lined LNER version a few weeks ago (Rapido have now asked for it back as they seem to have an electrical fault...!) - however, I also previously bought the original LNER version several years ago - which was, of course, unlined. I was wondering what work would be required to turn this into it's original NER configuration and livery....?

Many Thanks Martin.

Sorry to ask a slightly off-topic question. Long-shot ;- GWR Bullhead track with two-bolt chairs. I need a drawing for the wooden keys that were used. Would any kind soul be able to help please.....? 🙂

That DVD sounds interesting - just ordered a copy. Woofferton was never a canal-rail interchange, as the canal was already moribund, and the Tenbury Railway bought the remains of the canal company to use some of the land to build the railway over. A lovely area, with some very curious railways. I'm building the old S&H Woofferton Junction in 4mm, as well as the branch as far as Tenbury - with some contraction of course.

Very appropriate - almost passing his Lordship's front-door....!

Does anyone know how many of these models have been made - and if there will be further batches made....?

Thanks. That's quite a long potential life - with the opportunity for a model to be in four liveries. High time for some RTR by the sound of it.

Out of interest - when did all the ex-LNWR coaches get withdrawn.....?

I'm a late re-starter to model railways. I have limited time for kits and scratchbuilds. I can do some - but some RTR coaches would be great - especially LNWR-built. For example, LNWR coaches could be produced in both LNWR and LMS livery and cover quite a large time-period. I don't think that is so specialist that they wouldn''t sell, and the effort to produce accurate carriages is little different to the generic tat that has been churned out since Triang days.

The recent spate of Pre-Grouping locos is very encouraging. I think there is a substantial pent-up appetite for such RTR models. Let's hope more arrive - along with more equally accurate rolling stock.

I noticed the wonky dome too, but didn't like to mention.....

They look great - I ordered a couple of Luknow - I will re-name to suit a local shed. They arrived this afternoon and are perfect - no damage. Lovely models. The coaches, however, will require some actual modelling......

Hmmm.......I seem to have had an uncharacteristic mental glitch, as these were ordered last year, and I thought that it was an option...... I have just been on the phone to Rails, and indeed - I am told that it is not an option.... doooooooh... Sorry folks. 'As you were'...! Incidentally, the young lady at Rails referred to delivery as expected 'November-December'..... Happily - I'm in no rush.

You omitted to mention the benefits to pedestrian safety of gridlock in Tenbury's only main through street, and the enrichment of the fine country air of all that surplus sewerage wafting-up from the overloaded sewers. No wonder such progress is so warmly welcomed in the locale.....