Marly51

Hi again Jim - just good to have the information to go with the drawings. I produced the drawings for Alistair, so they really belong to him or the group for that particular project. Alistair was very helpful years ago and supplied me with a file of cuttings from various modelling periodicals to encourage me in my interest in the railways of Strathspey area. Marlyn

Thanks Jim - since you mentioned the Strathmore Line, I have now ‘googled’ it and found the station was Woodside & Burrelton (closed in 1956) and the other drawings I have are of the signal box and goods shed. Quite a nice little group of buildings for a mini layout? There is another little drawing of a two storey building? Storehouse or part of a mill possibly?

Thank you Jim. It would be good to file it with some reference details. I am focussing on modelling the Highland Railway and the Far North Line at present. Marlyn

Very challenging, but rewarding, when you piece together all the research! Great modelmaking techniques - thank you for sharing. Marlyn

I have just found some dye-line prints of drawings I produced for a member of the 2mm Association back in the 1980s, I think? Unfortunately my copies do not have the legend with the location, date, etc. This may have been for the member’s own personal layout or a group layout - 2mm Association Central Scotland. I have checked out the Caledonian Railway Society’s website and found four stations with similar features including a V-shaped bay window, which reflected road toll-house designs. John Miller of Grainger & Miller is credited with the design. http://www.crassoc.org.uk/web/sites/default/files/documents/caledonian%20stations%20overview.pdf I produced the original drawings with my trusty set of Rotring Rapidograph pens on Permatrace - the details of the buildings were supplied in the form of on-site notes and measurements along with photographs. Does anyone know which station this might be?

Ah, but I thought you were an art critic? Thank you for your kind comments. It is taking me a while to check through the many interesting modellers here, but enjoying finding so many projects which are being worked on, in sheds, garrets and on kitchen tables! I like and share your approach to modelmaking and you have created some beautiful scenarios of traditional buildings. I usually have about ten different things on the go at any one time, some will get finished, but many will be “something to look forward to”! Looking forward to reading more about your modelling exploits. Marlyn

I’ve just started checking out these cutters. I love scratching building by hand, but would also like to experiment with a cutting machine at some point. For my professional work I have always used Adobe creative software since the year dot and I know that the machines used by vinyl lettering companies had equipment which were compatible with Adobe. Ideally I would prefer a machine which could use the current version of Adobe Creative Suite, but suspect that the cheaper machines created for craft work require their own customised software? Not rushing into anything at present, but if I buy a cutter I would want to make sure it wasn’t going to be defunct within a few years. Still got to check out this whole thread and thank you everyone for sharing your experience and techniques. Marlyn

Beautiful modelling of Hamnavoe, Jerry. My daughter and I absolutely love the character of the buildings in Stromness. About 6 years ago, after a visit to Orkney, we challenged each other to a fun attempt at creating a model based on some of the buildings. She was half way through her illustration design course at the time and sometimes uses models to create the landscapes for her illustrations. Here is my attempt definitely not fine scale - multi scale with lots of artistic licence, but it was enjoyable - approx 12" x 8". Looking forward to more accurate modelling for the railway projects! Marlyn

Thank you for sharing the details of this lovely boxfile layout. Would love to try something similar, but maybe next year when I have completed some of my current projects, Marlyn

Track Shack is excellent - friendly and very speedy service. Been using them for a number of orders over the last two years. Living in the Northern Highlands you get used to being told companies who use courier services do not deliver north of Inverness. We are categorised as Highlands and Islands - not mainland, even when items are posted??? However I have challenged a few companies and they changed Sutherland and Caithness to same rate as the rest of the mainland. Nearest model shop is 38 miles away and I try to visit regularly to browse and buy.

Hi Andy, very impressed with your work. I am working on a layout based on the Far North Line in Sutherland during the late 1930s in N gauge for a project, but suitable RTR items from that period are a bit few and far between. I was considering the possibility of having some static locomotives for the display, but haven't sourced any so far.

Hope you can keep going with this one, Ian? It is a challenge, but additional scenic features as suggested by ‘Sturminster’ will help create that ‘trompe l’oeil’ effect. I struggled with perspective visuals when I was a student, but they eventually came right. Marlyn PS The roof of the banana van and the post office van are both in the dominant colour ‘red’ which visually brings them to the fore. If you could tone them down with some weathering that would also strengthen the forced perspective illusion.

I must check out the National Record Office next time I am down in Edinburgh. NCAP the National Collection of Aerial Photography is another great source of information. I am researching the Far North Line in Sutherland and found aerial images very useful for layout of stations and other associated man made features from LMS era. Some images are available online, but not the full collection, I booked a day at the Edinburgh Office where the staff were also extremely helpful. Prints and digital copies can be purchased from the collection - publishing licences are also available. http://ncap.org.uk

Yes, I am very aware of copyright issues. My daughter watermarks her digital illustration work, but likes to keep moving forward developing her style. Clients often purchase the copyright for commercial work, but there is always the option where a client pays for a one-of use of an image. I have generally found that people are very generous and happy for an image to be used for non commercial or community projects, so long as the appropriate permission has been obtained and credits are in place.

Small world - we moved from Merchiston to Balgreen Road in 1959 and some of my primary school pals were from Gorgie! The boys disappeared at lunchtime along the railway tracks to the sheds at Haymarket, armed with their Ian Allan train spotting books!

Hi Andy, I already have Peter Tatlow’s Highland Loco book in my collection along with ‘Highland Miscellany’ and a few others. Been collecting them over the years, but not got round to doing any modelling before now. I am happy to learn from folk like yourself who’ve been experimenting and researching the subjects I am interested in. Great to see what you’ve been doing. If I manage to get my quirky cake box challenge out of the way, I might try another based on something historic. I’ve just found a very cheap Del Prado Highland Railway ‘Duke’ online, the colours appear pretty bright and the detail is probably quite coarse, but might be able to tone it down and tweak for a small diorama Also working on a couple of layouts just now, but will post more about these later on this year. Thanks to Gary for directing me to your posts. Marlyn

Hi Keefer, The geomapping course I attended uses software from OS and it enables third parties, in our case ‘amateur’ archaeologists, to overlay details from their surveys. The researchers from Alness/Invergordon will probably have accessed all available resources from National Archives and local history groups. I am assuming the results from this project will be uploaded to the National Archive once it is complete. Marlyn

Hi Gary - I am amazed at the work on this forum and love your layout and little history of Oak Hill. I think scratchbuilding locomotives and working with etched kits may be beyond me, but fascinated to read about the processes. I am researching the Highland Railway Company at present, focussing on the earlier Sutherland Railway. Just ordered a second hand copy of Peter Tatlow’s book on Highland Railway Carriages and may have a go at modelling one in card. I have also been checking out the creative modellers who construct locomotives from card and paper... I am in awe! Marlyn

Thank you - it’s been a while since I focussed on my own models and I am enjoying getting back into it. Card and paper are wonderful materials to work with. I loved the accuracy of Plasticard years ago, but card has a warmth to it - little distortions which happen along the way are akin to buildings in real life, where walls are often not ‘true’... What I have seen of your modelling is excellent - fascinating to see the varied approaches and techniques on this forum.

Thank you for your ‘likes’ on my posts, Gary. I have just joined the forum and sorry to read in your thread that things are a bit tough for you just now? Hoping you will begin to feel a bit better soon. Best wishes for 2018! Marlyn

Bought some VERY CHEAP figures (pack of 100 from China) to customise for my CB Challenge. Only four seated men and three quarters of the ladies are in trousers, but it’s potluck at that price! Most of my modelmaking is usually historic, so ladies will require to be attired in skirts/dresses. Removing the flash tonight before selection - chocolate box tray from Christmas present proving quite useful for the sorting process.

Mine will be a fun one too! Love yours and sorry I missed this on the day Marlyn

Are you still researching this? I am involved with the North of Scotland Archaeology Society and, during a digital geomapping course a couple of years ago, I met a group from Invergordon/Alness who were focussing on surveying the WW2 remains in the area. If you are interested I can see if I can find a contact for you? Marlyn

Hi Ben (Richard?) - loved seeing these two videos. When we lived in a tenement flat in Edinburgh in the 1950s, our coalman delivered by horse and cart. Mum had to put newspapers on the floor between the front door and the kitchen for the coal delivery, because that was where the coal bunker cupboard was located. We had a lovely traditional black range which probably created a regular ‘stoor’, but the kitchen was always the cozy heart of the house in winter. Marlyn

Really interesting project, Dava, and lovely model. Fascinating history and research - look forward to seeing how it develops. I spent my first three years living in Auchtermuchty and am very fond of Fife. Marlyn