scanman

Looks like another trip to the local craft shop... Think I'll buy shares! Regs Ian

Hi Steve - Belatedly - 'Welcome back' & nice progress with the shed. Security-wise I'd recommend a motion detector in one corner, rigged to a 'screamer' alarm with a 30-second delay.... A 'Screamer' has a decibel rating of about 150Db. Brilliant because (a) the neighbours wont ignore it and (b) - it will literally paralyse (temporarily) an intruder. Illegal in the UK (the 'Safety Elves' again) I understand they are freely available in the U.S. Just don't trigger it accidentally... See you at Wallingford & looking forward to seeing 'Calne' in the fleshh, Regs Ian

Gwiwer & SRman - many thanks for the future invite. Typical friendly Aussies - which is why we love Oz! Artizen - Funnily enough I can relate, although my transport nightmare was basically 48 hours airline travel (with stopovers) crowned by 12 hours trapped in the cabin with a screaming disruptive bratlet. Parental response was to put headphones on & watch the inflight movies.... Still it was worth it! Regs Ian

Having just returned from three weeks in 'Oz', time to share some memories! We spent some time in Melbourne - justly renowned for its extensive (and cheap!) tram system! The 'City Circle' route is actually FREE - jump-on/jump off as many times as you like - a great way to explore the older area of the city cenre. These trams date from the 1930's (I think) and a variant provides the 'tram diner' service which runs during the evening. A tip - if you are travelling to Melbourne & fancey a 'meal out with a difference' - book the reservation at the same time as the holiday. It's POPULAR!. The 'normal' tram service is extensive, costs 3.90 AUD(about £3..00) per ride and come in a huge variety of types and colour-schemes. They also handle some pretty impressive gradients! 'Oh Gawd he's even found a model-shop! Wifey wasn't impressed when I found this on the first morning! I was even more surprised that there appear to be no commercial models of the trams. Must be a market there.... 29th May (my birthday) was spend doing the coach tourist bit - out to the 'Puffing Billy' preserved line above the Yarra Valley - Actually a 'Victoria Railways' copy of a 'Baldwin' 2-6-2 more familiar to us as a variant of the 'L&B' loco 'Lyn' However, she's not the only loco on the line.... I even got to talk to the driver - who had just returned from a trip to the 'L&B'! After an 'interesting' ride to the first station on the line Safety Elves noticeable by their absence! Even the wife enjoyed it... whilst I got on with some detail shots (might come in handy later...) Unfortunately the trip was all too short as we were part of an organised coach, so had to visit several winerys and even a micro brewery - proing that the Aussies CAN organise a p...-up in a brewey! We even visited a chocolatier with it's own railway - but everything thing except track & baseboards was made of CHOCOLATE. (the wife now has some more ideas...) However, en route we saw more evidence of a flourishing 'heritage railway' scene - with the 'Healsville Railway' under active preservation - Back to the city with time for a few quick shots of the current system - ] With its superb Victorian Architecture - Which (on another occasion) looked just as impressive from 300m at the top of the 'Eureka Tower'... A terrific trip and I cannot wait to go back!

Hi Pete - WELL DONE - after all the trials and tribulations things seem to have gone very well. I did intend to get down to the exhibition but work at home precluded that... Next time! Ian

Hi Mikkel - Shame you didn't get a chance to visit 'Pendon' (just up the road) - cobwebs in plenty in the barn.. made fro scraps of tissue paper IIRC... Nice detail shots - I'm there most Wednesdays now helping out with school visits, and must admit I'm already walking past detail like that without noticing it! Regs Ian

Attack of the glums... On duty at Didcot all weekend,,,

The glazier should be 'visiting' in a couple of weeks - and I can assist with the tiles too... Looking really good. I must investigate 'Inkscape'! Regs Ian

Hi Pete - Dead right about the white fasteners - they were (are??) white ceramic pot insulators. Looking good - looking forward to seeing it and you at the show so long as I can get there. Regs Ian

Ach schwienhund!!!! Actually I only need a couple of suitable nuts so I'll be off to AHC

Hi Rich - I got mine from 'Models Of Distinction' in East Street, Farnham. I need some accessories so I'll check if they've still got the. The unit illustrated consists of about 900mmm of wire, related tube, two thread inserts and two crank attachments.

So back to Box - working on the second scenic board, intending to start tracklaying... However - I found I needed to paint the trackbed first! I thought I'd already done that, so drying time was required for the layer of 'Mud Hut' from 'Dulux'. Whilst the paint was drying I indulged myself in giving consideration to the method of point-control. The only two points - a switch and a trap are on this board along with the signals needed to protect them. So I'm seriously considering 'wire in tube' - particularly as I have this - left over from a previous layout. It's actually a servo wire unit for the model aircraft makers (I get some good ideas from them!). The brass-plated wire actually fits inside a steel rod which is threaded at one end - s there are distinct possibilities here including using the threading as a fine-tuning mechanism at one end or the other. Current thoughts are revolving round a 'bar in slot' arrangement beneath the tie-bar. Having given myself brain-ache enough for the evening I decided ('cos the paint still was not dry) to turn my thoughts to the scenics on board 1. So a start was made 'roughing out' the cutting walls using my favourite wall insulation - As the walls are close to the tracks you suddenly realise just how deep the cutting into the east portal really is - thats a '2800' for scale in the distance - and I need to increase the height of the tunnel wall... Well that can wait for another evening! Regs Ian

Well , not exactly... Springs in limestone formations are not uncommon - they tend to form where limestone (permeable) overlie clays (impermeable). As water percolates down through the limestone, it hits the clay then follows the clay to where it can continue its downward journey. Okay Geology 101 finishes.. I needed an excuse to bring water to 'the works' to a) fill the stationary engine (via a water-softener) and B) to provide coolant for the stone saws. So the appearance of a 'spring-line' needed to be shown. One would be purely scenic - the otyher would be 'tapped at souce' and piped to where needed (more on that in a later episode). So on to the modelling - The 'spring follows a fault in the geology, appearing high up on the cliff-line. Practically, this involved dribbling 'Revell' polystyrene cement (the 'Professional' version with the needle applicator - its more fluid than the tube variety) down the run. It did of course replicate water finding it's own path... One warning - if using the same styrene landforms that I used - make sure it is well-covered with paint otherwise the 'water' will do what it often does in limestone - DISSOLVE IT!. I actually ran the cement down a couple of times to ensure a nice glossy surface. Where water flows, greenery & mosses etc will follow, and this was represented by various lengths of flock varying from 0.5mm (almost a dust) up to 6mm long - and thats it, really.... Another method might be to use an acrylic gloss medium - but I didn't have any to hand at the time. I'm putting 'Ambridge' away now for a couple of weeks and returning to 'Box' for the rest of this week. More tracklaying.... Regs Ian

Very 'workaday' in the nicest possible sense!

Hi Chris I'm not aware that SEFinecast do a plank version - if they do and it IS planked - I'd go with them. The reason I said 'is' is because the structure looks like 'board & batten' to me - where the board joins were weatherproofed with a batten strip nailed over them. If this is the case I think 'Evergreen' is your only source. Best of luck Ian

A 'Might Have Been' perhaps? After all, the jury is still out on the events of June 1922 - particularly after the finding of Mallory's body a few years ago at a point lower on Everest than their last sighting at the 2nd step..... It is also a sad fact that very experienced climbers are killed on the shortest of climbs! Anyway, enjoy (or argue)! Regs Ian

Cheers folks for the comments. Looks like the wife is going to have to wait awhile to claim the life assurance! Regs Ian

I had some good news yesterday - an e-mail from John Lloyd (proprietor of the 'Flock-it' machine etc) who stated that the caution about pacemakers was a U.S. requirement (its marketed as 'Grassmaster' in the US) but he has several customers who have pacemakers fitted. I've copied the email to the wife just in case! So, time to add some greenery to the disused quarry. Whilst I'd never used a machine in the past (I have used the balloon/jumper technique tho!) there are plenty of 'how-to' videos on 'YouTube' which I did watch (trying hard not to get sidetracked by videos offering views of crashing model aircraft. Spectacular!). So the process I used was quite standard and I'm reasonably happy with the results. Hopefully they will improve over time. 'Scarlet Pimpernel' and 'Eidelwiess' (the little white flowers) were added from the 'Silfor' range. Whilst expensive I think the effect is worthwhile and adds the required little splashes of colour. There's more to do, obviously - each ledge need to be treated individually with fringes of grass & weeds, but that can be done 'as & when'. Regs Ian

Rich - Good news. I've had a response from GreenScenes. He's got other customers in a similar condition happily flocking (had to be careful there!) away... Dont eat the fudge - unless it looks 'Delicious'.! Regs Ian

In fact, time to add some colour... The quarries in this area are mainly of 'oolitic limestone'. Now limestone is usually white/grey and the basic quarry would be good to go... However, this limestone varies in shade between a honey colour and darker shades of sepia etc. So, time to add some paint. Being a cheapskate I look to do this as cost-effectively as possible, and the 'test pots' sold by the commercial ranges like 'Dulux' fit the bill nicely. They are 'vinyl-based' so will readily mix with artists colours like acrylic and gouache. So first job is to set up the palette. An old plate serves very well! I use a limited range of colours - starting at 10 o'clock - Dulux 'Delicious' (it isn't....), Raw Sienna, Titanium White and Yellow Ochre all from the Rowney 'Cryla' range. First tip - when adding colour, the brush-strokes should follow the rock 'stratigraphy'. Using the dark to light principle again - a base-coat of 'Delight' is added. cover as well as possible but bear in mind there's other layers yet - Raw Sienna goes on next - and will mix with the still-wet base layer. Followed by Yellow Ochre. I try to catch flat vertical surfaces and edges with this. Finally - a dash of the white is added, trying to catch edges etc as a highlight. At this stage, stand back and take a look. Is all the plaster covered? If not, add more paint - but work 'dark to light' again in those areas. does it match with previously-painted areas? - If not, adjust where required BUT bear in mind that earth colours DO vary so don't panic too much! Time to move down onto the quarry floor. This area of the quarry is 'abandoned' so there will be damp areas, grasses and bog. I followed the scheme above but then introduced 'Sap Green' starting at the foot of the quarry (where water would naturally congregate) and pulling it out onto the quarry-floor. Once that was done, time to stand back for another look & adjust where neccessary. Last step was to put the building module roughly in place for an overall effect... Next step will be to add the foliage, but now there's a problem. Last year I bought a 'Flock-It' machine - but never got around to using it. Last October I had to be fitted with a pacemaker and, lo & behold on the instructions it says 'Not to be used if you have a heart condition/pacemaker' . I've e-mailed 'Greenscene for advice but it looks like I'm going to have to use my old techniques So I might have a machine going cheap.... Regards Ian

Oops - one of the prices became a 'smiley' (& I didn't even have them selected...) The price is

Hi Pete - Working in London you might well find a local source for laser-cutting. I do know of one - but it's down in Sussex at Barnes Green. Other than that - lookin' good! Regs Ian

Whilst at the Crawley show yesterday I spotted these on the 'Masterpiece Models' stand (he used to trade as 'Falcon Figures'). He's developing a new range of figures suited for the Victorian/Edwardian period - and these are just a few of them! In 4mm (sold individually) - - no prices unfortunately... In 7mm - sold as seen (!) - 'Mother & Daughter Walking (£8) - Woman Scolding Child' £7.00 All figures are cast in lead-free pewter. 'Masterpiece Models' can be contacted at 28, Chiltley Lane Liphook Hants GU30 7HJ Tel 01428 727341 (I think he has a web-site but its not up-to-date) Hope this is of interest - I obviously have no connection except as a very satisfied customer)! Regs Ian

Very clever solution Dave. Have you thought of suggesting it to Mr F?? Might be a market there? Through him of course because of the copyright issues.