Graham T

Thank you for all the likes and positive comments.  I just need someone to get the ball rolling now.  Bueller?  Anyone?

11 hours ago, 88C said:

Wishing you all the best in your new venture.

 

Brian.

2 hours ago, KNP said:

All the best for the new adventure, just looked at the new thread and started following.

Nice collection

Thanks very much gents.  Now waiting for a commission to flood in 😀

Thanks Jay!

Fogman’s hut.  From a Rail Model kit, with felt roof added.

Coal offices.  One from an Intentio kit with added guttering, chimney, and minor details.  The second is scratch built.

Coal stage.  Ratio with brick paper rather than a stone finish, and added coal, kindling, and fire buckets.

Permanent way hut.  From a Rail Model kit, with roof covering of tissue paper to simulate felt.

Pagoda shelter.  A modified Wills kit.

Provender store.  Scratch built.

Pair of cottages.  Scratch built, based on the cottage where my grandparents used to live in Herefordshire.

Water tower.  Scratch built.

Goods shed.  A heavily modified version of the Arch Laser kit of Fairford shed, with added interior loading platform, roof panels replaced with Wills corrugated sheets, cross bracing and hinges added to inside faces of doors, corbelling on the chimney, Ratio guttering, Modelu chimney pot and standpipe, and lean to coal store.

Signal box.  From an Intentio kit, with Ratio and Modelu interior, chimney from plastic rod, Modelu guttering, and white metal finials.

And of course a bespoke nameplate from @Harlequin!

Engine shed.  Heavily kit-bashed from the Scalescenes small engine shed, with Ratio guttering.

Derelict barn.  Scratch built.

Many of us like to have unique buildings on our layout to help set the time and place of our choosing.  If you’re among that number, but don’t have the time or the skills needed to make them yourself, then I can help. 

One of the aspects that I have enjoyed the most when building my layout “Chuffnell Regis” was the scenic work, and particularly making the various buildings.  They are a mixture of kits, some straight from the box, but most of them modified to a greater or lesser degree, and scratch built.  Here are some examples.

Station building.  Scratch built using windows, doors, and quoins from LCut Creative, brick sheet, roof slates, and valances from Intentio, 3D printed ridge tiles from Smart Models, Modelu guttering, postbox from Peco, fire bucket rack from Dart Castings, and signs from Sankey Scenics.

Other buildings from my layout can be seen in the posts below.

I can provide you with a building of any size, anything from a small permanent way hut up to a full station building, an engine shed, a row of cottages – you choose.  Your unique building can either be made from scratch, or from an adaptation of an existing kit.  The price will of course depend on the size and complexity of the build, and will cover my time spent on the building, and the materials used.  Clearly the more reference material that you can provide me the better, such as drawings, photographs and so on.  That will lead to a more accurate model and also reduce the costs as I will have to spend less time on research.

So if you would like something unique for your layout project, please either message me through the forum or send me an email here.  Thanks!

15 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

I'd add https://railmodel.co.uk/, https://www.lasercutrailwaymodels.co.uk/ and https://www.inthegreenwoodlaser.co.uk/ to the list. All of those have a good range, but most of the ones illustrated on their sites are just the kit put together, with no finishing applied.

Thanks for those.  I've done some browsing and found quite a few others now, but of course some of them already have pics of completed models on their sites, so probably less likely to be interested in the idea.

40 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

That is the Airfix version slightly updated (mostly in the chassis, I think) but basically the same tooling - that's how old it is!

 

To see how awful it looks in closeup just look at this:

 

I may have been speaking just slightly tongue in cheek, you know...

There's always the Hornby Railroad option...

1 minute ago, Schooner said:

 

The same is also very true of nearly every 3D print designer/seller. The kit costs are low, and so they may be happy to exchange in return for good-quality marketing photos.

 

Quick (comparatively), easy to do as you navigate upcoming changes, and an effective way build up your own online business presence.

It does sound good to me.  Any thoughts on people to approach?  So far I've come up with JS Models, LCut Creative, Intention, Scale Model Scenery, and Scalescenes.  But a lot of those already seem to have photos of completed kits on their sites...

Offering to build small dioramas was another thought.

12 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

I see no reason why not. I'd also add a couple of related activities to the list, both of which you've demonstrated a skill for and for which there is also a market: rolling stock weathering and kit building.

Thanks very much for the suggestions BL, interesting stuff.  I'm not sure about weathering other people's cherished models though - I'm not that good at it and I've seen quite a few good weathering services already being offered.

12 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

 

By kit building I don't mean just taking it out of the packet, gluing it together and handing it to the customer. I'm thinking of using the kit as a base structure (which saves time and therefore drops the cost) but this base is then subject to mild kit bashing and/or custom detailing, such as painting in a certain railway's colours, weathering, adding lighting, an interior and so on.

Most of the kit builder's web sites are very devoid of "fully-finished" images of their products, so one avenue may be to offer to build some for free for the manufacturer on the understanding that they then use images of it on their product pages and reference your services. See the first image on https://www.jsmodels.co.uk/home/Small-Industrial-Shed-w-Tank-Stone-p530053168 for an example.

On a different note, I'm very sad to see Chuffnel Regis being dismantled. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about the build and I'm looking forward to seeing a new layout develop once you're settled back in Blighty.

Modifying other kits does sound like a good thing to offer.  Actually, my engine shed at Chuffnell R began life as a Scalescenes download, and then got quite heavily changed!  Building kits for free in exchange for some publicity sounds worthwhile too - I could then sell the finished item I suppose as well.  

So, I'll start putting together a list of building kit manufacturers - any suggestions would be very welcome please!  And I'll also see about getting permission from the moderators to start a separate thread about this exciting new venture 🙃

Also - thanks for the kind words about the late CR Mk I.

I wouldn't call it cheating at all - you have to do all the CAD work I assume?

That's quite impressive Andy!

6 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

New toy day.....

 

Just had a delivery of a 3d printed curved frame Bulldog that was designed by a chap on the GWR Modellers facebook group, intended for use with the Bachmann Dukedog chassis.  Also included is an accurate bogie for it, with the model just needing bufferheads and handrails to complete (along with a few of the fixing screws etc from the Bachmann donor model).

 

Mine is going to be finished as one of the last two survivors of the curved frame Bulldog, Exeters 3335 (for which I need to get a set of plates ordered from LRS).  For now I have test fitted the chassis (without the fittings for the bogie) and aim to get it painted over the next couple of evenings if the weather holds.  The question will be how well Phoenix GWR green and Bachmann GWR green match up to see if I can avoid needing to respray the tender as well.   If anyone can direct me toward 1940s photos of 3335 I would appreciate it.

 

I think the quality of the print is high, including some very nice cab interior detail and a representation of the inside motion which is no doubt going to be a real pain to paint.

 

In the mean time this evenings task is going to be getting it fitted with handrails, its been a while since I last formed a set so naturally I am really looking forward to this wonderful task.....

 

I ordered a Dukedog Chassis block and complete wheelset / rods / bearings from Bachmann spares on Friday, so as soon as that arrives I will get it modified and fitted so that 3449 will be ready to enter service.

That's a very nice looking print.  Will be interested to see how this one develops!