chris p bacon

I'll aim for the Sunday.

I should be there, but as yet don't know which day. The builds looking good.

Red Kite over the garden at 30 feet. too quick to get a pic.

I was on a contract from 1985-86 in Biggleswade where the slatted sections were removed and the houses insulated and covered in re-inforcing and spray concrete. The Tarran bungalows had a brick skin around the outside.

You'll possibly find that is cement board rather than steel. Around here they're called 'Utility houses' IIRC

Excellent Manna, really enjoy the way you model and like LT said, being able to see the finished article from something else is quite a talent. I occasionally have a 'light bulb' moment like that but not often enough.

The East Beds Model railway club (EBMRS) would like to thank Tony and Mo for attending our Biggleswade exhibition today. I only had a brief 'hello' with Tony as I'm on the door for the day, but understand they had an enjoyable time, even if positioned next to the various reprobates from the club attempting to operate a layout.

This is an unashamed plug for our exhibition today in Biggleswade. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118227-ebmrs-biggleswade-exhibition-18th-feb-2017/#ipboard_body Tony and Mo are kindly going to be in attendance with a demonstration/ clinic stand, and all at the club look forward to welcoming them both back again. I'm on the door as usual, say hello on your way in. Dave....................Chris.................No it's Dave

Blue tits have been nosing around the nesting box this week. I think they have something on their mind.................

Old wives tale as the lead/graphite dust in the pencil would have caused havoc inside the capsule. They copied the US and had a pen.

Most early GN bricks came from Lincolnshire (the GN purchased a works to ensure supply), even as far South as Sandy the bricks are not local and are similar to those used on the original line. It is likely those cottages were built at a slightly later date using locally sourced material and given the GN's preference for spending money on track and not buildings it's unlikely that any stone used is Bath/Portland, as even then it commanded a premium. The use of stone in the cottages would have been for construction rather than decoration, and to keep costs down some of the walls could have been single skin brickwork too. Edit to add, in photographs what can look like dressed stone is actually any old stone/timber/metal that was strong enough, but then rendered to weatherproof.

That looks good Mike, I tried oil paint years ago without success but might try again with the different base coat.

I clicked 'like' as there's no 'jealous' button...

He's going to make me eat my words.....I just know it... Hope it's going well for you Mozzer and you had a good weekend.

Seen this before and It was disproved. At 54 I remember the Deltics from living by the ECML and the Westerns from repeated trips to Cornwall (holidays) I appreciated the aesthetic design of the 52's and the speed and power of the 55's, I've always been a person that 'does things' or builds things and this was recognised at school. I've always dabbled in the hobby and this has morphed over the years into a preference for the Great Northern both historically and modelling, which is due to the look and style of the early Victorian locomotives and stock. Probably because they're individual.

Got anything out of Mr York yet, or are the rumours true.....

You don't need a ladder to climb a stile, it's usually only a couple of steps.

After you sir......I insist....

It's actually a much maligned material, for these it will do the job perfectly well and is not that much different in the thickness Jason's using to card. I use it for the core of buildings sometimes as if treated correctly it will be fine. It's just not much use as a stepladder or diving board........

I wouldn't spray any water over MDF it will just soak it up like a sponge and expand. The completed ones will be fine, they are tabbed and glued and will only lose their shape if forced to (hence the block on top)

Can I cab it mister.........

How long was the block on it for? Usually with MDF if it's mishapen it can be forced into another plane, although thinking about it, it only sticks up about 1-1.5mm which it could spring back to......hmmmmm... I'd be tempted to use it as your test piece but to the finished standard, then when you've done with it put some weight on it and alternate it between a damp/dry enviroment and see if that works. I've some 6mm mdf in the workshop at present which is cut into 300mm squares and I'm having to keep weight on it overnight until it's fixed in place to stop it moving.

Visited last year and annoyed the wife by walking up it wih ease. Nice day out to see Magna Carta. Back on topic. As it's MDF keep a weight on it for a few days and it should take the twist out, it's notorious for bending and twisting depending on how it's stored.

There is the drop of the dollar to take into account. Sterling could be stable for some time but the US $ might bounce around all over the place.

I wouldn't actually agree with that, I'm not sure that the take up for the APT-E was quite what was hoped although I understand they all sold. My interest is in No1 (Stirling Single), the Sturrock tender has been cancelled for that, which on the face of it looks bad news. But when I spoke to Rapido they say it's because the take up for the original tender far outstripped their expectations and made the Sturrock tender unviable.