Brass0four

I'm sure you're right. Looking again, I could see no sign of a third-rail shoe pickup, but the area is naturally dark in the video. I assumed wrongly by the look of the thing. I know nothing of these units. Kal, one of the major joys of your layout is its freedom relating to fantasy. Its a blessed relief from the "that loco never ran on that track on any Thursday in June - unless it was a bank-holiday" constrained outlook. Its true I don't have much time for layouts who run just anything, but yours is different, it has a solid fantasy under-pinning and that's its life force. However, IMHO it will be good to develop a more protypical feel in some areas for the best of reasons. To me, doing anything for no reason, is like a war-game with no points or rules. Fantasy, I think, looks best as a counter to the mundane, breaking the rules in a magical sense by its very nature. True, there are some on this forum who'll dismiss it out of hand with the merest glance - they are the losers - they've forgotten how to PLAY! I've learned a very great deal from your attitude. My layout is set during Glasgow Fair fortnight, in the North East of England, in the summer of '61 (!!!) - when I was a boy, and sooooo naïve, innocent and content - compared to todays' youngsters, many of whom seem to grow up too quickly. (Unacceptable generalisation!)But I've lately pondered that by taking a different viewpoint that allows for the pre-photographic removal of some (eg: high-rise) buildings, advertising, vehicles, etc., I can run my collection of LNER/LMS streamliners, teak coaches, etc., in a reasonably acceptable fashion. Even more startling, I've collected and played games with 1/76 military miniatures in the past. The obvious occurred to me - following your stimulation - what a hell of a games table a layout might be - way beyond the norm in possibilities! So, I beg you, maintain your charming, paradoxical balance. I did notice, towards the end of your more lengthy introductory video on youtube, your notion of a scratch-built, more prototypical(?) model at a later date. Well that might be a good area to accept restraint, otherwise, more power to your bewitching elbow... Regards, Tony.

(Can't resist) Charmed! With the usual caveat ;- You'll be laying a third rail for the EMUs in the fullness of time? Tony. If you wonder at my paranoia over the Time issue, my profile might explain. Otherwise, subscribed to your youtube channel under the name of redcapcrane (Japanese Buddhist icon)

Charm-ing. Longer required Although I did check out the *around the railway room* video that Kal hosted, and that was long enough to reveal a good deal. If I had that amount of space I'd have a coronary! Otherwise, I've boxes of unmade, unpainted Games Workshop stuff (that my wife says I should sell - ) but you've evoked a fancy for some sort of scenic space-opera involving an Imperial Armoured Train, protecting trains from planetary coruptonite-mines, under attack by Orcs... (Sigh) And anyway, I quit posting on D 'n R, etc, till I actually made something. So I'd best say Goodnight Vienna to you guys, too, before I'm sucked in further, LOL ;-) Regards, Tony.

We had a bad do on Tyneside during the early hours of the morning. Thunder 'n lightening doesn't bother me too much (fingersXd) but the HAIL! I rose from bed and checked the backyard. Hailstones the size of peas - BIG peas! And the racket from the landing skylight sounded like gravel was being dumped on it. Worst hail I've known. It would have been dreadful to be caught out in the open... Tony.

Excellent!!! I have 2000ADs going back donkey's years, all neatly box-filed. My wife says I should sell them. I say, NO! And yes, those were amongst the Artists I copied, some in earlier, less successful magazines. Pre-cursors of 200AD. BTW. I do love Harry Potter - boxed set of DVDs of course - and have read the books. My wife, Joan, bought me a boxed set for Xmas a while back (even though I'd read them)'cos she knows I like boxed sets of books. People say I have more books than North Tyneside Central Library. They exaggerate-ish. Regards, Tony. PS: And don't start me on Graphic Novels - shelf loads. Its been said I should have a go, but... time is ever a thief since her Ladyship became more ill.

You do have to *drive* sound locos. As I became interested I read Drivers material and bought a book: *The Engine Driver's Manual* by Brian Topping OPC. When you know how it should work you can place yourself in the cab as Driver/Fireman and attend to all the duties: coaling, injectors, etc. For me a *roundy-roundy* sort of layout is necessary as locos accelerate quite slowly and the sound at a real 60mph ( a good average for an express steam loco, believe it or not)is quite different from the slower sounds. Then you can add all the playtime stuff like whistling warnings at plate-layers, crossings, through-stations, etc, etc. If I were to design a chip it would have the option of prototype performance, so you HAVE to do all that is necessary or you stop! Boys will be boys, even 65-year-old-ones. Tony.

Quite charming (in the real sense of the word!) I have a sound A4 "Sir Ronald Mathews", sound locos becoming my wallet's nightmare. I have eight up to now, all on my *poor, poor* pensioner's income. Regarding my A4, I think it will be renamed and numbered for one of the classic bird names rather than some boring old "suit." Regarding the decals, most illustrative work is done larger than the published size. Before I went to Art College in the early seventies, I used to slavishly copy comic-book pages, infuriated at not being able to get the same sort of detail and finish. It was a revelation when I found that many artists worked *twice up* ie: A3 for and A4 finished page! Gratifyingly, I found myself able, in time - with practice, achieve some parity at least, with the artwork I admired. A good example of a much greater ratio are postage stamps, the artwork being A5 or even larger, for a tiny stamp. Tony.

The lighting circuit may well be in the loft floor, but the 13amp *power* circuit may be no higher than a skirting-board socket in a room below. Its the latter that a power-circuit MUST be taken from. Operating power tools - even a soldering-iron - from a socket taken from the lighting-circuit - which has 5amp cable - would be downright dangerous.

All three are lovely - but too short! More when your camera is up and going? - Please? Tony.

While admiring the paint-work on your van, it occurred to me that you could give your artistic skills even greater expression if you utilised home-made transfers (decals, for our US cousins.) You'd need to make some profile line-drawings. (from online sources, perhaps? - or even from square-on photos of the 1/76 model) These need not be complex, basic rectangles would do, but make them to a larger scale: - 1/32 or even 1/24. Do your *easily more complex* artwork in these rectangles, and photograph them (good light, outside, perhaps, square-on of course). Then, using transfer-making materials - <http://craftycomputerpaper.co.uk> reduce the photos back to 1/76 and make the transfers. Five pieces: sides, front, back and roof, and apply using decal-softening agents. Simpler to do than describe. Given your type of fantasy work its a technique that is only limited by your imagination, viz - limitless! You may well have come across this before, but other readers might not. Regards, Tony. PS: The decal-solution softens the material so it takes around curves and details - up to a point, literally! - and the gloss finish of the vehicle is a positive advantage as decals don't like matt. Protect with with matt or satin varnish after 24hrs drying. Again, 'might be teachin' me granny to suck eggs!

Very odd. The second video was fine, but the first gives me "This video is private." Regards, Tony.

Thanks for sharing your garden. It helps to visualise where you are and what you're doing in broader terms. And just to add to the rest, while I'm here, North Eastern canopies are the same: overlapping glass, etc. Its simple and efficient way to shed water when you think about it. Regards, Tony.

I deleted it. I was the only one un-cool. So, its gone, for the benefit of you, Iain and the thread.

Hello David, I caught your name when you were kind enough to comment on my warship (not the loco!) picture on the Downes and Robinson thread. Thinking to take a look at your own contributions, I am very impressed. Like too many modellers, my prototype knowledge is often weak so I do appreciate so many images worthy of study. It is the platform picture that really caught me. I was born in 1948 so I'd be seven at the time. We were such children at the time, and so much the better for it; innocence that modern kids would never believe, growing up far too quickly. It made me feel quite sad and very lucky to have that period of childishness in my own life... Thanks again, Tony.

- Allan, you'll make the dear Lady ill!

Cliques the word. Interesting young Freezer is the photographer now. And Mr Feuters continues to live off the same article for decade after decade... Tony.

Thanks, Bill. From someone of your artistic skill and background that is praise indeed! For everyone's information, if Bill served in subs he is an absolute nutter with some very strange forms of self/crew entertainment... (Family Friendly RMweb deleted the remainder of this post) ;-) Regards, Tony.

- Just half of A and I (Accident and Insurgency)* (Now, get your tired old cross-between-a-horse-and-a-donkey back to productive lurking!!!) *edit: that makes no sense whatsoever but has a nice ring to it.

If you were ever in a position when it was foggy and you hadn't a clue where you were or what to do, then, yes. ;-) Otherwise, thanks for the patience A and I (sounds vaguely medical)Time to draw a waterline under my illustration, I think. Thanks again, one and all. Tony.

That's why they want to keep Trident. One smart sub is the only *must have*.

Well, four figures, but the first is negotiable. ;-)Anyway, do your own. Leicester South is one of my favourite layouts, and the backscene is a masterpiece of effective, doable simplicity. (Any pics, anyone?) Tony.

Thank you, Station Master - you know your ships. As it happened, research was the hardest part of the job. A few black-and-white photos of Dido Class Cruisers were all I had, and they were all different in detail: some had one turret replaced by Bofors, some by Starshells, and all were different in range-finders and primitive radar. In those days every time they went into port there was some up-grade. Eventually, talking to a few old guys who were aboard at the time(!) I was able to assemble a jig-saw. The deciding factor was a gem of information: Admiral Vyan needed a new flag-ship as his last was torpedoed from under him, and requested Cleopatra, who - I quote - "had just returned from the North Atlantic, looking rather shabby, and still carrying North Atlantic Camouflage... " The last was a Eureka moment: the rest of the Mediterranean Fleet was in tropical paint, only the 'Cleo had Camou' and rust. At last I had my ship. Talking to the old guys was fascinating and humbling. They weren't hit by a 15" shell - which would have cut her in half - but by lighter stuff that took away half the bridge and some men with it. I was very touched to receive letters from some old salts, but one of the nicest was from a widow, who purchased one of the prints, and said that looking at it she finally understood what her husband had gone through. The painting - 3'X 2' in oils - took two years to complete, including research. The RN Cleopatra Old Shipmates Group, needed to be satisfied by roughs till it was right. There are some who hate paintings like this, saying they glorify war, which is an easy opinion when you aren't personally threatened, for me its an historical document, there being nothing else on record. Thanks for all ticks, guys. Its really appreciated. Tony.

LOL. Its very kind of you to ask - even if it is tongue-in cheek ;-) - but I was planning to make my own industrial backscene, then see if it might be fit for publication. That said, I had that notion four years ago and still nowt's done! Tony.