keefr2

Thanks John, I have to admit that my knowledge of the topography and biodiversity (if that's the correct term) of the Black Country is sadly lacking - in fact it's one of the reasons I'm enjoying all the threads on this project so much - I'm learning a heck of a lot! keith

Beautiful scenic work Chris, very nicely done indeed! However I must say that I was surprised to see it so green! It's probably because I grew up on the industrial side of Swansea, & one of our favourite 'playgrounds' was Swansea Vale, which was basically the dumping ground for a hundred or so years of mining & copper smelting - it was like the surface of another planet, & I don't remember much greenery there at all, just multi coloured (mainly black though!) slag tips & some very suspiciously coloured pools of what might have had some water in....!! Over the past 3 decades or so the council have done some excellent work in clearing up & rejuvenating the area, but there are still patches where the ground is black & nothing grows on it.. My impression of the Black Country was probably coloured (sorry!) by those memories so I expected it to be a bit bleaker...!! keith

I read that as 'hauling slag ladies out of the casting bay' - wondered if there was a casting couch in there...!! Sorry.... Back to reality - fantastic little shunter Arthur, the weathering really brings an already superb model to life! Keith

That is some very impressivelly neat decal work Arthur...! keith

Superb. All of it, just superb.....!! K

They certainly did. I've probably still got mine somewhere - together with my flared sleeved Stars and stripes T-shirt, multi coloured striped tank top,baby blue brushed denim jacket & brown (ye gods!) Oxford bags....!! Fashion victim indeed...!! keith

Brilliant! When it's bedded in it'll look like it's been there forever...!! keith

What a lovely little loco...!! I've said it before & I'll say it again, I cannot believe how everyone involved in this project can turn out such excellent quality work so quickly!! It is really inspiring stuff!! keith

Wonderful buildings Stubby, you've imparted an excellent atmosphere to them, they look great! Some really inspiring building work on this layout! Keith

Ah, I see. I now wish I'd taken more notice of the old industrial buildings I used to have to visit when I was working in the auto industry in the late seventies/early eighties. But I never gave them a second glance...but I must say I have no memory of ever walking (or parking) on cobbles. But this was in South Wales, so I guess they could well be different anyway. A mix of cobbles & concrete sounds good though.....! Keith Edit: one memory I do have was the visits I had to make to pick up parts from a plating shop. Probably because it was like the realm of Hades in there. Big vats of evil smelling chemicals bubbling away, with horrible corrosive looking fumes eminating from them. I well remember the floor in there - it was just bare earth with drainage channels coming from some of the vats & running to a half pipe that ran round the perimeter of the building & then to the outside of the building (probably emptying into some unsuspecting local stream!) That floor sticks in my mind as you had to be really careful where you were walking, otherwise your shoes might melt....!!

Would concrete be too modern? They were using it in domestic situations in the 70's - I remember my dad having a pre-fab garage put up on a slab of 'Ready-mix' concrete, with the frontage (about 30 square meters) also being put down at the same time. That must have been 1970-71, as I commandeered it to keep my rally car in after I passed my driving test in 1974 & it had been up for a few years by then (gawd I now feel old....!!) A couple of years later he decided he din't like the tarmac the drive was originally laid in (when the bungalow was built new in 1963 - can't have been posh enough??!!) & had that relaid in concrete too - I'm guessing that was around the end of the 70's, so surely they must have been using it in industrial settings way before that....?? But I think cobbles would be cool...!! Keith

Many thanks Jason, I shall have a good read of that tonight! ATB Keith

Thanks, I shall seek that out! Keith

That's remarkable!! Less than the cost of that Wills 'grotty sheds' kit I mentioned before - & which I still haven't finished!! I really must extract the digit & try to scratchbuild a building - if I could get one half as good (even if it took twice the time!) as your 'shed' I'd be more than happy! K

Brilliant job!! Keith

What a great looking building, I really like that! And I can't get over how quick you guys on this project can build such superb looking models. I started a Wills 'grotty sheds' kit about 3 months ago & so far I've only managed to get it into primer! Keith

Even in its raw state the layout looks tremendous! I'm really enjoying reading all the threads on it coming together! Thanks to the team & the 'outworkers' for such excellent entertainment & inspiration - great stuff!! (the plans for my 'in progress' layout seem to be morphing from another twee country station to something rather more grotty!) Cheers Keith

One thing maybe you should mention Marc, is that this technique only really works with acrylic paint. I use it quite a bit on aircraft & military models, but when a friend who exclusively uses enamels tried it, the topcoat adamantly refused to come off & he was just left with lumpy paint!! I love that piccie in your latest post!! K

Ditto that, this thread made me re-look at second hand stuff too! What also helped was that I was staying with my daughter in Hampshire while I read it & Alton Model Centre have recently opened a new second hand section! The very helpful owner ran both a blue & green Hornby Class 29 that he had in stock for me. While the blue one did look decidely used the green one looked like it had hardly ever been out of its box. And while the blue one ran pretty well straight away (at least for an old Hornby 29!) the green 'un wasn't that good. However after about 5 minutes running up & down his 8 feet or so of test track it really had improved markedly. So I bought it, & while I really need a 22 not a 29, & while I know of the inaccuracy of the Hornby model in depicting even a 29, at £27.50 I feel confident enough about either trying to improve it as a 29 - or even have a go at 'converting' it to a 22....!! Bit cheaper than a new Dapol one....

As usual I'm late to the party, but I really wanted to add my thanks for such an excellent thread! Just sat down & read it from start to finish & it's really inspiring! And the watercolour weathering is brilliant - just itching to try it now, but stuck staying with my daughter 120 miles away from my models until Sunday!! Thanks again, brilliant thread!! I wouldn't dismiss the warehouse kind of DIY store, if it has a timber cutting service. Every time the Household Management drags me to B&Q I check their offcuts bin - over the summer I have got 3 x 48 inch long offcuts of 6mm MDF (2 x 18 inch wide & 1x 21inch) for 50p each, & a 48inch x 18 inch piece of 9mm MDF for £1!! With a couple of pieces of their smooth planed timber (checked for straightness by holding it against their steel racking!) for about a fiver for cross braces, some foamboard I already had in stock (but which I think would have cost another fiver at most) I've got 12 foot of strong, light baseboard for no more than £11.50. And a spare 4 foot piece of 9mm MDF...!! Now all i've got to do is put a railway on them...!! Keef

Hello Marc, Just got notification of this post, but for some reason I didn't get any of the replies about the layout after the L&B show - or I'd have been able to add my own congratulatory comment!! Fantastic little layout again, & I really enjoyed chatting again too!! And you finally inspired me to crack on with something, & although its in the smaller scale I now have a 4 foot board with track laid & wired up & working - just have to crack on with the scenery now!! Have a good show tomorrow, bit far for me to come I'm afraid... All the best Keith PS, doesn't that 22 look gorgeous....??!!

Hello Marc, just stumbled across this thread from a link posted elsewhere - & glad I did as you've created yet another gem of a layout! When I first saw the pics I was convinced that you'd used some of your own pics from Knuckle Yard as the backscene! Hope you don't mind but I've sent you a PM. All the best Keith

Too far for me unfortunately Marc. Hope you all have a great day! Keef

Well worth waiting for the piccies Marc, they're excellent!! Was good to see you at the L&B show t'other weekend, & I'll just say to everyone, if you get the chance, make sure you get to see this layout - it ouses even more atmosphere in 'real life'...!! Keef

That's a very insightful post Ian, & I think also sums up a lot of what I get from looking at John's photo's of his layout. But I also get a very heavy 'hit' of nostalgia when I look at them! I never got to watch trains through the Scottish countryside, but looking at the pics, it's remarkably like being back on my favourite overbridge on the the quadruple main line west of Newport in the 1980's!! And what was so good in those pre-internet days was the element of surprise - what would be next - an on time HST, late running 47 on pax or a triple headed 37 on an ore train to Llanwern....??!! Really happy days, brought back ever so well by this superb layout - one of my favourites on this site....!! K