Chris Nevard

nevard_110408_narrowplanet_DSC_1917_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Earlier today a bespoke 'RADSTOCK' Narrow Planet nameplate arrived for this Hornby J94 Austerity seen here posed on Brewhouse Quay. This loco has yet to be detailed up, so the plate is only tacked temporarily in place for this snap. Find out more from here:www.narrowplanet.co.uk/ Thank you to the kind souls here on RM web who alerted me to this fabulous service

This thread is very much an RM web cliché in itself (not a dig) ? Let's not worry as long as we're having fun. Clichés are good, they're like that favourite Sunday roast, a good curry or your favourite pint of ale. It doesn't matter, the important thing is that we are doing some model making I guess Carry on Cliché!

Thanks chaps! There's a long way to go yet, but it runs fully and it now starting to look like a proper model railway at last. I'd bring it down to MaddocksRail next weekend, but with Catcott the I'm fully loaded sadly. Its first outing will hopefully be at Model Rail Live in September at Roll Out The Barrowhill Roundhouse in Chesterfield, there it will be use to showcase the new Model Rail/Dapol Sentinel etc.... I was only going to cobble the foreground, but the technique pressing a ball point pen (without the ball point) into DAS is so easy I decided to do the whole lot. They're not perfect as I'm sure non-modellers will take delight in telling me, but it's all about effect/illusion and there's no way I have the time or inclination to carve every set individually. As we all know, this hobby is a balance of time, ability, whilst still having a life away from the workbench and here - that I'm sure the more sane without dead mothers in cupboards understand fully.

nevard_110406_brewhouseQ_IMG_9620_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. With the weekend ahead, now's the time for a little 'Friday feeling' sillyness..... Brewhouse Quay: Looking across the canal wharf sidings at the little ex-Midland Railway Johnson 1P 0-4-4 which has just opened up the regulator to blast over the wagon turntable. In the brewery it was frowned at to run anything bigger than an 0-4-0 over these little turntables, so the unwritten rule was to open the regulator and quickly bounce over the offending item when the foreman popped in for a pint or two of mild and bitter ale. This he did regularly. With the move over the metal casks at many breweries, many had by the late 1950's lost their traditional cooperages. However the brewery here still was able to perform cooperage services for other breweries, the red LNER van being being loaded up with a consignment of overhauled casks for Farmer, Harrap & Maddocks Brewery in nearby East Devon. Again, Ivan Locksmith's ancient Austin can be seen parked in shot. The almost obligatory w i d e s c r e e n wallpaper can be found here!

nevard_110404_brewhouseQ_IMG_9582_BW_postcard, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. I was shifting through an Ebay purchase of some 10x8 black and white prints recently, and found this shot taken on the real Brewhouse Quay (it's on the Kennet and Avon on the edge Bath by the way). I gather the photo was taken in 1949 by all accounts. As you can see, it's a very tidy place with little in the way of much going on. Still, 1949 was very much like the present time with everything run down and the country on the verge of bankruptcy, truly austere times indeed - still, the unusual track layout makes a nice shot. The photographer is believed to be Ivan Locksmith (the key being the little Austin which appeared in many of his shots), and as we all know he had an excellent eye! He also took a Kodachrome slide too. UPDATE: For a more complete progress of this layout, go to my own BLOG here http://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/search/label/Brewery Disclamer: The layout is far from finished and is subject to further work and alteration (mainly 100's of casks everywhere).. The sky has NOT been Photoshopped, but the clag from the Pug has. It does actually run, and is likely to have its first proper public outing at Model Rail Live 17/18 Sept 2011 at 'roll out the' Barrow Hill Roundhouse where it will be used to showcase the Model Rail/Dapol Sentinel or whatever else I fancy running. No, it's not DCC, but I might build in a set of hand pumps to dispense ale.

nevard_110404_brewhouseQ_IMG_9560_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Brewhouse Quay Project: The brewery management (Foster, Dent, Marriott & Jones Celebrated Ales) are captured there having their bi-monthly tour of inspection in their recently purchased ex-LSWR brake van that was found on the Isle of Wight. Well actually, they're in the brewery tap on the right so that's why they're not in shot. The real reason for this snap is to show off the new aerial walkway and associated building knocked up from the plastic card and foam board. It's been primarily built to serve as an additional scenic break. I've used different material to the brewery buildings because there's no way that I'll be able to match what Messrs Bachmann and Co. and the skilled Chinese workers have produced. Obviously it still needs to be painted. It's also a chance to show off the lightweight looking hand built track using code 55 flat bottomed rail and DAS (modelling clay) used to replicated ash ballast and cobbles. The Caboose Hobbies actual working ground throw is showcased nicely here and much much bigger than it is in real life. With hindsight I maybe should have chosen to use the N gauge ones as recommended by Mr Burkin in April 2010 Model Rail instead of the HO scale one here. I'm not going to lose any sleep over that, and in any case not every operator will have tiny fingers. I don't always post here, but you can catch up here http://nevardmedia.b...h/label/Brewery

If you embed any captions in the photo EXIF, most galleries these days will be able to extract such and save having to retype. It's good protocol anyway for future generations who may wish to analyse old material. Many magazine publishers like The Railway Magazine etc demand this as standard with submitted material. http://www.exif.org/ There is plenty of freeware that will allow you to do such.

Here goes: www.nevard.com

A fun video - emjoyed the others in your cllection too B)

nevard_110303_brewhouse_IMG_9322_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Just a quick update this evening; here Saffy and Fleur give me a hand wiring up Brewhouse Quay. The soldering iron was not plugged into the wall.... at that stage..... Btw, the first loco ran under its own power shortly after this snap was taken - using electricity, not thrown at one of the cats should anyone ask!

The mug was empty at the time, I'd had enough ale down the local earlier (which would explain this bazaar post I guess)! I'm a dining chair modeller - proof! Dining chair modellers do have to build something though, because there's no way I'd be allowed to take over the dining room if there was no real reason

All layouts should have penguins. Actually I hate model figures so much (well mine anyway because I don't have the patience to make them half decent) I'm tempted to replace all of them with the fun slippery little creatures..... here's my start....

My workbench depends on what I'm doing, so it tends to be set up all over the place depending on current circumstance. Here is the mobile workbench as seen right now at the beginning of the month of March. Click on the image to reveal a bigger view and to be able to read the rather hastily added pointers of what is where.

Good old Humbrol leather! I wonder how many railway modellers actually use it for such? This is cracking work BTW B)

Thanks chaps - I guess a quite call to Mainly Trains B)

Old tosh: Templecombe's familiar ex-LSWR G6 No. 30274 is captured here under stormy looking skies at Combwich on one of its very rare outings from shunting in Templecombe Upper Good Yard. Click on the photos to enlarge. Fact: Here's my very first white metal kit in the form of a Wills LSWR G6. I recall at the time buying a Wrenn SECR R1 0-6-0 for the chassis. In 1979 when I built this kit, the missing centre flange on the heavy duty chassis was reasonably acceptable, with many ready to run steam locos from UK manufacturers featuring such. 31 one years on and the loco still runs very well, albeit with a nice ozone aroma. I do have to be selective about what track it runs on, with Peco and SMP being fine. C + L with its more pronounced chair detail is an issue. At some stage I might replace the heavy wheels with some Romfords - I've been saying that for the last 25 years though..... Combwich, the layout used as a backdrop here was started at around the same time that this loco was built, to me though it still sort of feels like a new layout, though some of the techniques like blobs of solder to depict rail chairs has been surpassed to some degree. The dash here and there with the Noch Grasmaster is a good way to bring the scenic aspect of older layouts back up to date easily.

Serious talent!

Nice! It will look lovely trundling across that bit of boggy land near the estuary of the Parrett just north of Bridgwater It's interesting what you say about the smokebox door, I think with mine it was half-open for hours on Catcott before I noticed at the last show... Testors is good.

Thank you chaps - most kindly!

nevard_110225_harry_IMG_9284_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Yesterday this colourful happy chappy called Harry arrived second hand from Paul Steedman of RHB Rhatia fame (see his layout the latest Model Rail International just out - get it from Smiths) . As you can see, the loco is in very nice condition too in its rather smart red, which is anything but 'austerity'. This Hornby model is a little dated so it could do with a little work to bring it nearer to today's expectations. Some will of course replace nearly everything with bits of brass, but life I'm afraid is too short, and anyway for me it's all about effect rather than total accuracy. So for this reason my detail tweaks will simply involve some new lamp irons, cab handrails, smokebox handles and a finer replacement for that rather chunky grab thingamiwotsit hanging off the saddle tank near the front. I quite like the red colour and fine lining, so that will stay and be subdued with bit of weathering. A new name will be chosen and take the form of an etched plate. I quite like the name 'Mendip', this I imagine is unlikely to exist 'ready-to-stick', so the actual name will probably be something else that looks and sound suitable (suggestions if you like). The chassis is a little crude looking by today's standards, but once it's under a layer of grime it will look much better, and anyway, it's a sweet running after widening the back to backs to get through my C+L - so *why meddle? This loco's home will be split between Brewhouse Quay, Mendip Colliery and Cement Quay (when in steam mode). _____________________________________________________________________________ *Cue hate mail from the adenoidal brigade who will insist that this loco is totally wrong and that I should be building a kit from brass and how I should be publicly strung up at the next finescale meet and be whipped to near an inch of death with Peco code 100. Only kidding, I love you all really, even the ones with the irritating know-better voices.

nevard_110222_catcott-collett_DSC_1470_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Swindon's finest 3206 pauses at Catcott Burtle with the 2.20pm service from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction during the rear end of the summer of 1965. Note the brisk westerly wind catching the exhaust (which I admit to being Photoshoppery). OK, enough of the old tosh, hopefully the grass is a good advert for static grass "ground foam is so 90's don't you know?". The reeds are not the right colour and too dense - some plucking and work with the airbrush needed there (real life and its requirements somehow got in the way). The actual backscene is suffering from perspective things from this oblique angle - my excuse is that strong westerly and moist air off the Bristol Channel in is to blame, the Mendips being about 4 miles to the north creating the cumuli running along the ridge (it looks fine head on). Must sort out the curtains on the top right window (cut out from junk mail) - they're rubbish I know (but it is very small in real life). And if any smart nice person mentions that the telegraph wires should sag - then listen to sound of a raspberry very loud.... WIDESCREEN VERSION http://www.nevardmed.../p69185292.html

It's was a pleasure and honour to photograph such a fine layout. Mr BlackRat you have done such an excellent job blending the old with the new too. I'm now back from my 2 day jolly (sorry - assignment) to the wild west and now have rather a lot of photographs to sort out

This shot taken under the layout's own flu lighting makes an interesting comparison, note how the loco green is a little richer http://www.nevardmedia5.fotopic.net/p68950792.html