Chris Nevard

nevard_120119_combwich_DSC_1024, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. 43216 arrives at at Combwich with the 2.15pm service from Evercreech Junction, August 1961 Yesterday afternoon, Combwich was assembled for an up and under prior to this weekend's show in Guildford. Much to my surprise, it ran pretty well first off, apart from a slight problem with a Peco polarity switch being a tad lazy - next job will be to dismantle the layout and ship it down to the show which is just a couple of miles away. Fingers crossed it will behave itself upon reassembly. We shall see! The layout has for the last few months been stored vertically with the boards facing each other. I thought I'd stopped the cats getting in, but one of them has obviously managed to get inside, and in trying to escape pulled some of the Silfor grass matting adrift, a little PVA sorted that out. Luckily none of the buildings were damaged by the little darlings. Here is a bigger version of the above photo.

If anyone wants to play trains they're very welcome!

nevard_101106_wycrail_IMG_8340_web, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Wycrail, 6 November 2010. Note the cast of 'Last of the Summer Wine' in th foreground. Combwich hits the road again on Saturday 21 January at the Astolat Model Railway Circle annual show in Guildford. Combwich is 30 years old now, and whilst the layout has been contantly updated to give the impression of being far more youthful than it appears, the wiring dates right back to the early 1980's and is very overdue for a full replacement. For this reason, the show will most likely be the layout's last outing for the time being until that gastly job takes place. Fingers crossed everything will hold out for this one day show, it's rather like running an old English sports car with Lucas electrics, TLC being the best tool in the bag. However, if you see a lack of activity and hear rude language from under the baseboard, that will be me cursing some failed solder joint or wire! More about the Astolat Show here. More about Combwich here.

Let's go with 10- thanks guys!

The blue is probably the sky reflecting off the roof. I'm open to suggestions though after my notebook disappeared years ago. You can access the full res file here http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/6605888253/sizes/o/in/photostream/

8405_barford_50020_p, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. 50020 powers through Barford St Martin a few miles west of Salisbury with a Waterloo bound service during a rather splendid April day in 1984. It's incredible just how the railways have changed over just a couple of decades, for back in the 1980's the majority of long distance trains were loco-hauled. As a photography student in Salisbury during the mid-1980's, this meant that I was perfectly positioned to capture English Electric Class 50's on the Waterloo to Exeter service weather permitting. Luckily though, it is still possible to travel behind one of these powerful locos from time to time on the main line, albeit as stuffed tigers, but they do occasionally get hired out to TOCs for use on normal service trains from time to time. For a whole load more Class 50 photos like the above follow this link And if you'd like to see some Class 33's follow this link

Whilst RM web was having its well-deserved Xmas break, I still kept blogging externally (I usually copy lock stock and barrel here as well). Here's my Xmas Eve post......... nevard111223_bachmann3F_DSC_0529_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Bachmann Midland 3F weathered and renumbered as Templecombe's 43216. This loco was the 3F allocated to the former Somerset & Dorset line and was withdrawn in 1962. For photographers, this was taken on a mid-1960's Nikkor-S (Ai converted) 35mm f2.8 wide angle lens on a somewhat newer Nikon D700 digital body. 2 sec, f16, Adobe RAW/CS5 using the layout's own lighting. The only digital post production apart from basic level adjustment during the RAW conversion is the addition of fake smoke. To find out a few secrets of Brewhouse Quay, click on the above photo to take you through to another photo, then float your cursor over the image for detail notes.

nevard111228_bachmann3F_DSC_0671b_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. The new Bachmann 3F you may recall from before Christmas, has now received its final session of weathering after a renumbering to Templecombe's 43216. I tend to weather engines in stages, breaking for a day to two to appraise the effect under the layout's lighting and how it looks in relation to the layout and other stock. I like to get a uniform but not necessarily totally even look between engines and other items of rolling stock so nothing stands out too much. After looking at several colour photographs of this particular engine on the former SDJR I noticed that the smokebox area was frequently rusty, probably due to excessive heat effecting the paint. Apart from that, they had a slightly oily sticky appearance which would have attracted soot and grime. "Imagine Christmas Pudding smeared all over the engine rather than Barry Scrapyard" I recall somebody many years ago saying down a railway club. This is a good looking engine, especially now a bit of fake patina really highlights the fine detail. But one thing I hadn't really noticed until last night when weathering the tender frames, was the crazy positioning of the tender brake shoes, despite reading about them but obviously not taking on board the recent excellent Model Rail review on this very subject. If you click on the link below to bring up a bigger photo, it's very obvious that the brake shoes are flush with the tender frame sides and nowhere near the wheels. They're so far out that I'm sure sure even if it was regauged to Irish broad gauge they wouldn't be anywhere near! Bigger version http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/6588011739/sizes/l/in/set-72157625418433737/ As yet I haven't done anything about this, but now the weathering tends to highlight the flaw even more so, in due I'll be ordering some bits from one of the plethora of men-in-shed-suppliers to address what I'm hoping will just be a matter of cutting the shoes away and replacing with some brass or white metal bits. Anyway, above we have the usual pretty photo, today's one being of the grubby little fella complete with my usual load of old bull; 'After working the empty return trip from Bath Green Park Goods down to the sidings at Brewhouse Quay, we see Templecombe's 43216 resting before the fully loaded return trip. This trip, the last of the day was always popular with certain crews if near the end of shift (Drivers mainly!) because it left at 7.15pm which allowed for a few pints in the nearby brewery tap bar; the fireman was then given the dubious honour of driving the loco back to Bath Goods!

Quite stunning!

Nive work Mr CK! "Gotten", I 'm trying to imagine what you look like all country and western, yee harrr!

Here's the link - external site... http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/sets/72157623047631965/with/6521472631/

111216_rydes-hill_DSC_0157_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. This post isn't strictly about model railways, but an interest and understanding of the real world I think helps to make us better model makers. Lights like this are a doddle to make of course. As a model maker of mostly historical scenarios, I'm always on the look out for bits of 'olde England' to record for posterity to aid model making. Currently in Surrey, older street lighting is being updated with new low energy systems which can be controlled and monitored from a central remote point, the outcome being that power will be saved and failed lighting easily pin-pointed. In residential areas like the above in Guildford the familiar rich orange coloured low pressure sodium lights (known by lighting aficionados as SOX) are being replaced with white flourescent lamps, and on busier roads, pink high pressure sodium lamps (SON) are rapidly taking over due to a longer life and a slightly less overpowering monochromatic effect on colours. Sadly though it's not just a case of replacing the bulbs and control gear because many of the columns are suffering from internal corrosion and could be a danger hazard. This means that lights like the above are repidly becoming a thing of the past, with Rydes Hill in Guildford being one of the few roads left with these 1960's Stewart & Lloyd lights as I type this. When the above Corby manufactured lights were new, they would have probably had mercury vapour lamps emitting that familiar blue-green glow which would have been replaced with the 35w sodium lamps seen here in more recent times. Whilst it's sad to see these lights go, environmentally the newer 'white' lighting in residential areas does make for a more pleasant experience, like many I've never liked that sodium glow that works past any gaps in the bedroom curtains. As the orange sodium-polluted sky gets replaced with a soft whitish-green hue in the side roads, in a funny kind of way the effect is quite retro and must be more like those night-skies of the 1950's when mercury and tungsten mostly lit the way. More photos of older lighting here:

Natalie - I'm sure I've seen the above chap at various shows and possibly beer festivals. The types do very much intermix. I wonder how he charges up the laptop? Lots of good names for the licensee to choose from, and even better now I've managed to coax the inkjet printer into working again. Rule number one, never use third party inks if you want the machine to recognise the cartridges!

111205_polbrock_IMG_2125_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. The Pedant &Armchair is now fully open and is complete with appropriate signage on the front. The nearby railway also has warnings to warn of its presence, but of the course the clientele would never dream of wandering onto the line because they almost certainly read government health and safety guides before going to bed. They are also unlikely to be drunk, 'mother' would never allow it. I just need to think of a suitable name for the licensee to post above the door, thoughts? Thanks to Troels Kirk for the inspiration.

Thanks chaps, it's all a work in progress. Dirty Beattie had its first weathering seen here at 11pm last night so will be looked at again. I usually build it up over 2 or 3 sessions. Does gorse get into the leafy mid-Cornwall lowlands? I'd quite like to model a ramshackle wooden fence on the foreground peeking up through the grass. I can see a few coffee stirrers being sliced up and stained... This afternoon's job is making up pub signs and the 'Trains Cross Here' sign to sit on a B&W stripy post.

Beattie Well Tank No. 30587 trundles through the open crossing at Polbrook with a freight from Wenfordbridge to Wadebridge on a sultry summer day in 1957. 111204_polbrock_IMG_2088_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. "She smells a bit but has a heart of gold", as coined by John Cleese when introducing his slightly less than fresh wife at a drinks party on a well known Monty Python sketch. Here though I'm writing about Kernow Model Rail Centre's recently released Beattie Well Tank. The model supplied is quite delightful in pristine shiny black, any weathering being left to the modeller. Locos in service were generally a little grubby and had an acrid smell of hot oil, steam and soot - this aroma being perfume to steam fanciers My method is to brush on a sludge of water based black acrylic and weathering powders, then wipe most of it of. These locos were generally quite well kept, so to reflect much use of an oily rag to give a nice sheen, Humbrol Metalcote was drybrushed on here and there to give a metallic oily look. To complete the effect, three link couplings have also been added, though I have still to remove the socket under the buffer beam used for the supplied tension lock couplings. I have also added one of the supplied distinctive Southern Railway route disks that sits just in front of the chimney. Bigger version of the above photo HERE!

Froth!

Where's Thomas? Got an HST Mister?

Train nuts aren't known for having the most positive outlook on life, here are a few comments I've picked up over recent times, many on internet forums sadly. Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg, but I'm sure you can add some real corkers (don't be too rude though, this is not my website).... Didn't buy that mag because it was plastic bagged Hope they do it in N gauge soon Why do I have to pay for it? There's nothing in it for me Photography, these days it's all Photoshop! Not enough modern image Not enough steam Not enough Z gauge Too expensive Help me, I don't know what to model Which scale is right for me? Armchair You don't want to do it like that, you want to do it like this! That question has been answered many times before, why didn't you think of using the search function? Not enough time to make a layout because I don't know how to turn the computer off! I hate television Grrr, the X-factor! Don't like gurls The car parking is dreadful at that show Lima class 50s look much better than Hornby ones Female Mother has lovely hands They never reply to my emails Said engine Said poster S&D means Stockton and Darlington not the Somerset & Dorset! My mate said he saw a Deltic on the SDJR in 1961 Giving up and taking up stamp collecting They don't do the number I want They don't do the colour I want Warley parking is far too expensive Prototype or fiction? Prototype is better! Fiction is better! I want mummy Don't like colour Don't like B&W Giving up I don't smell I stink because I wash in beer once a year! My rucksack is bigger than yours I ordered a Bachmann 3F 3 years ago and I'm still waiting Ex-pat; why don't I get the same deal as UK readers? It's not fair 'cos I can't afford it Too many adverts Help! Can I get Waterloo onto a sheet of 4 x 2 in O gauge? Mummy! Why don't manufacturers make that loco? P4 is better than S4 It's my trainset Bad grammar Youth of today Why don't magazines employ proof reader? That feature on the Class 87 was all wrong, they should have asked here first! In my day... Divorced Off to put the kettle on Just dropped onto the doormat Can't wait, mine was posted today! Lost my modelling mojo Why don't gurls like me?

Specular is a sharp, direct light source - like the sun or in my case artificial means (because in the UK it normally rains and most layouts are too big to take outside). It's important to only have one dominant source of light as a rule, it's only on Star Trek that there are two or maybe three suns. The fill should be soft/diffuse so as not to create a competing sharp shadows. This is a complete contrast to an overcast day when the whole sky illuminates a scene evenly making an almost shadowless look, to create that you'll want bounced light off a large area (ceiling is good). There are no rules as to what works, but when trying to photograph a model railway to look like the real thing, the real world is a good example to copy.