Chris Nevard

Spot on! And so much better than the 'painting by numbers effect' seen all too often where people paint every stone a different colour, and then go bonkers in the process - the result looking nothing like anything I've seen in real life. Nature is very subtle, random and very different to painting a loco. Interestingly (well not really) I use the same method as you!

111002_cornish_int_IMG_1427_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. The little GWR/LSWR-Cornish-esque 2'10" x 12" micro continues to take shape. Not bad I guess seeing it was only a twinkle Sunday before last - but it is only dinky winky so no great challenge. Yesterday you saw the GWR 'pagoda' and platform manifest, and the afternoon before saw a little track construction using C+L components. Note the lower level siding and catchpoint, something that's nearly always missed from sidings joining main running lines on models. Here we see much of the whole caboodle from roughly where the level crossing will be. Note the bridge marking the boundary to the fiddle yard on the left hand side; the rather delightful structure being courtesy of 'GWRrob' on RM web. Currently it's halfway through the paintshop and it sitting in primer ready for the dry-brush top coats. I hope you'll agree that it's got some lovely stone rendering, but it might surprise you (it did me) that it's made from fiberglass, the moulded gel-coat representing the stonework suggesting a 1960's kit maybe? Tell me if you know more.....

Thanks chaps - this project is all about speed! Most of the track is now down, I just feed to make up the crossing vee, file the switch blades and drop in. The slightly lower siding looks good, and with the slope into it there is scope for some flyshunting. GWRrob very kindly posted me a fabulous GWR single track cast stone bridge for the left hand side. The stone rendering is lovely. Curiously it's made of of fibreglass! It's in the paintshop now, will post pics when it comes out the other side. Fibreglass would suggest 1960's maybe. I've also been working on a large photo for the backscene, with the corners it works out about 4'6 x 1'. With Photoshop I've made it rather misty, which will hopefully suggest distance and space - every trick in the book will be required on this little scene! The best thing has been the weather, 95% of all the work being done in the garden - sadly I fear after today the rest will be indoors as autumn begins proper. Sorry for odd formatting and likley typos, I'm typing this on my mobile phone!

I just pick stuff up at shows mostly. I have a huge box with all sorts going back at least a decade. I like to mix them all up.

111002_cornish_int_IMG_1420_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Cornish Interlude (working title) update What better that to move the workbench outside when the weather is as good as it has been! No need to hoover up after either! This weekend saw the repaint and weather of a Bachmann Scenecraft GWR 'Pagoda'. The weekend also saw the construction of a short platform from foam board, embossed plastic card and Das modelling clay. Note the faded BR Southern Region colours, this to display ongoing region changes between the SR & WR.

Books don't need charging up or batteries. All the trendy greenies should be selling their Kindles, tablets and such, they forget that because of all this technology we use more electricity than ever before, so they are far from green. Books are made of wood, trees grow again. As I sit in bed on my laptop typing this LOL!!

110928_cornish_int_IMG_1342_02_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. Cornish Interlude (working title) update. Railways enthusiasts generally love books, and I am no exception, needing little excuse to buy another for the collection. They are never idle purchases, they get looked at over and over again to inspire my model making. I think this is why I have far too many ideas, the purchase of a new book inevitably resulting in the back of an envelope sketch for some kind of mini or not so mini layout or simply to help capture that all important atmosphere. You'll note in the bigger version of the above snap a strong Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway bias with many of the books, which as many will know is my favourite line, I'm unsure why, having no real connection with the area other than frequent short breaks in Georgian Bath which was the northern terminus of the line. I imagine it must be the wonderful photography and colour film by Ivo Peters that did it - I'm not alone here. I also like gritty moody black and white photography of real working steam, that will be the reason for the 2 Colin Gifford books, firstly the hugely iconic 'Decline of Steam' and his later book Steam Finale North. Many years ago I asked a second hand book seller to keep an eye out for a copy of Decline of Steam, and much to my surprise, 11 years later he got in touch with a copy - now, that's service! No it's not for sale by the way.... In case you think the latest Cornish project has stalled, quite the contrary, it is underneath all the books which are holding in the foam core trackbed firmly in place on top of the plywood base whilst the glue sets in preparation for tracklaying.

Update: sorry, no time to sort out the pics (which are in the can). The foam core sub base (2 layers) has now been bonded to the ply baseboard surface. The 2 layers allowing the siding to be at a slightly lower level, creating an interesting feature. It is currently on the dresser covered in books whilst the PVA sets. Those nice chaps at Model Rail will be running a 4 part Workbench on the making of the mini-layout. This will give me a chance to go into far greater detail than here. But I will continue to give 'lite' updates. Tracklaying will be the next stage, probably starting with the single slightly curved point. Everything will be C&L and I also intend to try out a pre-production beta design of a slow-motion point motor. I've been told not to say any more on that, but it will have a useful advantage over other current designs.

More importantly, how will the road disappear into the backscene? :)

Pressfix!

Thanks for all the names, fictional ones are always tricky especially for an area like Cornwall for a home counties kid (old fart) like me. Ullypug - I'm surprised too - it was only 48 hours ago I mentioned the idea to you at S4um. Hopefully it won't grind to a halt (gettit?, halt..). Still a committed deadline is always good. BQ suddenly seems a long time ago.

Seriously, I'm going to see if I can get is ready for Warley, as long as there's space on the Model Rail stand (it's actually only 2ft 10" long). Earlier today I was offered a GWR Pagoda (the Model Rail one), this will look great in faded SR green and cream like at Dunmere (a Southernised ex-GWR line). Apart form the track and scenics which should represent no issues, I just need to scratchbuild the two buildings on the right along with the platform. Now, who makes a nice GWR single track bridge for the other end - Wills?

Catsland sounds sort of Cornish....

110927_cornish-interlude_IMG_1336_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. 3 hours work with glue, hammer, saw, blood, less fingers, and we have a baseboard in a box. This is probably the average time most armchair modellers sit online before lunch pontificating about flanges, why they've lost interest in the hobby, why they don't have enough time to actually do anything, why 66134 has not been released in S gauge, why aren't model railway magazines free and how much Photoshop does that Mr Nevard use on model chuff chuff pics (very little). Actually I don't really dislike armchair modellers, in fact "some of my best friends are armchair modellers", they're just an easy target like people with caravans, lager drinkers, Nissan Micra owners, shell suits and trainspotters with adenoidal voices. In fact, I'd like to see a gallery of these armchairs to see who has the most impressive one. Does anyone have one with a high wing back in red velvet with an ornate gilt frame like on 'Big Bruvverrr'? Back to the trainset - The box is not fixed to the baseboard at this stage, that won't happen until after the track has been laid and the bulk of the scenic work done. Actually I might just screw it into place to allow future removal should I want to extend the layout. The backscene will be on flexible plastic and will sit inside, the natural curve of the plastic will ensure no sharp corners. The local printer will print my home-grown photographic backscene onto it. The track will be laid straight onto 5mm foam core (there is a plywood base underneath), it takes glue easily, it might (though I doubt) just sound-deaden a tad, lies flat and it easy to draw on. As long as the surface is waterproofed (primer) before ballasting with diluted PVA there won't be any problem with the card de-laminating away from the foam core having used it successfully with Brewhouse Quay and Catcott Burtle. Next, I'd better get some track laid I guess, I'll be using C+L components for that. Before I go and pour a well deserved beer, this is the inspiration for the exit on the right hand side http://homepage.ntlw...ics/helland.jpg Lost? Yesterday's introduction to this little project: http://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/2011/09/having-little-doodle.html Any thoughts on a name for this little layout?

I have very BIG rose tinted glasses

Popular press - Mode Rail of course - the mag with the biggest workbench section of any mag in the UK - you must know that of course It's the only one I do stuff for these days, along with all the layout photography. The colliery is a 'proper layout', well in the view of my wife's eyes, and until I convert the garage I'm not allowed to do anymore layouts (I pushed it with BQ) . I've Combwich, Catcott, Cement Quay + bit on the side and Brewhouse Quay 'stored' in the guest room. She has a point I guess! This one being only 3x1 won't be noticed - I hope! "It's not a layout, it's a diorama (which so happens to work)". Popping out shortly to grab some timber for the 5mm foam core sub base to sit on (I'll use that instead of cork seeing I have many sheets of it). The illustration above is in fact a heavily Photoshopped overhead photo of the foam core base which has the trackplan and main features drawn onto it. I hope to have baseboards done by 2pm today. Looking ahead, I might use a GWR corrugated pagoda for the platform shelter, but repaint it in faded Southern Region colours as with Dunmere Halt. The whole cameo (hey, that's another name I can give it rather than layout) will have a a neglected look about it (that's new), but no water feature this time. WS - finer chain, thanks but I didn't bother in the end, but I did spend a small fortune on 3 links. The chain looks much finer in real life, especially since I finally found my chemical blackener on Sunday. I love these animated GIF moodicons or whatever they're called....

Good luck John, a great way to test out something different that's a bit more than a length od ballasted track. Also a good way to get a usuable result which will most likely be finished. I think too many people decide to try out the finer track gauges and end up being archairr modellers because they set themselves too many mountainous problems. Much better to know that you built something albeit small that works rather than being a bore than never does anything. Good luck - race you?

It's a bit like a mini-Catcott with the crossing and halt. I have the C&L track and one of the fiddle yards..... I hate bare baseboards, with micro layouts that stage in minimal. To me railway modelling is more about capturing a slice of railway atmosphere than anything else. Actually a Class 25 on some 'hoods could look quite good on this.

cornish interlude 01_WEB, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. I like doodling and thinking of ideas for small layouts, small layouts appealing to me because they can cater for all the different type of railways I like. I don't think I could ever commit to just one big project, I'd probably get bored halfway through. Here we have a back of an envelope plan for a 3x1 foot (excluding fiddle yards) micro depicting a fictitious halt and crossing on the Wenford Bridge branch line. The forthcoming Kernow Model Rail commissioned Beattie Well Tank being the catalyst and now on order! The rear of the layout will be about 3 inches higher than the front which will be a gnat's todger lower than the rail height, the halt being set into the cutting on the far side. High 'Cornish hedges' will add a nice and easily achieved feature. The backscene will be photographic as with Catcott, (see here) this I'll shoot myself, and prepare for the local repro/printing house (I have just penned an article for the popular press on how to do such). I will probably use a flexible 1 foot high plastic base for this which will give me the all important curved corners rather than using 'Bendy MDF' as with Brewhouse Quay. The photographic image will be treated a little in Photoshop (with 'Paint daubs' as with Catcott) to get rid of the pure photographic look, it's important that the modelling takes centre stage rather than the backscene, but it's also important with such a small layout that it feels like it is part of a much bigger landscape. Bigger version of the above sketch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/6186238153/sizes/o/in/photostream/

This looks great - it certainly looks a lot bigger than the tiny scale you've chosen. Sucking things up in the hoover remind me of the brief time we had a cleaner and on her first day said "I thought I'd hoover the trainset, I think a few figures got sucked up" (always the nice white metal ones we spend hours over of course). She didn't last very long and was banned from the layout room.

CK's workmanship put mine to shame - the little engine looks so at home here! I can build a trainsets, lay my own track, paint and weather locos, but just cannot make a kit chassis work! We each have our own areas of speciality which is one of the things that makes the hobby so much fun (and frustrating at times). On a different note, it's interesting just how different the colours on the layout look when seen under natural daylight as here - alot more mauve (not in a bad way I hope). I coloured it for the built in flu-lighting which tends to subdue reds and enhance greens and yellows.

With work looming for many tomorrow, here's a little cheer up snapped earlier today in the car park at Scaleforum! Brewhouse Quay, not you you can tell was balanced on the roof of my car, it not being officially part of the show. The lovely little loco, an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 is owned by Captain Kernow - oh lucky chap! Click on the photos below to enlarge.....