Re6/6

Why put a starting price http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Finescale-4mm-Etched-Locomotive-Brake-Rigging-11-Sets-BNIP-/190642312519?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2c632ad547 higher than the price Dave Cleal would charge you direct? ...and http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Finescale-Locomotive-Cab-Etched-Detailing-Set-Handwheels-Turn-Cocks-Etc-BNIP-/190641939252?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2c63252334 bidding now more than twice the the suppliers price. Perhaps I should offer all my Mainly Trains etches from the box!

Many thanks for the complements all. I will do a 'how to' when I feel confident that I've got my methods right!

Please don't apologise Jon! Criticism is what I'm after. You're quite right about the colours. The armature has only had green weathering powders applied but no paint. I've got to get some Tamiya acrylics (as recommended by Gordon in his book) to get the trunk colours right. As for the foliage, it's a bit too 'nuclear green' and needs 'letting down' with maybe a chrome yellow or brake dust blow over. The main object is to get the greens subtly different. These will all be put behind the viaduct! Oh dear, now you got me thinking....!

Some more trees and an armature for Balcombe. These are all experimental ATM and will be placed at the rear of the layout. I've still got to improve on tree recognition and produce better models of particular types. Some of these will probably be removable for use on other projects. The smaller ones will be used on the Matford rebuild on the new extension board.

Some more trees and an armature for Balcombe. These are all experimental ATM and will be placed at the rear of the layout. I've still got to improve on tree recognition and produce better models of particular types. Some of these will probably be removable for use on other projects. The smaller ones will be used on the Matford rebuild on the new extension board.

It begs the question of the Dubloon > Euro rate........?!

If only those that put up railway model rubbish and their half-witted jibberish descriptions, also our friends from the 'antique' trade were to look on here, I wonder if it would make them think when they saw the ridicle that they expose themselves to...............probably not........!

............and "here we have"......and "happy bidding"....... .............pleasegive me strength.

I'm afraid that I find all this is so depressing in the modern game. The behaviour at the 'handshake' yesterday set an appalling example to the little lads that were there as mascots. When will these players realise, whether they like it or not, are rôle models to young football players and fans? I was delighted to hear Gordon Taylor of the PFA heavily criticising both the players and club in all this. I don't normally support him as I always see him a protector for rich spoiled players and who always seems to be reticent to criticise some of their questionable behaviour. Surely in this case it would be hoped that the senior players like Stevie Gerrard and Jamie Carragher at LFC would give Suarez a good talking to regarding the damage that he's doing to a great club. On the state of the game generally and lack of 'sportsmanship' and cheating that now pervades it, I was appalled whilst watching a regional footy programme last week, when the presenter, a retired local player, (can't remember who!) asked another local team player and the ex Torquay United manager Leroy Rosenior about diving and cheating when Rosenior admitted very vehemently that he would always instruct his players to 'simulate' to get an advantage through penalties, much to the surprise of the ex player presenter. If he openly admitted to it, how many other managers are doing it. All a far cry from the days when I used to go to Elland Road when, by and large, games were played in a sporting spirit. That was when I was little in the days of John Charles and later Billy Bremner and Norman Hunter That's not counting the occasional 'hard' tackle of course! But seriously though, however hard tackling and games could be, the level of respect and sportsmanship was right up there.

Speaking of 'battered boxes' this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/well-worn-Ks-kits-box-LMS-class-5-loco-/270910936155?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3f138cd45b takes the biscuit! An 'antique' collectable box maybe....but a box from a kit? ...oh this one's better ....a box lid! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/nucast-Top-cover-LMS-4-4-0-Loco-DECENT-box-/270910936924?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item3f138cd75c

Now that would be nice to model it in a winter setting. On reflection, I don't think so when I think about the hundred+ trees that would have to be made with convincing bare armatures!

No mystery there! I use the methods described in Gordon Gravett's new book on broadleaf trees 'Modelling Trees' (part 1) published by Wild Swan. I adapt some of his methods that suit me a little better. When I get a bit more proficient, (I'm not totally happy with the latest 'old' tree) I'll do a tutorial on here showing my variations in GG's methods. Basically this one is a load of twisted 22swg old iron wire, the sort that is available for gardening use and covered with a mix of tile grout, PVA glue and brown powder/poster paint, and finally finished with earthy coloured paint and green weathering powders. The 'foliage' is medium green 'Woodland Scenics' foliage mat well teased out and stuck onto the branches and then given a good coat of 'extra firm hold' cheap hairspray.

An elderly specimen. Here's another angle which maybe shows the construction a little better. It need some trimming and tidying up.

Those snaps have inspired me to make the pilgrimage. I remember seeing an article in a model mag in the sixties, but ridiculously I have never been! That first pic does it for me. Thanks Ian.

I wouldn't describe the work as 'awesome' (how self-opinionated can you get) but quite well done. I've seen much better on here that I would describe as 'awesome' It's about time that Ebay got to grips with this nonsense. If you take something out of the box and handle it, it can only be described as 'used'. EDIT; Ebay seems to make it impossible to contact them with anything other than in 'pre-designated' categories. Makes you want to give up. .......That's probably the reason why.

Like Harry or not, what a strain to have had this hanging over his head for 5 years. Occasionally listening to reports of the evidence, I thought at the time, why would multi-millionaire Milan Mandaric and millionaire Redknap be wanting to faff about 'evading' relatively small amounts of tax? The bigger question should hang over the CPS and the cost to the taxpayer of their actions. Edit. Just heard a smug, self-serving statement from the CPS lawyer outside the court justifying their action, despite the innocent verdict. "we will pursue tax evaders etc..." If you or I are slow on our tax returns the revenue are after us almost immediately, reference the statement about our serving military in Afghanistan would be fined if their returns are late....but 5 years and £millions later...questions have got to be asked.

Note the 96% feedback. I haven't seen one as low as that before...but maybe I haven't been looking!

Thank you Mike. That has confirmed my suspicions. It doesn't get away from the fact that there must be punters out there that will pay these ludicrous prices without researching or looking around for better priced items. Some of the asking prices are just plain daft and particularly for this rather mediocrely built and finished loco. If I ever wanted such a thing I wouldn't pay more than £130 tops for it. I've seen and even bought better built and finished locos for under that amount. I would be intreagued to know what such items would be sold for in open Ebay auction. Nothing like his BIN price. I suspect that if he disposed of them in the auction mode he probably might not make is actual buying price at the auction from which he bought them. It seems to be a mad world in the 'toy and collector' market. I recently sold individually on ebay from a small collection of boxed Wrenn engines for a friend. The best examples realised for him between £200>£300 which compared very well or even better that one or two of the recognised 'toy and train' auctions 'mean' realisations. In fact a couple of the same items were for sale on 'collectors' websites for £800>£900 and were in inferior condition to the ones that I sold. Two of my offerings were 'mint' in the true meaning of the word (never been out of their boxes) with the box condition (which really seemed to matter) being good/excellent. There was fevered bun fights with very large numbers of different bidders (at home and abroad) but the ultimate realisations were broadly in line with my research on other auction sites. So how the 'collector dealers' get the huge prices that they ask (or do they?) really baffles me.

No 3 visits 'Quai 87'!

I assume that our 'toy and antique' friends buy these sort of things at auction and attempt to realise a profit on Ebay. It looks like an old Keysers 'Milestones' kit. A lot of money for a rather mediocre item. As with most of the old K's kits the whitemetal moulding tended to be a little tired.

If you look at their other 'stuff' it's just another junk shop chancer.

What part of the regulations is it that these people breach? it would be interesting to know.

Speaking of 'Our friend from Cartmel' this http://www.ebay.co.u...=item45fd68d591 is still there. It must be over five years by now. His listing fees must have cost more than his asking price. I sold one exactly like this one to a collector of these 'things' and the bidding reached £1.29! (mentioned way back in this thread) ....some never seem to give up and chuck rubbish in the bin.