Taz

Reminds me of the time my wife went out and left me instructions to put the chicken in the oven before she got home.

So I did.

How was I supposed to know she meant switch it on as well........

Nice coaches. May I ask what paints you have used? I particularly like the shade of crimson.

I think battery electric cars are just a stop gap solution.

The future for motoring is the hydrogen fuel cell. All we need is the infrastructure to be put in place. We can't be far off the point where production of hydrogen becomes economically competitive with digging oil out of the ground.

Agreed, the weathering is sublime. Have you ever detailed how you go about it?

This is a well proven trait on RMweb where playing the fool usually equates to a decent / great modeller.

Oh dear, what does that say about a boring old fart like me.....

I couldn't find any locally either so bought mine off ebay. Have yet to do any ballasting so cannot comment on it's sound deadening properties compared to normal pva.

+1 for the chassis DVD please.

I have gained a great deal from the Right Track DVDs (thank you very much Tony). Although books can be a useful tool I have found you can't beat seeing someone actually demonstrating what you are trying to learn.

Back then didn't the French shoot at just about anyone/everyone?

..... I have just etched a mid 1930's 'B' set, and if anyone is reading this, where can I obtain short GWR buffers?

Coach,

This has been recently discussed here with regard to E147 B sets:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106815-gwr-e147-b-set/

A couple of possible solutions for you to consider.

There is also no accurate GWR cattle van. The Bachmann offering is just a re-liveried BR standard and although not a million miles out it is still overlength like the BR equivalents.

With the Coopercraft kit (if you can get it) only covering the early W1/W5 diagram there is considerable scope for a new model or kit here as well.

When it comes to weathering locos, folk are perhaps literally using the colours and tones they see in colour albums.....

Interesting comment Coach.

However for those of us that are to young to have seen the real thing what else can we use to base our weathering and colour perceptions on?

Happy New Year Tony and everyone else.

Thanks for all the inspiration

Is she the looker out of the two sisters?

....The Captain can't be doing with all these posh motors, speeding along as if they own the road and are all 'more important' than the rest of us.

 

.....

So the Captain no longer requires lifts to DRAG then?

 

'It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive.'?

Probably, however I believe it is now one of the little signs that appear on the screens in certain X Country services.

That's a very good looking van Taz. Comet Collett by any chance?

Phil

 

Yep. K42.

Full details in my sporadic WB thread here if you are interested:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60952-tazs-kit-building-workbench-comet-b-set-phoenix-e128/

If I might wade in on the kit vs RTR debate.

I think I may have said this before but I honestly don't think it is as bleak as some of you make out.

This comment from Tony is very pertinent:

"Of course it's not dead, yet. But it's nowhere near as necessary (and thus popular) as it once was."

In the past it may have been necessary but if the people building kits were doing it out of necessity (and therefore would have bought RTR if it was available) it would suggest the kit building was done just to achieve the end result (complete layout) rather than the pure desire to create something oneself.

If the primary enjoyment of from the hobby was the building of the kit(s) then surely people would choose to build over buy the RTR regardless.

For some people this is the primary enjoyment of the hobby and they  continue to build and let RTR pass them by.

Many more (myself included) live in the middle ground where we will use RTR where it is available and suites and use kits to fill in the gaps. In my case any RTR I buy gives me more time to concentrate on building stuff that isn't available (or where kits give me what I believe is greater value for money).

So, for example,  modelling BR(W) in 1960 I make good use of Hornby Castles but have an on-going project to build the varied ex GWR coaching stock that could be seen. I have also built (or am in the process of building) the baseboards, the track, the scenery, all the buildings etc.

To answer the skills question. It is true that they may no longer be taught at schools but that is not the only place or way to pick them up.

For example I had only ever done electrical soldering prior to attempting my first brass kit. I bought the necessary tools, watched the relevant Right Track DVDs (many thanks Tony) and then got stuck in.

Likewise with the painting (although I was fortunate that I had an aviation modeller friend who was able to give me a basic grounding in airbrushing. This was the result - my first brass kit:

Also schools open pupils to other, more modern methods which could be applied to modelling.

My daughter has access to a 3D printer and if she choose the right option at GCSE she could get a grounding in CAD.

The modern day equivalent of metalworking skills?

One of the guys in our modelling group has a Cameo cutting machine and has already produced coach sides from plastic sheet.

We are no longer limited to relying on what kit manufacturers produce in brass and white-metal.

I have already told myself that if I ever want a particular coach and it isn't available from any supplier I will sit down, learn CAD and get some etches produced myself. Access to all these technologies is becoming easier by the year.

Finally, to end my ramblings, you only need to attend some of the more 'finescale' (for want of a better word) exhibitions such as RailEx ,Wells, or one of the P4/EM society exhibitions to see there is still a healthy market for kits and detailing parts. Most of these manufacturers have a web presence as well. So whilst your local model shop might not stock all the items they used to it is still possible to get all the bits and pieces needed to kit build.

Hi Ducky,

I've just spent the weekend catching up on all 63 pages of this thread. Don't know how I've missed it up until now. It wasn't easy as it would appear quite a few of your earlier posts have disappeared.

It looks like you have the makings of a great layout here. With all the help you are being offered and a bit of perseverance I'm sure you will get there.

Looking forward to see how you develop it.

Some more updates on the B-set.

They were given a rushed paint job so they could be used as part of the static display of our Bodmin layout on the DRAG stand at Scaleforum.

Once that was over with I stripped them down so I could add more detail.

First the underframe.

I have added a steam pipe (.7mm brass wire) complete with drain-cock made with a stub if .45 wire.

Representations of the brake linkages have been added with .45 wire and bits from a Mainly Trains etch.

Finally the dynamo belt has been modelled using some brass strip.

Next the inner ends.

The alarm gear has been modelled using .33 wire and small bits of plastic section.

I intend to model these 2 coaches as a semi permanently coupled so the coach electrical connectors will be modelled joined (probably using suitable thread or fuse wire).

The inner buffers of these B-sets were unusual (unique?).

There is a good picture of them on Tim Venton's excellent web site here:

http://www.tventon.freeserve.co.uk/bset.htm

I couldn't find these available anywhere but I thought I could make up something representative using some MJT GWR shock absorbing wagon buffers (Item 2302).

By shortening the shanks and replacing the wagon buffer heads with 16" coach heads I think I have come up with a reasonable copy of the original:

The only remaining job now before painting will be to add the roof ribs (which I will wait until just before painting to help avoid damage).

Slowly getting there

Coopercraft own these now.

Beware though that lots of people have had issues with mail order. Probably best to give him a call.

I know he has the etches normally in stock (always on his stand at exhibitions) but I don;t think the associated castings are available anymore.

Those last two are on our DRAG test track which is far from perfect.

It is even more impressive as all those wagons are rigid RTR conversions. Nick has done a fine job with them.

It's a bit more from the other Brent, but that's not a problem. It's a journey I've done by road many times (Brent to Cotswolds, for work), so count me in (and I'm sure Re6/6 will also be interested).

I could be interested as well so that would be 3 from our neck of the woods.

Agreed,

there are a couple of offenses still on the statute books, e.g.:

Interfering with railway with intent to endanger persons traveling (Offences against the person act 1861)

Put/throw stone/wood/thing on railway W/I to obstruct (Malicious Damage Act 1861)

Take up/Remove/Display rail/sleeper/thing W/I to obstruct railway (Malicious Damage Act 1861)

Unlawfully and maliciously did an act with intent to obstruct, upset, overthrow, injure or destroy an engine, tender, carriage or truck using the railway.(Malicious Damage Act 1861)

Interestingly both

Blocking railway with intent to obstruct, endangering life (Malicious Damage Act 1861)

and

Damaging railway with intent to obstruct, endangering life (Malicious Damage Act 1861)

have been recently removed from the statute books.

...

I'd be grateful also if you would have a look at this image, and tell me if you can spot anything amiss. No catches in this, I just need to know how noticeable something is.

signal.jpg

The only thing I noticed was the lack of top lining on the MK1 FK. Did it previously have a yellow stripe that has been removed?

Sorry Coach, didn't mean to imply that just because something was P4 that it would be a masterpiece (although of course some P4 locos/layouts can be masterpieces). My inclusion of P4 in my reply  was just a continuation after the mention of it in Tony's entry above.

I'm not trying to start a gauge war (my favorite layouts on this forum happen to be OO) so maybe best forget I ever mentioned it

I think you do yourself a disservice here Tony.

Your individual models might not be highly detailed P4 masterpieces but they are still superb examples of modelling. You also need to look at what you have achieved here. 30+ feet of East cost mainline, 40 + trains and dozens of locos all create a picture of a scene long gone. You have created a classic layout here and although you have many friends who have helped and contributed it is your vision which has driven it forward.

Are there any P4 equivalents? This layout represents the accumulation of your adult modelling efforts. If the extra effort of doing it all in P4 (assuming you had the space) was factored in could you have ever built it all?

I'm sure it is one of the reasons why there are very few large P4 layouts.

As someone who has feet in both the P4 and OO camps I appreciate that all layouts have a compromise. I would never have the time (or the space) to build my planned home layout in P4 so I have to accept the OO compromise. If I wanted to do P4 I would have to compromise on the scale of my plan. So I P4 as part of a group project and OO at home.

Also whilst I take your point about the time spent on a computer I for one appreciate your postings here (and your DVD/Youtube efforts). Not knowing you and living in Devon this is the only way I would ever get to see Little Bytham and it is one of my favorite layouts on the forum.

So thank you for showing us your 'train set'. It is much appreciated.