Rumblestripe

The new G5 is being built in Shildon in a unit on the Hackworth Industrial Estate. The project team recently interviewed a mate of mine's father who drove the G5 back in the 50s and is (they believe) the only man alive today to have done so. They interviewed him about how it drove and the character and idiosyncrasies of the class. G5 build documentation it almost looks like a kit of parts now! Lovely model and one of my favourite NER classes (though I never saw one, being born in '59) I plan on building one in 7mm from the Connoisseur Models kit when I finally get my shed up and sorted some time this year!

Rail Model Digest ran to six issues PLUS the Preview/Pilot (just checked my shelves where resides all seven!)

There is a working replica of Locomotion No 1 at Beamish Museum, though I believe that the boiler needs attention which can surely be done for 2025? Darlington Council has neglected the town's history for so long, the museum at North Road (also it should be noted home to the team that built Tornado and where the P2 is being assembled - access only on Open Days) is more akin to a shed full of interesting stuff but not really presented to tell a story and quite old fashioned. I agree that Locomotion at Shildon is a very nice modern museum and far removed from a "low roofed shed" and has hosted some rather wonderful events... ...one short, she was otherwise busy for the family shot... Seriously, if you are visiting the Frozen Wastelands of the Northern England do not miss Locomotion! (Or Beamish, the Tanfield Railway, NYMR, Wensleydale Railway, etc.) This message brought to you by the Frozen Wastelands Tourist Board.

Here is an oddity. Aysgarth Station is a "preserved" station without a railway. I visited a Wensleydale Railway open day in 2012, since then it has been sold to a private individual who plans to reinstate the rails and hold open days. That was in 2019, no idea what progress if any has been made? It was interesting in that nearly all the infrastructure that the NER installed was still present including scales in the Goods shed a desk in the Weighbridge and none of the fripperies that are required to run as a "Tourist Attraction" More in the Gallery here: RMWeb Gallery - Aysgarth Station

Yes, another vote for Grosmont here And some more love for the Tanfield, here Andrew's House I need the scent of a steam locomotive back in my life. Why do women insist on smelling of flowers spices and such? Here pet hold this lump of coal, a dab of light machine oil behind yerr luggoles... phwoar!

whatever you use, try a little bit on a hidden bit of the model before dunking the whole thing. (Ask me how I know... )

Hi, a few years ago I bought myself a cheap airbrush and compressor kit and documented my first steps with it. So I bought a cheap airbrush I still have the compressor and have bought a new cheap airbrush as the old one got more and more gummed up (more my lackadaisical attitude to cleaning than any engineering fault) these airbrushes are flogged in their hundreds to nail bars (ask your wife/girlfriend/other female) and will chuck paint where you point it. Certainly good enough for applying model railway liveries.

This, cheapest and best (though not COVID secure)

No, I'm not a subscriber but our local Smiffs has become an unpleasant place to visit with magazines stuffed in increasingly packed racks as they are also now the Post Office counter and M+S Food! So this was a one off from Titfield Thunderbolt webstore.

Just received my copy from Titfield Thunderbolt and I just want to praise the effort that they went to deliver a pristine magazine to me. Within the sturdy cardboard envelope the magazine was contained in a paper bag and then taped to a very robust piece of cardboard. Truly service above and beyond. Gentlemen/Ladies, thank you. Look at that corner, perfect! Others the same.

I would say that what you are describing an artist would call a "glaze" rather than a "wash"? Both are thin layers of translucent paint applied over a base or top coat, the difference is that a glaze applies a uniform film over the underlying paint whereas a wash settles into the crevices of a surface and emphasizes a 3D appearance. As suggested above best applied with an airbrush applying a thin layer over model can "unify" the finish. In military modelling this technique is usually the final layer applied to a vehicle before sealing with a matt or semi matt varnish. Simply described the paint is "misted" onto the model from further away than applying a base or colour coat and is very very light, a second or even a third layer can be applied if the desired effect is not achieved

Personally, I would just prime in automotive red oxide (Halfords in the UK is good stuff) then create your colour variations with dirty brown washes, dry brushing in lighter colours and, if you feel the need, pick out individual bricks in greys, browns and oranges. Leave to dry completely for at least 24 hours. Make a dilute wash of greyish cream, in acrylic I use a flow improver like W&N. Test it by spotting it onto the brickwork, it should run freely into the crevices and joints, if it doesn't, add more flow improver. Once you are happy with your wash, apply liberally over the brickwork then while still wet wipe off with diagonal strokes using kitchen paper or tissue so that the tissue stays out of the courses and leaves a nice distinct pointing. If you wish you can drybrush over the top of this to add highlights. Add then you need to think about smoke staining, water staining, moss growth...

I do still have the same airbrush and it is still "earning its keep" though I confess I am only an occasional airbrush user and not a particularly skillful one! I really bought it for the compressor and was surprised at how useful the airbrush was. If the airbrush does start misbehaving there are many choices for less than £20 or you can move up to a better quality AB like the Iwata Neo. I can usually spray Vallejo Air without further thinning, if it is a new bottle, once it has been opened I tend to add a little Vallejo Airbrush Thinner to help it a bit. A good thing about trying the Vallejo Air paint is that it gives you a good idea of what people mean when they say thin your paint to the consistency of "milk" which I never found a very helpful description! In terms of getting a good acrylic wash try the GW washes, they have rather silly names but work really well straight from the bottle. If you want to make your own washes the trick (if there is one) is to reduce the surface tension of the liquid in the wash so simply diluting with water will not work terribly, well add a proprietary "Flow Enhancer" (I use W&N Acrylic Flow Improver) you can also add a very small touch of Washing Up liquid and many swear by this (I swear AT IT as I find it puts bubbles in your wash which can dry on the model) Many military modellers use oil washes over acrylic paint and there is no reason not to (apart from the lengthened drying times) use something like a "Lamp Black", "Paynes Grey" or "Burnt Sienna" and thin right down with turps/white spirit as you would with enamels. It is best to buy a decent quality Artists' oil paint for a finer denser pigment. Also make sure your acrylic paint is completely dry, this is not the same as touch dry so leave it for a minimum of 24 hours (preferably 48) before applying an oil or enamel based wash.

Another vote both for Vallejo and GW acrylics. Both brush very well. Tamiya I don't like, they are very fussy, need their own thinners and can react with other acrylics and I don't like the pots they come in. Vallejo in particular has such a huge range of colours that you will find a close match for that elusive "Inverness & Perth Junction Railway Pink" that you can't find anywhere (probably). I would recommend looking at some of the acrylic techniques widely used in Military Modelling like washes, dry brushing and glazes. Somewhere on here is a thread I created when starting using an airbrush with Vallejo Air (pre-thinned for airbrush use) I had no problems at all spraying it in a cheap Chinese airbrush... So I bought a cheap airbrush - Airbrush thread for anyone interested. I don't use enamels any more they are smelly and hard on expensive brushes - especially if you like good kolinsky sable brushes!

I find the "hang 'em high" reaction that always follows any incident that affects our sensibilities as, at best, unhelpful (if understandable). I would certainly encourage the young people to meet with the modellers who's work they have destroyed and try to reach some kind of understanding. I agree that incarceration would serve no purpose, assuming that this is not behaviour that is part of a pattern (i.e. something they have done before). They have some growing up to do.

I respect that no-one should feel that they HAVE to donate but I don't think your reasoning is very helpful. There is no precedent (that I'm aware of) for an Insurance company saying "look at all the money you've already been given we don't need to compensate you" indeed the Insurance Ombudsman should take a very dim view of such. Personally, I have given a small donation and I would be happy for the money to be used to any purpose the club sees fit whether it being helping those who have lost in this incident or wider community projects in the area. I don't think the amount raised is important it simply shows that good people care about other people.

Loved the model/real slider picture, very cleverly done. Refreshing to see our hobby viewed positively and maturely. When you read the twaddle that is written for the consumption of the fans of "22 grown men chasing a ball round a field" (of which I am one) it shouldn't be hard to write something positive about a hobby that has a lot to commend it in terms of valuable skills and therapeutic value. Now I'm off to make "choo-choo" noises in the loft...

Just found this and enjoyed reading your thread Oook.

Amazing thread, just read it start to finish Thanks for taking the time to pull all this together.

Best issue this year (IMO) really good stuff. In "News From The North", Smiffs at Darlington (54.5 N) had about ten copies on Sunday.

Milliput strikes me as a rather expensive way to fill holes in Balsa or other wood. I can't see why it wouldn't work though. Once set it will undoubtedly be much harder than the surrounding material which can cause problems if you try to sand it. I would have a trip to Homebase/BnQ and buy a DIY type woodfiller. I have in the past used a mix of PVA glue and sawdust to fill wood.

Hi, a couple of years ago I started a thread on here called "So I bought a cheap airbrush kit" I think it is the same basic kit as you have bought here. I hope it might be still of interest? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/107480-so-i-bought-a-cheap-airbrush-kit/ There are some useful contributions from other posters, more knowledgeable than I, on how to adjust the pressure on your compressor (which unless your instructions are better than the quasi-mystical sheet of A4 I got with mine are little better than useless) and other useful tips for the beginner. I also show how to strip down the cheap airbrush that came in the kit. I can report that two years on compressor and airbrush are still giving sterling service.

Nor in the frozen wastelands of the North (Darlington) AND it cost me a quid to find out. Grrrrrr. I had to ask someone to look after me herd of Whippets 'n' all.

I had a quick look on ABE Books and found volumes 1 and 2 for £7.68 each https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=&tn=Northumberland+branch+lines&kn=&isbn= I hope the link works... It does, if you haven't used ABE before it is great for finding second hand and/or rare books I managed to find a copy of NER Record very reasonably

Hamish Napier "The Railway" "I was specially commissioned by the owners of ‘Grantown East: Highland Heritage & Cultural Centre‘ to compose music for their awesome new visitor attraction in my hometown of Grantown-on-Spey. The derelict Grantown East railway station has recently had a serious make-over and has been lovingly restored as a cultural centre." Listen to some of it on his website http://www.hamishnapier.com/ if you scroll down and look on the right hand side there is a music player thingy It is rather beautiful and evocative. Strongly recommended particularly if you like Folk Music (but not just for folkies)