Crisis Rail

Nice images there Alex - lots of suitable associated paraphernalia scattered about. Oil drums - Timber - Rags - Diesel FLT - Basket all easily available and made. Must admit the Trainload Coal sector has to be a favourite of mine - pity I was out of the loop in timeline when it was a common sight. Ian

When you have the depot floor base coat down and FULLY dried out wash over lightly with thinners then drop Railmatch Black on the surface this gives a decent oily splash effect when landing on the thinners. NOTE: try out on a test area first! Ian

Always wondered what the floor would be....! Straight concrete sprayed plasticard left to dry off (cure) and washed with dirty thinners (dirtier and grimier in the inspection pits) with some liberal thinned down Railmatch Black "oil" drops on the depot floor using drips off a brush or syringe maybe? - that is a well tried method I recommend - worth an experiment Alex? Ian

Arnie Sentinel looks the part - a good release by Hornby - reminds me of this near us on the Ribble Steam handling the 6E32 6M32 Lindsay Tanks on Preston Docks. Ian

This is excellent....! - well observed and coming along well with brilliant close detail. Ian

Yes all coming along well and good - will you ever venture up North at all to exhibit - maybe the DEMU Showcase at Burton? Ian

Jack - not sure of your location - but DRS are throwing the doors open again at Crewe Gresty Bridge - might be just your thing? http://www.directrailservices.com/news-articles/2014/02/27/drs-charity-open-day-19th-july-2014/ Ian

What else then? - fairgrounds pigs cows and sheep? - for people on a budget displaying traction and together with space limitations TMD are ideal - I know which I prefer - OK....a valid point for your preferences and maybe once the initials T M D are typed in maybe they should be automatically shunted into a relevant subtopic? Ian

Excellent! - a bang on summary which I am sure more than a few on here can relate to. The nearest I can get to that nowadays is a visit to the ELR - try it on a suitably late autumn afternoon with a loco of your choice on roster chuck in decent East Lancashire drizzly murk for good measure close your eyes and your right back there. Fantastic. http://www.elrdiesel.info/ Ian

Good update - sheet siding near the wheel lathe door next? What price your 45's fetching...!?? Had the MODELZONE version as a display - I sold it on ebay for about £90 to finance some EWS HTA for FREIGHT ONLY - always a regret - yes about time Bachmann did a new run of them. Ian

Transport Models - Oyston Mill Preston Lancashire Plenty of it in stock - its good but not cheap. Ian

Interesting - ocassionally I use the Outdoor Stick On Pads for sheet walling - no mess - no warping and boy do they stick....! Ian

Good stuff - the joys of Plasticard heaven Ian

.....from someone with a very serious TMD.

Depends on storage of the layout - I have found that any water based adhesive struggles to hold with any damp conditions - including PRITT in all the garage based projects I have done. The best solution was to use double sided tape on MDF panelling - expensive for an 18ft x 2ft backscene though. Ian

Was wondering about this - it will be a challenge to replicate the actual area - unless its just clouds? - Andy Y has an interesting thread here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/58014-planning-the-backscene-a-view-of-the-bc/ Maybe worth a try? Ian

Hand cut ply arch formers or routed? - what sheet covering will you be using the pillar colours on your image looks quite bright as if blasted whereas most of the stone on arches and walls around here are a weathered grey / black - the arches are huge cut stone carved blocks (maybe there is a name for them?) I had a close up look at Hoghton Viaduct on the Preston to Yorks line on a recent walk and it is one absolute work of art - 1844 and still going strong after 170 years. ......Viaduct carrying Blackburn and Preston Railway over River Darwen. 1844-46; company Engineer Joseph Locke, Resident Engineer T.W. Flanagan. Rock-faced sandstone. Three semi-circular spans of 65 feet rising from 2 rectangular piers in deep gorge of river, carrying track 116 feet above river bed; corbel table to parapet. Construction took 18 months from laying of first stone in December 1844......... Are those bridges insured Cav...?!!!! Excellent. Any updates on exhibition dates - going to be a definate crowd puller. Ian

Vents look well - kit or stratch? Just like candles going on a cake - the roof is nearly there then? Yes 56036 had just been shopped out in Large Logo I had a c marked by it in the book in fact it was pretty much a cabbing free for all - health and safety just didn't come into it - you also had Penyghent (I think) Class 44 zipping up and down and all there was between the masses was a rope barrier. Ian PS: Just found the old thread with my notebook http://rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=45850