Brinkly

I do think the Kitmaster interiors are worth working with. Do you have a set, Rich?

Today, I started preparing the Modelu figures for the P-Set. Ten were primed in black and the other ten in a mid grey. I wanted to test a few techniques, and understand that a black base colour is good for shadowing. The figures aren't finished yet, but I thought I would share progress so far. Please excuse my workbench; it is a little cluttered. Primed and then flesh colours underway in this picture. I used Vallejo Light Flesh (928) followed by Basic Skin Tone (815). Selection of dull and slightly more colourful clothing. Horrabridge will be set in the mid to late 1950s, so nothing too jazzy! Very crude closeup, but some of the more advanced figures. I used Windor Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Brushes, O, OO and OOO for these. All need a little touch-up in places, and a light wash will be applied to bring out some of the details. Best wishes, Nick.

Thanks, Rich. Just regular printer paper; although, the version undertaken by the local printer is clearer and the colours are more vivid, so I will get another lot printed off in due course. I did paint some MK1 interiors with Vallejo paints and didn't have any problems them. Granted, I don't think the colour scheme is quite right! The interiors had a light dusting of Workshop Mechanicus Standard Grey Primer, with Vallejo 'Buff' for the main compartment colours and I mixed the red from Prussian Blue and Flat Red I think. Same colour scheme in the open second. The carriage photos are from the rather nice Sankey range - glue used was Aleene's Original Tacky Glue, which is very good PVA. I completed these last summer - all painted with Vallejo products. I found a wet pallet was the best way of using them. Several thin coats also helped; applied with a Windsor Newton 1/8th flat brush, or a Games Workshop Base brush, which has a slight angle - very good for cutting in with. I do like this brush! Hope that is of some help.

We can certainly all agree, 4-6-0 GWR tender locomotives are simply the best! GWR modellers, form square on the line! Prepare for LNER cavalry!

I've taken the box apart twice and it just isn't right. Its only (hate saying it like that) a Comet 38:1, so not that smooth. I haven't ordered anything yet, as I have a spare Highlevel box which I might have a go at building at some point in the near future. Still, we could always meet up for a 2m discussion!

Thanks for the reminder, Rob. I used T-Cut on an LMS full brake years ago and it did look good. That one runs on Balcombe now. You're too kind, Mr Quakers! Geoff Kent's three books on wagons are brilliant. I also have the late John Hayes' 4mm Coal Wagon book too. Photos are good to work from too.

Thank you for your comments everyone. I meant to put these in the last post. These are rather crude close ups, but it might help anyone else tackling this as a project. This is the first/third. MK1 interior really, but we won't tell anyone! Just third class seating here. You can see why it is easier to remove the end arm rest - it isn't missed, as it cannot be seen once the body is on. Paneling. One is a bit wobbly, but again, it can't be seen! I have checked! The four packs from Alan's 'seated' range. I'm looking forward to painting them tomorrow. I think I'm going to try a dark primer and test some new techiques. Cheers, Nick.

Hello everyone, I can't believe it has been over six weeks since the last updated this thread. During the lockdown, I've been slowly working through part-finished models. The majority of the models I've been working on have been wagons, which needed buffers or tie bars. I must have completed (bar painting) a good 20-30 vehicles over the past weeks. I'll put some examples up once I've painted them. The 14xx chassis is also on hold - the gearbox seems to have a bit of a tight-spot. I need to order a replacement from High Level and try again! In between freight vehicles, I have been working on a few items of passenger rolling stock; I was finding it a bit boring just working on wagons. Quite a while ago, DRAG (my local Scalefour Society area group) acquired the late Mike Casey's Bodmin layout. The track and baseboards weren't in great shape, so the decision was made a couple of years ago not to continue with the project; however, I had a few items which I'd started to run on the layout. One such project was an SR P-Set. The only work I had begun on the Hornby coaches was to substitute the 00 wheels for P4 ones. I've always liked the ex LSWR, and Southern Railway in the South West and modelling say Corfe Castle or Swanage station has always been quite high on my list. In one of Iain Rice's books, there is a rather good plan depicting what might have been at Shaftsbury. Anyway, I digress! Back to the coaches! In MRJs 213 and 214, Peter Swift wrote a rather good article detailing the improvements that can be made to Hornby's Maunsell coaching stock. The main area of butchery is the internal corridor windows. According to Peter, the windows are 1mm too high from floor to waist height and need lowering by 3mm. Some Maunsell, pre-1935 built examples (I think!), were fitted with drop-lights above the compartment doors. I set to work with a selection of files and suitable plastic strip. Once complete, I used Squadron White filler to cover any gaps. I also removed the armrests inside the compartment, as I wanted to fit a paper moquette seat covering. (Please excuse the crude close-ups, but it illustrates the work!) Each interior received a couple of light coats of Games Workshop Grey Seer primer. In the future, I would use their Bleech Bone primer: this is cream and would mean the interior backheads in the compartments wouldn't need painting. I brush painted the woodwork in Humbrol enamel No 62 and the backheads in a satin cream (Precision GWR coach cream). Floors received a coat of blue/grey, which seemed to match prototype pictures. I quite like detailing and decided that I wanted to represent the compartment interior. For this, I used Peco's Kitmaster interiors; although, I scanned the originals and printed them. On other coaches, I had a stash of professionally scanned and printed interiors, but, unfortunately, I ran out a couple of weeks ago. Must re-order! To make life easier, I cut the Peco seat and backhead into three pieces, seat, rear and backhead. I glued these into place with Tacky Glue, which is good quality PVA. The first-class compartments even gained a carpet! Maunsell coaching stock also had rather nice panelling along the corridors, and this is quite noticeable from the outside. To represent this, I painted an economy label in cream paint, cut into strips and then stuck it to the side of the coach; finally, a couple of coats of varnish were applied to help seal it in place. One final detail will be the addition of some passengers. I have some of Alan's (Modelu) rather charming seated passengers to paint and fit, but more on that another day. Externally, one of the Maunsell coaches required a full repaint - one had SR markings on the body and, despite careful work, there were, small, noticeable markings on the body where some of the original printed door signs had been removed. I'll put this in a later post. Thanks for reading. Please do comment! Feedback is greatly appreciated! It makes me a better modeller! Cheers, Nick.

What a splendid idea! Absolutely marvelous, Mikkel! Best wishes, Nick.

Interesting thought; make a note of it, Darling!

Well, it's all looking rather spiffing, bg old boy!

That photograph just oozes atmosphere! Interesting to note the chalk scrawls on the SR van. Reminds me of a rather excellent article John Hayes wrote in 1999. I always like this pair. Kind regards, Nick.

Looks very good, Rich. I don't remember seeing too many BR blue locomotives as a child; however, I do remember seeing a pair of Class 33s trundling into Exeter St. Davids - probably 1992/3 - on ballast workings and then proceeding up the Waterloo line. I can remember the cloud of diesel fumes and the noise of the pair tackling the incline out of Exeter to this day! Memories! Best wishes, Nick.

Stuff out of the archive there, Tim! Thank you for sharing. Regards, Nick.

They are very nicely done, Robin! I do like Dean-Churchward brake gear on rolling stock. Kind regards, Nick.

Did the fruit C vans last long into BR days Mike (or anyone else)? It is a rather charming little vehicle. I do like the late Edwardian GWR covered van designs. Kind regards, Nick.

Lovely work, Ade. I've enjoyed catching up with your thread this morning. The small 4-wheeler coaches are lovely. Best wishes, Nick.

Quite possibly, David. The Second World War certainly acted as stimulus for additional freight traffic. My old history teacher always felt that Plymouth Council didn't think very carefully over the location of post-war housing estates in the area. The new estates, which sprung up on the outskirts of the city from 1945-7 onward, didn't have any real transport links. He always felt building 'new' estates along the Yealmpton branch would have been sensible, as the line would have been able to move residents in and out of the city quickly. He always followed it up with, 'people needed houses and fast' and 'it is easy to be critical in hindsight' but I think he had a point. Kind regards, Nick.

Terribly sorry, Sgt. Major! My fault!

Like hens' teeth on eBay.

There was indeed a plan to extend the line out from Yealmpton to Modbury and beyond. Most, if not all, of the intended route would have gone through land belonging to the Fleet Estate at the time. In the 1970s my Dad's father removed a bundle of very old paperwork from a skip on the Fleet estate, which contained letters addressed to Francis Mildmay, 1st Baron Mildmay of Flete, with a final proposal for the purchase of the land, maps detailing the route and where occupation bridges would be placed to retain access over the land 'divided' by the line. Sadly, dad doesn't know what happened to these documents and maps, which really is a travesty. But he remembers very clearly seeing the planned route and letters. I would like to point out granddad wasn't trespassing! At the time, they were having a sale and he was there on the look out for a bargain! One plan showed the proposed route to Dartmouth, I believe, with a bridge crossing the river Dart, and making connection with the Kingswear branch. I hate to say it, but it would have been a total waste of time and never financially viable. It just wouldn't generate enough revenue to survive; however, a wonderful subject for a 'might have been' line! Ivybridge certainly does not lend itself well to junction status and any route from Ivybridge to Modbury would require very significant engineering work - too many hills in the way! Kind regards, Nick.

I went for Modelu in the end. I fitted them to a couple, 5569 awaits a set! On one of the Panniers, I used a Finney whistle shield etch, with Modelu whistles and it does look 'right'. For a 2003 model, I don't think Bachmann did a bad job in fairness to them. I also fitted Finney lamp brackets to a couple of locomotives too, but I cannot for the life of me remember which ones I fitted them to. Best wishes, Nick.

Looks good, Alex. I've detailed a couple of mine so far. In addition to the work you have done, I've replaced the top-feed on all of mine using Alan Gibson fittings. A couple have also received new whistles and I'm tempted to replace the chimney on one to see how it looks. I'm not convinced Bachmann have captured it correctly. I think it is a bit too wide on the top. Certainly, putting a Malcolm Mitchell one next to it high-lights the difference. One other easy fix is to replace the bogie and pony wheels. I've used Alan Gibson 3'2" examples on a few of mine. It doesn't affect the running characteristics, but visually it is a big improvement. I fitted Romford couplings to 5569, but I'm going to replace it with a Smith's, or possible Masokits coupling, as it is too 'chunky' for me! I also haven't replicated the bent frames on 5569, as she was circa 1958! In Great Western Railway Journal No 16. (Autumn 1995) there is a rather detailed article on 4555, which is worth getting hold of. Also, in No. 17 (Winter 1996) there is a lovely article about Tavistock South station and a very detailed set of photographs of 4555 at Buckfastleigh taken that very year you stood on the loco! July 1967. No. 41 (Winter 2002) has a very detailed report of the operation of the Launceston branch, which is very useful. Lastly, No. 101 (Winter 2017) is an absolutely must for you, as it contains a very detailed article about the operation of Yelverton station before the signal box was taken out of use. Have you got Bernard Mills' latest book - Backtracking Around Plymouth, Tavistock South and Launceston? Probably the best book I bought in 2018! The photographs are lovely. Yes, that's the one of 4549. I have seen some black and white photos of her on the run into Tavistock. Interestingly, 4591 also 'lost' her smokebox number in 1962 and someone painted a GWR style number on the buffer beam. 1434 is a good one to do. The loco arrived at Laira in May 1955, but by mid 1958 she had received a coat of green paint, full lining and the later BR crest. I'm fairly certain she was sent as a replacement for 1408, which was withdrawn on 21st May 1955. 1420 is another possible candidate being based at Laira between August 1959 and February 1962; although, I haven't come across any photographs of her on the line in the 10 plus years (is it really that long!?) I've been researching and building my layout. Right, I'm off to fit a few more transfers to a BR auto trailer! Best wishes, Nick.

Hahah! Snap! Well, almost! Although, I haven't got round to the steam heating and vacuum brake pipes yet - mine are on order. Mine has ABS (Fourmost) buffers and Lanarkshire roof vents. The Parkside kit is finer and the chassis less 'chunky', but for stock which is just going to whiz by, they aren't bad at all really. I like the fact that it is molded in three parts - roof, body and underframe - it has made detailing much easier. Kind regards, Nick.