Mikkel

This is ingenious. My outlook on tablet foil will never be the same! Great idea Phil, and great execution Mark. The backhead likewise, all very creative.

Regardless of what happens to the hobby and whether he stays in it, he will be able to take away two important things from your sessions together: (i) The joy of creating something; and (ii) spending time with you.

I agree about the Concertinas being rather long, but they are such interesting coaches, I find. Some ex-slip Concertinas were allocated to branches in the later years, as they accommodated all classes in a single coach - although looking at your plan it doesn't look like you have a branchline. Have you seen Neal's posts about his use of Comet sides for RTR stock, they may be of use to you:

A most interesting experiment. Sounds like stronger magnets would be good, but I don't know if they are available in such small sizes. On a couple of my layouts I am able to position figures randomly on all earth surfaces, as the base is foamboard with a filler top, and the figures have handrail wire inserted in the feet. The holes they leave are not really noticeable. But it doesn't work on hard surfaces such as platforms and pavements, and you are dependent on the foamboard being dense and firm, which can be difficult to know in advance. Ah yes, I had one of those too and was equally mesmerized. Google suggests that they are still around, if a lot more plasticky now. Could be a fun little DIY project actually.

These Edwardian shots are class-biased (as usual), and dining on board an express is of course different from a quick hop on a Railmotor. But FWIW, they confirm ladies with hats and gents without: LNWR, 1905, Source: Getty Images LNWR 1908. Source: Getty Images

Hi Neal, this seems to have disappeared from the blogs, but maybe it is deliberate?

Thank you for that explanation, and the photo. You could make quite a 1900s line-up if they were all combined! But of course, the only appropriate term here. Santé!

I suspect the round downpipes are replacements. Maybe even recent ones, Newbury has just been renovated. Some of the sills have also been modified (somewhat crudely), probably to avoid them deteriorating further. Photos are from June 2023.

Corbs, you remind me of my teenage crush."Look at all this lovely stuff. Shame you can't get it."

Thanks very much Matt, very useful! The MIG range is great isn't it, think I will try the set in your latest approach.

I very much like this brace of wagons, including the "textures". I.e. the barbed wire and the timber decking. Matt, can I ask how you painted the decking? Apologies if you have described it before, I couldn't find mention of it.

Lovely etches, your fingers must be itching to build them. Can I ask what your approach is in terms of selecting the trains to be featured. E.g. are you going for the full timetable, or part of it, or a selection according to what you fancy? I'm trying to find my own feet in such matters.

I can see how painting will require a steady hand. E.g. as the bands are printed with the rest they cannot be coloured separately first. I see that your print accommodates the in-set downpipes. It's quite a stylish little design feature. I discovered it too late for my build, serves me right for not paying attention.

I second that. The stacked overview photo in your earlier post is such a peaceful scene, it would be nice to see more.

Thanks, very kind of you. The windows are going in now and it feels like I'm over the hill on this build. Still a good way to go though. It's good to see you on here again, I'm off to see how things are going at Marlott.

Found the image at Getty's here, which I assume is where Louis got it from. Which led me to a further search. Have a look at these fascinating photos from a London Docks Ivory warehouse in the 1920s. https://mediadrumworld.com/2018/09/06/31612/ I wonder how that could be worked into a model railway scene.

As ever, significantly too kind. It's hard to look at those pics without seeing the jobs list writing itself! I think you are being too hard on yourself, I can't see anything that needs doing in that photo. So much ivory. Can you remember if there's anymore info on that particular shot?

Yes, it all looks very good. I have been nosily studying the photos in detail. Looked for a takeaway box, as you gave me a good tip with those. But the stock boxes under the table on the right really caught my attention, a reminder of the diverse and interesting stock that you build: So these are boxes with full length trains, or how does it work?

Nothing beats a modeller's enthusiasm! I share it, this is a rare occurrence: You have identified a GWR object for which there is no 3-volume reference work 🙂

Very good. Not the first thing you'd normally learn to say in another language 😄

The Cocktail Stick Appreciation Society would like to thank you for always including one such item in your builds! It's becoming a trademark 🙂 As are magnets. Using them to hold figures is clever. I wonder if there is potential for wider application there. Imagine if any figure could be moved around and placed anywhere on a layout at will...

Fascinating. The brickwork seems nicely captured, and it looks like the rounded bullnose corners are there. The lintels will need some embellishments added, but those can also be 3D printed I assume. This really is a whole new paradigm in modelling. Increasingly it is no longer a question of whether something can be achieved, but more a question of how we want to approach a project (e.g. old school or 3D printed).

Ah, very nice. Can I ask what is the material that you are cutting into?

I'm afraid not.

Hi Neal, Not your period I know, but I wonder if you've seen this photo before from the "London end" of the Regatta trains (is it a Saint though, not 100% sure): Caption: Great Western Railway official photograph showing crowds on platforms 4 and 5, waiting for the train to take them to the Henley rowing regatta. A Saint class 4-6-0 steam locomotive waits alongside platform 5 with a special train. Source: Getty Images, embedding permitted.