Mikkel

This was the future of train control. Then someone invented the iPhone.

Thanks for that, Dart wins again with the figures. I agree that the Coopercraft cattle vans are very light as built. They need some decent wheels and some heavy metal "cow dung" to get them rolling well.

Rob, I've just had a second look at your cattle train photos (page 3) in full size. The cows in the pen look pretty good, what make are they please? Impressed by all the cattle vans you have, are they all kit built?

Well, you can't keep a good railway down!

Good to hear from you Pete. Congrats on finishing this one, must be very satisfying after the trouble you had. The paintjob looks really neat and smooth. But why is the tender chassis back to front? Anyway, it's not very noticeable. Your workbench looks very tidy btw! PS: Only joking about the tender chassis, I didn't get to fool enough people yesterday :-)

What an extravaganza of stock Nick! Just the right way to end Easter :-) Some very nice builds, and your work to personalise the autocoach and loco has really paid off - there's nothing Airfix about those two anymore, I think. The ex-club stock is very appealing, someone must be happy to see this stock running again and in such a setting. It's good to know John will readily part with kits, can you give us any tips on how best to go about it?

Good idea Rob, I've just sent them a suggestion now.

I made a little survey of un-harnessed 4mm horses last year, including some of those mentioned above. They tend to look nicer in photos than in reality, and TBH there aren't really any that can stand close scrutiny on the UK market right now (un-harnessed ones, that is). My conclusion was that the plastic-based types were generally better, though, even if they are smaller. Especially the big German ranges (Preiser etc). But you pay the price! It would be nice to see some un-harnessed horses added to the excellent Monty's range.

Congrats on reaching this point, we need to have these milestones to avoid loosing interest, I think. It's nice following this layout develop. I laughed at the bit about standing on a rotating office chair, I know exactly what you mean :-)

Lovely work, the weathering really transforms it from a kit to a real-world vehicle in it's own right. The handrails are clearly worth the effort, quite a difference from the 4mm RTR moulded-on ones!

I like the way those shots are posed, Rob. From this angle you'd expect the OO compromise to look horrible, but it's not that bad really. One reason being that your ballasting and colouring is nicely done, I think.

Hi Iain, no I haven't read that one. Sounds like something I should put on my wishlist - I certainly will, thanks! Yes I think those houses would make a good backdrop to the sidings. Job's comment reminded me of a photoshopped mock-up I did some time ago, which might be worth considering further: I've also found a couple of other buildings that I'd like to include - a long stable block and a loading shed for the private siding. That's one of the fun bits about modelling a fictional location, I think: You can select bits and pieces from around the system and put them together in one :-)

That film is interesting in so many ways, thanks for posting it. Not sure a date like that would have made much of an impression today though. "Let's meet up at the terminus and go see a film about the terminus" :-)

Looks great as ever, Al. GWR stations and diesels do mix :-) Didn't know there was such a thing as a mood for ballasting though. You're lucky to have it! :-)

You may well be on to something there, Nick. I have always assumed there was a mix of liveries, based on the livery change dates. And I remember seeing it mentioned by others who model the period. But now that you mention it, I don't actually recall *seeing* all that many trains with mixed liveries in photos. Mixed stock, certainly, but mixed liveries - not so much maybe. That said, I assume the all-over colours (brown, lake, and maybe even khaki) might look fairly similar in a b/w photo, unless you were looking for differences. In any case, a good excuse to have another browse through the books.

Hi Mike, yes 1908- WW1 must have seen an amazing mix of stock, as there was the old style choc and cream, and experimental all over brown, and then the 1912 Lake - and as the war wore on various austerity measures, apparently including some coaches in black or khaki. Plus, you had the variety of old Dean clerestory coach designs and the various sleek new Churchward styles. These particular coaches are actually not that far apart in terms of livery. They are all painted for the period ca. 1906-1907. Until 1906, the garter crest was only used on coaches with first class compartments, while coaches with other classes had the monogram. According to Slinn in GW Way, first class coaches changed from having one garter to two around 1904. As it takes a few years for a coach to be repainted, I "back-dated" the liveries 1-2 years for some of the coaches.

Toplights and horseboxes - it doesn't get much better than that :-) It's all looking really good, I think. The Slater's horsebox compares very well with the etched brass one, at least judging by the photos. Keep it coming, please :-)

Oh this is good stuff, Robin. Many thanks for responding to our requests :-) Minnie and Flora look really good. Nothing stick-like about them, which in itself does wonders for realism. The shading you've done helps a whole lot too. Are you sure? They might be playing a little game: How to tell a loco with your back turned. "That bark, Minnie, I'm sure it's a Pannier." "Yes well obviously, Flora. But is it an 57xx or an 8750?"

Thanks Pete, I've had it happen once or twice that people think they are called the Farting layouts. They tend to be disappointed when I correct them No light box I'm afraid, this is just a large sheet of paper and a couple of desk lamps. I'd love to have something better one day though. I do have problems lighting close-ups of GWR coaches well - they either get too dark or too light, perhaps because of the contrast between choc and cream.

Everyone, grab him! Now's our chance to bring him over! :-) Seriously though, yes the 4- and 6-wheelers are forever appealing I think. But I have this urge to something grimy and industrial as well, which is why I like the kind of stock you do, Paul.

With that header title, I half expected a message from the War Office :-) Looks good Paul, quite a transformation to look at even now. Do all your great industrial models fit into an overall layout scheme, or are you just building for the joy of it?

Good to hear I'm not the only one who picks up the soldering iron at the wrong end :-) This kit may not be the bee's knees but you're clearly making some fast progress. That's 1

Oh that is simply beautiful. The tank filler alone is almost a work of art. The rivets really do the trick. Glad it will be with a round-topped firebox. The later ones might have been more effective, but they did ruin the looks of many Dean and Armstrong locos a bit. If we say that we are very disappointed about the goods shed being put on the backburner, would that help? ;-)

That would be fun, Job. Don't have any plans for an Inn just yet so you will probably get there first, although come to think of it, I was wondering about having a row of houses alongside "the sidings". Just typical GNR, knocking down things left and right. No sense of history, not like the most honourable GWR :-)