SR Chris

Tuesday, 3rd December 2002 13:21 375610 'Royal Tunbridge Wells' leads 375620 into Whitstable with a Victoria to Ramsgate service.

Saturday, 30th November 2002 14:14 Two class 365s, led by 365514, arrive at Margate's Platform 1 with a Victoria - Ramsgate working

Saturday, 30th November 2002 13:45 Coupled to the other end of 3494 in Ramsgate's Platform 3 was 3-Cep 1118, both now ready to depart with a service to London Victoria via Chatham. Ahhh, seating bays that aligned with the windows .... luxury!

Saturday, 30th November 2002 13:30 The old order - a De-icer, two 4-Veps, a 4-Cep and two Networker Express 365s berthed at the old Ramsgate depot. 13:41 4-Vep 3494 stands in Platform 3 alongside 4-Cig 1839 in Ramsgate's Platform 2. I hadn't noticed it before, but to my eyes the windscreen of the Vep looks rectangular whereas the Cig's appears to taper being wider at the base than the top. As I type this I'm looking at a Kernow 4mm 4-TC DTSO cab end which is a very good match to the Cig cab end in this shot (How about it Bachmann? You know you want to ... ).

Saturday 30th November 2002 4-Ceps 1564 and 1615 arrive at Birchington-On-Sea with a Ramsgate to London Victoria via Chatham and Herne Hill service.

Thursday, 28th November 2002 13:20 3-Ceps 1112 and 1101 pull out of Whitstable with a Victoria - Ramsgate service. One of the few 6-Cep workings at that time. 13:28 Proof that you can't always rely on headcodes. 4-Vep 3471 leaves Whitstable with a Ramsgate - London Victoria service, correct headcode 50. 30 was the headcode for the Dover - Victoria portion, which combined with the Ramsgate portion at Faversham.

Wednesday, 27th November 2002 08:46 The end of my 12 minute commute as 4-Cep 1614 departs Chestfield and Swalecliffe bound for Victoria. 11:55 An early lunch and a quick walk to see 375302 and 375305 call at Chestfield and Swalecliffe with a Ramsgate to London Victoria service. 12:07 But the main purpose of the lunchtime visit was to get 4-Ceps 1560 and 1614 calling at Chestfield and Swalecliffe with a London Victoria to Ramsgate service. then back to work!

24th November 2002 14:13 An unidentified Class 930 Sandite/De-icing unit passes Minnis Bay heading for Faversham.

On Wednesday 20th November 2002 at 13:30 66149 stands in Ramsgate's 4 Lay-by with shoe-less 4-Ceps 1584 and 1570 ready to make their last departure from Ramsgate. A short while later at 14:29 the 'Grim Reaper' passes Minnis Bay, farewell and RIP.

On a murky Monday 18th November 2002 at 14:02, 3-Cep 1116 passes Chestfield and Swalecliffe working a Ramsgate to Faversham ECS.

15 January 2003 13:43 De-Icing/Sandite unit 930006 is berthed in Ramsgate's 1 Lay-by.

15 January 2003 47773 'The Queen Mother' stands in Ramsgate's 4 Lay-by with shoe-less Cep units 1111, 1511 and 1599. This was their final departure from Ramsgate on their way to the scrap yard. At 13:40 the 'Grim Reaper' departs, passing 4-Cep 1615 arriving with a Margate to Charing Cross via Canterbury and Orpington service.

15th January 2003 13:32 3-Cep 1112 stands in Ramsgate's Platform 4 before shunting into the depot.

Tuesday 14th September 2004 18:15 'Greyhound' 4-Cep 1698 arrives at Minster on a Ramsgate - Charing Cross via Dover service (Headcode 18). and after the driver had changed ends departs over the single line towards Sandwich at 18:18

And the same train passing Chestfield and Swalecliffe a little earlier at 10:32

Saturday 16th November 2002 13:10 Sandite unit 930011 passes Minnis Bay heading for Ramsgate.

Saturday 16th November 2002 12:44 4-Cep 1615 leads 4-Vep 3548 past Minnis Bay with the 11.05 Victoria - Ramsgate service.

Hi Ernie, I used Reeves ready mix paint, a mix of mostly Black and Burnt Umber with traces of Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre. I use a jam jar lid as a palette to mix the colours which I never clean. The paint is a bit too thin straight out of the bottle but working in a bit of old paint thickens it up nicely. It also means the colour varies subtlety between each area weathered. One essential is to thoroughly de-grease the model first, I wash them with washing up liquid and a 1/4in paint brush and then rinse thoroughly. The only problem with gouache is that you have to be careful handling the finished models, a spray of varnish might seal it but I've never tried, if I accidentally get a fingerprint in the weathering I just wash it off and redo it. I use Humbrol enamels on underframes as I use more colours (around 8 to 10) and build up the desired effect by dry brushing so as to leave a patina (rather than a coat) of paint. I find I can't get that same control with gouache which is better for coating large areas and then washing off to leave a residue in the corners and crevices. Also I feel confident that I could repaint the underframes without problem if I wanted to, whereas I could never achieve a finish like Bachmann's if I didn't like the weathering. With gouache it's easy to just wash the lot off with water and start again.

I finished 'ageing' my BR(S) set yesterday and as it's a nice sunny day today I took the opportunity to take some images - One side has been given a heavy clean whilst the other is somewhat more neglected ... The underframes were dry brushed with enamels whilst the bodies and roof were coated with gouache which was then washed off the sides with water and a small brush. One advantage of gouache is that if I don't like the result I can just wash the lot off and start again.

Thanks Scott, have a look at my blog at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2138-sr-chris-blog/ I haven't updated it recently as I haven't done much since the death of my partner. I'm currently weathering a Bachmann Trio-C Birdcage set which will hopefully get my modelling mojo back.

As I have a terminal station I replaced the moulded lumps with staples so I can swap the lamp to the other end of the set when required. One of my pet hates is tail lamps on the vehicle immediately behind the loco, worse than no tail lamp at all IMO. Chris

" though it's still a bit ragged in places" That's just the heat haze! Chris

The 'X' without the circle denotes an internal user vehicle.

Following the departure of the 12.10pm to Epple peace descends upon Cill for three quarters of an hour, enough time for the signalman to have his lunch before Grenham signal box sends the next Call Attention. The mid-day goods leaves Epple at 11.35am arriving at Beresford at 11.51am. Here it crosses the morning goods which leaves Beresford for Epple as soon as the mid-day goods has cleared the section. Nine minutes are allowed to drop off wagons before departure at 12.00 noon for Grenham where the goods needs to be in the passing loop at 12.18pm to allow the 12.10 from Cill a clear run into the platform. Once the 12.10 has left (at 12.21) there is half an hour to drop off wagons and shunt the yard before the booked departure time of 12.53pm. Here we see Beattie 0298 class 2-4-0WT No. 30587 arriving at Cill. How this locomotive found itself on a Cill branch goods is a mystery, it was probably making its way back to Wadebridge after working a railtour in the London area when it got requisitioned to cover a local failure, anyway its appearance will make the spotters' day and give them something to talk about for a while.