Dave777

Oh, that WAS the site I found! I was in the right place afterall Great, thanks again.

Okay, many thanks for the answers folks. Whereabouts do I contact the Scale 148 chappies? I can find a page with a load of info about it, but I'm guessing there's something else I'm meant to be looking for? I'm probably not using the right search terms.

Hello 2mm-ers, I think the above answers my question, and I'm not even sure if this is a question for you folks anyway - it's got a good chance of getting me chucked out of the bar rather quickly Let's risk it: so if I wanted finer scale appearance wheels (narrow, shallower flange), what are my options bearing in mind that I absolutely want to keep Peco Code 55 and don't want to move to 2mm trackwork? Thanks

Surely we've done this particular argument on thread after thread after thread...

Well the shape is broadly correct for a start.

I've often thought that an interesting layout would be a 'steam in the late 70s' effort, with various BR standards in corporate blue and large logo. Someone may have already done this and no doubt a link will be posted up shortly With the Railroad range (eg, 9F) it could be done on a reasonable budget as well, if anyone gets a bit wobbly about respraying a Bachmann 9F.

The carriage behind looks interesting - writing on the side and are those whited out windows or just the way the light is catching them?

I was just thinking the other day that for a thread subtitled 'How realistic are yours' we'd gone a bit too over to prototype pics and not enough of the models, so it's good to see a bit of balance returning. No problem with what Michael is doing here I should say - it's creating a fantastic resource and it's stimulated some interesting conversations along the way. I've got a new batch of N gauge examples to post up sometime, once I get the layout out for posing them. That tarpaulined one is interesting, not only as a reference picture for how they were secured, but also the way the sleepers are devoid of ballast, ash or anything else.

In that case, I take the comment back - prototypical modelling based on observation of the prototype. Can't fault that.

It's a very valid point, and originally I had said in my post that I thought the right hand one was the 'best' one... but then thought 'Well what defines 'best'?' Plenty of real life examples I think 'Nah, don't like that' and others make me ponder 'Now that looks good'. Some look 'better' than others, but it's a wholly personal thing. There probably is a wagon out there somewhere just like 68901, with rusty bits next to near-pristine bits. It just doesn't fall into my personal 'looks good' category

I'm no expert, so consider/ignore these comments as you wish 68901 is nearly there - I like the rusty bits, I think it just needs an overall weathering down. It's got some really grubby rusty bits next to some pristine bits - that's the specific problem I think. So don't change what you've done, just weather the rest of the wagon a bit more. First photo, right hand one is superb. A decent batch, I thought. Maybe varying more the repeating coal load would be a further enhancement.

Oooh yeah, very nice. Love that 08 shot earlier too (btw, non-TOPS coded wagon in 1981, is that rare?)

Sorry, I meant in front of the buffer stop - between the buffer stop and the signal. I think it's just a pile of earth that's grassed over or something.

Give us a chance, it was only posted yesterday! A few things stand out - I could mention the knackered state of the mineral but in this thread that's becoming a bit 'stating the obvious'. It's an interesting mottling effect though, one of those ones where if you saw it modelled you'd think it was a bad weathering job, like the internal users that Keith posted on the previous page (post #491 - the first photo in particular looks like an utterly unrealistic piece of slap-it-on weathering). Shame it's not in colour so we could get an idea of the colours involved. The state of the siding it's sitting in is also worthy of note. What I also noticed was the slightly odd way the overhead catenary supports just sort of stop without an upright supporting them. All interesting details. For details however, that Aintree Sefton Junction shot takes some beating.The signal with tension wire coming off it, the point/signal rodding, the scrubby waste ground, the wire fence with Y section at the top, 20mph sign with arrow to indicate which bit it's referring to, the shunting signal on the bottom of the signal post... What's the weird blob behind the buffer stop beyond the signal? I think it's a grass mound or something. Note the general rubbish and odd bits and bobs lying around too. Is it an optical illusion or are those smaller signals on the left hand side of the signal post? Definitely a 'the more you look the more you see' kind of shot.

That one behind D1590 is cracking - bit of replating, bit of texture variety, various other little patches (down by the number for example), bit of missing white stripe, colour variations, and the typical smattering of rust.

Some interesting markings too - what's the white outline square for? And on the one nearest the camera, there's a symbol that looks like the 'national speed limit applies' road sign (!)? The one with the Class 40 really does show the sheer variety of colouring one can put onto a rake. The 5th one back for example, with a replate that shows a rusty lower half and near pristine top half, and what may be a replate on the other side of the door as well, but higher this time and no variation between top and bottom. The 4th one contrasts in colour to the 5th too - nearly all over dark brown/grey with little of the original light grey showing... except on the door. And to take that to the next level, the final one nearest the camera with the door a near-pristine grey compared with the rest of the wagon. Even the 3rd one back has a contrast between the left and right sides. You see that variation in many of these photos of course, but that particular photo really demonstrates that a 'batch job' weathering of a rake doesn't fully capture the prototype - each wagon ideally needs to be treated as an entirely seperate modelling/weathering exercise.

Some great reference and detail shots here. Just popping back to the Tinsley Class 20s photo again, is that one at bottom right a longer wheelbase?

Very poorly modelled 'carpet felt' embankment in that Tinsley shot of the two Class 20s

That shot posted at 18:08 above with the (astonishingly filthy) Class 5 (is it?) was bugging me for some reason as something didn't seem quite right - it's the lip around the top of the mineral wagon, it's thinner than normal. If you compare the two behind the green Class 37 you can see it more clearly. An interesting modification, although I'm unsure how to recreate it - probably remove the lip altogether from a Bachmann/Farish version and re-add it with plasticard...? Also interesting that the relatively pristine one behind the unidentified 9F (20:32 posting) has apparently still managed to get a dent in the side judging by the wonky black number patch. Fascinating stuff - well done MD.

Outstanding work, it makes me look again at my own work and think I need to put more effort in. I bet Slaters must be watching their bank account increase with all the embossed sheet going in here Superb stuff, some of the very best modelling on RMWeb.

The damage along the bottom of the body presents some challenging modelling - should be achievable though.

Curious straight line on the left hand one, almost like they were attempting some sort of replate effect.

Clean for 1980.

All good info, thanks chaps

So what's occuring there then? Newly built (were they still being built then?), recently tarted up for TOPS coding?