robmcg

I wouldn't worry to much about the blue skies, as in my humble experience most actual skies wouldn't be believed if they were presented accurately. In other words, it's really an effect we want. I used to do lots of railway photography b+w mostly in the 1960s and spent many an hour exposing expensive paper in a darkroom, 'burning' skies with extra exposure, or to put it another way, blocking light from parts of the picture... usually to highlight such as steam engine rods and motion. The great photographers did this all the time Eric Treacy, M W Earley, E R Whetherset, F R Hebron, E D Bruton, and although I cannot prove exactly what they did, they mostly made the picture present what the eye does automatically. Brilliantly, I might add. The only time layered backgrounds look odd to my eye is when the horizon is awry, and that doesn't happen at Peterborough North. Rob

I have bought two new weathered Jubilees now.... but no LMS version, so far. This is a serious attack on my mostly failed attempt to lead a balanced life.... and budget. Have yesterday done a nice pic of a Patriot, and have a double chimney Peppercorn A2 which should arrive here soon... it was posted 8 days ago, perhaps I should concentrate on observing rocks as Jeff does?

Wintry sun just warming the paddocks here... better have a nice cup of tea. I admire the weathering you show in Lunester Lounge, very nice indeed and isn't it scary how the camera shows things! I cheat with photo editing. I have tried a bit of brush weathering too. Cheers, Rob

Now if only we had some decent hillsides, sorry, fells, within which to place this train.... together with examples of the stonework of the day.. this is a pic taken I think in 2010 when I lived in Christchurch. We will need sound recording of howling wind, too.... or the chattering teeth of doughty photographers.

Indeed the Britannias will be good, if they actually survive being unpacked without having bits fall off.... the whistle, cab roof vents, regulator rodding, all a bit vulnerable on these when inserting four-pin plug connector. But you probably know all that. I'm happy because I won two Hornby weathered Black 5s on Ebay last night at a nice price, new, from The Model Shop in Portsmouth with good feedback, even if they do not have postage to NZ pre-calculated. I got R2258 No.44781 unlined black weathered 2002 model and R2360B No.44762 also unlined black weathered. I didn't want to be up at 2am for the close of the auction so left a top bid on each which proved to be ample and under 70 quid each. A bit annoying that now I'm awake they are asleep, or out watching the sunset, but it should all work out ok. Double-header Black 5s on the S&C anyone?

Apart from Dad working in the railways and his Dad being top link NZ Railways 1920-42 I just read the Irwell Press 'Steam Days at Haymarket' by Harry Knox... very well-written accounts of firing A1s ... if I close my eyes hard I am there... yours, Mother of Three

I love that early BR Patriot.... must buy another! Actually that's a very fine photo you have taken there. I love the tone and balance. Pity about the human figures. We used to avoid them when photographing trains in the 60s. Well, we could photoshop them now... (just joking... I would never compromise art.... oh, no, wait....)

Actually, I differ here, because I find model figures which don't move and are 'cast' rather less real than imagined ones! I blame the clockwork Hornby trains I played with when I was 4.... As a compromise, I can accept a fireman leaning thoughtfully on his shovel... edit; and I'll photoshop him into BR working pose. as an aside, firing on any main line steam expresses in the 50s was bloody hard work at times, like firing a Peppercorn A1 from Edinburgh to Newcastle with a 500-ton Night Scotsman, and back, shifting 7-8 tons of coal on a shaking rolling footplate as well as the other work, 7 days in a row, event the fittest men used to fade away. They got extra night money and distance allowance, so wot are they complainin aboot?

I realise that the question of quality in the Hornby Princess is one I cannot answer, but the Hornby version scubs up ok with a bit of image editing... so while many dimensions are no doubt inaccurate, it can look pretty good... Equally I comprehend scratch-building and its pleasures, and that it can be a very great thing to get things right.. Apologies if you have seen this before, Cheers, Rob

Hi Jeff, I ordered 31-177 45593 'Kolhapur' in early BR green, would have chosen late BR emblem but few late emblem around. I already have Hong Kong (Stanier tender) and Baroda (Fowler tender), so Kolhapur seemed a nice choice, and I think Jubilees look lovely when at least lightly weathered. Graceful engines. Someone in the Hornby section has pointed out that my pic of 30778 'Sir Pelleas' is wrong and that it never carried late crest, as Hornby produced it... so I have done an early crest version.. I am somewhat of a skeptic about exact condition, emblems and so on, when things were changed without being recorded, or recorded but not actually changed. 30778 was shopped twice in 1957 so its possible that she just missed the emblem change because the paintshop foreman had the 'flu, or somesuch technical thing. It's only a problem when things are well out, like LMS in 1955 or suchlike that it matters. I will however be careful to put a grimy 'Kolhapur' at the head of suitable Stanier coaches, probably blood and custard, or if the mood takes, make it late crest with maroon carriages. Equally of course one likes to put the right era together correctly with coaches, and my crimson LMS Patriot will perhaps be a nice 1930s S&C scene. (although we both know that pre 1945 everything was in black and white, historical records prove it) Cold here today. 10C. Brrr. Rob

No stonework in evidence here... just Hornby excellence and TMC-light weathering... might be medium, I forget. 1957 engine based at Nine Elms, 30778 had what I think was a general overhaul in Jan 1957 at Eastleigh, at least it is described as 'GO'... and this might explain the late crest. Two pictures done yesterday and today; familiar fireman, familiar scenes, I have ordered a Jubilee for a proper S&C scene sometime.. and Winter coming on here... Rob

Indeed the Bachmann B1 model is an impressive and attractive model considering its age. The Bachmann version I have photographed is 61008 'Kudu' factory weathered. I have always liked factory weathering even if only as a basis for more specitic effects. One wonders if the Hornby B1 will be about as good as it gets for current 00 models which were under £100 retail. I agree that Chris at TMC is doing superb work ... with a range of very good weathering effects, soot in the right places, rust also, and very good grime and or oil around underframes etc., and most importantly, coverage is even and very skillfully applied. They must have a well-designed production line system, and the amount of specialised work they do is considerable also. Mind you, I would say that because I have recently bought a number of BR era steam engines from them! <g> Rob

Morning Jeff, I have recently bought several weathered models off TMC... a brother bought a couple of weathered Hornby model off them a couple of years ago, a Spam Can and a Britannia, which I only got to look at recently (and photograph), and they were very good. I have tried my own weathering with a brush and various techniques and can get fair results, but they never look quite so good with the camera, so with Sterling being relatively weak compared to NZ currency, and RTR 00 going up in price in the UK I thought to invest a bit in some purchases, a four figure sum in pounds. I bought one or two from TMC and they were very fast, polite, and above all very talented with their work. Having assured myself that they were good, I have bought 8 or 9 engines, all large mostly green BR... but yesterday a crimson LMS Baby Scot lightly weathered. As to their craftsmanship, I cannot speak too highly of them. We know how fragile modern RTR models are, and how often things fall off, or don't run right, well of course just taking a model out of its packing can be dangerous. They absorb all these risks and still charge less than RRP for the base model. They do a lot of 'passes' of very fine grime, generally very well aimed. A bit heavy on rusty colour around rods and motion but then that can be touched up to be like grease and shiny metal. Brake shoes are generally individually coloured, soot over smokebox, rust near water filler caps, tender insides/coal dust, track grime, all done very very well. Medium and heavy weathering get a degree of water-staining on boilers, firebox etc. After a few models bought, I tend to medium weathering for standard late BR grime, light weathering for such as Cardiff Canton Castles or Stanier Duchesses or A4s, heavy weathering really is heavy... late BR Standards. I sometimes receive a model in NZ less thana week after ordering, if it is a version 'off the shelf'. So yes, I like TMC. Of course their work doesn't suit some critics... which rather makes me admire them all the more! (having been a trader in my hand-made furniture in years gone by) Rob

It'll be TMC weathering. Grosmont. Centre of the known world. edit. ah, no, the true orbital centre is somewhere on Main Road Guildford Surrey which allows me to offer this pic of a work-stained Maunsell Schools class with Ramsgate headcode in a locale which more resembles Dorchester or Bournemouth than Folkestone.. perhaps an empty carriage working, returning a stock from a special from the Midlands... Very wise of you Jeff to model a specific location... off to photograph a 'King Arthur' N15 now. Rob

Ta, a fast reaction like that is why Britain is the world's foremost political and economic power...

Now that looks like a prospect for a photo...! Do you know if 'Victoria' 45565 b 8/34 NB w/d 7/66 had a Fowler or Stanier tender, also was it 5 or 6 hole firebox? I have in mind buying a suitable weathered Jubilee and am tending towards 45593 Kolhapur (Stanier tender) or 45587 Baroda (Fowler tender) as donor... I live in permanent readiness for the reaction I often get in RMweb for my pictures, 'lovely picture Rob, but......' ( there follows a polite dissertation on number of rivets on rain-shield above driver's window...) Rob

I am expecting the Star to be very comparable to the Castle in quality, paint issues on the latter hopefully fixed, and the Hall might have slightly better detailing around cab and boiler and wheels... I hope so anyway. The Bachmann Hall is very nice though.

It is clear Jeff that your professed interest in railways is a ruse, and your real mission is to build stone monuments. I however remain willfully ignorant of stone bridge abutments and other contructions, and suggest you turn back to the true path, watching trains go by. To this end, here is a Peppercorn A1 class engine passing somewhere like Darlington at speed... probably around 1959. Cheers, Rob

Ought to shut the Eastern Area whingers up at least.... oops, did I say that?

Thanks for the NYMR B1 pics Jeff. Rob

You'd think the cost of a re-print would be a lot lower than the first run. Hard to explain why Castles and A1/2s have not been reprinted.

Enough of this building with bricks and slabs of stone, I say! Thread lurkers around here are wanting to spot trains, not architectural novelties. To this end, here below is a fine 'spot'. A Trafford Park Midland Britannia on the S & C no less... what's more, a famous Britannia, being 70004 'William Shakespeare', a couple of years after the glory of the Golden Arrow. One thing we know the Britannias did well was work, be it taking 380 tons out of London up to Knockholt, or over Blea Moor, but sometimes the running was easier, as illustrated here. *(or, edit, running downhill...) I was going to apologise for using a similar angle to a couple of recent pics., but I then thought better of it, apologising, that is. I like the angle! This reminds me of my filming and photographing of steam days in the 1960s. I have, from an Irwell softcover book a photo of 70004 with early crest in 1961... I know the engine had the short lubricator rod by 1963 unlike the longer original version in the pic but hoped nobody would care overmuch... standards have slipped... oh dear, that could be taken wrongly... Rob

please note; I edited the picture of the Schools just now, just added a bit more blur to wheels and motion. Cheers, Rob

How do you 'dish out' physics? This terminology suggests a deep subliminal desire to eat yum yums.... are you growing suffiecient fresh veges in your garden?

Thankyou for the photo. There should be a law against single-tracking of national monuments though. Also you may be interested to know that I have had an itch to buy a Hall class... it must be some kind of disease, wanting to model a successful competent engine which did most of the things a Riddles Standard 5MT could do. The latter is my all-time favorite engine, with Britannias second and Duchesses 3rd.. but I suppose there is a case for modelling old old designs... typo edit