Highlandman

What's the definition of Macho? Jogging home after your vasectomy.

The old ones are the best. My grandmother, when she first moved to Devon, thought the sheep on the hillside looked like field maggots. Picture it. From a distance, no legs and moving about.

I haven't checked in for a while and when at last I do I find you ripping out large chunks of Wencombe and turning it into Kingsbridge. I look forward to new build especially as I'm building the extension to Salcombe. Liking your more smelly idea, how about a pickling factory as in pickled herrings. Couldn't get more smelly than that. On my Salcombe layout I have put the harbour wall along the front of the layout. Why not turn the front of yours into an L-girder with a stone wall on the back and the bottom of the girder modelled as the sea, tide in or out. Maybe somthing like below.

Great to see progress on the layout Kris. I had considered using the Minx microdrives for my signals, but with about 8-10 of them I'd need another mortgage. Can't wait to see some more progress and pictures.

With the funding possibilities available today to volunteer and heritage organisations a lot more things are possible. You've only got to look at Tornado, the new P2 locomotive and the GCR 'Bridge to the Future' project. While it might not be possible to reinstate the link to Buckfastleigh, as great as that would be. It must surely be feasible to create a museum site at Ashburton and preserve the infrastructure that is still there. Even as Peter says above run a short demonstration line with a bus link between the two sites. When my parents moved to Devon in the early 80's a meeting was held in the auction rooms at Kingbridge to talk about the history of the 'Primrose Line' and the possible reinstatement of the track bed. What a shame that did not happen or that the line was not originally chosen over the Dart Valley line. Just think, a mainline connection with it's own platform face, three intermediate stations and a terminus five minute walk from the town centre and ferries to Salcombe. The site was ripe for it and I can only think that there was something underhand going on while discussion were going on between the preservationists and BR.

According to Google maps the White Horse Leisure Centre is at Audlett Drive Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3PJ United Kingdom The post code in the previous post would appear to put you in the centre of Oxford. Hope this correction is okay, would definitely like to see the layout if I can get there.

In a posting on BBC Spotlight's Facebook page there is a video report regarding the preparation of plans and funds for a return of the railway to Ashburton station. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=880625338669632

Hi Gordon, the build gets better and better and I can't wait to see the first train run round Eastwood. As regards to the gradients have you considered using DCC Concepts Powerbase to solve possible problem with train length. It seems the ideal solution especially while you are still in the track laying stage. It seems such a simple solution, steel plates ander the track and magnets fixed to the locomotives. http://youtu.be/cTMGB9plu4c

I chose to solder a small bolt to the subfloor at each end for the replacement bogies, which I got from Comets. I then hold them on with a small nut, just loose enough to allow a little sideplay. A little dab varnish holds the nut on..

That's a great job with the undercarriage, and looks far neater than my efforts. I can't wait to see the carmine paint job. It was a colour I had thought about but opted for lined maroon instead. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

At the suggestion of John Flann here is a picture of his layout Hintock Quay. Albeit slightly altered.

Should that not be; MIND THE ..... AAaaaaaaghhhh!!!!!!!!

The finials are looking good Steve. A nice little etch. Are you hoping that the base will hold them in perfect alignment and at 90deg. to each other, or will you have to fix them some how?

I love the 14xx conversion. I have two bodies with defunct chassis', I just wish I had the skill the attempt the High Line chassis conversion. Below is my attempt at the coach conversion. Like you, I replaced the truss work as after 32 years or so the plastic was very brittle and broke while trying to clear the battery boxes. I also noted a slight stress fracture in the floor so use a brass sub floor to solder all the underfloor detail to. I found the brake actuating levers a bit to soft and delicate in white metal so I fabricated some from nickle silver etch and brass road, as per the three pictures at the bottom. I can't wait to see your finished item. Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

What DCC modelling is all about. Running lights and a light in the cab. The weathering effects are really good.

Hi Alan. Hope you have a great holiday in the States. The picture posted above was orginally posted by me on May 5th this year. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70935-anything-you-can-do-i-can-do-better-robinson-and-downes/?p=1441349 All the jiggery-pokery was done in Photoshop using one of your wonderful models.

Ditto...

Happy anniversary to you and your wife, hope you had a good time in Venice. Did you get to see the famous Murano Glassworks and the wonderful mosaics they have in Vencie? As always Gordon, your carpentery and joinery skills amaze me. If only I could match your quality. The platform looks amazing and it's exactly the way I built mine, using a strip wood subframe and thin ply/MDF surface. This method certainly makes it easier to attach items to the surface. Something to screw into instead of thin plasticard often used. Mind you I stuck my stone walls on with the subframe in place, but there again my platform was a much simpler affair. Below is my effort, you can see the strip wood on the far right of the picture. The stone face has already been stuck on the rest.

I have just been catching up on this thread and it's a fantastic bit of modelling. When i first saw the lawn mower I thought it was a kit from the likes of Langley. The greenhouse look great and the frosting can possibly be used as white wash sun protection. To possibly stop this from happening in the future and for large laminating jobs I was recommended a solvent adhesive going by the name of D-Limonine, supplied by Hobby Holidays and Wizard Models. It is milder than MEK or Plasticweld and does not evaporate as quickly, thus allowing you more time to line up items before they stick. It also allows you to stick finer plastic strip without totally melting it. I have used it to successfully laminate plasticard together and to stick strips to clear plastic without frosting. JUst another adhesive to add to your arsenal.

When I tried to look up their website a little while ago, my Bullguard antivirus blocked it as a hazardous site that could damage your computer. When I asked about that at a recent show i was told that the site had been hacked/infected with virus and that they had closed it down until they could sort out the problem. Some older JAVA scripts on websites could be used to hide potential viruses as I had the very same problem on a site I run a little way while ago. The only way I could deal with it was shut down all the pages with the offending code and try and re-write new pages that would be more secure from virus threats. Whether this is still the case I don't know, but it can take some time to get a working and more secure site up and running.

I've just been having a search through the internet, as you do at 2am and you can't sleep, and I've found these two pictures and information. One is of a very nicely restored finial and the other is of one in not so good condition. But the important bit, i think is that they give the height of the finial in their catalogue. I did think that you could get some measurements from the first picture using the bricks as a scale guide. If so the base plate appears to be about 10 - 12ins square, assuming a brick and mortar joint is 9ins. Trouble is, the angle the photograph is taken, means it doesn't correlate with the 24in height given in the auction catalogue. You might be able to make more of it than me. All the best Andy

I'm not sure if these are the ones you are asking about, but I took these photographs on the Bluebell a couple of years ago. I'm also looking through some of my books to see if I have anything with measurement in. Peter Squibb talks a little about the construction of LSWR signals in his Scratchbuilders Guide to Semaphore SIgnals. ISBN 978 1 905184 68 2 If these are suitable I have the original RAW files and jpeg's at higher resolutions if you would like me to PM or email then to you. All the best Andy

Not only is Jon's work superb, he's a damn good teacher and motivator as well. HIs pictures make it look easy and prompted me to give it a go, albeit in 4mm.