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Oi Larry, I've sent him plans of Hawes station, so don't go giving him an opportunity of doing things the easy way! ;-} It's now blowing a Gale here, 30ft timber gates don't half catch the wind, I'm having to do some work now! Andy G

In reply to Mythocentric being in awe of me, I feel a bit strange. I'm just someone who is happy to find as much info about a subject as I can! I'm lucky that I have a job (for the moment at least!) that allows me to sit at the table in the corner of the box and get on making models (or to read books or rebuild morris minor vans!). Mind you, having said that the total of completed models isn't high! I have a 48' MR full brake, a heavily bashed triang CR Grampian 12wh compo (with six more in the box waiting to be bashed into 8wh corridors of non-corridors), an almost finished ratio MR compo, and my main one at the minute-WCJS compo sleeper. On the list to progress: three ratio LNWR arc roofed 50 footers, a 42' LNWR arc roof cut down Ratio kit, a MR square panelled 52'(ish) corridor compo, two etched body kits of 1st sleepers (WCJS and LMS), an etch sided kit of an early LMS brake third. Then there is the list of ones to make: HR carriages a plenty, EJCS sleepers, NER/LNER compos. On the wagon side I have an almost finished an etched HR 6wh road van, and the start of a set of 6 HR double deck sheep vans (scratch built, lots of bars to fit..70 holes to drill in the three floors!). Then there is the chassis of the locos that I want to make. Looking at it 4 years here hasn't achieved much! Mind you I also have other hobbies, not just the vans, but working strowger telephone exchanges! Daft, me? Andy g

So are you saying modellers are getting lazy now? :-} My magazine mate thinks it could be down to the modelling your youth desire. How I fit into that I don't know, I don't even remember Deltics! (the last run in 82 was on my 4th birthday.) So why did I choose the HR in early LMS days? Well there is the varity of loco's, and (because I'm like that) the endless verity of coaching stock. The restarant cars alone in the LMS days were of MR, LNWR/WCJS, L&Y, G&SWR, Pullman and LMS standard types. Every train had a mix of most pre-group consituent company in them, and look most ramshackle! Andy G

Jeff, Are you soldering the droppers to the underside of the rail (so that they will be invisible)? When I get to have a layout, I'm going to solder to the underside of the rail using the earth wire out of some twin and earth. This will allow cho-blocks to be fitted to them or a soldiered joint to be done, and allows getting them in and out of the holes easier! BTW there are quite a few article on train formations and PO wagons (tanks in particular) if you want them? Now heres a contentious question: Why do so few people model the grouping period these days? I must admit that I am reallly enjoying scratchbuilding pre-grouping coaches, and find that the later period of flush sided stock a tad boring (mind you thats infinatley more interesting than the glorified trams that past outside this place. It's only the RHTT (railhead treatment trains) that add a bit of interest, and this year they are using 57's, not the 37's and 20's that they used last year.... ) Andy G

Jeff, Have you got that door fitted yet? If you did your tracklaying would speed up considerably, and you'll have more money to spend on the layout (as opposed to wasting that heat). I'd even fit a bit of celotex to the other side of the door to keep a bit more heat in! That last batch of scans takes the number that have been named upto 500, the scanning folder has another 600 in it, with about 10 mags left to do (and then I've got tochase my mate to hunt out the ones I've not had yet). There is one article on the variations of 9F's and there are more MR signals and waiting rooms etc. Did you like Larrys article from 1968? Is your fiddleyard big enough? You don't seem to have many roads, so where are all your different trains going to live? Are you going to have lifting cassette storage? Andy G

Another type on Barmouth viaduct is visible on this page (scroll for images);http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/2260e0/ Andy G

normal double checking: http://nuelr.org.uk/photos/main.php?g2_itemId=9454 the type I was talking about: http://www.mlm.uk.com/projects_springroadviaduct.php Andy G

Those aren't check rails, but are more-or-less what I was was thinking. BR certainly did use check rails set at about that spacing (in proper bases mind!) to prevent disaster after derailment. I don't think I'd leave them off, as most long viaducts had checks of some sort. I'm not suggesting that that the checks are needed because of the radius, but just because they would be fitted to stop things falling off the viaduct! (note some viaducts/bridges had the rails set on waybeams that sat in troughs on the deck, the edges of the trough acted as checks, so plain rail was used) Andy G

Jeff, re check rails; couldn't you just get some normal individual exactoscale chairs and some rail, and then lay them in the 4' about 1' back from the running rail each side? This could be done on the exisiting track. Not sure what they used on the S&C at that time, but would be a good compromise. Andy G

Jeff, As usual I'll drop some things into your inbox! You will need some Stianers and early LMS/Midlands to help with the mixed feel. I'm hoping that you will have the cobalts wired to a frame, and not be using the DCC controller to work them. Walking back from the gates earlier i just thought if you had 'nicked' your track for scale clickty-clack? With all metal wheels, the sound is very pleasant! (You could then add dummy fishplates...) BTW I've taken photos of the gates and some measurements which I'll put in my gallery over the next couple of days. Andy G

Jeff, You are making amazing progress here - well done (I wish I could do the same, but my layour will have to wait). May I ask what you will be using as check rails on the viaduct? I'm guessing that as it's on a curve in reality there would be checks to make sure nothing 'fell off'..... (Maybe you will now lift that SMP and get some check chairs from exactoscale and make a length of checked track for the viaduct...?? ) Also have you thought much about you tunnel entrances? I have a photo of Blea moor which might be useful for one end.... What coaching stock have you got? I hope it's not just Mk1's! Andy G

Ok, I've just created a gallery of my track photos (and one for the gates, although only two photos in there at present). Note sure how to link it to here, but go via my profile and they should be there. Andy G

Couple of replies... Larry, I'm very humbled to have someone of your talents praise my little bumbling efforts... (it's construction is going to be a RM article when I've finished it, so keep your eyes out!) Bill, at present I've not got a gallery on the go, but I'm sure I could spend a bit of time and bump my images of track into one on here.... (Again I'm surprised that people want my bumbling stuff! I'll also do a survay of the gates and crossing, so that could be another gallery if people want?) Andy G

Jeff The answer is: The gate is too short! When they changed them one side fitted striaght away but the gate in the piccy was 10" too short! Look at the hinge end, can you see the big block of wood added to the end? Well thats how they got round it! The gate is pictured open to road traffic the way it is normally. I must take some photos of these too, the weathering of them is interesting... greens and missing paint! Andy G

Coach, It's my first attempt at making panelled coaches! WCJS D26. The originals were conversions of WCJS 50ft compos and brake compos, so I have used a secondhand ratio compo for the basis. The funny thing is that the original end is only 8'6" wide, but the new sleeper end (both for the model and in real life) is 9' wide. It has only four berths plus an attendant (Imagine that these days!) and the 3rds just had seats! Unusual, and I can run it on my HR layout when I get round to doing it (It's a long way off, so am using the time to do the stock!). I've had to take a few liberties to get the effect correct (I think that the first class (sleeping half) is a bit wider than 9', but it looks ok. I'm heading rapidly towards the painting stage, which really scares me. I usally brush paint, but I think I might spray this one. A rattle can for the primer (I hope I don't get runs!) and then my new airbrush. I may even try to line it (I usually just do the beading black and live with the fact that the yellow in 4mm is so small you won't be able to see it!) This shows the body junction better. Andy G

I must say that you have made me look a fresh at the track, considering that I walk past it about 40 times a shift! Look at the colour of those concrete sleepers - hardly grey at all! When the ballast was first dropped all the new stuff was pink! (And I mean very pink!), it has toned down nicely. Look at the gate again Jeff. The lights on top are from modern barriers-but they aren't what's wrong! Andy G

We like to think we are on a mainline! We have a fairly intensive electric service to King's Cross, with Sand traffic being our freights. Two sands in both directions a day. The ballast might look cleaner because of the RHTT (water jetting train) that is running at the minute. I would say that we get dumps of ballast every two years here, the last was dumped last year. The humbrol was a bit of a quick idea while walking to the gate, sadly I don't have a big selection, the brown being used for the inside of carriages These two being on the 'bench' (well the table in the box!) at the minute. The first is my WCJS composite sleeper, the second being a MR brake compo (more S&C that last one!) Andy G

Taken from the level crossing, showing the variations in ballast colour (I hope!) Again taken from the crossing looking down, can you see the colour variations across the 4 foot? darker near the rails, lighter in the middle. Taken from the box veranda, hopefully you can see the different shades of ballast, the new(er) stuff being in the 6 foot. Again from the veranda, can yo see the tonal differences here? Now the shots that must have made me look daft! Four shots of individual bits of ballast! Taken from walkway, they show the different colours of the bits. And just to prove that there is a level crossing! Can you spot the mistake? Hopefully these are useful and interesting? Andy G

Well I duly went to work yesterday and, before anyone asks, made sure that I was safe, took some photos of track and ballast. Hopefully no-one saw me, as it must have been quite an odd sight! This is the running rails with only sunday traffic over them (its been damp here all week, hence the orange rust, taken standing on the level crossing pedestrian area) This is one of the 'new' rails sitting in the four foot, notice the difference in colour compared to the running rail behind (taken from our walkway to the gates) The two new rails in the 4 foot, notice the rust shade variation (same vantage point as before) The limited browny rust selection of Humbrol that I had with me sat on the foot of the running rail, the middle tin (matt 186) seems to be pretty close. (again taken from the walkway) Two of our timber sleepers. Not the colour changes, and the very open graining on the latter (taken from the public level crossing)

Jeff, I'm down in Cambridgeshire at the minute, under the wires. We have a lovely little box, and there's enough time to do modelling inbetween trains! If you ask my boss, he swears i've rebuilt the whole of my van up here....! Andy G

Jeff, Camera (ans spare set of batteries) are always in the work (tesco's) bag waiting for action. It's mostly full of my kit bashed WCJS compo sleeper at the minute, so some other railway stuff would make a change! I'll get some photos tomorrow and see what they come out like! I really ought to do a full photographic survay of this place at some point, you never know I might make a model of it when I'm old and grey! Andy G

Jeff, Being 'in the box' with a set of gates to work for every train, means I walk past a pair of tracks everyday, and they are certainly not the Humbrol red rust colour! They are a darkish brown colour, which has recently been acentuated (Sp?) by Pway bringing a pair of replacement rails out and dumping them in the 4 foot, these are a rusty colour (still not humbrol red rust, more browny) with some areas that are orangey. The ballast isn't grey either! The stuff thats been down for ages is a browny earthy dirty colour, with the stuff that was dumped by the auto ballasters recently a pinky redish colour! It's pitch dark at the minute, but if you want I'll try and get some photos tomorrow, and try and get them on here next week? Andy G (just got train described)

Jeff, I've been watching your efforts with interest, and I have to say that the look of the (little) amount of track you have down is so much more realistic that the peco stuff. Certainly when I get round to building my railway (When I get planning permission off SWMBO) I will be going smp! Keep up the good work sir! Andy G

Also Loc cases are used to mount relay in and around signalboxes. They can also house power supplies (transformers). Also don't forget the little boxes that the t/c tails are connected to, usually 6" square boxes in the cess at the end of the t/c. Andy G

Having started on building up my fleet of carriages (from both kits and scratch) I thought that I should try and get them painted correctly. Being an LMS modeller of the Highland Railway I have plenty of diverse carraiges to paint up (Including those beautiful LNWR 12 wheelers). Upto recently I have chickened out from lining them, being content with painting the panel beading black, as the yellow/gold lines would be almost impossible to see in 4mm. However having seen Coachmann's efforts, and others in this thread I've bitten the bullet and purchase a secondhand kern set, but I have to admitt I'm a bit clueless from here on in. Coach's detailed post earlier on was very useful, but I'm still a bit green here. Do you use them like an old ink quill? ie dip them into the paint and then line, or do you dip, wipe, and do a test line before you go to the coach side? I take it that you run the nib against a ruler too? Thanks Andy G.