Gopher

I am a fan of the Road Transport Images (RTI) range of commercial vehicles. Of course a wide range of suitable vehicles are now available from Oxford and other manufacturers. So there is no need to make kits anymore, unless you want a model of a specific vehicle, which is why I turned to RTI. Here are a couple of examples of my efforts. I find the biggest challenge in making these kits is glazing the cabs. Some of the kits come with pre-formed glazing. My efforts at glazing the windscreens are average and do not stand close scrutiny, but O.K when viewed from a few feet away.

Another Shed scene - 8F arrived on shed. Hornby model- weathered by me. I add crew, coal and lamps to all my steam locos, and weather them to various degrees. All steam and diesel locos have after market sound decoders fitted, from various suppliers. I know not to everyone's taste- but the driveability of the latest decoders, and most of the sound projects are excellent. Also upgrading the speakers can make a huge difference to the quality of the sound. Thanks to all for the comments and "likes".

Another view of Platform 1 Dewchurch station. I enjoy painting figures, and am in the process of replacing some of the older (and cruder) white metal figures with newer 3D scanned figures. I think the 3D scanned figures have been a wonderful innovation. The detail is excellent which of course makes them a pleasure to paint. A layout is never finished, and I always find plenty to do, upgrading scenery, buildings, rolling stock, and of course the inevitable fault fixing !

Couple of photos of Auto train - Hattons 14xx and Bachmann Auto trailers. Train leaving Dewchurch station, an additonal trailer was added at Dewchurch . Twenty minutes later it arrives at Harewood Halt.

Couple of Loco shed scenes. Evening Star about to reverse onto turntable. Class 37, at diesel refuelling point, before working train back to the Eastern region.

Couple of Dewchurch Goods Yard Scenes. First photo - mileage siding Second photo - Guard sloping off for a cup of tea in the Goods Office Final photo - Station Road Dewchurch

Mike - there are a few photos which have been published before in previous books featuring George Heiron's work (I think I have all his books, and recognise some of the pictures in this latest book). However the vast majority of pictures are new (or at least I have not seen them published before). Hope this helps

Thanks Jazzer. I'm generally pleased with my efforts (most of the time), but amazing what taking photos of the layout can reveal. Gliches which are not always visible from a couple of foot away. I am still totally in awe at some of the superb layouts on this website. I hope I am consistent with my approach to weathering in particular. I have experimented over the past few years and now have a fairly standard process for weathering locos, rolling stock, people and buildings. I do find it difficult to hold back and not over weather items. I think you can get away with it with freight locos and wagons, maybe not quite so much with passenger locos and coaches. Having said that the period I model was pretty grimy. One example of possibly over heavy weathering is the Jinty in the photo below. I could not stop myself and just kept adding grunge. Other photo shows the superb Scale Model Scenery signal box nameplates newly installed. Thanks to Steve and others who recommended these. I have ordered more for Dewchurch signal box

Few loco scenes. King Henry 111 arrives at Dewchurch with The Cornishman. Of course in my fantasy world this train changes motive power at Dewchurch on outward and return journeys. I tend to operate Dewchurch in a similar way to Bath Green Park. So I have passenger and freight services either terminating here, or changing motive power before continuing their journey. I also have visiting cross country services - so gives me an excuse to run non Western Region motive power and rolling stock. Best not to look too closely at my flawed rationale for running some of these trains, all I can say is they generally comply with my late 1950s early 1960s time frame. Second photo - local auto-train arriving at Harewood Halt. Third photo - Merchant Navy - Clan Line waiting to depart with a train for the Southern region. Engine worked the up train, and following servicing at the MPD was rostered to work the return service to the Southern Region. This is a TMC weathered model (rare for me to buy already weathered models, but could not resist this one). The Scale Model Scenery Signal Box nameplates turned up today - very impressive !

You are totally correct - 82xx class.. I've still got this one.

Couple more photos. The shed scene was taken a few years ago, fitter and cleaner are still there chatting today (must be a long conversation). The 4MT tank is no longer part of my loco stud. The shed is Townstreet models. Western Enterprise leaving Dewchurch with a parcels train.

Couple of images of Platform 1 - Dewchurch station. Short goods train temporarily occupying the platform road. Station pilot will couple to rear of train. and draw back into the headshunt before shunting into goods yard. Passengers waiting for next train (probably running late)

I meant to add that the turntable is a Peco turntable powered by an old printer motor (direct drive) suspended under the turntable. There are no other exit roads so it is simply used to turn locomotives. I wired in some micro switches triggered by a cam shaft, so that power is cut when the turntable is aligned correctly. These used to work very well, until I had to replace my original belt driven motor/mechanism because the belt kept slipping. So having opted for the direct drive mentioned above, of course now I cannot get the thing to align properly using the micro switches. (The hours I have spent under the baseboard finely adjusting the cam, it became like a second home !). Luckily my father in law built a speed controller for me, so I now simply slow the turntable and align it using the naked eye (which is still not infallible, but has proved more reliable than the micro switches.)

Thank you All, the Narrow Planet etched nameplates look excellent. Couple more pictures Cement wagons viewed from over the fence. I cannot claim credit for weathering these, they were weathered by Adrian Butler of Lord & Butler (aka Dirty Boy). When ever I visit the shop I am always impressed by the weathered locos and rolling stock, inspired me to have a go myself. Second photo is the turntable road at the depot with a new fangled diesel refuelling plant on the right. I think that in reality the refuelling plant should not be situated so close to the steam shed, but there may be a precedent somewhere, and of course I had limited space, so compromises were required. I know that when diesel hydraulics first appeared on the Western region they were serviced/maintained alongside steam engines, which often caused problems.

Western Enterprise - (Dapol Model), about to leave Dewchurch station on an express train. Shed cleaners working hard on 47xx loco (Heljan model).

Thanks All. I opted for the Scale Model Scenery nameboards. I did not realise they produced them - so thankyou Steve. I used the Coopercraft nameboards on previous layouts. I was never totally happy with the results I achieved (never managed to get the letters aligned properly). Couple more images - late night shopping in Dewchurch - Not sure if there was such a thing back in the l950s/60s. Local ganger stops for a chat.

Johnster - thanks for the comments and explanation (wish I'd thought of it) , of course you are totally correct ! I remember you posting - "The guard is the man, who rides in the van, the van at the back of the train. The driver up front, thinks the guards a right " - (better leave it there) ! So maybe the guard thought he had better keep a closer eye on the driver. However still does not explain the incorrect lamp. Yes you made sense, I try for consistency in everything I model and weather, of course does not always go to plan. Neil - thanks for the comments. I agree, I think I vaguely remembered (or think I remembered), Signal box name plates on the Western region - in faded chocolate and cream, so I tried to replicate this using my trusty ink jet printer. The font also looks odd, so will replace the name board, and revert to white font on a black background. Few more images - grounded coach body at loco depot. I'd like to think used for mutual improvement classes, but doubt my depot is big enough. Having said that the coach body has clearly seen better days and would benefit from mutual improvement. Couple of engines on shed - G2A, and GWR 28xx. Signal is off for loco leaving shed. All the signals on the layout work. Majority are Ratio kits purchased via an ad in Railway Modeller years ago. They were made by Derek Gibbs. Derek fitted solenoids under each signal to activate them. Simple but work very well. There are also three Dapol signals, including the new junction signal - which I think is excellent, but needs a bit of space under the baseboard for the control unit. There are also two Eckon colour light signals. Disused goods shed at Harewood Halt.

A few goods yard scenes. 8F arriving with short freight (surely the guard should be in the rear brake van) ! Cattle dock at rear of goods shed. Ratio fencing on scratch built platform. View along coal siding

True, although I have seen some layouts where the wiring is such a work of art, the layout should be displayed upside down ! Couple more misc station scenes - goods shed (with of course a dozing porter), and bay platform/carriage sidings

Thank you Brian. I keep plugging away and hopefully improving my modelling skills (as long as you do not look below the baseboards at my "interesting" wiring) ! All seems to work though. Few photos of Harewood signal box - Ratio kit.

Couple of examples of my attempts at weathering rolling stock - in this case Bachmann wagons

Final photo on track plan - shows goods yard behind gas holder. Layout is basically a horse shoe along three sides of a room - approx 11ft 6in by 7ft. Other photos - show some loco shed scenes

And there's more. First photo below shows canal bridge at end of loco yard, and start of Dewchurch station. Timber tracks signal box, Scenecraft water tank. Background industrial buildings are a mixture of scratch built, Skytrex, Townstreet. Second photo shows station and station road beyond. Buildings are a mixture of scratch built, Townstreet, Timber tracks, Ten Commandments, Metcalfe (only card kit on layout) Ratio station canopies. Wills platforms, Ratio cattle dock. Third photo shows gas works (Hornby buildings and Walthers H0 gas holder, plus some misc pipework added by me), Goods yard beyond with Timber tracks good shed. One more photo to follow

This photo shows rest of loco yard, Townstreet Models sand house and Harburn Hobbies building, coal stage

Thanks Robert, your layout looks like it is progressing well. I am afraid I do not have a track plan, (nor the requisite skills to draw one). The layout is based on a plan in David Jenkinson's - Historical Railway Modelling. It is a fictitious location based in the west midlands, Western Region 1950s/early 60s. Instead of a track plan I will post some photos which will hopefully put the scenes into context. The layout is DCC, about 12 years old (but subject to continuous improvement - mainly buildings, figures, scenery, rolling stock). Terminus to fiddle yard arrangement. 00 gauge - SMP track, and Marcway points. I built and wired the whole thing (apart from some baseboards). I particularly enjoy the scenic side of modelling. First photo below shows view from fiddle yard looking at Harewood Halt. Redundant goods shed on right. Second photo is beyond road bridge seen in first photo. Basically a bit of countryside with various kit buildings and one Scenecraft Dutch barn on right. End of this section is another bridge with a scenic break. Third photo - beyond scenic break entering Dewchurch. Street scene with Townstreet Models half relief buildings. Wills semi detached house, and engine shed and misc buildings (Townstreet). More to follow !