Tony Simms

Nice car! I note no wing mirrors though?

Drax is very much alive and kicking and has recently had a biomass unit installed. The ash mounds are all grassed as they reach "maturity" and there has been an excellent nature trail on it for a number of years. Indeed you can now walk all the way to Barlow Common where the Goole-Selby line ran. Once that line shut, the sidings became wagon storage, but also an overnight stopping point for the Royal Train.

Looking good, Pete. I think we're all doomed to forever rip out and replace bits of trainset. It wouldn't be so much fun otherwise, would it?

Thanks for the comments chaps!

Jez, I used thin washes of enamels and a dusting of weathering powders. I've done some maroon coaches too, but I'm not as happy with the finish on those.

Pete, yes the Rapidos need to come off!! These will be replaced by Dapol dummy buckeyes when I get the chance to order some.

do not make the same mistake twice (instead of that, try to do new mistakes

The weeds/chippings centre line tends to be more where it is a single track road or track(!). My guess here, would be a road wide enough for two vehicle to pass quite comfortably (I might be wrong). You might get two slight chipping collections on the centre of each side...

Hi, I think your shade is about right (in the photos anyway). Whilst the surface shouldn't be too rough, there should be some potholes and crumbling areas at the edges. How wide is the road? Whilst you can go out and measure them, I always find they look too wide at scale width (mine do!!). Cheers.

Tony

I've only just spotted the recent update on this project.

Many years ago (when I were just a lad), I built a layout out of foamboard and successfully exhibited it for about five years. Here are a few shots of Masham: 

The boards were built as C-girders, a 6 inch high upright with 1 inch deep strips top and bottom. Bracing was every foot or so and the top was one solid sheet and a further lamination for the trackbed. The layout was one piece and 66" by 15". The best way to join foamboard is a hot glue gun; to make the girders I used a heavy duty tape on the outside of the joint and then a hot glue fillet on the inside. No flight case was necessary; the front fascia was thin styrene sheet and the exposed foamboard at the back was covered with sticky-back plastic. Built in 1996 and exhibited between 1997 and 2002, I just sat it on the reclined passenger seat in my Citroen ZX. The layout then resided with my in-laws before I sold it on a few years ago. I believe it still exists and works.

In the first shot you can see Edward Sissling, who nicked my ideas and built the very nice Niddbeck Bridge (as mentioned in 2mmAndy's earlier comment). I've still to sue him... 

Cue a series of snooker case layouts...

Not my scale, not my period and not my chosen geographic area...

But I love it!!

When you spend such time and care to restore someone else's work, it's no surprise that your own stuff is so wonderfully evocative.

Lovely bit of modelling from all concerned!

Those are some nicely finished wagons and super photography. Thanks for posting!

Fiddly!

Slightly!

Yes I used to go all over the place on blue DMUs with my pushbike when I were a lad.

James' own N gauge stuff is a bit more modern, Railfreight type stuff (I think!) The blue DMU is a 2FS compromise bashed out over a beer (and a J2O)...

Thanks for the encouragement folks. The fibres I've been using are Mininatur which I bought online here: http://mutineer-miniatures.org.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=24

I used Greenscenes flock cement and a home made static shaker based on an electronic flyswat. I'd bought a similar item from Greenscene, but it was badly made and soon failed. I used the same design, but made it more robust.

The grass adjacent to the platform is a mix of various shades in 2.5 and 4.5mm lengths; 1 or 2 ft high I'd guess.

Hope it all works out for you Pete; it's tough making a living in any way right now.

Keep up the good modelling and don't forget to post here!

Tony

Excellent. Thanks for the explanation!

Go on then, what does it do?

I'm quite interested in what electronics can bring to my trainset, but I stood at a MERG stand at a show recently and it could have all been in Martian, for what I understood of it.

Sorry if I seem a bit dim!!

Looks great. Lovely buildings (including the grounded van body!) and the restrained colour scheme rally gives it character. Look forward to seeing more.

You don't know how chuffed I am to get this comment from someone whose modelling I admire immensely. Thank you!

I think you're right Don; even the very fine grain in thin ply is obviously not right. The plasticard has a very light rub with glass paper just to add a slight texture.

Southern, my boy, you need "V Groove" (made in the good ol' US of A; they're not likely to use anything as obvious as "planking"). Mine was 2060 A-5; 60 thou spacing (9") and 20 thou thick. Hope this helps!

How much of the Tomix chassis is left though?

Not much looking at the photo, but probably the hardest bit for kit/scratchbuilders to emulate; the pivot and feed in for the drive.

Nice bit of work Julia

Nice work on the station building.

I'd send the loco back though; the BR blue has rather faded...

The Mathieson wagons are rather nice, but the MR coke wagons are the bees knees. Wonder if I could justify a few on Brafferton...

Not only great modelling, but what talent - driving the trains, playing the piano and filming all at the same time. Sir, you are a genius!!

Looking good Pete. If it's not a stupid question, how do you get the layout out of the box?