Warley 2012

Last Sunday I made my first ever pilgrimage to the Warley show. The opportunity arose as a thank you from Bob after helping him during the past year at exhibitions with his Winterschalf layout.

Since coming back to the hobby I'd been thinking about making the journey to the NEC to see this show but had been warned that it had become too well attended. Warned that, trying to view layouts is something similar to a rugby scrum with crowds of two to three deep; traders being very busy with often a long wait to be served and/or difficulty in seeing what they have on offer. So with this in mind I went with a slightly negative outlook. I had a surprise in store....

Firstly... wow... I didn't fully realise how large this show was. Secondly, it was a well organised show with the different scales grouped together and most specialist traders in their own area. Thirdly, even though we didn't get into the show until just after 11:00am there was plenty of room. Granted there were one or two layouts during the day that had crowds of two deep but patience always produced a space somewhere. At no time did I feel I couldn't appreciate what was on show, though this might have been down to the layouts that I was most interested in seeing. As far as traders were concerned non, that I needed, were any busier than at any specialist show I've recently visited.

Though my modelling interest is P4 (I made a beeline for the 4mm finescale area with Bodmin General, Evenstow, Holderness Light Railway, Cornwallis, Allt-y-Graban Road, et al) I do like to view different scales to appreciate other modellers' work. It was one of these other exhibits that impressed me the most.

La Baraque

La Baraque

La Baraque

La Baraque

La Baraque

La Baraque

La Baraque is the work of Hans Louvet and depicts a metre gauge railway in the Auvergne province of France in 1908, all modelled in S scale. Hopefully the above photographs show the skilful modelling on this layout.

The only down side for me is that Warley is definitely too large an exhibition to appreciate all that's on show in one day. There was plenty that I did not get to see, I would have liked to have taken longer viewing layouts; browsing trade stands and finding time to sit down with a few of the demonstrators, but overall it was a splendid day. Would I go again...? Definitely...

Thanks Bob.

Let there be light

And the big G came and divided light from darkness and there was light.

The big G being a helping hand from Gordon who supplied the cabling and also checked all was OK voltage/current wise.

The model is being illuminated by six 12v 2.2 watt, wide angle, warm white LED lights spaced at 14". I think G thought it was good.... Next day (tomorrow evening) the apprentice will start creating the earth.

China Clay wagons GWR dia 013 (part 6)

Back to modelling posts.

Eventually the first eight of my china clay wagons are ready for the paint shop.

Eight, Ian Kirk, china clay wagons

I've built four with independent Morton brake gear and four with standard four shoe Morton brake gear. On one of the latter I've not installed tie bars between the W irons as I've seen photographic evidence of a rebuilt clay wagon without tie bars.

I might leave these wagons in the unfinished state for a while and start on another eight clay wagons. My reason... well I'm thinking it might be better to have sixteen wagons in the above state available for Tredethy's first outing in May next year. This would enable me to run two trains of eight, one set of eight empty and the other eight with tarpaulins. If I get chance to paint a few before May I will. Leaving the wagons in a part completed state might also make a conversation point, and at least they will be in a similar state to the layout... still under construction.

So which clay wagons to be next, Ratio, Parkside Dundas or more Ian Kirk... I'll keep you posted.

Hull Model Railway Show

A little later than I wanted with this post but it's been a busy week.....

Last weekend brought an opportunity for me to visit Hull Model Railway Society's exhibition. The last time I ventured across the Humber to visit this show was when it was being staged in the Hull Town Hall. I cannot remember which year it was but the main attraction for me then was a layout depicting Evercreech Junction. This year there were a number of layouts that I've not seen before that I've been keen to see for quite some time.

Halifax King Cross

Halifax King Cross

Not sure what I can say about Halifax King Cross apart from superb. Operationally very smooth and scenically it just fits the area being depicted. In my opinion best in show.

Canada Road

Canada Road

Canada Road is a simple layout and does make me question the size of my test plank. Operationally and scenically there is more interest crammed into 10'6" x 2' than in a quarter of my 14' x 1' 6" test plank. It also probably took less time to build. Hmm....

Stainmore Summit

Stainmore Summit

For me Stainmore Summit is a train spotting layout and one that I stopped to view on a number of occasions. A DC layout with double headed trains that worked well.

 

 

Farkham

Farkham

Farkham

Another layout that facinated me was Farkham a layout depicting a secondary line passing through an urban landscape in the 1980s/early 1990s. A double track running into a single line enabled trains to be brought into scene and halt while they waited for a service to pass in the opposite direction. The overall presentation with the weathered buildings and rolling stock gelled the whole scene together nicely. The way that it has been designed with buildings and trees breaking up the layout into little viewing pockets is very interesting.

A small selection of photos of other layouts that I spent some time viewing....

Foston Mills

Foston Mills

Barrowfleet

Buxton TMD

Peter Denny's Leighton Buzzard was also at the show and what can I say about this layout that has not already been written? I decided not to take any photos of this iconic layout, I just stood and admired it for what it is...a legend. I, along with many others, have long admired the Reverend's work through the many magazine articles that have been published on developments of his Buckingham branch. The first article I read was in the September 1969 issue of the Railway Modeller. At the time, being a very young spotty teenager, I did not fully realise what I was reading but it was an article that dramatically changed the way I designed and built layouts. Leighton Buzzard may be showing its age a little but I've seen many exhibition layouts that couldn't hold a candle to this 50 something year old model.

So a very good show indeed, excellent layouts with good demonstrations and well supported by the trade. Hope I'll be able to cross the Humber to visit the show again, all being well, next year .

Leeds Model Railway Exhibition

We spent last weekend in Leeds visiting my mother in-law. Strangely enough (?) it was also the weekend of two shows. One being the Leeds Model Railway Society's Exhibition, the other being Fiasco at the Royal Armouries. Now I knew I couldn't really vanish for two days and as I'd previously visited the wargaming show at least a couple of times but not been to the Model Railway show, the Model Railway show had to be the priority.

Not knowing what to expect, I was impressed. The venue was excellent with plenty of free parking, plenty of space for layouts and traders along with good catering. Amongst the normal numerous trade stalls selling Bachman and Hornby products there were a few modelling accessory stalls. One which was new to me was Unit Models, http://www.unitmodels.com, who manufacture resin castings similar to Ten Commandments range.

There were many layouts on display covering most gauges. Kilbrandon, an Irish S gauge layout was a nice surprise, unfortunately non of my photos of this layout are worth posting. I'd borrowed the boss's SLR and was experimenting with settings, trying to avoid using the auto setting. I live and learn....

The O gauge Milford made an impression on me and one of the operators took time out to explain some of its finer points. This layout has been around for a number of years but it was the first time I'd seen it.

 Milford

 Milford

 Milford

Another layout that I kept gravitating to was Colyer Street. A small Modern Image OO gauge layout based in Tyneside that was well presented and operated with a couple of friendly guys in front at the controls.

 Colyer Street

Colyer Street

Along with the British outline models there was a good selection of continental and American layouts. Unfortunately, due to my photographic experiments, only one photo is worth posting of these layouts. This little diorama is part of an Sn3 Scale American Narrow Gauge layout based in Colorado called Dolores.

Dolores

Other layouts that I enjoyed viewing for the first time were Calderwood, a fictitious Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway layout based in the Calder Valley and Bannochbrae, a small layout based in the Highlands of Scotland, both OO gauge.

Did I come away without spending any money? Well Bill Hudson Books were there so it was a no brainer that I'd part with some money. Gordon Gravett's book on Modelling Trees - part 2 Conifers was sitting on the passenger seat as I left the car park along with some Slater's plastic sprue purchased from Squires stall.

For me it was a surprise event, after checking out the web site I went along only expecting to be there for a couple of hours, instead I ended up stay for four hours, having to leave before I was really ready. I'll have to look out for this show next year and plan a visit to my mother in-law on the same weekend...

GWR Clay wagons dia 013 (Part 5)

I'm gradually getting there with my first eight clay wagons especially as I've found more evidence of single V hangers on GWR diagram 013 clay wagons.

On page 54 of 'Great Western Steam in Cornwall' by Bradford Barton there is a photograph of a Pannier Tank 7714 hauling a rake of GWR diagram 013 clay wagons from the Burngullow branch. The first has a double V hanger but the second has a single V hanger with no tie bar. The rest are difficult to make out for certain.

Then on page 91 in the same book there is a photo of  Pannier 7709 hauling two clay wagons nearing Fowey. The first wagon has a single V hanger and looks to be a diagram 013. I think the second wagon is a BR diagram 1/51 as it has square ended buffer beams and looks to have a single v hanger but I'm not certain.

In discovering these photographs I'm more confident that there were a number of these GWR wagons refurbished during the 1950s with independent brake gear removed and replaced with standard 4 shoe Morton brake gear. This has encourged me to build four with independent brake gear and four with standard 4 shoe brake gear, more as a mistake than planed, as I'd installed a couple of brake gear castings the wrong way round.

The wagon front left in the photograph above is the first one which was converted from my EM days and shows the door stop straps in the wrong place. On the others I've scraped off the original mouldings and replaced them with stripes of Evergreen .010 x .030" strip, added small slices of Evergreen .010 x 0.20" strip to represent the bolts. The buffer beams have also had the ends cut at an angle, possibly not that accurate but at least the buffer beams don't have square ends anymore. All eight wagons need door stops, tie bars and couplings adding, plus some lead and then they should then be ready for the paint shop.

Bearing in mind that most of these eight wagons where originally EM gauge wagons, that have been ripped apart and rebuilt, I feel they are coming on nicely. The next challenge will be to achieve the correct finish.

The two foot rule.

I would not count myself as a 'rivet counter' just someone who would like to build wagons to represent the real item as close as my modelling skills will allow. My foray into P4 modelling standards is because I felt if I didn't have a go I would always regret it.

I met up with some old modelling friends recently and in an ensuing conversion I mentioned the time it is taking me to build a few clay wagons along with the amount of wagons I intend to build. Questions were raised about my sanity before I was reminded of the old phrase about applying the 'two foot rule'. If the detail cannot be seen from a viewing distance of two foot then why spend time adding the detail. I then made the connection with painting 15mm wargaming figures. When I paint battalions of 12 to 24 figures which are going to be seen on the table on-mass I paint them to be seen as whole units. Paint the figures so they give a visual impact when seen together as part of each battalion on the table. I don't necessarily cut too many corners with the painting but possibly don't put too much effort in, picking out buttons on tunics, adding shading on facial features, or any other small detail. Whereas I do put effort painting the personalities/command figures, picking out buttons, adding extra shading and trying to pick out facial features.

With this in mind and as most of the clay wagons will be part of a rake (battalion) of 8 or more wagons, I will be turning a blind eye to some aspects of the Ian Kirk kits, and taking a few liberties in building them. This may go a little against the grain of modelling in P4 but I feel I have to cut myself some slack otherwise I'll struggle to get all the wagons I will need built in my lifetime. When seen on-mass I'm hoping they will create the right picture that can be appreciated from two foot away when viewed side on. They might not stand up to the scrutiny of a close-up camera shot but then they are not being built for a diorama containing just a few wagons.

Does that sound like a cop out for some poor modelling skills? Hmmm could be...