Martin S-C

For me I think one with photorealistic baked beans and egg running down it would be best. Then no-one will know. EDIT: Spelling! Gah, it's happening already!

I would need some pretty big French curves if I'm going to lay them out on my hobby room floor! Erm. Ah. I need to focus on what hobby I will be enjoying in said room. The flexi-rule looks like it would be useful. I think I've seen the length of wood and pencil used with a screw at the pivot end. You just pre-drill a variety of holes at different radii and insert your screw into the hole you need at that particular place. It marks your floor or paper by virtue of doing its thing. And yes, the double entendres in there are quite striking aren't they?

I was wondering if such things are still available today.

Question for those who know - what is the best (simplest?) way to draw out full scale curves on the floor (or sheet of lining paper), and how do I calculate transition curves? Answers please on the back of a Turnout Template to: Mathematical Numpty Large Empty Hobbyroom Peterborough I suppose I could blow up my track plan to 1:1 scale and get it printed for me on A1 sheets...

Thanks both of you, that's a really useful idea. I think I can draw the track plan direct on the floor as its only ply and will be covered later on. On the subject of the SR van, apparently this is the one I need. Cambrian make a kit of it and ironically I'm pretty sure I have one in my Big Box Of Kits To Do.

The NMGS wagon shops will be building a copy of a WNR wagon or box van when the directors of said company get around to supplying drawings! I feel sure that a poster or two to advertise the sunny delights of west Norfolk can be arranged at some of our stations too.

I would have liked to have come up to see the layout but regrettably I shall be in France that weekend, wargaming a battle from my groups 1941 Eastern Front campaign (my other hobby). I shall make every effort to see the layout on its next outing!

I'd be proud of that finished model James. Very neat.

No, all the SECR built vans to what became SR Diag. 1426 had the small drop doors at the bottom, a left-side door lock bolt and a single vent. I must assume the Bachmann model is of a later SR build to a similar but different diagram, so not suitable to be backdated to pre-grouping (except, of course, on my layout)...

So the "tail" below the chin and spur is a part of a serif font? I adore railway modelling because it drags you kicking and screaming into such a vast unexpected ocean of other subjects. EDIT: Though I notice in this example that the barb does not appear to have a serif.

Is the Bachmann model an SR build that was similar to the earlier SECR diagram? I'm not good with the SR and its constituents.

Don't you hate it when you set out to do what looks like a small simple job and it then turns into something much bigger and less achievable. I bought this standard Bachmann SR covered van off the talented Dave Clarke at Lineside and Locos weathering because he'd done such a nice job on it. I then needed to back date it to pre-grouping and found the relevant vehicle in Bixley et al "An Illustrated History of Southern Wagons Volume Three: SECR". At first I just concentrated on removing the SR lettering, applying the SECR branding and making good with some dry-brushed weathered planks over where the scraped off "S R" had been. Then I noticed the rain strip over the doors. No matter, I can add that with some plastic rod suitably curved by hand and rubbed down with wet and dry. Then I saw that the door lock bolt was mounted on the left door while the model has it on the right. Drat. Then I saw that the real wagon carried only a single end vent centrally and the model has a pair of vents. Have I even got the correct van here? Any SECR / SR goods stock experts out there?

...or a muscular seizure.

Quite. I never understood why Europeans (I mean the 'other' Europeans) write a numeral 1 as though it's an uppercase A without the horizontal. Something like /\. And why write a perfectly clear "7" and then cross it out? I disagree somewhat on the main point however, plenty of period photos show the GWR (I mention them because I know this company best) moving through about 3 versions of the upper case G. The clarity came in with the enormous 1904 style lettering as well, of course. I find this an interesting study, I suppose it falls under marketing, product promotion and other social psychology headings, but almost all the railway companies began with very small understated lettering and almost all moved to very large lettering at about the same time, in the early 1900s. At a similar time private owner liveries jumped out of nothing (from very understated and simple) to basically mobile advertising hoardings. By the 1930s company lettering tended to get a little smaller again and by WWII was back to very small letters, again almost across the board. I'd find a study of this process - aligned against a timeline of British politics and social habits as well as the growth of road competition - to be a quite fascinating read.

This conversation is relevant to my interests. Having now run out of "G"s from my Powsides alphabet transfer sheets, I'm reduced to using "C"s on my wagons and adding little serif-y bits to turn them into the letter I need. If I employ the draughtsman responsible for that MRCC coach in my paint shop I can save myself a fair bit of time and eyesight. Example of early GWR "G". And later. My own shenanigans with the letter "G". (apologies to Edwardian for the hi-jack and shameless insertion of pics of my own models into this thread)

Attended the Spalding show today with my daughter who, being an engineer, is really getting into model railways via my enthusiasm. Two layouts really caught my eye. A very pretty little M&GN BLT supposedly set on the north Norfolk coast, called Trowland to S scale: And an O gauge BR (WR) steam loco depot layout of magnificent proportions that was set at the end of steam/early diesel era. While I am usually left cold by pure loco=depot layouts this one oozed great character and included so many fascinating and well observed cameos.

Clearly based on the Hornby 4-wheeler.

I agree you really can't mix them, although both may well run on PECO code 100, you still have the disparity in build/mould/detail quality. I sold all my 70s and 80s stock some years ago when I decided to have a foray into garden G scale so now returning to 00 I have the luxury (I suppose you'd say) of starting from nothing, so all my stock now is of fairly consistently modern standards. A few second hand things I am buying are from the 90s but it truly is amazing how good the Airfix stuff was when it first came out. They had NEM pocket couplers of the same standards that Bachmann are making today and this was over 20 years ago. If you are seeking opinions I would suggest keeping your coarse scale toys for the sake of nostalgia and building a new layout to more modern standards. You will find the end appearance more satisfying I am sure, as well as the running qualities. Old Tri-Ang really looks at its best going round and round on that awesome grey plastic ballasted track they made in the 50s.

I'm going for a trio of loco department coal wagons for the layout. The bogie 25 tonner already finished plus an ex-GW steel 10-tonner with wooden floor and an all-steel ex-GW 20 tonner. The 10T and 20T wagons were super-cheapie e-Bay buys. I think the pair cost me less than six quid. The 10T was only partly built while the 20T was built but had been bashed about a fair bit. I also had to rip out a glued-in load hence all the horrible lumps and bumps inside it. I will give the interior of this one a heavy rust treatment and see if I can make it look very beaten up with some 3D paint effects. It was a bit of a pain to work on as I think its a very old kit as the plastic is extremely brittle. It was also fully painted hence the brownish dirt areas already on it. I only repainted the damaged bits and the areas where I had to scrape the previous lettering off. Yesterday I began work on some removable loads for them and today I got the other pair painted and added the transfers. I have run out of "N"s "M"s and "G"s now so will be editing these letters with my smallest brush and some well diluted white paint. I have to use "H"s and "C"s. I had to do the "N" and "G" on the bogie wagon and they came out okay unless you peer closely. Didn't notice until after I took the pic that the bogie wagon wasn't standing on the bit of track correctly.

Several photos of the BG at Watchet, and of course St Ives. Or am I being led a merry dance by some humour I haven't identified?

This was what it looked like on 26th September.

I thought the tiled platform panting was a Manet. I just noticed the engine crossing on the elevated line, though its brass dome seems to be slipping.

Day 12 of the actual work getting done. I've suffered another complete week with no-one turning up as the company is committed to other jobs - though when they are here I cannot fault the quality of their work at all. An additional problem has been sourcing an aluminium ridge piece for the 4 feet of extended roof. Such a shape (a very flat pitch) is no longer made as a standard fitting so the builders had to order a custom piece. Today two lads turned up and so the roof is finally and completely finished. A start was made on fitting the cosmetic beading around the holes cut to accept the light fittings and the reveal around one window was all neatly prettied up. A piece of plastic fascia has been added to the long side of the garage that faces into the garden, hiding the rather cruddy old (but sound) timber soffit that runs under that eave. This matches the white UPVC used elsewhere on the building. Such a small item really helps the overall look. On Monday the second window and door reveals are to be completed and the rest of the light beading, plus the air-con/heating unit will have its input/exhaust hole cut in the wall and a condensate outlet cut as well. And then... FINISHED! Will then scoot down to the DIY store and grab a few litres of white emulsion and a new roller and paint tray. After slapping some paint around, probably by next weekend, my brain will switch fully into baseboard mode.

Yes, not too many stags to be bagged in the outback (bottom right).

Ah, but its not the weekend yet! Not quite. Pleased I found this one. This compartment is Pre-Raphaelite Class.