Giles

I've recently built three points to 31.5mm, and the wheel drop at the V has massively reduced to being almost non existent. No regrets here.......

We also laid a 10 1/4" railway in the Vicarage garden, rail and sleepers courtesy of the pit...... (We borrowed their Jim-crow as well...)

I'm interested in the Abertillery /Cwmtillery branch - my father was Vicar of Cwmtillery - we moved there in 1976, but the branch had gone by then. Cwmtillery colliery was still working, but the coal was being brought up at Rose Heyworth Pit, with spoil being brought up at Cwmtillery (finishing in '76). After the drought that year, the heavy rain brought the tip opposite our house, which peaked higher than the mountain, down into the valley, where it filled the lake. They then spent the next year or so dredging the lake back out, putting drainage in the tip, and planting to try and stabilise it. Cwmtillery Colliery in 1977, taken from the Vicarage, with a telephoto!

The sample on view at Warley today was impressive...... The buffers looked to be of the correct longer type, cranks looked nice - I'm tempted to order a second!

Thank you - I have of course regularly read this thread over the months, and some others on RM web - so I'm not quite coming to this subject 'cold'. Moreover, in professional life I have a passing interest in sound effects and their production, and perhaps I may come at things (in all aspects of modelling) from a slightly different angle than the conventional. Sound in theatre, after all never comes from where it should - it always comes from somewhere else in reality - it's just a matter of how you treat it, balance it and deceive the audience.I'm glad you can understand the station announcements and platform noise - and I agree with you that Church bells are unlikely to be successful - but you will remember I said 'depending on the type of sound'....? In practice I think you may find bird song (play edged at a low volume) to be one of those sounds that is less easy to determine where it is emanating from due to its intermittent nature - one would have to try it and see. Non the less, the 'knocking' from the recent posts sounds very like the ridicule and dismissal that you are complaining of - when others have tried this, and find themselves very happy with it (of course you can't ever portray a decent effect over a video) Regards, Giles

A friend of mine has some background noises programmed into a couple of his locos by a very well known and respected supplier/programmer, and is delighted with the option. After all it is free, one can control it, and depending on the type of sound and the volume it's playing at, it's not so easy to localise it's source. It goes without saying that you can have an independent source for extra sounds if you so wish - but this is simply a technique for gaining extra use out of hardware that you already have. Don't be so ready to knock it when some other (excellent and very well respected) modellers enjoy it - there must be something in it!

The slates are now on, and the stone-work weathered down and matching the other building. The next major job will be the north-lights which will be tedious to say the least. North-lights, roofs, gutters and down-pipes etc.... Still a long way to go!

Brian, a serious question, if I may (though I quite appreciate you may not be able to answer it). Will the glazing of the actual model be closer to the panel surface? At the moment it is recessed very far.... Thanks, Giles

Small progress - this building has now been 'bricked' and flashing added (although more flashing will have to be done after slates). I couldn't resist checking that the crane actually fitted as planned, which it does. The stonework still hasn't been painted yet.

The stonework on this building is finally finished (excepting painting) with the addition of capping stones to the crane gable, and soldiers and cills to the Windows. I'll hold off painting and weathering until I've done the brickwork, so it ties in together. Like scenic art, this technique is less about precision and more about impression and overall character - therefore not to everyone's taste. Still, it's useful to have in one's armoury! The capping stones were rolled, cut and left to dry completely (for two days, as it happened) and then cemented on and pointed up. Extremely easy. This also means there will be no shrinkage and re-pointing to do.

..... And now we make a start on the larger building. The front, lower bit is to be 'original' older build, whilst the north-lights to the rear are to be later extension/alteration, and brick-built. Of course it looks quite crude at the moment but it will come together. I wasted quite a lot of time with the gable for the crane - carefully cladding it in brick, and painting it up, before deciding that architecturally it was simply wrong, and had to be part of the old building. Underneath the stone is lots of lovely finished brickwork.....

Another Gem. I really like your technique for producing the rear axle/worm/gear housing. It's incredibly neat and effective - and very nice idea to build the chassis on a 'spine' in that way (more like a trailer). It's plenty to think about. (Edited for bl**dy auto-correct messing things up!)

It might be appropriate to describe this work as 'Devine' ...... Lovely!

This is absolutely beautiful - I've only just discovered it and I'm so sorry I've missed it until now - absolutely of the first order!

Hi ALAN, They come a uniform grey, and of course they the need working into a bit afterwards - but I would certainly use them again - they worked well, and saved a lot of trouble.... I worked into them with thin enamel washes, then a water based wash, a scrub over with graphite powder, then a little dry-brushing.

Finally finished this building! The slates went on today - they were from York laser, and pretty good. They still took long enough to put on, so doing it totally by hand would have been a right 'mare! The door has also been added (etched brass with a dress makers pin for a knob......) There will be another building stood in front of the pale bit in the middle!

Finally finished this building! The slates went on today - they were from York laser, and pretty good. They still took long enough to put on, so doing it totally by hand would have been a right 'mare! The door has also been added (etched brass with a dress makers pin for a knob......) There will be anothe building stood in front of the pale bit in the middle!

It would take me MONTHS to do something like that - incredible! Allan you're an extremely generous and kind chap as well as the talent! I've been getting on with this portion of the factory for Denton Brook, and i'e been loving the fire cement to work with (I even fixed the windows in with it!). This portions just about finished apart from roof tiles and fitting the door. The rest of the factory is a mix of more stone and brick, with other but it's and pieces, I dare say! I've ordered some laser cut slates from York laser cutting (or whoever) as I was loosing the will to live when I started cutting some yesterday so we'll see what they're like when they arrive. Meanwhile, hopper and down pipe finally fitted. A few years ago I did my first layout - The Loop - and this was the only building (I don't really 'do' buildings)

The rest of the factory is a mix of more stone and brick, with other but it's and pieces, I dare say! I've ordered some laser cut slates from York laser cutting (or whoever) as I was loosing the will to live when I started cutting some yesterday so we'll see what they're like when they arrive. Meanwhile, hopper and down pipe fitted, and I'll stop boring everyone with this now.

The Church is superb - and well impressed that you've even got the grave stones facing east as well!

Part of the (unfinished) factory for Denton Brook (7mm)

I managed to spend a fruitful afternoon doing a little preliminary painting (more like staining) and weathering on the walls, and adding flashing and capping stones, and it's starting to look something more like.... There aren't any slates yet, and the flashing isn't painted, hence no photos from above. Also the hopper and drain pipe are still to be made.

Quoins and Windows added. The quoins were done in the same way as the window cills - layer of fire cement added on, and then cut back. If you wanted flush quoins, one would do them first of all, and then add the stonework after the quoins had dried. The quoins would benefit from a quick rub over with fine sandpaper or similar, and then everything needs colouring. This is all its natural colour at the moment ( the white being talcum powder added before pressing the mould in to stop it from sticking). Capping stones will have to be made soon.....

Anyway, another of the joys I'm discovering is lintels and cills. If one is using 'stone' lintels and cills, one can simply dampen the site slightly, apply a thin sausage press it down firmly so it sticks, and then carve it to shape...... (Someone please stop me if this is boring or self-indulgent)

Lovely stuff, Allan - this is all very useful. I shall carry on with plan A, as I very much like the effect, and if I have to re-do it in 20 years then so be it! I also love the ability to do things like create cills and things so easily by adding and carving the fire cement.