Tullygrainey

What's the white convertible just visible below the Humber? is it a Ford Zephyr or Zodiac?

All this fishy talk is just a red herring. The real issue is what sort of service* the church will have. * steam or diesel?

Still needs a new suit I see

The BCDR Oldbury coaches are just about finished bar some minor tweaking. All aboard. The roofs are detachable so that drunk passengers can be helped back to their seats if they fall over. The bodywork should probably be lined out but I don't have that sort of courage. A little bit of light weathering has helped blend body to chassis... ... and Diesel No.2 has something appropriate to haul at last. Mind you, what it's doing at Loughan Quay is anyone's guess. IMG_9006.mov

Thanks Nelson. The figures are a mixture - Some whitemetal ones from Dart Castings (the Monty’s range) and some plastic ones from the Dapol (the old ex-Airfix) passenger set. Dart also do a whitemetal passenger set - a 14 figure job lot similar to the Monty’s range but of lesser quality and considerably cheaper. They’re in the mix as well. They’re pretty crude but since they’ll be tucked inside an unlit coach, they don’t need to be perfect

may need to repurpose the spare bedroom for that one Patrick!

More little things sent to try us - glazing coach windows. It would be nice if a single bit of acetate could be used to glaze a whole side but the internal bracing meant each window had to be glazed separately. Took me two days to do three coaches. Unseemly language was used along with the Glue'n'Glaze. Still, it's done now. The seats are back from the upholsterers too. Authentic BCDR 3rd class pattern, don't you know. Ready for fitting... ... and just as well. There's a motley bunch of passengers impatient to get going. All aboard Alan

Lovely stuff David. I'm really enjoying watching your progress. Keep posting!

Back with the BCDR coaches. Primer coats... first top coat... second coat and some transfers. Travelling third class again. Alan

This has become a running joke

If I were Mr Weaver, I wouldn’t stand for it

Blooming lovely!

Lovely work. The sweep of those curves is just perfect!

Just brilliant Patrick. Real craftsmanship and every inch GNR(I). I like the headboard too. Is that for Mr Weaver’s new bed?

Sounding and looking good. Micro layouts can be very satisfying to build, in my experience.

These private owner wagons saw service on the BCDR network, transporting coal landed at Dundrum, County Down. Provincial Models did a nice model of one. (Photo: Demond Coakham) As a distraction from soldering door handles onto BCDR coaches, I did some surgery on one of my Provincial EDSS opens, (Apologies Leslie. Look away now ) aiming to try and nudge the Dapol chassis a little closer to the appearance of the prototype. Starting point - I'd already weathered it a while back. Butchery. Not pretty... but getting better... An MJT wagon compensation etch provided the bits for outside W irons... and bits from the spares box did the rest... And now, back to coaching Alan

More BCDR coach work. Group portrait in brass... Nearly ready for paint Alan

Another gem. That weathering is beautifully understated. Spot on!

These any good?

A masterpiece Patrick. Just keeps getting better!

That's a very impressive production line John with some very fine modelling in there. I'm not surprised you lose the odd wheel set. I for one I couldn't keep that many balls in the air at once without losing my place eventually

Given the flooding in Downpatrick this week - witness this pic from the BBC website- I hope the damage at DCDR isn't too severe and that 90 hasn't been too badly affected.

More castings attached to the BCDR coaches. I've managed to vaporise white metal in the past, even with a temperature controlled soldering iron so I bottled out and epoxied them on. MJT 2289: 6'6" Coach springs 2251A: L&Y Axleboxes 2308: 24" Coach/Wagon Buffers A Gibson 4M600: Vacuum pipes (These are brass and were soldered) The axleboxes were the best match I could find, going from prototype photos but they were too thick, front to back, to fit behind the lower step. The piercing saw came to the rescue and did a neat job of slimming them... The spring units also needed slimmed a bit to allow them to slide into place so they were filed down on their backs using a cheap file, now clogged with white metal... With the castings in place the steps could go on... Beginning at last to resemble something you might've seen trundling down to Banllynahinch a while ago. With all the handling, there's a fair bit of tarnish on that brass now which will need removing before any paint goes on. I use Barkeeper's Friend abrasive powder with an old toothbrush. That does a fairly good job of cleaning things up but I wondered if there was a better way. I consulted the Googlesphere on the subject of cleaning brass and came across a recommendation for tomato sauce. (Really!) I tried it on a little bit of scrap tarnished brass and it worked remarkably well but I'm not sure about using it on a whole BCDR Brake Third. Getting the sauce out of all the crevices afterwards might be an even bigger problem and colour-wise, it's not close enough to Crimson Lake to leave it in place. Keeping the sauce for my chips, Alan

Love the Swilly coach David. Beautifully crisp lines and a credit to your skills (and patience). Good luck with the tank loco. I'm looking forward to seeing that develop. Keep us posted.