Tullygrainey

Thanks Derek. Yes, I leave the clay to dry completely before scribing it. If the clay is soft, there's a tendency for it to move away from the scriber and create raised bits either side of the scribed line - more like ploughing than scribing. When the clay is dry, it's possible to get finer scribed lines and they stay where you put them. I use a hardened steel centre punch which has a fine point but anything sharp and pointy would do. As to yellow/green weathering, steal away. I'm fairly sure I nicked the idea in the first place after seeing it somewhere - possibly in a magazine article by Gordon Gravett. Alan

Not a kit build. A transformation. I had a car like that once - more filler than metal. Terrific work Darius

Thanks David. The Comber goods shed which I used as inspiration appears to have been built in sandstone, possibly from the nearby quarries at Scrabo - there was a rail link from the BCDR Donaghadee branch line in the 19th Century. However, what I've ended up with looks more akin to limestone, like the harbour at Donaghadee where I often walk and which coincidentally also had a BCDR rail link.

After a racing start, this layout ground to a halt whilst a spate of engine building claimed the bandwidth. Now that there are enough locos to keep the works fitters in full time employment for a while we can get going again here, this time with a goods shed. After faffing about with various kinds of embossed plastic sheet and getting nowhere, I settled on a foam board shell covered with DAS then sanded smooth and scribed. This is my second attempt. The first one was just wrong but it's been useful for experimenting with paint and colours. For this attempt, I used photos I took of the surviving BCDR goods shed at Comber as a guide to the shape and size of the building and the stonework though it's not a slavish copy of that building (now the town's fire station). Quoins and arches were scribed first then horizontal course lines were penciled in and scribed. These help guide the scribing of individual stones and keep things under control. I have scribed stones in the shape of pillows in the past. Next, a thin wash of a pale colour and some individual stones picked out in stronger colour got things started. Painting was all done with artist's acrylics, mostly raw umber, titanium white and mars black. From there, more thin washes and retouching of the feature stones gradually built up the colour. A bit of black into some mortar lines and some dry-brushed yellow/green added a bit of weathering. I started out using the same ready-made roofing slate sheets that I used on the station (see above) and though they worked perfectly for that building they just didn't look right here- too small and too neat for a slightly decrepit goods shed. So it was back to the paper strip method using strips cut from grids drawn up on the computer. They're glued onto a plasticard base here. The method produces a slightly irregular effect - well it does if you're not too fussy about it - which I think suits this building. The danger here is that individual slates can curl up in a most un-slate-like manner as the paint dries. They can usually be glued down again. The roof isn't attached yet. I have some window frame etches on order and need to fit those before gluing it down. Gutters and downpipes are next. Back in harness, somewhere on the County Down. Alan

All your effort has produced a fine bridge Patrick but did it take a toll on you?

Glad to see you're coping Patrick

That's an impressive to-do list James. Take your time over it and enjoy the process. Be prepared for it to be challenging and likely to go wrong occasionally but keep at it. Most things are remediable, especially brass kits and the more we do, the better we get at it. Your weathering looks good. I especially like the wagons - subtle but suitably decrepit! Alan

Moist eyes here too Patrick. Lovely video.

Thanks everyone. Number 12 brings the County Down roster to 7 locomotives. The fitters are saying they've lined out enough locos to do them for a while. Me too. Back in September 2024 I started out to build a small exhibition layout for this lot to run on but got distracted. I probably should get back to that. In the meantime, new arrival No.12 is stretching its legs. Alan BCDR No12.mov

The differences are fairly subtle but I think scratch building the body on version 2 got it a bit closer to the look of the prototype. I wish now I'd just scratch built a chassis while I was at it. Wouldn't have been that much more work in the end!

Thanks David. Yes, I took these pics a couple days ago. Version 1 with adapted Adams Radial bodywork and unmodified chassis on the left

The BCDR bogie tank is almost done. At last. The bit that should’ve been no trouble, the ready-to-run chassis , fought me every inch (25.4mm) of the way. Part of that was my own fault for hacking and filing bits off without protecting the motor and gears from metal filings. It still makes odd noises going backwards. However there was also an intermittent short circuit which took days to track down and fix. The big hammer was close to deployment more than once. Seems ok now. I settled in the end for Number 12. One of the of the first batch of 5 bogies tanks (“Series A”), it was built by Beyer Peacock in 1904. Still needs a coal load and maybe some more weathering. After taking the pics I managed to destroy one of the tank side number plates so a new one is getting made. Body bits bolted together after painting and lining ... ... and chassis fitted. Crew hide the lack of inside cab detail, as usual. Alan

Lovely job Derek. The colouring is just right. That back scene works well too!

That one threw me too, causing me to paint mine blue. Subsequently corrected

Is there a 'scale' element to colour as well as everything else? Colours that are accurate to the prototype but look wrong when applied onto a model. It's often the case that pure white looks wrong on a model and needs to be toned down with a bit of grey to look 'correct'. Those Rathbone paint jobs are exquisite. I picked up a second-hand copy of his book recently. It's really informative and totally demoralising in equal measure!

Many thanks for this. It's very sound evidence for what many of us probably suspected but couldn't have articulated so thoroughly. You've certainly helped me stop worrying whether my County Down locos are the right shade of green Alan

Just fabulous!

Nice slow running and impressive pulling power! Now there's a thought. Stay-alive was conceived to help DCC driven locos overcome momentary breaks in the signal which often tended to stop them dead. In my experience, DC driven locos are much less temperamental and don't usually need these sorts of aids but it ought to be possible. Stay-alives are just capacitors. Would you need some way of regulating the charge to and from the capacitor?

Very sorry to hear about your illness Derek but glad to know things are looking a bit better presently. Chemo can be pretty brutal and I'm sure it's been a long haul since December. Hoping you're beginning to feel a bit better now. Very best wishes for the coming months. Cheering for you here. Railway modelling is great therapy. Don't forget to post the pics. Alan

And me!

Terrific work David. Love the footplate detail and that three quarter view in the second photo is a gem. Very convincing.

What a great opportunity David! Gordon Gravett is up there with Iain Rice and Mike Sharman in my list of railway modelling heroes. Though I never managed to see Pempoul in the flesh, for me it took modelling to a new level the first time I saw photos of it in BRM. And later, Arun Quay was equally impressive. Sounds like Ashford was a great show. The Swilly tank is brilliant. Perfect weathering job. You've definitely achieved the look you were aiming for. Totally convincing. The rods and wheels are just right for a well used loco. I know what you mean about airbrushes. It takes a deal of courage to spray a weathering mix all over a pristine model. Something I haven't yet had the guts to do!

Devious little blighter. He's also been known to leave a part prominently in the middle of the carpet a week after you lost it and one hour after you ordered up the replacement.

Wholly appropriate response given the circumstances.

A few progress pics of the BCDR bogie tank. Managed to get through the painting process without any major disasters. A first? I think I'm learning, albeit at a glacial pace. Halfords grey etch primer from the rattle can then Tamiya acrylics. X18 semi-gloss black followed by XF70 dark green, both airbrushed. I've started the line dancing now. Fox transfers. This bit always takes a while. Alan