2996 Victor

Airfix Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Built completely out of the box with no additions except for masking tape seatbelts. Painted with Vallejo Model Air acrylics used through an old Badger single-action airbrush and clear coated with Tamiya rattle can lacquer. It could do with a little weathering here and there, notably exhaust stains, and also the addition of a radio aerial line! Thanks for looking in! Cheers, Mark

Hi, I thought I would start a thread for my occasional aeroplane builds: they will be to 1/72 scale and mostly fighters from the two World Wars. And rather than a blow-by-blow account of each build, this thread will act more as a gallery for finished models. I might also do an occasional build thread as the fancy takes me! I might also add an index here if this thread ever manages to get onto more than one page Thanks for looking in! Cheers, Mark

Beautiful work, George, the Viggen is absolutely stunning, as is the Hurricane. I must be completely ham-fisted as I've had several goes at the Airfix Mk.1 Hurri and I just can't make a decent job of it! Looking forward to seeing how the Mustang shapes up, too! Cheers, Mark

Love the little grey Fergie in the field! Great modelling, Noel, the trees are certainly looking good. Apologies if you're already planning on this, but have you considered another wall or hedge where the rear of the scenery meets the backscene? Cheers, Mark

I've recently had a small string of wagons arrive from @KMCE and I have to say I'm extremely impressed with the detail and quality of Ken's prints. I haven't yet begun to finish them, but they're approaching the top of my list! I've looked at Provincial's kits, and although the Guard's Van is in period, it doesn't suit my favoured MGWR unfortunately. However, I'm fermenting a cunning plan to hopefully solve that! Are any of their other wagons suitable for use/back-dating? I'm thinking primarily of the SLNCR cattle wagon and goods van. I've had a couple of Studio's MGWR convertibles languishing in a drawer for a couple of years, too. Cheers, Mark

Hi Andy, I'd like to have got my hands on a Backwoods Manning kit, but as usual arrived to late! I have hopes of finding the cab parts as left-overs from someone else's build, but failing that I'll have to butcher a Heljan model: at least the early cab details are all available in "Measured and Drawn". Not needing passenger stock for this little layout, I hadn't looked into the PECO coaches in close detail, so hadn't realised they were in later condition. However, I have a notion to build a fictional Simonsbath branch, so its good to know that Worsley Works' etches are correct. The PECO 4-wheeled open is also in later condition with its cupboard-style doors but of course Dundas do the early top-hung version so I'll be needing a few of those in due course! I must admit that I'd never considered your approach to modelling an actual location: put like that it certainly has an appeal! I'll look forward to seeing your progress when the time comes. Kind regards, Mark

Hi Jonathan, the early Edwardian period is my era of preference, 1905 give or take a couple of years either side. A good variety of liveries and different companies to choose from. Having said that, I'm thinking of an early 1950s micro at some point. Cheers, Mark

At times like this, I really think I model the wrong era..... Superb models, John, now how can I justify them? Cheers, Mark

Hi Patrick, Great work on the buildings! What sort of card are you using for the shells? I've been using artist's mounting board recently and found it to be quite stable, even without a coat of shellac. I've also recently "found" the Roket card and paper glue - it's absolutely indispensable now Looking forward to seeing the quoins and window reveals, and smaller details go on. Cheers, Mark

Hi Andy, Sounds like you're being a whole lot more exacting than I am an exact-scale Lynton will be a gorgeous project! I'm not sure I've got the patience to model an actual location. I have to say that I find the very early livery much more attractive than the holly green. Presumably, your Manning has the early cab arrangement - is it a Backwoods kit, by any chance? I'd love to see some photos of your progress if there are any. Best regards, Mark

Not sure whether this will bo of interest, plus it's to O Scale although the technique should be readily adaptable to other scales, but Chaz H's "Athena" layout on NGRM-Online has some wonderful scenic work including trees, which starts here. Chaz's other layout, the Furness Valley Railroad, also has fantastic scenic work and is well worth a look. Cheers, Mark

Here are a couple of shots of the evolving plan, as scrawled on wallpaper lining paper and stuck down to the kitchen table..... Apologies for the slightly dingy phone camera pictures. With the exception of the front-most black line which is the edge of the baseboard, the other black lines indicate track centres with Templot point templates in place. In the middle is a point template which has a few pencil lines emanating: I'm not sure yet how to tackle that area, but it's all very and hoc anyway I'm thinking of adding a boiler house and chimney to the building complex at left-back, aka Habberfield's Flour Mill, which would go on the end nearest the Prospect Inn. The scabby first-generation houses at front-left are there to give an idea of where another building will go to disguise the holes in the sky! Onward and upward! Mark

Yes, please! Or an L Class 0-6-0

As you may imagine, there's not been much in the way of progress over the last week-and-a-bit! Daisy and Arthur have continued their nursing duties with their customary aplomb..... Daisy: Arthur: Seriously, though, I'm well on the way to being mended, but of course it always takes longer than expected (or wished for!). What I have managed to do over the last few days is commandeer the kitchen table, to which has been stuck a length of wallpaper lining paper measuring the same size as the scenic area of the layout. On this has been drawn the positions of the buildings in progress and the quayside track. My purpose is to finalise the whole track layout so that I can organise the points I need. I'm going to outsource these to a professional builder so I know that they at least will work The points themselves I'm designing on Templot so I know they'll fit. Hopefully, there'll be a few pics of progress soon..... Cheers and thanks for looking in! Mark

Oh, my aching wallet! Thanks, David

This afternoon I picked up on eBay an old Mainline LNER J72 0-6-0T with the intention of trying out a bit of butchery to turn its upper works into an MGWR E Class. I'll be relying heavily on @murrayec's thread HERE for inspiration, although I won't be keeping the original split chassis and I'm not of the ability to build one like Eoin's, so that's going to be interesting when the time comes Onward! Cheers, Mark

Is this the book you mean, David? https://wildswanbooks.co.uk/Books/Modelling-Grassland.htm Cheers, Mark

Shhhh! Great progress, David, just as the others have said. The use of talc is an interesting one - looks like another book I need in my library Cheers, Mark

Thanks Joe, that's greatly appreciated. Best regards, Mark

Gorgeous modelling: the overgrown track, the down-at-heel rolling stock, the air of decay. Simply stunning! Cheers, Mark

Apologies, Eoin, for thread hijack, but John could you possibly suggest whether Alec's J72 conversion was ever documented? Cheers, Mark

Another superb photo, Jonathan, please keep 'em coming! Cheers, Mark

Wonderful, atmospheric modelling, Jonathan! Fabulous! Cheers, Mark

Thank you, Jonathan, that's brilliant! I think we may have talked about the bright red and cream/beige colour scheme previously, so that's great to know that it was applied universally across the MGWR's sphere of operations. I think (!) I'm beginning to know where I'm going with this now Thanks again and best regards, Mark

Hi Jonathan, many thanks for confirming what I was suspecting! The MGWR board seem to have been incredibly shrewd, especially compared to other companies which, having a successful enterprise then set about expanding at all costs to the point of penury. One can't but admire them for their fortitude and level-headedness. What's interesting, though, is the degree to which the MGWR's engineers were involved during the construction of the minor lines. Understandable, if those lines were to be taken over for operation. Please forgive my ignorance, but perhaps you could clarify another point for me that I'm having trouble understanding. As I understand it, the Balfour and Baronial lines were constructed with guaranteed returns for the companies' shareholders regardless of actual working revenue. Did those companies remain in existence with their lines being worked by the MGWR, or were they absorbed in total by the MGWR as soon as they were completed? If the latter, presumably the MGWR received the guaranteed returns and the shareholders of the minor lines received shares in the MGWR and benefitted from the latter's dividend. Is it fair to say that the minor lines' buildings were painted in the MGWR's house colours at the outset as part of the MGWR specification for acceptance? Many thanks as always, Mark