ARDLEY BRIDGE MPD http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/ 44 rows en-gb 60 CHEAP N EZ TEST STAND http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1554747.html A small packet arrived in the mail the other day. It contained a set of Bachmann’s E-Z Riders. These are small ball bearing rollers for use with 16.5 mm track. This sort of roller has been available, the Bachrus and Hornby units come to mind, but these units may be the least inexpensive option available to date if you’d like a ball bearing equipped test stand. I paid $40 for the four units. The Bachmann rollers are nifty items, but they aren’t gauge adjustable like the Bachrus units, a potential issue if you also run on EM or P4 gauges too. My one real criticism of this product is the packaging. Specifically they are only available as roller four packs. I was unsuccessful at convincing someone to sell me half a pack. If you run six axle diesels, two extra would have been nice, but do you really need to buy eight? Bachmann could have sold the card with some dotted lines, “Cut Here”, separating the bubble pack into pairs of rollers- this would encourage sellers to break them up and probably lead to an increase in sales. Saturday 2 August 2008: A small packet arrived in the mail the other day. It contained a set of Bachmann_s E-Z Riders. These are small ball bearing rollers for use with 16.5 mm track. This sort of roller has been available, the Bachrus and Hornby units come to mind, but these units may be the least inexpensive option available to date if you_d like a ball bearing equipped test stand. I paid $40 for the four units. The Bachmann rollers are nifty items, but they aren_t gauge adjustable like the Bachrus units, a potential issue if you also run on EM or P4 gauges too. My one real criticism of this product is the packaging. Specifically they are only available as roller four packs. I was unsuccessful at convincing someone to sell me half a pack. If you run six axle diesels, two extra would have been nice, but do you really need to buy eight? Bachmann could have sold the card with some dotted lines, _Cut Here_, separating the bubble pack into pairs of rollers- this would encourage sellers to break them up and probably lead to an increase in sales.

This is what you get in the Bachmann bubble pack- four units. I'd have liked to have seen more information on this product's card. Specifically, items like what types of materials are used for the roller's outer shell- regular carbon steel? Are these units going to gentle rust away in the workshop? Should the roller surfaces be kept oiled? This was my design for an “el cheapo” test stand with a stepped end for steam locomotive tenders. My soldering skills are in evident in this photo. The red bits insure you only need to run a pair of alligator clip leads to the test stand to power both levels of track. The step was created by using two pieces of quarter inch plywood. By the time two layers of white glue are added the resultant height of the step is just about perfect. A very dirty Warship gets a workout. The lower lever is long enough for any locomotive I ever anticipate testing… An Austerity showed up in the mail and needed to be tested to insure it was a reasonable runner. The Austerity’s tender doesn’t have power pick-up yet, but will in the future. With newer steam models having tenders that are wired for DCC and sound, having a test stand with a powered track for the tender is definitely nice. Bachmann sell E-Z Rollers with bushings for non-powered wheel sets, but they are a bit pricy at half the cost of the roller bearing units. Six inches of raised flex track costs under a dollar… Because the E-Z Riders can slide on the rail, any wheel defects are readily visible when the locomotive is running. The rollers will wobble a bit. The last driving wheel of the Austerity isn’t quite true; you can almost see a slight blurring action on the aft E-Z Rider. A close up of one of the rollers. If you look closely you will see that the roller bearings are unshielded- you can see the balls in their raceway. If you have a dusty workshop, I’d keep the E-Z Riders in a sealed baggy when they are not in use. I didn’t measure the voltage drop across an E-Z Rider, but I had the impression is took a bit more voltage to get things moving when a locomotive is on the rollers. Dirty bearings would probably compound pick-up. A close up of one of the rollers. If you look closely you will see that the roller bearings are unshielded- you can see the balls in their raceway. If you have a dusty workshop, I'd keep the E-Z Riders in a sealed baggy when they are not in use. I didn't measure the voltage drop across an E-Z Rider, but I had the impression is took a bit more voltage to get things moving when a locomotive is on the rollers. Dirty bearings would probably compound pick-up. The track doesn't actually go down the center of the 1x4

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]]> Sat Aug 2 2008 POT TOPPERS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1501517.html Pot Toppers are one of those things you read about on the internet in those shady online hobbyist forums… They are available in the United States at the brick and mortar Michaels Arts and Crafts stores (www.michaels.com). Sunday 27 April 2008: Pot Toppers are one of those things you read about on the internet in those shady online hobbyist forums_ They are available in the United States at the brick and mortar Michaels Arts and Crafts stores (www.michaels.com).

I’m usually kind to women, but this Bachmann 4mm female leaves a little to be desired- Preiser she is NOT! That said, she is handy to give you an idea of the Pot Topper fiber length. Paint the constables skin grey and she’d pass for a Doctor Who villain! Here’s what the package looks like- they come in four and six inch sizes. The six inch size is a nominal 7 inches in diameter giving you almost 40 square inches of Silfor like material for only $3 US! A close up that shows the color and texture of this unique product. It appears to have had electrostatic fibers applied in a fashion not dissimilar to that used in Silfor and similar products. Not all are created equal either. This topper has some glue stuck in the fibers, but even if you throw a few bits out, they are still extremely good value for money. The bottom side is a coarse, sawdust-like material (miniature mulch) that’s been dyed and glued to whatever is underneath! When dissected, the true contents of a Pot Topper are revealed. The inside appears to be a disk of white poly fiber, the same stuff that the dog pulls from all those cute stuffed animals. On the topside, underneath the grass, there is also another layer of fine green foam, then the mulch material… The local constable shows up to investigate reports of space vehicles and discovers that someone, or something, has taken a bite from a Pot Topper! They look rather like moldy Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas or maybe something out of Star Trek! Once the bottom part of the Topper has been stripped away one is left with the top skin, which consists of some very nice clumps of scenic material. When teased apart, the material both expands and really starts to look the part! The clump in the foreground has been touched up with some yellow acrylic paint just to see how well the grass takes coloring. It should be no trouble to airbrush some color variation onto the material which is a pretty uniform medium green. Michael Howe is the fellow who let me know about this interesting product. He has used the upper “skin” of the Pot Toppers on his model railway along a water feature. His excellent modelling and photography really shows how effective this very inexpensive product can be in simulating high grass. Another shot of Michael’s railway with Pot Toppers scenery. And yet another shot of Michael’s railway with Pot Toppers scenery.

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]]> Sun Apr 27 2008 FUN WITH FOG http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1472433.html Dry Ice is the common name for frozen chunks of carbon dioxide. In the same manner you buy ice cubes at the store, you can also buy dry ice. The usefulness of dry ice comes about because while ice freezes at 32 F (O C), dry ice freezes at -110 F (-79 C). Since carbon dioxide freezes at a much lower temperature than regular ice, it has more cooling power. An added plus is that as it melts, it turns to gas, so you don’t end up with a lot of cold water. That’s called sublimation. If you have to ship something, and you want it to stay cold, dry ice is the way to go. I bought my chunk at a grocery store. It’s sold for campers, hunters, and the like. About 50p per pound… Monday 10 March 2008: Dry Ice is the common name for frozen chunks of carbon dioxide. In the same manner you buy ice cubes at the store, you can also buy dry ice. The usefulness of dry ice comes about because while ice freezes at 32 F (O C), dry ice freezes at -110 F (-79 C). Since carbon dioxide freezes at a much lower temperature than regular ice, it has more cooling power. An added plus is that as it melts, it turns to gas, so you don_t end up with a lot of cold water. That_s called sublimation. If you have to ship something, and you want it to stay cold, dry ice is the way to go. I bought my chunk at a grocery store. It_s sold for campers, hunters, and the like. About 50p per pound_

This is a fog generator- dry ice, water, and a bucket. Warm water works better than cold for producing gas, and if your generator slows down, a dash of hot water in the bucket will certainly speed things up again. It helps to build a dam to encourage the cold gas to stay put. That way it doesn’t immediately flow off in the lowest direction. Because the gas is cold, it will naturally seek out the lowest areas. WARNING- I had to say that. Dry ice is very cold and can cause frostbite. I have no trouble picking it up with my bare hands, but you should use common sense. Also, the gas produces as it sublimes displaces the stuff you can breathe, i.e. oxygen, so use common sense here too. Don’t put huge quantities of dry ice into hot water in small enclosed spaces and expect to breathe anything useful. To take photos like these with dry ice, you need a tripod, timer or cable release, and some patience. Still air really helps things settle, so if you have a central heating, turn it off, so you have calm weather conditions. When dry ice sublimes (melts) it creates fog. Placing the dry ice in water really accelerates the process. It’s fairly easy to create dense low clouds of fog, which can really be used to advantage for photographing models. You don’t need much dry ice for good special effects with 4mm scale models. A half pound will give you quite a bit of gas. If you have children, buy even more. Playing with dry ice is a fairly educational way to get into subjects like sublimation…

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]]> Mon Mar 10 2008 SHADO STRYKER http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1413362.html There are several ranges of Japanese miniatures, Konami and Furuta come to mind, that seem to find their way into my home. Pure unadulterated classic science fiction, the ranges have covered various movie and television series. Some are close to 4mm scale, many are not. Of course if you start dropping aliens on your layout, then you really need something to hunt them with! The SHADO Stryker is pure whim, something to put together on an odd night, when you want to try something a bit different. What would SHADO be using today to keep the alien menace in check? Probably something not unlike the current crop of military vehicles in use today with special SHADO paint and hidden high tech weapons… Saturday 24 November 2007: There are several ranges of Japanese miniatures, Konami and Furuta come to mind, that seem to find their way into my home. Pure unadulterated classic science fiction, the ranges have covered various movie and television series. Some are close to 4mm scale, many are not. Of course if you start dropping aliens on your layout, then you really need something to hunt them with! The SHADO Stryker is pure whim, something to put together on an odd night, when you want to try something a bit different. What would SHADO be using today to keep the alien menace in check? Probably something not unlike the current crop of military vehicles in use today with special SHADO paint and hidden high tech weapons_

A trip to the model shop can be dangerous! The purpose of the visit was to buy a younger member of the household a model and to encourage said member to put the model together. Of course the kid in me led to this kit coming home as well. This is a photo of one of those Japanese miniatures, closer to N scale than HO, and certainly not big enough to hang on a 4mm layout. This SHADO Mobile was the inspiration for the SHADO Stryker. The Mobile units hunt those organ snatching aliens when they actually manage to make it to earth. The aircraft portion of Skydiver! I had a tin of paint in this color so it seemed natural to paint the Stryker in something resembling this scheme. Electrics are being added to the model. I used double sided sticky tape to hold these dual encapsulated LEDs in place while the leads and a suitable resistor were soldered together. The each LED is a dual white unit with a forward voltage of five volts. A pair of these LEDs in series, with a 49 ohm resistor, and 12 volts, could light your way down a country path at night. These particular LEDs measure 2mm X 2mm X 10mm and are very useful items in locomotives as well. They are designed for lighting cell phone displays… I use epoxy for all those critical joints, nothing beats it for strength, especially for dissimilar non-porous materials… An electrical continuity check… This vehicle just looks TOUGH. Some of the obvious Stryker detail parts have been left off, Alps printed SHADO decals have been added, with some other photo etched bits for finer detail. A bit of weathering also helps make this vehicle look like it means business. The shed master had hired a smaller alien to help keep the train spotters out, now the damn things are breeding! That’s the aliens breeding, not the train spotters. Not to worry, SHADO is on the scene, that Alien is history…

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]]> Sat Nov 24 2007 GROWING WEED - AN ELECTROSTATIC METHOD http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1412580.html This is a short photo essay in growing clumps of weeds with the Noch GRAS master. Probably someone has used this method before and written it up, it’s a fairly simple idea, but I did come up with it on my own, honest. This method uses a Teflon baking pan to really get a good electrostatic pull on the fibers. You could also glue aluminum foil onto your layout if picking weeds off of Teflon pans isn't your cup of tea. You are creating a circuit here, and you want excellent conductivity to get the fibers to stand at attention. Using metal instead of just glue really increases the “pull” of the Grasmaster. Monday 12 November 2007: This is a short photo essay in growing clumps of weeds with the Noch GRAS master. Probably someone has used this method before and written it up, it_s a fairly simple idea, but I did come up with it on my own, honest. This method uses a Teflon baking pan to really get a good electrostatic pull on the fibers. You could also glue aluminum foil onto your layout if picking weeds off of Teflon pans isn't your cup of tea. You are creating a circuit here, and you want excellent conductivity to get the fibers to stand at attention. Using metal instead of just glue really increases the _pull_ of the Grasmaster.

This is part of what you will need to grow weed using Pete’s method. The Grasmaster, acrylic fibers, horse hair, glue, and a Teflon cookie pan. There are two and six mm acrylic fibers used in the photos that follow, the horse hair (straw) is hand cut to around 10mm. Here’s part of the secret in getting your fibers fully aroused- excellent conductivity! That’s a new Teflon baking sheet; SWMBO took a dim view of the use of the kitchen’s utensils for such activities. A file was used to rub off the coating where the grounding clip is attached. Here are the glues that work for me. The tacky glue is a permanently flexible stuff from Wal-Mart, it’s cheap and effective. The matte medium is a concentrated PVA; it works a tad better but costs more. Squirt the glue onto the Teflon coated cookie sheet. Don’t use a plain pan or aluminum foil if you want the weeds clumps to come free. I learned this from experience. Also you don’t have to make just dots- s-shapes, lines, ect. will all pull free in one piece and transfer off the sheet. Apply your chosen mix of fibers using the Grasmaster. Look at those fibers stand at attention!!! It looks messy at first. Don’t worry you can recover a lot of the material that didn’t stick after the glue dries. Here is a close-up photo of a freshly “grown” weed. The glue is still soft, but once it dries out and shrinks, it will pull all those wonderful strands into a nice tight clump. The Army is guarding the crop. There’s two crops here actually, although they look the same, there is a subtle difference in the mixes. The “greener” stuff is going closer to the water feature on the layout. Once the glue is dry the clumps come off easily with a credit card, sort of like removing cookies from a cookie sheet… Those little plastic cases that the 4mm die cast cars come in are great for storing your “stash” and keeping the different crops separate. In this view the weed clumps look a bit like a bad hair job on a bald fellow. Down low where I normally photograph trains this isn’t apparent, but more weeds are needed here. It will be a simple matter to use my leftovers to fill in the gaps. Some of the weed clumps have edges or shadows underneath that show in the close-ups. It’s easy to go back after the fact and add some ground clutter to cover these edges. Alternately, a little paint mixed into the white glue will easily color your grass clumps. Or you can do the occasional photoshop, because these sorts of defects aren’t visible at normal viewing distances.

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]]> Mon Nov 12 2007 TRANSPORT TREASURES http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1375850.html There has been a renaissance of sorts lately in the production of British Rail era 4mm RTR small automobile and vans. Where there used to be very little, other than buses and trucks, we now have the Pocketbond Brand, as well as Oxford Diecast, and even Lledo now has a trio of passenger automobiles. Although Transport Treasures is the byline of the new offerings from Classix, the term is applicable to all these vehicles, they are jewels. Sunday 23 September 2007: There has been a renaissance of sorts lately in the production of British Rail era 4mm RTR small automobile and vans. Where there used to be very little, other than buses and trucks, we now have the Pocketbond Brand, as well as Oxford Diecast, and even Lledo now has a trio of passenger automobiles. Although Transport Treasures is the byline of the new offerings from Classix, the term is applicable to all these vehicles, they are jewels.

These Pocketbond Classix yellow boxes have been showing up with some regularity in the post. I’d have never thought they would have elicited as much excitement as a 4mm wagon or coach, but they are really fun for one night projects… The Classix Morris J van in Two British Railways “blood and custard” Classix vehicles are pictured, another Morris van and a Ford E83W. This cruel close-up photo shows the level of detail. You aren’t likely to mistake these for 7mm scale vehicles, but the printing is very fine, and what paint defects are there can be touched up or hidden with a bit of weathering. I did note my Ford had unpainted wheel hubs. Maybe BR ordered these E83W 10cwt vans with black hubs, however I later touched up my E83W’s hubs with some American Poly Scale boxcar red to match the wheels on the Morris. Both of these vehicles are I believe appropriate for the 1950’s paint that they wear. Another cruel close-up photo, this time of a Classix Ford Mk1 Zephyr Zodiac. A very nice vehicle too, but it is let down just a bit by the hood, which is a separate casting, and the overly deep side window frames. The thin clear plastic insert used for the windows doesn’t fill this deepness, and is one of the items that keep one from mistaking this for a larger scale vehicle. The printing is superb though, even the small Ford badges have been printed in color… The definition of cute! A Classix Austin A40 Devon in light brown paint. This model isn’t straight from the box. It has some Microscale Micro Kristal Klear added to the side windows, with the original plastic window inserts. I’m trying to hide those deep side windows and get things a bit more flush. A master modeler would no doubt cut individual window panes and glue them in place, but life it too short! The nice thing about Kristal Klear is that if you don’t like it, you can pull it out without damage to the vehicle. The first thing I do to all my vehicles is drill the rivets out and take them apart. Don’t be afraid to disassemble them, it makes painting and detailing far easier. I use a slow speed electric screwdriver with a drill bit. A 5000 RPM mini drill works well too, but it’s a tad more dangerous and heat is a bad thing… Parts is parts! That van interior makes me think a version with windows is coming soon. Now is a good time to paint those seats or glue a driver in place. The R & S Tomkins printing on this side of the van was off a bit. Always tinkering, I decided to see how hard it is to remove the printing on a Classix vehicle. I successively tried a decal softener, turpentine, and finally Chameleon paint remover before the white printing came off. Of course the paint remover took some of the green off too. Once I starting taking paint off the Morris van, I couldn’t stop. Here’s a shot buck naked, not wearing anything but the black side skirts. That’s really a nice die cast shell. A little work with a small file helps clean things up- the paint had hidden some of the fine flash that is around the windows. The Austin, suitably weathered, a real rot-box. I’m keen on the 1962 to the early 1970s era, so the Austin is a bit old for my period. Add a little wear and tear weathering though and she’s good for another decade or two. The rear windows have Kristal Klear in them, a driver has been added, the front wheels turned slightly. The idea is to bring the model to life. I regret no opening up the sunroof… Our pair of blood and custard vans after some weathering. I decided to try painting the deep window frames on the Ford black to hide them. Both vehicles then had a dirty black oil based wash applied to the cracks and crevices, and then a light airbrushing was applied with acrylic mud below and grimy black on top. I also airbrushed on a matt clear coat to make the cars easier to photograph. Once again the front wheels were turned ever so slightly. The Ford again, running a file along the inside edge of the window would have helped even things out before I painted the window frames black. Another pair of Zephyrs is pictured. I airbrushed a matte finish on the Police car. I wish I hadn’t, because it turned a dark grey instead of black. I suspect Police vehicles were kept in a clean condition and this automobile looks weathered now. The light grey civilian Zephyr has also had those deep window frames painted black. It does help improve the looks of the vehicle somewhat. The Zephyr pictured again with an Oxford Diecast Mini. The Mini was in Unigate Dairies livery. The dairy lettering came off easily with a cotton bud soaked in turps. I also cut the front wheels in half down the centerline- it came with double width tires, that didn’t look right to me. The driver’s side window was also removed- a driver will be added at some point. A collection of British Rail vans in yellow. The two Minors are Oxford Diecast products, the Bedford HA is Lledo. All three have been given matte coats, had the front wheels turned slightly, windows left open, and weathered. I’ve been warned that some of the Lledo vehicles are 1/72 not 1/76, but I haven’t measured them myself. Another shot of the Lledo Bedford HA van, it’s a nice vehicle, but those wheels let the model down. The next photo will be a Lledo pair of vehicles photographed after weathering and detailing. That Ford van is HUGE; it must surely be 1/72. I’ll have to watch where I park it… It's a gathering of Oxford diecast vehicles! A Humber Super Snipe estate, a Ford Zephyr 6 Mk3, a Vauxhall Cresta, and a Ford Anglia 105E The Ford Zephyr 6 Mk3 in pale blue. Somebody nicked my Western's nameplate!

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]]> Sun Sep 23 2007 THE BACHMANN TEA http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1368203.html There was a bit of excitement in my household when the Bachmann TEA was announced. I remember long rakes of these tank wagons in the 1970’s and the thought of reproducing this in 4mm scale was appealing. Alas, when the Bachmann TEA arrived at my favorite merchant there was some disappointment. I was already perturbed that no early liveries were offered, but one look at that seam on the end of the tank sent me off the deep end. The fact that the tank diameter might be slightly undersize by a couple of mm, or even that the bogies might not be right for some tanks, did not bother me, but that seam on the end of the tank by the elliptical end cap was intolerable. Where I had considered purchasing a whole rake, a single wagon was all that was ordered… Sunday 26 August 2007: There was a bit of excitement in my household when the Bachmann TEA was announced. I remember long rakes of these tank wagons in the 1970_s and the thought of reproducing this in 4mm scale was appealing. Alas, when the Bachmann TEA arrived at my favorite merchant there was some disappointment. I was already perturbed that no early liveries were offered, but one look at that seam on the end of the tank sent me off the deep end. The fact that the tank diameter might be slightly undersize by a couple of mm, or even that the bogies might not be right for some tanks, did not bother me, but that seam on the end of the tank by the elliptical end cap was intolerable. Where I had considered purchasing a whole rake, a single wagon was all that was ordered_

Here’s how I remember the TEAs. Dirty and lacking any large graphics or other owners markings. This is a shot of 47 018 near Twyford in 1976 or possibly 1977. Check out that clag! 47 018 was originally D1572, a Crewe built example of the class originally going to the NE region. Here’s what showed up in the post- a BP liveried example. I choose this version (Bachmann 38-112) because it was grey and had graphics that looked like they could be easily sanded off. Sanding has begun. I used 600 and then 900 grit sand paper for this operation. You may think the best hobby putty comes from a hobby shop, but you’d be wrong. The stuff in the photo is intended for auto repair and it is fabulous. In my opinion, it’s better than the green stuff from Squadron Hobby, or anything else I have tried. One tip, I used Flex-I-File sander to sand down the tank seams after two applications of putty. This tool uses a ribbon of sandpaper strung across a bow. It conforms well to the tank profile and makes sanding the tank seam quite easy. After sanding down the main graphics, I used a liquid mask from the Microscale folks to cover the technical data at the bottom edge of the tank, as well as the number on the end caps, and gave the tank a solid coat of this spray paint. I love the Rust-Oleum primers. They are cheap, cover well, and weather even better… A very ugly close-up right after the tank was painted and Smiths Instanters added. You can see were the liquid mask has been pulled from the technical data. Never fear, some subbing with 900 grit sandpaper will smooth everything out. If you look closely at the handrail at the end on top of the roof walk, just above the number, you’ll see it’s been secured with small drops of clear epoxy. After breaking one off in handling, I decided to secure the grabs a little better. A quick comparison shot next to a Bachmann TTA. The arrow points to the nasty seam in the side of the TTA. Believe it or not, the seam on the end of the TEA was worse. You can also see the initial application of an oil based flat black turpentine mix on the tank side of the TEA. This will be sanded down using vertical strokes to soften the edges. The first of three shots out in the sunshine with that beautiful azure sky poking through the trees is shown. I used CompZ image compression software to get the necessary depth of field on this and all subsequent photos. It’s physically impossible to get this kind of DOF with optics alone. The tank has been airbrushed with grimy black above and track color below. I also used a paint brush to touch things up here and there. This is the first of three shots in the workshop under my CRI 90 “daylight” florescent bulbs. You can see where I used a cotton bud dipped in turps to clean up the solebar a little to let the red show through. I really should finish ballasting… The walkways were touched with very dilute black after weathering to highlight the anti skid surface. A very light rubbing with 900 grit sandpaper followed to lighten the walkways. To be honest, I could hit the walkways again with the dirty turps…

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]]> Sun Aug 26 2007 D1009 HELJAN CLASS 52 http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1294423.html Another project... A Heljan offering painted and lettered for D1039 WESTERN KING. This is how D1039 would have looked between Sept 1962 and April of 1963. No yellow panel on the maroon cab front, just the lemon coloured yellow buffer beams. This scheme only existed on eleven members of the class and was extinct by mid 1963. I choose to model D1009 as she was the last Western in this scheme having half height yellow panels added in July 1963. Sunday 3 June 2007: Another project... A Heljan offering painted and lettered for D1039 WESTERN KING. This is how D1039 would have looked between Sept 1962 and April of 1963. No yellow panel on the maroon cab front, just the lemon coloured yellow buffer beams. This scheme only existed on eleven members of the class and was extinct by mid 1963. I choose to model D1009 as she was the last Western in this scheme having half height yellow panels added in July 1963.

The second run of Westerns has unpainted black side fairings glued onto the model. Heljan caught the mistake and put a correctly painted set into the box, but you have to remove the installed ones and put the painted ones on yourself. All four side fairings were firmly glued into place and had to be removed with a razor blade breaking the pins which are then left glued in the cast frame. The locating holes for the side fairing pins then had to be drilled out. Next time, I’m liable to just cut the pins off the painted fairings and simply glue them in place with five minute epoxy. This way you don’t have to worry about drilling out the old plastic pins. Of course if you are worried about the buffer beam pulling off under load… The bib on the apron needs to be painted yellow. Paint this area white first and do use several coats- yellow doesn’t cover well especially over maroon. I ended up using Pollyscale Seaboard Airline Yellow for the buffer beams and bibs. The original Western buffer beam yellow was supposedly paler than the yellow used for the panels. The fotographer took a fuzzy picture on this one… Swindon and Crewe both interpreted the instructions for the yellow buffer beams differently. Swindon just painted the face of the buffer beam and bib. Crewe embellished their Westerns and also painted the areas surrounding the faces. In 4 mm scale, it’s hard to see the difference between the two schemes with the exception of the angled area on the apron directly below the buffers. To illustrate the differences, the buffer beam on the left has had green added to show the extra yellow areas on Crewe built Westerns. That $%@#&* brake gear! The brake gear locating holes in the bogies were drilled oversize and then the rods were epoxied in place. The arrows point to the places where epoxy was applied. This Western will need revised brake rods before it goes into service- as built it’s not good for anything other than a straight track. This is unfortunate because with a little selective compression, Heljan could have squeezed the brake gear inwards and produced something workable, at least for wider radius turns. Everyone should have one of these! It’s an eight pin DCC plug with jumpers. Just the thing for hooking up a DC power supply, powering her up, and her a good running in. This plug also comes in handy for painting- spin the driving wheels up and apply a paint brush to the wheel faces… The Shawplan etches used for the new nameplates. They are just tall enough to hide the printed on nameplates underneath. It helps too if you pick a name longer than that printed on the locomotive. Five minute epoxy is my glue of choice for nameplates. A microscopic amount holds well, and unlike “super glue” you have a minute or two for adjustments. The Heljan instructions suggest the use of a soldering iron for melting the etched stainless lamp irons into place. Yikes! This end was done with the soldering iron, or should I say tortured with the iron… After the soldering iron fiasco, a #78 drill bit was used to make holes for the lamp irons on the other end of the loco. Much easier and you don’t have to endure that extreme “pucker factor” when you take a soldering iron to the face of your locomotive. The Heljan lamp irons look to be too big. I trimmed them, but in retrospect, I had a set of Shawplan etches and should have used them. A shot of D1009 with the new nameplates fitted, etched steps in place, and brake rods installed. Do those roof walkways look too chunky? I wonder if I could sand them down a bit… The Westerns had two marker lights on each end of the loco- one white and one red. Heljan has inexplicably installed a pair of red lights on each end. These lights were intended for light engine shunting moves in stations and were either both on or off. I removed one of the red lenses as indicated by the cocktail stick and replaced the lens with a drop of Kristal Clear. The arrow points to my #78 holes for the lamp irons. Compare this with those nasty soldered “melt your way in” holes a few photos back… It seems like everyone has a box of these carbide tipped bits. Micromark seems to give them away free with orders and the smaller sizes are just about useless. They are so hard, i.e. brittle, that an all-thumbs guy just can’t help but break them. Rather than use them for cutting, try using them for applying ACC super glue. They are easy to hold, and the tip has lots of nice crevices for holding that tiny drop of glue… Remember those overly chunky walkways? This is what they look like after a gentle sanding on 320 grit paper. The pins that used to fill those holes on the corner had to be removed. Next time I try this, I’ll no doubt fill the holes at the walkway corners, prior to gluing the walkways down. They do look better with a thinner profile. This is only a five minute job. The pre-weathering “what needs to be fixed?” shot. My Wizzo on the cover of a leading magazine! At home with the Hymek... A bit of weathering... Locomotive Crew Missing, Feared Dead

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]]> Sun Jun 3 2007 SCALESCENES LOW RELIEF ARCHES http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1282552.html A backdrop was needed for the Challenge layout and whatever ended up being used had to fit within a 2” depth and be about 48” long. A retaining wall was an obvious first choice. Something a scale 10-15 foot tall that could run the length of the backside of the layout would be perfect. I considered some cast wall sections, but cost and weight were issues. Then a purchase of one of the Scalescenes “download and print it” kits solved my backdrop problem. Since you buy these kits once, but may print them many times, they are an obvious candidate for structures like walling where you need a fair number of units. The kit purchased was the Low Relief Arches (R018) in the brown brick. The kit consists of two Adobe pdf files- one set of sheets are instructions, the other set the actual kit. A color laser printer was used in an effort to increase color steadfastness, and only the sheets needed were printed. I didn’t need the graffiti parts… A visit to the arts and crafts store also yielded some peel ‘n stick foam, 2mm thick. This was used instead of card in constructing the kit. The wax paper backing was removed from the foam, the kit sheets stuck to the adhesive on the foam, and the parts were than easily cut out. Real labor saver, this peel ‘n stick foam, and because it isn’t cardboard, moisture and humidity should not be as big a problem. Saturday 19 May 2007: A backdrop was needed for the Challenge layout and whatever ended up being used had to fit within a 2_ depth and be about 48_ long. A retaining wall was an obvious first choice. Something a scale 10-15 foot tall that could run the length of the backside of the layout would be perfect. I considered some cast wall sections, but cost and weight were issues. Then a purchase of one of the Scalescenes _download and print it_ kits solved my backdrop problem. Since you buy these kits once, but may print them many times, they are an obvious candidate for structures like walling where you need a fair number of units. The kit purchased was the Low Relief Arches (R018) in the brown brick. The kit consists of two Adobe pdf files- one set of sheets are instructions, the other set the actual kit. A color laser printer was used in an effort to increase color steadfastness, and only the sheets needed were printed. I didn_t need the graffiti parts_ A visit to the arts and crafts store also yielded some peel _n stick foam, 2mm thick. This was used instead of card in constructing the kit. The wax paper backing was removed from the foam, the kit sheets stuck to the adhesive on the foam, and the parts were than easily cut out. Real labor saver, this peel _n stick foam, and because it isn_t cardboard, moisture and humidity should not be as big a problem.

Here is a screen capture of the kits advertisement; the type of brick used in this project is circled. I was tempted to try one of the stone versions too, but there weren’t any photos of the stone arches on the website. Maybe Scalescenes can remedy that deficiency in the future. The backdrop is constructed of two lengths of 1” thick pink extruded foam, the type used in home construction in North America. Two strips were glued in an inverted “T” to provide both the wall and a base. Five minute epoxy was used to glue the foam and the result is a very strong and light structure. The massive lead weights came out of G Scale locomotives and are being used to insure a tight bond with the epoxy. The first two arches, cut out of the peel ’n stick 2mm foam, are also shown. FOAMIES! Peel ‘n stick, 2mm thick foam- this stuff was designed for middle aged men in a hurry! The label just in case someone goes out and makes an attempt to find this stuff. I really do recommend it, it says its acid free, and the tacky coating on one side holds paper well. It’s pink, stiff, and measures over 48” long! I used a rasp to shape the foam along the bottom. This area will become a grassy berm. WARNING!!! If you value your sanity, don’t create millions of small statically charged pink particles in the same area as where you keep your layout… Thank you Aleene! Your tacky glue really works wonders. A pint sized bottle of this stuff costs around $2 at Wal-Mart. Looking sort of ROUGH! It took a few trials and error before I managed to get the techniques associated with the kit down. Don’t be afraid to throw that first part away and just use the subsequent ones (assuming they improve). Additional parts are just the cost of printing. The artwork with this kit is impressive even if it isn’t assembled with the highest level of skill… A steel rule with those huge lead weights were used to flatten the ledge and wall sections. With the tacky glue, it only took a moment or two for the parts to firmly set and be ready for use… Parts is parts... My retaining wall is straight! The workbench peaks on the left and starts down making my pink foam carpentry look off…. Let’s see how she looks in the sun. The model has been given a dirty wash of brown to hide some of the imperfections where white or pink paper was showing. Airbrushing hasn’t been accomplished yet and will tone things down. In my haste to finish the kit, care was not taken in all areas. Here is a post airbrush shot. The small wall that runs along the top wasn’t glued down properly and those seams on the buttress are ugly too. More work is required… To hide the seam along the top wall, I cut 2-brick tall strips of paper and glued them to the front base of the wall making sure they contacted the ledge. Problem solved. I also replaced the brick paper on a buttress or two. Looking much better… Here is a dodgy close-up of my Warship and the wall. The flock along the base is static grass fibers- a mix of 2-3 types plus some hand cut horse hair for variety in lengths…

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]]> Sat May 19 2007 CORGI LORRIES http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1261747.html I had picked these Corgi lorries up in months past and I wanted to spruce them up a bit so they could be photographed in parking area by the shed. The wheel axle tips were painted to get rid of that "Corgi" look, and the front wheels were turned ever so slightly. I used a motor tool cutting disk to turn the wheels by cutting about 2/3 of the way through the axle on opposite sides on the inside of the wheel. Use care here because the cutting wheels will heat the steel axle up and you don't want melted plastic wheel hubs. Then just bend the axle at the cut and you have turned front wheels. The tow hitches also had those nasty rivets filled in... All three were given a coat of clear flat matte acrylic, and then weathered. A dirty wash of grey with some subsequent airbrushing pretty well summed up the weathering operation. Sunday 22 April 2007: I had picked these Corgi lorries up in months past and I wanted to spruce them up a bit so they could be photographed in parking area by the shed. The wheel axle tips were painted to get rid of that "Corgi" look, and the front wheels were turned ever so slightly. I used a motor tool cutting disk to turn the wheels by cutting about 2/3 of the way through the axle on opposite sides on the inside of the wheel. Use care here because the cutting wheels will heat the steel axle up and you don't want melted plastic wheel hubs. Then just bend the axle at the cut and you have turned front wheels. The tow hitches also had those nasty rivets filled in... All three were given a coat of clear flat matte acrylic, and then weathered. A dirty wash of grey with some subsequent airbrushing pretty well summed up the weathering operation.

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]]> Sun Apr 22 2007 RMWEB CHALLENGE LAYOUT http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1248291.html This collection of photos covers my entry into the RMweb layout challenge. The layout challenge basically is to design a layout in six square feet or less, any scale, with the winners selected by popular vote. The Ardley Bridge “shed” will be unique in several respects. Its 48” long and 16” wide- which leaves me a 2” strip across the back for a backdrop. It is being designed to be taken out and photographed outdoors- using the natural backgrounds and light. I'll probably put some sort of 2” wide embankment wall in place across the back for my formal challenge "backdrop", but the idea is to use real life buildings as my backdrop in conjunction with depth of field compression software. Obviously, the shed has limited operational potential. The locomotives can move back and forth- that’s about it. It’s been designed to photograph locomotives, chiefly… Wednesday 31 October 2007: This collection of photos covers my entry into the RMweb layout challenge. The layout challenge basically is to design a layout in six square feet or less, any scale, with the winners selected by popular vote. The Ardley Bridge _shed_ will be unique in several respects. Its 48_ long and 16_ wide- which leaves me a 2_ strip across the back for a backdrop. It is being designed to be taken out and photographed outdoors- using the natural backgrounds and light. I'll probably put some sort of 2_ wide embankment wall in place across the back for my formal challenge "backdrop", but the idea is to use real life buildings as my backdrop in conjunction with depth of field compression software. Obviously, the shed has limited operational potential. The locomotives can move back and forth- that_s about it. It_s been designed to photograph locomotives, chiefly_

The plan of the 16 The layout is 3/4 The hill and water feature... This is a Woodland Scenics N scale culvert. After the foam was shaped using both a rasp and hot wire cutter, the foam was smoothed into the ply using a lightweight spackling compound. The parking lot with the Wills fencing in place. The retaining wall uses Plastruct 1/100 scale stone sheeting. The brass pins glued to the backside of the fence. The fence will be removable so that it can be replaced with other types of fencing. I have heard that those Western Region drivers were paid very well and drove some very nice automobiles... Royalty visits the shed... Some Skaledale items showed up in the post. They are being auditioned to determine whether they end up on the shed plank. This is R8696- the Police box. R8747 Electricity sub-station Skaledale R8691 Rear extension building. It looks like it was made for the Heljan locomotive shed The first of three different types of fueling points to be constructed... This is the Hornby Skaledale Boilerhouse, a part of the gasworks collection... Since I've added the arches across the back, I've decided to extened the track as shown in red... The new arched retaining wall shot low... The wall with a photoshopped forest... I was considering replacing that grey stone wall with something in brick... Hey Ho, What do you know? Some additional ventilation has been added to the shed.

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]]> Wed Oct 31 2007 D8124 BACHMANN CLASS 20 http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1247610.html The model is Bachmann’s first loco with a tablet catcher and recess, as well as being one of the first with sound. The sound on the loco appears to be a lot more authentic then the paint and numbering applied to D8113. Several reliable sources have suggested that only Inverness and Aberdeen-based locos ever had tablet catchers fitted. The Class 20’s assigned for this service would have been D8028-8034. So barring any photo evidence to the contrary, you probably have to renumber your D8113, if you want to leave the tablet catcher in place. If you decide to do D8028-34 you have a second problem. They were delivered in green. D8031 had a yellow panel in June of 1966, but it’s a non standard size, being higher than the factory applied panels typified on the Bachmann model (Boyes photo, p.96, BRP Scottish Region 1948-1967). D8032 (diesel-image-gallery.fotopic.net) was apparently still in green without a yellow warning panel in 1966. So unless you have a photo showing D8028-34 with a standard yellow panel, you are on dangerous ground renumbering… A second issue with the Bachmann model as delivered is the bogie side frames. They have lightening holes in the lower side beam. These are only really appropriate for post D8128 locomotives. Since no Scottish Class 20’s with the deeper windows and tablet catchers came after D8127, you really have to fill those holes in the side beam… To their credit, Bachmann do give you an extra pair of sandboxes to model an early, say pre 1965ish model, but then you get back to that nagging question about those yellow panels… D8124 has had the bogies modified and the tablet catcher removed. I used spare Heljan head code disks where possible- the Bachmann ones aren’t that nice, plus they are made to represent disks locked in the upside down position. I also used some extra Heljan buffer beam detail parts too- Bachmann doesn’t give you enough to do the job right. A well weathered D8124 is pictured in the David Cross book, The Heyday of Scottish Diesels, which is an excellent source of north of the border colour shots of mostly green locomotives. Thursday 5 April 2007: The model is Bachmann_s first loco with a tablet catcher and recess, as well as being one of the first with sound. The sound on the loco appears to be a lot more authentic then the paint and numbering applied to D8113. Several reliable sources have suggested that only Inverness and Aberdeen-based locos ever had tablet catchers fitted. The Class 20_s assigned for this service would have been D8028-8034. So barring any photo evidence to the contrary, you probably have to renumber your D8113, if you want to leave the tablet catcher in place. If you decide to do D8028-34 you have a second problem. They were delivered in green. D8031 had a yellow panel in June of 1966, but it_s a non standard size, being higher than the factory applied panels typified on the Bachmann model (Boyes photo, p.96, BRP Scottish Region 1948-1967). D8032 (diesel-image-gallery.fotopic.net) was apparently still in green without a yellow warning panel in 1966. So unless you have a photo showing D8028-34 with a standard yellow panel, you are on dangerous ground renumbering_ A second issue with the Bachmann model as delivered is the bogie side frames. They have lightening holes in the lower side beam. These are only really appropriate for post D8128 locomotives. Since no Scottish Class 20_s with the deeper windows and tablet catchers came after D8127, you really have to fill those holes in the side beam_ To their credit, Bachmann do give you an extra pair of sandboxes to model an early, say pre 1965ish model, but then you get back to that nagging question about those yellow panels_ D8124 has had the bogies modified and the tablet catcher removed. I used spare Heljan head code disks where possible- the Bachmann ones aren_t that nice, plus they are made to represent disks locked in the upside down position. I also used some extra Heljan buffer beam detail parts too- Bachmann doesn_t give you enough to do the job right. A well weathered D8124 is pictured in the David Cross book, The Heyday of Scottish Diesels, which is an excellent source of north of the border colour shots of mostly green locomotives.

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]]> Thu Apr 5 2007 D5336 HELJAN CLASS 26 http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1247000.html Here’s a quick primer on improving the Heljan Class 26. The following modifications have been done on the model, which has been renumbered D5336. 1. The coil equalizers on the bogies have been relocated inboard. 2. The vertical edges of the warning panel have been painted green in line with the lamp irons and the marker light recesses painted yellow. 3. The nose door outlines have been added. 4. The nose door grabs have been added. 5. The gear tower lumps in the cabs have been cut away. 6. The horn cowling has been filed back at an angle and cut down versions of the Heljan snow shield have been added. 7. The “grommetting” around the body side windows has been shaved away and touched up. 8. New larger blue star decals were added the yellow panels. I also relocated the overhead electric warning flashes on the nose and adding striping in the token recess. Wednesday 4 April 2007: Here_s a quick primer on improving the Heljan Class 26. The following modifications have been done on the model, which has been renumbered D5336. 1. The coil equalizers on the bogies have been relocated inboard. 2. The vertical edges of the warning panel have been painted green in line with the lamp irons and the marker light recesses painted yellow. 3. The nose door outlines have been added. 4. The nose door grabs have been added. 5. The gear tower lumps in the cabs have been cut away. 6. The horn cowling has been filed back at an angle and cut down versions of the Heljan snow shield have been added. 7. The _grommetting_ around the body side windows has been shaved away and touched up. 8. New larger blue star decals were added the yellow panels. I also relocated the overhead electric warning flashes on the nose and adding striping in the token recess.

It doesn’t hurt to compare your model to prototype photos. The Heljan Class 26 obviously needs striping in that token recess. Because of shadows, the striping doesn’t show up too well in most prototype photos… The most objectionable aspect of the Heljan Class 26/27 is probably the lack of relief in the bogie side frames. The equalizer coils should be recessed more deeply. It’s easy to pop the side frames off with a pair of needle nose pliers. I used a Micro Mark scribing tool to scrape away at the top of the coil until it can be broken loose. A piece of plastic strip was glued to the back of the side frame with five minute epoxy; the coil was then glued to the strip. The photo above shows the bottom of the bogie and the dimension between the coil and side frame. A plastic block has been glued inside the side frame (white area). The locomotive pictured is gauged for 16.5 mm track. I may well have overdone the coil movement to make up the gauge differential. I suspect if you are working to wider gauge, you might want to move the coil inward a tad less than shown here…. The crew isn’t very enthused with the Heljan Cab. “What’s that box in the back?” “Where do we put our frigging feet?” The box was removed and the cab floor painted dark grey to help hide the fact it’s about 3 feet too high… The Heljan Class 26 comes with the same plow used under the SR Class 33. It has raised edges (bottom plow in photo). Although there is some photo evidence to suggest that some of these SR plows made it to Scotland, the plow used under the Class 35/47 (top plow) is more typical of those used in the green era, and specifically used under D5336. I didn’t discover this until after I had finished D5336. The template I made from 20 thou plastic card to scribe nose lines in the door. It was taped to the front of the loco using double sided sticky tape, and then the fun began. I used the Micro Mark scribing tool for this operation too… A photo of the scribed nose with some of the modification areas highlighted in red is shown above. A word of caution here- if you remove the beading around the body side windows, try not to build any paint up around the inside of the window frame. The body side glass has an almost interference fit and won’t tolerate a smaller window opening… The horn shroud is there to keep snow out. The Heljan one supplied is wrong, chiefly because it installs in the same orientation as the front of the shroud- leaning forward. The prototype comes out further and then the front edge leans back. In order to produce something strong with the right angle of attack, I ended up filing the top edge of the shroud angled back, and then used epoxy to glue the Heljan shroud onto the model. After the glue was set, I filed the top flush. In retrospect, I wish I had filed the sides too, the Heljan shroud is a bit wide… I could have matched the yellow on the nose a little better... Outside, looking the part...

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]]> Wed Apr 4 2007 THE BRUM BUILDING http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1218129.html I was surfing web in the warm comfort of my den when a visit to Phylis Nicklin's photo collection inspired me. She took an excellent series of photos of the Birmingham area in the 1950 and 60s. Suitably inspired by some of the modern buildings in the photos, I decided to build in something other than brick. After inspecting my strategic reserve of plastic kits, a decision was made to use the Bralick building. A "peel" was performed to see how much of a three sided building I could wrangle from one kit. The answer was surprising- quite a lot of structure. The back and roof were constructed of Plexiglas. The local DIY store sells the stuff for replacing the glass in doors and it's cheap as far as modeling supplies go. There's a stiffener in the middle of the building and a few corner braces inside as well. You want a reasonably stiff structure or you are liable to pop windows out during handling. The length of the Brum Building is 740 mm actual, or in 1/76 scale, a nifty 185 feet long. It's still looks to be only 2/3 the length of the prototype building and obviously only 1/3 as high. The colour chosen to paint the darker accents on the Brum Building turned out to WWII German Luftwaffe, Dunkelbraun RLM 61. One of a large number of bottles of paint rescued from a “going out of business” sale, the color seemed to approximate what was in the photo. By the time I actually read the label and discovered I had put Luftwaffe paint on a British building, it was too late to go back… The Brum Building still needs window glass, and I don’t even want to think about an interior right now. Sunday 25 February 2007: I was surfing web in the warm comfort of my den when a visit to Phylis Nicklin's photo collection inspired me. She took an excellent series of photos of the Birmingham area in the 1950 and 60s. Suitably inspired by some of the modern buildings in the photos, I decided to build in something other than brick. After inspecting my strategic reserve of plastic kits, a decision was made to use the Bralick building. A "peel" was performed to see how much of a three sided building I could wrangle from one kit. The answer was surprising- quite a lot of structure. The back and roof were constructed of Plexiglas. The local DIY store sells the stuff for replacing the glass in doors and it's cheap as far as modeling supplies go. There's a stiffener in the middle of the building and a few corner braces inside as well. You want a reasonably stiff structure or you are liable to pop windows out during handling. The length of the Brum Building is 740 mm actual, or in 1/76 scale, a nifty 185 feet long. It's still looks to be only 2/3 the length of the prototype building and obviously only 1/3 as high. The colour chosen to paint the darker accents on the Brum Building turned out to WWII German Luftwaffe, Dunkelbraun RLM 61. One of a large number of bottles of paint rescued from a _going out of business_ sale, the color seemed to approximate what was in the photo. By the time I actually read the label and discovered I had put Luftwaffe paint on a British building, it was too late to go back_ The Brum Building still needs window glass, and I don_t even want to think about an interior right now.

Cool Photo! Bra Licking!?! Behind on the left is the Walther's Sugar Mill and on the righ is Heljan's Brewery. YIKES! After painting the interior and roof flat black, the interior was stuffed with paper before the ultra white flat paint was sprayed onto the exterior. Look what showed up in the post! Small rectangles of clapboard siding styrene were used for the grillwork on the small roof top facilities building. A beer was needed after all those windows! Standing in the grass on a summer Saturday watching the trains roll past...

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]]> Sun Feb 25 2007 FUN WITH FOAM http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1196069.html After watching a youtube video about using extruded foam for making model railroad scenery, I thought I'd have a go. This plank is supposed to be a fore or background piece of real estate for photographing models... Monday 29 January 2007: After watching a youtube video about using extruded foam for making model railroad scenery, I thought I'd have a go. This plank is supposed to be a fore or background piece of real estate for photographing models...

This is what I started with- ¾ inch thick pink extruded wall insulation. Basically foam board. Very cheap at the do-it-yourself store, a 4x8 sheet cost me $11 US dollars. I used liquid nails, a construction adhesive, to glue the foam together. The size of this plank is 6x32 inches. It’s long enough to provide either a fore or background for the other modules when I photograph models. The flat raised area is going to be used for some type of industrial ruin. This photo shows the wood rasp that was used to shape the foam into something resembling rolling hills. I owe this the use of this tool to the youtube guy; he suggested it was far more useful than a hot wire cutter. I used my fingers after the rasp to smooth the rough edges of the foam. Another trick from the youtube guy… Make sure you have a vacuum cleaner handy. The pink foam shreds and sticks to everything. I did the shaping in my garage instead of the workshop. I didn’t want pink stuff on my models. I used lightweight spackling to fill in the cracks. Next time I’m going to glue more pink foam onto whatever I’m doing and use less spackling. It takes forever to dry and isn’t as easy to add and the foam is to carve off. I wanted a short bit of roadway leading up to my industrial ruin; I put a stone wall alongside of it. The wall material is Plastruct; the ruin walls are Will’s sheeting. The stairs were salvaged from leftovers from the Walther’s sugar mill. The paint used was DIY flat house paint. The light brown is a leather color; the dark brown a chocolate. I used color swatches to find just what I needed. The roadway is grimy black. It’s supposed to be old asphalt. The junk in the ruin- I use a number of flat primer to paint items before I use acrylics on them. The light grey or white primer is very flat and gives me an excellent surface to paint other colors onto. I also cut a bunch of 40 x60 thou plastic strips into bricks, that is what is getting the red paint treatment on the foil. The rolling hills photographed outside in natural light. I used a Noch Grassmaster, and mixed my own flocking fibers. The flock is 40% Woodland Scenics light green, 40% Woodland Scenics Harvest Gold, and 20 % Heki light green. I also cut some light green horse hair into longer pieces that were around 8-10 mm. I wanted some variety in fiber length. Here’s a couple a shots indoors under the full spectrum fluorescent lights. I wanted to see how the module looked before I spent anymore time adding details. I was prepared to scrape it clean and start over if the color seemed wrong. The rest of the shots are of the finished product. I added a railing made from bullhead rail. The darker green bits are a couple of varieties of Silflor.

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]]> Mon Jan 29 2007 BRITISH RAIL DIESEL FUEL TANKS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1145156.html Most of the available “kits” for diesel fuel tanks tend to run on the small side. Something larger was needed, the sort of tank farm you’d see at one of the larger fueling depots. This effort was started in November 2006 and then inexplicably shelved. Something that was more entertaining came along and finishing the fuel tanks only recently became appealing again… This four tank structure was fabricated from thick walled PVC pipe with an outside diameter of 9 cm. The tanks are 15 cm tall. In 4mm scale, the tanks would be approximately 23’ in diameter and 38’ tall. In HO scale, the tanks would be slightly larger… Photos of fuel storage tanks on the Eastern Region of British Rail were used to guide the design of this tank farm so it is loosely based on a prototype. Sunday 20 April 2008: Most of the available _kits_ for diesel fuel tanks tend to run on the small side. Something larger was needed, the sort of tank farm you_d see at one of the larger fueling depots. This effort was started in November 2006 and then inexplicably shelved. Something that was more entertaining came along and finishing the fuel tanks only recently became appealing again_ This four tank structure was fabricated from thick walled PVC pipe with an outside diameter of 9 cm. The tanks are 15 cm tall. In 4mm scale, the tanks would be approximately 23_ in diameter and 38_ tall. In HO scale, the tanks would be slightly larger_ Photos of fuel storage tanks on the Eastern Region of British Rail were used to guide the design of this tank farm so it is loosely based on a prototype.

The pump house, constructed of Wills brick sheeting with Walthers door and window frames. The roof down spouts were originally constructed of styrene. These were changed to brass at some point. An early mock-up showing the tanks size in comparison to a Limby Bubblecar. The pump house is shown after the bricks have been painted. The “mortar” is white titanium artist’s oil diluted slightly with thinner. The artist’s oils are very opaque, but it takes the stuff a week to dry. That’s my 1/87 scale persona in the photo… Another one of those silly, “see how big my tanks are” photos… Jump forward 18 months. Suddenly the farm is finished in three evenings, well finished that is except for painting and weathering. The piping and handrails are all Plastruct components. Because of those thick PVC “tanks” they whole kit weighs a ton. No need to worry about the tanks blowing over though if taken outside. A poor job joining the Plastruct 90 bends to the piping meant that some putty was needed. A box was also fabricated on the back of the pump house to hold the piping in the right position. This is the tank farm after painting and weathering. Grey automotive spray primer was used, and then another light does of an aluminum color out of a spray can. The concrete base was then hand painted. Various black washes dirtied the roof and concrete base. The air brush came out next, steam black, then grey, then steam black again. My persona on the tank tops. The railings are 1/100 scale Plastruct. The caged ladder is 1/87 scale Walthers. With an HO figure the railings don’t look too bad, but don’t put a 4mm figure up there. The pump house- I wonder what those wires are for? The door knobs are Gibson handrail knobs. The “light” is a 3mm flat top white LED. The fuel pipes on the right are 2.5 mm diameter which is probably a tad on the large side. The back side of the tanks have a number of white horizontal markers and a vertical fuel measure thingy so you can determine the amount of fuel in the tanks. The little white bobbins that go up and down haven’t been put on yet. The back side of the pump house. A Bachmann TTA for yet another size comparison. Now we know what the wires were for! The “white” LED is a little too blue. A dab of Tamiya translucent yellow may be used to correct the blueness in the future… A Bachmann 4mm figure for size comparison. Plastruct valves were ordered but these proved to be nothing more than poor caricatures- as a result the “valves” were constructed of more tubing with brass hand wheels attached to the piping. If I ever do this again, I’d seriously consider using brass rod instead of Plastruct… The fellow is waiting for the light to come one.

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]]> Sun Apr 20 2008 DIE KÜRBISSE UND DER SENSENMANN http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1112360.html The Busch pumpkin kit and the Preiser Grim Reaper showing off with the trains- a bit of fun in the spirit of Halloween. And please no jokes about that natty Silflor- it wasn’t meant to be photographed looking down. It really needs to be pulled up and properly planted- the triangular patches are a bit sad. Tuesday 17 October 2006: The Busch pumpkin kit and the Preiser Grim Reaper showing off with the trains- a bit of fun in the spirit of Halloween. And please no jokes about that natty Silflor- it wasn_t meant to be photographed looking down. It really needs to be pulled up and properly planted- the triangular patches are a bit sad.

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]]> Tue Oct 17 2006 ARDLEY BRIDGE IS NO MORE http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1100340.html ARDLEY BRIDGE IS NO MORE Like something right out of the Beeching era, the rail removal crew came in and took the tracks up, cork ballast and all… Ardley Bridge in its original concept is no more. The idea was to have a model railway where I could vary the fore and background elements around for variety. The track would be permanent, but there’d be some flexibility in the scenery. Maybe it’s my garden railway mentality but photographing outside in the sun appeals to me and the permanent aspect to this version of Ardley Bridge didn’t support that idea. Luckily, I had used super sticky industrial tape for the track I had laid, and the ballast was glued down with common bathroom calk, so all came up with reasonable expediency. Tuesday 3 October 2006: ARDLEY BRIDGE IS NO MORE Like something right out of the Beeching era, the rail removal crew came in and took the tracks up, cork ballast and all_ Ardley Bridge in its original concept is no more. The idea was to have a model railway where I could vary the fore and background elements around for variety. The track would be permanent, but there_d be some flexibility in the scenery. Maybe it_s my garden railway mentality but photographing outside in the sun appeals to me and the permanent aspect to this version of Ardley Bridge didn_t support that idea. Luckily, I had used super sticky industrial tape for the track I had laid, and the ballast was glued down with common bathroom calk, so all came up with reasonable expediency.

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]]> Tue Oct 3 2006 THE DAPOL WATER TOWER http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1098107.html The lowly Dapol water tower with a mass of vines climbing up the side... Saturday 30 September 2006: The lowly Dapol water tower with a mass of vines climbing up the side...

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]]> Sat Sep 30 2006 FUEL TANKS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1091735.html I was looking for some fuel storage tanks and last year picked up a Walther's Interstate Fuel Company kit at a show. I wasn't too happy with the tanks when I opened the box- the panel beading looked a bit heavy. I had some PVC pipe and was just going to scratch build some larger diameter "smooth" tanks, when I decided the give the Walther's parts a go. I needed something easy to piddle with on a Saturday afternoon that wasn't too challenging... The tanks are built from "cups" that you can stack for different tank lengths. The Walther's kit allows horizontal or vertical mounting, I put five stacks in vertical as shown in the pics, mounted on a slab of Plexiglas, with some extra piping for "decoration". A small brick retaining wall sort of pretends to retain spills. I was toying with tank top railings, a ladder, some kind of vertical fuel tank gauges, stairs over the wall, but it's a Saturday piddle project and I didn't want to get too complex, especially since I'm not fond of that heavy beading. A quick paint job, some cinders inside the wall, and the Walther's tanks are ready to go... Not satisfied though, I'm creating the monster tanks, for those really thirsty diesels. Made from 3.4 inch OD PVC pipe, they represent some really big fuel tanks... Sunday 24 September 2006: I was looking for some fuel storage tanks and last year picked up a Walther's Interstate Fuel Company kit at a show. I wasn't too happy with the tanks when I opened the box- the panel beading looked a bit heavy. I had some PVC pipe and was just going to scratch build some larger diameter "smooth" tanks, when I decided the give the Walther's parts a go. I needed something easy to piddle with on a Saturday afternoon that wasn't too challenging... The tanks are built from "cups" that you can stack for different tank lengths. The Walther's kit allows horizontal or vertical mounting, I put five stacks in vertical as shown in the pics, mounted on a slab of Plexiglas, with some extra piping for "decoration". A small brick retaining wall sort of pretends to retain spills. I was toying with tank top railings, a ladder, some kind of vertical fuel tank gauges, stairs over the wall, but it's a Saturday piddle project and I didn't want to get too complex, especially since I'm not fond of that heavy beading. A quick paint job, some cinders inside the wall, and the Walther's tanks are ready to go... Not satisfied though, I'm creating the monster tanks, for those really thirsty diesels. Made from 3.4 inch OD PVC pipe, they represent some really big fuel tanks...

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]]> Sun Sep 24 2006 THE BREWERY http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1057450.html Some pics of a Heljan Brewery building that I bashed into a longer one sided structure. The building is 25 inches long, 9 inches high, and about 3 inches deep. The truck is a CLASSIX Austin K2. It's been weathered and the windows were replaced with Microscale crystal clear. Sunday 20 August 2006: Some pics of a Heljan Brewery building that I bashed into a longer one sided structure. The building is 25 inches long, 9 inches high, and about 3 inches deep. The truck is a CLASSIX Austin K2. It's been weathered and the windows were replaced with Microscale crystal clear.

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]]> Sun Aug 20 2006 A COUPLE OF WARSHIPS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c1017426.html Here's a couple of Bachmann Warships that I have embellished... Monday 10 July 2006: Here's a couple of Bachmann Warships that I have embellished...

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]]> Mon Jul 10 2006 A COUPLE OF HYMEKS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c993939.html A couple of Hymeks- these are the second and third BR diesels I’ve managed to complete thus far. Stock Heljan units, I didn’t even bother to renumber them. The buffer beams were detailed with the Heljan bits, some extra wire for the MU cable, and Smith’s screw links. I did remove the air flask from the truck and glue it up under the body in the correct spot. The wind screen wipers were also relocated on three of the four ends for some variety. Weathering was just a quick air brushing with some Pollyscale colors- grimy black, oily black, and tie color. The hymeks are supposed to be weathered as well used (~1963) but new enough still that they don’t have crud dripping from the side doors yet. I did take the time to mask off the wiper pattern on the wind screens on D7017- this was more of a pain than I had anticipated. I also cleaned the doors on D7017. Some Hymeks appear to have had their doors cleaned. Either engine men cleaned them with their bodies in climbing in and out or took the time to do it by hand to keep their clothes clean. The doors on D7017 have had a good wiping down. I'm using Z5 depth of field software to increase DOF. There are a few strange artifacts in some of the photos- these are the result of the software. I'm still working on fine tuning the Z5 stacking algorithms. Saturday 17 June 2006: A couple of Hymeks- these are the second and third BR diesels I_ve managed to complete thus far. Stock Heljan units, I didn_t even bother to renumber them. The buffer beams were detailed with the Heljan bits, some extra wire for the MU cable, and Smith_s screw links. I did remove the air flask from the truck and glue it up under the body in the correct spot. The wind screen wipers were also relocated on three of the four ends for some variety. Weathering was just a quick air brushing with some Pollyscale colors- grimy black, oily black, and tie color. The hymeks are supposed to be weathered as well used (~1963) but new enough still that they don_t have crud dripping from the side doors yet. I did take the time to mask off the wiper pattern on the wind screens on D7017- this was more of a pain than I had anticipated. I also cleaned the doors on D7017. Some Hymeks appear to have had their doors cleaned. Either engine men cleaned them with their bodies in climbing in and out or took the time to do it by hand to keep their clothes clean. The doors on D7017 have had a good wiping down. I'm using Z5 depth of field software to increase DOF. There are a few strange artifacts in some of the photos- these are the result of the software. I'm still working on fine tuning the Z5 stacking algorithms.

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]]> Sat Jun 17 2006 4mm SCALE WAGONS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c965876.html A collection of 4mm scale wagon pics... Monday 22 May 2006: A collection of 4mm scale wagon pics...

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]]> Mon May 22 2006 NORTH BRITISH CLASS 21 REBUILD http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c964391.html In an old issue of Classic Diesels and Electrics, Alan Burrows discusses a 1962 plan to re-build D6100-37 using Class 20 components. This would not only re-engine the North British Class 21 locomotives, but would substantially convert them into Class 20s. D6130 was supposedly sent to Queens Park to be converted, but because of the dire financial condition of North British this never occurred. What if the government had made a substantial financial investment in the program to save the company and convert a large number of underperforming locomotives into Class 20s? What if the work had been performed by a British Rail works? What would the end result have looked like? Saturday 20 May 2006: In an old issue of Classic Diesels and Electrics, Alan Burrows discusses a 1962 plan to re-build D6100-37 using Class 20 components. This would not only re-engine the North British Class 21 locomotives, but would substantially convert them into Class 20s. D6130 was supposedly sent to Queens Park to be converted, but because of the dire financial condition of North British this never occurred. What if the government had made a substantial financial investment in the program to save the company and convert a large number of underperforming locomotives into Class 20s? What if the work had been performed by a British Rail works? What would the end result have looked like?

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]]> Sat May 20 2006 PORTRAIT PLANK http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c945315.html I knocked together this twenty something inch long plank with a piece of C&L track and some ballast. The kettle is stock Bachmann, factory weathered. I snipped off the hook and loop couplers. North Star is a Heljan product- I did add some buffer beam bits, wipers, nameplates, and some weathering... Wednesday 3 May 2006: I knocked together this twenty something inch long plank with a piece of C&L track and some ballast. The kettle is stock Bachmann, factory weathered. I snipped off the hook and loop couplers. North Star is a Heljan product- I did add some buffer beam bits, wipers, nameplates, and some weathering...

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]]> Wed May 3 2006 MPD INNARDS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c903291.html A collection of photos showing what's going inside the main depot building... Sunday 26 March 2006: A collection of photos showing what's going inside the main depot building...

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]]> Sun Mar 26 2006 BACHMANN 5MTS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c878206.html A couple of phots of the painfully slow progress on track laying as well as a few kettles that showed up in the post... Friday 3 March 2006: A couple of phots of the painfully slow progress on track laying as well as a few kettles that showed up in the post...

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]]> Fri Mar 3 2006 LONDON AROUND THE JUBILEE http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c806466.html An assortment of railway photos taken around London during 1976-77. Seems like there were a lot of weekends with dreary weather... Tuesday 27 December 2005: An assortment of railway photos taken around London during 1976-77. Seems like there were a lot of weekends with dreary weather...

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]]> Tue Dec 27 2005 CREWE WORKS AND THE BRAKE FIRST http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c775410.html An eclectic collection of this week's activities. Crewe works was completed, this Mark 1 Brake First showed up in the post, and I tackled a card kit of the backside of some poor chaps house... Sunday 27 November 2005: An eclectic collection of this week's activities. Crewe works was completed, this Mark 1 Brake First showed up in the post, and I tackled a card kit of the backside of some poor chaps house...

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]]> Sun Nov 27 2005 THE TURNTABLE AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c768747.html A light weekend- I cut a hole for the turntable which I guess means it is not going to move again... And I acquired a nuclear weapon. A Photogenic 600 watt monster, that is more than sufficient to light Ardley Bridge at those small apertures. Sunday 20 November 2005: A light weekend- I cut a hole for the turntable which I guess means it is not going to move again... And I acquired a nuclear weapon. A Photogenic 600 watt monster, that is more than sufficient to light Ardley Bridge at those small apertures.

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]]> Sun Nov 20 2005 BACHMANN CLASS 40 HEIGHT COMPARISON http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c763357.html The latest run of Bachmann Class 40s has been lowered slightly. Here are three photos showing the first run (left) compared to the second run (right). Friday 7 July 2006: The latest run of Bachmann Class 40s has been lowered slightly. Here are three photos showing the first run (left) compared to the second run (right).

Self explanatory really- you can see how Bachmann changed the frost grill on later locomotives. Rather than fix the errors along the center of the locomotive, the frost grill shape has been modified to make it fix the locomotive. Both the Bachman grills were scanned together and then the first run grill was resized in photoshop to match the grill in the prototype photo. The first run is on the left- note how Bachmann has lowered the model in subsequent runs. The only thing right about the bodyside was the first run frost grills...

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]]> Fri Jul 7 2006 REVISION D: FINAL TRACK LAYOUT? http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c762016.html Oh boy, another set of so-so photos of RTR Bachmann and Heljan. I’m up to Revision D of the master plan, which just might be the final Rev! Of course I need a few more switches (turnouts). A collection of photos taken on the Rev. D mock-up with the track “stacked” in position… Monday 14 November 2005: Oh boy, another set of so-so photos of RTR Bachmann and Heljan. I_m up to Revision D of the master plan, which just might be the final Rev! Of course I need a few more switches (turnouts). A collection of photos taken on the Rev. D mock-up with the track _stacked_ in position_

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]]> Mon Nov 14 2005 TRUSS STRUCTURES, COAL GAS, AND ANOTHER BALLAST http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c753808.html The fall colors are up, but with gas prices high and already having about a zillion CSX or NS Dash 9 prototype shots I decided to stay home and work on Ardley Bridge. Kit building seemed like a good preoccupation on this fine, sunny weekend, since I could put the fan in the window and minimize the inhalation of toxic gasses… The first kit was a Walthers Single-Track Truss Bridge Part # 933-3185. It’s a neat kit that goes together easily and didn’t cost an arm and a leg either. A quick spray with light grey primer and it’s ready for weathering. I was going to order one of those sections of track with guard rails as well as some sort of abutment before weathering the bridge. I’ll add foam ends with some scenery around the abutments so it looks the part. I want to be able to pick it up and move it on a whim… The second kit that I worked on was already assembled, but it needed paint. The Walthers Gas Storage Tank Part # 933-2907 was split down the middle last month and assembled as two kits for the background. There are extra parts for the tank in either the full or slightly full versions that allow you to build two half kits with 180° of tank. Of course when you do this the missing truss which should form a ring over the tank becomes readily apparent in certain shots!?!?! I’m toying with adding a flat truss structure, which would just be 30 thou plasticard, to provide the visual sense of something there, but we will see. The trouble is that the viewers perspective would change relative to the tank. I also squeezed in a fourth 48” double bulb fixture, which required relocating all the lights to get them to fit. Four 48" long shop lights are longer than my 16' workshop. The extra light keeps the ends as bright as the middle and generally makes photographing the sky easier. I also added a new end to “sky” at one end so that it is as high as the backdrop. I obviously had a brain fart the first time around when I made the backdrop lower on one end… Sunday 6 November 2005: The fall colors are up, but with gas prices high and already having about a zillion CSX or NS Dash 9 prototype shots I decided to stay home and work on Ardley Bridge. Kit building seemed like a good preoccupation on this fine, sunny weekend, since I could put the fan in the window and minimize the inhalation of toxic gasses_ The first kit was a Walthers Single-Track Truss Bridge Part # 933-3185. It_s a neat kit that goes together easily and didn_t cost an arm and a leg either. A quick spray with light grey primer and it_s ready for weathering. I was going to order one of those sections of track with guard rails as well as some sort of abutment before weathering the bridge. I_ll add foam ends with some scenery around the abutments so it looks the part. I want to be able to pick it up and move it on a whim_ The second kit that I worked on was already assembled, but it needed paint. The Walthers Gas Storage Tank Part # 933-2907 was split down the middle last month and assembled as two kits for the background. There are extra parts for the tank in either the full or slightly full versions that allow you to build two half kits with 180_ of tank. Of course when you do this the missing truss which should form a ring over the tank becomes readily apparent in certain shots!?!?! I_m toying with adding a flat truss structure, which would just be 30 thou plasticard, to provide the visual sense of something there, but we will see. The trouble is that the viewers perspective would change relative to the tank. I also squeezed in a fourth 48_ double bulb fixture, which required relocating all the lights to get them to fit. Four 48" long shop lights are longer than my 16' workshop. The extra light keeps the ends as bright as the middle and generally makes photographing the sky easier. I also added a new end to _sky_ at one end so that it is as high as the backdrop. I obviously had a brain fart the first time around when I made the backdrop lower on one end_

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]]> Sun Nov 6 2005 LIGHTING ARDLEY BRIDGE http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c745277.html Ardley Bridge has four double tube 48" ballasts, the plain metal shop style from the DIY store. The eight bulbs are GE F40C50 Chroma 50. Bulbs cost about $6. Each bulb emits 2200 lumens at 5K. My baseboard is 2.5 by 16 feet long or 40 square feet. 8 bulbs at 2200 lumens gives me 17,600 lumens. That's 440 lumens per square foot.... These photos show 3 of the four ballasts installed. I didn’t like the dark corners so another ballast was purchased and installed. Of course that meant all the lights had to be shifted... The lights are 24” above the baseboard. Sunday 30 October 2005: Ardley Bridge has four double tube 48" ballasts, the plain metal shop style from the DIY store. The eight bulbs are GE F40C50 Chroma 50. Bulbs cost about $6. Each bulb emits 2200 lumens at 5K. My baseboard is 2.5 by 16 feet long or 40 square feet. 8 bulbs at 2200 lumens gives me 17,600 lumens. That's 440 lumens per square foot.... These photos show 3 of the four ballasts installed. I didn_t like the dark corners so another ballast was purchased and installed. Of course that meant all the lights had to be shifted... The lights are 24_ above the baseboard.

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]]> Sun Oct 30 2005 THE BACKDROP http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c737401.html This weekend’s project was a backdrop for Ardley Bridge. I used two 4x8 foot sheets of 1/8” thick fiberboard (masonite?) from the local DIY store. The stuff is like pegboard without the holes and is fairly flexible- a prerequisite since it had to bend to follow the slope of my workshop roof. I had the DIY staff cut the sheets down to 30”- all I had to do when I got it home was trim one sheet down lengthwise to get the required 16’ long backdrop. The joint between the two halves isn’t perfect, even though it was putted, but I’ll be photo shopping out imperfections anyway, so what’s another small crack? The idea was to produce something that was basically white, implied sky when you were in the workshop, and looked the part in photos. I wanted the backdrop to fade to white at the horizon so blue was only applied to the upper half. I used a roller and some flat white house paint to get to a white starting point. Two cans of spray paint (blue and white) were then used to tweak the colors. I used the blue to apply the wispy sky poking through the overcast and ultra flat white to fix the blue when it didn’t work out the way I intended. A quick job that I believe looks the part. I white balanced the camera for the shop fluorescents for these photos, but the lighting was less than perfect. I much prefer to shoot under incandescent lighting, I’ll have to decide on a balance of lights for viewing and what I am going to use for photography. Installing lights for Ardley Bridge is going to be next week’s chore… Monday 24 October 2005: This weekend_s project was a backdrop for Ardley Bridge. I used two 4x8 foot sheets of 1/8_ thick fiberboard (masonite?) from the local DIY store. The stuff is like pegboard without the holes and is fairly flexible- a prerequisite since it had to bend to follow the slope of my workshop roof. I had the DIY staff cut the sheets down to 30_- all I had to do when I got it home was trim one sheet down lengthwise to get the required 16_ long backdrop. The joint between the two halves isn_t perfect, even though it was putted, but I_ll be photo shopping out imperfections anyway, so what_s another small crack? The idea was to produce something that was basically white, implied sky when you were in the workshop, and looked the part in photos. I wanted the backdrop to fade to white at the horizon so blue was only applied to the upper half. I used a roller and some flat white house paint to get to a white starting point. Two cans of spray paint (blue and white) were then used to tweak the colors. I used the blue to apply the wispy sky poking through the overcast and ultra flat white to fix the blue when it didn_t work out the way I intended. A quick job that I believe looks the part. I white balanced the camera for the shop fluorescents for these photos, but the lighting was less than perfect. I much prefer to shoot under incandescent lighting, I_ll have to decide on a balance of lights for viewing and what I am going to use for photography. Installing lights for Ardley Bridge is going to be next week_s chore_

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]]> Mon Oct 24 2005 ARDLEY BRIDGE HAS A HOME! http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c729192.html Bench work magically appeared in the Big Train shed over the weekend. It looks like Ardley Bridge has a home! At roughly sixteen feet by 30 inches, the new “plank” should provide ample room for a HO/OO motive power deport and photo set. The HO/OO folks are glad to have a home and wasted no time in unloading equipment and supplies from the larger 1/29 shipping containers… Sunday 16 October 2005: Bench work magically appeared in the Big Train shed over the weekend. It looks like Ardley Bridge has a home! At roughly sixteen feet by 30 inches, the new _plank_ should provide ample room for a HO/OO motive power deport and photo set. The HO/OO folks are glad to have a home and wasted no time in unloading equipment and supplies from the larger 1/29 shipping containers_

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]]> Sun Oct 16 2005 THE RED WING MILL http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c527425.html I’m supposed to be working on diesel sheds and the like, but I seem to be having a rather good time putting together non railway structures. Case in point- The Walthers’ Red Wing Milling Company. An interesting industry, it’s supposed to have a rail dock on one side and a road vehicle loading dock on the other side. The building, like many Walthers’ kits, is selectively compressed just a tad too much for my taste. I’m looking for background structures, and if I ever do build an HO/OO railway it’ll be a one sided shelf layout anyway, so no detail is needed on the backside… The back of the building was added to the front to double the length of the structure. The backside of the building is now Plexiglas spray painted flat black. I also used another piece of Plexiglas to finish the roof. Since the building covers twice the footprint of the original, there wasn’t enough of the roof to go around. The smoke stack was added to the side of the building and loading dock awning wasn’t installed- it wasn’t high enough to allow rail vehicles underneath. The two blowers on the roof don’t come with the kit- they are separate Walthers items. I don’t know that I’d want to eat anything milled in this structure. I wanted grunge, and with a liberal airbrush attack with grimy black, it’s dirty. I believe this is an industry where they stuff graphite into those little tubes for lubricating locks and such… ;~) Finally, there are a few shots of the structure with one of the Woodland Scenics repair teams onsite to give some idea of scale. The fellow next to the ladder really makes the ladder platforms look chunky. Etched parts would really be nice here, but for the $27 paid for this kit, it’s a gem. It makes a very nice 24” backdrop eh? Thursday 5 May 2005: I_m supposed to be working on diesel sheds and the like, but I seem to be having a rather good time putting together non railway structures. Case in point- The Walthers_ Red Wing Milling Company. An interesting industry, it_s supposed to have a rail dock on one side and a road vehicle loading dock on the other side. The building, like many Walthers_ kits, is selectively compressed just a tad too much for my taste. I_m looking for background structures, and if I ever do build an HO/OO railway it_ll be a one sided shelf layout anyway, so no detail is needed on the backside_ The back of the building was added to the front to double the length of the structure. The backside of the building is now Plexiglas spray painted flat black. I also used another piece of Plexiglas to finish the roof. Since the building covers twice the footprint of the original, there wasn_t enough of the roof to go around. The smoke stack was added to the side of the building and loading dock awning wasn_t installed- it wasn_t high enough to allow rail vehicles underneath. The two blowers on the roof don_t come with the kit- they are separate Walthers items. I don_t know that I_d want to eat anything milled in this structure. I wanted grunge, and with a liberal airbrush attack with grimy black, it_s dirty. I believe this is an industry where they stuff graphite into those little tubes for lubricating locks and such_ ;~) Finally, there are a few shots of the structure with one of the Woodland Scenics repair teams onsite to give some idea of scale. The fellow next to the ladder really makes the ladder platforms look chunky. Etched parts would really be nice here, but for the $27 paid for this kit, it_s a gem. It makes a very nice 24_ backdrop eh?

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]]> Thu May 5 2005 D1661 NORTH STAR http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c470303.html A 4mm Heljan Class 47 renumbered to D1661 NORTH STAR. It’s a stock Heljan offering; I replaced the windscreen wipers and added screw link couplings, and weathered her fairly heavily… This locomotive was named NORTH STAR on March 20, 1965 at Paddington. The model was completed exactly 40 years after NORTH STAR was named. Sunday 20 March 2005: A 4mm Heljan Class 47 renumbered to D1661 NORTH STAR. It_s a stock Heljan offering; I replaced the windscreen wipers and added screw link couplings, and weathered her fairly heavily_ This locomotive was named NORTH STAR on March 20, 1965 at Paddington. The model was completed exactly 40 years after NORTH STAR was named.

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]]> Sun Mar 20 2005 SWINDON “A” SHOP http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c462016.html My Walthers sugar mill turned locomotive shop is nearly completed. I decided to take a few photos to see how it looked through the camera. The camera is very unforgiving, especially when tired old eyes don’t see quite as well as they once did. For what it’s worth, the building is supposed to look something like a shop building at Swindon, that is, when there were shop buildings at Swindon… I used Polly Scale acrylic paints on the building. The orange brick is a mix of the colour mud and Seaboard Air Line Orange. I ended up using a mix of Atlantic Coast line Purple, C&O Blue, and SP Grey for the blue engineering bricks. I went back over both sets of bricks with an alternate color- tedious in the extreme. The engineering bricks have had a SP grey wash to tone done the odd darker blue C&O bricks. From the chicken pox appearance of the orange brick, I can tell it is going to need a wash too to tone down those bright Seaboard bricks, but also it’s obvious in the photos that there isn’t any mortar in between the bricks. The first two photos were taken in the backyard with a couple of shots in direct sunlight to show the colors, then the balance in the garage with natural indirect lighting. A stock Heljan Class 47 was used to show the scale of the building along with a 1/87 Preiser figure. A 3.5 mm building and figure keeping a 4 mm scale locomotive company… The building measures out at 570mm long and 80mm deep. In 4mm scale this building measures out at a respectable 143 feet long. The poor fellow standing there all alone is me- not too many 4mm modellers around these parts... Sunday 13 March 2005: My Walthers sugar mill turned locomotive shop is nearly completed. I decided to take a few photos to see how it looked through the camera. The camera is very unforgiving, especially when tired old eyes don_t see quite as well as they once did. For what it_s worth, the building is supposed to look something like a shop building at Swindon, that is, when there were shop buildings at Swindon_ I used Polly Scale acrylic paints on the building. The orange brick is a mix of the colour mud and Seaboard Air Line Orange. I ended up using a mix of Atlantic Coast line Purple, C&O Blue, and SP Grey for the blue engineering bricks. I went back over both sets of bricks with an alternate color- tedious in the extreme. The engineering bricks have had a SP grey wash to tone done the odd darker blue C&O bricks. From the chicken pox appearance of the orange brick, I can tell it is going to need a wash too to tone down those bright Seaboard bricks, but also it_s obvious in the photos that there isn_t any mortar in between the bricks. The first two photos were taken in the backyard with a couple of shots in direct sunlight to show the colors, then the balance in the garage with natural indirect lighting. A stock Heljan Class 47 was used to show the scale of the building along with a 1/87 Preiser figure. A 3.5 mm building and figure keeping a 4 mm scale locomotive company_ The building measures out at 570mm long and 80mm deep. In 4mm scale this building measures out at a respectable 143 feet long. The poor fellow standing there all alone is me- not too many 4mm modellers around these parts...

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]]> Sun Mar 13 2005 THE WORKS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c447018.html I really hate cheap and tawdry flash photography- it gets the points across though. I bought a couple of the Walther’s sugar mills. Greatland Sugar Refining- just the name is enough to send one into diabetic shock! I was attracted to the mill because the structure looks like a Victorian factory, and really to my eye looks like a pre-grouping works. The side of the building in particular reminds me of the Swindon A shop. I can’t wait to paint it in a shade of GWR engineer’s blue brick. The "kit" comes with three structures, the mill, a warehouse, a smaller shed, and a smokestack. The largest structure in the kit is ridiculously small for a large structure. I suppose that's called selective compression. Next to a modest British Rail diesel it would be dwarfed. Thus I decided to combine two of these HO kits to produce two longer one-sided buildings. I used three fronts and a side for one building; I used three sides and a front for the other building. The odd front or side was bisected to provide some depth to the one sided building. The Plexiglas backside is from the local home repair store- it’s intended to replace the glass in doors. It’s reasonably cheap and much stiffer than the walls supplied with the Walthers kits. Of course there wasn’t enough roof since I effectively doubled the square footage of the buildings. It was easy enough to find some suitable vacuum formed plastic card with shingles for the second roof. These are actually molded to represent some type of clay roof- once it’s painted grey though it’s not going to make a difference, it will look like a shingled roof. The steam shed has now been airbrushed and is shown with the Swindon A shop in the background. Once the roof has been glued down, the shed will be ready to host some grimy green diesels… Monday 21 February 2005: I really hate cheap and tawdry flash photography- it gets the points across though. I bought a couple of the Walther_s sugar mills. Greatland Sugar Refining- just the name is enough to send one into diabetic shock! I was attracted to the mill because the structure looks like a Victorian factory, and really to my eye looks like a pre-grouping works. The side of the building in particular reminds me of the Swindon A shop. I can_t wait to paint it in a shade of GWR engineer_s blue brick. The "kit" comes with three structures, the mill, a warehouse, a smaller shed, and a smokestack. The largest structure in the kit is ridiculously small for a large structure. I suppose that's called selective compression. Next to a modest British Rail diesel it would be dwarfed. Thus I decided to combine two of these HO kits to produce two longer one-sided buildings. I used three fronts and a side for one building; I used three sides and a front for the other building. The odd front or side was bisected to provide some depth to the one sided building. The Plexiglas backside is from the local home repair store- it_s intended to replace the glass in doors. It_s reasonably cheap and much stiffer than the walls supplied with the Walthers kits. Of course there wasn_t enough roof since I effectively doubled the square footage of the buildings. It was easy enough to find some suitable vacuum formed plastic card with shingles for the second roof. These are actually molded to represent some type of clay roof- once it_s painted grey though it_s not going to make a difference, it will look like a shingled roof. The steam shed has now been airbrushed and is shown with the Swindon A shop in the background. Once the roof has been glued down, the shed will be ready to host some grimy green diesels_

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]]> Mon Feb 21 2005 THE MAINTENANCE STRUCTURE http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c447001.html Some really rough and nasty flash shots to summarize the weekend’s activities. This is going to be the large diesel shop at Ardley Road MPD. It’s made from two Walthers Car Shops- I combined both kits and slightly modified them. One kit was cut down to a single story structure. The second kit was left as two stories, but I removed the upper portions of the structure’s façade to make it a bit more utilitarian. British Rail buildings tended away from the ornate… The structure, as supplied by Walthers, has small glass panes and looks like something out of the 1920’s. I wanted to update the structure and get out of painting the mullions molded onto the glass supplied by Walthers. I decided that larger panels on both the windows and the skylights would be appropriate. Instead of glass I intend on using something frosted, similar to the opaque fiberglass panels used on structures. Of course now I have to cut all the horizontal members of the skylights… This is going to be a large structure- it dwarfs the steam shed. Monday 28 February 2005: Some really rough and nasty flash shots to summarize the weekend_s activities. This is going to be the large diesel shop at Ardley Road MPD. It_s made from two Walthers Car Shops- I combined both kits and slightly modified them. One kit was cut down to a single story structure. The second kit was left as two stories, but I removed the upper portions of the structure_s fa_ade to make it a bit more utilitarian. British Rail buildings tended away from the ornate_ The structure, as supplied by Walthers, has small glass panes and looks like something out of the 1920_s. I wanted to update the structure and get out of painting the mullions molded onto the glass supplied by Walthers. I decided that larger panels on both the windows and the skylights would be appropriate. Instead of glass I intend on using something frosted, similar to the opaque fiberglass panels used on structures. Of course now I have to cut all the horizontal members of the skylights_ This is going to be a large structure- it dwarfs the steam shed.

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]]> Mon Feb 28 2005 THE SHED - SOME TRIAL SHOTS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c431331.html Walthers steam era locomotive shed, structure\'s end opened up, and painted rather gaudily! Some grimy black through the airbrush will tone things down a bit. Those bricks don\'t look so blue in real life. I wanted to be able to photograph locomotives inside the shed, and since I intend on having the shed alongside a much larger maintenance shop, I turned the backwall inside out. Now there is brick detail inside the shed and the back wall is flat and detail free. This set of photos was basically taken to see how the lights would look. Eight grain of wheat bulbs are installed in the structure. I was afraid the rats nest of wires feeding the lights would show. They do, but only a little. Sunday 13 February 2005: Walthers steam era locomotive shed, structure\'s end opened up, and painted rather gaudily! Some grimy black through the airbrush will tone things down a bit. Those bricks don\'t look so blue in real life. I wanted to be able to photograph locomotives inside the shed, and since I intend on having the shed alongside a much larger maintenance shop, I turned the backwall inside out. Now there is brick detail inside the shed and the back wall is flat and detail free. This set of photos was basically taken to see how the lights would look. Eight grain of wheat bulbs are installed in the structure. I was afraid the rats nest of wires feeding the lights would show. They do, but only a little.

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]]> Sun Feb 13 2005 PROOF OF CONCEPT PHOTOS http://ardleybridge.fotopic.net/c429693.html A couple of shots to determine whether a 2\' by 5\' baseboard is adequate for a 5-6 track HO/OO scale MPD... Tuesday 28 September 2004: A couple of shots to determine whether a 2\' by 5\' baseboard is adequate for a 5-6 track HO/OO scale MPD...

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]]> Tue Sep 28 2004