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About Me

- Chris Nevard Model Railways
- Professional Photographer, Model Maker, Writer & Pretend Musician
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Mamiya C33
Hot Tempers & Heatwaves
Here we have the local bus held at the gates at Catcott as light engine, Templecombe’s 4631, recently allocated due to that there evil Western Region taking over much of the former S&DJR trundles through.
This rather cruel closeup shows up the limits of the diecast model bus, the plastic moulded windows fitting rather crudely into the metal shell. But to be honest at normal viewing distance it looks pretty okay for a model which probably dates from 20 or 30 years ago.
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Monday 27 November 2023
Not Monochrome Monday & Goldfish Ponds
However Notebook Clive and Deliberation Dave aren’t to keen to the arrival of the colourful morning workers’ train. Knowing that locomotives with faces tend to be incredibly smug or devious, or even worse a creepy nefarious blend of the two with narcissistic ideas of being on children’s television. Meanwhile, Deliberation Dave simply thinks that the train won’t remain looking that clean for very long.
Clive consults his notebook in the hope that he has instructions on how to remove the face from the engine. Having confirmed that it’s made from fibreglass, he’s come to the conclusion that it will make a good solid waterproof liner for his new goldfish pond if placed in the ground face down.
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Saturday 25 November 2023
Time Slip Saturday - Templecombe
Templecombe station back in March 1984. It was a bit of a murky day I recall. The reason for my visit was to take some photos of the closed Somerset & Dorset line which interchanged here. This photo of a Class 50 hauled Waterloo to Exeter service slowing for the station was taken from the safety of the public foot crossing should any Nasal Nigels be having a health and safety fit. I can hear the shrill squeals of “Mummy mummy, I saw a strange man on the track” as they clutch their sticky Lima Deltics for comfort in their musty pockets.
Templecombe station closed along with the S&DJR in March 1966 as part of a master plan to get people into their cars, because much like today, those in power had their fingers in all sorts of pies only of benefit to themselves. But then in October 1983 a successful local campaign saw Templecombe reopen with the signalbox here also becoming the ticket office. That probably upset a few at The Ministry of Misery in that there London.
I’ve been messing about a lot with neg scanning recently with my 20 year old Epson and somewhat newer mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The results are great from the scanner considering its vintage, but a DSLR or mirrorless has the edge when pixel peeping - or more accurately film grain peeping. But when using a digital camera for capture of 6x6cm square negatives you only use part of the sensor, unless you want a 35mm frame shaped crop. So this shot is the result of an experiment taking two exposures filling the frame fully (one of the top part of the neg, then the other of bottom) and then using the automatic ‘Photomerge’ tool in Photoshop to assemble the image taking full advantage to the sensor size, and of course nice big negative.
Original pic taken on my late 1950s vintage Rolleicord 5a, Kodak Tri-X 400. Digitised with my Nikon Z5 and a 55mm Micro Nikkor, illuminating the neg with my film era lightbox. The neg to positive conversion, and grade happening in Photoshop.
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Wednesday 22 November 2023
Under Fiery Skies
On the left we can just see Waving Wally, brother of Waving Wayne and Waving Willy. That’s him in the cab of the Sentinel steam lorry waving at Deidre, George and the engine crew. Like his siblings, Wally has been waving nonstop ever since he was 2 minutes old.
Family mealtimes are quite messy with everything flying about due to the waving, porridge making a particular mess when it sets solid on the ceiling, making it particularly difficult to remove due to Wally, Willy and Wayne’s mother being only 4ft 2 inches tall. She’s tried to get her boys to clean up, but they just make even more of a mess.
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Tuesday 21 November 2023
Ivan’s Bentley
Ivan is a bit of a fan of celebrated above-average photographer Ivo Peters, and has just bought an almost identical Bentley to Ivo’s, but Ivan’s is not nearly as shiny. He preferring to grow stuff that he can smoke in his huge greenhouse rather than polish cars. And anyway, I imagine Ivo probably has ‘staff’ to do such menial chores. However Ivan did get Nasal Nigel to take this photo so he and his new car could feature. Don’t worry, Nigel was under strict instructions to only the press the shutter release and not touch the lens, bellows or any of the controls, including cocking the shutter - though Nigel was rather hoping he’d be allowed to do that bit
And finally, next to The Pedant & Armchair we can see love-hearts Deidre and George waiting for the pub to open. We’ve not seen so much of them recently, for they have been rather involved with each other out of the public eye.
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Monday 20 November 2023
Monochrome Monday
Saturday 18 November 2023
‘Revitalising Tonic for the Anaemic Elderly’
A lovely summer Saturday morning in August at Catcott Burtle crossing, as Waving Willy, husband of crossing keeper Daphne Dando waves the Evercreech Junction to Highbridge goods through whilst she cooks a delicious fry-up.
This turn is normally hauled by a ‘Bulldog’, the S&DJR nickname for a 3F 0-6-0 tender loco of S&DJR/Midland origin. The ‘tender’ for Class 37 fanatics, is separate to the engine and is used for carrying coal and water - not because the engine is sore and bruised because it had a fight with some buffer stops. Though that does happen from time to time if the brakes fail on the steep run down from Coombe Down Tunnel into Bath Green Park Station. Which is in Bath by the way, and quite close to a park.
Brakevan aficionados will notice the former GWR 6-wheeled brakevan still in GWR livery, this is because it’s been stuck doing the daily goods turn between Bridport and West Bay for years and years carrying shingle and pickled winkles. But having finally escaped the doldrums, will likely soon be repainted and re-numbered in that of British Railways.
You’ll notice Clive in the veranda, he’s unofficially guarding a stash of recently bottled moonshine heading for Highbridge market, it being cunningly labeled as ‘Revitalising Tonic for the Anaemic Elderly’. It will sell out within minutes, because Highbridge is not the most exciting of places.
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Friday 17 November 2023
High-Vis & Traffic Cones.
A dull misty autumn morning at Fountain Colliery - it’s Front End Friday again!
Harry the Hammer has eagerly awaited the arrival of the empty coal wagons and unreliable locomotive for hours. And of course as usual it’s almost the end of his shift. It’s always near the end of his shift as regular readers will know, irrespective of the time of day of night, or any time in between.
There will almost certainly be something he can whack with his hammer, if only to check for cracked wheels. If all the wheels are okay, he’ll simply whack harder. Sadly his parents never let him have a wooden toy toolkit as a child. He has issues.
Meanwhile high-vis Harold watches the locomotive and train grind to a halt. Note his fetching orange jacket, of which he has many, one for each day in fact. He likes anything orange, including oranges, though he’s not too keen on fruit, but he does have one of those new fangled plastic traffic cones, in florescent orange of course. Rumour has he nicked it from the new M4 motorway they’re building near Chepstow.
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Thursday 16 November 2023
Film, it’s the New Vinyl
A few weeks ago for the price of a small round of drinks on FleaBay, I picked a late 1950s Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16 from some chap reducing his collection of vintage cameras who lives on some remote island somewhere between Scotland and Iceland.
There were many variations of this camera over the years, on what is effectively a pre-war design. The one featured here has an f4.5 Nova Anastigmat 3 element design, of which the results definitely give a vintage vibe, especially to the out of focus areas away from the centre of the frame - the geeks call it ‘bokeh’, which I have to say is the most horrible term. I pronounce it ‘bokkeh’, but noticed that the posher YouTubers say ‘bouquet’ as in a bunch of flowers.
With the success and enjoyment scanning old negatives, I’ve been keen to produce some new material, and after a little lab processing and scanning from new photos taken to exercise my old Nikons and Rolleicord have decided to develop my own negatives again. The pics here being my first results since the early 1990s.
It’s rather like riding a bicycle, and of course your never forget that smell of fixer under the fingernails. And it costs a fraction if you do it yourself, though winding that first roll of 120 film onto the processing spiral did fill me with fear - but there again it did all those years ago. But I never did lose a roll.
I won’t be printing again though, I have enough old prints stuffed into envelopes in boxes that will ultimately end up in landfill I’m sure, so I’m happy to embrace ‘hybrid’ analogue/digital photography - and of course I can always get the occasional digital print made, which to my eyes look every bit as good as traditional wet prints but without blacking out windows and making a mess.

The more practical types will probably say ‘why’ when modern digital cameras if used properly yield such great results?
Why do we walk when we could drive, why do we paint a picture when we can grab a photo and pop it through a ‘painting’ app, why go to the pub rather than sit at home? For me it's the process and the journey as much as the final result. Sure modern digital photography is wonderful - I embrace it fully, I have to for the day job. But it's a very sterile process, and for me increasingly dull and possibly a little too easy. I also hate the fact that modern cameras are ultimately disposable items, with a lifespan of only a few years. Whereas a film camera, if properly looked after will last a lifetime. If not longer.
Tech.
Zeiss Nettar 75mm f4.5 Nova Anastigmat 120 folding bellows camera
Ilford HP5 plus 400, developed in D76 1+1 for 13mins.
Epson 4870, Photoshop CC 2023.
Location, Guildford UK.
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Wednesday 15 November 2023
Six Feet Under
Doug has spent the last couple of hours packing ballast under the watchful eye of Barry Bullhead, Barry being a time and motion man amongst his other more nefarious activities. But he should be careful, because Doug has the ability to put him 6 feet under without trace in under 90 seconds.
For those unfamiliar with this location, or certainly from this angle, the building to the left is the side of The Pedant & Armchair pub with the line to the right going up into Polbrook Gurney Colliery.
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Tuesday 14 November 2023
Tiddles the Fibreglass Cat
Here we have the service from Bridgwater arriving at Combwich, the Bridgwater line being former GWR (it’s confusing, I’ll dig out a map one day) usually producing a train to reflect such.
Bob Geeza Cat’s half brother, Fibreglass Tiddles surveys the scene from the comfort of the gangers’ trolley shed. He loves that spot, because the ageing felt roof is always nice and warm, even though he’s made from 60% fibreglass stuffed with crushed wood fibre insulation.
Between you and me, I’m not sure he’s a real cat, but purely a decorative ornament to keep rodents at bay, because he’s not moved from this spot for getting on for 17 years now. And of course Bob being a cheeky cat loves nothing better than a good yarn, he being a bit of a Geeza cat.
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Sunday 12 November 2023
Half a Lifetime Ago
Fresh from the time machine, taken by me when I was a cherub. The level crossing at Dunbridge Railway Station on the Romsey to Salisbury line grabbed on the 25th of June 1984. Very much an everyday scene, with motor vehicles being as interesting as the railway.
Apart from trees and of course train and cars, not too much has changed if Google Streetview is anything to go by. Those trees grow so quickly, but I suppose 40 years is actually quite a long time. But to me doesn’t feel so long ago, which is slightly worrying because I’ll have been pushing up daisies for quite some time 40 years from now, unless I have my head preserved in jar and powered by a battery as in one of those scenes in Futurama.
I’m pleased to see that the pub still trades with sadly so many being lost in recent times. It even has a skittle alley, that’s definitely a rarity in this day and age.
I’ve included a cropped in version of the main photo so the various numbers can be easily read, for I know that such gets a few of you all excited and will make your already squeaky voices go up an octave.
Friday 10 November 2023
Don’t Ask For a Tutorial
Not quite fully front end Friday.
Digging through my archive this one popped up, sorry, I can’t create a new photo everyday, I do actually have a life, contrary to what many might think who’ve never met me. But, on TV we have repeats all the time - with certainly in the UK at least ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’ and of course the entire back catalogue of 007 James Bond movies competing for the most repeated films ever on TV.
This one passed in front of my lens around 10 years ago, and is the result of messing about with the various ‘motion blur’ tools within Photoshop, of which there are many. Of course if I had a long enough powered bit of track I could do something like this for real in-camera panning with a slow shutter speed, and probably several takes. But it is what it is. And anyway the photo plank used here is only the length of a yard of Peco flexi-track, which just so happens to be a yard long, or just under a metre, whatever that is.
In Photoshop, use of ’normal’ motion blur was used for the overall image (but less in the middle), and ‘circular’ motion blur for the wheels. And of course a bit of patience working on the different areas. Don’t ask for a tutorial though, but I’m sure if you’re really interested you can find plenty of ‘how doos’ on that World Wide Web thing.
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Thursday 9 November 2023
Titfield Thunderbolt Thursday
Barry Bullhead and Terry Tuttle-Thomas Smythe are impressed by the new paint job applied to the ancient carriage - it looking just like in ’that film’.
With built in bar, comfy cushions (the bare wooden benches are very uncomfortable) and open verandas, it will almost certainty be a success drawing in fans of ‘that film’ who want to role play the characters and stars who featured in the Ealing Studios’ comedy.
Meanwhile, Colin standing over next to the engine is hoping that it won’t rain, for he struggled to get exterior gloss enamel paint in the required colours and had to resort to interior emulsion paint.
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Wednesday 8 November 2023
Polluted Pond
Tuesday 7 November 2023
Bristol 1984
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Highgrove St, Totterdown |
A few more pics from the time machine. Bristol November 1984 mostly in the Totterdown area. Almost 40 years on, many of these scenes are unrecognisable now.
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Location in Bristol unknown |
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Highgrove Street, Totterdown |
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Highgrove Street, Totterdown |
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Highgrove Street, Totterdown |
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Oxford Street, Totterdown. This is now a bakery. |
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Location unknown. Do you know where in Bristol? |
Monday 6 November 2023
Monochrome Monday
The wagon on the left has been parked up here at the colliery all weekend, after suffering a fault with one of its brakes, however it’s now been fixed by Malcolm the Mallet using a mallet of course, for that is the only tool he owns. The wagon will be attached to this train and head for Lydney shortly.
That’s Malcolm looking a little cold standing next to the offending wagon, but with his work done for today, he’ll be heading over to The Miners for a jug or three of finest whilst warming up next to the pub’s open fire.
You can buy Malcolm a beer here www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3
Saturday 4 November 2023
Gone all Titfield
Barry Bullhead and Terry Tuttle-Thomas-Smythe are keen to sell their illicit booze on the train which has a fully fitted bar, so here they are striking a deal with Colin who is a bit of a pushover. Sorted.
Deliberation Dave is eyeing up the wonderful paint job on the coach, the fetching colours being in the half price sale at Brian & Quentin’s Hardware in Bridgwater, locally known as ‘B&Q’.
And finally Hubert the conversational Latin speaking horse has been promised a ride in the brakevan. And if he clenches tightly, he should just about be able to get through the door and enjoy the journey from the veranda as he mutters “Utinam spatium mihi habeas, stricta tene, ego ingredior!”
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Wednesday 1 November 2023
Dreary Daniel and His Drewery Diesel
Really wet days can be slightly more of a challenge, especially when water and oil form a really slippery buttery emulsion which limits things to only 3 empty wagons going up. But coming down with anything up to 10 fully loaded wagons can be quite exciting, for even with the locomotive wheels locked the train will continue slide on its own. But that’s half the fun, for otherwise Daniel’s life is a little dull, he being a keen stamp collector and hobbyists tile-grouter on his days off.
In the past there was talk of building an aerial conveyor to transport the coal from the colliery to the wharf, but these days there is unlikely to be any further investment. At Polbrook Gurney Colliery the coal seams, like many of those in the Somerset coalfield are very thin, erratic and difficult to mine, so it’s likely that the colliery close soon.
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Tuesday 31 October 2023
Pumpkin Fight!
Local businessman Terry Tuttle-Thomas-Smythe has seen a business opportunity and decided to put on travelling roadshow on the back of a flatbed truck for our masked crusaders to fight thing out, with today’s choice being a pumpkin with a burning candle inside. There is is course much betting involved, with many of our regulars coming out to have a flutter for the chance of winning a few sovs.
Nasal Nigel is in prime position standing on a beer cask to give him an elevated view, for he also has really bad teeth and a fetish for wearing discarded face masks when playing with his TT gauge Flying Scotsman. What I horrible little man, his mother loves him though.
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Producing this level of drivel requires constant lubrication… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3
Monday 30 October 2023
Grab Those Multi-coloured Marker Pens Monday
No, not because I’ve run out of colour tokens, but because black and white film was used for this photograph, which unlike that digital thing all the cool cats use these days, it only gives you the option of B&W, and of course all shades of grey between. Though if you do want colour, grab that set of multi-coloured marker pens you were given as a Christmas present back in 2014 and colour your computer, mobile or tablet screen in. Or print out instead and then colour in, which will probably be better if using a shared computer in the workplace.
And today, Roger Sprocket & Deliberation Dave have been given the job of counting the number of wheels on passing trains. The wheels are only allowed to be counted once, so when there is much shunting, it can get rather confusing especially with 16 ton mineral wagons. It’s not helped today being B&W making the beaten up and rusty light grey and bauxite brown wagons look almost the same - unless you are Nasal Nigel of course.
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Sunday 29 October 2023
Pumpkin Heads
Saturday 28 October 2023
Easter Sunday 1984
No miniature stuff today, I need to put some more material together. But I’ve been busy with my day job photography, and anyway the little people are getting rather tatty. Their paintwork needs a top up after so much handling. These modern acrylic paints are less hardy than the enamel of olden times.
So today, a few more images out of my scanner from 22 April 1984, which was Easter Sunday. In those days on The Watercress Line you could wander around the engine shed at Ropley, maybe you can now, but I must admit that I’ve not been there for years. Shame on me, it’s only 30 mins away.
I was a photography student at the time, and whilst all my fellow college snappers liked their bulky all singing and dancing Mamiya and Bronika cameras, but being an old fogey even when I was a cherub, I used a late 1950s Rolleicord. You can’t swap lenses, but the package is delightfully small and lightweight, and with the 6x6 cm square negatives giving loads of scope in the darkroom for cropping or displaying square. And just having the one lens, makes you focus on what it does best rather than having too much choice - which isn’t always the best thing.
I still use this camera, albeit in a hybrid analogue / digital way, scanning the negs to about 45 MP and then doing the biz digitally which is so much more practical. Here being some of the results. Occasional digital prints are every bit as good as traditional wet prints, but without the mess.