Eye Eye!

nevard_090728_cement-ext_IMG_5259_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

At Cement Quay's last outing back in January it became obvious that operationally the layout could be a little more interesting if another fiddle yard was added to the right hand side. Sidings and headshunts on the right were originally designed with this in mind. Almost 3 years on and I have started to put this into action. The nice folk at Wycrail (the layout's next out in November) have very kindly granted me the extra space, so, as not to disappoint I though I'd better start.

Rather than simply add another fiddle yard, I might as well run something scenic along the front (quarry and further wharfage), this will make the existing 5'6 now 9ft.

Bespoke Motive Power for the Quay

nevard_090722_cement-20168_DSC_5349_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Pete Harvey's LaFarge modified Bachmann class 20 as featured in Hornby Magazine December 2007.

'm very happy to now have this locomotive in my ownership - cheers Pete, thanks for offreing it to me! Here she is propelling a short rake of cement PCAs along the wharf at Cement Quay.

New Life in the Old Dog

ChrisNevards4F_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

I've had this old tender drive Airfix 4F for quarter of a century, and for most of that time it has been in desparately need of a proper loco-drive chassis.

Being seriously crap when it comes to chassis construction (being far happier with track, buildings and scenics) so thought I'd treat myself to the skills of an expert in this field. As a birthday and christmas pressie to me, local loco building guru Phil Hall built and added a Comet chassie to the old dog. It really is the dog's danglies with full compensation, all wheel pick up etc - runs a dream. Phil has left me to do it up, paint and weather the loco - that's the bit I enjoy.

The odd missing bit under the boiler has be filled in by Phil. The splashers do look a little big here, building a new kit body would probably be easier than replacing them, so it ain't going to happen.

Pic courtesy Philip Hall

July '09 Hornby Magazine - shameless plug....

OK, I admit, this one really is a little self indulgent, July Hornby Magazine is Catcott Burtle's first proper editorial debut so I am going to give it a shameless plug along with the mag in general!

Below, excerpt from the Hornby Magazine website...

Editorial

This is Hornby Magazine’s 25th issue. Mike Wild looks back and forward to what’s in store for future issues.

Update
Latest shots of Bachmann’s ‘3MT’ 2-6-2T, Ixion recasts ‘Manor’, and Mike Wild reviews the Bristol exhibition of May 1-3.

Exhibition preview
A preview of Hartlepool Model Rail Group’s exhibition on July 11-12, sponsored by Hornby Magazine.

Catcott Burtle
Chris Nevard’s stunning ‘might have been’ take on part of the Somerset & Dorset shows just how much atmosphere can be squeezed into a small layout.

Parkers Guide
In the first of a new series tackling rolling stock kit building, Phil Parker builds two different mineral wagons and shows how he did it in step-by-step guides.

Scenes from Life
Coal merchants were common sights at many goods yards all over Britain. James Lavery builds a typical facility and shows how to create a realistic cobbled yard surface.

Digital Command Control
Hornby’s Select controller is a tempting proposition to add to an existing set-up. Ian Morton looks at how to make the most of multi-controller operation using Hornby’s DCC system.

The Melbridge Box Company
Phil Parker proves size doesn’t matter with his fascinating ‘OO’ scale layout – built in two A4 box files!

Taking stock
Cases for storing and transporting rolling stock can be expensive, but Chris Nevard shows that an A4 box file can also be converted into a cheap and effective carrier.

Favourite models
One of the longest-lived and most popular models ever is Triang’s ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T. Evan Green-Hughes looks at the history and development of this iconic model.

Hornby Post
A bumper Hornby Post with views on everything from electrics to the Underground.

Garrochburn
Mike Bisset’s loft layout takes us to South-West Scotland and the rarely-modelled ex-GSWR lines, which saw an extraordinary variety of traction.

Smallbrook’s LSWR brake van
Looking for a different vehicle to bring up the rear of a goods train? Chris Nevard has the answer with this delightful 10-ton brake van kit from Smallbrook Studios.

Basic Electrics
Ian Morton looks at how working colour light signals can be installed painlessly on layouts ranging from the steam era to the present day.

Reviews
Major releases this month include Dapol’s stunning ‘N’ gauge Class 156 DMU and Mk 3 coaches, as well as the month’s other new models.

Reality Check
To mark the release of Dapol’s Class 156 DMU, Evan Green-Hughes examines the design, operation and detail of these popular workhorses.

Tan-y-Bwlch
The Festiniog Railway in Wales has an atmosphere all of its own and was Britain’s first preserved railway. Angus Watkins explains his fascination with the railway and how he built this ‘OO9’ scale layout.

The Clinic
Hornby Magazine’s modelling doctors answer queries from this month’s patients.

Staff Projects
Bay Street Mk II was ready, but how did its debut at the Bristol show go? Mike Wild reveals all.

Railway Realism
Locomotive sheds were vital features of the steam age but few were identical. Evan Green-Hughes investigates how they operated and what should be included on a model.

Show guide
With Summer looming, Hornby Magazine presents its definitive guide to what’s on over the coming months.

Just a Pipe Dream

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A SPOOF!!! The result of too much time messing about in Photoshop and just an idle 'what if' bit of fun that would never survive in the real world . . . . .

We are lucky to be very well catered for with excellent model railway magazines in the UK, however this creative spurt of computer graphics has made me ponder my ideal magazine if I was to win the lottery ('cos there's no other way it would survive I guess).

My ficticious title 'Creative Model Railways' would concentrate very much on making things and pushing the boundaries to higher levels of realism than generally seen to date, whilst taking a more balanced approach to modelling the whole railway scene rather than concentrating on stock and track. The influence would be the likes of the delightful Voie Libre and Narrow Gauge & Industrial Review, two magazines that highlight only the very best and the innovative.

Reviews of general new products from the big manufacturers would not feature, after all they're already covered very well by the big four UK mags. I would however like to showcase the small suppliers and 'men in sheds' working in brass, white metal and resin not seen anywhere else in print.

Occasional 'How to' features would be aimed at showing modellers how to achieve advanced levels of realism from people highly qualified in their respective fields - with no snobbery! I've often felt that the higher up the ladder one goes, the more stuffy, cliquey, elderly and elitist things get - fun definately being very low in priority. Design would be friendly, full colour, bold, stylish and of course be printed on fabulous paper with top end repro! The stuffy old B&W only guard would hate it!

Then there would be the layouts, no filler tat at all, zilch! My focus given the choice, would be the smaller homegrown projects which are generally the creation of a single model maker (things designed by committee are never as good?). The magazine would not be era, gauge, scale or even country specific - but everything would need to inspire!!

It would not make a penny of course - but it wouldn't need to, it's just my pipe dream!

Back the Future!

nevard_090503_catcott-37422_IMG_4631c_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

A spotter’s dream as 37422 ‘Cardiff Canton’ rumbles past the fledgling heritage centre at Catcott Burtle with the thrice weekly Bicester to Burrowbridge MOD working.

Another dose of old tosh, in a vague attempt to justifiy a 2009 working on a 1950’s layout! I guess a FGW liveried Class 153 would look the part too? Imagine if the S&D had remained open as far as Glastonbury from Highbridge? Mid June would bring ‘Glasto’ charters of revellers from far and wide… we can dream on - that’s half the fun of this model train malarkey I guess!

Burrowbridge is a little known (imaginary actually) military establishment bought to the fore by fellow S&DJR modeller Tim Maddock’s Burrowbridge project a few miles south of Glastonbury. Take a look at Tim’s other work if you have time, it will be well worth it.

Trundling along the Nydon

The bull: Trundling along the Nydon, a Morris Minor Traveller and the crossing at Catcott made a good subject for the photographer to test out his new 200mm Pentax Takumar telephoto lens mounted on his brand new and very fangled Pentax Spotmatic!

Reality: This afternoon it dawned on me that RAILEX is only 3 weeks away and that there’s still a bit of extra work to do on Catcott.

The warning signs are new, well actually borrowed from Combwich - they’re etched brass. Also a couple of areas missing fencing was addressed using bespoke Tim Maddocks’ mesh from last year’s RM Web jolly in Somerset (I’m not ruling out 2010 for Catcott if the event is repeated). The horizontal rodding on the bridge was replaced with brass - the previous plastic ones kept being broken due to resting cameras! All much tougher now! This shot is straight out of the camera under the layout’s own lighting.

Click on the image above to enlarge!

Just like a model railway?

Left: Seen through distorted tinted windows from the 'Big Sleep Hotel' a 153 heads over Queen St South Junction heading for Cardiff Bay on Sunday 19 April 2009.

Click to enlarge.

It's not often one gets an inspiring view from a cheapo faceless 'eurohotel', but for once the view out of the window of this Cardiff hotel was quite impressive with views in both directions of Queen St South Junction. The only drawback for me were the tinted wondows that didn't open! The tinting also had a slightly rippled effect making photography difficult and then there was the refection of the curtains onto the glass. The harzard of a converted office block I guess! Now, imagine the same view just quarter of a century ago with class 37 hauled coal trains, or wind the clock back even further to the days of steam!

The first shot would make a cracking watch the trains go by kind of layout don't you think?


Right: 143607 heads a Cardiff Central bound service away from Cardiff Queen Street Saturday 18 April 2009.

Click to enlarge.

Catcott Road Show

Catcott Burtle will hit the road for its first ever 2 day show on the weekend on 23 and 24 May 2009 at the highly regarded RAILEX in Aylesbury.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium

Harvey Road

Aylesbury

Bucks, HP21 9PP

Saturday 23rd May 10.30-5.30

Sunday 24th May 10.00-5.00

Adults £6.50, Senior £6.00, Children £4.00

Sunday only - up to 2 children admitted free with an accompanying paying adult or senior.

See you there!

Model train pic tip

This snap hopefully shows that you don’t need a pukka studio to get half decent stock shots of our pride and joys.

Here’s how the recent shot of the 14xx was made up - nothing clever, just some nice afternoon light coming in through the window. The scenic track and base was knocked up in an afternoon from some spare Silfor grass matting and some foam board for a recent job I did. It’s since proven really useful for casual snaps like this where I don’t want to use a layout as a backdrop.

The camera was placed on the tiny beanbag in the foreground and fired off with the self timer. The kitchen foil was there to bounce a little light back into the shadows.

Tip: The CAMRA Good Beer Guide is ideal to rest the foil against. Any other solid ale or train related book will be perfect too;-) A pint glass could be yet another option…. The reason for being on the floor was due to the best light being down that low, not the effect of too much ale!

The ’sky’ background, which is best if kept remote from the scenic base, is just a large print of clouds stuck to some foamboard. Keeping it separate allows it to be positioned accordingly to allow it to fill the frame fully. If it was fixed, for 3/4 angle shots of stock I’d run out of sky if it was fixed parallel to the rear of the scenic base. Another option would be to take the whole caboodle outside and use a real background or sky of course! Ok, I admit, the smoke is fake, that's done using the 'clouds filter' in Photoshop.

Quicky Brickie Effect!

We all like a quick fix - here's a new one, well to me at least!

Cheap coloured pencils from the supermarket were used to add variety and relief to what what previously a drab all over 'brick colour' on this Artitec resin kit. No need to be too accurate colouring each brick individually, that would look too contrived and cartoony. It works quite well on the paintwork too for peeling faded paint. Click on the image to enlarge!

Of course you can do this with paint, though this is alot quicker and will probably save you having to buy lots of extra tins of paint. Just seal in the finished job with matt aerosol like Krylon or Testors.

This project which is part of my Somerset Coal field inspired micro will feature in greater detail later this year in Hornby Magazine.

A Titfield/Marlow Donkey 1980’s find in the garage!

Back in 1982 I bought this little loco, I recall back then this highly regarded little Airfix 14xx was right there at the cutting edge of ready to run manufacturing. Airfix at the time more well known for its ancient plastic kits and 1/72nd scale model aeroplanes, for the early 1980’s was the era of self coloured plastic and missing flanges for anything that had more than 4 wheels.

I renumbered this pretty little locomotive as 1451, why this particular number I have no idea, but I guess through looking at the etched replacement plates on the cabsides, that the number was simple available from one of the ‘men in sheds’ manufacturers that tickled my fancy at the time. I recall the weathering, was something I was very proud of, for back in the early 1980's people didn't tend to do such things other than maybe splash a dose of 'dirty thinners' over everything – though even that was frowned upon by the mildew ridden, adenoidal thermos touting brigade!

I rediscovered this little locomotive last night whilst having a rummage through the garage looking for some stock to use for a shoot I’m doing for Catcott Burtle. The loco hasn’t run in years (20 plus I guess), with the sparks and ozone emitted from it when some volts passed through its heavy flanges suggested a generation of storage in various dank locations was not to going provide the phoenix I had hoped! Hopefully you’ll forgive the missing couplings and ground in dust!

Preservation - no guarantee

I have just heard that 20119 was sent to Booths in February and has since been broken up. A sober message, in that we need to be aware that just because an engine has been saved from the cutter's torch and placed into preservation that in itself is no guarentee of its future. http://trainstoday.fotopic.net/p56827264.html




The Balony: Back in 1985, this was the scene as the wind whistled through the recently stripped down head gear as ‘chopper’ 20119 trundled past with a few empty open 16 tonners. These wagons would soon go the same way as the mining industry as imported coal loaded into high capacity wagons would change the look of the British coal train forever.





The Model: 20119 which until recently was preserved at Barrow Hill (see above) is a renumbered, painted and weathered Bachmann Class 20 using dry brush techniques, glass fibre brush and washes. The wagons are much the same – also from Bachmann. The headstock is a Hornby Skaledale one, a gift in exchange for some scenic work on another layout. This structure is likely to be modified and incorporated into a stone structure which will form part of a North Somerset Coal mining themed layout which is currently at the planning stage.

Moment in Time

Click on the image to enlarge if you like…

The old bull: Captured here on early Ektachrome (with the characteristic blue bias) on the photographer’s Ilford Sportsman, we find Catcott Burtle (Crossing) in the mid 1960’s, and the preservationists have just moved in with an ex 2ft 6in gauge Cyprus Government Railway locomotive. Much effort has been spent beefing the line up to avoid this locomotive sinking into the bog - for it’s not that far off the size of a standard gauge locomotive! Many peat railways in the area only used lightweight Listers and Rustons, so it looks like they have their work cut out!
The real bit: Of course the above is only fiction, though Catcott Crossing did actually exist (the crossing keeper’s cottage still does, albeit hugely extended in recent years) it never had a peat railway (the peat deposits were a mile or two east of here) or any sidings. That parallel universe and pair of rose tinted bifocals are great things!
The dusty foreground around the siding was achieved with Humbrol Dry Clay by simply packing it in around the C&L track, then slapping some paint on it. To represent windswept dusty old cinder ballast I’ve tried plaster in the past, but that tends to go everywhere it shouldn’t - dry clay is a much easier option! Grass is a mix of Silfor Long Winter Pasture, hanging basket liner and Noch Static Grass applied with a Grasmaster.

The backscene is an enormous photographic print made up from several snaps taken in the actual the area. I then merged them together in Photoshop and got the result printed onto sticky backed plastic which in turn was sprayed with Testors Dullcote to kill the sheen. A doddle to be honest, and alot better than anything I could dream of painting! The scale? OO.

The summer of '74

The summer of '74 which was not a good summer weather wise I recall, however on one of the better days in late August, D1010 Western Campaigner was captured between duties with a rake of Presflos on the overgrown sidings of Cement Quay in Gloucestershire.

This this era of the long haired bank clerk, itchy shirts and bell bottomed trousers, and Britain's railways were very much trying to standardize and remove any trace of the former steam era that had only finished less than a decade before. Curiously many of the locomotives that were hastily bought in to replace steam were now in turn being replaced due to many of the designs being flawed in the rush to push out the old guard.

The reality; a renumbered and weathered Heljan Western, sits on the front of an ancient set of Presflos made up from Airfix kits. These were probably built when the real Western Campaigner was still running in revenue earning service, they really are starting to look dated when viewed this close.

The hairy bits are a right old mixture of Silfor Winter Pasture, hanging basket liner and Noch Static grass applied with a Grasmaster. The structures are a mix of hacked about Pikestuff, mutilated Walthers Cornerstone kits and scratch built.

This is Cement Quay, my 'modern image' cement shunting plank. Click on the image to enlarge!

Some favourite pictures from 2007 & 2008

Right: Classic 'S&D' on Wouldham Town

In a bit of blatant self promotion, a selection of some of my favourite images from model railway photographic commissions during 2007 and 2008 capturing some of the stunning layouts we are so lucky to be able to enjoy in the UK.

The picture to the right of Cobdown MRC's OO gauge 'Wouldham Town' is probably my favourite to date, it being inspired by the work of the late Ivo Peters the well known S&D's 'own photographer' of the 1950's & 60's.

The full collection of edited highlights can be seen here http://nevardmedia5.fotopic.net/c1672496.html

Another angle of the old duck...

nevard_090311_catcott-43017_IMG_4120c_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Follwing on from the previous post, another angle of the old heap.....
I may add the Brassmaster's pony truck and Gibson pony wheel set, though having looked at the fret on their website I might build another layout in the time it would take for me to fathom it out. I can see why George Dent in Model Rail did his hybrid conversion - and unlike me he knows what he's doing!

Mucky Duck - Muckied Up!

nevard_090311_catcott-43017_IMG_4112_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

OK, here we go, most mornings after breakfast during the week I fibreglass pen'd off more lining and numbers etc (should have bought a plain black LMS liveried one - duh!). Renumbered as Bath Shed's 43017 (was there from 1950-53) and drybrushed on grime with enamels and washed of black and beige matt emulsion. All was sealed in Krylon Matte (which still gives a light sheen - like grease?). Just screw couplings, crew and pipes to add.

These were shot under Catcott's new flu/energy saver mix lighting (the same as Cement Quay) which I'm quite pleased with (flu's were too cold, energy savers too warm - this strikes a balance).

Mucky Duck!

nevard_090307_ivatt_4mt_IMG_4106_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

On the workbench, a Bachmann Ivatt 2-6-0 4MT. Here it is in 'out of the box' condition, but with the tender gap closed right up as tight as I dare (it only has to get around B8 pointwork). To achieve this I had to drill an additional hole through the connecting bar, then cut and shove the doors at 60 deg as per George Dent's excellent article in March '09 Model Rail Magazine. The next job will be to strip the lining off, spray plain black and renumber as Bath Green Park's 43017. The 'Lion on the wheel' logo will be replaced with 'BRITISH RAILWAYS' in cream Gill Sans. Then of course the engine will be weathered.

Apart from the faux clag in one of the shots, this was simply taken on my 'stock plinth' against an A2 sized sky print with soft sunlight coming through the living room window.

Tornado Tastic!

nevard_090214_lyne_tornado_DSC_3605_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

I've never seen so many people out for a steam special ever in all my years of snapping train - which is about 30 years. Maybe the end of steam in 1968 bought out more people?

No. 60163 'Tornado', the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust's brand new steam locomotive, is captured here blasting up the grade at Lyne near Virginia Water with Steam Dreams 'Valentine's Day Special' circular tour from Waterloo Victoria on a beautiful crisp Saturday 14 February 2009.

The 'tech' for those that like that sort of thing:

Nikon D200, Nikkor 85mm f2 Ais. 1/800 @ f4. 100 iso captured in RAW.

Bath's Finest 5

Bath Green Park's 45440 propels a short rake of Dogfish ballast hoppers into the siding at Catcott in preparation for engineering work at the weekend.

Here's the Black Five renumbered as Bath Shed's 45440 - it needs proper weathering (So far it's only had an inital airbrush of matt varnish mixed with browny grey, further detail to follow) and a proper close coupling (the one that comes with the loco has simply been uncrewed for these quick grabbed snaps). Lights, crew? In due course. The driver and fireman are swinging off the far side running board looking for the missing lamps - well, that's my excuse for the time being. Clever that snapper, for three of these shots he managed to get three differing angles of the consist all at the same time

Pond Life

To try to give the water in the drain that runs along the front of Catcott Burtle that more static look of an old canal, a dash of paint here and there has been applied to give the effect of water lilys. Pictures of the old Glastonbury Canal, drains and nearby rhynes show these little green floating platforms favoured by sunbathing toads (well, in childrens' stories anyway) to be prolific on the Somerset Levels.

To achieve the effect here, first the canal bed was painted a greyish brown colour (any old paint will do). Next, 2 layers of PVA white glue, then when set the lilys were painted on with acrylic using 3 different shades. To finish off, the whole lot was given a thin layer of clear gloss varnish.

Things Go Lafarge at the Burtle

nevard_090201_catcott_20168_IMG_3838_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

With Driver P Harvey in charge, La Farge's resident Hope Cement Works based Class 20, No 168 on the 21st of August 2112 is captured here during a rare run out onto the mainline with a Moorswater to Hope working as it passes through the 'heritage' Catcott Crossing. This little known halt was converted back to its 1958 condition as a result of a recent RM Web member's lottery win

The obese generation - do they treat their 'hobbies' the same?

On RM Web there's a thread running which is querying the cost of ready to run items from a well known British model railway manufacturer. It sadly very much reflects in my opinion they way the hobby has evolved in recent times, with people not wanting to make anything, but acting simply like that spoilt, greedy, obese child on Christmas day. All they want to do is buy, buy, buy and have one of everything - I thought the hobby was about making things, not a stock buying marathon? Then, they moan that it is an expensive hobby!

This hobby can be a very cheap one if we take an old fashioned creative approach - you know, the unfashionable one which means it might not happen immediatly because we have to make it without 'F' functions, a mouse and a keyboard - and heaven forbid no CRTL Z if you mess it up!

Trains are however only a tiny part of the railway scene, buildings and lineside details etc, can with some easily learnt skills and patience be built for pennies. The most important bit is imagination and creativity - and hey, guess what - that bit's free!

Something which from Scaledale or such which may cost £20-30 can frequently be scratchbuilt built for well under a fiver using plastic sheet, cardboard and such. I have nothing against this new bread of 'ready to run buildings', they do have their place (I have plans to incorporate one into a new project), but increasingly people forget that they're not the only option in this 'I want it now pay later' society.

The old pub here was made entirely from junkmail leaflets, cornflake packets etc. The planking was printer paper, the stove pipe is a length of plastic sprue from an old kit and the chimney pots from rolled up paper. I did splash out on some micro strip for the windows, though to be honest self adhesive paper labels stuck onto some clear packaging would be just as effective - if not better. Total cost? A guess about £2.00! Oh yes, research was free, that was from the local history section of the local library!

OK, back to the all important trains; as for the cost of modern RTR, in real terms they're a fraction of the cost of what would have been similar items 20 or 30 years ago. We should stick some of these moaners into a time machine and send them back in time, they'd soon really have something to moan about with the then low quality (compared to now) and high price which was the downside of pre Chinese manufacturing. They'd probably have to 'save up' their money too, for in those super high interest days, credit cards were only for the idle rich and business users who'd pay them off fully at the end of the month.