You’ll note a new page on the blog, this is to cover the larger layout project, the post below is the first page entry. Today’s been an interesting day having the privilege of watching Chris Nevard http://nevardmedia take pictures of Bawdsey http://bawdsey and Wharfedale Road for forthcoming magazine articles. It made a change to dig out Bawdsey and run it for pleasure over the past day or two before the more serious photography of today. It is a nice layout to operate and can be very absorbing, but still doesn’t have that total immersion that I can imagine the likes of operating Buckingham and Yaxbury http://www.s-scale.org.uk give.
This page will ( I hope) cover some of the steps as I try to capture the Forest of Dean on a larger scale in terms of layout size, than I have done previously. Some entries may have appeared on other parts of the blog, this being the ‘project page’, but will all have a common theme, a link to the ‘Severn and Dean’ scheme.
Equipment Portraits No.1
Taking a leaf out of Trevor Marshalls excellent blog http://themodelrailwayshow. I’ll put up a few pictures of the motive power and stock that’ll run on the Severn and Dean system. I’ve often been asked what I’ve done to items and this seems as good a way as any to show them. This isn’t a ‘look what I’ve got’ post or page, judging by postings on various fora I’ll very much be in the ‘poor relation’ category! The motive power I’ve selected are all taken from images of the Forest of Dean from the mid 1950′s through to close of steam, so the engine will have been seen in the Forest area. Depending on original images the option of early or late crest BR logo is sometimes difficult to determine, and there are one or two ‘it’s my trainset’ locomotives included. Those however do have a logical ‘what if’ possibility.
‘Large’ Pannier
97xx 9711
So the first one up is British Rail (BR), Western Region (WR), ‘large’ 97xx pannier 9711. The origin is a OO Bachmann model, a simple number change, rear cab doors opened, etched details of lamp brackets, fire irons and bucket. Shawplan laser cut glazing added. Weathering is a mix of high quality artists pastels and Tamiya acrylic military colours airbrushed. Mig pigments are also used for detailing and for washes. The idea being to get an well used ‘in use’ look, without the shocking state stock and locos reached at the end of British Rails steam era.
BR/WR 97xx 9711
The modifications I do are rarely difficult or time consuming, I’m a believer that a little and often approach can give big leaps forward in any project and some of these modifications appear here http://albionyardfifteen-minute-heroes/ Screw couplings and three/instanter link are my preference, as these are the most realistic looking. For practical purposes I use couplings which are slightly over scale, but compared to Kadee or UK tension lock couplings the visual improvement is huge. It does give me operating restrictions though, curve radii is pretty much a minimum of 36 inches, so careful planning of layouts is required. This means that sometimes I can’t do things I’d like, but that comes with the choice and territory of prototype couplings.
Part one of the project is under way, I’ve been offered and accepted an exhibition slot next year for ‘something’. Better take my own advice and get on with some modelling ….
