Wither Photobucket

Alternative title: Where has that image gone?

Readers of this blog may notice that the photographs are missing from several of the pages and posts. Thus is because until relatively recently I used Photobucket to host the images used on this blog and various forums. I started to host images on the blog itself when Photobucket's interface became more and more difficult to use and ad-heavy.

Today Photobucket have informed me that they no longer allow third party websites to access my images unless I pay them $399 per year for the privilege, until I do I cannot access my account. Well no way.... that isn't happening and I view this as nothing less than extortion.

All the photos are backed up elsewhere so nothing is lost, however the process of uploading and replacing them on individual pages and posts on the blog will inevitably take some time to achieve. Forum posts will unfortunately be almost impossible to trace and replace. 

Reaction elsewhere on the Internet to this new development is of a similar level of annoyance. I don't give Photobucket very long to live with this business model.

Colin.

 

Take a Fence, a Ratty Fence - Take Two

First posted Tuesday 02/05/2017: I was lucky enough to receive the latest Graham Whistler DVD of the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway for my birthday and I couldn't help notice some seemingly portable fencing between the platform lines at Ravenglass station. Further research finds pictures of this fencing in use at both Ravenglass and Irton Road stations.

This picture proved particularly useful as it clearly shows how the posts are separate to the panels, the details of the posts and how it fits together.

I figured that I could quickly put together a couple of panels from a leftover piece of the Parkside Dundas fencing used on both 'Shifting Sands' and in cut-down form on the diorama 'The Path to...'. The length used here was destined for that project but had unfortunately snapped during construction.

The posts are simply constructed from Evergreen styrene strip and as an added detail I split Grandt Line rail joiners in two to create a representation of the metalwork.

I have assembled one panel with two legs, the other with one. To aid holding during painting and to strengthen the future central joint 0.5mm wire has been inserted in the top and bottom rails - so at this stage it cannot be fully assembled as the wires are over-length!

This has proved a very quick Bank Holiday project. The paintshop awaits...

Take Two - update 25/06/2017: The paintshop finally did it's stuff almost two months later, the method of painting something of a trial. Over grey primer I have applied a dark grey wash, followed by a mid-brown wash. Once dry this was dry brushed in a wood shade, a further wash in the light wood shade, then a touch of green dry brushed up from the bottom, and a final lighter dry brush to highlight the edges.

I am happy with the result as un-cared for timber, without the fun and games of using full thickness acrylic paint to paint all the slats and edges!

Colin

When the mainstream met modelling miniature railways

I received a couple of messages last Friday night to the effect that the new edition of ModelRail magazine (no. 236) contained an article by Paul Lunn suggesting the modelling of 15" (or thereabouts) railways.

 

Having purchased a copy the article within has ideas based on Dungeness, Cleethorpes (Lakeside) and a room-filling Fairbourne. As is usual with Paul's plans, the presentation of them is well thought through with an equal dose of compromise and practicality. 

Looking closely at the plans there are a few pieces of artistic license, but that is typical of many plans published in the mainstream press, with track spacing, turnout length and curve radii the usual suspects.

Naturally I am quite taken with the Cleethorpes plan, despite it being a solid 8' x 3' lump. It could certainly be made to work, I recall making a plan for this part of the railway (in terminus form) myself in a length only slightly shorter.

One of my contacts did make the comment that no attempt is made to identify what locomotives or rolling stock could be used, maybe in part 2 we shall get some suggestions, though based on previous content in the magazine I suspect we may see a Farish diesel with a hole cut in the roof at some point.

I was only observing to someone at the Hull Summer Show last weekend that it was probably easier now to recreate a miniature railway in O9 now than ever before. Take your pick of quality N gauge steam loco, open up a driver's seat in the tender and build up some of Roger Chiver's plastic coach kits...

Colin 

Ravenglass Visitors

Just a few pictures of 'Shifting Sands' from the Hull club's Summer Show in their HQ building. We were lined up with the two other narrow gauge layouts, 'Moorton Bottom Yard' and 'Mill Lane', giving the public a taste of O9, 009 and O-16.5.

We entertained a couple of visiting locomotives from Peter Leadley of the Clee Valley Railway. Here the N-Drive 'Katie' gives a demonstration of Estate railway motive power past and future with my own 'St Edwin':

The eagle eyed will see that 'Katie' is posed with something suitably Ratty....one of Roger Chivers' Theakston wagons:

 

'Bonnie Dundee' had a good run around the layout too, but due to coupling compatibility issues couldn't actually pull anything.

The opportunity was taken to recreate an image that I took of the real 'Bonnie Dundee' and 'Flower of the Forest' at Cleethorpes last year:

The club sales stand wielded a couple of 50p bargains that may find their way onto future projects and I picked up a scenic detail for the "other scale" from the trader present, Caistor Loco.

My thanks to the Hull club for the invite, I understand it is the first time they have invited a layout from outside the club to the Summer Show, we're honoured!

Colin