7mm Layouts and Dioramas by Stephen Fay, including Pontycwm, Newton Mills and St Stephens Bank

Compton castle

Compton castle

Western Thunderer
B7E97782-5CAD-48DD-B60A-EF0F4A65206D.jpeg All go on the new coaling stage project, Intentio Pit in and railed up plus the first track going down, front road will have a long pit installed before the track is fixed.
I picked up two lengths of Peco for the rear road from the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway shop along with a box van yesterday, I did respace the first 8” to match the C&L track as it’s visible but the rest is hidden behind the coaling stage and the ramp! Plus some laser cut sleepers in place for the Ragstone buffer stop. Polystyrene added in the corner.
 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I'd not leave that number plate there, Steve. Someone'll nick it! And probably the chimneys too, if they have pockets big enough.

Actually, in to the late '50s or even early '60s it wasn't unusual to find number plates simply laying around the various loco works. Someone in the railway executive obviously had a moment of blinding realisation when they recognised that such things were being "disappeared". Quite how one smuggled a nameplate out of works I don't know but it was happening and out of depots too, hence the removal of plates before they found a new nefarious home.

Having spent many hours in sheds as steam wound down I can quite see how it would be possible unbolt and "reallocate" a number plate, but I still wonder how those name plates were smuggled away. Of course, I'd never have dreamt of doing anything like that.

Brian
 
Compton castle

Compton castle

Western Thunderer
Hi Brian
My dad has told me a few stories about the name and number plates that would be stacked up on Pontypool road shed and that he was allowed to take some but his mum wouldn’t allow it !!
They would be put in a box van and be sent off to Swindon. I think a few spotters on the bridge eyeing up how to get down and swipe that plate would be good.
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
At the time of the early 1960's, mass hysteria for old buses and steam locos had not yet taken off and so it was considered odd if you expressed an interest in owning a name or number plate. I would never have wanted a number plate off a steam loco even though I loved the job, but working on the buses afterwards was different. I wanted a 'Crossley' radiator badge off a dumped DD42 bus, but despite promises, but all I got was a brass Crossley body builders plate off the stairdase and a painted panel off a pre-war bus. A colleage of mine was far more diligent and took home all sorts of things including destination blinds and even a whole bus!
 
Compton castle

Compton castle

Western Thunderer
Back at Sonning and the trees continue to grow, a pair of spruce from GModelScene along with some flowering bushes in amongst the grass. These have been added on all 3 scenic sections. I’ve ordered 2 30 to 40 cm MBR trees to fill in the back on this section and if their smaller trees are anything to go by they should be superb.54DD5C9F-1963-4DDC-A614-C57439F759DD.jpeg 401A6AC5-193A-4CDC-A6EA-C0D41DF7470F.jpeg 6C5E980C-9D19-4C82-A7C3-15FE9EF1DC57.jpeg
 
LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
You're a mighty busy fellow Steve and things are really moving on at a pace. The joint at the brick/stone wall needs some attention. Have you got a prototype picture to go off? Also a dead matt finish is required. Now this isn't easy using available matt varnishes from what I've found.
 
Compton castle

Compton castle

Western Thunderer
I’ve not but I drive past the wall that inspired this quite often, I do need to fill the gaps,
I’ll probably use decorating filler and paint it.
I’ve been trying to get hold of testors Dullcote as this is superb Matt spray but it’s really difficult to obtain now in the UK, I use humbrol Matt 33 for a lot of weathering and will be adding powder as well which should dull things down a bit more
 
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