Here we go again with yet more EU regulations, those of you who use blogger will no doubt have been sent this message.
" European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.
As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies.
You are responsible for confirming that this notice actually works for your blog and that it is displayed. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third-party features, this notice may not work for you. Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities."
To the best of my knowledge the notice works or did earlier today but to be honest I'm sick and tired of all these rules and regulations which are now being forced upon us, so what the future holds for this blog remains to be seen.
Getting back to modelling, for the last couple of weeks I've slowly been adding some small bits and pieces to bring the layout to life. Top of the list were some platform lamps, not those expensive things that glow in the dark or the ornate Dart Castings types nice as they are. Instead I was hoping to find something like the lamps in the photo below which adorn the platforms at Llangollen. Had I modelled in 7mm scale then my prayers would have been answered because Peco produce an almost identical lamp. If only they produced one to the same standard in 4mm rather than the old re branded Merit offering which must be almost the same age as myself and by golly that is old! Nevertheless I took a look at the old lamps which are now marketed under Peco's Modelscene range label but decided to pass them by.
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The photos here were taken a few days before the recent Llangollen steam gala weekend when ex GWR large Prairie 5199 was on duty and being prepared for the last train of the day to Corwen. I can't say that I'm a fan of these large tanks but that didn't stop me from making a short video which I did intend uploading here on the blog at some point.
![]()
Anyway returning to the lamps, during the seventies a host of useful detailing bits appeared at regular intervals and I remember the late editor of the Railway Modeller, Cyril Freezer, advising modellers to stock up whilst they could. Amongst the products that Cyril reviewed were some rather nice castings by the well known modeller and former editor of railway magazines both prototype and model Chris Leigh. In true cottage industry style Chris produced a range of castings for his own use which he made available to all and sundry, they ranged from DEMU cab fronts to some lovely station canopy brackets and even some GWR platform gas lamps, I purchased a set of the latter and used them on my last excursion into the world of '00' finescale. As you will by now know I hate throwing things away and I was pretty sure I had saved the lamps for previous use but where I had stored them was open to question. Eventually I stumbled across them and decided to see if I could do anything with them, what follows is yet another example of make do and mend or is it a classic case of bodging?
![]()
The original Chris Leigh casting is seen on the left, the post being of a tapered hexagonal section which I didn't care for, so having a quantity of Ratio swan necked lamps in stock which have round post I decided to see if I could use both components to produce a lamp similar to those at Llangollen. I started off by removing the top of the casting and drilling a .45mm hole centrally in its base, then taking one of the Ratio post I drilled two .45mm holes to accept some brass wire which acts as locating pins for the casting and to locate the lamp on the platform surface. A further hole of the same diameter was drilled right through the post for the cross arm or whatever the correct term might be? The lantern glass was made from offcuts of flushglaze each segment being separated from its neighbour with a sliver of styrene strip. Having successfully made the first lamp another two followed, once all three had been assembled I painted them with my own mix of faded WR chocolate and cream and this is how they look on the platform.
![]()
Other details include a Nestles chocolate machine though I expect its either empty or its contents are way over their sell buy date. If I remember correctly the red machines dispensed dark chocolate bars and the blue ones a milk chocolate bar which included some finely ground nuts? One well known railwayman and author tells how a well aimed kick would dispense a bar free of charge!
![]()
Other additions to the scene include the fire buckets salvaged from Penhydd and a Coopercraft trolley, though I doubt the latter see's much use these days. Next time I hope to introduce you to leading porter Ellis Roberts who handles the stations day to day affairs and his rather headstrong young daughter Gwen :-)
" European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.
As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies.
You are responsible for confirming that this notice actually works for your blog and that it is displayed. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third-party features, this notice may not work for you. Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities."
To the best of my knowledge the notice works or did earlier today but to be honest I'm sick and tired of all these rules and regulations which are now being forced upon us, so what the future holds for this blog remains to be seen.
Getting back to modelling, for the last couple of weeks I've slowly been adding some small bits and pieces to bring the layout to life. Top of the list were some platform lamps, not those expensive things that glow in the dark or the ornate Dart Castings types nice as they are. Instead I was hoping to find something like the lamps in the photo below which adorn the platforms at Llangollen. Had I modelled in 7mm scale then my prayers would have been answered because Peco produce an almost identical lamp. If only they produced one to the same standard in 4mm rather than the old re branded Merit offering which must be almost the same age as myself and by golly that is old! Nevertheless I took a look at the old lamps which are now marketed under Peco's Modelscene range label but decided to pass them by.
The photos here were taken a few days before the recent Llangollen steam gala weekend when ex GWR large Prairie 5199 was on duty and being prepared for the last train of the day to Corwen. I can't say that I'm a fan of these large tanks but that didn't stop me from making a short video which I did intend uploading here on the blog at some point.
Anyway returning to the lamps, during the seventies a host of useful detailing bits appeared at regular intervals and I remember the late editor of the Railway Modeller, Cyril Freezer, advising modellers to stock up whilst they could. Amongst the products that Cyril reviewed were some rather nice castings by the well known modeller and former editor of railway magazines both prototype and model Chris Leigh. In true cottage industry style Chris produced a range of castings for his own use which he made available to all and sundry, they ranged from DEMU cab fronts to some lovely station canopy brackets and even some GWR platform gas lamps, I purchased a set of the latter and used them on my last excursion into the world of '00' finescale. As you will by now know I hate throwing things away and I was pretty sure I had saved the lamps for previous use but where I had stored them was open to question. Eventually I stumbled across them and decided to see if I could do anything with them, what follows is yet another example of make do and mend or is it a classic case of bodging?
The original Chris Leigh casting is seen on the left, the post being of a tapered hexagonal section which I didn't care for, so having a quantity of Ratio swan necked lamps in stock which have round post I decided to see if I could use both components to produce a lamp similar to those at Llangollen. I started off by removing the top of the casting and drilling a .45mm hole centrally in its base, then taking one of the Ratio post I drilled two .45mm holes to accept some brass wire which acts as locating pins for the casting and to locate the lamp on the platform surface. A further hole of the same diameter was drilled right through the post for the cross arm or whatever the correct term might be? The lantern glass was made from offcuts of flushglaze each segment being separated from its neighbour with a sliver of styrene strip. Having successfully made the first lamp another two followed, once all three had been assembled I painted them with my own mix of faded WR chocolate and cream and this is how they look on the platform.
Other details include a Nestles chocolate machine though I expect its either empty or its contents are way over their sell buy date. If I remember correctly the red machines dispensed dark chocolate bars and the blue ones a milk chocolate bar which included some finely ground nuts? One well known railwayman and author tells how a well aimed kick would dispense a bar free of charge!
Other additions to the scene include the fire buckets salvaged from Penhydd and a Coopercraft trolley, though I doubt the latter see's much use these days. Next time I hope to introduce you to leading porter Ellis Roberts who handles the stations day to day affairs and his rather headstrong young daughter Gwen :-)