Really? Oh well, it isn't fun if its too easy! At least it turned out well in the end (at least, judging from the photos).

JWR3001

What I like to do is load up the Episode lists of the Classic Seasons on the Thomas Wiki, then look through each episodes' page and save the included photos that I like the best. These photos are then referenced later on when planning for the layout.

You could just do that, but if you really want the specifics:

Season 1:
Thomas & Gordon
The Sad Story Of Henry
Troublesome Trucks
Thomas Goes Fishing
Tenders And Turntables
Toby & The Stout Gentleman
Down The Mine

Season 2:
Cows
Bertie's Chase
Saved From Scrap
Percy & The Signal
Percy & Harold
Percy Takes The Plunge
A Close Shave
Wrong Road

Season 3:
All At Sea
Bulgy
Heroes
Percy, James & The Fruitful Day
Thomas & Percy's Christmas Adventure

Search these up, they all have a variety of locations that you can use.

Hope this helps,

JWR3001

Wow, that actually looks really good--you'll have to share some of your weathering secrets with us sometime so I can use them on my Classic Windmill project! 

Looking forward to seeing some photos of your layout in its entirety!

JWR3001

Quote from: AJW98Productions on July 17, 2012, 10:40:15 AM
Double post, please deal with it .
Some Pictures of the castle ruins on my layout, I didn't know where else to put them. I'll take some better pictures soon but this is all I've got at the moment

Looks good...the positioning is good and the painting looks like it went off without any trouble. You've also weathered it pretty good, which is more than I can say for any of my projects. 

I also notice that you've also got the Hornby Dryaw station on your layout...

Anyway, looking forward to seeing more photos soon!

JWR3001

Thanks alot guys, much appreciated.

Quote from: Sparks on July 13, 2012, 12:50:18 PM
Will you be putting a motor in it to make the fans move?

I thought about this before the project and yes, I will be motorising it at one point, but not yet. I'll wait until the layout has developed a bit more before I get around to it (hopefully by then I'll have the money and knowledge to do it--I really have no clue on how to go about it right now  ). I'll just be building the structure for now.

JWR3001

I don't usually do this kind of thing (simply because I really can't predict what Bachmann will make next), but here it goes:

HO Scale Range:

Locomotives:

Oliver--Just because the demand for him from older fans has been so great since the announcement of Duck. Oliver is also the last engine left for Bachmann to release to complete its recent stream of classic characters.

Stanley--Stanley isn't as prominent a character as one in the so-called "Steam Team", however he isn't a one-time character either. His consistent appearances, in my opinion, make him a likely candidate for Bachmann's next project.

Harvey--What child hasn't wanted to stage an elaborate train crash (and an equally elaborate rescue operation afterwards)? Harvey would be a good candidate for Bachmann to make next, his constant association with accidents will satisfy any child's desire to re-enact their favourite accident scenes!

Rolling Stock:

Toad--If Oliver is made, then Toad should also be made (after all Toad is Oliver's primary companion). If Bachmann  neglected to release Toad at the same time they released Oliver, I doubt Toad would ever be released.

Red Coaches--Generic passenger coaches which would suit most engines nicely.

The Breakdown Train--For the same reason as Harvey, although I have no doubt Bachmann would release the Breakdown Crane before they ever considered releasing Harvey--the Breakdown Train can be pulled by any engine, and so would better complement Bachmann's existing range of Thomas engines than Harvey would.

Large Scale:

Locomotives:

Toby--Small (easier/cheaper to manufacture) and still retains the recognition of the present Thomas & Friends audience.

Edward--A bigger leap than Thomas or Percy, but not one as big as Gordon or Henry. Nicely situated in the middle for difficulty and cost of manufacture, and also retaining that recognition factor. Also a nice complement to James.

Rolling Stock:

Henrietta--Should Toby be released, Henrietta should also be made to complement Toby (not many existing Large Scale Rolling Stock items fit Toby that well, in my opinion).

Vans--Something the Large Scale range doesn't have yet. Perhaps a van a little less dull than an ordinary one (i.e The Fireworks Vans).


Mind you, I don't predict that all of these will be released, but that what Bachmann do release next year will be out of these.

JWR3001

Splatter & Dodge are looking great Stepney. Just saw the latest photos on your Facebook page--the weathering makes a world of difference (I must say, before the weathering, something about the models just didn't seem right to me). Can't wait until the lettering arrives! 

Got some photos to share with you all of the Classic Series 1 Windmill project I'm currently working on (made from a Dapol Windmill Kit).























I took a bit of creative license with the paint colours--the reference photos I used to paint the model are quite old, its very difficult to tell what colours were used on the original model. At any rate, I'm sure a bit of proper weathering when its finished will greatly improve its appearance.

Until next time,

JWR3001

Just a few ideas that come to mind when thinking about the first three seasons. You probably won't be able to use some of these due to their size or complexity, but you'll know which will work best on your layout.

-Gordon's Hill
-The Viaduct
-Bulgy's Bridge
-Ffarquhar Station
-Wellsworth Station
-Henry's Forest
-Vicarage Orchard
-The Watermill
-Anopha Quarry
-Tidmouth Hault
-Henry's Tunnel
-Elsbridge Station
-Dryaw Airfield
-The Windmill

You can find information and pictures of all of these by searching them up on the Thomas Wikia, although I'll include some photos of my favourites:

The Watermill:


The Vicarage Orchard:


Henry's Tunnel:


Wellsworth Station:


The Viaduct:


It might also be a good idea to take a look at some photos of the Drayton Manor "Discover Thomas & Friends" Model Exhibit. For my layout, I've been looking over some photos and it helps a lot when planning a Thomas-themed layout.

Hope this helps,

JWR3001

Thanks very much, Caleb.

Quote from: therailwayinspector on July 10, 2012, 09:34:29 AM
Thanks, and of course I shall credit you. I may enlarge it to film with in my series but I'll certainly credit you for the original design.

Thanks--I must say I'm actually looking forward to seeing a building completed from my design--I might be able to design them, but I'm certainly not at all great at building them (which is why I originally considered sending the plans to a professional scratchbuilder--something which I now see is too expensive and not half as much fun!).  

Oh, and one more thing, if you need to credit me, please credit my Youtube username (GuardsCompJ), not my forum one. Thanks

Thanks again,

JWR3001

Quote from: therailwayinspector on July 09, 2012, 03:24:16 PM
Does look good! I have to admit it's something I've been contemplating doing myself to use in my filming- couldn't share the measurements per chance could you?

Sure, I'll e-mail you both drawings I've have at the moment (I think I have a total of four drawings, but I only have two on my computer at the moment). The drawings are done to scale on A4 and some measurements are included. All I ask is that in return, you credit me with the design if you build it and feature on Youtube or any other forums & that you don't redistribute the original drawings.

Also, the building was originally designed to fit my layout, so it is much smaller than the original TV Series building (might not look so good in large open areas).

Thanks for your interest,

JWR3001

Yep, its all plasticard....I had some lying around, so I thought I might as well use it. The kind I have is a bit too flexible for my taste, but I'm sure once all the pieces are fixed together, it will have a more rigid shape. At any rate, its a great material for scratchbuilding pretty much anything! 

It is pretty difficult to cut, though. If you have a pair of scissors (and a really good eye) you can get some really nice, straight cuts, but if you have no choice other than to use a hobby knife, it can be very difficult...this is why my building only has one window cut out at the moment.

Thanks for your feedback!

JWR3001

Really nice work on Splatter & Dodge, Stepney. Liking the look of the models so far!

Got a few small projects going on at the moment while the Daisy project is slowly worked on. I just thought I'd upload the one I am currently most proud of; the Sodor Shipping Company building.

















It's still got a long way to go from here, but I'm just glad the project hasn't gone wrong.....yet. 

Any feedback is appreciated!

JWR3001

Thanks again, Stepney. I didn't mean to bring them up yet again, but since Wittman asked about painting coaches, I thought it would help.

I have been thinking about taking up an Express Coaches project myself though....Not that Hornby or Bachmann haven't done a great job of them already, but I don't think either of them have really nailed the structure or shape of them.

Since the Daisy project is taking so much longer than expected (due to not having the right tools), I might go ahead and make the coaches as a sort of "mini-project" before my Club's next exhibition.

JWR3001

I don't think I've had as much experience as Stepney, but I think I got enough out of my Old Mainline Coaches project to help you out (coincidentally, I plan on doing the same project in a few months, but with some different coaches).

Firstly, if you're using coaches that already have paint on them, I'd go over them in some primer (a few coats will do). This will help the paint you apply both dry and adhere to the model. It'll also make repainting easier and give a neater finish.

Then, when you're ready to start painting, mask off the sections you don't want to paint (i.e if you're painting green, mask off the cream sections) with some masking tape (I'd recommend Tamiya masking tape).



If you use masking tape, make sure you press it down with your fingers completely, so paint doesn't leak (I learnt this the hard way  ).



Once the paint is dry, you can remove the tape, although try not to leave it on a model for more than 24 hours, the tape will start eroding the paint if it is.

If done right, you should get a nice, clean painted section.



For this project, I'd recommend brush-painting over spray-painting, but if you plan on spray-painting, you'll need to find some wider/thicker masking tape.

Hope this helps you,

JWR3001

I once saw a Works Unit Coach that was made by placing the body of a TOMY Works Unit Coach on the chassis of a Bachmann Annie/Clarabel, with some extra detailing done with Styrene (I think Churchill8F also has a model constructed this way).

Of course, I also saw a completely scratchbuilt version of the Coach as well, I saw it on a forum which recently closed down & it looked awesome. If you like, I can send you the photos (via PM) I saved of it for some pointers (I would upload them here, but it's not my model so I don't want to cause any trouble for the owner).

JWR3001