Thanks John and Michael,

Here's the last two pictures out of the batch I took.

Peter, re your viaduct, check out the bend of Wills stone under the arch of my bridge.

Lost for words. I like that old Leyland Octopus though.

Thanks Peter.

Here's another shot for the other Peter showing more clearly the Wills bend, this concave bend is much easier to do than the other way, just deep scoring every 1/4" or less for a perfect arch, but very effective and true to the original build.

Thanks for this Phil - a great shot and with a message attached too.

I'll practice on some scrap before going the whole hog - I'd guess the tightness of the curve will dictate how close the scores need to be.  Mine are tight curves - probably no more that 2" radius !

I also wonder if they'd use coarse stone under the arches or would it be brick or faced stone …? 

I think it can be, brick, dressed stone or course stone Peter lots of pictures of all.

You could try Slaters dressed stone, if I remember right it's flexible, but if you go for Wills, don't try bending in your hands as it could snap, but bend over a dowel.
 

Here's the miners houses with new figures.

A-maze-ing !!!

Absolutely superb Phil.  Even Liz thought it was real so it must be good !

Are the houses clad with Wills sheets ?  Also, the window frames - are they laser cut or what - I note there are some open sashes which adds a huge asmount to the scene.  Your posing of the figures is very clever and my word, what fat sheep you have !!!

It will be very difficult to go elsewhere for my next Picture of the Month selection but you can't hog the limelight all the time !!!  ;-)

Thanks Peter.
The houses are Wills and the windows, as you say laser cut, as for the sheep, well, there's good grass in Wales :)
As for picture of the month, no problem there as I'm just happy posting :)

Hard to believe it is not a 'real' row of houses!

Thanks Claus.

Outside each house was a small steel hinged plate housing the water cock.

Grooves were cut in the pavement stones so that the rainwater could run from the drainpipe to the drain.
At the back, Mr. Evan's receives orders from his wife to "Tidy up that garden!"

Good grief Phil - this is good !!!
I well remember those cast traps for the stop cocks and also, the groove to take the water from the fall pipe - sometimes, it was covered with a cast grill or plate - I suppose depending on the size of the "down-comer" …….. :roll:

I can look at these photos over and over and still see some little detail I missed last time around.  As Claus said, it really is hard to believe it's a model.  Blowing it up reveals some amazing detail - I love the rust around the fall pipe collars - exactly like cast iron was.

Really, really fantastic modelling !!  :thumbs

Thanks Peter, looking back, I would be a little easier with the weathered front door these days, although the brass number plate looks well polished :)

The cast stop cock cover, if I remember right had either STOP COCK or the water company's initials on it? I do remember there being a small slot so it could be easily opened.

Lovely photos Phil, your figure painting really is superb.
Michael

Not just the overall scene, but all those little details that finish it off. Amazing!

Thanks again.

Here's the street it was based on, where I was born and grew up…the house on the right with the woman in the doorway, but the picture was a little before my time :) no electric or gas and it looks like the drains have just been put in…no tarmac on the road either!

A typical pit village Phil …………………. :roll:

 I thought the guy leaning on the wall on the left looked a bit like you but as you said, probably a couple of years before you were born………………. :lol: :lol: :lol:

A brilliant historical photo - lots of detail in there.  :thumbs

I used to play outside the door on that actual pavement Peter!!!

I took my young sons over to see the house just before it was flattened, I couldn't believe how small it was!

My sister-in-law and her husband lived in a street like that in Merthyr. Sadly both dead now, but as said, the house was tiny and the hills were steeeeep.  :)