Coming out of a period of relative dormancy
Entry posted by 10800
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Despite John's excellent forestry experiments, it's probably true to say that we've 'relaxed' a bit since the intensive run-up to Scaleforum last September - see http://www.rmweb.co....post__p__496055 for a refresher.
This hasn't been helped by diversions due to work, other projects, work etc although John and I have been busy at times mulling over some of the lessons learned and ideas stimulated from the exhibition. One of these was to add between 0.5 and 1m scenic section at the front and another 0.5m at the back to really give the structure some context and depth, and to force the viewer (not that force is really needed) to look at the viaduct from some distance away. More on this in a future blog entry.
Another lesson taken (or rather realisation dawned) was that the summits of the pavilions were too low in relation to the trains - because we were still deciding on track bed and ballast thickness on the fly - and that somehow the pavilions would need to be raised by about 4mm. We thought about, but rejected, the possibility of cutting out the upper 3mm section of the viaduct deck, and eventually decided to add 2mm to the bottom of the balustrade plinths (and the refuges and pavilions) and another 2mm at the pavilion roof slabs above the columns. Some testing determined that this could be done without destroying the overall 'proportions' (remember this is all being done without any prototype drawings and we can't access the viaduct deck to measure directly).
The first phase - adding to the base of the plinths - is now well underway, following another purchase of appropriate limewood sections from the excellent Cornwall Model Boats. All the balustrades have now been done, and as the photos show I am well into the 72 refuges as well. Limewood is lovely to work with, and quite therapeutic, and the photo of the balustrades shows that I have gently sanded the rectangular section upper coping to a gentle arc as per the originals.
Otherwise here are the 72 refuges in various stages of augmentation (all but one upside down). 17 of them are complete top and bottom, the remainder are work in progress.
And a length of balustrade and refuge together. There is still some trimming, sanding and feathering to do before I get a close fit due to the additional plinth material, and the upper coping on the refuges will need to be shaped to match the newly-contoured balustrades.
There will be quite a few gaps and seam lines to fill, probably by PVA mixed in with sawdust.
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