Scrap Yard

[marc smith]

Only just found this thread,

You know what, I was thinking about doing a scrapyard diorama for this challenge too!

Then I thought, "Hang on a minute, you're supposed to be doing a Cashmores based layout next" and so that was the end of that.....

 

Anyhow, just wanted to say what a great job you've done so far

Absolutely smashing job on that peeling paintwork!

 

I can well remember crawling & climbing all over the locos at Barry too

and though scrapyards are rather sad places, I've always felt they are full of atmosphere, and eerieness. Plenty of modelling interest too - we can't all model hanging baskets full of flowers and pretty countryside....

 

I've long thought that a scrapyard layout would be good use of some of those older, less detailed locos, which you can't bring yourself around to throwing away

 

Here is a link to one of my shots taken at Barry in the 80's

it's in my album "Smiths Snaps" - if you're interesed

(must get round to digging out more of my old photos )

Barry Scrapyard

Keep up the good work, I'll be watching with interest

Marc

[marc smith]

Hi again,

 

Appologies for butting in so quickly again,

but scrapyards are such interesting places,

and when you see them modelled, it's usually just plonked into a corner of a larger layout..

 

Nice idea, but surely in a scrapyard would you not have more than two pieces of track?

I appreciate that your are limited on space.......

Regards

David

 

.... Not neccesarily David,

True, Barry was pretty large, but the part of the yard near the new / preserved dockside terminus building almost felt "separate" from the main yard

There were plenty of locos stored here in the 70's, but that was only 1 or 2 tracks

 

Also, there were several other, rather smaller scrapyards around South Wales

including Cashmores and Buttigiegs to name but 2 of the Newport breakers

There are several photos posted on the net;

Buttigieg scrapyard Newport

 

At one time, the storage sidings at Cashmores were, I gather, in a long narrow area,

the "business end" of the yard, where cutting took place consisted of only 2 sidings,

one tight up against a high stone wall - which made the area seem smaller, when you were aside the line.....

 

Don't worry about getting lots of locos finished quickly, to fill the scene,

Just one or two well modelled & painted examples will create the atmosphere you want,

I'm sure....

Can't wait to see this finished!

Cheers again

Marc

[Wolfy]

The 9f is great but the Bulleid pacific (or 0-6-0) is just amazing. Have you considered doing the next one without the smokebox door?

[br2975]

I'm very impressed by the finish of the 9F and by the moth eaten panelling of the 'spamcan' so typical of when the nameplates were flame cut from the bodyside.

.

The thread set me thinking about the number of scrapyards in South Wales that cut locos during my spotting days, off the top of my head we had (i) Birds, Pontymister -Risca (ii) John Cashmore - Newport (iii) Buttigeigs - Newport (iv) Woodfields - Newport (v) United Wagon Works - Newport (vi) Bill Way - Peterston (vii) Bird's Forty Acre site - Cardiff, later at Rover Way (vii) Western Metals, Ferry Road, Cardiff (viii) Woodham Bros. - Barry (ix) R..S.Tyley - Barry (x) Birds, Tremains, Bridgend, later becoming .... (x) R.S.Hayes, Bridgend (xi) T,W.Ward - Giant's Grave, Briton Ferry (xii) george Cohen, Morriston (xiii) Bird's Morriston. . . . . . . and also BR (WR) at Barry ? and Caerphilly Works.

.

My favourites were those in Newport Docks, Cashmores could dispose of a loco in the blink of an eye so weekly visits were 'de rigeur' - I can recall such oddities as a Crosti 9f facing a BR (WR) built Pontnewynydd 'Noah's Ark' brake van, and where i first saw, not one, but three USA tanks30067/30069/30071 as we sailed down the Usk on board the sand dredger 'Isca'.

 

Then there were the staging posts for locos en-route to the scrapyards, such as 85B Gloucester Horton Road,86E Severn Tunnel Jct. and Swansea East Dock, where they were marshalled into trains for specific scrapyards. . . . . . I could hardly contain myself on sighting my first Q1 at STJ

 

I've attached a shot of Manston at Woodhams, taken during the mid-70s.

 

Keep it up

 

Brian R

[cactustrain]

Thanks for all the feedback and also the photos, marc and br2975. I can always use more reference material.

 

There were many, many scrapyards to get rid of the 16000 steam locos taken out of service and some of them were very much home spun affairs, so there's no reason why this can't be complete with just a few locos. (See Steam for Scrap by Nigel Travena, Atlantic, 1985).

 

Wolfy, like this you mean?

 

 

The other side of the loco is even more moth eaten:

 

 

 

I thought I could live with the original Dapol wheels on the front bogie, but I think they'll be changed when I get the chance.

 

The 4MT is coming along as well. I don't think I've ever seen a loco modelled with its guts on display before:

 

(If you can't stand the sight of smoketubes, look away now...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll be taking a break next week - I need it, this is turning into a full time job!

[rsv1000r]

simply SUPERB!!!!!

 

Nigel

[Wolfy]

Yep, that's what I meant!

[br2975]

I hope you are not intending to display the finished article.

.

Those H & S fanatics will have apoplexy with all that asbestos boiler cladding blowing in the breeze !

 

Brian R

[PaternosterRow]

Simply stunning - if it weren't for the background you'd think you were looking at the real thing. Got to have a bash at the rust technique you use - you should start a blog on this subject on its own. Haven't a clue how you created the rusted out sheeting and the 4MT innards are a masterpiece. Hope these end up on a quiet corner of Byworth one day.

 

Regards

 

Mike

[mophead]

Amazing stuff I'm thinking of doing something similar with a Dapol 04 kit

[bcnPete]

Very nice interesting project...

 

Couldn't bear to see any diesels rusting though...

[trent]

Just found this thread and have to echo the comments of others, really outstanding job on the 9F and Spam Can, just amazing, you certainly have some skills!

 

I'm sure the construction of these is very labour intensive but I for one can't wait to see further progress.

[Arpleymodeller]

Amazing,the detail is outstanding

[cactustrain]

Well, only just over two weeks to go before time is up.

 

First, thanks for all the compliments. You're correct, Trent, these models are very labour intensive to build.

 

Second; progress. Here is the backscene painted in watercolour. I have chosen a dramatic sky as befits the drama unfolding below under the cutter's torch.

 

 

The base is coming along. The track and ash are down.

 

 

There is still a fair amount to do. I have been hopelessly optimistic with regard to content, so I am not going to be able to finish all the features I wanted. (Cock up on the project management front!). However, I should be able to have something reasonable together by the deadline.

 

Unfortunately, work is about to start next week in a big way and things are going to be very busy. I must get some midnight oil in stock!

Edited September 15, 2011 by cactustrain

[bcnPete]

that backscene looks fantastic...very atmospheric...

[PaternosterRow]

Love the hand painted back scene and the surface detail. Think less is more sometimes and that the scrap loco's will be the real star's in the diorama. Great stuff.

 

Regards

 

Mike

[steaming_chris]

Hi Michael

 

Fantastic modelling, both the loco's and track work. I really enjoy this topic and your Byworth Steam/Diesel MPD.

 

Can I ask what medium did you use for the ash ? Was it real ash or Carrs ? What did you use to stick this to the base board, and with the large, thick piles did you have problems getting this to "stick".

 

Regards

[cactustrain]

Thanks for the feedback Pete and Mike.

 

Nice to hear from you Chris. The ash is a mix of real ash and artist's charcoal sticks. The real ash is a pain to grind down to size so I beefed up the volume. It seems to have worked okay. Don't even think about using commercial stuff - the particle size is far too large. It is very important that your groundwork is not overscale. The only drawback is that a lot of dust is produced - keep the door to the railway room closed or the wife will start complaining! (I've been there...)

 

It's stuck down using the time-honoured dilute PVA mix. The large piles are formed using air drying clay - in fact the whole board is covered in a coating of the stuff. This way you only need a thin layer of ash.

 

Good luck - PM me if you need more.

[cactustrain]

I was quite worried last week that work would swamp all my efforts for the last week or two of the challenge. Thankfully, that hasn't happened, and although there are a number of items I haven't been able to model, I have at least been able to finish the features I started with only a few minor issues outstanding.

 

I have now got the camera out and as a result, have identified a number of areas that need some attention. They're now on my hit list for the last week,

 

To give you a taster of what's to come, here's a photo I took today.

 

[ChrisS]

Very good- lots of atmosphere in a small space!

 

Particularly like the vegetation.

 

Chris

[PaternosterRow]

Brilliant - just like the real thing. Those weeds are cool, what do you use to create them - is it a commercial product?

 

Regards

 

Mike

[cactustrain]

Thanks for all the positive feedback, guys. I'm pleased with how it's come out. I'm taking more photos today ready for next week having finished off my hit list over the weekend. There's still things unfinished, but I I'll probably relax now as I don't want any last minute panic, which can lead to mistakes/disasters. The main thing is that I can't see any glaringly obvious problems that cry out 'model'. Once the competition is over and done with though, I will probably add to the diorama in the form of more stock and scrap. There are things I would definitely like to model in a dilapidated condition.

 

Mike; the weeds are home made using time honoured techniques. I do try and base my weeds on actually types, though, rather than generalised, non-descript species. Hopefully, you can also identify the season from the vegetation without me having to tell you.

[BlackRat]

WOW!

[Worsdell forever]

Can I add another WOW? superb attention to detail.

[Torn-on-the-platform]

This is incredible! Fantastic work.

 

My intention is to model the Moretonhampstead branch as if it had been preserved, and no preserved railway would be complete without a rusting hulk sat in the headshunt or outside the shed. My plan had been to do as you have done with Dapol kits, perhaps the large prairie as it is appropriate to the the line, but I'm certain I could never get anywhere near to matching your results!