Thanks again for all the help, I am truly amazed on the response I have got from this post!

I think I will leave the cattle dock as it is now, I think there is plenty of people saying that lime washing was phased out in the 1920's so as the model is well into the 1950's then its obvious it wouldnt be around.

Missy

Thank you again folks! and thank you for the link Andy, I will watch that later.

Suberb bit of modelling Missy!Just one tiny observation. Cattle van's tended to have a lime wash (or at least they did in GWR days) as apparent by the white staining on their lower section. Would this white staining have also affected the cattle dock? You'd need to check prototype photo's to confim this, but if so would it be worth dry brushing some of the dark vertical staining with a bit of white/cream? I wouldn't add any further vertical staining to what you've already done through fear of over-doing it.Best WishesPaul

Hello Paul :)Thats another good point. From what I have figured out cattle docks didnt get the same level of attention as the wagons did so I am assuming they never really saw much lime washing (unless someone would like to say otherwise?) As you say the staining might be a little too much and in hindsight I wouldnt have made it so heavy, but I did want to make the cattle dock look VERY used.Another thing that I have realised is that it probably wasnt a good idea to fiddle with the white balance settings on my camera for the first time whilst taking the additional photos so apologies for that, its definately noticable on one of the additional photos for sure.I must leave things alone unless I totally know what I am doing!!Missy

This depends on the period. The use of limewash was banned at some point (it tended to rot the cattle's hooves). Not exactly sure of the dates, but certainly before the grouping, and probably pre WW1.

Thank you Mark and Michael.

Michael - I know what you mean but I think the cattle dock as it stands now leaves me with the most options i.e. I can put cows inside it without them looking out of place or if I dont bother it just looks used recently. I dont think I will try to add the smell though (although there are some exhibition visitors that do it themselves!).

P.S. Where is the blog with your modelling? Remember what I told you at the 2mm Expo last year?

Missy

Nice work.

I'm sure I read (a long time ago) that the use of limewash on cattle vans stopped in the early decades of the 20th century - sorry I don't recall where I read it or the exact date, but apparently it's something that we modellers often get wrong.

Thanks for the comment.

Reading all the replies on the blog entry I think the general consensus is that lime wash wasnt used after the 1920's.

Missy

Hi Missy,<br><br>I am totally in awe of your modelling and engineering skills. But this dock looks to be out of proportion. It looks to be too high - you have 19 or 20 courses of bricks, whereas the dock in DonB's picture only has 11; and I'd expect the fence to be taller than the walls - and the ramp seems too long and too steep to easily drive cattle up.<br><br>I'm not an expert, and know it can sometimes be difficult to judge sizes accurately from pictures so please shoot me down if I'm wrong.<br><br>Mike<br>

Hi Mike.

Thank you for the comment. With respect to you suggesting that the cattle dock is out of proportion I can only say that the footprint of the cattle dock was taken from a scaled plan of the station which I used for the trackwork, bridge, etc so as long as the plan was correct then the model should be. With regards to the height you have to remember that it will be burried to an extent into the ground once its placed on the layout, the height of the cattle dock is to my baseboard so there is my track as well as its sub-base to take into consideration.

Missy .

Hi Missy,

Since I am going for the ultimate in compliments and plagiarising shamlessly I don't suppose you could post the dimensions could you?

Looks great.

Kevin

Hi Kevin.

Is this connected with the comments on the 2mm Yahoo group by any chance?

The brick base is 14mm high, 28mm wide, and 61mm long, dont forget though that some of the height will be lost once its burried into the layout.

Missy

More to do with Swallow's End needing a cattle dock and yours looks like it will do...