The snows have melted and spring has definitely sprung at Sherton Abbas! I've thought for a while that although there are plenty of trees at either end of the layout, the centre is looks somewhat sparse.
Centre section of the layout
I made some more trees using wire armatures, artex powder, postiche and Greenscene scatters as outlined in a previous blog entry https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/17699-trees/
These w
In my imagination at the other side of the road bridge lies Sherton Abbas's engine shed, turntable, water tower and ash pit.
Road Bridge
However the Station Building would need a water supply and in 1904 it probably wouldn't have been connected to a mains supply. I've also thought that it would have been more convenient for locomotives requiring water to be able to access a supply near the platform rather than having to go to the engine shed. I'd appreciate any
I was posting some pictures of Sherton Abbas on the "O gauge Guild" forum https://www.gauge0guild.com/, where it was pointed out that my poor signalman had no means of communicating with the rest of the world. This situation obviously had to be rectified by the addition of some telegraph paraphernalia! I spent some time researching the subject, but as is so often the case in this hobby, the more I read the more questions I needed answering:-) During my search I came across a number of intere
I spent the weekend exhibiting Sherton Abbas at Railex http://www.railex.org.uk/ accompanied by Al (Barry Ten), to whom I'm indebted for all his hard work setting up the layout and for his ninja like operating skills🙂
We arrived in Aylesbury around 6.30pm and took about 90 minutes or so to unload the hire van and get the layout set up in the exhibition hall. Everyone was very helpful and welcoming, particularly David Lane (David Bigcheeseplant) who's the exhibition manager.
Just a quick post to thank those who came to see the layout at Guildex in Telford last weekend. It was pleasure to meet everyone, Al and I enjoyed the event immensely It was a really well organised show, being able to drive the hire van right to the space allocated for the layout almost made setting up the boards a pleasure! So much easier on the knees than having to carry the boards across the exhibition hall
The layout behaved itself all weekend and it was good to be able to ope
GWR 16 ton Toad brake van Diag AA3
Constructed from a Connoisseur etched brass kit. I really rate Jim McGeowen's kits, well thought out, go together well and don't cost the earth. I just wish he did more Edwardian Great Western Stock!
GWR 10t outside wooden framed brake van Diag AA16
Constructed from a WEP etched brass kit. I had real problems with this one! The outside framing has to be folded up along it's length to form a "U" shape
I've spent a couple of evenings making a mock up of the proposed layout. It's really helped me visualise how the finished article might look. Everything seems to fit in O.K, but I've labelled the points with their "hand" and code number in the hope that if anyone spots an obvious cock up they'll let me know!
I think it has a nice flow about it and should have enough operational potential without being over complicated. I like the idea of my liitle Manning Wardle wheezing along the pr
I've been out today and bought some foam board, with a view to making a 7th scale model of the proposed layout. No pictures yet, but it's coming along nicely. I'd previously photo copied the templates in Barry Normans book and after cutting them out spent the afternoon shuffling them around. It's somehow very satisfying messing with these templates and has given me a much better idea of the radii and clearances involved. The paper representations of stock are great for working out how long loops
Time has come to start finalising plans for the "Great Railway Project." After numerous drafts and ambitious schemes, that never had any chance of ever being completed, I'm going to settle on something that endeavours to fill the following wish list.
Layout Requirements list
Great Western Railway circa 1907
7mm to the foot O gauge finescale
Hand built track/pointwork to a minimum radius of 6 foot
Branch line terminus
Station platform facing vi
This is one of a rake of coaches that I have built to represent a branch line train as running circa 1905. It was constructed from a Slaters Plastikard kit and is to 7mm scale. I added additional detail, including suitable period figures, mirrors and advertisements to the interior compartments. The model was sprayed using my Iwata airbrush with enamel paint and then lined using a Bob Moore pen. Best described as a labour of love, the lining took me ages, but despite a few choice words during it'
Something a little different that my usual G.W.R. offerings! "Lady Jayne" will be employed on my proposed layout to propel wagons along a private line, leading from a yet decided industry and onto an exchange siding. The loco was built using the Slaters kit as a base, with a lot of additional detail. Before anyone spends time looking through their Manning Wardle archives, the loco Lady Jayne never really existed and is a feeble attempt on my part to keep Mrs Wenlock sweet!
One of my favourite GWR loco's, I love the proportions of 0-4-2 tank engines, they just look "right" somehow! Built using a Malcolm Mitchell etched brass kit, with added detail. Running once again on Slaters wheels and incorporating sprung compensation. Painted using the faithful Iwata airbrush, before lining with Fox transfers.
The first post, in what will I hope be a record of progress made on my proposed layout Not sure how fast the progress will be, but I'm sure I'll have fun doing it!
One of the loco's I have built for my proposed Edwardian GWR layout. Constructed using a Zero Zephers kit, with additional detail and running on Slaters wheels.
I've wanted to model a Great Western Railway wagon bearing the cast number plates for some time now, but have always been put off by the lack of commercially available plates. While I was exhibiting Sherton Abbas at the Telford O gauge Guild show I met Graham Beare (Western Star) and Chris Brown (Chrisbr) who had been doing research into which wagons carried the cast plates. Chris also mentioned that he was in the process of drawing artwork with a view to getting some 7mm scale plates etched i
In my quest to add variety to the stock appearing at Sherton Abbas, I've treated myself to a couple of Midland wagon kits from Slater's Plastikard. https://www.slatersplastikard.com/linePage.php?code=7030 and https://www.slatersplastikard.com/linePage.php?code=7029
I built the kits in exactly the way that the instructions suggest, so rather than give a blow by blow account of the construction, here's a picture of the completed wagon
Midland 8 Ton 3 plank drop side wag
Back in April I mentioned that I was considering building an extension board for the layout that could be used at exhibitions.
The new board would hopefully have the following benefits.
1. It would eliminate the need to move the fiddle yard during shunting maneuvers.
2. If I give this base board full scenic treatment then the view under the bridge would be greatly improved!
3. My fingers couldn't be seen when moving the fiddle yard to set up roads
Well it’s been 3 days since the Uckfield show and my knees have finally recovered from standing for two days and grubbing around under baseboards during set up😀 The layout behaved it’s self and despite the fact that I can either talk to the public or operate the layout, but can’t do both at the same time everything went to plan!
I collected the hire van at 10.00am on the Friday morning and with the help of my pal and master fiddleyard operator Roger the van was loaded with the layout
I've thought for a while that in order to add a bit of variety during operating sessions, Sherton Abbas could do with a few wagons from companies other than the GWR. The layout is set in Dorset, so likely candidates would be from the S&DJR, MSWJR, and Midland companies. During the weekend exhibiting the layout at the Telford O gauge show, I bought a couple of kits from Furness wagon works ttps://pregroupingrailways.com/wagons/ in order to build a couple of S&D examples.
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