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Stories

Secrets of the Drawing Office (1)

Greetings everyone – Pickle S. Finkerbury here, railway historian and time traveller. As previously explained, I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, which has provided me with unique insights into certain unknown aspects of GWR matters. Here is another extract from my files:      Farthing, early 1900s. It is well known that the GWR treated the workers at Swindon to an annual excursion by rail. What is less known is that the top management at Swindo
Mikkel

Mikkel in Stories

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Layout design

Fourth bite: The Stables

Work has started on the fourth layout in the Farthing series. This will be named “The stables” and continues our meandering walk through the goods facilities at Farthing in the early 1900s.   The layout is inspired by my interest in GWR stable blocks, including the larger variants of the standard design that began to appear in places like Slough and Park Royal around the turn of the last century.    Slough, 1928. Source: Britain from Above. Embedding permitted. https://b
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Mikkel in Layout design

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Figures

Modifying, painting and storing figures

Here’s a summary of my recent 'experiments' (a.k.a. mucking about) with Modelu and other 4mm figures, and how to store them.   I have previously modified figures from the Andrew Stadden, Dart Castings and Preiser ranges. So obviously, the Modelu range had to suffer too!  The resin used in these figures cannot be bent (it will break), but clean cuts with a scalpel worked OK. Joins were sanded, fixed with superglue and smoothed out with putty. Not everyone will think it’s worthwhile, but
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Mikkel in Figures

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Misc.

Moving Pictures

It's been a while since we have heard from the Farthing Station Weekly Discussion Club. Fortunately, the Club continues to meet on a weekly basis to discuss worldly matters.   Recent debates have included the Zulu rebellion, the eruption of Vesuvius, Einstein's theory of relativity, the California earthquakes, the invention of flight, Gandhi's philosophy, the discovery of the South Pole, and the scandalous defeat to South Africa by one wicket.   As always, proceedings are hea
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Mikkel in Misc.

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Figures

Porters and Barrows

These days 4mm modellers have an excellent choice of figures from Model-U, Andrew Stadden and Dart Castings - but there's always room for a bit of tinkering!   Here are some porters for Farthing Old Yard, modified and pieced together from various sources. The figures have all been attached to something - e.g. a barrow - as I find this helps "integrate" them once placed on the layout.   Our first subject mixes a Dart Castings body with an Andrew Stadden head and arm. The barro
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Mikkel in Figures

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Track & Traversers

Rising from slumber

After a quiet spring things are moving again on Farthing. The Slipper Boy story is featured in the June 2016 BRM, which seems a good way to mark the end of work on that layout. Many thanks to BRM for featuring the story. It’s all just a bit of fun of course, but while studying the court case that inspired the story, it did occur to me just how much scope there is for modelling particular historical incidents on the railways.         Meanwhile there has been progress
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Mikkel in Track & Traversers

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Layout design

A flexible layout

I have been thinking about an idea for a "flexible" layout. This is still very much developing, and what you see here is not an actual trackplan, but an illustration of the concept. The basic idea is a layout where selected drop-in modules can be removed and replaced with other modules. So a particular cameo, building or siding can be exchanged with another cameo, building or siding – thereby changing the look of the layout. This in turn allows for variation in rolling stock and operation.
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Mikkel in Layout design

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Horse-drawn

Horse-drawn parcels van and coal trolley

Here are a couple of horse-drawn vehicles for "The bay".     This GWR parcels van is based on No. 131, representing a type introduced in the 1890s. It was made using a Langley kit.         The lettering is based on photos from the period (including the use of different fonts), and drawn up in Word with a brown background to match the van colour. It was then printed on thin paper and stuck to the van side. This shot is ruthless but from a norma
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Mikkel in Horse-drawn

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Stories

Fitted fish and piles (1947)

More "forward-dating" of Farthing here, this time to 1947, with some of my ageing RTR stock brought into play.     No. 9319 of the 93xx Class serving as station pilot at Farthing. At this point in time Hawksworth is in office at Paddington, but the loco carries the hallmarks of his predecessors Churchward and Collett. This is the Bachmann model with just a bit of light weathering. Not too sure about the chimney and other details, but I do like the GWR 2-6-0s.    
Mikkel

Mikkel in Stories

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Intro

State of Play - Overview of the Layouts

So far there are five layouts in the Farthing series, each depicting a section of the same overall station. The trackplans are simple affairs, but when linked to fiddle yards all contain a certain operational scope. The layouts so far are:   1. The Branch Bay. This was the first of the layouts and is complete. It shows the bay platform at Farthing ca. 1904-1908, and draws on features from the bays at Newbury station.         2. The Goods Depot. This
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Mikkel in Intro

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Stories

Bunker first (1927)

Farthing is normally set in 1907, but a while ago I decided to give my "out of period" stock a bit more attention by doing dedicated operating sessions for alternative time periods. Yesterday was a "1927" day, and here are a few shots. Above, Small Metro No. 1492 runs bunker first during shunting operations in the bay area. The loco features the enclosed cab and Collett style bunker with which many of the older tank locos were fitted in the 1920s.       Driver Henry Pull
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Mikkel in Stories

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Musings

The mists of time (and all that)

This may not be to everyone's taste, but I've been playing around with some photos of the Victorian coaches that I recently dug out (see last blog entry). For some reason, out-of-focus photos of historical stock have always captured my imagination. Like ghosts from the past, or whatever. These manipulated images are a quick attempt to recreate something similar.       This shot somehow looks quite "real" to me. Perhaps a reminder that there are other avenues in layout pr
Mikkel

Mikkel in Musings

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Coaches & Browns

Hand-me-down coaches

Supposed to be cleaning the basement today, but ended up sorting through a box full of half-forgotten rolling stock that I've picked up second-hand over the years. Obviously I had to give them a spin on the layout. (“Just to see if they’re still working, dear"). The above trio of Victorian coaches were originally scratchbuilt by Chris Edge. I couldn’t resist them when they were up for sale a few years back, even if they are a bit early for my 1900s timeframe. If I’m not mistaken, the models repr
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Mikkel in Coaches & Browns

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Coaches & Browns

Motley crew

After a tough spell at work it's been great to just run some stock back and forth today - no rules, no schedules, anything goes. Fortunately, GWR trains at the turn of the century lend themselves pretty well to that state of mind. A variety of stock, styles and liveries could be seen mixed together in the same train. Who said Great Western trains were all the same! Here are some examples as seen on Farthing.     Above we see the Westbury stopping train with a motley assembly
Mikkel

Mikkel in Coaches & Browns

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Structures

Dusting off the cobwebs

Forget glacial progress, this is more like continental drift. After a good start, work on The depot has been all but stalled since spring. But with working hours beginning to look more reasonable again, I took the plunge and dug out the layout in the basement today. See if you can spot the layout in the photo above! Funny how I can spend days working on some minute detail of a layout - only to abandon the whole thing for months afterwards in a remote corner of the basement. But that's the nice t
Mikkel

Mikkel in Structures

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Structures

Dry Run

Following concerns over the slipping time schedule, an inspector was recently despatched from Paddington to review progress of the new goods depot at Farthing station.       The inspector in conversation with the responsible engineer and builder's foreman. Despite the delays it would appear that some progress has been made on the main structure. That said, this is really just a dry run - little of what is seen here is actually fixed in place.      
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Mikkel in Structures

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Stories

The Remains of the Day

While researching a book on the real Farthing station, I recently acquired a set of photos from the 1900-1910 period that I thought I would share here. My sources in Farthing have been able to provide a bit of background on some of the staff featured in the photos. Above, we see the bay platform at Farthing, with station staff in attendance. The stationmaster Mr A. Woodcourt is seen second from the left. The stock presents something of a mystery. While it has been known for some time that loco N
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Mikkel in Stories

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Structures

Kit-bashed roof structure

The roof structure for the "The depot" has been underway for some time as I've been busy with other things, but it is now nearing completion (sketches of the goods depot can be found here). My original idea was for a large single span roof, but after ploughing through photos and obtaining some sound advice from fellow RMwebbers (thanks everyone!). I decided on multiple lesser spans instead, of which two are visible on the layout.         The structure is built from
Mikkel

Mikkel in Structures

6
Figures

Footplate crew

I've been on the lookout for 4mm pre-grouping drivers and firemen recently, but so far with limited success. Meanwhile, here's a couple of modified ones from IKB. For me, tiny projects like these are as much fun as the more substantial work.       The IKB fireman seen above is unusual in that, unlike 90% of 4mm firemen, he is not furiously shovelling! Unfortunately the mould lacks a bit of bulk, so I extended his girth using plastic putty. The nose was re-sculpted and th
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Mikkel in Figures

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Misc.

GWR Modelling website

Just a brief note to say that I have passed on the "GWR Modelling" website to a new webmaster. This is none other than Russ Elliott, who is well-known here om RMweb (although under a different name) and in the modelling world more generally. I can't think of a better man to take over the site, and I'm sure I'm not alone in thanking him for doing so and for keeping the website going. Also a big word of thanks to those who helped facilitate the changeover in practical terms.   The transi
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Mikkel in Misc.

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Layout construction

Soft body, hard shell

No, this is not a description of the average RMwebber, but a reference to the baseboards for my 2010 challenge layout "The depot". As Kenton keeps reminding us, the clock is ticking so I thought I'd best move ahead with this. The scenic section of this GWR micro- layout is to be housed within an Ikea "Snackbox". This plywood shell now houses a "soft" self-contained baseboard, made from 10mm foamboard and measuring 35.2 x 54.1 cms (13.9 x 21.3 in). This serves to raise the scenic section, and pro
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Mikkel in Layout construction

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Stories

A parcel for Mr Ahern

Our story begins inside a parcels van on the Westbury to Farthing stopping train. The parcel in the middle is of particular interest to us. It is addressed to a Mr Ahern at No. 7, Memory Lane, Farthing.         Safely arrived in the bay at Farthing, the parcels are handled by Porter P.W. Saunders. The one for Mr Ahern is under his hand. The flat package in front contains a scientific manuscript, in which a certain A. Einstein proposes that space and time are not con
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Mikkel in Stories

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Layout design

Sketches of "The depot"

Here's a first attempt to visualize "The depot", drawn with the Sketchup programme. As mentioned earlier, it will be constructed within an Ikea "Snackbox". The scenic part will be raised to allow ample room for electrics etc in the space underneath. I've used the same principle as on "The bay", where the viewing side is opposite of what you'd normally do. The idea is to increase the sense of being "inside" the scene, rather than viewing it from a distance.       So we're
Mikkel

Mikkel in Layout design

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Layout design

Shunting Puzzle

I've been working on the trackplan for the next Farthing layout, which will show part of a large GWR goods depot.       In order to improve the operating interest, I've decided to incorporate a shunting puzzle in the track plan. For anyone interested in shunting puzzles, I can recommend the excellent Model Railway Shunting Puzzles site, plus of course Carl Arendt's site. The simple plan above (not to scale) is an initial design, and may be revised. Any ideas for improvem
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Mikkel in Layout design

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Musings

Six Lessons Learnt

Well they say we have to learn as we go along, so here are six "lessons learnt" that I'll be taking with me from the scenic work on "The bay". Some of it is basic stuff I suppose, but perhaps there are one or two things of interest to others.     Wiltshire or Arizona?   1. Kill your darlings I tend to have these little pet features on the layout that I really like when viewed on their own, but which somehow don't fit into the bigger picture. After much agonizin
Mikkel

Mikkel in Musings

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