Wenlock's Blog

Very nice Dave.  Just come back to add a comment having been distracted for a few minutes reading your other thread on cow sizes.  Luckily, in 2mm I think I can get away with almost anything that looks vaguely like a Devon Red :-)  I really like the colouring of the cattle dock (although I do remember seeing a photo of one somewhere that looked like it was completely white from the lime wash application).

 

On the subject of blue brick paviours, I remember seeing somewhere that scrawking the diamond pattern with a piece of saw blade in 4mm (probably piercing saw) produced a good effect.  The bit of blade being held in a hand vice and passed over the plasticard surface against an adjustable carpenters square adjusted to a suitable angle for the diamond angles.  Whether that would be effective in 7mm would probably depend on finding a saw blade with a suitableTPI.

 

Ian

 

On the subject of blue brick paviours, I remember seeing somewhere that scrawking the diamond pattern with a piece of saw blade in 4mm (probably piercing saw) produced a good effect.  The bit of blade being held in a hand vice and passed over the plasticard surface against an adjustable carpenters square adjusted to a suitable angle for the diamond angles.  Whether that would be effective in 7mm would probably depend on finding a saw blade with a suitableTPI.

 

Ian

Hi Ian, I think this is probably the route I'm going to have to take if chap who's interested in the Cad Cam project doesn't come up trumps!

 

Glad you like the colour of the cattle dock, it was a bit of a challenge to get something that I felt looked right.  I tried painting the whole thing in white lime wash, but it looked too stark to my eyes so I decided on the rusty metal effect on the rails before liberally sloshing the white about!

 

Dave

Looks good Dave. I would imagine the Bridge rail would have a rusty surface when it was stored so I imagine it would always have looked rusty with the limewash slapped over it

Don

Looks good Dave. I would imagine the Bridge rail would have a rusty surface when it was stored so I imagine it would always have looked rusty with the limewash slapped over it

Don

 

Hi Don, yes that was my line of thinking. The rust would keep bubbling up to the surface until the next lime wash application covered over it.

 

Dave

Excellent, Dave. Apart from the prototypical qualities, I've always thought that a cattle dock is an interesting visual structure on a layout, because it has real presence yet also the see-through quality that adds depth to a layout.

 

I especially like this view. Do I understand correctly that it is from the back and won't be possible under normal conditions?

 

Excellent, Dave. Apart from the prototypical qualities, I've always thought that a cattle dock is an interesting visual structure on a layout, because it has real presence yet also the see-through quality that adds depth to a layout.

 

I especially like this view. Do I understand correctly that it is from the back and won't be possible under normal conditions?

 

Hi Mikkel,

 

Glad you approve and yes this is the view from the back of the layout.  I've taken the centre backscene board down so I can work on the back of the layout more easily.  If I'd been really clever I'd have designed the layout so the backscene could be fitted to either side of the layout doubling the view points!  Never mind next layout perhaps!

 

Dave

That's looking very good! Many cattle docks seem to have had hard standing with drainage in front of the dock to protect the track. ISTR reading that the docks were swept, washed and disinfected once the cattle had been removed, and the mix usually went straight over the side. Not sure if they were consistently there in Edwardian times - I'm still unpacking boxes and haven't yet found Edwardian Enterprise, my branch histories or GWRJ's to check.

 

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrkd2801c.htm

 

This one's dated 1932 and has a concrete apron, but I've seen (earlier?) aprons made from both timber and setts.

Instead of having the cows present, as to my mind they always look too static as do figures generally, why not just leave signs of life with evidence of recent cattle movement with cow pats and a shovel or broom left closeby.

 

Kevin

 

PS whose track and points have you used, and just how hard is it to make the points for trackwork novice like me who has only ever used Peco?

Cow pats would be unusual: as Adrian has said, the docks were cleaned and disinfected after they had been used - fairly quickly, and certainly by the end of the working day. Most of the time, cattle docks were simply empty, and clean.

That's looking very good! Many cattle docks seem to have had hard standing with drainage in front of the dock to protect the track. ISTR reading that the docks were swept, washed and disinfected once the cattle had been removed, and the mix usually went straight over the side. Not sure if they were consistently there in Edwardian times - I'm still unpacking boxes and haven't yet found Edwardian Enterprise, my branch histories or GWRJ's to check.

 

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrkd2801c.htm

 

This one's dated 1932 and has a concrete apron, but I've seen (earlier?) aprons made from both timber and setts.

 

 

 

Hi Adrian, only just noted your comment!  Having a concrete apron would certainly make sense, I imagine cow effluent would very quickly rot wooden sleepers!   I'd be very interested to see any  pictures of such a feature circa 1905, it would make a nice feature on the layout.

 

Thanks for the link to that lovely picture, Its inspired me to make a similar type stop block on the layout:-)

 

Best wishes

 

Dave

Instead of having the cows present, as to my mind they always look too static as do figures generally, why not just leave signs of life with evidence of recent cattle movement with cow pats and a shovel or broom left closeby.

 

Kevin

 

PS whose track and points have you used, and just how hard is it to make the points for trackwork novice like me who has only ever used Peco?

 

Hi Kevin, I have to agree with you about figures and animals, they are definitely tricky to model convincingly.  I did think about using blobs of polystyrene cement to make some cow pats, but as Adrian and Simon have mentioned the GWR were pretty scrupulous in keeping cattle docks clean.

 

The track work was constructed using parts from C&L's range of parts, here's a link to the section in my blog regarding point construction http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1131/entry-13134-point-construction-completed/

 

C&L do a very good point kit which would make a good starting point if you fancy a go at making your own track.  There is nothing difficult in making track as long as you use the supplied gauges and follow the instructions included in the kit.  Most people find making the crossing V and wing rails challenging, but C&L provide these pre assembled which makes life considerably easier!

 

Once you've built a point your confidence grows and it's very satisfying not being constrained by the geometry dictated by Peco's offerings :-)

 

I hope this helps, PM me if you need any other advice.

 

Dave

Cow pats would be unusual: as Adrian has said, the docks were cleaned and disinfected after they had been used - fairly quickly, and certainly by the end of the working day. Most of the time, cattle docks were simply empty, and clean.

Hi Simon,  Shame really, I quite fancied having a go at making some 7mm cow pats! :-)

Hi Simon,  Shame really, I quite fancied having a go at making some 7mm cow pats! :-)

Feel free, under rule number 1, but only if you incorporate the smell of rotting pats on a warm early autumn day. Then you might understand why they were quickly cleaned up...

 

Feel free, under rule number 1, but only if you incorporate the smell of rotting pats on a warm early autumn day. Then you might understand why they were quickly cleaned up...

 

 

 

Perhaps a cow pat sat on a hot plate under the layout could add a certain ambience and je ne sais quoi on special occasions and exhibitions!:-)

You could borrow my dog. She is currently well on-form for creating those effects...

 

A secondary question: do you think the hot plate would be powerful enough to overcome the smell from the backpack brigade?

You could borrow my dog. She is currently well on-form for creating those effects...

A secondary question: do you think the hot plate would be powerful enough to overcome the smell from the backpack brigade?

 

Thanks for the offer Simon, but the pair of canine dervishes that I live with are unfortunately more than capable of producing the necessary odours! :-)

 

As to your secondary question, I feel that at least a pair of hot plates would be required to stand any chance at all! :-)