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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/09/18 in all areas

  1. After a break for a relaxing holiday away, I've turned this week to the first board at the Axbridge end. I'd mistakenly put the stone loading siding up adjacent to the wing walls of the over bridge so this was corrected and the groundwork adjusted to suit. Then I've tried playing about with the location of Fiveways Farm. Presently I'm looking at a forced perspective type arrangement to disguise the fact that it really isn't wide enough to fit properly. Still pondering that one. Then I've dug out my scenics box and started applying ground cover. I'm using a mixture of Heki and Greenscenes static grass fibres over a bed of hanging basket liner, woodlands scenics and plain painted ground. Coming on well I think, though more to do yet including trimming and adding ground cover. Rubberised horse hair hedges have been first fixed and I've planted a tree. The first of many I think. You can also see the first of what will be many, many strawberry patches. It was a feature of the line that these were cultivated on railway land right down to the trackside. Still after an age it's nice to see it taking shape. Not yet convinced about the road colour or texture, so have more to do on that.
    8 points
  2. With another international move under my belt, this time back to the UK (at least for a third of the time, Outer Mongolia for the remainder) I’ve been left with much less space than I had available in Utah, with very little chance of this materially increasing in the near future. This coupled to the fact that I’d not progressed my plans of Lydford Junction in the last two years have led me over the last couple of months; OK Years again, to evaluate the different plans that I’d had. Lydford Junction’s temporary home. After several false starts, reading quite a few books and reading RMWeb quite a lot more than I should, I looked again at the part’s I liked from Lydford Junction, and came up with a new concept keeping them. The result is Lydford Town, a smash up of the layout of Bridestowe station on the western slopes of Dartmoor, placed where the line comes closest to the village of Lydford, just to the North of the viaduct, borrowing the attractive PDSWJR station building at Brentor. This should still capture running through the landscape feel I think suits 2mm so well, utilising Dartmoor as a backdrop, albeit not on the scale of messers Greenwood and Jones’ empire’s 3D Design for the revised Lydford Town. Only +20 coaches to build before then! Despite Lydford Town’s much smaller scope compared to Lydford Junction, I still have a mountain of stock to build and convert to run anything like a representative schedule, realistically making this a long term prospect. After more deliberating, procrastinating and contemplation, I decided that it would be a good plan to enter the Diamond Jubilee Layout Challenge for the shindig in 2020 as well. A couple of Idea’s bounced around for the DJLC included: · A scenic section of the Princetown branch, which might be a bit boring to operate, and suffered from a lack of points, without an improbable quarry siding shoehorned in. · A section of the old layout of Meldon Quarry, which the viewpoints & Scenic blocks wouldn’t really have worked for, and · A section of the end of Newham goods station in Truro, which again, would be pretty uninspiring to operate. It was at this point that I remembered the old baseboards that I’d put together for the semi-theoretical extension of the Callington Branch in East Cornwall, called Congdon’s Shop, with the aim of fitting this into a boxfile coming in at 714x 233mm. These are not dissimilar to the DJLC dimensions being 600x 239mm, or 240mm depending on how accurate your tape measure converts 9.42”. This has got a far as laying track, and installing TOU’s, but for one reason or the other, has failed to get beyond. A rubbish photo, almost showing the length of the layout. Rather than trying to modify a set of boards already built, it seems to make sense to me to recycle the concept (and correspondingly all the research, stock collated and idea’s) onto a new set of boards built to the right challenge dimensions. Fortunately the amount of tools and information available to layout planners has increased dramatically since 2012, with Templot and NLS maps freely available, coupled with the learnings from my own previous failings and successes. One of the main dissatisfactions with the original plan was that “714mm is just too small a length of track to be interesting.” This statement, on the face of it, is a problem. The DJLC length is specified as 114mm smaller than this. But templot and inkscape to the rescue: Layout plan on Scale map of Callington, showing the DJLC Dimension area and the extra extension after this. Actually, the prototype trackplan is quite a lot shorter than I’d originally guesstimated, and the more important, interesting bits of the station will reasonably fit into a 300ft scale length. This, to me, still feels stiflingly cramped having three entry points to the layout from the fiddleyard. So, I’ve planned the layout to actually be 900mm in length so that following the challenge in 2020, I can replace the backscene side to the full intended dimensions. This allows me to include the yard entry point and thus reducing the fiddleyard entry’s down to two and I feel gives a more open feel. The irony isn’t lost on me that the layout might only be ready for 2050 or the ninetieth anniversary, (a more realistic projected completion date?!?) I wasn’t particularly happy with the straight-curve-straight portion of the platform road on the initial rendition, the old trackplan solely using straight Easitrack B6 turnouts. This time I’ve planned to use B8 curved turnouts soldered up from templot printout’s. Curve radii were specified to be greater than 450mm which has, mostly, been adhered to. The soldered turnout construction will give me more strength, and greater opportunity to adjust and correct when I construct it out of gauge. I am keen to try to use a sector plate type arrangement with this layout to ease the amount of handling stock needs and the faff that this involves. I envisage that cassettes will still have a role to play, acting as the headshunt off the end of the traintable and potentially to load stock onto the layout from extra storage cases. To also assist with this, the straight portions of the table are planned to be made from brass strips, as anyone who’s tried to load up the traverser on St Ruth, this is a difficult task to do this on plain rail with fat fingers. Only three roads are anticipated to be required on the traintable, up to two for passenger and one for goods stock, the vacant road being able to act as the run-around road. A 70mm thrust bearing is used as the pivot, whilst alignment and power should come through cabinet barrel bolts, until I can think of a more unnecessarily complicated way to do it. Fiddleyard and lighting rig plan, along with check for strengthening ribs above things like tie-bars The 3mm ply construction of the baseboards has proved to be remarkably robust, to be honest they have now survived a couple of trips in the hold of a 737 so there can’t be much fundamentally wrong with this for the small size of board required. I plan to use 6mm stripwood rather than cut plywood strips this time though. Life’s just too short, trying to get straight flat edges from a sheet material. So there you have it, the grand sum of what 6 years of paper planning gets you… Nothing to show, a pile of materials, but at least a vague idea about how they ‘should,’ all fit together.
    4 points
  3. A rigger brush, a thin wash and capillary action are all used to get dirt into all the edges and corners of panels, doors and windows. By dipping the brush into clean thinners (white spirit) and then into the wash (MIG Productions Dark Wash), a good volume of fluid is ready to be transferred onto the model. The inevitable large blob on the end of the brush is removed by touching the tip against the rim of the bottle and the tip is then gently touched to a corner of a panel or junction of door shut line, window, panel, etc. Capillary action will take the fluid from the brush and run it into corners and along edges as if by magic.
    3 points
  4. Here's another contribution to the RMweb "Horse Drawn Weekly" as Dave calls it. My efforts don't even get close to his superb models, but a horse is a horse as they say in Farthing. Today's subject is a wagon from Ratkin & Son, makers of finest jams and marmalades (or so they claim). The build was inspired by scenes such as this one, showing the GWR sidings at Henley and Sons cyder works (sic) in Newton Abbot, October 1908. Source: Getty Images. Embedding permitted. The wagon is a straightforward build of a Dart Castings kit. As usual I modified the parts lightly to allow the front axle to rotate freely, which adds a bit of flexibility when positioning the wagon. I don't know whether trade/industry wagons followed the local styles of farm wagons. If so I'm in trouble, as my model isn't a Wiltshire type, where Farthing is located. An excuse could be that it was acquired secondhand from elsewhere, or built to the standard design of a large manufacturer. The example above was built by the Gloucester Wagon & Carriage works (who also made horse drawn vehicles). The style of the wagon didn't allow for lettering directly on the sides, so I made a sign. Whilst browsing a discussion of marmalade on CK's Bethesda Sidings thread, I realized that I had used the Danish spelling. It's the little details that reveal who we are, as Poirot would have said! Anyway, a new sign was made, and I took the opportunity to modify the name. If you're wondering about the point of the name, there's a clue in this photo. The rear flap was detailed with interior bracing and chain from Cambrian models. An Andrew Stadden figure was added, and some of those nice bulky sacks from Dart Castings. The horse is also from Dart Castings. I thought I'd have a lighthearted go at a nosebag, made from ordinary printing paper, rolled and glued. Getting a decent fit and fold was surprisingly tricky. As this delightful photo shows, I really ought to add a strap to hold it in place. Source: Wikipedia. Embedding permitted. Wagon done. It is manned by D. Woods, formerly of the GWR and His Majesty's Prisons, now happily employed at Ratkin & Son. So here we are in one of the mileage sidings at Farthing Old Yard. Obviously there is work going on - but, er, what exactly? Ah, an unloading procedure of sorts. The work seems to be all done. The loco crew must be very impatient, as they are already removing the goods wagon. Quite unusual. The siding has been cleared and we get a better view. A delivery of low grade oranges has been received, soon to be recycled as Ratkin's Finest Quality Marmalade.
    1 point
  5. . These are the last 2 of a batch of pre grouping wagons built in the last few weeks. I posted a request elsewhere on RMWeb about loads for single plank wagons and got some interesting replies. The BR wagons have been hanging around for months in the nearly finished state so I have had a finishing purge and these are the result. Mostly Parkside (what would do without this range!) David
    1 point
  6. I've managed to get a fair bit of modeling in over the last week working on a variety of projects. The major project was getting the Stour Valley P4 layout back up on its own new legs. It was previously on the legs used for Fen End Pit so I had to dismantle it every time I went out to a show. Getting the 3rd baseboard up then encouraged me into some track laying, this went well but threading Exactoscale chairs onto rail is even harder than normal when your finger tips are tingling from chemotherapy drugs! I've managed to get another 6 feet of track laid and once I've wired it up should be able to play at shunting pickup goods trains into the yard for shunting. I also got to paint/weather my first bit of wall.First up a picture of what I was aiming for... I found an Vallejo 'model wash' and tried it first on a bit of test wall. Pleased with the results using the 'Grey' wash I then tried adding a bit of their white acrylic to add just a bit more pigment and lighten the effect. I was pretty happy with the results. You can adjust the tone quite a lot with multiple washes, I could try adding a bit of their green wash but I think that might be a bit too much as I suspect the lichen colour might not have been quite so prevalent 50 years ago. Finally I also got around to getting the airbrush out and priming the Slater's Simplex. Quite pleased with the coverage and texture ( no 'Orange Peel' ). I've also replaced the DCC chip I fried so the chassis is complete again. The loco has so many 'sticky out bits' that I'm not sure how (or whether) to try and mask it. I'm suspecting I might need to apply an 'all over green' coat and then pick out various details with a brush afterwards. The picture has the fuel tank removed as that fits on, with the speaker inside, once I've finished. It's nice to actually feel I've achieved something... David
    1 point
  7. After a couple of evenings working on "modern" stock if you can call 1998 modern, it was back to the 1940s last night and some stock for Brent. First up some engineers wagons, I am not to up to scratch on my 1940s engineers knowledge so I will need to do a lot more research in order to nail down a full formation for this working. However so far I a tipping ballast wagon (that would later be known as a Mermaid), converted from a Cambrian kit. Along with a steel sided P17 from Kirk that I built way back in 2013. As part of a bulk buy of second hand kits from eBay, I have an old Cambrian kit for a P15/P18, the kit was rather crude and the chassis completely wrong (in that it had a wooden solbar, I suspect that the current version is a lot better quality. I started by building the basic box for the body (using some Plasticard to reinforce the joints that will be hidden by the load.) This was followed by scratch built headstocks, and a new chassis from Cambrian U channel spares. It will be fitted with Bill Bedford units for suspension, single side breaks with Morton leavers as a P18. I plan on getting another (new) Cambrian kit to add a P15 to go with them. I have also made progress on my Toplight composite, this has now been fitted with the queen posts and soldered on the trusses. The second hand kit was missing the buffers, so I have added a set of Comet castings to finish off the ends. It is now ready for painting next month. The second Toplight (third) chassis has been on the bench for further attention, this needs holes cutting out to clear the wheels. A task which is slowly progressing, but could do with the Dremmel to finish it off. As is common with DC Kits chassis this has bowed somewhat, and needs reinforcing with brass to get it straight again...
    1 point
  8. John F (Re6/6) came over today and we spent a very convivial afternoon helping each other out. I'm preparing 'Bleakhouse Road' for it's first show in 20 months at Coventry, and John is also there demonstrating scenery, including his superb trees. John is also taking his lovely Wye Valley diorama 'Netherhope Halt', and wanted some weathered ballast wagons (ex-Tintern Quarry) to pose on it. I had been meaning to improve one of the trees on BHR for some time. I had scratchbuilt the armature back in 2000 from copper wire, soldered together and covered with masking tape, then a mixture of Polyfilla and PVA glue. The foliage was made from teasing out 'Postiche' artificial theatrical hair and adding gound foam leaves, but I had left quite a lot of gaps between foliage clumps, and I knew that John would be able to show me how to improve on that. In the end, we split the jobs and John most kindly provided some replacement foliage from his stocks of Noch, which I think are relatively recent productions. He stripped the original foliage off first and cleaned the armature back up, bent some of the branches into more realistic positions and applied new acrylic paint to the bark. John had wanted a 'quickie' weathering powder job done on some Heljan 'Dogfish' ballast hoppers, so I got my weathering powders out and literally did a quickie once-over on his six wagons. CTMK popped her camera round the door and caught us in the act... Here is the finished tree, John just has 'the touch' with scenery and anyone visiting the RMWeb event at Coventry will be able to see more of his creations at close up: We also posed the tree on 'Callow Lane', even though it won't end up there: Here are some of John's wagons posed on 'Callow Lane' (the eagle-eyed may notice that he hasn't re-wheeled them yet, just opened the OO wheels out to enable the wagons to sit on the P4 track of 'Netherhope Halt' for the show, proper conversions to follow): I would normally use an airbrush and also drybrushing, in conjunction with powders, to weather of these, but time wasn't really on our side. After John had gone, I put my new tree back in it's transport box, which is made of Dalerboard, with a length of brass tube glued into the base, to hold the tree upright and keep it away from the edges of the box: My preference would normally be to fix trees to the layout, but in this case, there isn't sufficient clearance when the layout is packed up for transport.
    1 point
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