kirtleypete

I've been working on the buildings: This store stood right by the line at the end of the smaller trestle. It's a low relief model, the dormer windows and chimney are flat. This is the tram house that stood next to the depot. I've run out of corrugated sheet but more is on order. It's another big model; we need 10" of height to clear the loco's and rolling stock. This is one of the bedrooms for the depot building; I found the furniture on Ebay, all laser cut. It's 1/24th scale but it looks fine. The whole upper floor lifts out to give access to the ground floor rooms; detailing them is tomorrow's job. Peter

I've just got back from another day working on the layout; I came back early as the next job is to finish all the various buildings. I did complete the scenery around the trestle: I think the painted backdrop blends in quite well. The river needs several more layers of varnish, a job for the next visits. The timber cribbing at the end of the viaduct. The card marks the position of the road, and the black rectangle is the position of the shop. I've brought the bents home to complete the small trestle. Peter

One advantage of making the walls from cardboard is that when you forget a door it's easy to cut a hole and pop it in! The Depot has also gained it's chimney. Peter

Super pictures Tony, thanks for posting them. I'm glad someone dusted the river!! As for the roads, you're right of course but we've only got one lifetime and sometimes you do have to compromise. Peter

The depot is coming together now, but I can't finish the roof because I seem to have cleaned Cornwall Model Boats out of the stripwood! I'll finish this wall today. I can finish off the wall but the roof will have to wait for a bit. It's a shame that is attractive side of the building will be all but hidden when it's in place. Peter

I've painted the finished side before turning the building around to do the rest. I generally do this, it encourages me! The brown is Tamiya flat brown, the cream a mix of Tamiya white, yellow and flesh paints. The roof is Tamiya flat earth (great name!) with individual shingles then picked out in lighter shades. Peter

I've made good progress with the new Depot. This side is pretty much complete but the other side has yet to be started. Oddly there don't seem to have been any gutters, possibly because they get more snow than rain up there. The droop on the goods shed in this shot is because it's off the end of the bench, it doesn't do that when it's fully supported. The end wall of the house needs bracing to prevent the flexing but if I'm going to be modelling the interior that's difficult. I've put a lot of hours in over the last three days but it's worth it because I know I'll be able to finish it in time now. Peter

Things are back on track; a new model and this time it's the right damn size! I've used card for the planking and plastic for the lower part, I'll keep the wood for the roof shingles. Peter

No, to do that I'd have to finish it and I haven't the time to build it twice. It will be going to the tip tomorrow. Peter

Unfortunately all the work I have done on the depot has been wasted; I built it on a template given to me by my customer and it's much too big. I'm going to have the scrap the model and begin again. It's my own fault, I should have checked, Peter

The goods shed has taken shape; I'm still undecided about whether to attach it or keep it separate. I'm edging towards the former, I don't like gaps where buildings join. The shed is shorter than scale but it's quite big enough for me! Peter

I've made more progress with the depot. I've been able to fit the bargeboards to the roof using stripwood: Happily these only appear on two sides! I've also painted the finished areas because I wanted to see what they would look like....I used Tamiya acrylics, the cream my own mix. I do wish the D&RG Southern had painted their window sashes in white not brown! All the pictures I can find show blinds pulled down over two thirds of the windows with curtains behind them so that is what I've done, but they my be removed if my customer doesn't like them. There is certainly no point modelling a full interior with them in place. I hand painted the lettering but it still needs tidying up. On the other hand the real thing was no doubt hand lettered too so maybe it looks realistic. The next delivery of wood should arrive tomorrow, but in the meantime I can make up the shell of the goods shed which was attached to the depot. Peter

Rails have e-mailed me to say the slips have been posted, so finally I can get with things again. watch this space! Peter

I've been working on the depot building over the last couple of days: The shell is corrugated card with planking from lime wood strip from Cornwall Model Boats. I've run out of the wood now so there won't be much progress until more arrives, Peter

It sounds ideal; I'll let my customer know, Thanks, Peter

They will but thankfully not by me! My customer actually enjoys things like that but it will be one of the last jobs that gets done as they will be vulnerable to being damaged while we're still working on it. David, thanks for the offer about the camera, I'll pass it on. Peter

That's the big problem with overall roofs Michael; you really only see the outside. One thing we certainly intend to do in due course is fit a video camera to a chassis and propel it through the station as though it is being viewed from a train. BRM might well do that when they visit, saving us the trouble! Peter

They are certainly my favourites. it will look better when we've got all the figures, barrows etc in place....at the moment it's a bit of a ghost station. Perhaps the RMT are on strike! Peter

I had another trip to 'York' yesterday and took a lot of pictures, some of which hopefully replace some of the lost ones. The area I did last time has gained some trees and the land on the right has been surfaced and the railway part fenced off. We spent a lot of time yesterday fitting facia boards to the edges of the laoyut; like framing a picture it finishes things off neatly and makes it look finished. I use white faced hardboard for this as it can be but with a Stanley knife, curved and it takes paint well. It will be painted dark grey when it's all in place. I finished off these platform ends which just need a spot of weathering now. Station nameboards and lamps have been put in place now too. Just the tops of the coal drops need finishing off in this scene now. Facias have been fitted on the other side too. I've tidied up the garden along the edge. We've reinstated the backscene behind the riverside houses. Next stop Newcastle. Peter

I have begun a thread on a 1/20.3 scale indoor layout of the Ophir Loop in the American and Canadian railroads part of the Overseas Modelling section....have a look if you are interested. These are pictures I took yesterday: I won't keep posting here as there is no point duplicating the thread. Peter

We've only got room for one point! It's just a big diorama really but it will give somewhere to run the loco's which are currently just in boxes. He's got other layouts for playing trains on. Peter

I've just got back from working on the layout. The first job was a put in the hillside behind the trestle, using cardboard and a hot glue gun. The surface was covered with a grass mat and some horsehair bushes. I then finished off the painting of the backscene. Finally the trestle could be fixed in position. We have removed the track as it will be easier to lay it in situ as part of the whole layout. Next I was able to build up the ground around the trestle, again using cardboard. The Sculptamold is the river bed and rock faces on the steep hillside. I couldn't do any more as the Sculptamold has to be perfectly dry before it is painted. Not a K27 yet, but it will do for the moment. My customer is going on holiday so there will be a gap before I can do any more on this scene, but in the meantime I've got he depot to build. Peter

It was fun to do because you're basically building it like the real thing, cutting lengths of timber and joining them together. I usually model in plastic so this made a refreshing change. It's also got me watching videos of American narrow gauge on Youtube which is an impulse I need to fight! Peter

After doing the painting above i thought I'd like one too! I'm going back tomorrow to carry on work on the layout, Peter

Having built the bridge I thought a painting might be nice on the wall above it, so I've spent today doing this: Peter