by george hudson
original page on Old RMweb
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??? posted on Thu Jun 26, 2008 8:53 pm
Stratham
Some way from the hectic activity of Aldersgate (see otherlayout topic) but no distance from the Wisbech and Upwell line is Stratham.
This is probably more of a diorama than a working model railway and designed to be something small enough to withstand changes in location (under beds, in lofts etc) and which displays some of the buildings which I have accumulated over the last 25 years or so and which were until recently kept in a collection of shoeboxes. They all need a makeover after being bumped about but I think they will scrub up ok.
Some are scratchbuilt including the one by the river which is 30 years old! Others are Bilteezi which I have always had a soft spot since I first saw it at the age of 10 in the window of the long gone Hambilngs Models of Cecil Court in London. (God this makes me sound like an old buffer).
My usual principle is to model something which gives the flavour of a scene without the need, effort or time required to reproduce any particular original. I am full of admiration for those who can pull it off but for me this would be turning a pleasurable hobby into a burden. This principle has been followed in Stratham where there is a reference to Wisbech Upwell but where really in depth research has given way to pouring over photos.
I have gone public with this to provide myself with an incentive to pull the whole thing together: I won??????????¬???????t say ??????????¬?…???finished??????????¬?‚??. As usual any comments and suggestions would be welcome, (even pointing out errors or simply things people don??????????¬???????t like).
Andrew
whateverhappened to Prototype? this is their brickpaper.
30 years old!
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??? posted on Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:00 pm
Short update
And following the best traditions, the boards are finished off after tracklaying...
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Comment posted by Lukasz on Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:49 pm
I really like the buildings and the detail on river is great
keep up the good work!
Lukasz
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Comment posted by Brinkly on Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:09 pm
Hi Andrew,
Your layout is progressing nicely. Some of the buildings are excellent, I really like the window clearner! Something that I will now include on my layout. The river scene is also excellent. Keep us all posted as you go.
Best wishes,
Nick
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Comment posted by Pigs on Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:48 pm
George Hudson wrote:
Stratham
what ever happened to Prototype? this is their brickpaper.
Roger (?) Freestone bought them: they are still available from him at exhibitions and via mail/phone order:
Freestone Model Accessories
28, Newland Mill
WITNEY
Oxfordshire
OX28 3HH tel: 01993 775979
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Comment posted by mines a pint on Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:01 pm
Very nice! -lovely buildings, very well detailed for the scale.
-hope you'll be back with updates as it progresses.
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Comment posted by Jules on Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:49 am
Nice collection of buildings
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Comment posted by Lukasz on Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:10 pm
I had some of the brick paper ut dunno where it got to!
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??? posted on Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:43 pm
Thanks to everyone for their kind comments and links to own layouts.
I noticed that Jules is a bit defensive about Much Snoring. You shouldn't be; it's an excellent layout packed with atmosphere. I agree very much with Peter Denny who wrote in his book about the groundbreaking Buckingham branch that composition is the key.
I forgot one of my favorite building and the last which I made, which is the petrol station. It's only a chopped about "Bilteezi" again with a plastic tiled roof but it seems to work amid it's "designer junk" in the yard
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??? posted on Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:52 pm
Some more progress....
As you can see I have erected the partition between the scenic part of the layout and the three road fiddle yard and before beginning any scenic work proper (the river scene is imported from a previous project) I decided that it needed a safe harbour.
I have constructed a simple stand alone shelving unit with a drop down hood to keep out dust etc since it is being stored in the garage. It??????????¬???????s a ??????????¬?…???dock??????????¬?‚?? because the layout is not secured to the frame but just rests on a platform from which it can be removed for working on or operating. Equally, when I have rigged up a light to shine from inside the opened hood and when the points off stage have been electrified, it can be operated from this position also.
Well that's it for now.
Andrew
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??? posted on Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:15 pm
A little more pre holiday progress. I admit this is not riveting stuff (baseboards etc are no great love of mine either but without them??????????¬?‚?¦).
Ambling around the DIY store (a quiet addiction of mine) I noticed some rather useful looking 2mil plastic foam sheeting intended for laying under wooden floors. I promptly bought a roll and am using it to provide a smooth base for the back scene which will, rather unadventurously, be simply sky. Painted back scenes are difficult to get right in my experience and the Fenland location justifies not having anything other than the blue English Summer sky. Excuses having been worked worked out, it has now been fixed on as can be seen in the photos.
Additionally, despite promising myself no tangents until the baseboard groundwork has been, a small bridge has magically appeared. This is designed on the ??????????¬?…???make it up as you go along??????????¬?‚?? principle and has yet to be fixed and scenically integrated into the river itself.
Prettier stuff to follow soon I hope.
Mmm the camera is cruel at times.
Andrew
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??? posted on Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:49 pm
Hello everyone!
After a busy Summer chez Hudson I am returning to try to make some progress with Stratham.
Every village needs a pub; this is another knocked about Bilteezi. I have also tried to refresh the builder's yard, a scratchbuilt effort from some time ago. Please forgive the odd angles and bit of roofing that nee refixing! Hope you like them anyway.
Best regards to all and keep up the good work. I am incresingly addicted to reading threads late at night!
Andrew
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??? posted on Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:33 pm
I have returned to some modeling on the baseboard and here is the progress so far. When I say modeling, this is really my usual fiddling about with various buildings and features. At least I have got the sky up and some landscaping has commenced on what will be inaccessible areas later. The track is ballasted but needs painting but nevertheless some of the spare look to the countryside which I am trying to achieve is coming through. Nothing is fixed down and therefore don't be surprised if the village looks rather different later!
I don't know really what to do with the track on the bridge, at the moment it is sort of, well, just hanging on the girders. I think I have seen something on the prototype which follows this but has anyone any suggestions for the deck. (I will weather everything in due course).
Andrew
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??? posted on Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:40 pm
Hello all,
Very little progress since the last post except have abandoned the garage for the loft: chose dust over damp as the major hazard!
Here are some views of the bridge (pillars removed for some work) after some weathering and the creation of a tree.
It's supposed to be an oak by the way.
Andrew
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Comment posted by shortliner on Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:36 pm
Andrew - a suggestion - take a hot glue gun and thicken up the trunk on the oak, they are fairly "stout" trees and your lower trunk (if you'll excuse the expression, is a bit on the "skinny" side. Also a distant row of poplars on the backscene
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??? posted on Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:50 pm
Thanks for the tip, that's helpful and very welcome advice!.
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??? posted on Tue Nov 11, 2008 7:54 pm
Mmm having reflected on this, the trunk is both too thin and too long. The lower foliage should roughly follow the ground giving a flattish profile at the bottom. Will try harder!
Andrew
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??? posted on Wed Dec 17, 2008 10:37 am
Unfortunately modeling had to give way to reality for some time and I have had to confine myself to mini projects rather than the layout proper. One of these is trees, a perennial topic (sorry). I have made several from wire but often feel that nothing mimics nature better than nature so here are some experiments with carefully selected undergrowth.
They have been painted with neat wood glue prior to painting and the application of Woodlands Scenics??????????¬??????? foliage. This shows a nearly finished silver birch, some soon to be poplars and the tree factory.
Andrew
(ps Buckjumper, my screensaver is the haunting view of broad street which you sent me for inspiration re Aldersgate.)
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??? posted on Sat Dec 20, 2008 6:01 pm
I intend to plant all trees at the back of the layout in one go when I have enough to ensure that the whole scene looks of one piece. In the meantime I could not resist the temptation to present the latest output of the tree factory and my undergrowth selection. Always room for improvement but I think this is a good start.
As I said before it's just some undergrowth strengthend with wood glue and then painted: this time a couple of grape stalks have found their way in also. My approach to the hobby is definately more art than engineering! (probably because I don't have much talent for the latter).
Regards
Andrew
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??? posted on Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:35 pm
Trees seem to be an enduring theme on this forum (especially with me!) so I thought I would show that the Stratham tree factory is still going strong: poplars are the current offering.
seems to be a strong wind about.
Andrew
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??? posted on Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:47 am
As a diversion from baseboard supports for Aldersgate, I returned to Stratham??????????¬???????s buildings.
Just a little food for thought on how to improve an already excellent kit from Metcalf. To give the structure some texture I painted a wash of Revell SM314 and scribed this by hand following (mostly) the originally marked stonework. This was finished off with a plastic roof from ??????????¬?…???Auhagen??????????¬?‚?? a German manufacturer. This was the second attempt since the first roofing sheet was a little too far in the direction of 3.5mm rather than 2mm with the result that the church looked more Italianate than East Anglian.
I am now on the lookout for some parts for the top of the tower so that it will resemble St Clements in Outwell (p 46 the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway by Hawkins & Reeve from Wild Swan).
Andrew
ps that's a bit of silver birch on my desk to check model colour against real life. If only you could do that with locomotives!
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Comment posted by mines a pint on Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:36 pm
Enjoying watching your methods- re trees/scenery
-should look very good when it all goes together!
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Comment posted by Andel on Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:04 pm
Quite impressed by the progress so far Looks really good.
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??? posted on Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:21 pm
Grinding forward at a snail's pace. I got bored with trees and switched to buildings. This one is 80% complete but I decided to photograph it anyway. It's inspired by Brown's New Commons Bridge stores for those Upwell tramway fans.
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Comment posted by McRuss on Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:49 pm
Hello Andrew,
nice new pictures. As you are a member of our german british railway/railwaymodelling forum, maybe you could show them there too.
Markus
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