The Taddington branch of the LNWR

[Argos]

Agreed!

 

The colour does look odd, hopefully the clay will take paint and colour appropriately.

When viewed from a distance the Peak limestone buildings do have a brownish hue to the grey.

Also gritstone and basalt are found in the vicinity, both of which weather brown (although not terracotta!).

I was too impatient to go out and buy some more clay.

 

Failing that it will be out with the pneumatic drill (or 19th century equivalent, a pick axe) 

 

Being able to jump between stock building and scenery stops thing getting staid, but being able to operate helps most.

I've noticed the momentum of the layout and stock build has increased dramatically since the point of getting things moving.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Argos

[Argos]

A bit more work today and I've managed to recreate a small slice of Arizona on the Staffordshire/Cheshire/Derbyshire border!
 
The white wall at the end is the line of the end loading dock.
I may bring this forward, I had planned to put the end of two storey warehouse here, but I'm worried it will look out of place in a remote backwater.
I'll draft out a paper mock up and see how it looks.

 

The siding on the right is not finally glued down yet so looks a little wonky.

[Edwardian]

A bit more work today and I've managed to recreate a small slice of Arizona on the Staffordshire/Cheshire/Derbyshire border!

 

The white wall at the end is the line of the end loading dock.

I may bring this forward, I had planned to put the end of two storey warehouse here, but I'm worried it will look out of place in a remote backwater.

I'll draft out a paper mock up and see how it looks.

 

The siding on the right is not finally glued down yet so looks a little wonky.

 

A Mill, perhaps?

[Argos]

A mill is a fair idea, however, all the mills in the area are in the valleys though (near a dependable flowing water source).

 

I'm probably over thinking things again, a building complex would add a book end to the scene, I'm not sure what I'd replace it with.

 

I think I need to spend some time mocking up some options.

 

I'm sure scribing the setts will give me plenty of thinking time! 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Argos

[runs as required]

Or perhaps 'Taddington Farmers Supplies' co-op godown ?

We had one called 'Horwich End Supplies' in Shallcross Sidings at the northern end of the C&HPR

 

dh

[Argos]

Hi Run as Required,

 

The co-op warehouse is a great idea, I think I'll work with that one!

I seem to recall seeing just such a building at Dyserth in North Wales.

 

Is the building at Shallcross still standing, or has been demolished to make way for the housing estate?

I might need to take a ride over with my camera and tape measure.

 

A final note, I've obviously caused some confusion, the current layout will remain as Three Shire Heads.

I am using it as test layout to trial various methods of construction.

Taddington will follow on once Three Shire Heads is finished (ish....) that way I'll have a working layout whilst the larger one develops.

Although I've replicated the plan of Three Shire Heads at Taddington, there is about a foot more space available so the scene can be stretched a bit and have more room to breath.

[Penlan]

Or perhaps 'Taddington Farmers Supplies' co-op godown ?

Or ..... 'Taddington Farmers Co-Operative (Society Ltd).'

 

Similar to this example..

 

[runs as required]

'Horwich End Supplies' in Shallcross Sidings seems to have long gone, looking at the Google satellite image.

 Nothing special about it - in fact this pic  looks very similar though it is not the 'Supplies' building which lay over to the left outside the camera view.

 

My recollection was that it was slate roofed and with vertical timber board cladding over a stone plinth that was platform/tailboard loading height for transshipment to the little Guy flat truck in 1948/9.

Any structure of yours (at Taddington) would look good in limestone.  A spectacular limestone industrial ruin close to Chelmorton is the Magpie lead mine - still active when we were potholing in that area in the late 1950s.

 

dh

[Argos]

Ah! I thought that was the LNWR's good shed!
 
I always considered Shallcross would make a good limited space layout, especially as in the early 60s it was shunted by Royal Scots and Jubliees.
 
I did look at whether I could include something like the Magpie mine at Taddington, but felt this would take too much space. 
I'm going to keep it simple with just exchange sidings, the workings (in this case a quarry and lime work) will be offstage.
 
For Three Shire Heads I was looking for a small 2 storey warehouse.
 
Apart from planning airship stations (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/109742-relocating-lenabo/ ) I've also made a mock up.
 
It doesn't look to bad, I think I could get away with a slightly wider building.
The final version will have a stone slab roof with a gable upstand, so would be a re-purposed earlier building.
 
The gate arch maybe a bit grand. It will also need to move nearer the building.

[Andy Hayter]

The building looks just a tad over 12ft wide, so I would certainly look to widen it if possible.

 

Looking good though.

[Argos]

Hi Andy,
 
Thanks for the comments.
I've mocked up a wider building which suits the site better. I was scared of over powering the scene but my fears were unfounded.
 

 
Another view with a low side wagon to give sense of scale:-
 

 
I've also been scribing the first of the stone setts in the yard. 
It is easier than I thought but I think I've got the setts a bit oversize.
In reality they came in all shapes and sizes. These would be natural stone cut to size, most building products we see these days are reconstituted in a mould so are a consistent shape. In future I'll try to get them smaller.
 
The other learning is that the clay surface needs to be smoother and more even.
 
Anyway, here is the first inspection party:-
 

 
Finally I've had email from Gladiator informing me my coal tank is winging its way to me and should arrive Monday.   
I'd better get back to the workbench and finish the 5' 6" tank!

Edited April 1, 2016 by Argos

[Edwardian]

Looking good.  Like the building wider.  Like the stone arched gateway.

 

Very neat and convincing scribed setts, but it will drive you slowly insane.

[runs as required]

Could an answer to the scribed sets be dust - artfully disposed to look as if no one has bothered to brush it all off the stone sets for the last few decades ?

 

Or a construction site with lots of stone debris - perhaps in connection with that ambitious gateway  (which has a hint of a hi profile Edwardian architect: Lutyens/Blomfield/Aston Webb in its conception?

 

dh

[Argos]

   

 

And it has arrived........

 

 

 

I must finish the 5'6" tank before starting the Coal Tank

I must finish the 5'6" tank before starting the Coal Tank

I must finish the 5'6" tank before starting the Coal Tank.........

[Argos]

Looking good.  Like the building wider.  Like the stone arched gateway.

 

Very neat and convincing scribed setts, but it will drive you slowly insane.

 

Thanks Edwardian,

 

Not sure about the slowly bit though!

It is actually quite fulfilling scribing the setts if done in short bursts.

 

I've also been looking at various old photos of goods yards and setts came in all shape and sizes, with no real pattern to how they were laid.

I feel happier with mine now, although they are still oversize.

I think they look better the more are done.

 

Progress photo (the drainage channel needs a bit more work to straighten the sides)

 

[Edwardian]

It is actually quite fulfilling scribing the setts if done in short bursts.

 

 

You're evidently the better man!

 

It is looking good though.  How will you paint it?  A subtle medium to suit the delicate scribing?

[Argos]

Sorry Edwardian, I missed your reply,

 

I am going to trial various paints, but, given the colour of the clay suspect I might need enamels to ensure a good coverage without swamping the detail.

 

I am contemplating giving the area a blast of grey primer first to tone back the Nevada desert look, but will need to take the layout outside to do that (it will be sunny this weekend won't it?.

 

Only another 300 setts to go........

[Caley Jim]

I am going to trial various paints, but, given the colour of the clay suspect I might need enamels to ensure a good coverage without swamping the detail.

 

DAS will take water based paints well.  After getting the basic colour right, try dusting it over with dry powder paint in various shades of grey.  This can provide subtle variations in shade, bending into one another and will absorb moisture from the air to become 'fixed'.

 

Jim

[Argos]

Thanks Jim,

 

I'll give that a try and post the results.

I've got to go into to town this weekend so I'll see if I can pick up some powder paint form the local art shop.

[runs as required]

Thanks Jim,

 

I'll give that a try and post the results.

I've got to go into to town this weekend so I'll see if I can pick up some powder paint form the local art shop.

A cheaper option, offering a greater colour range of powders, is a set of soft pastels (not oil pastels) from which you can scrape off excellent powders using a discarded Stanley blade moved up and down perpendicularly to the pastel.

 

If you have a "Works" in Leek, they sell cheap good pastels, WH Smiths also is increasingly muscling in on the cheapo 'student' end of the art materials market.

dh

[Argos]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

 

Unfortunately the local art shop did not stock powder paints and all the soft pastels were marked as "suitable with oil colours", although marked as "soft pastels".

So, being confused I bought a cheap set of oil paints to try.....

 

David Wright, whose work is astonishing and my main inspiration uses oils, if I can get a finish half as good as his I'll be a happy man.

I haven't got any VHS video cases to use as a pallet though........

(If you've seen his demonstration stand at an exhibition you'll get the reference)

Edited April 9, 2016 by Argos

[Andy Hayter]

Not sure about how you would use a VHS case, but I have found that the liner in a chocolate box works a treat for mixing colours giving a range of mixes in each of the compartments.

[Northroader]

I'd modify 'runs as required' suggestion and start with a base shade in a flat humbrol paint, colour mixed if necessary. Then a very thinned down dark grey wash to get in the cracks, wiping off with a tissue straight after. When dry, get some pastel chalk, mainly black and brown shades, and rub on a rough emery paper, sprinkling off the paper here and there, and then rubbing in with a soft dry brush.

[Argos]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

 

There's plenty of different techniques to try.

 

After a quiet week on the modelling front, I've scribed the last of the setts this morning.

 

 

 

I've also moved the mock up of the gate to the final position and scribed the door runners.

 

 

Overall I'm pleased with effect.

 

Lessons for next time:-

• Leave the garage heater on overnight as the clay was still quite soft two weeks after application.
• If the modelling being scribed can be removed from the layout this is an advantage as you can move it around rather than yourself when scribing!
• Relax! It is amazing how the stone you think you've botched look the best once cleaned up!
• When applying the clay pay more attention to getting the surface level and smooth, this doesn't have to be perfect but a bit better than I achieved here.

Next up the structures and painting, although the 5'6" tank is now nearly finished and there is coal tank rustling in its box.....

[ChrisN]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

 

There's plenty of different techniques to try.

 

After a quiet week on the modelling front, I've scribed the last of the setts this morning.

 

3 shire goods yard 5.jpg

 

 

I've also moved the mock up of the gate to the final position and scribed the door runners.

 

3 shire goods yard 6.jpg

 

Overall I'm pleased with effect.

 

Lessons for next time:-

• Leave the garage heater on overnight as the clay was still quite soft two weeks after application.
• If the modelling being scribed can be removed from the layout this is an advantage as you can move it around rather than yourself when scribing!
• Relax! It is amazing how the stone you think you've botched look the best once cleaned up!
• When applying the clay pay more attention to getting the surface level and smooth, this doesn't have to be perfect but a bit better than I achieved here.

Next up the structures and painting, although the 5'6" tank is now nearly finished and there is coal tank rustling in its box.....

 

I have a small wooden rolling pin for smoothing clay, I felt it better to buy one for myself than try and use one from the kitchen.