The Oak Hill Branch - LBSCR / SECR 1905ish - New layout starts on page 129

[Edwardian]

Oh, but that does look the part.

 

Good for you for trying it out.  I think you have a winner there. 

 

I look forward to seeing it come to fruition.

[BlueLightning]

Thanks James,

 

I think your idea of having the tallest bit against the wall makes it look so much better and I would never of even thought to try that if you hadn't said so you must take some of the credit for how it looks.

 

Gary

[ChrisN]

Gary,

Sorry, late to the party.  I have now got my head round what James was saying.  I had thought as you No 2 was the best idea but was looking at No1 so the comments made little sense.  (Some days I worry myself, others the wife.)  It does work that way round and still keeps a certain symmetry.

[BlueLightning]

Hi Chris,

 

Thanks for popping by. I have been sitting with the mock-up in place all week now and I do really like it.

 

Unfortunately I haven't been able to start any modelling as the car has been off the road. The man at the MOT station said something about me needing to have brakes, who knew? However that has now been rectified so I can get back to the model shop and get some Plasticard next week and start work.

 

Might be slow as I am busy all of this weekend and me and my daughter are operating at the Tinkers Park Models Railways Plus next weekend (6th and 7th August). If anyone who reads this is in the area and pops by we will be on Uckfield MRC's N Gauge layout 'Oakley' so please come and say hi.

 

I might try and find some time for an evening walk to Hellingly through the week and take some pictures of the building, with permission of the current owners, as it is one of the stations that is still there.

 

Gary

 

edit: spelling

Edited July 30, 2016 by BlueLightning

[richard i]

So not much has happened since I last posted I did however find time over the weekend to build a mock-up station building and also discover that once my slight extension to the front of the platform and the rather large gap at the back had been taken into account I had a scale 6' of platform in front of the water pipes allowing for an extension of the building across the front of it.

 

This has allowed me to put in the building as James suggested and keep the stores on the end. Although I will now be looking for something else to break up the view of the back scene further along the platform.

 

So without further ado I present the proposed station building for Oak Hill:

 

 

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

You could finish the run from the station building to the end of the layout with a fence.

[BlueLightning]

Thats a good idea Richard and will finish that end off nicely.

 

Gary

[Edwardian]

You could finish the run from the station building to the end of the layout with a fence.

 

Agree.  It would fit the bill and be logical, because one would assume that the Station Master's garden lay behind it.

[BlueLightning]

Time for a lack of update and plea for help.

 

I have done absolutely no modelling this week however I am trying to get a hold of the following Terry Gough articles as Printed in Railway Modeller. If anyone can help please let me know

Aug 1966 Part 1 LBSCR Third (54') convs. from Tri-ang clerestory coaches.
Sep 1966 Part 2 LBSCR Composites & Brake 3rds (54') convs. from Tri-ang clerestory coaches.
Oct 1967 Part 6 SECR Birdcage stock (45'-60') convs. from Tri-ang clerestory coaches.
Dec 1967 Part 7 SECR Composite (50'-60') convs. from Tri-ang clerestory coaches.

 

Also Tinkers Park exhibition this weekend (Aug 6-7) I'll be operating 'Oakley' with some other members of Uckfield MRC and my daughter please come say hi if you are there.

 

Gary

[BlueLightning]

Holy update batman!! He's done some modelling!!

 

So after some hectic weeks starting with a health scare from my daughter, and then my dog, and then my laptop dying and needing a new one, I haven't really done a lot of modelling.

 

So let's start with a nice pic of the loco yard with all my LBSCR and SECR locos in it:

 

And now for some modelling I have finally added some more details to the water tower with a ladder at the front and an inspection hatch on the roof:

 

Then while having to dig out my "train cupboard" to make room for Hailsham I found a couple of dozen Peco buffer stop kits allowing me to make more LBSCR style buffers which were then fitted all over the layout:

 

 

 

and so with buffer stops now in place I finished putting down the DAS round the coal merchants yard ready for some painting weathering and finishing:

 

And finally for this little update with my birthday passing last week the modelling funds have been restocked and so I have been talking to Mike Waldron of EB Models to get the signals sorted and so hopefully these should be ordered in the next couple of days!

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited April 11, 2017 by BlueLightning

[Edwardian]

Good to see you able to fit some modelling in around Real life.

 

Which reminds me ....

[BlueLightning]

Well what a last few day's I've had. I have well and truly got back into the swing of modelling. Rather a lot done and I fell a whole new look the the station end of the layout.

 

It started last Monday with the arrival of the Signalling from EB Models and MSE:

 

and that was quickly followed by the arrival of 5 copies of the Railway Modeller, including the ones I had asked about in a previous post:

 

So naturally with these both now here I started work on the coal merchants yard, beginning with a basic set of staithes made from coffee stirrers:

 

This was then painted and had some short sections of rail added as supports:

 

and then with a wash of black and lots of coal scattered around we had a mostly finished yard:

 

 

and I then started work on the proper station building out of 40thou plasticard:

 

 

and as if that wasn't enough I started on the new hill and station forecourt, I began by destroying a large part of the existing scenery and putting in Celotex as a scenic base:

 

And then I started building up with some DAS Clay which I quickly ran out of:

 

However I got some more and continued to finish the hillside:

 

 

Who ever said there was a fiddle yard here:

 

And 1 final picture showing the station on the new land:

 

So it would seem I have well and truly got back into it and look forward to carrying on making big changes.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Gary

Edited April 11, 2017 by BlueLightning

[Edwardian]

Gary, you have been busy!

 

What a splendid job on the coal merchant's yard.

 

Very satisfying to see the bulk of the station taking shape.  Look forward to more.

[BlueLightning]

Thanks James,

 

It has been good to get lots done again.

 

The coal merchants yard is the first time I have ever tried weathering something and although it is basic I think I have got a good effect and appreciate your comments.

 

Gary

[Edwardian]

Thanks James,

 

It has been good to get lots done again.

 

The coal merchants yard is the first time I have ever tried weathering something and although it is basic I think I have got a good effect and appreciate your comments.

 

Gary

 

The coal yard just looks right, to me, Gary.  Where things look natural, the effort of making them so is seldom apparent!

[BlueLightning]

You're right James, there does seem to be a bit of an art to it and I hope I can recreate some of that realism elsewhere on the layout.

 

Gary

[Ian Simpson]

That is excellent progress, Gary!

I do like the coal staithes: the rails are a clever touch that really adds character, and the weathering is so realistic. That is pretty much how I remember our local staithes at Crystal Palace when I was a kid.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Ian Simpson

[BlueLightning]

Thanks Ian,

 

Glad you like it. The staithes were all I had done when I commented on your blog and really didn't expect to do any more for the week but I couldn't stop myself. Not as much done this week but the layout is progressing nicely, my aim is to have a general improvement over the whole layout by the end of the year (funds permitting) and then do fine detailing next year whilst also getting Hailsham to a good standard.

 

Gary

 

PS. For anyone who hasn't seen it, Ian's excellent blog on modelling the 1840's in H0 can be found here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/2048-modelling-the-1840s-in-ho/

[BlueLightning]

Well no sooner do I get back into modelling than it is stopped. It has been a bad time recently starting with the passing of Keith Nock, the president of Uckfield MRC, Obituary posted here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/114882-keith-nock-president-uckfield-model-railway-club-mr-hobby-box/

 

I spent a day phoning members of the club which really hit my mojo. and once I got going again I slipped with the scalpel and nearly took the top of my thumb off. In fact it even hurts to type at the moment so definitely no modelling until it recovers, don't worry I won't post any pictures of that.

 

So back to modelling. Before hurting my thumb I got started on the access road to the station and since then my misses has done some static grass on the hill, which I think looks very good for her first attempt at it:

 

And I have also got some new locos one of witch can be seen in the shot above it is an old Horny H0 gauge USA tank, I can't afford the new Bachmann one but wanted one for a future project so got this one off of another member at club when his new one arrived:

 

And as you can never have to many Terriers I got another one of those however this one doesn't seem to fit on the track properly for some reason:

 

Yes it's an 0 gauge one from Dapol and a lovely model it is. It is DC not that it matters much as I don't have any 0 gauge track however I plan on making a few 4 wheel coaches in 0 gauge and at the very least it will look good on the lighting pelmet when it gets built. It will run on the 0 gauge layout at club and I hope to get a loop of track that can go around the Christmas tree.

 

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed,

 

I shall see you all again here once my thumb has recovered and will enjoy seeing your topics in the meantime,

 

Gary

Edited April 11, 2017 by BlueLightning

[Edwardian]

Good to see some greenery; it brings the scene alive.

 

Keep up the good work!

[BlueLightning]

Thanks James,

 

The misses was glad you liked it

 

I am thinking of having some trees leading down the side of the road with some form of horse drawn vehicle going down to the station. I can already picture it in my head but it may be some time before it happens as I have never made trees before and I can't afford to keep buying pre made ones.

 

Gary

 

Also I am at the Haywards Heath 175 on Sunday operating the clubs N gauge 'Oakley' with my daughter again if anyone is in the area please do come and say hi

Edited September 15, 2016 by BlueLightning

[Edwardian]

I am thinking of having some trees leading down the side of the road with some form of horse drawn vehicle going down to the station. I can already picture it in my head

 

Great idea.  You should.

 

My compliments to Mrs Lightening

[KevinWalsh]

After reading the entire thread and seeing it all come to life, I think we need to re-visit the lighting pelmet design and height. I'm thinking of a change to the original design and quote to take into account the photography carried out and also it might be possible to get the pelmet past her indoors with this change.

[BlueLightning]

Well hello there Kev,

 

'Tis good to see you gracing my thread with you presence sir. I shall look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Pelmet at the weekend then. I was thinking the other day wouldn't it be nice to pose my 0 gauge bits on top at either end. I wonder if we can get that past her   

[Edwardian]

Well hello there Kev,

 

'Tis good to see you gracing my thread with you presence sir. I shall look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Pelmet at the weekend then. I was thinking the other day wouldn't it be nice to pose my 0 gauge bits on top at either end. I wonder if we can get that past her 

 

The layout needs proper lighting in order to show that grass off to best effect!

[BlueLightning]

The layout needs proper lighting in order to show that grass off to best effect!

 

Yes it does. Kev quoted me for a lighting pelmet what seems like forever ago when he converted my house into a 3 bedroom. The reasoning I used to get it past the misses was that it would give her a shelf to put pictures on. I hate not having lighting on the layout at them moment and try to only take pictures in the morning when I get a nice amount of natural light as anything else comes out absolutely appalling. I look forward to it being done but again the cost factor is a bit of a problem at the moment.

 

Gary