Inspired by Brent June 1947

[The Fatadder]

7 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Boiler bands?

Blast, I can’t believe i have forgotten to add them before painting, let alone weathering.   Going to have to have a think as to how I will fix this 

[The Fatadder]

Another small bit of work finished last night, I have been working on my J12 sleeper.

 

Lining has been added from the Modelmaster transfers, on the smooth sided J12 I found they worked rather well (even with the fact that it takes 2 strips to do one line).  I added Great crest Western logos from the HMRS sheet, along with transfers for First on the door and Sleeping Car in the centre above the GW logo (again off the HMRS sheet). 

I did find an issue when applying the transfers the water to remove the backing on the pressfix was resulting in lifting the lining transfers.   I think the solution in future is to apply a coat of varnish after lining, and a second coat after the other transfers are added…  The final job was to paint the ends black as a basis for weathering (the roof will be painted with a Vallejo grey black weathered mix after varnishing.)  I now have the bogies, so its about time the coach was finished!

 

As ever I have only lined up one side of the coach, though in this case I may well line up the other for flexibility in formations.  I have lined the compartment side given it is more interesting than the corridor (which looks little different from a standard coach.)

 

While I was at it with the transfers, I have also lined my first toplight (a composite).  This was a little more tricky getting the transfer to stay on the top of the beading.  As a result there was a last minute change to model this with single lining and Shirt Button logo (or maybe single lined with GWR over crest)

 

At which point I’d had enough of lining and started working on 4707.

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by The Fatadder

[Ravenser]

6 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Blast, I can’t believe i have forgotten to add them before painting, let alone weathering.   Going to have to have a think as to how I will fix this 

 

 

Emergency measure - spray some blank transfer paper in the appropriate green. Cut thin strips and apply to model as boiler bands. Reweather.

 

Assuming the transfers have a little thickness, this might save the situation

[St Enodoc]

10 minutes ago, Ravenser said:

 

 

Emergency measure - spray some blank transfer paper in the appropriate green. Cut thin strips and apply to model as boiler bands. Reweather.

 

Assuming the transfers have a little thickness, this might save the situation

Same idea, but strips of insulating tape?

[The Fatadder]

I was thinking along the same lines.  I used masking tape on the Manor (applied before painting) which did the job nicely.  I will spray some up at the weekend and see how it goes...

[The Fatadder]

Yesterday was ridiculous....

 

I was supposed to be meeting my in laws after work to set up all the electrical stuff in their new house, instead I got a phone call at lunchtime saying that the developer buying their old house didn't have the funds available (so the move was being delayed until next week!)   They found out as the removal lorry was approaching the new house.....  Silver lining in my thoughts was that an evening of modelling has opened up....

Instead it was spent helping them get the old house back to a bare minimum liveable condition while they wait to find out whats happening.   

 

Then to top it all the engine management light comes on in the Merc as I am driving home, so now waiting on a friend with a ECU reader to hopefully tell me whats wrong (and how much this is going to cost).

 

Net result, not a lot of modelling time or motivation.

 

That said I did manage to get the soldering iron out and assemble the 247 developments bogies for my J12 sleeper first.  a nice easy job soldering up (along with a set of 6 Hornby coach wheels).  I am not normally a big fan of white metal bogies (as I like to be able to remove the wheels if necessary), but these were well cast and went together nicely.  As a plus the axle boxes were properly drilled out to fit bearings unlike some castings.   Once this was done I added a rough coat of weathered paint to the underframe / bogies & a coat of varnish on the body.  

 

 

Couplings:

My current thoughts are tending towards being based on Tony Wright's approach in rake, with modified Dinghams on the ends.  I am still in two minds on this however and may end up with a hybrid system.

 

For the branch stock, along with coaches which are being removed from the rear of stopping services + any stopping freight, Dinghams are going to be the order of the day.  For other through goods / passenger services I am tempted to go with scale couplings (given they will not need un coupling).  likewise the fronts of locos will all get scale couplings bar the 74xx / 57xx and 45xxs.  

 

For the main it is more tricky, and may end up with some stock fitted with screw couplings that are set to be able to work with both screw links and Dinghams. 

 

Further testing is certainly required.....

 

Edited May 10, 2019 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

A little work on coach finishing

 

First up my ex LNWR composite, I wasn’t happy with the colour of the model after spraying it in Phoenix LMS maroon.  Last night I tried a little weathering to see if it improved the end result.  I applied a wash made up of a mix of Vallejo Black, Black Grey, German Cam Brown & Mahogany.  First the mix was used to add colour to the underframe, ends and bogies, before mixing with some water and applying to the side (wiping off with a tissue).   I am much happier with the end colour, so I now need to get hold of some LMS transfers.   I don’t know much about LMS coaches, but would a coach of this age have been lined in the standard (post ‘36) style of a high yellow line, and a yellow black yellow at the centre?  (I rather hope not as I don’t want to have to buy a whole pack of LMS lining transfers for one coach!) 

 

This coach will be used to model one of my favourite photos, with a 43xx hauling a 4 coach Exeter – Plymouth working comprised of an unidentified  toplight (which it has been suggested is of LMS/LNWR origin, the LNWR compo, a Centenary third and a bow end break third.    Lots of modelling is still required (as I will still need to build an extra Centenary third along with the toplight, but once the model is finished it will temporally run with a pair of bow end breaks and a sunshine stock third.  

 

 

Speaking of lining, I have been having a play with the lining on my Slaters toplight.  The panelling has made things a little tricky (with the transfer being wider than the beading it needs to sit on).  Net result I am not overly happy with the look of this side.   I have tried painting a single black line (with the logic that the gold would be obscured by the weathering), it needs tidying up as the paint has spread in a few areas, but may be passable on a layout coach?   Tonight I will get the droplights painted and add some transfers and the same weathering wash I used on the LNWR coach.

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

A little more work on my Cornish Riviera rake

 

The full set of coaches have now been lined, along with adding HMRS transfers for Restaurant Car, First, Third etc

 

 

just need to do the same to the third class restaurant and the two brakes.  (After lining 4 coaches and adding gwrj other transfers I’d had enough of transfers!)

 

once thats finished there is still some chassis weathering to finish along with adding new couplings. 

 

The plan for these is something based on  Tony Wright’s approach with a hook and goalpost.  Along with fitting corridor connections from eBay.  

 

Finally one of the Brakes has a broken chassis that needs attention, and a lot of coaches everything bar the composite and RH break need new interiors.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

10 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

A little more work on my Cornish Riviera rake

 

The full set of coaches have now been lined, along with adding HMRS transfers for Restaurant Car, First, Third etc

 

 

just need to do the same to the third class restaurant and the two brakes.  (After lining 4 coaches and adding gwrj other transfers I’d had enough of transfers!)

 

once thats finished there is still some chassis weathering to finish along with adding new couplings. 

 

The plan for these is something based on  Tony Wright’s approach with a hook and goalpost.  Along with fitting corridor connections from eBay.  

 

Finally one of the Brakes has a broken chassis that needs attention, and a lot of coaches everything bar the composite and RH break need new interiors.

 

 

Nice work Rich. WIll you be adding roof boards?

[The Fatadder]

3 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Nice work Rich. WIll you be adding roof boards?

 

That’s the plan, just working out exactly what I need as I will be ordering for this formation, my up Riviera that will require 3 Hawksworth roof (well side) boards, and a rakes worth of Paddington Exeter Plymouth and Penzance. 

[checkrail]

Excellent work Rich.  A very nice collection of coaches growing.  

John C.

[The Fatadder]

A little more work this afternoon has the rest of the transfers added, the LH brake coach roof painted and the rest of the rake’s chassis weathered.   Though the brake’s roof still needs roof vents adding. 

 

With this done the next job was fitting the flexible corridor connections. These came from eBay and are a great finishing touch.  The only issue is how thick the Airfix tooling is, not exactly much room for close coupling!

 

 

Couplings will be next on the agenda, along with the roof boards  and glazing.  Eventually I will get the interiors built....

[The Fatadder]

 

Putting aside for a moment the fact that the fiddleyard for Brent is only able to hold 4 trains in each direction, I have been looking at the locomotive fleet trying to work out what is required to run a full 24 hours service. 

 

Based on the logic described in “The St Endoch Lines” thread, the intention is that each loco will be permanently fitted with lamps (and hence be limited to one class of train).  I don’t fancy having to constantly change the lamps for each running session, (especially as in the long term plans I like the idea of having working lamps).   So the first step was to review the working timetable and add the classification letter to each working.  Next I went through all of my named working photos (i.e. where I have found a specific photo of a specific working in the timetable).  For these workings the class was noted down in the excel working file.  Finally I did another sweep through photos, both those extracted from books and those on the Cornwall Railway Society website, in order to identify classes carrying the missing classifications.

 

There are a few areas that will be tricky, for the branch one end will always be wrong so I plan on having one 45xx with front lamps and one with them on the bunker.  That way you can get a photo of a working in each direction with the correct lamps.   The other area which may prove tricky is using a loco both for an express that is double headed and needing to use the same loco elsewhere.  Eventually these will all need to be replaced with additional locos.  Finally there is one working light engine from Newton Abbot which then works onto the branch.  (As such it would need two different combinations of lamp.)

 

 

The problem with this approach is that where before the plan allowed for all of the 38 goods services to be handled by a relatively small fleet of engines, now I need a lot more in order to have the same class of engine running on different classifications.  Based on this I think I am short by a Castle, 3 43xx, 2 more heavy freight engines (probably a ROD and another 28xx), 3 or 4  Bulldogs plus at least 2 more Halls.   An Aberdare could fill one of the freight slots, wile at least with the Bulldogs and 43xx there are significant visual differences in design adding more modelling interest.  

 

[The Fatadder]

I have just received an order from Narrow Planet with some more number plates.  Along with an etched plate for Brent signal box.  The latter is a bit more tricky to prepare having to paint the letters white!

 

Numbers are now fitted to 4855, 7427 and 4707 (the latter will need some pick up attention now!)

 

[Welchester]

52 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Numbers are now fitted to 4855, 7427 and 4707 (the latter will need some pick up attention now!)

 

Also to the connecting rod.

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Along with an etched plate for Brent signal box.  The latter is a bit more tricky to prepare having to paint the letters white!

Paint the whole thing white and when it's dried hard flood thin black paint in around the letters.

[The Fatadder]

3 hours ago, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

Also to the connecting rod.

True, it’s not currently fitted because of running issues which I think were caused by the pickups, once I get it running nicely without the rod it will then be added

[The Fatadder]

3 hours ago, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

Also to the connecting rod.

True, it’s not currently fitted because of running issues which I think were caused by the pickups, once I get it running nicely without the rod it will then be added

[Tallpaul69]

On ‎28‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 12:50, The Fatadder said:

 

Putting aside for a moment the fact that the fiddleyard for Brent is only able to hold 4 trains in each direction, I have been looking at the locomotive fleet trying to work out what is required to run a full 24 hours service. 

 

Based on the logic described in “The St Endoch Lines” thread, the intention is that each loco will be permanently fitted with lamps (and hence be limited to one class of train).  I don’t fancy having to constantly change the lamps for each running session, (especially as in the long term plans I like the idea of having working lamps).   So the first step was to review the working timetable and add the classification letter to each working.  Next I went through all of my named working photos (i.e. where I have found a specific photo of a specific working in the timetable).  For these workings the class was noted down in the excel working file.  Finally I did another sweep through photos, both those extracted from books and those on the Cornwall Railway Society website, in order to identify classes carrying the missing classifications.

 

There are a few areas that will be tricky, for the branch one end will always be wrong so I plan on having one 45xx with front lamps and one with them on the bunker.  That way you can get a photo of a working in each direction with the correct lamps.   The other area which may prove tricky is using a loco both for an express that is double headed and needing to use the same loco elsewhere.  Eventually these will all need to be replaced with additional locos.  Finally there is one working light engine from Newton Abbot which then works onto the branch.  (As such it would need two different combinations of lamp.)

 

 

The problem with this approach is that where before the plan allowed for all of the 38 goods services to be handled by a relatively small fleet of engines, now I need a lot more in order to have the same class of engine running on different classifications.  Based on this I think I am short by a Castle, 3 43xx, 2 more heavy freight engines (probably a ROD and another 28xx), 3 or 4  Bulldogs plus at least 2 more Halls.   An Aberdare could fill one of the freight slots, wile at least with the Bulldogs and 43xx there are significant visual differences in design adding more modelling interest.  

 

Hi Rich,

Love your layout!

I know you said "Putting aside for a moment the fact that the fiddle yard for Brent is only able to hold 4 trains in each direction, I have been looking at the locomotive fleet trying to work out what is required to run a full 24 hours service. ", I am intrigued as to how you will replicate "all of the 38 goods services" without spending more time juggling engines and stock, than running trains?

 

Also as I guess you run your clock speeded up to get 24 hours in less than that time, do you actually run to a timetable or a sequence.

By this I mean do you run the correct trains in the correct order crossing at the correct places and branch trains correctly meeting at the junction, but ignore actual times (except perhaps for station and yard stop durations)?

 

I am not asking these questions to be awkward but because I have similar problems, and am not too proud to copy other peoples ideas if they work!

 

Best regards

Paul! 

[The Fatadder]

The plan will no doubt evolve over time as the layout progresses towards completion. 

 

The plan is that I will run to a compressed timescale, with each working following the other in sequence.  I have an excel file which is based upon the times through Brent (along with the branchline arrival / departures).  Time will be allowed for stopping at the station, shunting etc. but like you say it does ignore the actual time.     From this the timetable will tell me which train is needed and its time.  I have determined a list of all coach formations, including which formations will satisfy multiple workings.  So Set 5 will do the 12:15 Plymouth Paddington and later on will be used for the 20:51 Paddington - Plymouth.  Likewise for freight locos may be changed, but the bulk of the stock will stay the same where possible 

 

 

The idea is that over several operating sessions I will run the full 24 hour period, with each session aiming to use at most one refill of the fiddleyard.  

 

However the real aim for this 24 hour running is to document it on here with a photo of each working in the sequence.   I suspect for the most part I will end up running a section of the timetable for a few weeks, then change it up for the next section.

 

 

One other thing with the fiddleyard is the design of the area representing Kingsbridge.   This uses a very simplified version of the real Kingsbridge, with a siding for freight, a runaround loop, loco shed and carriage storage.  This means that from the perspective of the branch, there should never be a need to switch around any stock.

[TrevorP1]

Always interesting to hear how other people’s ideas on operation. I’m working towards something similar but even with a reduced ‘timetable’ it’s amazing the numbers of locos and stock required. Also the work involved in simple renumbering/naming and fitting lamps.

[Tallpaul69]

Thanks for your write up on how you operate the layout Rich,

 

As Trevor said it is always interesting to learn how other people operate their layouts, especially when, like me, there is no track laid yet.

 

I worried that my ideas would not work and once the track was laid it would be a bit late for anything except minor tinkering.

 

Anyway, the way you do things is much as I was planning to operate, so things should be okay. I do have the advantage with the 1960-2 period that trains were a bit more uniform than in the 30s so one train can more easily run as several during the day.

 

I am intending to give variety to my freights by say a class 9 running through with one formation, then on its next circuit some time later, dropping off wagons in the yard, picking up replacements (but a different quantity to that dropped!) and running through again a bit later, so that the two run throughs portraying different timed trains, have different formations.

 

Rich, if you haven't already done so could you post your timetable?

 

Many thanks

Best regards

Paul

[The Fatadder]

I would add that part of my reasoning behind the volume of stock is for the enjoyment of building it, along with the enjoyment to be gained from the research.  I do like looking through old photos & books trying to find a photo showing a particular working from which I can determine which coach diagrams formed it.   Although that being said it is certainly more of a long term ambition to get each of these formations accurately formed.

 

With locos it follows the same appraoch, I have enough locos that once I get round to adding lamps, I will have enough of each class to run a full service.  But going forward I would want to be able to mix it up (rather than 4855 being on the front of all the Class H services, while a 28xx is always on the Js etc.

 

 

I cant directly upload my timetable as the file contains macros, but I will have a look tomorrow and see if I can add a non macro version.

[81C]

Rich I've had to alter my plans from mainline to a secondary route I have heaps of stock to sell if there is anything you might need ask.

 

 

Bob

[The Fatadder]

On 18/06/2019 at 17:04, 81C said:

Rich I've had to alter my plans from mainline to a secondary route I have heaps of stock to sell if there is anything you might need ask.

 

 

Bob

Hi Bob

 

Thanks for the thought, feel free to drop me a pm once you have worked out what you are planning to part with.  You do remind me that my model fund has been exhausted, so I need to get on and sell a few more redundant items myself to free up some cash!

 

Back to the layout 

The past couple of evenings I have been getting on with some much needed work on Brent, the focus of which has been making a start on the up platform.  This is a really key bit of work, given that not only does it significantly improve the visuals of the layout, it will enable the installation of the bank up to the off scene Station Approach road.  In turn this completes the terraforming of the layout at the western end (and will allow a start on adding grass etc).  

 

The core of the platform is made of some softwood strip of an appropriate size, this is then clad in Slaters embossed stone sheet which has been cut into strips.  The platform ramps were cut out of the same Slaters plastic before mounting to foam board for strength.  Once the plastic was in place, the next job was to pick out various stones in different greys before painting the remainder to blend it all in.  (The brick capping stones + the supporting blocks will be added as part of the platform top).   

 

The timber was drilled circa every 12 inches before screwing into position on the baseboard (using a spacer to maintain the distance between platform face and sleeper ends to ensure that there is sufficient space for the point rodding.  Speaking of the rodding, the preparations for this (in particular the concrete bases) needs to be installed on the down main / branch through the station so that I can install the down platform next…

I have put together a Ratio water column, which joins the pile of bits awaiting paint.  I am not sure if the base of this should be recessed into the platform or if the raised base plate stands proud. 

As for the platform surface, it will be added from a core layer of 40 thou plasticard, with some clad in paving slabs (in the centre and with a single slab line down the rest) with the remainder covered in fine grey gravel.  Thanks to Mark Humphreys for pointing out the area around the signal box was concrete panels for access.

 

With the basics of the up platform in place, attention turned to the river.  I wanted to make use of the warm weather and get the next pouring of Deep Pour Water laid in order to raise the river height.  (Annoyingly it looks like it still needs one more bottle, so in total this river will have cost the same as a locomotive thanks to my mistake with the depth!)

 

The final job that has been started is around the west end of the yard, adding another raised loading area to the lower siding (working from photos on “Britain from Above”.  Eventually there will be a wall along the full length of the layout here (where the steel ruler is), and various fields / hedges breaking up the remaining space (along with one big tree).

 

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2019 by The Fatadder