Inspired by Brent June 1947

[The Fatadder]

Ballasting continues to slowly creep forwards, all be it that I am currently only ballasting the running lines and not the gap between the tracks (for which I need to source an alternative ballast).  I had planned to use a similar ballast blend from Woodland Scenics (which is a lot finer) but the colour differential is too great.   The intention is to continue with this approach to ballast the rest of the mainline, the branch platform / branch line and the run around loop (and then use a different ballast mix incorporating an element of cinders in the yard).  I have used the 4mm scale ballast for the main as to me the N scale stuff just looks a bit too undefined in photos, however I do think it will be more suitable for use in the yard.  To get a similar colour as a basis I think I will have to order some of the Carrs product, so for the moment I will continue to focus on the mainline to see if I am going to have enough of the 4mm scale grey blend.

 

I have also painted up the next batch of point rodding stalls, after lots of research trying to work out if the rodding stalls were on or between the sleepers I was sent a good photo which appears to confirm rodding on stalls located between the sleepers through the platform.  By a quick calculation this will need 70 stalls on the up and down platform and a further 60 odd on the branch  platform. (I think I had cut enough strip to make about 100 in total so will need to cut a lot more!)  My NWSL chopper is currently out of commission as I haven’t managed to find a supplier or replacement blades (and those that I did find wont fit).  So I am back to my old basic chopper knock off, I have modified this gluing a backstop in place which is the length of my stalls. So tonight the next 40 odd can be cut and glued in place before extending the ballasting another couple of feet.

 

Next on the to do list was to pay some more attention to the gaps where the point rodding passes under the track.  My worry (confirmed by others in my point rodding thread) was the lack of clearance between ballast and rail.  The solution given to me on there was to use emery paper instead of ballast.  I found some grey sandpaper which looked a similar colour to the ballast (when it was in the jar) which was cut into strips and glued into place.  However the ballast gets darker when its glued, whereas the sandpaper stayed the same (so it looked too light vs the surrounding ballast).  The solution, scribbling over the sandpaper with a pencil before dusting it off with a paint brush.  The end result is much darker (while maintaining the variation in colour that I wanted from the sandpaper in the first place.)  In the below photo the one to the left has not been treated while the one to the right has.

 

The final are of work has led to a question, arising from the changes to the track layout that were necessary to get the location into my garage.  On the prototype the bridge over the Avon is a lot closer to the end of the station than I have modelled (starting almost immediately after the vicarage road bridge).  As such the up goods loop ends on the bridge rather than just after the bridge as I have modelled.   Instead of a trap point, it used a full point leading into a gravel trap (presumably to avoid derailed stock running into the platform.   Originally I was going to model as per the prototype (this is what I have done with the point rodding which prototypically is located between the up and down mainline).  However the more I look at it the more I wonder if it looks a bit wrong given the extra space available around the end of what currently looks like a headshunt.  So the question, continue with the original plan (as per the real thing) and build up the ballast over the end of the track, or add a set of buffers on the end in the space coloured red….

the barrow crossing at the end of the platform is under the weights to the right of the ruler 

Edited April 14, 2020 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

Further progress 

the next two feet or so of stalls for the point rodding has been cut and glued into position.  A much quicker process now that I am using the modified chopper.   The plan is to glue down another 2 feet tomorrow before I make a start on ballasting, so that I always have another nights work worth of stalls glued in place.

 

I have also been working on the barrow crossing at the Plymouth end, cobbled together from old sleepers.  On the prototype it crosses the point on the down main not the up (but due to compression the point starts slightly later on the layout). It’s been given a coat of Vallejo cam black brown as a basis before getting weathered later on.

i have also made a start on the infill for the yard.  Using the same approach I used on Wheal Imogen with some 2mm foam from Hobbycraft.   I need to buy a few More sheets once the lockdown finally ends. (This will prevent ballasting the goods shed siding and anything between that and the baseboard edge. As it needs the foam in place before ballasting (as the ballast will fill the resulting trench before being blended into the ash/grave of the yard.)

 

 

finally a long overdue coupling test.  I only have one OO loco fitted with a Dingham coupling, the oil burning 48xx.  And until a couple of hours ago no coaches.  A Collett bow end has been fitted with a hook on one end (and had the roof painted and chassis weathered while I was at it).  Tomorrow I will do some powered testing, but when pushing along there were no issues on the curves.   
I really need to fit them to one of the B Sets and a 4575 to confirm the branch works ok, given that had the biggest need for the Dinghams!  A job for the rainy evenings forecast for the end of the week I think.

 

 

 

[The Fatadder]

Ballasting continues to progress onward towards Exeter,  I have now added all of the point rodding stalls to the left of the signal box ready for ballasting.  The plan is to get them added to the right hand side today in order that I can do a final count of the number of rollers that are going to be needed & take some measurements as to the quantity of rod required. )

 

As for the ballast itself, the headshunt to the left of the station has been ballasted (where on the prototype you would often see a horsebox).  As has the point between the branch platform and the run around loop.  At this stage I finally emptied the first jar of ballast, which means by a very rough reckoning that I will need to buy one more jar in order to finish the layout.  

 

I have also made a start on infilling the gaps between the tracks, looking at photos there is a marked difference in colour between the running lines and the area around them (along with an apparent difference in the fineness of the ballast presumably due to a higher quantity of ash mixed in?)   I have been modelling this using Woodland Scenics' fine grey blend, again secured with Klear (though I have found applying it to the shoulder of the Carr's ballast and allowing capillary action to bring it into the Woodland Scenics ballast worked best (as dropping it on would move the fine stones). 

There is still a little more work to do in order to complete the fine ballast (after drinking two thirds of a bottle of St Emillion while ballasting / on a zoom call last night I figured it was time to stop!   So progress should resume tonight.  There are still a number of areas that cant be finished due to other work, around where the two bridges will be installed (ballasting up to the retaining wall), the end of the headshunt / catch point that was mentioned a couple of posts ago (for which I need to decide if I am adding a buffer stop or going for the gravel trap (I am tending toward the former).  Finally there is the area highlighted in blue below.  This was planned to be a grass bank, but it is on an approximate 60 -65 degree angle and I think that is possibly a bit too steep and a retaining wall is needed instead.  It is the area highlighted in blue below.  I would welcome feedback from anyone who knows more about what would be an appropriate treatment here. 

 Finally, I have been doing some testing for my next big project  (all be it one which is several years down the line as an exhibition project).  The aim is either based around (or an accurate model of) Bodmin Parkway in 1998.  I am going through a recurring debate about changing my modern modelling back to OO (which would allow me to play with Brent and my 90s stock) or to give 2mm scale a try for my modern modelling.  The test (running a 5 coach HST set that I had just finished respraying) through Brent.  Has given me more to work with, the fact that the HST dwarfs the layout was the real eye opener to which a lot more thought is going to be needed.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by The Fatadder
Photos Added

[St Enodoc]

20 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

This was planned to be a grass bank, but it is on an approximate 60 -65 degree angle and I think that is possibly a bit too steep and a retaining wall is needed instead.  It is the area highlighted in blue below.  I would welcome feedback from anyone who knows more about what would be an appropriate treatment here. 

I reckon grass would be fine Rich. You're looking straight at the bank, not end on, so the actual slope won't be so obvious and you should get away with it.

[The Fatadder]

28 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I reckon grass would be fine Rich. You're looking straight at the bank, not end on, so the actual slope won't be so obvious and you should get away with it.

good to agreement to what was already going through my head.   I am thinking about giving it a coveting of grass to see how it looks (I have some older cheaper static grass that I plan on using as a base before adding the good stuff. )  once grassed (maybe with a fence added along the top of the blue section) I can see how it looks and decide if it needs a retaining wall or not. 

[St Enodoc]

3 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

good to agreement to what was already going through my head.   I am thinking about giving it a coveting of grass to see how it looks (I have some older cheaper static grass that I plan on using as a base before adding the good stuff. )  once grassed (maybe with a fence added along the top of the blue section) I can see how it looks and decide if it needs a retaining wall or not. 

If it doesn't look quite right, you could try a low retaining wall with grass at a shallower angle above it.

[Siberian Snooper]

I think that the cuttings in the area are at around 45 degrees, at least looking at the out of the train window. It might be worth asking CK as he lives in Brent and could probably go and have a look on his daily exercise.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

Will have another look tomorrow night and try and get a more accurate estimate of the angle of the bank.  Will also do a mock up of a retaining wall (though I’d prefer not to go down that route if possible)

 

 

in the mean time with another 3 weeks of working from home on the cards and my boss hinting that it may continue when we return to business as usual, I have been clearing up the mess that is my workbench in order that I can move in a couple of screens and work up here.   (The fact that working at the dining room table has been killing my back was a bigger prompt.)   The room is now 2/3 complete and almost useable.  Clearing the bench I found these part finished cattle vans I picked up at Scaleforum the other year. Missing a roof on one and solebars on both, plus various damage.   But they were cheap and should be saveable, and will bring my cattle van numbers up to five which will do for now. 

[The Fatadder]

Other than a little more ballasting last night I ran out of Klear, so rather than going inside for my final bottle instead decided I would work on the wagons instead. 
 

The focus was towards finishing the cattle wagons shown previously.  The Airfix W12 conversion hasn’t been fitted with sprung w irons and brake gear.  It still needs buffers fitting (but I’m going to have to buy some as I have nothing suitable).   
 

Moving onto the Coopercraft pair, the first was a simple repair job (repair missing side and build the chassis.)  The second had a lot of missing parts, the missing solebars were replaced with Airfix examples (with scratch built DC brakes.)   The missing roof was a bit more of an issue, so this was cobbled together out of two Coopercraft Mink roofs spliced together.  Finding suitable wheels was a bit of a pain as the Airfix parts were too narrow to fit the axles in (so I had to find some short axles to get it working).  Finally the horizontal bar was added from 0.45 wire.

 

They are all now ready to be painted before fitting Dinghams

[Tallpaul69]

4 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

The missing roof was a bit more of an issue, so this was cobbled together out of two Coopercraft Mink roofs spliced together.  

Hi Rich,

I've got the same problem, but worse as I've no spare Mink roofs, in fact I'm a roof for a mink short as well!!

 

So instead of going back into the "When I get round tuit" box, the Cattle and the Mink will go into the awaiting parts box, where with the current situation they could be  a long time.

 

Alternatively, anyone know of any conversions for the two above roofless wagons?

 

Oh well, never mind, what's next in the  "When I get round tuit" box?

 

Cheers, stay safe, and keep smiling

Paul  

[Captain Kernow]

On 18/04/2020 at 14:09, Siberian Snooper said:

It might be worth asking CK as he lives in Brent and could probably go and have a look on his daily exercise.

Cheers, chum.

 

Actually, happy to take a few snaps in the station area, Rich, if you need me to.

 

 

[The Fatadder]

7 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Cheers, chum.

 

Actually, happy to take a few snaps in the station area, Rich, if you need me to.

 

 

Thanks for the offer, will let you know if I can think of any area that I am trying to clarify.  Just a shame so much has now gone.

 

 

tonights work on the layout, more ballasting... still I am approaching the half way point at last!  May even get some grass down soon...

 

 

[The Fatadder]

With another 2ft or so of ballast roughly in position, I decided I would rather play with some milk tanks...

 

they need resprays into 1940s liveries, the solebars lettering and the weathering redoing.  The green CWS wagon is a Lima model and has had the axle boxes drilled out and fitted with Hornby wheels.  The two silver tanks with the horrid red brown weathering are Dapol while the rest are Hornby.  Eventually I really need some with DC brakes...

 

 

I have been testing some wire loop / hook couplings (along the same lines I will use for fixed coaching rakes). Importantly I wanted to test two wagons (the Lima and a Hornby) to ensure it worked.  Having passed the test I will now need to roll it out to the other wagons into the  formation (though this probably won’t happen until the painting is done).  
My plan is to use the Railtec Toad lettering to add the company details 

[Brinkly]

Nice to see you making steady progress Rich. I do like milk tankers and would like to dig a pair of Hornby tankers out to work on soon. One of our club members has made a very nice job on several Hornby tankers, turning them into LMS variants. Have you got any of Justin's detailing bits? I have a few but haven't tried them yet. 

 

Best wishes and kind regards,

Nick...

[The Fatadder]

3 minutes ago, Brinkly said:

Nice to see you making steady progress Rich. I do like milk tankers and would like to dig a pair of Hornby tankers out to work on soon. One of our club members has made a very nice job on several Hornby tankers, turning them into LMS variants. Have you got any of Justin's detailing bits? I have a few but haven't tried them yet. 

 

Best wishes and kind regards,

Nick...

right now I have no additional parts, other the fitting the new wheels to the Lima example and snipping off the huge couplings.   I can’t decide exactly what I want to do with them going forwards, there is an awful lot I don’t like (particularly around the moulded detail on the chassis).  I had planned to eventually replace them with the Geen kits, but never got round to it...

Must really look into it in more detail, but it may well just end up being a case of paint the tanks and weather / couplings for the time being while other projects are more of a priority. 
 

 

Todays lunchtime project, building the first 8 Ratio ground signals 

[Brinkly]

Geoff (Sparky) had a go at detailing a set of four milk tankers some years ago and I'm sure he wont mind me sharing them here; they are on the forum in various places already. 

 

If memory serves me, he worked on a pair of Hornby, a singular Lima and the Dapol offering. 

 

The Dapol tanker had some buffer beam detailing and brakes added to it (one on the left). The one on the right is a Lima tanker, which he removed the axleboxes and springs, brake lever and moulded buffers. New brake parts on the chassis were fitted and full buffer beam detailing. 

 

Here is a close up of the Dapol one: I believe the chassis was modified, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what he did. 

 

Same pair again, being shunted about.

 

Geoff fitted the walk-way and steps to the one on the right - I think this was constructed from brass strips and wire; all pre-Justin days!

 

Propelling into the creamer: I still think this is one of the best model layouts I've seen. Geoff has a very good eye for detailing. 

 

Shot of the modified walkway on the end tanker. 

 

Painting was with Precision silver and then dirty black, dirty white, road dirt and frame dirt - I still have the hand written list!

 

Even now, 8-10 years later, I still admire Geoff's work; he is a very skilled modellmaker and I would be pleased if I could get my milk tanks half as good as these! 

 

I have three (possibly more) Hornby milk tankers to detail and a trio of David Geen kits in a box, but I still think the Hornby and Dapol models are worth working with. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick.

 

[The Fatadder]

4 minutes ago, Brinkly said:

Geoff (Sparky) had a go at detailing a set of four milk tankers some years ago and I'm sure he wont mind me sharing them here; they are on the forum in various places already. 

Painting was with Precision silver and then dirty black, dirty white, road dirt and frame dirt - I still have the hand written list!

 

Even now, 8-10 years later, I still admire Geoff's work; he is a very skilled modellmaker and I would be pleased if I could get my milk tanks half as good as these! 

 

I have three (possibly more) Hornby milk tankers to detail and a trio of David Geen kits in a box, but I still think the Hornby and Dapol models are worth working with. 

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick.

 

Some very helpful images there Nick, 

 

I think I will have to invest in some of Justin's walkways in order that I can have a crack at some different variants, though the model as it comes doesnt look like any of the photos in Russell (I can see similar chassis but with different tanks / walkways).  I am assuming that both Lima and Dapol are a messy hybrid of different variants...  Eventually I am going to make a pair of the road tanker wagons.... 

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Todays lunchtime project, building the first 8 Ratio ground signals

Working of course?

[Brinkly]

8 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Some very helpful images there Nick, 

 

I think I will have to invest in some of Justin's walkways in order that I can have a crack at some different variants, though the model as it comes doesnt look like any of the photos in Russell (I can see similar chassis but with different tanks / walkways).  I am assuming that both Lima and Dapol are a messy hybrid of different variants...  Eventually I am going to make a pair of the road tanker wagons.... 

 

Hi Rich,

 

Yes, I don't know which mind! 

 

Best wishes,

Nick.

[The Fatadder]

5 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Working of course?

Eventually maybe 

 

for the moment non working, given that there are 16 of them and if working I would also want working lights as per the signals.   My hope is that someone ends up making a ready to use product so I can cheat....

 

more pressing is a need to source 3 more Dapol signals in order to complete the signalling (and start modifying the square

 post ones to sort the posts / signal arms)

 

Another stretch of ballast done this evening (plus the next length through the station roughly in place for tomorrow)

 

the first ground signals are roughly placed in position, but the bases still need painting (I assume black)

Edited April 23, 2020 by The Fatadder

[St Enodoc]

2 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Eventually maybe 

 

for the moment non working, given that there are 16 of them and if working I would also want working lights as per the signals.   My hope is that someone ends up making a ready to use product so I can cheat....

 

more pressing is a need to source 3 more Dapol signals in order to complete the signalling (and start modifying the square

 post ones to sort the posts / signal arms)

 

Another stretch of ballast done this evening (plus the next length through the station roughly in place for tomorrow)

 

the first ground signals are roughly placed in position, but the bases still need painting (I assume black)

Have a look here Rich:

 

 

[The Fatadder]

1 minute ago, St Enodoc said:

Have a look here Rich:

 

 

It certainly looks good with them done, one day....

 

my intention is that when I eventually get round to building the control system for the signals (for which I currently haven’t a clue) Provision will be made for working ground signals even if I haven’t implemented them yet...

[The Fatadder]

Along with the never ending ballasting, and fitting the remaining rodding bases.  Tonight I have added another signal to the layout. 
 

 

This was an eBay purchase at a bargain price without reading the description, (the photo was a home signal the description a distant).   As I had already got the only distant signal I needed, it was left boxed while I decided what to do with it.

Today it came out of the box, after re reading @checkrails thread on improving Dapol signals  

 

I figured why not follow the same approach,  when shortening the arm The V section is chopped off anyway and after a coat of paint it starts to look the part. 
I used a file to carefully remove the yellow paint from the lens (replacing with red), added the sight screen and temporarily installed on the layout.

 

this means that I now need just 3 more signals (from memory 1 round post for the down platform start, a square post in the yard at the Plymouth end (which has a shunt signal mounted on it) and a signal under the bridge at the Exeter end which I have not been able to identify in photos (the only photos I’ve seen of the old bridge were before the signalling changes happened.)

Edited April 24, 2020 by The Fatadder

[The Fatadder]

Been giving some more thought to the contract between the track ballast and the ballast between the running lines.  I think it looks right for the yard, but not for the mainline.  Before I start any drastic  measures I would welcome feedback as I am struggling to work it out from period 1940s photos.  Some show a distinct contrast between the running line and the gap between the tracks, which appear to be a lot finer.  while other photos appear more consistent in colour and size. 

 

Should it need changing there are two options, reballast over the top of it or attempt to apply some washes of thinned paint to darken the colour...

 

 

[The Fatadder]

As a further aside, I think Mick Bonwick has the solution in the SWAG Virtual Members Day thread:

 

2 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Rich, there are as many ways of weathering ballast as there are types of ballast, but I expect you already know that.

 

My approach is to paint the sleepers and rail before the ballast is laid and wait for it all to dry hard. Anywhere between 2 and ?? days. This will give you the opportunity to establish what colour(s) to use on the ballast.

 

I use an airbrush to apply a thinned acrylic coat of the track grime colour chosen and wait for that to dry. 24 hours at least. This will allow you to see if there are any areas that need a further coat, places that have been missed, etc.

 

Final task is to apply weathering powders in various places to vary the tone of the grime. If you don't do this you will end up with track that looks as if it has been airbrushed. Find a reference photograph of the type of track you're weathering in the area you're modelling and use it as a guide.

 

 

Look at the finish of the "after" track on the left vs the "before" on the right, that kind of overall weathering will do the job perfectly blending together the two shades of grey.  I'm not entirely sure as to how I would get the airline from the compressor to the airbrush to fit (given that I use a large compressor / air tank that needs to be on the floor) but I will find a solution somehow.   This will need to be the next job once the ballasting is finished before starting any grass covering work. 

 

I have about 18 inches of track which I have rough ballasted last night (and now needs the detail work with the paintbrush to ensure the ballast is all in the right place before the application of Klear.  Once thats done I have ran out of ballast and will need to wait for another container of Carr's grey blend to arrive (I am assuming that Phoenix are still trading).

 

The next task is going to be another messy job, I need to add the embankment along the rear of the layout & cover with plaster...  It's a job that I have been putting off for a while, so its about time that I got on with it.

 

While working on the ballasting last night I also remembered that I havent actually had a successful run through the double slip at the Exeter end since it was installed.  (I performed perfectly in the bench test, but after installing the Tortoise motor was not accurately aligned and doesn't fully throw in one direction as a result.)  It is currently covered with a large sticker saying DO NOT BALLAST, but really it needs to be fixed ASAP.