Stoke Courtenay

[checkrail]

If that is you leaning on the pub sign you have just spilt half of your pint!

 

(I’ve just referred back to page 3 and see you haven’t spilt much after all!)

 

I rarely spill my own beer, but I have previous in regard to other people's.

 

(Actually it's quite difficult to find decent figures of people drinking alcohol in a social setting. This Monty's Models guy started life as a railwayman drinking a mug of tea.)

 

Cheers,

John.

[checkrail]

And here's a view of the village that I've never seen before - because I can get the camera where I can't get my head.

 

 

My more normal view of these buildings is of them tucked away behind the embankment, as in this shot of Tiverton Castle rounding the curve and heading for Stoke Courtenay tunnel with a Plymouth - Paddington express.

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Here are a few more of Tiverton Castle heading in the Exeter direction. The Siphon G behind the engine has recently been fitted with 'American' bogies (nice easy-to-build white metal ones from 247 Developments).

 

 

 

 

 

John C.

[checkrail]

 

Major projects at Stoke Courtenay, such as coach & wagon kits, are on hold at the moment, pending an expected visit by Andy York next week. Any spare time has been spent on little 'catch-up' jobs that I've been meaning to do for ages, but for which the impending photoshoot has been a spur.

 

 

One of these jobs was wagon loads and tarpaulins, as shown below. Some are from Roger Smith's and Ten Commandments products obtained at the MMRS exhibition last month, others from bits & bobs in the scrap box. Hopefully things in the goods yard are looking a bit more purposeful now.

 

 

 

 

There's also been a bit of new greenery added, including the tree behind the platelayers' hut. Usual quick job with Woodland Scenics tree armatures, Hob-e-Tac and fine-leaf foliage.

 

 

A belated Happy New Year to all who visit this thread and to the ANTB crowd and all who follow other favourite GWR layouts.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

I've also been trying to add a bit of more variegated colour to the station approach road surface. I don't often see this side of the hedge and fence.

 

 

 

(Whoops! Just noticed a dodgy join in the platform railings. Must try to fix that before Andy's lens is trained on it. Funny how you notice things on photos that you've missed in normal viewing.)

 

 

 

John C.

[Barry Ten]

That looks very good to me, John. If there'd been one thing where I felt the layout might benefit, it would have been to get more variation in the grass textures, but it looks as if you're well on the way.

[gwrrob]

Looking forward immensely to seeing this in a future BRM.

[checkrail]

That looks very good to me, John. If there'd been one thing where I felt the layout might benefit, it would have been to get more variation in the grass textures, but it looks as if you're well on the way.

Thanks Barry. I'll give that some thought - there may be more to do in that respect in due course. As an impatient guy building a fairly large layout my approach has been pretty broad-brush up to now, going back when leisure permits to add a bit more refinement to things. You'll have seen that that applies to the locos and stock too!

 

Regards,

John C.

[checkrail]

Actually, come to think of it, I did manage to build one wagon kit, from my stash of 20-odd, just before Christmas. It's this old Cooper Craft Mink.

 

 

 

Another recent addition was this Hornby AA15 Toad, which I've re-numbered and arbitrarily allocated to Tavy Junction (transfers from Railtec). I'm afraid this suffered a bit of my heavy-handed mangling! The trouble is that the Hornby Toad wheels bumped over the chairs of C & L flexitrack (the first Hornby wheels to do this since those under the tenders of the older King model and of the 2011 Tintagel Castle). I replaced them with Gibsons, but the new wheels wouldn't go round, and in trying to open out the axle boxes I made a right pig's ear of the chassis. Grrr! It was only rescued by substituting the chassis of an old Bachmann Toad. This was a tiny fraction too long, so had to lose its buffers and coupling hooks before being filed to length. New buffers and drawgear were from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. I find it's so often these seemingly simple jobs that cause the biggest problems and loudest swearing rather than more complex ones like building pointwork or toplight coaches!

 

 

My other Hornby Toad underwent a similar ordeal at my hands. This one retains its number and Rogerstone allocation as bought, as I thought it fairly appropriate for a train of South Wales coal wagons.

 

John C.

[Regularity]

That looks very good to me, John. If there'd been one thing where I felt the layout might benefit, it would have been to get more variation in the grass textures, but it looks as if you're well on the way.

The embankments and cuttings provide a nice contrast to the fields.

As Barry says, just a few variations in texture (a bit of differently coloured static grass) would do wonders. Some thinned paint, either airbrushes on erratically or applied her and there by brush, might work, too. Should be easy to do that bit at least! I had the same comments levelled at me when I first exhibited a layout.

One other small observation if you don’t mind. In one or two places the grass has got quite close to the ballast, and has “invaded” the cess at the side. A pair of nail scissors and some very fine ballast will address that.

This picture, but not others:

Lovely layout: been ogling it for ages.

Edited January 5, 2019 by Regularity

[81C]

Hi John .

I've several CC V5 vans the Parkside V12/14 offering is a good match if you need more vans that size.

If you need a Bachy chassis I have one knocking around that I damaged the body trying to get the roof

off to glaze the windows.

Bob

[bgman]

A visit.

 

Well deserved and not before time too !

 

G 

[Barry Ten]

Thanks Barry. I'll give that some thought - there may be more to do in that respect in due course. As an impatient guy building a fairly large layout my approach has been pretty broad-brush up to now, going back when leisure permits to add a bit more refinement to things. You'll have seen that that applies to the locos and stock too!

 

Regards,

John C.

 

It really is a wonderful layout and I think your approach to building it has been clearly worthwhile, as you now have a fine canvas on which to start adding any extra textures and fiddly bits, while keeping to your initial vision.

[Regularity]

It really is a wonderful layout and I think your approach to building it has been clearly worthwhile, as you now have a fine canvas on which to start adding any extra textures and fiddly bits, while keeping to your initial vision.

Plus, you can then ask Mr. York of this parish to come back and take another set of photos showing the impact of the changes.

As an electronic subscriber, I would very much enjoy that.

[checkrail]

One other small observation if you don’t mind. In one or two places the grass has got quite close to the ballast, and has “invaded” the cess at the side. A pair of nail scissors and some very fine ballast will address that.

 

Thanks Simon. I know what you mean about the cess on the inside curve of the cutting. This was the first area to be 'grassed' and I started off experimenting with hanging basket liner (the 'stick it on then peel it off' method). Other people have had good results with this, but I couldn't really get on with it. I kept trimming the resulting 'grass' with nail scissors, hairdressing scissors, and eventually shaving it with old razors, but I just couldn't get rid of all the unruly tendrils. It was like Day of the Triffids. I ended up covering it with static grass, but some of the underlying material seems to have a life of its own. I'll have another go at it in due course, and apply a little more Carr's ash ballast to the cess. This view from the road overbridge is a useful point for photography, but in normal viewing I rarely see the inside of the cutting!

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Hi John .

I've several CC V5 vans the Parkside V12/14 offering is a good match if you need more vans that size.

If you need a Bachy chassis I have one knocking around that I damaged the body trying to get the roof

off to glaze the windows.

Bob

Many thanks Bob, but I'm ok for toads now, with 2 x AA3, 2 x AA15 and an AA19 (Bachmann). I'll certainly have a look at the Parkside minks, but what I really need to get cracking on with is more open wagons.

 

Cheers,

John.

[gwrrob]

Don't you fancy a couple of TMC/Bachmann double bolsters that could be delivering steel to Devonport.

[TrevorP1]

Don't you fancy a couple of TMC/Bachmann double bolsters that could be delivering steel to Devonport.

 

 

.... or Falmouth? I've been wondering about that too. 

[81C]

Many thanks Bob, but I'm ok for toads now, with 2 x AA3, 2 x AA15 and an AA19 (Bachmann). I'll certainly have a look at the Parkside minks, but what I really need to get cracking on with is more open wagons.

 

Cheers,

John.

 

There's a sever shortage of GWR opens kits or RTR I've been picking up a few LMS & LNER types to bolster the numbers.

 

I had a light bulb moment last night Dapol wheel sets from their newer wagons have a shallow rim they might work on your

FS trackwork without clunking on the chairs let me know if you want some 3 holed disc I've got going spare.

[Regularity]

I know what you mean about the cess on the inside curve of the cutting. This was the first area to be 'grassed' and I started off experimenting with hanging basket liner (the 'stick it on then peel it off' method). Other people have had good results with this, but I couldn't really get on with it. I kept trimming the resulting 'grass' with nail scissors, hairdressing scissors, and eventually shaving it with old razors, but I just couldn't get rid of all the unruly tendrils. It was like Day of the Triffids.

 

I ended up covering it with static grass, but some of the underlying material seems to have a life of its own. I'll have another go at it in due course, and apply a little more Carr's ash ballast to the cess. This view from the road overbridge is a useful point for photography, but in normal viewing I rarely see the inside of the cutting!

Interesting: I suspect I only noticed this because the rest showed the results of you changing your technique - for the better - on the rest of the cuttings/embankments.

[County of Yorkshire]

There's a sever shortage of GWR opens kits or RTR I've been picking up a few LMS & LNER types to bolster the numbers.

 

I had a light bulb moment last night Dapol wheel sets from their newer wagons have a shallow rim they might work on your

FS trackwork without clunking on the chairs let me know if you want some 3 holed disc I've got going spare.

 

Funnily enough I seem to be going through a phase of building GWR open wagons at the moment. I don't think there is severe shortage as such; you can currently purchase the following diagrams: 

 

O11 - Parkside

O13 (China Clay) - Parkside

O29 - Ratio

O30 - Cambrian

 

 

Moreover, eBay, swapmeets and some traders at exhibitions throw up Coopercraft diagrams on a semi-regular basis, with diagrams O2, O4 and O5 popping up now and again. Or, if you're feeling brave, Model Railway imports of Canada have some Coopercraft kits listed for sale at the minute - shipping costs will be a factor though.

 

Make a start on those listed above, keep your eyes peeled for Coopercraft diagrams, and eventually you'll have a nice range of GWR opens! 

CoY

Edited January 6, 2019 by County of Yorkshire

[checkrail]

Don't you fancy a couple of TMC/Bachmann double bolsters that could be delivering steel to Devonport.

Haven't really taken much notice of these Robin, though yours look great. what's the prototype and date for them? I'd rather suspected they were post-war jobbies.

 

John C.

[Garethp8873]

Haven't really taken much notice of these Robin, though yours look great. what's the prototype and date for them? I'd rather suspected they were post-war jobbies.

 

John C.

 

LNER examples

 

1942 Darlington 500 250398-897

1943 Darlington 200 260148-347

1944 Darlington 200 265700-899

1945 Shildon    100 278279-378

1946 Shildon    250 286259-508

 

The LMS had some built for them between 1945 and 1949. Numbered between 726000 and 727049.

[checkrail]

There's a sever shortage of GWR opens kits or RTR I've been picking up a few LMS & LNER types to bolster the numbers.

 

I had a light bulb moment last night Dapol wheel sets from their newer wagons have a shallow rim they might work on your

FS trackwork without clunking on the chairs let me know if you want some 3 holed disc I've got going spare.

Plenty Gibsons i/s for now thanks Bob, but most others run fine too. Those Hornby Toad ones were a bit of a one-off. I agree with you about open wagons (and basic 'big four' wagons & vans in general). For too long we've had generic one-size-fits-all models in the four liveries. Nice to see Hornby stepping up with recent Toad and SR cattle wagon, and OR with LNER 6 plank open. Looking for items like this in forthcoming Hornby & Bachmann announcements, rather than ever more esoteric locos.

 

Cheers,

John.

Edited January 6, 2019 by checkrail

[gwrrob]

Haven't really taken much notice of these Robin, though yours look great. what's the prototype and date for them? I'd rather suspected they were post-war jobbies.

 

John C.

 

Yes, I know see they're well too late for your period, for some reason I thought the LMS version was much earlier than stated above.