Caledonian Basin - railway-in-a-box diorama

[brylonscamel]

17 minutes ago, calvin Streeting said:

hi do you press/stamp cobbles in when wet, or carve when dry?

I carve when dry but there are some great examples of the "stamp whilst wet" method such as Chris Nevards pen-end method! http://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/quick-cobbles.html?m=1

[brylonscamel]

Here's a front-view of the main scene, with a box-fresh Hornby Peckett trundling over the bridge. The photo suggests I've been a bit heavy-handed with weathering the canal house. I'll get the airbrush out soon to soften the effect!

[brylonscamel]

.. and a little bit of progress at the back of the canal house.  An area that has a bit of an awkward angle onto the arched railway viaduct, but hey ho! This is a small box I've crammed it into!!

Edited April 29, 2019 by brylonscamel

[Titanius Anglesmith]

Stunning, your weathering is amazing! 

[brylonscamel]

48 minutes ago, Titanius Anglesmith said:

Stunning, your weathering is amazing! 

 

Thanks! I think it's a bit over-the-top on the canal house but it has worked OK elsewhere.

[brylonscamel]

A wee bit of progress on the paintwork. The girder bridge that spans the wharf has long been sitting in Halfords primer (dark grey). My technique to get a fast all-over rusty appearance involves using automotive 'rattle-can' paints to give a slightly 'spattered' paint finish. It will need a bit of work to make it look more weathered but its proving a really quick way to get started. A 'rattle-can red oxide' primer followed by 'rattle-can light grey primer' .. 

[Stubby47]

Wow - that looks amazing - very well done.

 

I'd have said the whole area, including the canal house, is actually under-weathered.

 

For example, the areas which wouldn't be walked on, such as by the opened left (as viewed) door to the shed and behind the steps to the canal house, could be very much more grubby and possibly weedy, whereas the areas with lots of foot traffic, such as around the crane (but not all 360 degrees), and the top edge of the  triangular step would be almost shiny / polished.

 

On the canal house itself, soot and dirt around the chimney stacks and damp/mould growth around the base.  Rain streaks below the edges of the window sills, more weeds on top of the prominent frames on the walls.

 

Just my opinions, of course, feel free to completely ignore.

 

Stu

[brylonscamel]

5 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Wow - that looks amazing - very well done.

 

I'd have said the whole area, including the canal house, is actually under-weathered.

 

For example, the areas which wouldn't be walked on, such as by the opened left (as viewed) door to the shed and behind the steps to the canal house, could be very much more grubby and possibly weedy, whereas the areas with lots of foot traffic, such as around the crane (but not all 360 degrees), and the top edge of the  triangular step would be almost shiny / polished.

 

On the canal house itself, soot and dirt around the chimney stacks and damp/mould growth around the base.  Rain streaks below the edges of the window sills, more weeds on top of the prominent frames on the walls.

 

Just my opinions, of course, feel free to completely ignore.

 

Stu

 

Thanks Stu - your comments are very welcome - that's the joy of sharing updates in these forums! Comment away!!

I've been looking at some of the canal scenes largely through modern colour photography, long after the everyday traffic has dwindled, the landscape has been tidied up and practically no coal is burned any more!

I haven't done much with the cobbles since a first pass with the brush, so your ideas are timely! (as are the ideas on staining and polishing)

The factory at Dalmarnock is gone but the viaduct & fixed bridge at Bowling are still intact so there is plenty of reference photography on how that has been affected by weather.

Greenery is something in the pipeline - and if I'm honest i's an area in which I'm least confident. I expect to be playing about on some test pieces first!

 

[26power]

On 01/05/2019 at 12:14, brylonscamel said:

A wee bit of progress on the paintwork. The girder bridge that spans the wharf has long been sitting in Halfords primer (dark grey). My technique to get a fast all-over rusty appearance involves using automotive 'rattle-can' paints to give a slightly 'spattered' paint finish. It will need a bit of work to make it look more weathered but its proving a really quick way to get started. A 'rattle-can red oxide' primer followed by 'rattle-can light grey primer' .. 

Hi.

 

In contrast to above comments about areas being underweathered, which I would agree with, I doubt a bridge would be allowed to get to the fully rusty condition I think you are trying to show.  Rather they would, presumably, be maintained/painted.  Following examples from early 1960s, the period I assume you are intending to portray, suggest bridges kept painted (examples are just some pictures I have saved in Flickr favourites for various reasons).  Not in any particular order:

 

Dundee, 1960 - I think dirty rather than anything else, but an underlying dark grey?

 

Burntisland 1967

 

 

Guard Bridge , 1964.  Hard to judge because of shadows, but looks like a metallicy dark grey?

 

Coupar Angus, 1964.  Bridge fairly peripheral to picture but looks to be that same dark, metallic grey.  Picture really saved because of a whole lot of other factors!

 

Alloa, 1968.

 

Pinkhill, Edinburgh 1966.  Pretty familiar with this one and still there.  First picture I thought to share with you.  Grey seems a bit lighter because picture slightly over exposed?  My memory says the same dark, metallic grey as some other pictures I've posted.

 

Thanks to original photographers for taking the pictures and to them, Flickr account holders for putting them online.  If any shouldn't be here then please advise and I'll edit my post to remove them.

 

Hope this of some interest.

[brylonscamel]

29 minutes ago, 26power said:

Hi.

 

In contrast to above comments about areas being underweathered, which I would agree with, I doubt a bridge would be allowed to get to the fully rusty condition I think you are trying to show.  Rather they would, presumably, be maintained/painted.  Following examples from early 1960s, the period I assume you are intending to portray, suggest bridges kept painted (examples are just some pictures I have saved in Flickr favourites for various reasons).  Not in any particular order:

 

• Dundee, 1960 - I think dirty rather than anything else, but an underlying dark grey?
• Burntisland 1967
• Guard Bridge , 1964.  Hard to judge because of shadows, but looks like a metallicy dark grey?
• Coupar Angus, 1964.  Bridge fairly peripheral to picture but looks to be that same dark, metallic grey.  Picture really saved because of a whole lot of other factors!
• Alloa, 1968.
• Pinkhill, Edinburgh 1966.  Pretty familiar with this one and still there.  First picture I thought to share with you.  Grey seems a bit lighter because picture slightly over exposed?  My memory says the same dark, metallic grey as some other pictures I've posted.

 

Thanks to original photographers for taking the pictures and to them, Flickr account holders for putting them online.  If any shouldn't be here then please advise and I'll edit my post to remove them.

 

Hope this of some interest.

 

Welcome comments and the photos are fascinating .. extra marks for including early green 26s and B1 in the selection!

 

I did wonder if I had been looking at too many photos of the bridges in recent past. Part of the scene was inspired by the now defunct line out to Dumbarton and the bridges remain in situ including the famous swing bridge (which has been visually restored recently and is therefore in a glossy grey!)

I think I'll work on getting it to a grey-with-rust patches look as it might also break up the predominance of red-brown in the scene.

Here's a collection of the bridges in various states of decay at Bowling Harbour (you might see traces of my model in there!)

 

[Martin S-C]

1 hour ago, 26power said:

Coupar Angus, 1964.  Bridge fairly peripheral to picture but looks to be that same dark, metallic grey.  Picture really saved because of a whole lot of other factors!

 

This is a stunning picture and looks almost designed to be a model railway - small watercourse, skew low bridge, masses of what I think is wild rhubarb, lineside industry, level crossing with unusual gates, farming community houses and a veritable forest of sheds! Thanks for posting; this image went straight into my "for inspiration" folder!

Edited May 2, 2019 by Martin S-C

[26power]

On 02/05/2019 at 15:54, brylonscamel said:

 

Welcome comments and the photos are fascinating .. extra marks for including early green 26s and B1 in the selection!

 

I did wonder if I had been looking at too many photos of the bridges in recent past. Part of the scene was inspired by the now defunct line out to Dumbarton and the bridges remain in situ including the famous swing bridge (which has been visually restored recently and is therefore in a glossy grey!)

I think I'll work on getting it to a grey-with-rust patches look as it might also break up the predominance of red-brown in the scene.

Here's a collection of the bridges in various states of decay at Bowling Harbour (you might see traces of my model in there!)

 

 

No problem re pictures or locomotives.  The middle picture in your post (retained above) shows fairly limited rust, even years (40? 50?) after closure and, presumably, no maintenance since.  The third picture looks to be of the opposite side, and, if so, seems to show a lot more rust. 

 

I would suggest the rust when operational would be pretty muted, and probably almost lost under more general muck from the atmosphere.  But even in the above it doesn't look that dirty, but I suppose less air borne dirt nowadays.

Edited May 3, 2019 by 26power
Remove comments from quoted message

[Dave John]

The Caledonian specified "Battleship Grey" for bridges and other metal structures when new. 

 

Of course by BR days grey with muck and rust as the above pictures show. 

 

Out of interest this is a pic of one of the columns from Partick Central which was on the line you are modelling ( and so am I ) . Before demolition I had a scrape at it and I think it hadn't been repainted , possibly since it was in a sheltered location. 

 

 

 

 

[bgman]

On 01/05/2019 at 12:34, Stubby47 said:

Wow - that looks amazing - very well done.

 

 

One for Taunton RMweb next year ? 

[26power]

On 02/05/2019 at 16:20, Martin S-C said:

This is a stunning picture and looks almost designed to be a model railway - small watercourse, skew low bridge, masses of what I think is wild rhubarb, lineside industry, level crossing with unusual gates, farming community houses and a veritable forest of sheds! Thanks for posting; this image went straight into my "for inspiration" folder!

Why do you think I saved it?!

[brylonscamel]

On 03/05/2019 at 14:16, bgman said:

 

One for Taunton RMweb next year ? 

 

.. am I missing something?

Edited May 5, 2019 by brylonscamel

[Stubby47]

3 minutes ago, brylonscamel said:

 

.. am I missing something?

 

Possibly.

 

There is an annual RMweb member's day event in Taunton, in which I have a hand in organising. 

 

There is a link to this year's party, which was last weekend, in my signature.

[brylonscamel]

17 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

 

Possibly.

 

There is an annual RMweb member's day event in Taunton, in which I have a hand in organising. 

 

There is a link to this year's party, which was last weekend, in my signature.

Ah OK! I'll have a read when I'm home ..

[bgman]

3 hours ago, brylonscamel said:

 

.. am I missing something?

 

Sorry Brian, my faulty for putting the suggestion forward to Stu, I hope I haven't overstepped the mark ?

 

Its such a good layout that I thought you may consider showing it at this excellent event.

 

Grahame

[brylonscamel]

15 hours ago, bgman said:

 

Sorry Brian, my faulty for putting the suggestion forward to Stu, I hope I haven't overstepped the mark ?

 

Its such a good layout that I thought you may consider showing it at this excellent event.

 

Grahame

Cheers Grahame ... no marks overstepped! I just wanted to get in on the conversation. Taunton is near to my home in Bristol so I would like to attend a local event that involves people off RMWeb.

[bgman]

2 minutes ago, brylonscamel said:

Cheers Grahame ... no marks overstepped! I just wanted to get in on the conversation. Taunton is near to my home in Bristol so I would like to attend a local event that involves people off RMWeb.

 

Phew ! 

 

I thought that being so close to Taunton it would suit you and its well worth the trip......you know it makes sense !

 

Hopefully see you at the next one ?

 

Grahame

[brylonscamel]

Whilst I re-consider the paint options for the bridge, the waterfront factory got a lick of paint ...

 

[Martin S-C]

Looking very nice. I'm interested to see how you tackle the weathering job on it. Having done a fair bit of canal boating in my time, most waterside industrial premises are downright filthy, not only because of their function but because no-one bothers to ever attend in any way to the water frontages which are the "back" of the structures and usually have very limited access.

[brylonscamel]

2 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

Looking very nice. I'm interested to see how you tackle the weathering job on it. Having done a fair bit of canal boating in my time, most waterside industrial premises are downright filthy, not only because of their function but because no-one bothers to ever attend in any way to the water frontages which are the "back" of the structures and usually have very limited access.

 

I'm interested to know how I'll do it - for the same reasons! I had a couple of trips in the early 90s through the canals that wind through the backs of old factories between Wolverhampton & Birmingham Fascinating but everything was in an advanced state of decay - trading on the canal  had evaporated in the 60s and most of the industry was gone by the late 70s. 

Of course 'backs of the factories' are the least photographed locations historically so I'm going to try and cobble together ideas from what I can find. Colour images are in even shorter supply! Sad to say I wasn't photographing much when I worked on the canal so nothing of my own record is helpful!

[calvin Streeting]

there are some canal films (well catagorised as ) on BFI might be something in there https://player.bfi.org.uk/britain-on-film/map#/52.42471060/0.2558146921/8///Canals