Warren Branch

[chuffinghell]

I’ve managed to face the front of the platform, still needs trimming flush on the underside

 

Going against my OCD I’ve also scribed a random, yes random crack in some of the stone pillars and I’ve made sure they are all different (I’m now having a lay down)

 

Also started on paving the top

 

As with the platform on the removable section I’ll fill the mortar lines on the edges to hide/remove the thin slabs

 

I could have saved the work and cut the sheet along the mortar line but I wanted it to match up to the existing 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

Cutting the cladding oversize seemed like such a good idea at the time, although I would have been better only having it half a millimetre to big and not 2mm.

 

Anyway halfway along and still have all my fingers for now so not to big an issue 

 

I originally intended to make the platform with a solid wood base and clad the sides with the Peco edging which seems to be the ‘norm’ but what I’ve done is still quite strong and rigid with the added bonus of being very light

[Stubby47]

If you've used Slater's sheets for the platform walls, and kept your sanity over the wavy courses, you've done very well.

[chuffinghell]

Just now, Stubby47 said:

If you've used Slater's sheets for the platform walls, and kept your sanity over the wavy courses, you've done very well.

Thanks Stu
 

Yes I’ve used the Slaters sheets and it’s proved challenging but being only 0.5mm thick has had its advantages

 

One of the reasons for the stone pillars was to help maintain my sanity in not having to join the sheets together

 

For now my sanity (what’s left of it) is intact

[MrWolf]

Loving the OCD, it's making me want to get on with my layout, keep doing bits at mine but I am holding off until I have completed my latest painting. During which I have been painting individual hobnails onto a boot sole amongst other things. There are plenty of examples of detail obsession around here. For instance I have just replaced two studs on my bike that hold the battery carrier to the frame. It now has two 5/16" x 3-1/2" CEI thread studs as it bugged me that a previous restorer had used two metric bolts. Once the battery, seat chainguard and oil tank are fitted, you can't actually see anything other than the end of one stud, but I know they're right and I only need one set of spanners now.

 

Stop worrying about being obsessed with details, it's a good thing, it's much more common than you think.

You're normal, deal with it!

[chuffinghell]

I’m going to call it a day, I’ve made quite good progress today

 

Just checking it lines up

 

Phew!!

[sb67]

Looks like you've had a busy day Chris, it's all looking very nice. 

[MrWolf]

Looking really good, your little and often approach is creating a wonderfully detailed model and something that you (probably!) won't feel the need to rework five minutes after it's completed because you feel you missed a detail. I think it's great and hope I have the patience and skills to follow your example.

[chuffinghell]

I’m assuming that the signal should go here

 

Before the point to protect the line

 

If so I’ll have to mount the signal on the platform ramp which will be an interesting challenge considering I’m using Dapol signals

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Nick C]

The signal will need to be a bit closer to the station building - you need it such that a loco sitting at the signal will be clear of the fouling point of the crossover, i.e. so that another train can enter the loop without hitting the one waiting at the signal.

[chuffinghell]

3 minutes ago, Nick C said:

The signal will need to be a bit closer to the station building - you need it such that a loco sitting at the signal will be clear of the fouling point of the crossover, i.e. so that another train can enter the loop without hitting the one waiting at the signal.

 

Thanks Nick

It’s operating as a one engine in steam so there shouldn’t be another loco entering the loop however in the position the loco is currently in it is clear of the point....just

[Nick C]

If it's one engine in steam, then technically you don't need any signals, but that would be boring!

 

I'd suggest cutting a rectangular hole in the ramp surface to allow the base of the signal to fit through and sit normally on the baseboard, then cover it with plasticard wooden planking to represent a removable cover allowing access to the lower pulleys - or simply have a cut-off section of the ramp to allow space for the signal. I suspect in real life they'd have made the platform a bit shorter!

[chuffinghell]

13 hours ago, Nick C said:

If it's one engine in steam, then technically you don't need any signals, but that would be boring!

 

I'd suggest cutting a rectangular hole in the ramp surface to allow the base of the signal to fit through and sit normally on the baseboard, then cover it with plasticard wooden planking to represent a removable cover allowing access to the lower pulleys - or simply have a cut-off section of the ramp to allow space for the signal. I suspect in real life they'd have made the platform a bit shorter!

I quite like the idea of having the signal on the platform as it’s not that uncommon and I like a challenge

 

shortening the platform would cause more trouble than it’s worth as the length of the platform is three coaches plus enough length each end for a loco

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

13 hours ago, Nick C said:

......then cover it with plasticard wooden planking to represent a removable cover allowing access to the lower pulleys....

Similar to this?

 

[Nick C]

Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking of!

[chuffinghell]

I might as well have a go, as I wise man once said

 

“he who dares wins Rodney”

[sb67]

I'm sure the end result will be good Chris. Look forward to seeing it.

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

I'm sure the end result will be good Chris. Look forward to seeing it.

Thanks Steve

 

It will take a bit of thinking (dangerous I know) but I’m sure I can do something but until I have the signal in hand I will just continue to build left to right and hope the signal arrives soon

[chuffinghell]

I’ve done next to nowt today other than pondering about how to continue with the paving.

 

Originally I had intended to cut the pavement along the vertical mortar line however after experimenting I found I either ended up with virtually no mortar line or one that was too wide

 

It actually proved better to cut down the center of the ‘slabs’ and just match up the horizontal mortar lines instead

 

 

It’s not glued in place at the moment but already looks okay, fingers crossed once glued in place I can make the join line disappear 

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by chuffinghell
Smelling correction

[sb67]

That's a good idea Chris, very neat.  ''you cant see the join'' to quote the great Eric Morecambe. 

[chuffinghell]

20 minutes ago, sb67 said:

That's a good idea Chris, very neat.  ''you cant see the join'' to quote the great Eric Morecambe. 

Thanks Steve

 

I hoped others would find it useful

[sb67]

I've always joined stuff using the mortar line as that seems the natural join bit as you say sometimes the gap's too big other times it's too small. Seems so obvious looking at it.

 

[chuffinghell]

22 minutes ago, sb67 said:

I've always joined stuff using the mortar line as that seems the natural join bit as you say sometimes the gap's too big other times it's too small. Seems so obvious looking at it.

 

I thought that too but I just couldn’t seem to get it right, cutting through the slab instead was a ‘I wonder if’ moment

[chuffinghell]

This probably wrong but I decided I wanted to give the impression of drainage, I’ve used an ACME ballasting height gauge

 

 

This is also probably wrong (but I don’t care) as I’m putting a signal on the platform ramp I assumed there would be a hole in the platform for the pulley wire? if not it adds a bit of interest

 

And using the ACME ballasting height gauge again

If it’s wrong, it’s wrong 

[chuffinghell]

Looks less crappy in primer