steve W Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I'm with you on this one! That looks like an excellent choice. Unusual concrete base adds interest. Steve W 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Booking Hall Posted July 8, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 8, 2019 (edited) Well, that's the replacement water tower finished! Edited July 8, 2019 by Booking Hall 12 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve W Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 That is really looking the part. The valve operating arrangement sets it off superbly, What have you used for the filling 'bag'? steve W Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Thanks Steve. The 'bag' is simply a tube rolled up from kitchen foil and painted with acrylics! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted September 3, 2019 Author Share Posted September 3, 2019 Sorry it's been a while since the last update, I got distracted assembling and detailing a parcels train for the club layout which was going to an exhibition, then holidays got in the way and finally I've made a start on a sewage works for another of the club's layouts. But I have progressed 'Far Wittering' a little. I stuck down the platform and loading dock modules and made a start on the ballasting. I didn't get far with it before wondering whether or not to add some point rodding and a signal or two. I never intended this to be a highly detailed layout, in fact, as you will know if you've read from the start, I never intended to build this layout at all! But, I couldn't help myself, and so an order was placed for some whitemetal point rodding stools, etched brass cranks and other whatnot's and a small lever frame. This is the state of play at the moment. The stools have been cut down in length and glued to 'sleepers' and await painting. There will be two main point rodding runs to the main 'Y' points at each end of the loop, and a short run to the turnout giving access to the goods platform/coaling stage road. The remaining turnouts will have hand levers adjacent to them. A single signal will act as a starter from the loop to the fiddle yard with a further signal (an ancient looking crossbar type, yet to be built) controlling the road crossing. This will have its own separate lever. Once I get these in place ballasting can re-commence. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 I think I've just remembered why I'd vowed I'd never do this again . . .!! 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Adrian Stevenson Posted September 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 5, 2019 Jobs like this are tedious but the effort will be repaid as details like this add so much to any layout. Cheers, Ade. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 That's all looking very good Booking Hall, it does look fiddly but the point rodding will be worth it once it's done. One question, is there a thread of your Weydon Priors layout anywhere? I noticed it in the background of some earlier photo's, it looks another nice layout. Steve. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 On 05/09/2019 at 19:07, Adrian Stevenson said: Jobs like this are tedious but the effort will be repaid as details like this add so much to any layout. Cheers, Ade. Thanks for the encouragement Ade, taking it slowly and it's actually (sort of) enjoyable! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 On 06/09/2019 at 05:07, sb67 said: That's all looking very good Booking Hall, it does look fiddly but the point rodding will be worth it once it's done. One question, is there a thread of your Weydon Priors layout anywhere? I noticed it in the background of some earlier photo's, it looks another nice layout. Steve. Thanks Steve, yes, it will add something to the layout. If I hadn't done it I know I would have regretted it! Sorry, no; I didn't document the building of 'Weydon-Priors'. I assume you saw the feature on it in 'Model Rail'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 Point rodding nearly complete, phew! 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold lezz01 Posted September 22, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 22, 2019 The water tower is top notch mate. Loving the point rodding as well. Regards Lez.Z. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 Before putting the finishing touches to the point rodding and signal cabling, i thought I'd better build the signals. This is the bar signal to protect the road crossing. It uses a few Ratio components but is otherwise scratchbuilt. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 Signals now installed on the layout. The home starter is a Ratio LNWR square post LQ. Both signals operate, but I won't be adding any linkage below the layout. Also installed is the retaining wall (more scribed pizza base styrofoam) and the MSE etched brass ground frame. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) Ballasting and ground cover to the loco stabling area have continued slowly, and the coaling stage and water tank have been glued in place. As a break from this, a Cambrian LBSCR 5-plank wagon with rounded ends has been constructed. It is hoped that this ancient looking vehicle will add to the air of impoverishment i want for the layout - a railway backwater that had to make do with hand-me-downs and cast-off's. Edited October 23, 2019 by Booking Hall 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 All ballasting is now complete, and a start has been made on some of the scenic treatment. I'm a little disappointed with the way this has turned out so far, I think that overall I've made it too 'dark' and the texture of the ballast and ash material I've used is too coarse. I hope I can overcome this somewhat by the use of scatter and static grass to break up the monotony a bit. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve W Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 That is looking really good, it's coming together superbly. Can't help thinking the corn cobs are a tad overscale though Steve W 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) On 03/11/2019 at 12:13, steve W said: That is looking really good, it's coming together superbly. Can't help thinking the corn cobs are a tad overscale though Steve W Thanks Steve. The corn is as high as an elephant's eye . . . Edited November 8, 2019 by Booking Hall 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 I'm happier now, the scenic treatment is beginning to soften and tone down the overall dullness of the ash coloured ground cover. Having looked at some reference photos of the Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway, I'm going for a rather weedy appearance. 7 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 I've now made some post and wire fencing to close off the back of the layout. This is made in my usual way from shaped matchsticks coloured with a dark wood stain, positioned over double sided adhesive tape on my template, then E-Z line elastic thread (fine, green) stretched over the posts and secured with a drop of superglue. The line of completed fencing can be stretched out to suit the space available (subject to not over-stretching it or having the intermediate posts too far apart), and it will easily follow curves or land contours. Once glued in place, straining post struts are added. 8 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Working my way around the layout, I've now fixed the station building down after weathering it and adding some signs and a timetable board. I also added a stovepipe from the ticket office. Although I could see no photographic evidence of the prototype station ever having had one, it seems to me most unlikely that they would not have had some form of heating in there. Anyway, it adds a bit of interest to the roof. I still need to do a little more blending of the building base into the landscape. I've used real soil again for the station yard. Moving on, as the road crossing will be an ungated one, it needs some anti-trespass grids and I've made these out of 30x30thou plastic microstrip. Only one done so far, another is needed on the station side of the road. The fields either side of the railway have also had a first coat of static grass applied. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) It's the early 1950's, and the depot has sent one of its new 204hp shunters on a trip working up to Far Wittering. There's no traffic for the military depot today, so 11222 contents herself with pushing a few wagons around the yard, before ambling back down the branch. Edited November 26, 2019 by Booking Hall 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 27, 2019 Author Share Posted November 27, 2019 Hedges grow quickly around these parts! And a kissing gate has appeared too. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 29, 2019 Author Share Posted November 29, 2019 Summoned up the courage to stick the backscene to the back board. This is an 'N' gauge one as I wanted the illusion of greater distance. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 (edited) Looking again at the photo which provided the inspiration for the ungated level crossing, in real life at Kingsley Halt on the Bordon Light Railway from Bentley to Bordon in Hampshire; I wondered if my model would be enhanced by two lines of trees like in the picture. I've no idea what sort of trees they are but I had a go at making one from wire and static grass. This wasn't very successful, so I had a rummage around in my 'landscaping raw materials' box and came up with a bit of real fir tree. I added some teased out postiche and dark green static grass, followed by some fine green and white flock. The end result looks OK to me so I braved the freezing temperatures today and gave the fir tree in my garden a bit of a haircut! I reckon I'll need about 25 'trees' to form lines on both sides of the railway, and it's a bit of an act of faith placing them right at the front of the layout so that trains will be glimpsed passing behind them, but I think it might add to the 'theatre' of the piece. They won't be as closely spaced as at Kingsley Halt, so there will be decent gaps through which to see the trains, and from the elevated viewpoint normal to layout viewers, they will be able to see over them as well. Edited November 30, 2019 by Booking Hall 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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