Trip-Titch - 2021 The Cob : the little people

[southern42]

[Trip-Titch follows on from Laser Cutting]

 

CAKBOX CHALLENGE 1 Waiting for the train

 

 

LASER CUTTING

I really enjoyed making Cakebox 1, trying out different techniques for producing snow and, more especially, detailing the BRM Fab Four figures to suit.  Can you spot who's who?

Well, there is Santa winding the film on in his Brownie 127 camera, after taking snapshots of track clearance and the snow train from the centre of the footbridge; Santa's Little helper carrying H&P biscuit tins to the Railway's Children's Christmas Party down in the village hall; and a driver throwing snowballs at his fireman after they helped with clearing the track for the snow train - a pannier tank with snow plough and toad at the rear (just going through in this shot).

 

 

CAKEBOX 2 - NEW BEGINNINGS

 

TRIP-TITCH - Hang onto your hat!

And, now, for some more fun - a Gravity Train.

Several years ago, I had the chance to fulfil my dream of having a model railway and this, in turn, lead to so many more new beginnings and railway ventures and opportunities.  One of which was an invitation to ride on the Ffestiniog Railway's Gravity Train last September.  WHOO-HOO!  And WHOO-H009'd have thought it would turn into a new direction in modelling:  Trennau Bach Cymru/Little Trains of Wales or put another way - a narrow gauge railway?

 

The Ffestiniog Railway, in preservation, reinstated the gravity train which originally ran without engine from the slate quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog down into the port at Porthmadog where the slates were loaded onto ships.  These days, the original way of running along the wagons to use the brakes on the sides of the wagons is not allowed. The new way has the train's crew sitting on top of slate laden wagons and its invited passengers sit in empty wagons at the rear - standing not allowed but cushions for sitting on and as back rest are highly recommended!

 

So, where do I start?  An artist at heart, I had a triptych, a mini panel of 3 cakeboxes, in mind for the last 3 Cakebox Challenges of 2019, one for each theme, with a train of wagons passing through each scene under gravity.

 

Some challenges I face:

The Ffestiniog Railway has an incline of 1 in 80.  I have some foam gradient of 1 in 50 - that should do.

What sections of the line do I portray?  From the route we took or from the full length route?  A bit of both, I think.

Will the triptych fit the last TWO Cakebox Challenge Themes?  Silly question: of course it will...   I will see that it does.  

Rolling stock.  Sorted!  Slate wagon kits - two Dundas wagons currently built but not free running (yet!); one loco body and chassis on order - I thought it might be interesting to drag the train up first!

The challenges continue - but I am working on it.

And will I complete any of them in time?

 

Apart from the two wagons, I have made slow but steady progress on TRIP-TITCH, with three 8"x8" foam board bases and some pink insulation board for 'landscaping' which is partly sculpted and stuck down on the bases.  Next job is to make some joining pieces ready to take the track from one end of Trip-Titch to the other and enable the cakeboxes to be shown individually as well as a single unit.

 

Hopefully, I will have something to show, sometime soon...

 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by southern42

[Marly51]

Intrigued to see more, Southern42? Loved your ‘snowy’ ‘Waiting for the Train’ cake box! 

[southern42]

Thanks, Marly51.

 

I have made a little bit of progress, starting on the foam insulation infills which will separate the cakebox modules.
The infills will have a piece of straight track to join up with the track on the modules.  I thought it might be easier to lay the track this way rather than in one long bendy piece from end to end.
The foam has been sanded down to even up the sides.  As soon as it stops raining, it will be cut in half (an outside job!) and positioned onto a full length baseboard - I am thinking of a small plinth for strength and, possibly, to take some wiring.

 

I also made a start on cutting off and sanding down a big bit of flashing on one of the slate infills (from Dundas - very nice!),  which arrived this week,  for the slate wagons - another four to do.

 

My loco also arrived - a CWRailways George England 0-4-0TT "Prince" kit.  On taking it out of the box, it looks superb with separate smokebox door, buffers, cab roof, round cab windows, etc.
I must say, I am looking forward to building it...but first, the rest of the wagons to build and the lie of the land to establish.

 

 

 

 

____________________

Best wishes

Polly

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by southern42

[southern42]

I am hoping to make further progress, today on the track base.

The infills between the cakeboxes need to be cut back to expose the rear view which will be visible from cakebox to cakebox - the scenic valley (left and middle) leading to the river estuary (right).  At least, that is the plan.  The white board, which it all sits on, needs cutting off at the back as well but for now is a good platform for trying out my ideas.  How much I get done today remains to be seen.  It looks like this cakebox will not make the deadline but become part of the next cakebox challenge!  Time is running out...but as soon as I get a firm foundation it should come together a lot quicker...

 

 

____________________

Best wishes

Polly

[railroadbill]

Really good idea having infills between 3 cakeboxes,  look forward to seeing how it works out.  Your first one was very good. (And good name for this one!)

[southern42]

Well, it looks like the last three months and Cakebox Challenge 3 have passed me by!  You know - summer, and all that!

But...

I am all aboard for Cakebox Challenge 4.

How absolutely appropriate the title is - INDUSTRY - for my gravity train, the original gravity train being the method of getting slates down from the mountain quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog to the ships at Porthmadog and slate being one of Wales' major industries by the late 19th century.

Then, being reinstated as a part of the Heritage, Tourism and Leisure industries of today.

I am rubbing my hands with glee and excitement!

What an excuse (and motivation) to carry on!

So, fingers crossed I can meet the challenge this time, not that I intend to abandon it at all.

___________

Best wishes

Polly

Edited October 1, 2019 by southern42

[southern42]

Hmm.  Another few months have passed...but another Cakebox Challenge and things are starting to progress.

 

The Cob

For this challenge, I have decided to continue modelling at the Cob end of the three dioramas.

With the last fews weeks spent researching and planning, I would not say, at this moment in time, that it will be the easiest to do.

I have decided though, that it might be easier to scenic it by starting at the back and working forward in layers.  Thus:

• A background of mountains running south (and left) of the bay,
• Estuary leading out to sea (to the right),
• Boulders up against (the rear of) the Cob,
• A straight section of single track along the Cob,
• Road below,
• Footpath and sea level below.

Two items of Recycling/Waste, plus any other waste/scrap material:

1. The main structure is made of offcuts of insulation board.
2. Cereal packets to make walls, road surface, and background scenery.
3. Re-use of old bits of blutack.
4. Other qualifying items will no doubt appear as The Cob develops.

A few things that have come to light:

• Signal towards the Boston Lodge end of the Cob which looks do-able - white post, round disc, lamp above, top platform (steps removed). 
• Hunting Horn used on the Gravity Train - can I make one small enough?  Working on it!
• Some 4mm scale seated figures that have the basic wear of the Gravity Train Brakesmen, which I will need to customise - if I get them!

Today's job.

After much thought, and after watching last Wednesday's Warley Live demo on ballasting on Youtube, I decided to glue the three cakeboxes down on the base.  This will make it easier (if not essential) to lay the track, especially as the track is 009 mainline along the cob, and 009 narrow gauge around the tight curves of the other two cakebox dioramas.  Each diorama will still be treated and photographed in its own entity.

Currently, the whole thing is sitting on the dining table strewn with tins and jars to weigh them down onto the base while the glue dries.

 

Recycled.

I forgot to mention.  The 009 mainline track has timber sleepers.  They will be magically transformed into recycled plastic ones as used on the Ffestiniog Railway when they replace their old wooden sleepers.  I was there, some time ago, when they were laying some at Porthmadog!  They really are plastic... and recycled!  Quite a surprise, at the time.

 

Thanks for following.

Polly

Edited March 1, 2021 by southern42
A couple of typos

[southern42]

Going back a few days, I attempted to make a hunting horn for the head brakesman.  A little messing about and I eventually made a coil from a short scrap of sleeved wire lying around on another project.  Next, make the cone...

 

But the main exercise of the day became a lesson in patience, transferring some mainline sleepers from its rails onto the narrow gauge track so that I only have one piece of track instead of two to lay across the three dioramas - a straight section across the Cob, curving left into a wooded section overlooking the valley, then curving right and up into the mountains to enter the Garnedd Tunnel - presenting an ideal opportunity for disguising a fiddle yard.

 

Two days ago was even more fun! It was time to lay my first ever yard of track and ballast.  I put too much PVA glue down to start with, leading to it being messier, and trickier, than anticipated, and having to remove excess glue before carrying on. I will know better, next time!

 

Yesterday, I removed the excess ballast - not perfect but neither was it disastrous. Phew!

Happy with that, I persevered, on and off during the day, with the hunting horn and, by midnight, with a curved cone made of blutack and a dab of superglue, I have a horn. However, I still think it may be a bit on the large size, so I may have a go at making a slightly smaller one but I will paint this one up first and see how it looks with waggon and brakesman.

 

Today will be spent touching up track and ballast; working on the distant background for Cakebox 1, The Cob; and painting the horn.

 

Polly

[southern42]

The hunting horn.

I painted Vallejo Black Glaze inside the bell.  The rest had an undercoat of Vallejo Chocolate Brown.

The top layer of colour was Citadel Colour Dwarf Bronze lightly dry brushed on in several layers.

 

I'll give the paint a few days to harden before shortening the thin end but I needed something to grab hold of!

 

Polly

[southern42]

I did a couple of mock-ups, today, of The Cob. Interesting seeing all the bits and pieces coming together.

• The three 2 ton waggons are Peco and the  3 ton waggons are kits from Dundas.
• The brakesman (Wickham trolley driver, whose hat will become a bowler) and passenger (Gentleman sitting, with sketchpad) are from Dart Castings. 
• The Kinsmart Volkswagen classical bus at 1:64 scale is used to force perspective and, if used, will be heading for Portmeirion with "Prisoner" fans!
• In the first mock-up, I have used an Aiden Campbell 1:76 scale figure, which is significantly broader than the Dart Casting figures, to give a sense of being closer but also being further away when looking down.  The small feet look even smaller!
• In the second mock-up, I have used a 1:43 scale figure.
• The brakesman is looking out across the estuary to the sea behind the Cob.
• The gentlemen using the public footpath/cycle path are looking admiringly towards the mountains of Snowdonia - not included in this package!

 

 

 

And a sneak preview of The Valley mock-up - a farmer and his dog looking down the mountainside to the valley floodplain far below.

 

Polly

Edited March 6, 2021 by southern42

[southern42]

Today’s input was largely spent looking at photos of the land on the Porthmadog side of the bay. To get a panorama round the bay, I will need several views that will stitch together as a template for a sculpted backdrop. Looking promising.

On the modelling side, there is a row of bricks as an edging between ballast and footpath I want to put in.

 

Thinking, 4”x12” to make a believable brick that would look right in such a small space where things are compressed and foreshortened, I looked around for some suitable card. Then I thought of the polystyrene 1.5mm channel I had for another job. Scoring grooves 4mm apart along its length, I think it will do just fine. After a light sanding, I painted it a light stone/cement colour ready to glue down. The ‘bricks’ need a bit more work and some weathering, of course!

 

But, before glueing in place, I reckon I should rust the rails first.

 

Polly

Edited March 8, 2021 by southern42

[southern42]

Yesterday, I glued the track edging in place, then weathered it a little.

Today, I touched up the track ballast and laid finer ballast for the stony footpath. When dry, it will need to be turned into a footpath-looking footpath! When that is done, I can get on and paint the rails, track ballast, and footpath to match the prototype.

 

 

Short and sweet this time!

 

Thanks for following and for all your ratings. Most appreciated.

Polly

Edited March 9, 2021 by southern42

[southern42]

I, finally, took the plunge this morning and cut away a layer of the insulation foam to lower the road to give a better sense of depth. At least that was the theory!

 

Using Google Maps it is easy to see that the Cob wall leading up to the railway is a lot higher than the wall leading up from the footpath to the road so, it did make sense to try and capture a similar look. 

 

So, an assortment of photos of the mock-up to test the result.

 

From sea level.

 

Distant shot.

 

Bird's eye view.

 

The Boston Lodge end of the Cob has a wooden fence along the shore of the River Glaslyn.  Of course, I ummed and ahed about putting one in so, after I did the mock-up, I started thinking of making a fence by cutting up some used stirrers that I had collected before Lockdown (recycling rubbish).  Then I remembered this:

 

...and thought, 'That'll do!'

 

Remember it? Laser Cutting?

The bridge was made from some straight, laser cut, Torri Laser bridge side piece rejects which I was given sometime ago.
Don't see why they were rejects?  Take a look at the other end of the piece used in the mock-up:

 

 

...a case of the machine not cutting right through the material (MDF), and a modification of the set-up required, but...  

I was happy to take them in the hope I could use them rather than see them binned.

So, more 'waste' to be included in the Cakebox Challenge but not this bit of it, though it may do for a road or station name on something else!!

 

And back to this little fella - what to do with his hands, considering his rather casual overcoat.

 

 

I did think of flying a drone but that would not do near a railway!

Fishing? Photos of that on the seaward side of the embankment.

Holding a camera? / Mobile phone? / Walking the dog on a lead? / A gottle o' geer? / Bag over shoulder on long cords?

Grandad taking young grandchild walking holding the reins? / Pushing a pushchair? / Wheelbarrow ?

What about collecting litter with a litter cart?

 

What do you think? I am open to other ideas.

 

Polly

Edited March 11, 2021 by southern42

[southern42]

More work on the trackway - making the edging on the seaward side of the track using more rubbish... this time, some used coffee stirrers I had collected over the years from various refreshment establishments. Trouble is they are different lengths, widths and thicknesses, and not necessarily straight in any direction but I found four that fitted together enough to make an 8” double thickness strip. 
 

Stuck together with PVA glue, taped up with masking tape, and left to dry overnight, I weighted the strip down with a pile of books to prevent further warping.

I lightly sanded the top and sides and glued the edging in place. I left it overnight until firmly fixed, then filled in the gaps with shavings of insulation foam and added some ballast.  

 

 

 

That has turned out better than expected so I am pleased with that. 

Next, make the wooden strip look like concrete blocks...

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by southern42

[ManofKent]

Looks good. Maybe try artist's acrylic as a base coat? It's a bit thicker than modelling acrylics so should help hide any grain. Or maybe add a tiny amount of filler powder to the paint?

Edited March 16, 2021 by ManofKent
additional idea

[southern42]

Thanks. I agree entirely. I use Winsor and Newton's - simply because it was available from our nearest stockist (before all the lockdowns).  That is what I used on the track to hide the wood grain! Still a bit more work to do in places, though!

 

For the concrete footpath edging, I used W&N titanium white with a touch of Vallejo brown and black to give a concrete-like colour.  I often mix W&N paints with Vallejo acrylics if I only want a tiny amount of another colour. Hopefully, it will work on the concrete blocks.

[southern42]

1 hour ago, ManofKent said:

Snip...

 

Or maybe add a tiny amount of filler powder to the paint?

Funny you should add that. I was thinking of touching up with weathering powders...

The footpath edging made me think of that as that could do with some to take away the smooth look.

Thanks for your continued interest. It helps to keep the mind open to possibilities.

[ManofKent]

23 minutes ago, southern42 said:

Funny you should add that. I was thinking of touching up with weathering powders...

The footpath edging made me think of that as that could do with some to take away the smooth look.

Thanks for your continued interest. It helps to keep the mind open to possibilities.

Concrete is a tricky one - at scale it is practically smooth but the eye does somehow look for texture even if we shouldn't really see it (I visually prefer embossed brick sheets to flat brick paper even though I know that at 4mm/1ft the embossing is technically over deep).

 

I'm enjoying following other people's entries as much as creating my own - it's a great learning experience.

 

You've also reminded me it's over 30 years since I last visited your neck of the woods, something I must rectify when travel is back to normal...

[southern42]

22 hours ago, ManofKent said:

Concrete is a tricky one - at scale it is practically smooth but the eye does somehow look for texture even if we shouldn't really see it (I visually prefer embossed brick sheets to flat brick paper even though I know that at 4mm/1ft the embossing is technically over deep).

 

I'm enjoying following other people's entries as much as creating my own - it's a great learning experience.

 

You've also reminded me it's over 30 years since I last visited your neck of the woods, something I must rectify when travel is back to normal...

 

Our neck of the woods... Was the A55 North Wales Expressway finished back then, I wonder (opened 1991)?  Part of the ever disappearing country lane, which I fell in love with back in the 60s when I used to visit my Uncle in Kent.

 

 

Top of concrete edging has had a few thin layers of acrylic white paint.  A few more should do the trick when the paint has dry and hardened, and after a light sanding.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by southern42

[southern42]

Road widening was already in progress in the area in the 70s with the construction of the Dinorwic Power Station, Llanberis to accommodate the vehicles. Then came road widening and bypasses from Caernarfon to Porthmadog.
With the arrival of the Welsh Highland Railway from Caernarfon into Porthmadog Station, the cob was widened to take an extra platform. The road across the Cob was widened in 2002 and a cycle path/footpath was created on the landward side.  The toll was ended in 2003. The Porthmadog bypass opened in 2011 and relieved the Cob road of congestion and through traffic.

[southern42]

But back to the cakebox.

Concrete edging painted but needs some more work. In the meantime, a mock-up of the top of the breakwater.

 

Birds eye view.

 

Track level.

The rocks at the bottom are from a disused plant container. The ones at the top are from a bag of slate chippings left over from a new path in front of the house.

Slate slabs lie at the top of the Cob breakwater. Most of the stone looks like granite. I have some granite but it would be a hard job breaking it up into smaller pieces. So, let’s try making some...

Paint some stones white and brush black paint into the white paint while it is still wet. Allow some original colour to show through to give a more natural or weathered appearance. Darken shaded or sunken areas and highlight edges.

Now to build the seaward side of the Cob.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by southern42
Doubling up of words!

[southern42]

The fun has started...

or, rather, juggling.

Several jobs on the go at once, now: finishing off the trackway; constructing the stone sea defence; and planning the distant scenics.

 

A couple of photos showing progress so far.

The footpath (fine ballast) and either side of the sleepers are  being painted in keeping with the colours on the FR - a little more work to do, here. The front of the footpath will have some green growth where it joins the wall up from the road, and the track needs some rust and grime.

The ledges, to take the stones, are scraps left over from carving out the base structure on the other side. The foam did not stick to itself too well with PVA glue but it did stick to card from a cereal box hence the card/foam sandwich. Hopefully, I will get the desired effect when I add the stones.

 

And, lastly, as I have decided to do the bay at low tide, I am now thinking of ways to do the sand and marsh banks, not to mention the watery channels.* As I said, the fun starts here...

 

* Edit: And high tide seaweed.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by southern42

[ManofKent]

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

The fun has started...

or, rather, juggling.

Several jobs on the go at once, now: finishing off the trackway; constructing the stone sea defence; and planning the distant scenics.

 

A couple of photos showing progress so far.

The footpath (fine ballast) and either side of the sleepers are  being painted in keeping with the colours on the FR - a little more work to do, here. The front of the footpath will have some green growth where it joins the wall up from the road, and the track needs some rust and grime.

 

 

And, lastly, as I have decided to do the bay at low tide, I am now thinking of ways to do the sand and marsh banks, not to mention the watery channels.* As I said, the fun starts here...

 

* Edit: And high tide seaweed.

 

 

I was looking at bags of children's play sand in the local Tesco's last week, thinking a bag could be useful if I needed sand - much finer than builders or beach sand. Very pale though and you'd probably want to paint it.

[southern42]

 

55 minutes ago, ManofKent said:

I was looking at bags of children's play sand in the local Tesco's last week, thinking a bag could be useful if I needed sand - much finer than builders or beach sand. Very pale though and you'd probably want to paint it.

 

Thanks, I will have to keep that in mind, which reminds me, ash from our fire is another useful commodity which I have used in the past as it is easy to grade.  I could try that, tomorrow!  It might be useful for the bottom of the wall or on the next cakebox module.

 

At this scale, the sand will look smooth, though I have to make a choice of colour and how much in the way of undulations and water I want to put in.  Photos are useful but a lot depends on time of day, weather, colour rendition of the camera and my laptop, just for starters!  Whatever, it will be painted with my limited colour pallet - I have used 4 colours, so far, and I expect I will use 3 of those to make a sand colour.  Google maps in landscape mode gives an idea of the bay at low water, although the channels and sand constantly shift.

 

The base will be card from a cereal packet and, if the bag of Sculptamold can be found and is still usable, that will be used to create the ground to the other side of the bay - about a mile to be covered in 4 inches. Plenty of room for modellers licence!

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Porthmadog/@52.9143374,-4.1100589,3741m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48657550719dd0ed:0x8b4ab9194289afcd!8m2!3d52.927842!4d-4.133384

 

[ManofKent]

Colour of the marsh will be interesting too. From memory of buses up from Aberystwyth many years ago at some points it's green but  at others a brilliant orange.

 

Fire ash is a great free resource - my 2" of ballasting  is a mix of fire ash and fine grit.