cakebox 4 Saved from the Scrapyard!

[Marly51]

No specific details of the model yet. It will depict a corner of a locomotive scrapyard, with an engine being rescued for renovation and destined for a Heritage Railway!  I am going to enjoy creating the piles of broken up parts, with one lucky locomotive emerging from the yard.
 

Some interesting background Information about the Barry Scrapyard http://www.penmorfa.com/Barry/ and there is no shortage of reference photographs!

Edited October 16, 2019 by Marly51

[Stubby47]

You could depict an open day with lots of people queuing as they walk through the yard...

[Marly51]

2 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

You could depict an open day with lots of people queuing as they walk through the yard...

 

So long as I don’t have to paint too many figures! 

[joejab95]

Really like this idea! I suspect a lot of rust will be present!

[Huw Griffiths]

2 hours ago, Marly51 said:

No specific details of the model yet. It will depict a corner of a locomotive scrapyard, with an engine being rescued for renovation and destined for a Heritage Railway!  I am going to enjoy creating the piles of broken up parts, with one lucky locomotive emerging from the yard.
 

Some interesting background Information about the Barry Scrapyard http://www.penmorfa.com/Barry/ and there is no shortage of reference photographs!

 

2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

You could depict an open day with lots of people queuing as they walk through the yard...

 

Well. if it's Barry you're talking about, that place scared the **##**@@**!!** out of me when I was a nipper. I seem to recall a lot of the bus trips to Barry Island parking up very near to it - and these rusty hulks of "kettles" towering over me. To the (then) very young "me", they seemed like stuff out of a Hammer film.

 

Obviously, I would have been in primary school at the time - so my memory might be playing tricks on me. However, if it's not, you wouldn't need an "open day" - just a summer Sunday (so very wet / grey) and a couple of service buses in some moderately local operators' colours (perhaps on a backscene).

 

 

Huw.

[Bo-Bo]

Sounds really interesting, can’t wait to see your cakebox develop.

[GeoffinOz]

Great idea Marly, I was thinking along the same lines, but have decided to go Australian old times, (I think).

There are some great welding light electrics around that you could incorporate to give yourself a bigger challenge, as if you don't set yourself a high bar already.

Best of luck.

[Marly51]

23 hours ago, Huw Griffiths said:

 

 

Well. if it's Barry you're talking about, that place scared the **##**@@**!!** out of me when I was a nipper. I seem to recall a lot of the bus trips to Barry Island parking up very near to it - and these rusty hulks of "kettles" towering over me. To the (then) very young "me", they seemed like stuff out of a Hammer film.

 

Obviously, I would have been in primary school at the time - so my memory might be playing tricks on me. However, if it's not, you wouldn't need an "open day" - just a summer Sunday (so very wet / grey) and a couple of service buses in some moderately local operators' colours (perhaps on a backscene).

 

 

Huw.

Thanks for your suggestions, Huw! Good to hear about your memories as well!

 

9 hours ago, GeoffinOz said:

Great idea Marly, I was thinking along the same lines, but have decided to go Australian old times, (I think).

There are some great welding light electrics around that you could incorporate to give yourself a bigger challenge, as if you don't set yourself a high bar already.

Best of luck.

Thanks, Geoff! Your Australian old times theme sounds like a great scenario. Think I’ll leave the electric effects to others this time, although I enjoyed adding some LEDs to my first Cake Box 

 

Marlyn

[Huw Griffiths]

To be honest, the flashing lights would probably be the easiest part of a build like this - a couple of blue or white LEDs with resistors and a 555 timer, or even a push to make switch.

 

Keep the electronics hidden - add some short lengths of optical fibre (or clear fishing tackle) as light guides - plus a slightly mangled bodyshell from a certain blue toy "kettle" - and, before you know it, the whole family will be able to enjoy playing "where's Th*m*s?".

 

Guaranteed to keep the nippers entertained for hours on end ... or maybe not, who knows?

 

Anyway, there's nothing for kids to worry about. It's not as if I'm suggesting sending "Diesel" for scrap - we all know that one's "really useful" ... .

 

 

Huw.

[Marly51]

On 16/10/2019 at 17:45, Huw Griffiths said:

Well. if it's Barry you're talking about, that place scared the **##**@@**!!** out of me when I was a nipper. I seem to recall a lot of the bus trips to Barry Island parking up very near to it - and these rusty hulks of "kettles" towering over me. To the (then) very young "me", they seemed like stuff out of a Hammer film.

 

Obviously, I would have been in primary school at the time - so my memory might be playing tricks on me. However, if it's not, you wouldn't need an "open day" - just a summer Sunday (so very wet / grey) and a couple of service buses in some moderately local operators' colours (perhaps on a backscene).

 

 

Huw.

Although my scrapyard will be fictitious, can you remember what kind of roadside fencing bounded the Barry Scrapyard, Huw?
Most of the reference photos, especially the black and white ones, have some great detail - I found this one with what looks like a typical ‘railway‘ wooden palisade? 
 

 

 

On this next page about the history of the scrapyard: 

http://www.penmorfa.com/Barry/   
there appears to be a very high corrugated, or flat, metal fence, probably with barbed wire along the top? This is more typical of general scrapyards I was familiar with in the 1950s/1960s. I imagine the yard being visible through a pair of large metal grilled gates.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Marly51

[Dufus]

Hi Marly,

 

In 1964/5 my dad was stationed just down the road at RAF St Athens. The back garden of our married quarter backed onto the military railway branch that ran into the camp.  There was just a chain link fence between the bottom of the garden and the track that I could squeeze under to put half pennies on the track. 

 

We would regularly go to Barry shopping and would take a bus over the viaduct towards Barry Island and look down on all the old locos in the yard.  I can remember a high brick wall near some of them but don't see it in any of the photos.  I can also remember there being a bank of earth where you could stand and look over the top of some of the locos.  They seemed to go on forever!  Sorry,I can't remember what the fencing was like there, I was only 10 or eleven at the time.

 

Ten years later I was posted to the North Atlantic Weather ships based in Barry, I traveled down by train from London, took one look at the old Flower class corvettes and decided I would rather go to sea on one of the scrapped locos and quit.  There were still rows and rows of locos there then and by now all looking very rusty.  I recall there were security fences up now as there had been lots of pilfering.  Haven't been back since.

 

Good luck with this project,

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Marly51]

10 hours ago, Dufus said:

Hi Marly,

 

In 1964/5 my dad was stationed just down the road at RAF St Athens. The back garden of our married quarter backed onto the military railway branch that ran into the camp.  There was just a chain link fence between the bottom of the garden and the track that I could squeeze under to put half pennies on the track. 

 

We would regularly go to Barry shopping and would take a bus over the viaduct towards Barry Island and look down on all the old locos in the yard.  I can remember a high brick wall near some of them but don't see it in any of the photos.  I can also remember there being a bank of earth where you could stand and look over the top of some of the locos.  They seemed to go on forever!  Sorry,I can't remember what the fencing was like there, I was only 10 or eleven at the time.

 

Ten years later I was posted to the North Atlantic Weather ships based in Barry, I traveled down by train from London, took one look at the old Flower class corvettes and decided I would rather go to sea on one of the scrapped locos and quit.  There were still rows and rows of locos there then and by now all looking very rusty.  I recall there were security fences up now as there had been lots of pilfering.  Haven't been back since.

 

Good luck with this project,

 

Regards,

 

Chris

What memories, Chris! Thanks for sharing this. I like to have real examples of scenic features to base my modelling on, so will check this out a bit more. 
 

Marlyn

[Bo-Bo]

That’s a great reference picture Marly51, which clearly shows the fencing that was used.

[Marly51]

On 19/10/2019 at 11:10, Bo-Bo said:

That’s a great reference picture Marly51, which clearly shows the fencing that was used.

There is a goods/engine shed In this photo, which suggests to me that this old timber fencing is part of the original railway depot? If you check out the other link, Mark, the first images on the web page shows a tall boundary fence in the background. I may go for a ‘lovely’ tall rusty fence made from corrugated iron sheets with barbed wire along the top. 
 

PS If you click on the photo, in the post, it links you to Taffy Tank’s Flickr page where it is located.

Edited October 22, 2019 by Marly51

[Bo-Bo]

Thanks Marly51, it will be interesting modelling this type of fence and one I will be watching with interest.

[Marly51]

Well here I go again with a cardboard mock-up! I quite enjoy starting this way to get a feel for the model, but got carried away with detailing the track! This time I want to focus on textures and weathering. The scrapyard wall will be rusting corrugated iron panels, topped with barbed wire. There will be a double gate, suitably battered and rusted, which I may have to scratch build with fine wire. I might have a couple of flat-capped men in the street. In the yard there will be the two tracks, one with rusting locomotives, awaiting the breakers, and the other with the loco, destined for restoration, departing in the opposite direction. At the back is a suggestion of the huge pile of scrap parts. The backscene will be relatively dull, with the silhouette of a crane. Planning to have the baseboard raised with space underneath to house a battery pack for a couple of yard lamps. 
I try to make my models as cheaply as possible from recycled materials and second hand items. At the Dundee Model Railway Exhibition a week ago I picked up quite a few pieces, some for this model and some for the future! Static locomotives will be used - not 4mm scale exactly, so I may scratch build the track.

 

 

https://hiveminer.com/Tags/cashmores%2Cscrapyard

 

The old photos of Barry Scrapyard, in this link,  illustrates what I am aiming for.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Marly51

[Kevin Johnson]

Hi Marlyn I do like your cardboard mock-ups, how your layout will look is great. I will be following with interest.

[Marly51]

The static locomotives, which I am going to distress, have arrived! I now need to consider fitting three tracks into the model, which will mean reducing the street front a little. The baseboard will be constructed once I have the battery unit for the yard lights. I made the mistake in my first cake box of making the compartment for the unit a fraction too small 

While checking out old photographs and videos of rusting British locos, I came across this on YouTube about Woodhams Scrapyard in Barry.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Marly51

[Bo-Bo]

Marly51 thanks for sharing this video, it’s amazing how many steam locomotives where due to be scrapped.

[Marly51]

One inexpensive purchase for the model is the yard lamps and battery holder, which has now arrived. This weekend, I will construct the baseboard and get cracking with the ‘ground’ detail. After considering scratchbuilding  the track, I decided to stick with a couple of lengths of Peco set track from my spares. My modelling pace tends to be a bit slower than many here on the Forum! 
 

[Marly51]

Almost no modelling time since my last post!  Baseboard constructed from a scrap of hardboard, with plywood edges to create a space for yard lamp wiring underneath. Decided to have three tracks quite closely spaced for at least two scrapped locomotives plus the engine being ‘saved from the scrapyard’. The battery compartment will be disguised with the the pile of scrap to the rear of the model. Next stage is to coat the street and pavement with a layer of DAS clay, then sculpt the stone setts, paving and gutter. The remainder of the ground will be covered in two grades of ballast. Better get my skates on!!
 

[Bo-Bo]

Marlyn I like your mockup, everything sounds great. Will be watching with interest.

[jbmccarthy]

I would have been happy with just the cardboard mockup! Can't wait to see this progress. Looks to be a great thread to follow.

[Marly51]

17 hours ago, jbmccarthy said:

I would have been happy with just the cardboard mockup! Can't wait to see this progress. Looks to be a great thread to follow.

 

Thanks jbmccarthy & Bo-Bo! Every CakeBox is a new challenge 
 

Marlyn

[Marly51]

Pavement and street detail cut out of ‘DAS’ clay surface, track ballasted - I decided to use the Javis ‘extra fine’. Will spray paint the whole model, grey or black, tomorrow, then focus on the scrap pile detail before hand painting the ground surfaces. I have found a ridged paper which might just be in scale for the corrugated fence panels.

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Marly51