Bridport Town - Carrying On

[DLT]

At last a bit of progress to show:

 

 

 

 

Its taken a bit of trial and error to get the levels matching and reduce the thickness of the Sundeala trackbase so that the first bit of the siding slopes down but the rest is level.

I plan to retain the coal-bunkers; they are somewhat unlikely in this location, but they make a nice scenic feature and help to interrupt the large expanse of flatness.  The narrow gauge track will be at three different levels here, which should help as well.

 

The joint between the different rail sections is soldered with brass rod stiffeners on the non-viewing side, but I haven't done the special fishplates yes.  Apparently a fishplate joining two different rail sections is called a Compromise Fishplate.

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[Donw]

Neat work Dave. 

 

Don

[DLT]

Looking in the other direction, another intention is to "work up" the standard gauge station area.  making the NG headshunt longer has allowed the addition of a barrow-crossing from the SG platform ramp to the NG station, and the inclusion of a PW hut for the SG.  Heres some views with and without the buildings:

 

 

 

 

 

The PW hut is a 422 Modelmaking resin kit and not strictly GWR.  Please can anyone point me in the direction of a genuine GWR PW hut kit?

Many thanks,

Dave. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[MrWolf]

Would this do?

 

"Platelayers Hut Apex Roof based on GWR region in 4mm & 7mm – Rail Model" https://railmodel.co.uk/collections/misc-collection/products/platelayers-hut

[bgman]

2 hours ago, DLT said:

Looking in the other direction, another intention is to "work up" the standard gauge station area.  making the NG headshunt longer has allowed the addition of a barrow-crossing from the SG platform ramp to the NG station, and the inclusion of a PW hut for the SG.  Heres some views with and without the buildings:

 

 

 

 

 

The PW hut is a 422 Modelmaking resin kit and not strictly GWR.  Please can anyone point me in the direction of a genuine GWR PW hut kit?

Many thanks,

Dave. 

 

15 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Would this do?

 

"Platelayers Hut Apex Roof based on GWR region in 4mm & 7mm – Rail Model" https://railmodel.co.uk/collections/misc-collection/products/platelayers-hut

 

And it's local-ish Dave ! ( Plymouth ) 

 

Andy produces some very useful laser cut models in his range and very approachable.

 

G

[DLT]

Thanks very much for the recomendations Guys, I am investigating.

 

Meanwhile I'm working on a platform canopy for the GW station, based on that on the down platform at the real Bridport (and I hope Mr.Bulwell Hall will approve!)

The excellent new book is very useful in this respect, but these two photos are actually from the Disused Stations website:

 

I'm not sure of the exact dimensions, so I've scaled them to fit the site and they will be slightly underscale.  Also I haven't found an exact match for that canopy valance comercially, but I can modify the Slater's version to be pretty close.

Cheers, Dave.

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[Graham T]

On 28/11/2021 at 20:14, MrWolf said:

Would this do?

 

"Platelayers Hut Apex Roof based on GWR region in 4mm & 7mm – Rail Model" https://railmodel.co.uk/collections/misc-collection/products/platelayers-hut

 

I built one of those for Chuffnell Regis, it's a nice little kit.

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Graham T
Added a photo

[DLT]

Thanks very much Graham, I will investigate.

 

Meanwhile, I've made a start on the GW canopy.  Fabricated in the flat from Plasticard sheet and Evergreen strip.  I've included framing on the back even though its not visible, to counter any warping tendency.

 

And roughly Blue-Tacked together and plonked in place to see how it looks.

 

 

 

The valance in the Slaters product.  Various people make GWR valancing, etched, laser-cut etc, but none actually match the Bridport example! 

Maybe I'm being too pedantic, the Slaters is pretty close but will still need some modification.

Cheers, Dave.

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[MrWolf]

What you have built already has e very Great Western air to it with that style of outside framing.  

[DLT]

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

What you have built already has e very Great Western air to it with that style of outside framing.  

 

Many thanks Mr.Wolf.  It will of course be painted in Dark & Light Stone, but was the interior the same colour scheme?  Very difficult to tell from the photos.

[MrWolf]

Doubtless someone will correct me if I am wrong, but as the interior of the building is on full view and largely exposed to the weather, it would have received the same treatment as the outside. There were paint schemes for the inside of buildings, but they would definitely jar if visible against the exterior paintwork.

 

What you have there is akin to a canopy and draught screen on a wooden fronted station building as far as painting goes.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by MrWolf
Clarity

[DLT]

The Slaters valence was modified to reduce it's height.  New horizontals added:

 

Excess removed:

 

Finally modified with a square file to produce saw-tooth pattern.  A bit clumsy in close-up, but looks ok from a distance.

 

Strips were added to the back of the valance to give a positive location for the roof.

The actual roof is a slab of Wills 4mm scale corrugated asbestos.  Width was perfect, but one piece wasn't quite long enough.

I doesn't REALLY need all the internal framing, but this is the time to add strips to adjust the height.

 

The valences were fitted with care taken to match/mitre the corner joint.  Please don't look TOO closely...

 

Putting it together and trial fitting, it looks like this:

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[Bulwell Hall]

Very nice indeed Dave - there is no mistaking the inspiration for it.  I have never found any drawings or other dimensions for this structure so any model can only be a 'best guesstimate'.  And it was demolished so long ago now that there will be few around now who even remember it let alone know any dimensions.  I would agree that the paintwork beneath the canopy would most likely be the usual GWR exterior structure colours - I think it had disappeared by the time Bridport station was repainted in BR (S) green and cream.

 

The only comment I would make if I may is that the iron 'spear' fencing was almost certainly painted with black bitumen paint - certainly that is how I recall this type of fencing.  And depending on the period in which your layout is set you might want to add a Camp or Virol enamel sign - bearing in  mind the recent correspondence regarding the removal of the majority of enamel signs by the GWR in the mid 1930s.  The top photo of the real Bridport station shown above was taken in 1947 by Jim Russell and shows  these enamels signs fixed to the spear fencing which looks like it may be in black.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gerry

[Regularity]

10 hours ago, DLT said:

Puttig it together and trial fitting, it looks like this:

…the part, I’d say.

[DLT]

On 11/12/2021 at 11:43, Bulwell Hall said:

Very nice indeed Dave - there is no mistaking the inspiration for it.  I have never found any drawings or other dimensions for this structure so any model can only be a 'best guesstimate'.  And it was demolished so long ago now that there will be few around now who even remember it let alone know any dimensions.  I would agree that the paintwork beneath the canopy would most likely be the usual GWR exterior structure colours - I think it had disappeared by the time Bridport station was repainted in BR (S) green and cream.

 

The only comment I would make if I may is that the iron 'spear' fencing was almost certainly painted with black bitumen paint - certainly that is how I recall this type of fencing.  And depending on the period in which your layout is set you might want to add a Camp or Virol enamel sign - bearing in  mind the recent correspondence regarding the removal of the majority of enamel signs by the GWR in the mid 1930s.  The top photo of the real Bridport station shown above was taken in 1947 by Jim Russell and shows  these enamels signs fixed to the spear fencing which looks like it may be in black.

Hope this helps.

Gerry

 

Thanks very much for the info Gerry.  

Dark & Light Stone is a pretty safe bet for everything GW, although the Jim Russell photo (above) shows the canopy supporting posts in a darker colour; red perhaps?

You're right about the railings, the only photo I've seen of them in a lighter colour is this one, from a somewhat earlier period!

 

And the GWR did paint a lot of things with black bitumen; presumably the corrugated iron roof as well.

All the best, Dave

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[The Stationmaster]

6 hours ago, Bulwell Hall said:

Very nice indeed Dave - there is no mistaking the inspiration for it.  I have never found any drawings or other dimensions for this structure so any model can only be a 'best guesstimate'.  And it was demolished so long ago now that there will be few around now who even remember it let alone know any dimensions.  I would agree that the paintwork beneath the canopy would most likely be the usual GWR exterior structure colours - I think it had disappeared by the time Bridport station was repainted in BR (S) green and cream.

 

The only comment I would make if I may is that the iron 'spear' fencing was almost certainly painted with black bitumen paint - certainly that is how I recall this type of fencing.  And depending on the period in which your layout is set you might want to add a Camp or Virol enamel sign - bearing in  mind the recent correspondence regarding the removal of the majority of enamel signs by the GWR in the mid 1930s.  The top photo of the real Bridport station shown above was taken in 1947 by Jim Russell and shows  these enamels signs fixed to the spear fencing which looks like it may be in black.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gerry

There was thread a while back about the colour of paint used on spear fencing and it very definitely varied according to where the fencing was and according to teh maintaining Coviul Engineer's Division and probably to some extent according to period.  Asa generalisation spear fencing at the backs of platforms was more likely to be painted ina pale colour (light stone, later WR cream) than footpath and boundary fencing which seems to have almost invariably painted black (bitumen).   the only way to be sure is to use photos for the relevant Division/District which can also be reasonably dated.

[Donw]

14 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

There was thread a while back about the colour of paint used on spear fencing and it very definitely varied according to where the fencing was and according to teh maintaining Coviul Engineer's Division and probably to some extent according to period.  Asa generalisation spear fencing at the backs of platforms was more likely to be painted ina pale colour (light stone, later WR cream) than footpath and boundary fencing which seems to have almost invariably painted black (bitumen).   the only way to be sure is to use photos for the relevant Division/District which can also be reasonably dated.

 

As soon as I read that it clicked with my memories of the fifties. All round the Vastern road yard the fencing was black but  I can remember some along the back of platforms that was a light colour.  There was a bit of ground between the GWR and SR stations at Reading  there was a short siding  at the east end of the  main down platform  I am fairly sure the fencing along the side of the track was black with the platform the other side of the track. I remember seeing a loco with GWR still on the tender in that siding early 60s. 

 

Very nice work on the shelter Dave really fits the bill

 

Don

[DLT]

Thanks for all the info gents; as I had the spraycan out yesterday, the fence has had a coat of bitumen.

[Stubby47]

Looking forward to seeing this again in April.

[The Stationmaster]

10 hours ago, Donw said:

 

As soon as I read that it clicked with my memories of the fifties. All round the Vastern road yard the fencing was black but  I can remember some along the back of platforms that was a light colour.  There was a bit of ground between the GWR and SR stations at Reading  there was a short siding  at the east end of the  main down platform  I am fairly sure the fencing along the side of the track was black with the platform the other side of the track. I remember seeing a loco with GWR still on the tender in that siding early 60s. 

 

Very nice work on the shelter Dave really fits the bill

 

Don

My two photos below show the Down Main siding and the fish dock -  where the van is standing behind the cream coloured fence - in June (the D10XX) and November 1964 (the 'Hall').

 

The fence around Vastern Road yard was partly composed of old boiler tubes (which were always painted/bitumened in black but some of it towards the Caversham Road end was I think partly ordinary unclimbable railings - also painted  black.  The Vastern Road level crossing gates were also painted black but they did not open out into the road.

 

The third of my pictures shows 7816 on the Up Pilot in June 1963 with reading's 'GWR' tender.  This tender appeared behind sevral locos and seems to have been passed on to the next one each time its current partner was withdrawn - the GWR lettering had been revealed by a judicious bit of 'spot' cleaning nthrough Swindon's often rather poor attempts at preparing something for painting/

 

 

 

 

[DLT]

Started on the painting at last.  One sprayed coat of Halfords white primer followed by two brushed coats of Railmatch 606 & 607, GWR Light & Dark Stone.

The deep matt red for the gutter is Humbrol 73 Wine.

This is the back of the shelter which won't normally be seen, hence the panels don't have a full complement of framing.  Just enough to counteract any warping.

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[Regularity]

17 minutes ago, DLT said:

This is the back of the shelter which won't normally be seen, hence the panels don't have a full complement of framing.  Just enough to counteract any warping.

It will be seen by the operators, though - and they are there all the time, unlike the passing viewers at an exhibition…

[DLT]

On 28/11/2021 at 19:14, MrWolf said:

Would this do?

"Platelayers Hut Apex Roof based on GWR region in 4mm & 7mm – Rail Model" https://railmodel.co.uk/collections/misc-collection/products/platelayers-hut

 

Thanks for the tip, one arrived today!

[DLT]

Painting done and and all fixed together.  Not fixed in place yet, so still need bedding down and weathering, but I think looks the part.

Poster boards still to be fitted.

 

 

 

Fence is now black and looks better for it.  The whitemetal GWR bench I've had for years and I'm not sure of its origin; possible Mikes Models.    Its painted dark & light stone, but is this correct?

Many of the Heritage lines have their stations in dark & light, but their benches in chocolate & cream.  I always thought that was a BR Western Region colour scheme?

I'm really pleased with this corner now.

Cheers, Dave.

Edited April 27, 2022 by DLT

[MrWolf]

That really looks great Dave, it's also reminding me that my own station building needs some finishing.

 

The platform benches, according to Great Western Way, were painted chocolate brown all over. I suspect that picking out the GWR monogram on bench ends is a preservation era thing.