O no!

[russ p]

On 31/01/2020 at 07:29, Pete 75C said:

 

A Sanders coach on the forecourt and half a dozen angry looking passengers - you might be on to something! I need to pop into Norwich later on one of the new Stadlers, probably jinxed it now...

 

Remember to fit a smoke generator in the bus engine compartment spewing oily smoke everywhere! 

[Pete 75C]

59 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Remember to fit a smoke generator in the bus engine compartment spewing oily smoke everywhere! 

 

I'm just about to go into Norwich and I could choose the train or the bus. My confidence in either has taken a severe knock lately, so I'm gonna drive!

 

Edit: I had severely underestimated the time it would take to make up 14-16 little brick piers to use as platform supports, and ballasting (by my own peculiar perverse time-consuming method) continues. I'll add some more pictures soon.

Edited February 1, 2020 by Pete 75C

[russ p]

I went to work on the train yesterday,  I'm dreading going to London on a new train seats are far to upright so uncomfortable 

[Pete 75C]

Got some more done over the weekend. Ballasting is finished. Kinda hard to see from the pictures, but relatively clean ballast transitions to moderately filthy ballast where concrete-sleepered flatbottom meets bullhead.

Concrete cable trunking is in place... individual sections painted and weathered. The lids sit in place in sections of Evergreen styrene strip with a channel profile. Cutting them indiviually allows them to follow a slightly meandering course, which I always think looks better than a dead straight line. Also, I've modelled a few missing or broken sections which allows the cable itself to be seen.

16 little brick piers have been cut down from resin sections. These will form the base of the platform. They've had a basic coat of dirt brown*, but need painting properly to highlight mortar courses etc.

Also, the unpainted road overbridge is shown loosely in place. Excellent resin castings from Skytrex which will need only a minimum of tidying up before painting. Same cannot be said of the supplied bridge girders. I really didn't like them at all. After a bit of head-scratching, I've doubled-up on the 4mm Wills VariGirder pieces to make what I hope is a chunky yet believable span. Should look fine when weathered with rust spots etc.

 

* Humbrol 29 in a rattle can, of which I must have consumed gallons over time. It really does make an excellent base coat before weathering.

 

[Guest WM183]

0 gauge is so addictive. I am excited to see how this shapes up!!

[Pete 75C]

32 minutes ago, WM183 said:

0 gauge is so addictive. I am excited to see how this shapes up!!

 

I can predict it will shape up as a straight piece of track on a flat rectangular board!

I worried it would be snooze-inducing, but far from it - it's actually great fun. Maybe "less" really is "more".

[F-UnitMad]

2 hours ago, Pete 75C said:

 

I can predict it will shape up as a straight piece of track on a flat rectangular board!

 

Oh... I was going to ask for a trackplan.

I worried it would be snooze-inducing, but far from it - it's actually great fun. Maybe "less" really is "more".

It is - because O scale has a bit of heft & presence the smaller scales can't match, so looking at it is much more like being by the railway fence.

[Guest WM183]

5 hours ago, Pete 75C said:

 

I can predict it will shape up as a straight piece of track on a flat rectangular board!

I worried it would be snooze-inducing, but far from it - it's actually great fun. Maybe "less" really is "more".

 

Less is more, at least in 0. Every bit has so much more presence that invites detailing - and then lots of searching and looking for observers!

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

At least on a short plank you won't get the resonating empty box effect that seems to be de rigueur on 7mm layouts.

 

Mike.

[Pete 75C]

Lego time.

I want the platform to have an open structure so you can see filthy ballast, weeds and a little rubbish between the supports. That openness doesn't need to go back the full depth of the platform, so the Lego will be hidden and just act as a support for the top surface.

 

 

[jonny777]

Yes, Lego is great for a solid support and for ensuring corners are at 90deg. 

[Pete 75C]

Work continues on the platform. The white top surface you can see isn't the final top surface. Lots of timber crossmembers need to be cut, painted and weathered then fixed at 90 degrees to the platform edge. These will then support the final platform surface.

 

 

 

Edit: Sod's law says I'll make mistakes and I made one already. This is only a short platform and there will be just 3 platform lights. Having measured and marked where I want them, there's a baseboard cross-member right under the middle light. Typical. What I've done is drill between the next set of platform supports along, and threaded some flexible tube through the baseboard to carry the wires. Hopefully this will work ok. Apologies for the dark blurry pic.

 

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by Pete 75C

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

These are useful for angle drilling and missing things;

 

https://uk.banggood.com/2mm-To-5mm-Diameter-Extra-Long-HSS-Auger-Twist-Drill-Bit-Straigth-Shank-160mm-p-978306.html?gmcCountry=GB&currency=GBP&createTmp=1&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cpc_bgcs&utm_content=lijing&utm_campaign=ssc-gbg-all-newcustom-0822&gclid=CjwKCAiA1fnxBRBBEiwAVUouUgNaA3iaEaznMzp0kNfoSiOZyfr10TIm6xqAqQQ-FvF8ubN4WNc0GBoC2XAQAvD_BwE&ID=41227&cur_warehouse=CN

 

Mike.

[toplink@()1989))((]

Just catching this thread, very impressed with your plan though I think 6 ft is excessive . 

This is mine, about 3ft x 9-10 inches, I didn't measure it! The board is from a fire surround we had fitted, it held the bottom of the legs in place.

 

 

Pete.

[brianusa]

The two houses give it a 'Wenford Bridgish' look!

     Brian.

[Pete 75C]

10 hours ago, toplink@()1989))(( said:

Just catching this thread, very impressed with your plan though I think 6 ft is excessive . 

This is mine, about 3ft x 9-10 inches, I didn't measure it! The board is from a fire surround we had fitted, it held the bottom of the legs in place.

 

 

Pete.

 

That is absolutely fantastic... thanks for sharing that. I'm off to cut mine in half.

[rob D2]

Looks great Pete,

In my head I can see a thumper arriving in there !

[Pete 75C]

60+ timber supports cut, shaped, sanded, painted, weathered and glued in place. Never again. Actually, this is the bit I really enjoy. I've made a platform like this before in 4mm and if anything, it's easier in 7mm.

 

 

 

[Southwich]

Just caught up with this Pete - lovely work! Loving the return of the Lego; keep up the good work! 
 

Will

[Pete 75C]

The parcels railcar on platform clearance duties...

 

 

...which leads on to a question? The images below show Sheringham's timber platform in days gone by (pictures from facebook, so I hope it's ok to post them). On the trackside-edge is what appears to be a double row of timber sleepers and the platform surface itself seems to be loose gravel. I can't date the pictures, 2nd one probably 80s. Does anyone know when H&S would have had a fit and decided that while timber might have been a suitable foundation for a small platform, it wouldn't do as edging, slip risk etc? Later pictures of the platform before rebuilding last year show a more modern tactile surface. I quite like the timber edging and as this is supposed to be set in the lates 80s/early 90s, would I get away with it from a believability point of view?

 

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by Pete 75C

[sb67]

They're great photo's Pete. I know what you mean about the timber edging, it adds a bit of character to it. I guess using Rule1 HSE might not have visited that part of the country yet or it's somehow gone under the radar. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some examples of something similar at the time. Certainly the second photo with tarmac maybe could have lasted a few more years.

[Pete 75C]

23 minutes ago, sb67 said:

Certainly the second photo with tarmac maybe could have lasted a few more years.

 

Yes, I like those photos too. I had at one time planned to actually do Sheringham, so amassed a load of photos from 70s through to the reinstatement of the crossing. I just don't think I'm disciplined enough to model an actual location. I prefer to lift elements of different locations and create something fictitious. Allows me to cheat, too.

 

I have a variety of different materials to choose from, so might just have a play around and see what looks good before committing.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

It's, noo Kings Cross...........but

 

manna

[PaulRhB]

16 hours ago, Pete 75C said:

 

Does anyone know when H&S would have had a fit and decided that while timber might have been a suitable foundation for a small platform, it wouldn't do as edging, slip risk etc?

 

 

Putting anti slip coated boards on top of timber crossings was common in the 90’s. Certainly by 2001 I can’t think of any that were plain timber so probably the same push saw timber platform edging coated or replaced? It was coarse texture, and I assume a spray coating on plywood sealed boards, on the crossings. 

[Pete 75C]

2 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Putting anti slip coated boards on top of timber crossings was common in the 90’s. Certainly by 2001 I can’t think of any that were plain timber so probably the same push saw timber platform edging coated or replaced? It was coarse texture, and I assume a spray coating on plywood sealed boards, on the crossings. 

 

I took these pictures back in 2017. The structure of the platform hasn't changed from days gone by, but it does look like something has been added to the sleeper edging, a sheet maybe 25mm thick? That's obviously the anti-slip coating you mention. Assuming the blue/grey Class 101 in the post above dates from the 1980s, a reasonable assumption would be that the anti-slip coating is a feature of the 90s.