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Coalorsdale - A shropshire Branchline - 1965 to 71


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41 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Mind, places like that were never connected to mains electricity.

 

Or if they were the amps came in over an overhead wire. As did the telephone if its an office. So, any suggestion that mid 20th century technology has reached it requires a means of connection to be modelled

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I've just started roughing out some scenery for the next section roughly 5 feet between the viaduct and Station. 

20200812_114307.jpg.c91e3baa11a331865120c3e3c56c9747.jpg

I Need to build a signal box  that will sit just in front of where the br van is.

 

The soil on the incline will be a mix of over grown grass and some denser trees as most of the real valley is heavily wooded. 

 

I've just roughed in some fences using some modlescene fencing which I will be modifying. 

 

I've also just quickly roughed in a hedgerow alongside the lane down from the station as well as between the main lines and the coal sidings 20200812_114436.jpg.7592ff71fe64f245a370f107d644ce63.jpg

I'm quite happy with this veiw and it should look good once the signal box and scenery are in. 

 

However I'm not sure whether this looks right and what to do with he coal sidings. 20200812_114430.jpg.9a7ad4ba18414e29cc7a6ce12c1dae89.jpg

I want some sort of separation from the main lines as in reality I think there was a line of trees. In reality the sidings were much longer and there was a decent gap from the mainline but I don't have space so I've just put these in to represent them.

 

 I'm not sure if the hedge looks right... obviously it will be cut properly, painted and covered in scatter but is it prototypical?

 

 

As for the sidings themselves I shall probably add a bit of grass growing across them and I will add some coal stathes and another hut or shed. 

 

Any thoughts? 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Horsehay Railway Modeller said:

I've just started roughing out some scenery for the next section roughly 5 feet between the viaduct and Station. 

20200812_114307.jpg.c91e3baa11a331865120c3e3c56c9747.jpg

I Need to build a signal box  that will sit just in front of where the br van is.

 

The soil on the incline will be a mix of over grown grass and some denser trees as most of the real valley is heavily wooded. 

 

I've just roughed in some fences using some modlescene fencing which I will be modifying. 

 

I've also just quickly roughed in a hedgerow alongside the lane down from the station as well as between the main lines and the coal sidings 20200812_114436.jpg.7592ff71fe64f245a370f107d644ce63.jpg

I'm quite happy with this veiw and it should look good once the signal box and scenery are in. 

 

However I'm not sure whether this looks right and what to do with he coal sidings. 20200812_114430.jpg.9a7ad4ba18414e29cc7a6ce12c1dae89.jpg

I want some sort of separation from the main lines as in reality I think there was a line of trees. In reality the sidings were much longer and there was a decent gap from the mainline but I don't have space so I've just put these in to represent them.

 

 I'm not sure if the hedge looks right... obviously it will be cut properly, painted and covered in scatter but is it prototypical?

 

 

As for the sidings themselves I shall probably add a bit of grass growing across them and I will add some coal stathes and another hut or shed. 

 

Any thoughts? 

 

 

Great to see the good progress you are making.  Given the lack of space, I'd lose the hedge around the coal sidings.  If you want some kind of barrier there, you could scratch build a very decrepit old sleeper fence from suitable wood strip.  The sort of fence where most of it is missing, possibly interspersed with corrugated sheet (used to repair any gaps).   This may not be proto-typical for your location however if trees/vegetation is what you are after.  Another option would be a proper railway fence - post and wire - with some vegetation growing through it.   I think given the small gap between the mainline and sidings - the hedge is a bit overpowering.      

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15 minutes ago, Gopher said:

 Another option would be a proper railway fence - post and wire - with some vegetation growing through it.   I think given the small gap between the mainline and sidings - the hedge is a bit overpowering.      

That was another option in the back of my mind. I might have a go with some matchsticks and wire. 

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Gopher beat me to it, but a sleeper built fence would probably be the most convincing. A lot of them had the top of each timber cut into a point too. Although a man-made boundary, if suitability weathered won't jump out as unnatural. If you want some greenery, weeds at the base and a little ivy climbing up here and there will blend it into the landscape.

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Well, probably a hundred or so matches later and a sleeper built fence is in. 

 

Obviously needs painting  and weathering and I shall be adding grass and weeds along it

 

20200812_160643.jpg.a51f94feab23676669385d4296cb36c0.jpg20200812_160628.jpg.d87d1a00f228838c441949565f9a1652.jpg

I may trim it down a little just to remove some of the taller irregularities. 

 

This afternoon I've started work on a ratio trackside signal box. It's based on one on the svr and is very similar if the not the same design to the one at coalbrookdale. 

 

I won a collection of three kits in various states on ebay and will try and get one done for this layout and possibly one for my uni layout. 20200812_160658.jpg.99ab25a3a5c08d5d8a4e8d496286fcfb.jpg20200812_175048.jpg.f20be85d2b25c52d0fdcfb77ee32bd43.jpg

 

Thanks for the advice, 

David 

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Not too much to report as I have been focusing on the point control system for my uni layout. 

 

However the signal box is mostly finished (just needs lights and interior) and the fence has had some more paint. 20200820_111434.jpg.96e3dfe5f5ee76dd5d86c5a95d081f1b.jpg

 

I've also had a tidy and hoover of the whole layout and layout room.  And I'm now really happy with the scenic section I've done so far... I just need to add some resin and water effects to the Brook and find a church for the hill. 20200820_111423.jpg.766ecc20fd8e25563d21270e658f2e66.jpg20200812_125749.jpg.94b89b9efb636f3bcfdb43ae0fcbeff5.jpg

Thanks, 

David 

20200812_125734.jpg

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1 hour ago, whart57 said:

Do you actually have room for a church on the hill?

Quite a common feature of the valley is the various churches sat half way up a hill. 

 

I was hoping to sit one in the corner, or atleast half of one against the back scene. 

I don't have a better photo to hand but there is about 20 - 30cm square left clear with just brown paint. 20200810_112331.jpg.1b7951739f2847483b41e00ba736090e.jpg20200820_222255.jpg.9bda4d4f83457c643ac4981e42c727ae.jpg20200820_222907.jpg.114f90d18c76093af57cad5f06165771.jpg

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I see where you're coming from. As a suggestion though think about modelling it in something smaller than 4mm scale to give a bit of false perspective. There might be something in the Faller or Kibri ranges to a nominal HO scale - but more likely to be 1:100 - which could be Anglicised. Generally it's the windows that set the region, German Lutheran churches tend to have more open windows than English ones, but you can turn the sort of window you find in the kits into more English ones by making a Plastikard pillar go up the middle. I've done that before.

 

Churches also have grave yards around them but if you don't fancy that here is a way to get round it. Years ago when I was a student teacher I took a class of kids on a field trip to the church at Ketley. The vicar was really helpful, the kids were his parishioners after all, and kids being kids they were interested in the dead bodies. At Ketley there is (or was) an open space in the graveyard, and the vicar was asked why they didn't bury people there as things looked full elsewhere. He told us they planned to but they always rod the ground first to make sure it wasn't used before. Sure enough the rodding indicated the soil had been dug before and an experimental dig turned up human bones. They then went back through all the old records they had, both there and in Shrewsbury and discovered Ketley had suffered a major plague outbreak in the 16th or 17th century and that open space was in fact where the plague pit was. Now back in 1976 there was no memorial or anything at Ketley but of course there might be now. So you can have an open space behind a church without needing to make lots of tombstones

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Alternatively you could have a non conformist chapel of bricks or corrugated iron that wouldn't have had a graveyard and naturally be a smaller, simpler structure. They often stood in the middle of nowhere to serve outlying farms and several small communities. The scale would also be less of a problem.

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You could, but one thing to bear in mind is that many East Shropshire communities were given churches through a major charitable effort in the 1840s and 1850s to spread the word of God to what were seen as benighted godless communities in the newly industrialised parts of Britain. I think said communities might have preferred to be granted running water or even a gas supply but that is the godless me speaking. Anyway these churches mimicked the traditional English country church but they are in fact nineteenth century

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been away visiting family this week so no progress on the layout but I hope to get some bulk of the scenery done in the next fortnight I have left until I head back to uni. 

 

I've brought my little layout with me to show my grandad and some work has been done on it. 

 

I thaught as I was close I would go to great Eastern models in Norwich on Tuesday and buy possibly a new loco and some more scenic items. 

 

Having been interested in cheap dcc sound I got speaking about what tts chips they had in stock. I then looked at the price of the locos that matched both the tts chips and my era/location.

 

The only one in stock was the new Bachmann release class 40. Having started to look at that I ended up spotting the sound fitted version which had only come into the shop on Monday. Catching my gase I was offered to give it a run on the test loop. Long story short after running it round the track a few times I was  hooked and broke my debit card on the brand new release Bachmann class 40 with loksound fitted. its hard to say no when you've fallen In love with a loco on the shops test track, but now I've had it a few days I have no regrets and i think I've gotten over the gap in my wallet. (might even visit another model shop tomorrow) 20200903_130108.jpg.c796321e860e0ab2050813a2c8b893c4.jpg

 

 

I've only just realised that this is still awaiting delivery in many shops and I was lucky to get one without pre ordering. Its an incredible model and sounds great. Not bad for my first taste of sound but now I think I've caught the bug. 

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It was sound that got me hooked on DCC, though given the problems I have fitting just a chip, never mind all the son et lumiere gubbins into my 3mm scale locos there are times I hanker after the simplicity of DC. Then I think of all the section switching I would have to wire up and I'm back in love with DCC again.

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Whilst I wait for scenic materials for the signal box area I thaught I'd mock up the iron works /factory area. 

 

I had previously drawn cad files so I printed out a plan and set about slicing up some foam board. 20200905_133720.jpg.c86d754ce438e5134d117dad5078232b.jpg

 

Two people there for scale. They're quite I. Posing from the front but they're mostly low relief so should nestle in behind trees when viewed from the front of the layout. 

 

I changed some dimensions but overall its what I planned. For now they're like cardboard cutouts but I I'll slowly add more structure and then windows and doors can be cut and it can be clad in different plasticards. 20200905_133744.jpg.1a5831424d78ffed647f7ac39e40aaad.jpg

 

Right time to crack on with the other buildings. 

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Change of plan for this afternoon. 

My glue gun packed in as I was working on the second block of buildings. 

 

The hot glue gun was about 5 years old and probably needed replacing anyway as it has been used and abused so often. 

 

Anyway I started off by positioning some Bachmann scene craft figures I purchased on the last day of my holiday. 

 

I'm not sure if the farmer is trainspotting or if is car has broken down. 20200904_203318.jpg.fdbe9127ffa7b9800f7823bd4fa33752.jpg

 

And here this old boy is going for his afternoon stroll by the water20200905_171122.jpg.5579d10ea95265973f81ffb846fe72e3.jpg

 

I also fitted an led to the signal box. 

It's on a steel wire so the roof can be removed to add detail or look inside. 

 

I think I will eventually add overhead power lines around this area to show the station has recently been hooked up to the mains. I doo like running in the evening with the buildings glowing. 20200905_165923.jpg.b7760922b595dcb191098446747964b9.jpg

 

Hopefully the resin will arrive tomorrow so the Brook can be poured. I also think I might start on the hedgerows for the signal box this evening. 

Thanks for looking, 

David 

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Last bit of work for this evening or should I say yesterday. 

 

The Heljan Church kit arrived a few days before I went to visit family. I was a little annoyed to see it had a spru missing from the box meaning I was short three walls for the bell tower. There was a photo on the listing showing what was in the box, I should of had a closer look. 

 

After pondering for a while I used the single tower wall I had to draw up the missing three. I also took advantage of this to add a few details to make it resemble an English church a little better. (I drew the rest of the building in blocks to get scale) 

 

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Having spent this morning drawing up the new walls and then 3d printing them whilst I worked on other things, after supper I could assemble the kit. 20200906_000744.jpg.0c0b8262e9f7d6a59c256b64718afa5c.jpg

It went together well and I'm pleased to say my 3d printed section slotted in perfectly with the kit parts. 

 

I have a few dilemmas. I've left out the glazing to make airbrushing easier, however I'm not sure what to use when I do put it in. The main hall will be lit like the rest of the buildings, so you may be able to see inside if I'm not careful. The kit came with clear styrene however I think I'd prefer stained glass of some sort, or maybe represent the lead gridlines on the glass.

Any ideas? 

 

Another dilemma is that I had originally intended to use clay to add stone detail to my printed section, however looking at it now I think it should be fine without, and blends In Relatively well to the textured kit parts. 

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I printed using some quick and dirty settings just so it didn't take all evening, however I think it's given a good enough texture to leave as is with ou rgb further clay texturing. What do you reckon, do I need more stone texture or will this suffice once airbrushed?

 

Thanks for looking as always, 

David 

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The texture looks bang on. Could the courses of stonework be scribed in to match the rest of the building? I have not worked with 3D printed material, but as a plastic it ought to be doable?

The majority of rural Victorian churches seem to have only had stained glass windows in the east end wall, the side windows were generally plain diamond leaded glass. Further stained glass windows would be added by the parish as finds permitted, starting at the altar (east) end. Often they are commemorative of the fallen of World War I. 

I seem to recall someone printing the leading onto clear acetate sheet of the type used for overhead projectors. The same thing was done with pictures of stained glass windows, suitability scaled down and printed.

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8 hours ago, MrWolf said:

The texture looks bang on. Could the courses of stonework be scribed in to match the rest of the building? 

It's quite a hard plastic so I'm not sure I could do it without heat, however I think the heat would make a mess of it. 

I think I might leave the courses off for now But if it looks odd I think I may try scribing them on. 

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

the side windows were generally plain diamond leaded glass

Thanks for your help I think I may try making up some windows to resemble the leading. 

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I had my doubts about the way you were going but just out of interest I typed "telford churches shropshire" into my search engine (duckduckgo). The "shropshire" is necessary to distinguish it from the churches Thomas Telford designed elsewhere. The images that come up show that you are not a million miles away in style from the church at Dawley. Not quite the Dale but in the right area. Then a link took me to this piece about the church in Jackfield (just over the Severn for those who don't know Shropshire)

 

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/nostalgia/2018/04/18/ghost-which-made-a-church-change-direction/

 

It might give you an idea given it was a ruin in your 1960s period

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