Coalorsdale - A shropshire Branchline - 1965 to 71

[Oldddudders]

11 hours ago, Horsehay Railway Modeller said:

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.

SNIP

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. 

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

Frankly, with capabilities like that, your future as a successful modeller is assured. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Oldddudders

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Morning all, 

Thanks for all of your advice and kind words. For now to save cost I have just used a fine sharpie to draw on the lead. 

 

I've also started painting. 

 

I began by mixing a sandstone colour and airbrushing the whole building with a few base coats. 

Then I added a few black washes, painted the doors brown and the roof a slate grey. 

This is it rested on the the layout to test its position, I've marked out the church wall and footpaths and drilled a hole for the lighting wire. 

 

This morning. I've been weathering it more with some pastels and I've glued in the windows, just got to glue in the roof properly and wire the light up then I'll install it and start working on the surrounding scenery. 

[MrWolf]

That is looking really good and I have to say that your painting and weathering has now made it look all of a piece. The lack of stone courses on the tower is no longer noticeable. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

The church is now in position and I'll do some work on the scenery around it later. 

 

Something else I've been working on Is the scenery around the coal sidings and signal box. 

 

I began a few days ago by applying static grass, this was a bit bright so after this photo was taken I airbrushed a black wash over it all. 

Today I've been working on the hedge. 

I began by gluing down rubberised horse hair I had spray painted brown. 

I then trimmed the hedge into shape with scissors and scattered woodland scenics coarse turf on top

I think its looking quite good, the static grass is a bit bright and short, but I'll be adding a darker 4mm grass on top at some point. I also have some dead grass to out in some areas

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

The church is installed and lit, may need a resistor or two. 

 

So far I've just added static grass and a tile grout pathway. I need to bed the church in with bushes and trees and add some sort of stone church wall. I may even add a grave or two. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Finished something else today,

We have water in the stream! 

after painting, adding soil and weathering in previous posts the river has been sat waiting for water for some time. I opted to go frlor epoxy resin Instead of any realistic water product off the shelf. I bought a well reviewed cheap casting resin. 

This was mixed according to the instructions and poured on, I then added a layer of mod podge gloss which was pushed around with the airbrush to form  ripples. 

I'm toying with the idea of a canoe or rowing boat. 

 

Thanks for looking, 

David

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

2/2

I've also added this week to rker in the coal sidings, I can only assume he's breaking up some coals and ashes in the ground. 

 

I've been working in scenery around the churchand I've been doing my best not to take photos of the class 40 every day. 

Thanks again, David 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Hi guys, 

I'm in my last week before I head back to uni so unfortunately soon this thread will get alot slower. 

 I will be taking some model making kit as well as my portable layout so along with semi regular updates on my portable layout I should be able to post on here when i work on buildings and rolling stock for this layout. 

 

Anyway I've been trying to get some odd jobs done before I leave, whilst I've been trying to pack all of my tools and modelling things into toolboxes I've also been doing a few jobs around the layout. 

 

Most notably today I've started putting a curtain under the layout. 

Having looked at the shocking price of black fabric I was doing some research and came across someone using weed membrane. 

 

I thaught it was worth a punt so after a while looking for a matte membrane with no lines or grid on I found one online for ten pounds and bought it. 

 

I then set about using a staple gun to stretch it between the legs of the layout. 

 

I worked out I had more than enough to double it over and make it thicker, this also allowed me to drop nuts and bolts into the fold which act as weights to hold it down tight

I left this 2ft section so I can crawl underneath and into my storage/ workbench area. However I decided it needed a curtain after a while on the sewing machine I came up with this. A simple curtain with a chain sewn into the bottom to weigh it down. I bunched it up in the corner a little but it's close enough for jazz. 

Time To crawl around and add some more staples, so far it's just got a couple in each leg to get it in position. 

 

Hopefully more photos this evening when I have a tidy up and get some trains running. Cheers, 

David 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Well I've added more staples and had a major tidy... I must say  I'm very happy with the "curtain" around the layout, it makes the room seem alot tidier. 

 

Here are some photos from this evenings running session. 

Cheers, 

David

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Not entirely layout related but I've been finishing up odds and ends before I leave. 

 

I had seen some people talk about ID backscenes fading in the sun, as well as general scenery fading. I was slightly concerned about the same happening to. Me. 

 

I also wanted to be able to fully control lighting during the day so I can test lighting in buildings etc. 

 

Long story short, a curtain had been at the bottom of my list of projects and today I thaught I ld get it done before I leave on Friday. 

 

I sewed the curtain itself from some leftover fabric that was used to make some curtains in the house years ago. 

 

We also had some flexible curtain rail in the garage too. 

 

This is the result. 

And just to keep this railway related here are some running shots from this morning. 

Edited September 14, 2020 by Horsehay Railway Modeller

[MrWolf]

Your layout is progressing very well, lockdown has done you some favours!

Being able to sew is a very useful skill for a man, it's part of being able to take care of yourself. I learned at an early age because my mother refused to patch up my ratty old jeans. My other half was suitably impressed when I did a repair on a dress she wanted to go out in, but I have taught her how to do it herself now, she being quite independent. 

I'm hoping that "running sh#ts" is a typo, otherwise, I would recommend large amounts of toast, it's cheaper than immodium and quite effective!

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by MrWolf
Typo

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Typo changed 

[MrWolf]

We'll keep it to ourselves right? 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Well, thats it... I've moved back to university for the new term. I should be able to make up a few buildings and I'll show any new aquisitions, other than that this thread will be a little quiet untill im home for whatever holidays i get this term . i will of course be posting in  my thread abut my portable layout. 

 

Goodbye for now Coalorsdale.

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Im back !

I've been home for a week now , and although i have not spent too much time in the garage there is progress to report.

 

I've begun adding a stone wall around the churchyard as well as measuring up for an engine shed and goods yard the other side of the station. hopefully i'll get these purchased and built over christmas.

 

I also saw a good deal for this dcc fitted 4mt on hattons and couldnt resist. i promise ill get round to buying some tank locos soon.

 

I'm very much a rule one modeller, in that i am trying to acheive the look and atmosphere of a late sumers day on the wenlock branchline in the mid sixties, however i will find any reasonable excuse to run what i want. for example my rake of mk1s has been diverted from the mainline and runs happily around this backwater branch.

 

on a similar thread i was thinking about an interesting goods train to run. I am certainly going to build up my stock of mineral wagons and vent vans, but to add interest i was thinking of something else. initially a limestone train from the quarries around wenlock, this is still an option, however i happened across a Hornby cement wagon online and thought of the idea of a long cement train headed towards the ironbridge power station which would have needed a lot of concrete during its construction in the early to mid sixties. 

 

does anyone know of cement trains headed to the powerstation in its construction? if not i may think again , however i have already nudged the my family in the direction of cement wagons for cristmas.

[trw1089]

There may have been trains to a concrete batching plant used for constructing the power station, as large projects tend to have their own concrete making facilities, so perhaps a few Presflows every now and then, with some sand and gravel deliveries too.  You could also run trains of spoil being removed from the area during construction, that happens quite a lot.

 

Keep up the great work on the layout, it's looking good!

 

Cheers
Tony

[whart57]

It may have been mentioned before, but wasn't there a mixed train to Much Wenlock on Saturdays?

[whart57]

Photograph 43 in the Middleton Press book "Craven Arms to Wellington" shows pannier 2718 with a mixed train in Much Wenlock station. Unfortunately the photograph is not dated but it looks to me to be in BR times.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

today i continued to work on the stone wall by the church. its by no means done but is progressing well. i had initially re lanscaped the area with sculptamold before making the wall from das clay, today i added a few layers of paint and some soil for the first layer of groundcover.

 

I also finished mocking in the base of the warehouse buildings for the works area. i think i may add a third building at the end which the tracks can 'run in to' . you can also see where i've started painting the stonework on the retaining wall.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Hi all,

This afternoon ive been marking out the details for the main works buildings. i measured out some windows based on some laser cut frames i have left over from my uni layout. ive also marked out a large double sliding door into the workshop .

 

my idea is that the bulk of the buildings are origional red brick , however the lean too engine shed will be a more recent corrugated metal affair, and the large warehouse on the left will be some sort of large prefab hall added on later as a large assembly hall for bridges or cranes etc. im not too sure what doors or windows etc. to mark out on this section but my idea is that this is one full height build hall

 

 all suggestions welcome

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

A little more done i've drawn on the proposed windows for the  long workshop. I've also mocked up a building for the two sidings to run into, I'm thinking of adding a clock on the top similar to the one seen in Coalbrookdale on the roof of what is now the museum of iron. 

Here is an overall shot of the works so far. 

And just for fun I've sketched on the scenery I imagine going here. The valley is very wooded in Coalbrookdale and looking at old aerial photos even right up to the edge of the works there were still large trees. It will be quite the task making this many trees but I think it will be worth it. 

[MrWolf]

Excellent job, I look forward to seeing that take shape. I suspect that most of the industry sprang up in the woods then worked its way outwards.

Nice to see that I am not the only one who has piles of bits everywhere whilst in the creative process. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

On 14/12/2020 at 20:21, MrWolf said:

Excellent job, I look forward to seeing that take shape. I suspect that most of the industry sprang up in the woods then worked its way outwards.

Nice to see that I am not the only one who has piles of bits everywhere whilst in the creative process. 

Thank you, I have alot of seafoam trees to make , yep, have to get more and more carefull as the layout develops so I don't pile bits on top of scenery. 

 

 

Today I got a nice parcel from wws, 2litres of static grass to play with. It goes on very well and has some good colours, I think it will need some toning down with the airbrush and I think ill add a large oak somewhere on this embankment as well as some other detail. 

I've also been working on something else I hope to be able to show tomorrow. 

[MrWolf]

Those overgrown sidings look really convincing. Keep at it, it's giving the rest of us inspiration and kick up the a55. 

[danstercivicman]

This layout looks great!