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Parkend Marsh Sidings in P4


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2 hours ago, Tim V said:

Captain, didn't you and I go to an open day at Parkend - around 1975?

Yes, I definitely remember going to that event, it was the first time I'd been to the Forest of Dean area. It's just a pity that I didn't have a decent camera in those days.

 

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2 hours ago, 5050 said:

Very interesting project I reckon.  Might even prompt me to think about starting an FoD layout (again!) to use the Drybrook Road buildings I started a couple (or more!) years ago.

I'm also very much inspired by John's new project, which must be a good thing, as we are going to be collaborating on rolling stock for it. I've been aiming towards suitable FoD rolling stock for my next P4 layout after 'Callow Lane', which will be a version of Travellers Rest.

 

I had fleeting thoughts of re-starting 'Travellers Rest' this year (I built the single 5' board and the necessary pointwork some years ago), but I've resolved to continue with things in the correct order, namely 'Callow Lane' to come first.

 

Edited by Captain Kernow
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On 21/06/2020 at 15:34, Tim V said:

Last of my pictures. Very poor shot April 1976.  Then from 1977 engine was 4150, but I've included this one as it shows the lack of buffer stop at the end of the siding. I have a few other pictures of the engine, but not relevant to the OP's topic.

 

Parkend 12-06-1976 60-5.jpg

Parkend 4150 11 April 1977 Rollieflex 89-5.jpg

Again, thank you Tim. The 4150 shot is particularly helpful showing what the end of the Sawmills siding was like and the coping stones.

Edited by Re6/6
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6 minutes ago, Re6/6 said:

Again, thank you Tim. The 4150 shot is particularly helpful showing what the end of the siding was like and the coping stones.

Thought you might like that one!

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On 21/06/2020 at 15:34, Tim V said:

Last of my pictures. Very poor shot April 1976.  Then from 1977 engine was 4150, but I've included this one as it shows the lack of buffer stop at the end of the siding

Parkend 12-06-1976 60-5.jpg

 

Is it possible to just make out an old sleeper attached to the stone wall at the end of the headshunt, acting as a buffer stop?

 

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2 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Is it possible to just make out an old sleeper attached to the stone wall at the end of the headshunt, acting as a buffer stop?

 

There is something there that is buffer stop sized and height.

Paul.

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Excellent choice of prototype and model John - we shall have to compare notes sometime! I have a lot of information and photographs from various sources so please let me know if there’s any gaps I can help on. The Parkend branch saw a huge variety of motive power over the years, even uncommon traction like Hymeks, 31s and a token Warship turned up. 
 

Interestingly you can now stay in Rose Cottage (well, Corona aside..!) which I’ve been tempted to take my 2mm version too at some point. 
 

Watching with interest!

 

Steve

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1 hour ago, MPR said:

More! More!

 

The Class 25 is from CK's 'Callow Lane' stock and the little 'Kitson' is a newly built Judith Edge kit for CL.

 

IMG-20200729-WA0001.jpg.7be02ea5801f86b8843807e721dc95f1.jpg

 

IMG-20200729-WA0002.jpg.82afdeaa25634b07f187a1adf14a1b66.jpg

 

IMG-20200729-WA0003.jpg.c37203d7ff3a493c19f99ab7a66ce9cc.jpg

 

More visitors!

IMG-20200729-WA0005.jpg.5ee9c4cd374128ec6ace9994635fa6e3.jpg

 

There has been some progress on the loading wharf which was a large sprawling affair. The wall tops were rather strange in shape with high parts that were probably to do with the stone quarry tramway that went early on around the 1880s (?) If anybody knows any information about this, I'd be very grateful.

 

These have yet to be permanently bedded in and fixed down to the baseboards. Ballasting is next. Oh joy!

 

IMG-20200729-WA0000.jpg.5c93e00ffa6a40915e1fc5e27a388c9c.jpg

 

IMG-20200729-WA0006.jpg.7411904ecdb2a39c4e6397ef50873461.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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Ballasting...the tedious task...!

 

I don't have the patience to ballast in the traditional way of one sleeper bed at a time. If I hadn't 'automated' the method I think that I'd still be ballasting 'Balcombe'!

 

There are a couple of products on the market to help with this. Ballast applicators and a spreaders make life a lot easier. The other tools that I use are homemade from pieces of balsa, cocktail sticks and cut up coffee stirrers for tamping. I adapted the hopper with a small piece of balsa to restrict the flow of ballast as it fell through much too quickly for control in its original condition.

 

The ballast brush spreaders are a bit different now from Golden Valley Product as they've combined the two. https://www.goldenvalleyhobbies.com/gvqboo-golden-valley-hobbies-ooho-scale-quick-ballaster

 

20200804_154702.jpg.086a42597138b6ab9f0eccbdc1239336.jpg

 

A couple of hopper loads distributed. It takes a bit of practice to get the

speed right.                                                                                                                                After a couple of sweeps with the 'Dougal' brush thingy and a couple of passes                                                                                                                                                                             along the ends of the 

                                                                                                                                                       sleepers with the balsa wood piece on a stick and it's ready for tamping.            

  20200804_153823.jpg.778f54da976072f70a3bb4d67b9ad155.jpg            20200804_153957.jpg.7b7fcbf77a335795765e19ea17bf5407.jpg                                                              For P4 the two '00' grooves were filed out to fit. 

 

20200804_154616.jpg.0da4fbe53214ca7e0b5d9322a7b6490c.jpg                                                                                   

            

This took me about a minute to do. It really is fast and efficient using these applicators and brush devices. The next bit does take a good bit longer! I use the 'old school' method of firstly adding isopropyl alcohol with a plastic pipette to the ballast then with another pipette adding the usual 50/50 PVA and water with a few drops of washing up liquid.  I did try using Klear but the end result wasn't totally to my liking. I've had it for quite a few years now so it could've 'gone off', anyway the surface of the ballast looked a little lumpen. When in doubt go with 'old school'!

 

Edited by Re6/6
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Fantastic stuff. Only just caught up with this thread....
Funnily enough, I've toyed with the idea of modelling the very same location in the past.
I had a magazine with a lot of info (published back in the late 80's / early 90's I think) with a few photos.

Neil Parkhouse's books rekindled those thoughts too. But you beat me to it ;)
Keep up the good work. Some great contributions from other RMweb folk here too

EDIT: In the past, I always thought a DoF based layout would mean making a lot of trees.... so I shied away....

Edited by marc smith
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1 hour ago, Re6/6 said:

Ballasting is now complete, apart from 'Sawmills' siding. 

 

Experimentation with static grasses on the track will be the next thing to grapple with!

 

The stock rail on the 'Sawmills' siding points has too much of a joggle and is not aesthetically pleasing. It needs tweaking!

20200813_174055.jpg.f9b8f207679b0fcc4380fa32be59f9e9.jpg

 

It all runs sweetly thanks to Rod's (10800) splendid wiring up.

 

Some jerky video...........

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjwfc9-je2o

 

 

 

20200813_174140.jpg.27de70b05565a154bac787d044ec5ca5.jpg

 

20200813_173950.jpg.96426baddfcdc616bdb2c6a15dd5612e.jpg  20200812_103313.jpg.d96ff61380a7c0deddc0805be1703550.jpg

Marsh Sidings 7b.jpg

 

Lovely stuff, John. 

 

Regards static grass, WWS have a summer sale on at present. 15% off their grasses. ( amongst other things)

 

Rob. 

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1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Lovely stuff, John. 

 

Regards static grass, WWS have a summer sale on at present. 15% off their grasses. ( amongst other things)

 

Rob. 

 

Thanks Rob. Yes, I did get in with an order fortunately (anything to save lolly!). I bought some 1mm stuff so I'm going to experiment with that as a basing layer and adding a second layer of it or maybe some 2mm. Of course it may be a disaster! What I want to avoid is the grass laying at different 'spikey' angles. I've failed so far! I'm hoping that a 'layering' method will be successful.

 

The real tedium is masking the track since grass doesn't grow on rails or sleepers (except maybe where they're rotten!) There won't be many of those since the sidings were kept in good order. I've found four 'conditions' that track was in through the 50s, 60s and 70s seemingly having been re-sleepered and re-ballasted at least four times.

 

290572424_20200803_120210(1a).jpg.e63980c717566ad6a7a64d0c5244c9bd.jpg

 

 

Edited by Re6/6
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I'd thought of you as I'm going to order some myself. 

 

Have you tried using an initial layer of 2mm then adding the 1mm to that? 

 

I've used a mixture of 2mm, 4mm and the odd bit of 6mm within the track at Sheep Dip. The 2mm was the base layer. 

It is an issue due to the masking needed. 

 

I chickened out of using spray and used neat PVA for the initial layer. Further layers were then added using more PVA dabbed onto the existing fibres. 

 

I will be doing the same once I get the 7mm layout off the ground..but anticipate using longer fibres. 

 

 

Rob. 

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15 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Have you tried using an initial layer of 2mm then adding the 1mm to that? 

 

I hadn't thought of doing that way round Rob! All combinations will be experimented with!

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Here's my take on Parkend's Marsh Sidings. I omitted the Sawmills siding for reasons of space (the fiddle yard is behind). There's some good photos and maps in Ralph Anstis's book 'The Story of Parkend' ISBN 9781899889044, including maps from 1859, 1878 and 1922.

Neil Parkhouse's book is wonderful, and he's very approachable, met him at Warley last year.

20200621_122133.jpg

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A couple of experiments but not yet what I'm hoping to achieve. I've discovered that it's quite challenging to get small amounts of static fibres down. A thinner application is required. Less is more (apologies!).

 

20200815_104422.jpg.5eb4c5a28d60007434f13d4cd1498feb.jpg

 

 

 

I'm happy with the less bright green. These are Polàk fibres which have a tad more muted colour tones than most of the rest.

20200816_164711.jpg.5ea67f19f48470494b7848043cd05c3f.jpg

 

Oh well....onward and upwards...!

 

 

 

 

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Thank you David for those kind words.

 

I don't think that it's ever going to be fabulous!

 

Thank you for your Swiss thread and the superb pictures. 

 

Somehow 'Marsh Sidings' has got in the way of 'Rüthi' !:rolleyes: 

 

 

 

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