Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[Gareth 73]

As someone born and bred in Clun I'm glad I've finally found this thread (dont always look at the layout section otherwise I'd be here all day) so have a few pages to work thro but so far it looks blooming good. Keep up the good work. Over the years I've thought about making a CVR inspired layout but hey ho. 

[Nick C]

I feel your pain with the transfers - I finished off a handful of wagon a couple of weeks ago, got the transfers how I was happy with, then gave them a coat of matt varnish - which it turned out was knackered, and left white streaks on all of them. Shoved the lot to the back of the workbench in disgust and now hoping I can weather them enough to hide it...

[Limpley Stoker]

Another Mojo deactivater !  I hide disappointing outcomes away in labelled boxes and hope a better idea will turn up. I have rather a lot of these boxes - and so little time!

[Mick Bonwick]

11 hours ago, MrWolf said:

And the lucky streak is at an end...

The transfers on the 12 ton box van went on reasonably easily until I got to the "Tons" and "Tare" items. 

They just fell apart. I don't feel guilty now, seeing that other modellers of this parish have been having waterslide woes.

 

This won't help you at all in your quest for transfer heaven, but I thought you'd appreciate a word or several from a fellow sufferer. I have many kits awaiting construction but, after a good few failures at the transfer stage much earlier on in my modelling activities, that is likely to remain the case for some time yet. It is fortunate that there is much more left to do than add more running stock, and I comfort myself in the knowledge that I can get on with that stuff first and still be making progress towards the end result.

 

The day will come, though . . . . . . .

[Stubby47]

20 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

This won't help you at all in your quest for transfer heaven, but I thought you'd appreciate a word or several from a fellow sufferer. I have many kits awaiting construction but, after a good few failures at the transfer stage much earlier on in my modelling activities, that is likely to remain the case for some time yet. It is fortunate that there is much more left to do than add more running stock, and I comfort myself in the knowledge that I can get on with that stuff first and still be making progress towards the end result.

 

The day will come, though . . . . . . .

 

This is, I believe, when the ancient practice of bartering comes into play. You have sufficiently marketable weathering skills which can be traded for and with those with the necessary transfer application abilities. 

[MrWolf]

7 hours ago, Gareth 73 said:

As someone born and bred in Clun I'm glad I've finally found this thread (dont always look at the layout section otherwise I'd be here all day) so have a few pages to work thro but so far it looks blooming good. Keep up the good work. Over the years I've thought about making a CVR inspired layout but hey ho. 

 

Welcome aboard Gareth, if it's any consolation, I know what you mean about long term filing of projects, I've been meaning to build the erstwhile Clun Valley Railway for about twenty years. You will probably know exactly where I am talking about if I say that the railway would have crossed the road on the western side of Aston Hall and the station would have been in the field opposite.

[Gareth 73]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Welcome aboard Gareth, if it's any consolation, I know what you mean about long term filing of projects, I've been meaning to build the erstwhile Clun Valley Railway for about twenty years. You will probably know exactly where I am talking about if I say that the railway would have crossed the road on the western side of Aston Hall and the station would have been in the field opposite.

I've passed over your "level crossing" many many times lol. Only problem with your station site is a bit of a walk to the Kangaroo for refreshments .

About 30 years ago some friends of mine from the railway club at craven Arms made individual layout that could be joined together to represent the CVR. I know the 1 end station was clun then clunton was the join between  but for the life of me I cant remember where the other end represented. I spent many hours running the clun end at local exhibitions. The station was based in a field a stones throw from where I grew up. My dad might have some pictures of it.

Im about 1/2 way though this thread and I'm so impressed with what I've seen so far. The bridge area is great and your buildings are fantastic. After the first mentions of signalling I cant wait to see what you end with (professional interest )

[MrWolf]

It is a bit of a walk to the Kangaroo from the station, but nowadays you have the same problems if you're camping opposite Broome station now that the Engine and Tender has gone bust. You have to walk all the way up the lane to the Kangaroo and at the end of May the covid restrictions meant that they shut at 9pm. 

 

We cheated and stayed in a hotel in Bishop's Castle on the basis that although she will ride. 140 miles on a motorcycle made in 1949, the memsahib does not do camping under any circumstances.

 

I look forward to hearing anything that you can contribute and hope that you can find your dad's pictures.

I'm glad that you are finding it interesting so far, I do want to put in signalling as soon as I have the ground work done, any sooner and I will snap them off...

[Compound2632]

Gloss varnish, Microset, and, in extremis, Microsol.

[MrWolf]

I've always put gloss varnish on the area where the transfer will be applied, otherwise they always seem to grab before I can get them straight.

I have a bottle of Microscale liquid decal film that is meant to revive old decals, but haven't got around to using it yet.

[Bluemonkey presents....]

I wish you well. I think I have documented my transfer hell and woes.

[MrWolf]

Thanks, I don't imagine most of us get enough practice to become proficient at applying transfers. It's quite satisfying when everything behaves.

 

So not all that satisfying then...

 

I'm going to have an hour of scenic swearing before I collect the memsahib from the railway station.

 

Pictures later.

[MrWolf]

 

 

You took your time getting here. Were you goofing around with your trains again?

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[Limpley Stoker]

I wonder why she chose a smoking compartment - perhaps it was because she had to catch the train in a hurry. 

[MrWolf]

I meant these photos. It was a little more fiddly than I expected to create the "civilian" side of the station yard. There's the baseboard joint to deal with, as well as the backscene and platform edges. The simple card bracing underneath has allowed me to slope the ground down to the entrance.

It involved a fair bit of juggling with gates, the signal box and the crossing components in order to get everything to fit. 

Time well spent though. Much easier than having to hack a compromise later.

 

 

 

images lost.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Dediserve suck

[MrWolf]

10 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

I wonder why she chose a smoking compartment - perhaps it was because she had to catch the train in a hurry. 

 

It was 1945, even your cat smoked!

[MrWolf]

I rest my case, M'lud.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

Back to sorting out kits that I probably should have built when I was 16 when the decals weren't like the Dead Sea scrolls.

 

I have experimented with "applying a continuous coating with an artist's brush" as per the instructions. Although technically, it's an artist's artist's brush - see what I did there? 

 

Now I have to wait for fifteen minutes. I think that I will get on with the station building gutters, which are photo bombing the picture.

 

 

image lost 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Image missing

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

It was 1945, even your cat smoked!

How do you make a cat bark?

[MrWolf]

 

 

Woof.

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

Really rather impressed with the results using the Microscale liquid decal film.

Those transfers are thirty year old Ratio items which had gone so dry and yellowed that you could hardly see them on the backing paper.

It will get a coat of matt varnish in the morning.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

Still lots of work to do weathering and painting, but it seems to have worked.

 

 

 

I know that a few people have asked about applying transfers, this morning it was Rob @NHY 581and as I have found something that appears to be the solution, thanks to the advice of so many on here, the simplest way I can explain it is:

 

1. Paint your wagon. (Singing not necessary.)

2. Paint a thin coat of gloss varnish on the area where the transfer will sit.

3. Soak transfer, it always seems to take much longer than the instructions state.

4. Slide transfer off backing about 1mm (any more and it can fold up with rage inducing results.)

5. Offer up the transfer as near as possible.

6. Pin down the free end of the transfer to the model using a cocktail stick, (don't use any sharp metal tool.) and slide the backing paper sideways so that the transfer lays flat.

7. Move the transfer carefully with the cocktail stick if necessary whilst everything is wet.

8. Press down and dab dry with a small piece of sponge or a clean cloth.

9. Leave to dry overnight then apply a thin coat of matt varnish to the whole thing.

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[MrWolf]

Just returning to an earlier post, I would like to make it clear that I do not advocate setting fire to cats, despite the fact that Miss Riding Hood is severely allergic to them and is likely to sneeze if shown a video of a cat playing the piano.

 

I do however advocate setting fire to people who set fire to cats.

 

Because God is a bit slow with the old divine retribution in my experience.

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

Around Item 7 in your list I apply some Humbrol DecalFix or Micro Set which softens the decal to go over things like bolt heads and gaps between planks.

[Alister_G]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

is likely to sneeze if shown a video of a cat playing the piano.

 

I have a similar affliction, I tend to scream and smash the computer if shown cat videos on the internet...

 

Al.