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Langford Lane & Marlingford - GWR 1940s Oxfordshire


The Great Bear
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Jon would acrylic work on that material?

Probably - the car paints stuck just weren't right colour, but seeing the stuff down in its original state worth testing small bit in situ. I probably have some small pots of green paint somewhere to try, no doubt middle chrome green ;) 

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  • 4 weeks later...

With a bit of messing around with more gentle use of aerosol paint, some green weathering wash on the newer, inner side and attacking both sides with a beard trimmer (cheap one, bought solely for modelling) here's the result, with a few bushes and the fences added:

p1675028714-4.jpg

(The extension to the lifting flap for the factory that would be on the right has been detached for ease of access to this bit, back on that at some point. The next challenge I'm attempting is to add the point rodding.)

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This is really good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

What make of fencing are you using?

 

Rich

The fencing is the usual Ratio one, R423 GWR lineside fencing. Instead of the supplied line I use EZ Line, the fine version. This is a US product, an elasticated line. That it's elasticated makes fitting it reasonably easy. My method doesn't bear close scrutiny. I miss out the lowest 3 wires of the fence. I then start by wrapping the wire around the first post and glueing in place then every few posts depending on change in height loop the wire around the post, hopefully catching in the groove to get it at the right height. Some bits the height is all over the place,  but the overall impression isn't too bad. At the end I do the same but secure by glueing again.

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So, the point rodding is next on the agenda. I've been planning, see separate topic, with help from the usual suspects.

 

Planning is one thing, quite easy to do on CAD, execution is another. As something new, I thought I'd better start with some off-layout tests.

 

Firstly some straight rodding and a compensator:

p1630455830-4.jpg

For the cess and 6' and 10' on the layout I'd just continued to use the Tracklay foam I'd used for the lines as it made doing this easier. So that's what the trial is on. This has revealed an issue that with the rodding stools used, MSE ones, it's spongy nature makes getting it harder to mount these things, in particular pushing the wire into the slots. I have some ideas with this, maybe pre-fabricating runs on a card base or trying other products. So the easy bit isn't that easy.

 

The compensator I omitted the washers underneath the cranks - didn't realise what they were on the etch - so it looks a bit flat.

 

Onto the cranks, in particular adjacent to the signal box, a difficult area discussed in the planning thread. Taking the pre-fabrication idea, here's a test in progress of this area - bits mounted on a bit of balsa wood that I can put in hole cut in the foam supporting the track.

p1754115681-4.jpg

 

p1859001029-4.jpg

 

p1656263380-4.jpg

 

I think this approach is promising, certainly a lot easier though still pretty fiddly to put things together on the workbench. In my enthusiasm as it was going well I worked too fast without thinking about the detail of the cranks as I've realised the cranks aren't arranged right in terms of level: the middle one should be higher than the one on the right. Also they aren't close enough - the use of a larger brass washer, having found the MSE ones, they are just too small for me to cope with. But I reckon worth persevering. This is pretty much the most complex bit so if I can crack this then that would bode well for the remainder.

 

I'm also going to try some different products out, I have some Brassmasters cranks on order - more of things I need on each etch for this. Also I'm not sure about the cast stools from MSE, they are somewhat impressionistic. Seeing as I like ground level layout shots something more detailed might be in order so I'm investigating some alternatives.

 

So, not straightforward, but can see a way forward.

 

Thanks for the interest shown

 

Jon

Edited by The Great Bear
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The metal rodding is good, but have you considered the Wills plastic product?

 

I will be having a go with this on Ffrwd Locks (when it is re-built).

 

It could be a bit pricey for a lrage installation?

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68485-wills-new-point-rodding/

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The metal rodding is good, but have you considered the Wills plastic product?

 

I will be having a go with this on Ffrwd Locks (when it is re-built).

 

It could be a bit pricey for a lrage installation?

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68485-wills-new-point-rodding/

 

Thanks, Sarah. I had considered the Wills one, but will look again. It's not altogether clear in the photos I have but the rodding in the real locale looks to have been round rodding, not that that would sway it, any better than none. I have an awful lot of rodding to install and some very wide (11 rod) runs so yes, as you say, the Wills stuff would be expensive. I am also looking at 3d printed stools from Modelu, a sample is on its way. Again, more expensive than the cast MSE stools but they look to be a neat solution as the rollers can be threaded onto the rodding before placing on the layout. That's the plan, anyway...I will keep you all updated...

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Another fabulous find, for me, and I have enjoyed catching up with what I had missed.  What a journey you have taken.  I particularly love the fact that you have chosen to replicate prototype Great Western buildings (in a style seldom modelled).  It makes your layout stand out.  The work with card is beautifully subtle, though the computer stuff is cleverness beyond my ken.  You have also managed to tone the scenics to complement the buildings very well.

 

Inspirational stuff for a beginner such as me.  I look forward to further developments.

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If it helps, this is how I have used MSE/Wizard Models cast rodding stools. I cut them to the required length (this example is for one with three sections of round point rodding), and then open the apertures up carefully by poking a thin 5-sided broach through and carefully opening them up to approx 0.5mm.

 

A 0.5mm hole is also drilled centrally in the base and a piece of 0.5mm brass wire epoxied in.

 

A corresponding hole (probably 0.8mm - 1 mm to allow for some positioning room) is drilled in the baseboard and a piece of (say) 30 thou plasticard is cut slightly larger than the base of the cast rodding stool. This base is epoxied to the base of the cast stool at the same time that the 0.5mm piece of brass wire is.

 

When set, the whole ensemble is epoxied into the baseboard. As successive assemblies of stools are glued into the baseboard, you need to take care to ensure that the rodding run is correctly aligned and 'looks' right when compared to the track that it is running parallel to. Suitable gaps can be left for compensators etc.

 

Hopefully this diagram will make things a bit clearer:

post-57-0-76945400-1455108494_thumb.jpg

 

 

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Obviously I could not resist and have acquired the new Hornby Collett coaches, starting with the brakes and awaiting the others in due course. Before making a mess (again) I thought I'd better run a train with them in. This shot shows a close up of one at the tail of the train (the other is at the front):

p1844482008-5.jpg

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Obviously I could not resist and have acquired the new Hornby Collett coaches, starting with the brakes and awaiting the others in due course. Before making a mess (again) I thought I'd better run a train with them in. This shot shows a close up of one at the tail of the train (the other is at the front):

p1844482008-5.jpg

 

Absolutely superb - exactly as a mixed GWR coach rake should be! Has the clerestory composite been downgraded to an all third yet? If so then the Lord of Marlingford and the Lady of Begbrooke will be unable to board!

 

Great Bear is completely right about the missing style of coach: toplights. My prediciton? Oxford Rail by the end of 2018...

 

CoY

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Absolutely superb - exactly as a mixed GWR coach rake should be! Has the clerestory composite been downgraded to an all third yet? If so then the Lord of Marlingford and the Lady of Begbrooke will be unable to board!

 

Great Bear is completely right about the missing style of coach: toplights. My prediciton? Oxford Rail by the end of 2018...

 

CoY

 

Well the intent was it provided the 1st class accommodation, but the lack of any markings on it did make me scratch my head! I'm going to soon have to start giving a bit more attention to rolling stock now the scenic stuff is getting close to completion and I might actually start running a railway.

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Hi Jon

 

Just spent a very enjoyable half hour or so going through your thread. While I'm no GWR fan, your modelling is of the highest order and your work is very inspirational. As one who has contemplated JMRI for controlling the signaling, and also the use of the NCE AIU, you've given me a heap of ideas.

 

Very impressive stuff and I will be following your progress closely, especially if the LNER interlopers appear on occasion like that beautiful C1!

 

Cheers

Tony

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A few more photos of the same train.

p1796828743-5.jpg

 

p1764764291-5.jpg

 

p1807796205-5.jpg

This photo shows two things:

1) The moulded, filled in, steam pipes on the Hornby Hall aren't that obvious, if at all

2) That I need to vacuum this bit again as there are still off-cuts of the hanging basket liner all over the place.

 

Probably the headlamp should be red at least to match the stock, but I bought white ones as in theory my layout's set post war. Also, when did the smokebox lamp positions change, didn't they move later to the top of the smokebox, that's what I see in BR era pictures?

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Hi Jon

 

Just spent a very enjoyable half hour or so going through your thread. While I'm no GWR fan, your modelling is of the highest order and your work is very inspirational. As one who has contemplated JMRI for controlling the signaling, and also the use of the NCE AIU, you've given me a heap of ideas.

 

Very impressive stuff and I will be following your progress closely, especially if the LNER interlopers appear on occasion like that beautiful C1!

 

Cheers

Tony

 

Tony - thank you very much for the compliment. Good luck with JMRI and the AIUs. It seems to work well, took a bit of time to work out the JMRI side of things and terminology. I haven't gotten around to doing any interlocking in it yet, but from a couple of tests I know I can do it in due course.

 

Regarding LNER interlopers yes in due course there will be more. Trouble is, if I take the timetable accurately regarding locos I think they'd all be at night. A black B1 would thus be rather camouflaged so I might therefore bend things a bit. (I think the daytime inter-regional passenger trains in my period changed from NE to western engines at Banbury, though a picture of a B17 heading north out of Oxford does give some potential excuse.)

 

Cheers

 

Jon

Edited by The Great Bear
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A few more photos of the same train.

 

 

 

p1807796205-5.jpg

This photo shows two things:

1) The moulded, filled in, steam pipes on the Hornby Hall aren't that obvious, if at all

2) That I need to vacuum this bit again as there are still off-cuts of the hanging basket liner all over the place.

 

Probably the headlamp should be red at least to match the stock, but I bought white ones as in theory my layout's set post war. Also, when did the smokebox lamp positions change, didn't they move later to the top of the smokebox, that's what I see in BR era pictures?

 

Lovely work. Even my girlfriend said what a good photo this one is. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick

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